AN: Author Note – Alltariss – This chapter reveals some information on the Corruption and some background on a few characters. It also introduces a few more important characters to the ever growing roster. Such as the head of the R&D division who unfortunately never had much of a job since Nihon is lacking in the science department, unlike the West.
Chapter 8
Vile Motives
Hideo silently watched over the two small babes currently sleeping in the crib within the sealed room. The council meeting had gone better than he had expected, especially considering the deceptions they had created to protect the children. He just hoped no one would attempt to investigate further into the issue. Falsifying information, especially when it is of such sensitive and critical nature was borderline if not outright treason.
The medical tests he had performed on the children had returned results that terrified him. Naruto and Alto were just so unnatural that he doubted they were even human. The potential that these children have were more than any other person he had ever met or read about.
The potential to exceed or at the very least match the ninja of the old days. They who walked as gods among men.
A knock on the door broke his thoughts and he welcomed both Danzō and Jiraiya into the room.
"I assume the results have returned?" Danzō asked.
Hideo nodded, but not without a sense of apprehension which both seasoned shinobi noticed.
"Something about them scares you, doesn't it?" Jiraiya questioned.
The hospital director sighed tiredly in response.
"Let's start with Naruto shall we?"
Both shinobi nodded and gave their full attention.
"Naruto's DNA test revealed more than simply confirming his parentage," he began.
"The Uzumaki clan were known for their exceptional life-force and Chakra. Naruto has indeed inherited such, but they're slightly altered. Usually this would mean that he would recover from injury faster, have larger Chakra Reserves and quality, and greater stamina overall. Yet the introduction of the Kyūbi's Chakra vastly improves his life despite the detrimental effects of corrosion."
He placed before the two ninja a variety of papers with diagrams and numbers.
"His healing ability was surprising and I put it down as the Bijū protecting the vessel, but after a few more tests I found that it is actually a mutational side-effect of his large life-force. His life-force seems to instantly repair any damage done to him as soon as it takes place. It not's healing, but more akin to regeneration though I am at a loss as to how his body knows how the tissue was supposed to be like before the damage took place."
Danzō perked up at this ability thinking that it would be a boon for training and in battle, but knew that such a thing couldn't be all good.
"Wouldn't that mean he won't be able to improve his body physically as others do? His muscles wouldn't improve if they regenerate back to their original state, instead of healing and improving." he queried.
Hideo nodded in agreement. "That is exactly what I deduced as well. Although it may be possible that the regeneration ability could fade away as he gets older. It's entirely possible that it's happening now because he's still adjusting to the sealing. My current theory is that the regenerative ability extends only to what Naruto perceives as an injury, otherwise it remains dormant."
Jiraiya sifted through the papers looking for a specific piece of data, but couldn't find it.
"Is there any sign that he can perform the techniques that Mito-sensei and Kushina-chan did? Emotional Sensory Detection or creating Chakra Constructs?"
Hideo shook his head. "As far as I can tell he doesn't show any sign of such abilities, but it could always manifest as he ages."
Jiraiya nodded and motioned for the director to continue.
"His Keirakukei shows constant expansion and is surprisingly flexible even for a newborn child. What surprises me the most is the creation of new Tenketsu(Chakra Points) along the pathways."
Both shinobi were shocked at the news and took a few moments to understand exactly what this would mean.
"As I'm sure you realise, this means he can have a greater control over his Chakra and can unleash it more precisely and quicker than anyone else."
Jiraiya coughed into his hand. "It would be something a Hyūga wouldn't conceive of if the boy trains with one. They would need more strikes in order to shut him down."
"What about the other boy, Alto?" Danzō asked.
Hideo gathered the papers and placed them aside before spreading another set of papers before them.
"Atlo shouldn't exist according to our research. He has no Keirakukei and we can't detect any Chakra being produced at all. Yet, he shows remarkable abilities during our investigation," Hideo stated.
"He would absorb any and all Chakra around him when he checked him. According to my personal scan of his body, I found small amounts of Natural Chakra."
Jiraiya was surprised. "Really, Natural Chakra? His body is stable and strong enough to withstand such a thing?"
Hideo nodded. "Yes, His body seems to be adapting to it and not showing any sign of losing control. I theorised that it is perhaps a method to compensate for a lack of an internal Chakra system. It would also explain why he heals faster than normal."
"He regenerates as Naruto does?" Danzō asked.
"No." Hideo replied. "He heals faster than normal, but not at the same speed as Naruto. And I'm not sure if it is regeneration or not, because he does show scarring. When inflicted with injury the resulting scars fade after some time passes leaving unblemished skin. Usually, for a normal person the wound will heal and then they have to live with the scars. Only in some occasions do scars completely fade away. I assume, for Alto, that the worse the wound the longer the scars will take to fade away."
Hideo gathered his papers and set them on top of the previous pile.
"That's all I have to report," he finished.
Jiraiya and Danzō both took a few moments to let all the information to sink in. Both men now knew that things wouldn't be the same anymore.
"Konoha has many enemies it seems," Danzō whispered. "We'll need all the help we can get. No doubt these two will be among the top of the new generation."
Jiraiya nodded grimly. "It'll take more than a few good men to brave the coming storm."
Sarutobi's face was grim as he read the reports concerning the village. The village still had to remove the Corruption and find all the remains of people who were missed from the preliminary clean-up. Then all the rubble will need to be cleared and unsafe buildings demolished.
He had assigned the clean-up of the Corruption and the recovery of bodies to the Hyūga clan. So far, they were doing a solid job and would be able to have the village cleaned within by the end of the week. The Uchiha clan had been tasked with securing the village borders to keep any invaders at bay. Once the village was cleared of the Corruption the Akimichi would be able to assist in removing all the rubble and safely demolish any building that is not worth saving. Only after that will the civilians be allowed to leave the shelter to seek any valuables and belongings that they can find.
The infrastructure was going to need to be rebuilt since the deflected Bijūdama(Tailed Beast Ball) carved a crater metres deep into the earth. Sarutobi hoped that he could rely on the civilian contractors to help in this trying time.
Fugaku nursed a cup of saké as he sat in his home. The clan compound was completely untouched besides the damage from the Corruption. Fugaku was far from a fool, he saw the Kyūbi clearly that night. Its image burned into his monochrome memory, the eyes of the beast reflecting the triple tomoe design of the Sharingan.
He took solace in the fact that no one else seemed to notice such a detail. The council meeting was informative, but showed that none suspected his clan. He lifted the cup to his lips and swallowed the saké in a single shot. The burn along his throat calmed his mind as it gave the same sensation of breathing fire.
The space in front of him warped and distorted until a man appeared. He wore an orange spiral mask that allowed him to see from only his right eye. His cloak was black and adorned designs of multiple red clouds.
"Madara," Fugaku greeted, but did not bother to stand up or bow.
Madara's eye flared to life shifting into the famous Sharingan.
"The plan was botched by that damnable Namikaze."
Fugaku nodded. "The council meeting revealed the Jinchūriki's of the beast. And it has already been decided that they will go to an orphanage. There is no avenue in which I can adopt the boys without arousing suspicion."
Madara tilted his head slightly in confusion.
"Jinchūriki's? As in more than one?" he questioned. "I was sure that the Uzumaki woman birthed only a single child."
Fugaku shook his head. "There are two children. One has the Chakra of the beast, whilst the other has the mind of the beast sealed within."
Madara contemplated this new development and decided that it was of no detriment to his plans. The beast wasn't stupid and would undoubtedly assist its host, but the current circumstances were more beneficial to him. If the Kyūbi doesn't have access to its store of Chakra then it would be useless to oppose him.
The child with the Chakra might be able to draw on it and since the beast's mind is no longer attached to it. It could mean he would achieve the same status as those who have mastered the beast.
"What is the status of the clan within the village?" he asked.
"At a dangerous edge," Fugaku replied. "It will only be a matter of time before someone suspects our involvement. Anyone who saw the eyes of the Kyūbi will know that we're associated with the attack."
"I see," Madara whispered.
With a nod, he vanished within a distortion of space and time.
Itachi returned to the compound, which was the first place to be purged of the Corruption after the attack. It was necessary as most of the clan members were out on border patrol. He had personally finished his cycle and was to rest before returning to the field. Itachi was eager to return to the border, as he feared the outbreak of another war.
He entered his home and found the house to be quiet, almost deathly so. Walking to his parent's bedroom, he opened the door and found his mother fast asleep. The room next door was where his new little brother slept. Itachi smiled wistfully at the small child.
So lucky to not understand or comprehend the horrors of reality.
He made his way into his room and quickly shed his uniform and placed his equipment away. He stepped into his shower and relaxed as he turned the knob, only to blink in confusion.
"Of course," he scolded himself. "The water supply is blown to shreds."
He stepped out and opened his closet before selecting fresh clothes to wear.
Looks like I'll have to try and bathe at a river when I leave for border patrol again.
Just after he had finished clothing himself the door opened to reveal his father.
"When did you return?" he demanded.
Itachi maintained a calm mind as he answered. "Just now, but I'll be returning to the field soon."
Fugaku nodded. "Good, the situation around here is dangerous until we can restabilise."
Itachi bowed in response. "Understood Tou-san, I will make haste as the border will need constant attention."
"Make the clan proud, my son," he said, before turning away and returning to his office.
Itachi quickly strapped on his equipment and left his home in a swift manner.
Nightfall signalled the end of paperwork for Fugaku. He left his office and was about to enter the bedroom until he noticed light coming from the kitchen. The electrical systems had failed and needed repairs so everyone used candles and oil lamps for illumination. He checked in on his newborn son and found him to be fast asleep. With a pulse of Chakra he activated the seals that were placed on the walls.
The seals would prevent sounds outside the perimeter of the room from being heard, but would allow any noise within the room to be heard by everyone in the house. It was a boon for him as he could do his duties without waking his son up by any loud sounds, but if Sasuke started crying then he would hear it. It was unfortunate for Mikoto that he fully intended to use this gift for sinister purposes.
He entered the kitchen to find his wife reading a book next to an oil lamp.
It's been nothing but work, work, work, since this whole plan started. And to make things worse the bitch wouldn't let me have even the slightest fun since she was pregnant. Now that ends, I won't be denied my fun anymore.
Mikoto looked up from her book and saw her husband's face in the dim light. The blood froze in her veins as she realised exactly what position she was in.
Mikoto's father was the previous head of the Uchiha clan and as his daughter, she was obligated to marry a member of the clan to keep the bloodline from thinning out. The exception to this rule would be to find another person to marry whose influence couldn't be ignored and was powerful enough to beat any suitors who wished her hand in marriage.
Mikoto had never fallen in love, the thought of marrying within the clan wasn't exactly scary or repulsive to her. Many of suitors she had met were genuinely good and she felt that could live with that. She felt that given some time they could learn to love one another.
Of the many suitors there was one who desired her hand for no other purpose than to gain the power to eventually lead the clan. Fugaku's desire to lead the clan was one born from the deepest depths of his fractured mind. His personality had long since been warped around the clan and power. Thus, leading to him seek Mikoto as his wife.
With the subtle use of his Sharingan he had made other suitors pursue someone else than Mikoto. The only suitors he left alone were those he knew without a doubt he could defeat, both on and off the battlefield. Where Fugaku lacked great intelligence or strength, he more than made up for it with cunning.
Mikoto never liked Fugaku at any point in time and tried many methods to turn him away from her, but unfortunately, he was the one suitor that could claim her hand in marriage. She had no choice but to marry him as to refuse to do so would see her exiled from the clan. Should she have chosen such a thing it would have left her without a home or any support as she would be as any other clan-less ninja.
"Well, well, it's been a while seen we've had a little fun, hasn't it?" Fugaku said with a smile on his face.
Mikoto trembled and suddenly stood up and backed away from him. She activated her bloodline and prepared to fend herself from him. She knew that it was pointless to fight, but she would be damned before she let him take her without a fight.
Before she could do anything, she found herself grabbed from behind and pushed down onto the dining table. She couldn't understand how Fugaku always managed to capture her in a Genjutsu. She had trained herself in secret as much as she could to counter Genjutsu, but she always failed to detect whatever illusion he casted on her. Her body was paralysed until the technique wore off or it was cancelled.
No no no no no no no no no no no no.
He grabbed her hands and immediately bound her hands tightly with combat wire. He grasped the bottom of her blouse and pulled it up until it bunched around her waist, exposing her undergarment. He pulled her panties down roughly, nearly tearing the material.
He shattered the Genjutsu he had casted on her before pulling his pants down around his ankles.
"Scream for me bitch…"
Katsumi lay back on the cushioned bed as she retired for the night. So many thoughts spun around her mind, most revolved around a certain shinobi. She knew about the attack well before it took place. She simply evacuated the village a day before the incident, thereby avoiding any chance of being in danger. Ishikawa wouldn't like the information he would undoubtedly find, and truth be told neither did she.
Akatsuki was nothing more than an annoyance compared to the big players in the game.
A small rebel group that failed more than they succeeded, but not anymore.
The person who called himself Madara was not to be trifled with. Katsumi confirmed with her own eyes the Sharingan he wielded and the powers of space and time. She knew that he wasn't Madara, but any man who dared claim the name and legend for his own wouldn't do so without the power to back it up.
The world was in a precarious situation and chances were that war would break out. The three wars in the past were bad enough; they left all the Hidden Villages devastated both militarily and economically. If a fourth war were to occur then Katsumi would have to return to her war-time duties. Where she would have to actively take control over every whorehouse in the nation and siphon every drop of information from every nation.
Ishikawa and Katsumi shared a special relationship with one another. The previous Mistress of Pleasures had decided to move their base of operations to Konoha and had found Katsumi during her trip to the village. Cunning and resourceful, Katsumi earned the privilege of being her apprentice and eventually the next Mistress of Pleasures.
It was during the trip when they were attacked by bandits lead by rogue ninja. Ishikawa was at the time an apprentice of the previous Kageken and was undertaking a solo mission, which was to eliminate all the bandits and ninja. Suffice to say Katsumi and her master saw the young boy tear their assailants into pieces. After the completion of his mission, he escorted the ladies to the nearest town and returned to Konoha.
Since that day, Katsumi and Ishikawa met constantly, as she proved to be a source of information that he could rely on, despite being under the employment of the Yakuza. After his master died in the war, Ishikawa took over his title and all his secrets. It was at that point in time when the Yakuza wished to hire him specifically for missions. Since the payment was generous, the young Kageken had little reason to refuse.
Katsumi had a certain rule when it came to her profession and there was only one man who she broke that rule for. Ishikawa had a similar rule amongst many he was obligated to obey, and he too broke it for Katsumi's sister, Nanako.
She had warned Nanako that he isn't a safe person to pursue, that it will come back to haunt her. So far, that had yet to happen but she feared for her sister, as she was expendable in the grand game they played. Katsumi knew that her position amongst the Yakuza Nine offered her protection against almost any opposition.
It was the first time in a long time when she couldn't sleep well. She worried that Ishikawa would confront the man behind the Kyūbi Event. Though he was skilled and was considered an equal to the Hokage, she knew that the man who claimed the name of 'Madara' was better. She could only hope that such a day would never come to pass.
Kirabachi Kato was the current head of the Research and Development Division. A very small division that was only recently implemented since the technology from the West catapulted their understanding of the world around to an entirely new level. Unfortunately there were not many who wished to work in such a field, for the simple reason that it doesn't pay the bills.
If one wanted to work with the sciences then they had to pay for everything themselves. Kato was paid only because he was the head of the division. Unfortunately, he was the only person in the division. The funding from the Shinobi Council was rejected each time he applied for money.
"Honestly," he lamented. "How am I supposed to do my job when I lack assistants to help me out?"
He had requested someone to collect samples of the Corruption among other things, and luckily his request had been granted. Hideo was throwing him a bone since he had personally made the request to him. Usually he had to write a request form and submit it to the council, but with the attack such bureaucracy was ignored.
He leaned back and twisted his neck to work out any kinks.
Honestly, no one appreciates the love I put in my work.
He had specifically asked for a multiple samples of the Corruption in its pure form, then for tissue samples from patients who suffered from the necrosis induced from it. Kato was almost crying tears of joy when they arrived. He had actual work to do! The tissue samples were the first to be examined by the researcher.
Year 2242, November
Kirabachi Kato, Head of Research and Development Division.
Examination of Corruption and tissue samples.
The tissue samples gathered by Yakushi Hideo have shown many signs of instant cellular death. The samples all show the cells being ruptured or burst before decaying. It is clear that this is not how necrosis usually occurs. In most cases it is usually the result of poison that a person has been afflicted with via man-made concoctions or from creatures found in nature such as spiders. Natural poison from creatures behaves in a certain manner and those man-made tend to act in a specific way as well.
I can state with confidence that the necrotic tissue samples did not occur from either methodology. This is when I began to investigate the pure samples of the Corruption.
The Corruption is purely Chakra based in its natural state. This conforms with the way it behaves and reacts when exposed to certain stimuli. The Chakra quantity is exceptional, as the Chakra has a greater physical mass than any other sample I've ever read about or encountered. The quality of the Chakra is beyond anything I've ever seen. The Corruption shows traces of fire elemental Chakra, but it is so very well mixed into the matrix of the energy that dousing it in water would achieve nothing. The Chakra contains a disturbing amount of Yin(Dark) Chakra, which explains a lot about its effects.
How does it tell the difference between living and non-living cells?
How does it know to take over the Keirakukei before dispersing itself into the flesh?
How does it create different forms of diseases and necrosis?
The only explanation for such questions is that the Kyūbi imbued vast amounts of Yin Chakra with enough Chakra quantity to sustain a physical presence.
End of Report.
A month has passed since the attack. Hiruzen read the stacks of reports that seemed to grow by the second. The Hyūga clan cleared all the remaining Corruption and recovered all the bodies of the fallen for proper burial. The Akimichi clan had cleared out the rubble allowing the first steps towards reconstruction to begin. The civilians were finally given the 'All Clear' to leave the shelters and return to their homes if they were still standing. The Nara clan had been designated to patrolling the village and prevent any attempts at looting whilst the populace try to reclaim any belongings that survived the attack.
A knock on the door was heard before two people walked in. Shinichi pulled a chair for his secretary before seating himself.
"Shinichi, I'll be going on a trip to the capital to meet with our Daimyō. We need a budget increase for some time before we are completely self-sufficient."
Shinichi's secretary adjusted her glasses. "Exactly what sort of budgetary increase are we to expect, Hokage-sama?"
"According to our finances, we need a ten percent increase. Personally, I do not wish to be a burden on our Daimyō; therefore, I will request only five percent. So we will need our forces to work overtime on missions to make up for the lack of funding."
"Good. I agree with you on this decision. If we burden our Daimyō, it will send a message to other villages that we're incapable of taking care of ourselves. By making our ninja take more missions successively, it will boost our quality of troops and improve the overall skill set of each soldier. We can't afford to look weak at this point in time," Shinichi commented.
Hiruzen pulled out his pipe and with a slight pulse of chakra and fire manipulation, the tobacco was lit. For a few moments, he only took some puffs whilst gazing at the section of the wall above the door. The photos of both his predecessors and his recently deceased successor hung there, gazing at him. Suddenly he felt the burden of leadership feel heavier than it was than before.
"I will leave the village in your hands-"
"The council won't like that! They already have so much suspicion about Ishikawa-sama."
Shinichi raised his hand to silence her. "I know that they are wary of me. Honestly, I just don't give a damn. Regardless of what they think, I am who I am. I have a job to do and I do it better than anyone else."
Hiruzen nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, and that is exactly why you are one who I can trust to run the village in my absence. The Hokage must be someone who is better than everyone else on the battlefield. I feel no shame that you are far more skilled than I, though at my age it is to be expected."
The Hokage stroked his beard before continuing.
"I understand that you may have work that will take you away from the village. In that case command will transfer to Jōnin(High Ninja) Commander, Nara Shikaku."
"With all due respect Hokage-sama, have you thought about a successor? Minato was a skilled shinobi, but if anything were to happen to you then we would be left with no one to take up the title," Kaede, the Kageken's secretary, asked after writing a few notes onto the clip she held.
Hiruzen laughed, an action that surprised both of them. "If something were to happen to me then I'm afraid we may have to call in Jiraiya or Tsunade."
Shinichi's secretary gave an indignant huff. "Just the kind of image we need to attach to the title of Hokage. A man whose lust knows no bounds and a shameless woman whose only mission is to desperately drown herself in the bottom of a bottle of saké."
"I have to agree with Kaede on this. They may be powerful and in terms of strength, worthy of holding the title. Not to mention their contributions to the village even though they hardly reside in it. Their image hardly inspires fear in our enemies. If anything they'll mock us."
Hiruzen gave a short sigh. "I cannot dispute what you say, but do we really have anyone else?"
Neither one could answer that question.
"I will be leaving today with a full Jōnin escort. A team of five including myself."
Rising from his chair, an action mimicked by his two visitors. He proceeded to leave the office after shaking both their hands.
"Kami guide you, Hiruzen," Shincihi whispered.
"Kami guide you," he replied.
AN: Author Note – Alltariss – A little bit more information regarding some characters and their motives. All of these things play an important role in making the world more realistic. Nothing exists in a vacuum, what one does leaves ripples that touch everything around them sometimes having dire consequences.