Birth of an Assassin: Heir to the Namikaze
Chapter 17
A Dangerous Gamble
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Naruto.
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
Text/Writing
"Jutsu"
"Tailed Beast Speak"
I was not expecting a chapter this big, but it was great progress.
Looks like you guys really want to see Naruto go back in time with my last poll; A Lovely Illusion won out and stayed in the lead the entire time. The most recent chapter in the manga gave me more great material and really expanded on the Hokage, would recommend. Whenever one of my current stories finishes up, expect some NaruxToka action!
For now though, let's see what the Naruto-verse assassins are up to.
Hope you enjoy.
000
The Creed
Stay your blade from innocents
See but be unseen
Never compromise the Assassins
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
000
Konohagakure
Namikaze Compound
000
Within the halls of the Namikaze compound, a meeting was taking place. It was among some of the people Naruto felt closest to, for only they could be trusted to attend. It was now time the clan rose back to power, and to do that Naruto required the support of many.
Providing aid to another clan of assassins was only the beginning.
Inside of the main room was where the meeting took place. Naruto sat cross legged on a small cushion at the head of the room, looking over those he had gathered. Behind him lay some of the clan's most treasured tapestries and heirlooms, showing that the pride of the Namikaze was nowhere near gone. With his face hidden behind the hood, Naruto looked quite intimidating in the darkened hall.
"You all have been gathered here today because I have need of you." His eyes passed to each one of them as they remained quiet, waiting for more.
"Today is the day the Namikaze begin to make their return in Konoha. I have officially accepted a contract of assassination from a fellow clan and we will complete the task flawlessly. With this leverage, we will finally receive recognition from the rest of the Fire sect."
Naruto had an air of pride surrounding him, though he sat on a throne of half-truths.
"...All those so willing to forget the Namikaze dominance will be reminded that we remain, hidden by the shadow."
Perhaps he was exaggerating the amount of power that could come from a single contract. The Hoshi clan did not sound like a very affluent group themselves, nor did he know exactly what helping them might entail. That said, Naruto knew that things would only get more interesting with that turn of events.
No longer would Hoshigakure forget that it was the assassins who controlled the world, not shinobi.
"Anko." The woman stiffened at his call but otherwise remained stoic. "See to the compound while I am away and continue to gather what information you can. I want to know more about the Sannin's mission to recover Tsunade as well as who the woman is."
"Understood, Naruto-sama." She bowed her head.
After Jiraiya had left the council with his orders to return Tsunade to Konoha, Anko had quickly gotten word of it through her ANBU contacts. Apparently the old sage had received a platoon of the special forces to help him return Tsunade, specifically by force. Anko remembered some about Tsunade from when Orochimaru mentioned her, but other than her famous abilities, she was unable to inform Naruto of much.
Regardless, knowing who the Godaime Hokage would be was important for any clan. If they could not arrange a deal with the new leadership that would be beneficial to the unique needs of assassins then Naruto would have some trouble gaining the influence and power he desired.
If gathering intelligence on the woman and her compatriots would give Naruto the edge, Anko would do so with pleasure.
With that settled, Naruto turned his attention to two others who sat near the front. They had been most loyal to him and he knew he could count on their support.
"Kaito-san, Ai-san." They stiffened and bowed their heads in respect. "Please carry out the duties I have given you to the best of your ability."
The older man nodded his head as he remembered the scroll Naruto had given to them a few days beforehand. It was of the utmost importance that they gather the resources listed for the Namikaze.
"Yes, Namikaze-dono. We will gather the resources and make preparations for the compound's reconstruction immediately. However.." He seemed hesitant to continue but Naruto encouraged him with a wave of his hand. "The gathering of the resources in a discreet manner as well as the construction may take several years to complete. Is that alright?"
Naruto nodded, he had expected it to take that long. A full renovation of the compound's walls and buildings was no easy feat, but for Naruto to properly restore the clan he would need a home that gave respect to their reputation.
"Yes, that's fine. I have the utmost faith that when it is completed it shall be worthy of the Namikaze, thanks in no small part to your contribution."
Humbled by the praise, Kaito and Ai bowed again.
"We will complete everything as you ask, Naruto-sama." The girl said without any doubt in her tone.
That left only three others to address but they were the most relevant to Naruto's current plan. It would be them who would accompany him to Kuma no Kuni after all. He had already spoken to them before the meeting to be sure they were ready and each one responded positively. They may have even been excited.
"Sakura, Dosu, Kin." They had been waiting for him to call and met his gaze with their own. "Together we will set out for the nearby country that contains the village hidden in the stars. It is here that together we will complete the clan's first assassination contract in over a decade."
It might not have have the same impact on them as they were not Namikaze by blood, but it was still an important event. He hoped they would be able to understand and perhaps even enjoy being a part of it.
"Are you ready?" They responded with a simple nod.
All the training Naruto had given them up to that point had been building up for that mission, the one chance they had to prove it was all for something. A lot was riding on their success—for Naruto and for themselves.
For Sakura, it would finally say that she was strong enough to stand by Naruto. All the time she put into improving herself, she wanted to show it wasn't all for nothing. It was the best way she could think of to pay Naruto back for all he did.
Dosu and Kin had been getting used to having Naruto as their superior. They were already used to the job of a subordinate from Orochimaru, but their quality of life went up a lot since the Namikaze inducted them. It seemed like the best way to pay him back by serving him, and having top quality skills was something they learned was a priceless commodity in the ninja world.
"Yes." Was the resounding answer.
It gave Naruto a short pause, one of pure gratification. Naruto got up from his seat and, following his lead, the rest stood up as well.
"Anko, Kaito, and Ai. You are all dismissed. The rest of us must prepare for our mission." Anko and Kaito bowed and began to walk out, but Ai lingered a moment.
"Naruto-sama.." The girl kept her eyes on the floor, her body swaying a bit.
They all looked at her with dull or confused expressions. Was she sick or something?
Before Naruto could respond, the girl seemed to find her confidence and ran forward. Sakura could barely blink it happened so fast—too fast for her to stop it.
Ai kissed Naruto on the cheek, stunning those still present. Her brown hair tickled his nose and their eyes remained locked for what seemed like the longest time.
"Be safe..Naruto-sama." With that the girl turned to run after her father before he could wonder where she went.
Better she did as Sakura was fuming in the corner.
Sakura liked to think of herself as a fair girl and she was willing to give Ai room to compete. That move was just uncalled for though. How could Sakura compete with the cute blush and eye flutter?
'Well..at least I still have my hair..' She thought with a sigh, passively touching a lock of it.
"Ahem.." Naruto coughed into his gloved hand to get their attention back to the subject at hand. "Walk with me to the armory, we need to gather supplies for the trip."
They began making their way through the house to where Naruto kept his assortment of tools for use in his missions. In this case he was willing to share what he had in order to increase their effectiveness. Not just that, he had grown to trust those around him and felt they deserved a better weapon than what mere shinobi used.
"I should give you some background on the place where we are going." He mentioned as they walked on the cold wood floor. "The Namikaze know little about the Hoshi clan and the village they are based in, unfortunately. I have found a few interesting tidbits though, and a map."
"I would hope so, otherwise we wouldn't know how to get there." Dosu said with his usual exasperated drawl.
Naruto ignored the quip and continued as the girls gave their bandaged compatriot a dirty look.
"Apparently the Land of Bears is located within the boundaries of the Land of Fire, stuck as some form of protectorate. Due to the political minefield that comes with a hidden village, most have chosen to ignore the existence of Hoshigakure. Considering they exist on isolationist policies, this uneasy peace has been maintained for the past hundred years or so."
There were many smaller nations that did not officially exist on maps. They were insignificant enough that they generally didn't have any kind of official boundary, as they had no military to back it up. The Land of Bears, even with Hoshigakure, was no exception to this general rule.
"I think Orochimaru talked about that village.." Kin muttered, trying to recall the conversation. "He said there was some sort of meteorite that enhanced their shinobi. Apparently it was significant enough he wanted to have it for our training."
"A meteorite? Is something like that safe?" Sakura had to wonder how something from the sky could affect chakra and the dangers that might come from it.
"It is plausible their village leaders were able to develop some sort of training to harness it. The Hoshi clan of assassins are less of a clan, actually, but more of the survivors who passed the exercises. This Natsuhi is apparently the last one."
Naruto explained as he had read over the message sent to him a dozen times by then. He wished that the archives had more on the subject, but it seemed the Namikaze did not find them to be very significant. Maybe that was why the two groups had not talked to each other since the founding of Konoha.
"Trained in the arts of assassination through use of this chakra, eh? Sounds like a dangerous bunch." Dosu muttered, trying to wrap his head around the mission.
"Luckily they are on our side, for now at least." The blonde said in response.
They finally arrived at the armory and Naruto ushered them over to a set of scrolls he already had laid out on one of the many tables. With a flick of his wrist they all rolled open to reveal a set of seals that they recognized as being item storage.
"Stock up but stay light. We will be on the move for a while and might be gone for more than a few days."
Using his hand, chakra was sent into the scrolls and a puff of smoke enveloped the counter; once dissipated it revealed a selection of blades, wires, vials and other tools that would be useful during the mission. All four of them began to grab certain tools befitting of their preferred styles, but took a generous look at all there was to see.
Naruto had what he usually wore and placed knives on his vest, shoulders, and waist for quick access. On his back he wore one of his tanto short blades, the red Konoha hitai-ate sewn onto the front leather strap. As always his trusty hidden blade remained fixed on his left arm, its mechanisms revealed as Naruto tinkered with them.
On his left, Sakura grabbed some vials of potions and poisons. She was trying to take what she could fit on her vest with healing salves while her thigh bandolier held the poison. It was an improvised creation she came up with herself, and Naruto could find no fault in the practicality for a healer.
Since they were all trained as shinobi in some form, they all still carried around their waist pouches and, save for Naruto, thigh holsters for kunai. There, Dosu hid a small dagger that would be more durable than the average ninja weapon. Kin quickly put together a set of knives with her bells attached, to go along with her technique.
Together each carried a rucksack of some sort in order to carry their heavier supplies like food provisions and survival gear, but it wasn't extensive. By no means did Naruto mean to stay any longer than he had to in the wild, but a person had to be careful when they set out far from home.
"Alright, that should take care of everything." Naruto said as he hefted his pack.
Dosu grunted an acknowledgment, checking his melody arm for any problems. Sakura and Kin remained in the back as the group of four headed out of the main house and into the mossy, destitute compound. From there they quickly left through the front gate and started at a brisk pace for Kuma no Kuni, following simple coordinates that the map offered.
Luckily, Dosu and Kin both had an excellent sense of their surroundings and were able to help Naruto in traversing the terrain. They passed through many forests, rivers, and valleys and saw many breathtaking sights, but they could never stay in one place for too long.
Konoha had no official way of keeping track of Naruto, but for the young assassin to be away from the village would cause an uproar if they found out about his leave. Regardless of the Namikaze's preset rules, as far as the council was concerned they were void as long as he was as young and impressionable as he was. No one of the old guard could take him seriously as a Namikaze, let alone a shinobi.
That was why Naruto had to complete this mission, to prove them wrong.
000
A few days later...
Kuma no Kuni
Hoshigakure
000
Inside a specially built dojo sat a dozen young shinobi, all gathered around a clawed pedestal. Upon that platform was a pockmarked piece of dark rock that seemed to exude a dark energy. A violet glow surrounded the meteorite—chakra so powerful one could see it. The children each used a unique hand seal in order to collect the chakra into their bodies, which in turn caused them to glow.
Each one of them wore an intense look of concentration, some even cringed in pain. The irradiated chakra was dangerous on untrained bodies and the genins' lack of chakra control often saw them take too much of it at a time, damaging their internal organs. It was a pain they were willing to go through though if it meant the village would prosper.
Around them were a few adult shinobi to oversee the process and ensure those who fell ill were taken away. One of these was a man that called himself a Kage, though no one outside his village would acknowledge him as such. It was his ambition to bring the village and the name Hoshikage to the world stage, and no one would stand in his way—not even his own people.
Akahoshi was flanked by two of his closest followers, the tall and fiendish Shisō and the short stout Yotaka. Together they were the ones whom were able to get the star training to begin again, thanks in no small part to the Sandaime Hoshikage's passing. The villagers were still in mourning, but they had little time to rest if they wanted to reach the status of a great village.
"Sir, everything appears to be going well. Most of the children are responding well to the chakra of the star." One of the medical-nin said, looking at his clipboard.
"Very well done, these children are the future of the village after all. Keep a close eye on them." Akahoshi grinned as he felt the star's chakra intensify.
'This is our future..how we could give it up after just a few threats, pitiful.' He crossed his arms, grimacing at the thought. 'Regardless of what Natsuhi and her band believed, Hoshigakure needs this.'
One of the children collapsed from too much chakra, his body crumpled in pain. The medical shinobi quickly took him away into the other room to rest and the training continued, but some of the children noticed. They were aware of some of the danger, but the closeness of their group is what kept them going. Leading their group was none other than Sumaru, a raven haired boy who dreamed to be the Hoshikage one day.
Ironically, Natsuhi's child Sumaru was the only reason Akahoshi's plan would continue to succeed. It was thanks to the boy that the rest continued with the training; he gave them hope and shared his dreams for Hoshigakure to succeed. He would not be useless like Natsuhi, he would not shy away from danger.
Akahoshi couldn't ask for a better tool.
"Sir, perhaps we should head back to the Hoshikage's homestead. It isn't safe to stay out for long with the village in this condition." Yotaka whispered as he shifted nervously.
Since the rogue Hoshi assassins had begun targeting Akahoshi and his followers, the village had been under lockdown. All available shinobi were being used to guard the star and the main hall of the village. It was shameful, but Natsuhi was not to be underestimated.
Still, there were too few of them to be a major threat. Some of them had sided with Akahoshi in the split while the remaining few left with Hotarubi and his wife. It was impossible to confirm their numbers with the suddenness of the attacks, but he was sure that if they had not succeeded by now, it was because the balance of power had shifted.
"Very well then, but I expect to have a report on today's training by tonight." The man twisted around, his long robes brushing the ground.
He opened the door and proceeded out into the large crater that the meteorite had created when it first landed. It was there they had left it, as a custom and to provide the training area a natural defense. From there it was a short walk through the nearby forest to the village outskirts.
All around were lifeless husks of trees and bush, long since dead. It only served to increase the anxiety of Akahoshi's subordinates, much to his ire. It was a trip they made everyday, how could one person be enough to frighten them to this level.
Of course he knew why. Natsuhi was famed as the strongest master of the Kujaku Myōhō, the technique that allowed them to harness the star's chakra, since the Shodai. She had proven her abilities against both the enemies of Hoshigakure and its own citizens. Anyone who stood in her way of trying to assassinate the Hoshikage had suffered a terrible yet swift death by her hands.
It was only a matter of time before she once again launched another attack. Overwhelming force had always been enough to make her retreat in the past, but how long could he keep throwing others into the fire? Though he could never admit to it, Akahoshi's power was nowhere near hers.
'I may have to call upon an outside source for help. Perhaps mercenaries or other shinobi? It would be dishonorable but..to keep my power I may have no choice.' His grimace only served to deepen.
Just then, a whistle resounded through the forest. The three men scrambled to find its source, eyes darting to every shadow. Was it just the wind? Had Natsuhi finally chosen to make her move?
A bird flew through the air, beak open as it made its call. They sighed in relief and found it embarrassing to be frightened of a bird.
A few more steps and they noticed the bird and realized it was an eagle. Such a rare creature, to be flying in such a desolate place. Odd, it seemed to be getting closer and closer. They began to panic as the eagle seemed to be swooping down upon them, like prey.
"What the-"
"It's coming straight for us!" Shisō and Yotaka expressed the obvious, their nerves getting the better of them.
'Something is wrong here..' Akahoshi narrowed his eyes and disrupted his chakra flow, hands in the ram hand sign.
His eyes widened when he realized that it was no eagle flying toward them, but Natsuhi herself! She was using the special chakra in order to form wings around her body, like a butterfly. Around her right arm she had formed a thin blade of chakra, set to plunge straight into Akahoshi's heart.
"Natsuhi!" He shouted, forming the proper hand sign to harness his chakra.
"You are too slow this time!" Natsuhi shouted, only a small distance away now.
Before she could plunge the chakra dagger straight into her most elusive adversary, smoke bombs permeated the field as the village's reinforcements arrived. Masked shinobi that formed the village's ANBU platoon surrounded her in the trees, kunai with explosive tags at the ready. Natsuhi hadn't expected them to mobilize so quickly, she hadn't even sensed them approach.
Had she gotten that careless in her quest to eliminate the Hoshikage?
The smoke dissipated and Akahoshi had retreated a bit farther down the path, purple chakra pouring out from him and his partners. A great beast was created from their combined technique, ready to strike down upon her. His maniacal stare told her that the old assassin she once called a partner had gone insane since they last met.
"It's over, Natsuhi! Surrender and I may spare your life long enough for you to see Sumaru!"
Natsuhi bit her lip as she tried to think of a plan. She stood alone on that road, no allies in sight. Perhaps it was careless of her to strike when the Namikaze had not yet arrived, but when she saw the opportunity, she knew she had to try. For her group's honor, there was still a part of her that wanted to be the one to kill Akahoshi and atone for the sins that the meteorite had forced on Hoshigakure.
It seemed that might only be a dream now.
"Even if I must give my life.." She again formed the unique hand sign and gathered chakra. "I will kill you, Akahoshi!"
'Damn insolent woman..' The Hoshikage would not allow her to gather strength if that was what her plan was.
He sent the great chakra beast forward to consume the woman, his ANBU launching their attack at the same time. With that kind of strength and speed, there was no way even Natsuhi could dodge. If she tried to block the kunai she would be hit with the chakra and if she hit the beast head on, the kunai would mangle her.
Finally, Akahoshi thought, he could get rid of the thorn in his side.
Natsuhi soon revealed that her chakra buildup was a feint and dropped to her knee, hands in the air. From the palms of her hand, four chakra strings appeared and grabbed the kunai in mid-flight, allowing her to take control. Her hands gripped the unbreakable chakra and swung the weapons back at Akahoshi with all her might, passing harmlessly through his chakra attack.
"What the-" The man wasn't even able to finish his sentence as the tags exploded and a bright flash enveloped him and his comrades.
The explosion rocked the battlefield just as Akahoshi's chakra burst around the woman, sending her flying back deep into the forest. Since they were the only ones capable of moving after the attack, the four masked shinobi quickly went to assess the situation. Natsuhi could come second when the Hoshikage's life was in immediate danger.
000
Natsuhi crawled through the forest, her clothing ripped and her hair disheveled. The maroon locks fell over her eyes as Natsuhi tried to find safety somewhere; surely they would eventually come looking for her and no matter what, she could not be captured. After the sacrifices her husband and fellows went through to see her survive, she could not dishonor them with death until her duty was over.
There, a hollowed log in the middle of a mossy clearing. Perhaps it would give her some shelter from the approaching rain. The acidic liquid was dangerous in the Land of Bears, a side effect from the valley of toxic gas and the irradiated chakra that leaked from the meteorite. Though it was not enough to kill a person, in concentrated amounts it could cause sickness.
The attack had left her body too weak to retreat to her hideout in time. That would give the ANBU time to catch up anyway, she needed to get out of sight.
Her scratched arms brought her halfway into the trunk when the first rain drop hit her leg. That seemed to set off a chain of reactions in her body as the chakra within her reacted poorly. Pain gripped her chest and knocked the air right out of her, she struggled to breathe as her body contracted.
No matter what exercises she tried or the medicines she took, Natsuhi could not shake the poison that was inside her system. It made her very accepting of her inevitable death to the meteor's chakra, but it did not dull the pain any.
'Must..keep going..for Sumaru..' The thought of her son gave her enough strength to pull her body all the way inside, hidden from view.
It was cramped as she expected for an adult such as herself. When she was young it seemed like crawling through a fallen trunk was like entering a whole different world; now it just appeared to be a dirty, dark, bug-infested refuge that was her only shield from the rain.
That was where she laid for quite some time, on her stomach and unable to lift another finger. The rain did not seem to let up and soon she was getting soaked in the remnants of her clothing, but she did not have the strength to move.
Finally, the pain died down to what she had gotten used to over the years and Natsuhi was able to move onto her back.
She removed her waist pouch and rummaged through it for the remaining medicine she had. While it was not able to treat the problem, Natsuhi had developed something to numb the pain and keep her body going under stress. Ah, there it was—a small, round pill with an earthy color.
Without a thought she popped it into her mouth and began to remove her flak jacket which had been ripped up in the last fight. It could no longer serve as a symbol of what she fought for—another bad omen. That left her with only her shorts and a black sports bra, not exactly very modest of a shinobi.
'No choice I suppose..' Without thinking she reached up to her forehead to see if the hitai-ate was still there, and it was.
Good, it served as her one link to the village, where her true loyalty lied. Whether it was obvious to the men who protected or followed Akahoshi, she was fighting for them. They could not know the truth with how the imposter twisted words, but she knew his assassination plot of the Sandaime. Natsuhi also knew of his plans to restart the star training when the assassins split into two sides, one opposed and one for the idea.
How he was willing to force such extreme torture on those children..he had fallen far indeed.
That was why regardless of what condition she was in, Natsuhi could not afford to stop fighting. To do so would be to give up on Hoshigakure, to give up on Sumaru.
'Hotarubi, give me strength.'
Natsuhi would wait until nightfall, then she would try again. Today would be the day she would either triumph or fail. If the Namikaze did not arrive in time, then she would have to rely on them to at least finish the job should she die.
No matter what, the Creed had to be fulfilled.
000
"This rain is getting on my nerves.." Kin grumbled from underneath her cloak.
"You said it. I hope Naruto finds the village fast.." Sakura responded in an equally annoyed tone.
The four of them were around a tree consulting Naruto's map as the storm raged on. It was getting dark, too dark for them to maneuver carefully. Generally Naruto would consider it a smart idea to make camp with such conditions, but both him and Dosu were convinced they were close to their destination.
Sakura and Kin could care less at that point, the rain was putting a damper on their moods. While the boys spoke in hushed tones to one another, the two girls had no problems voicing their opinions. The first day had been a great adventure for everyone, but quickly they realized that trying to find a village was harder than they thought.
Luckily Dosu and to a lesser extent Kin were excellent at tracking, so they were able to support Naruto in finding the way. Orochimaru may have given each of them a specialty in combat, but he also expected his subordinates to know enough skills to operate independently should it be required. That training was showing to be quite useful under the assassin's leadership.
To find anything in that rainstorm, it would take some kind of skill at least.
"Alright, I think that should do it." Naruto rolled the map up and placed it inside his robe for safe keeping.
He turned around to see the girls huddled together looking quite annoyed. It seemed they were finally getting serious, which was good. At that critical point they couldn't afford to get relaxed.
"We should get moving soon, otherwise we'll lose what visibility we already have." Dosu warned, his arms crossed in an attempt to keep warm.
That fur cape of his was coming in handy though, and the girls had already expressed their jealousy. The bandaged boy ignored it, as expected.
"Let's get going." Naruto announced, getting the girls' attention. "The village is close by, but there is an obstacle we have to cross before we reach it. Some sort of ravine."
Thinking nothing of it the group fell in step behind the white robed jinchuuriki and kept up a brisk pace through the forest. The ground was slick and puddles of water were everywhere, so they had to be careful how they moved. Even if the Hoshi shinobi were out on patrol, there was no way to be able to see Naruto's group with sight alone, so they didn't bother to conceal their movements.
It wasn't long there after that they arrived at the edge of the ravine, a giant scar in the earth that ran as far as the eye could see. They looked down below to see some sort of gas, no doubt toxic judging by its look. Now they just had to figure out a way to cross it.
"Okay so..what do we do now?" Kin looked at Naruto, as did the rest of them.
The assassin stood there for a moment, thinking. He removed his right glove and rolled up his left sleeve, which revealed a tattoo of some sort on his forearm. It looked like some sort of dark claw mark, but what kind of purpose it had they couldn't tell.
"There isn't any good way to cross in this storm.." Naruto brought up his right hand and bit the thumb. "But the wind is dying down, so I think I have someone that can help."
'A summoning technique?' Dosu was quick to catch on, having observed Orochimaru perform similar jutsu.
Naruto spread the blood along the mark on his arm and pressed his left hand against the ground. A seal spread across the ground and was soon enveloped by a large puff of smoke. All of them felt themselves getting jostled and instinctively fell to their knees; when they touched the ground to steady themselves, they realized that it wasn't dirt but feathers they were standing on.
"What is this?" Sakura said out loud as she couldn't make out the shape.
"I am me, little girl." A deep voice rang out, frightening her.
"Kogane-sama." Naruto stood atop the bird's neck as it flapped its wings in slow, steady motions to keep them off the ground.
"Naruto?" The eagle arched its neck, looking at the boy with its golden eye.
If a beak could smile, then Kogane was most surely beaming.
"Ah, the little chick has finally become an eaglet." What did he mean by that, Sakura wondered.
Did it have something to do with Naruto growing up?
Naruto had said his clan was very fond of birds, but an eagle? The dark brown feathers were so soft it almost gave her a moment of pause; how could such a nice animal be a bird of prey?
"Kogane-sama, I need your help crossing this ravine." The bird looked down at the gap and almost seemed disappointed that it was not summoned to fight.
"Very well." With a great gust of wind the golden eagle flew easily across the ravine and continued well past it as Naruto gave directions.
The other three focused chakra on their feet to stay still, but the bird was quite large. They had little trouble finding room to sit and watch as Naruto effortlessly guided his summon. He looked quite calm considering how high up they were. It was jarring for the rest of them to be up so high, so they assumed Naruto had been flying before.
Kogane was a powerful summon and its speed was unrivaled; it was not long before they hovered above the village. The only illumination in the storm were some sort of light posts, able to continue working even through the rain and wind. Wherever Natsuhi and her target was, they had to be somewhere nearby.
"This should be close enough, please land on one of the roofs." Naruto requested, keeping a respectful tone with the eagle.
They must have had a strong relationship to consider each other equals as they did. His companions were even jealous somewhat of that kind of relationship with a non-human.
'Naruto never ceases to be interesting..' Dosu thought as the bird began to glide down toward the village.
Once the powerful claws latched onto the wooden canopy, the humans scrambled off of their ride. Kogane looked down upon them, its neck curving in interest. His eyes went from Sakura, then back to Naruto. Again, its beak seemed to twitch upward in something akin to a smirk.
"So, you have taken an eagless then?" At first no one understood what it meant and they were unable to respond.
Naruto had the decency to blush but hid it well under his hood. Luckily the eagle knew better than to tease and nodded its head.
"I will take my leave then, do not hesitate to call upon me again. Preferably for a battle." It disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving many questions unanswered.
"Let's move." Naruto ran across the rooftop and leaped to the next; he used chakra to let him stay steady on the wet rooftop.
They quickly followed as he lead them toward the center of the village. No one seemed to be out that night, for good reason. It made it quite easy for them to explore the relatively small town undetected and gather information.
When they first encountered village shinobi, that was when Naruto knew they were in the right place. A few masked shinobi that looked similar to Konoha's ANBU were hidden around a large building, presumably the town hall. If they had reason to be out and alert in that kind of storm, there could only be a few explanations.
Clearly someone or some thing was important.
Naruto stood on the edge of a nearby building's overhang, just across the street. He was trying to think of a proper way to infiltrate without having to make any unnecessary conflict with the village. Since they were outsiders and had no intelligence on who their target was, differentiating innocents from enemies would be difficult.
No matter what they had to find Natsuhi for her to lead them to the target. To do that, they would only have to remain alert while they watched the building. If her target really was inside, she would come eventually; tonight was a perfect chance to strike, especially for a trained assassin.
"Sakura, Dosu." Naruto turned to the two whom were waiting behind him with Kin. "You two go and try and obtain the meteorite the village holds dear. It could be a valuable bargaining chip for us and it might even rob their shinobi of their powers."
Dosu nodded and patted his chest where he had stored a scroll Naruto had already given him. Before they set out, the Namikaze had taught him a sealing technique for objects imbued with chakra. It was somewhat more difficult than a normal sealing technique, especially with unstable chakra like the meteor's, because it could interfere with the chakra used to seal it away.
Naruto had really thought of everything and the bandaged boy had to compliment him for it.
Sakura seemed concerned, but trusted Naruto's judgment. If anyone knew their limits, it was him. Since he trusted Dosu and Kin, so would she, though it still made her nervous to leave him alone. She sent a sharp glare toward the raven haired girl before following Dosu off into the dark.
Kin almost felt sympathy for the girl if she was trying to muscle her out of being with Naruto. She had no interest in the Namikaze, other than the fact she had sworn fealty to his cause and that he was willing to train her. Dosu, on the other hand, was fair game as far as she was concerned.
It was obvious how dedicated Sakura was to Naruto, so she didn't bat an eyelash when they left together.
"Kin, you and I will wait here and watch for the Hoshi assassin. Use your bells to set up a perimeter, just like I taught you." With his order, she took out a sizable amount of senbon with bells attached to their ends.
They were thrown around the area, each with a thin wire that interlocked the bells to form a sort of sound alarm. In the stormy weather, it was impossible for most to hear its silent jingle, but Kin was used to it. With her focused hearing, she would be able to tell Naruto the moment someone passed through her net of sound.
With that, they waited.
Fortunately, the night was still young.
000
Hi no Kuni
Tanzaku Quarters
000
Another night of partying in the town of Tanzaku. Lights and fireworks lit up the night sky as what seemed like a year round festival brought young and old out to clutter the streets. The night air was alive with jovial words of colleagues having a drink over dinner or old friends catching up.
Two friends in particular found themselves in a small stand, a ways off from the main festivities. They shared a drink, a toast to old times. There was no warm atmosphere between the two though, just bitter memories and broken promises.
Tsunade and Jiraiya barely even looked at one another as they spoke, the tension obvious. He had found her yesterday and told her about the Hokage job, but she expressed no interest. It was as he expected of course, there was no easy way to please Tsunade and he would have to really work her over to get her anywhere near Konoha.
Orochimaru's presence was what concerned him the most, and whatever he might have told the vulnerable woman. If he was up to his old tricks, Jiraiya hoped that Tsunade could see through it. If not, his grimace deepened, he would have to stop her.
"Tsunade.." Their eyes met, but Tsunade went back to her drink. It was better company than the old pervert.
"Tsunade." He said with more force, though it did no good; Jiraiya sighed. "The village needs you Tsunade, and I need you. There is this-"
She glared at him, preventing him from finishing his thought.
"Shut it Jiraiya, we both know that will never happen." Ah Tsunade, her harsh words had not changed a bit.
Jiraiya smiled in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"You didn't let me finish..hmph, he's just like you." Jiraiya turned his attention forward, pouring himself another drink.
The mention of someone else got Tsunade's attention, her eyes shifting toward the sage.
"He is stubborn, just like his father..and mother for that matter. I came on a bit strong though, guess it is my fault after all. Same as what I do to you, I suppose." The sannin laughed, realizing the fool he was for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"Who are you talking about?" She was curious, despite her earlier conduct.
"Heh, Naruto Namikaze. Who else would I be interested in, in Konoha?" Minato and Kushina's son?
Tsunade had heard he was the one chosen to be the Nine Tail's jinchuuriki the night of the attack, but she had no idea what happened to him. If Jiraiya was interested, that must have meant trouble for the kid.
"No doubt you rubbed him the wrong way. If he's anything like the rest of the Namikaze, he's about as dry as salt." Tsunade said after another drink, remembering when she was a part of the village still.
She could count the amount of times she had seen one, let alone speak to them. They were a reclusive bunch, that was for sure. Always had something to do that would force them to leave, a bunch of loners. From what she heard about Minato's display during the Third War, they were strong too.
But what did Naruto have to do with any of that?
"Yeah, I did. Now he doesn't even want to look at me after what I said about Minato. I was just frustrated after seeing those robes again; after what happened to Minato, I was just so disappointed. In myself as a teacher, but just as much the Namikaze for the pressure they put on his family." Jiraiya scowled, recalling all the times he had seen the Namikaze spit on the very ground Kushina walked on.
She was a good woman and she didn't deserve that. The stress of having to protect his wife from his own clan must have been one of the reasons the relationship between master and student soured. Minato had a dream to be the Hokage and bring honor back to the Namikaze, and it looked like it would work, for a while at least. Then the Kyuubi happened and the Namikaze held nothing back, slandering Minato and Kushina even in death.
Assassin or no, insulting the Hokage only further alienated the clan of assassins. It may very well have led to their subsequent "disappearance" after all.
That wasn't the real reason Jiraiya cared about Naruto's allegiance, hell he was proud of how far the boy had gone without anyone to watch over him. Why he acted the way he did was something that went beyond simple feelings that he could explain.
"Looks like you have something sour on your mind. Care to share? You said you wanted my help with something, so let's hear it." Tsunade decided to humor him, suddenly in high spirits.
Most likely the alcohol, but Jiraiya would take the bait.
"Well..I didn't get a chance to explain myself to Naruto back in the village. I didn't get to tell him why I had to be the one to train him, not his father." Jiraiya seemed conflicted about the whole thing.
"Hm?" She seemed to be listening, so he pressed on with a sigh.
"Back when I was still in the process of becoming a sage for the toads, the elder toad gave me a prediction. Something to tell me what would happen in the future, and I took it seriously. I still do, and that is why I overreacted when I saw Naruto, like I lost my chance to fulfill the prophecy again."
"Again?" Tsunade seemed confused.
Jiraiya thought back to that time he stood before the sage on his throne, summoned for whatever reason. He was impatient and wanted the old geezer to hurry up, but he had the sense to listen. It was a good thing too, because the prediction had great consequences if it wasn't fulfilled. With a slow croak, he told Jiraiya what the future of the world was to be.
During your life, you will observe the world of tomorrow be shaped.
You will meet many robed figures in your travels.
Each one, you shall have a profound effect on.
All of these men are destined to change the world, but only one can save it.
By accepting the Sage's teaching, he shall break the chain of fate.
"You know why I was so insistent on training Minato when he graduated the academy?" Tsunade gave him an odd look.
"I always assumed it was because he was a natural genius; everyone talked about him." Jiraiya laughed in amusement, that made him sound like the other Sannin.
"Nah, none of that mattered to me. The sage told me I could save the world by teaching a robed figure, like Minato. If he accepted my teachings, that was." As if things would turn out as he hoped.
Tsunade thought it over for a little bit and started to catch on. So when Minato died, he unknowingly dumped the prophecy and Jiraiya's attention his son. She felt bad for the kid after all.
"So, you think Naruto is the one to save the world?" The toad sage shrugged and took another swig of his drink.
"I don't know, honestly. My gut is telling me something different though, something that Minato didn't have. Not sure what though."
His drinking partner just shook her head.
"You rely too much on superstition, Jiraiya." Jiraiya cracked a smile and finally bellowed a real laugh of his, that was just what he needed to cheer up.
"Yeah, maybe." He turned to her, the mirth slowly leaving his smile. "Tsunade, that is why I need you to come back to the village with me. Not just to help me talk sense into Naruto, but because it was what the Third wanted."
Hearing about her teacher made Tsunade perk up some.
"What do you mean?" Her eyes narrowed.
"His last wish was for you to become the Godaime Hokage. Even as he was dying he was thinking of the village, and of you. Sarutobi thought that by giving you that responsibility, it would occupy you from thinking about your loved ones. He also knew the village would need someone like you after the war, and he was right."
She sighed, even in death her sensei served to make her life worse. How could he put that kind of pressure on her? Who did he think she was?
Jiraiya bit his lip, hoping she would buy the lie. It would take all the smooth talking and perfectly laced guile in order to get Tsunade back to the village without a fight. He was willing to take the challenge though, and he figured the Sandaime meant something similar.
"You really don't take a hint, Jiraiya.." She watched him pour another drink and take a swig.
In that moment of inattention she slipped a powdered drug into his pouring glass; before he could see she hid the paper evidence and held the glass up to pour him another, shaking it a bit to stir the drug.
With a smile he accepted, such a simpleton.
A shuriken came flying toward them from outside, cutting straight through the stand's doorway and breaking the cup in two. The two sannin had sensed the attack and stopped what they were doing; they watched the attack purposely hit the glass and realized it wasn't meant for them.
"Apologies, Tsunade-sama.." A female voice rang out, her voice stern in the face of two annoyed sannin. "..but we cannot allow you to jeopardize our mission."
They turned and saw someone lift the cloth that covered the doorway, now with a small hole in it. It was an ANBU from Konoha, her purple hair reaching far down her back. The neutral face of a cat that served as her mask seemed to fit her attitude as she stared the slug sannin down without any remorse.
"I thought I told you guys to stay out of this?" Jiraiya said in a warning tone, but Yugao was not intimidated.
"She was going to poison you, Jiraiya-sama. We.." On cue, another ANBU appeared at the doorway; the other two remained in the shadows as backup. "..cannot allow even the Sannin to do as they please if the village's livelihood is at stake."
"Tch." Tsunade bit her lip in annoyance, insolent brat.
Jiraiya looked back at his old team-mate, surprised and angry. She was willing to go that far?
"Tsunade.." His serious voice returned, expressing his disdain.
The woman merely turned back in her seat and poured herself another glass. It was sure to be a long night and she needed another drink.
000
Hoshigakure
000
Naruto and Kin continued to wait in the rain for what felt like hours. While Naruto was used to such things and had patience, Kin was getting more and more stir crazy from not moving. She wanted to be doing something, but was forbidden from moving a muscle. Before she could shout in annoyance, Kin heard something.
Just then, there was a sound. It came from behind them.
Sakura and Dosu returned and stood with Kin behind Naruto. They had completed their objective it seemed, and without any trouble.
"Mission complete, we have it." Dosu said with pride, patting the scroll in his pouch.
"Nice work." Naruto complimented, not taking his eyes off the house.
"Anything new happen?" Dosu asked Kin, but she just shook her head.
Sakura was actually somewhat relieved she made it back in time. If Naruto had gotten wounded when she wasn't around to help, the thought was too much.
Another sound only Kin could hear, it whistled through the trees.
"Naruto-"
"I know. There she is." He pointed down at the yard as a dark figure crept through the surrounding forest and approached the main building.
The ANBU guarding there didn't even see her as she approached. He went down without a sound, incapacitated. Natsuhi opened a window and slithered inside, leaving almost no evidence she had even been there.
"We should get moving. Stay close." Naruto leaped down with the rest of them close behind.
They stuck to the shadows as they approached from the same direction, passing the fallen body and entering through the window. Inside there were many torches that were supposed to illuminate the wooden halls, but the building was quiet and dark. As Natsuhi passed, she must have been extinguishing each one as the once warm interior was almost completely black.
"I have her scent and I can see her footprints. We should move quickly if we want to catch up." They did their best to remain quiet as they moved through the building.
Not a single guard, it was almost eerie.
Every door they passed seemed to mock them with little progress. It felt like a maze as they found more and more empty spaces. Natsuhi didn't seem to have this problem from what Naruto could tell; she knew exactly where she was going.
000
While they fumbled in the dark, she was approaching her target. Natsuhi heard the familiar beeps of medical equipment and knew she was close. In the dark hallway she occupied, a single door was surrounded by a faint outline of light, begging her to come close. A few voices were coming from inside so she pressed herself against the door, trying to listen.
"He's been severely wounded in the attack. We need to keep him for longer than we expected."
"The assassin could show up at any time, we need to move him right away!" She recognized that voice as one of Akahoshi's followers, Shisō.
"If you try that, he will die anyway. Shouldn't you be out trying to find them first?"
"Don't tell us how to do our job! You guys weren't there when she attacked earlier today.." Yotaka, he sounded scared.
Good.
"Bickering with us isn't going to have him heal any faster, please go and stay on guard. You are keeping us from doing work."
"Fine, but you guys had better get done fast! No telling when she'll show up." Footsteps echoed, they were coming.
They were so distracted they couldn't sense her chakra build up, a violet cloak began to wrap around her arm again. She waited in the shadows near the door, every sound was her guide. It felt agonizing to wait for the knob to turn, her senses made the world slow and dull.
Shisō set one foot outside the doorway, unaware of the danger. He was surprised to see the hallway was so dark, he thought for sure the torches were all lit. What the hell was going on? It all happened so fast he couldn't feel the chakra blade plunge deep into his chest, blood spraying Yotaka who was behind him.
Natsuhi extended the blade even further while her arm was still inside the first one, sending it plunging into the second. Neither had a chance to even see her before they toppled to the ground, dead. The medical shinobi scattered and fled to the opposite corner of the room away from Natsuhi and Akahoshi.
She walked over to his bedside and saw just how wounded he was. Bandages covered his body from head to toe, she really could barely make out his features, but it was Akahoshi. There was no mistake, she could sense the same chakra inside of him as she had. Only a Hoshi assassin could have a chakra signature like that.
"Akahoshi.." The man was unconscious, barely alive from the attack she levied against him.
"For breaking the tenants of our Creed and betraying our village, I will now carry out your sentenced punishment." Natsuhi raised her blade of chakra, aimed at his throat.
"You're insane!" The doctor shouted, despite being scared out of his mind.
He was ignored as she brought her blade down and made a clean insertion through the Hoshikage's neck, killing him instantly. The monitors displayed a flat line on his heart rate, indicating her job was done. Natsuhi sighed, it was finally over.
Instead of relief spreading through her, pain did instead. It sent her to her knees, unable to resist its strength. So, she had finally reached her limit. Fitting it be at the end when she had finally kept her promise to Hotarubi and the others.
"Hoshikage-sama!" She turned her head to see ANBU scrambling into the room from a nearby window.
Even if she could move, Natsuhi did not want to. It was for the best she die there rather than be a burden any longer. Her debt to the Creed may finally be fulfilled.
When they realized their village leader was dead, the three ANBU agents readied their shuriken. The assassin had no cover and seemed like she was unable to move. Now was their best chance to secure the safety of the village, but they would do so from the safety of distance.
"Attack!" One shouted and they all threw their weapons simultaneously.
The hail of projectiles headed straight for the woman's exposed back, dead on target. Death seemed inevitable, but she did not shy away. Her strength of will was admirable.
'Jinton: Mueishō!'
A blur of speed entered the room, faster than a flicker and silent as a mouse. Time seemed to slow as Natsuhi felt herself be picked up into someone's arms, her body flooded with warmth. Her eyes barely registered what was going on, but she distinctly remembered white and yellow mixed in a blur.
That was all she could see before her body fell limp.
Naruto used his enhanced speed to carry Natsuhi to Sakura and the others. He deactivated his technique, allowing time to return to "normal" speed. They were surprised to see Naruto standing in front of them again, this time holding a woman with maroon hair.
One second he was leading them through the building, the next he was gone.
"Sakura." She perked up as Naruto motioned for her to come forward. "This woman is very sick, I need you to take her and try to figure out what's wrong."
"O-okay, Naruto." Sakura fumbled a response as she struggled to position the woman onto her back.
"Who is this?" Dosu asked, looking her over.
Natsuhi had a pained expression on her face, even being unconscious she could not escape from her body's agony. It was obvious to them that she must have been the assassin, but why they were trying so hard to save her was what really confused them.
"There is no time for questions. You two," Naruto gestured for Dosu and Kin. "follow Sakura and protect her. Just stabilize her condition then get out of the village."
Naruto fished out a scroll from beneath his robes, handing it to Kin. He still had something to do inside the village, so he had to ensure they would be alright without him.
"Once you are safely away, open this scroll. I have ensured that it will summon Kogane-sama. Have him return you to the compound and care for Natsuhi there until I return."
"Wait, what are you going to do here?" Kin asked, confused.
"I must ensure the Creed is followed, there are traditions that must be upheld." He pointed to Natsuhi. "She is not in the condition to finish her duties, so I will. Now go, all of you!" Naruto was being serious so they did not want to argue.
"Good luck Naruto, stay safe!" Sakura said before running off into the darkness; Kin and Dosu followed close behind, still somewhat confused.
"Seems the girl is starting to believe in you. Hmph. About time.." Kyuubi seemed to find something interesting about the recent developments, as he hadn't said much that entire night.
'Good, it means this mission might have been a success after all.'
Now it was his turn to do work. He had to ensure the target was given his last rites and he had to make sure the village of Hoshigakure would not forget the assassins. If that star was so dangerous as his father suspected, Naruto would have to instill enough fear to make them forget about ever wanting it again.
Luckily, Natsuhi seemed to have killed most of those in support of its use, which gave Naruto a head start. Once he completed that task, his mission would finally be over. The Namikaze would be remembered after that night as the ones to stop the tyranny of Hoshigakure, not the rest of the Fire sect.
By the time Naruto's plans had come to fruition, the influence of the Namikaze would be greater than ever before. Finally, Minato's ghost could rest easy.
000
A few days later...
Namikaze Compound
000
"So, it really won't be so easy.."
"I'm sorry Naruto. There just isn't anything else I can do.."
Naruto and Sakura stood around a low table, surrounded by books and beakers of all kinds. They were in a secluded area of the house, where privacy would allow them freedom to speak. Taking Natsuhi back with them was a risky endeavor, but he could not just leave an innocent, a fellow assassin to die such a terrible death.
The woman was on the table, still unconscious. Sweat creased her brow as her face was almost constantly scrunched in pain.
Sakura really had tried everything to heal her, but without knowing the specifics, it was impossible to cure her. Every type of potion or remedy she could find in the Namikaze tomes she had tried, but none seemed to offer much help. The only thing they could do was try and numb the pain and keep her body from overheating.
With some haphazard research on the meteorite by Dosu and Naruto, they discovered that just as the Namikaze ancestors had suspected, the chakra was extremely deadly. Assassins, naturally superstitious, had shunned the Hoshi clan in fear that they would spread the harmful chakra to others. It led to the decline of their order and the village they served.
Now, Natsuhi was all that was left. Naruto could find no evidence of a Hoshi clan, only that the assassins had been disbanded over a year ago by the Sandaime Hoshikage.
It meant that she had lied to him, that he had no obligations to save her. That meant little to Naruto though, his honor would not let him give up so easily. Whether he liked it or not, Natsuhi was now in his care and he would do what he had to to ensure she survived.
The question was how..
"Not even medical shinobi have an easy procedure when dealing with such advanced chakra poisoning. I'm nowhere close to their level either..I just wish there was something I could do." Sakura looked down in shame.
Her hair tied in a ponytail to keep it from cluttering her vision. She had been at Natsuhi's side since before Naruto even returned, trying so hard to save her. Sakura wasn't even an assassin yet, but her pride in the duty Naruto gave her would not allow her to rest until she had tried everything.
He set a comforting hand on her shoulder, nodding.
"You've done everything you can, Sakura. I will not ask for more." Naruto removed his hood, blue eyes lost in thought. "Until we can figure out a way to save her, I see only one option."
Naruto went over to the door and grabbed a scroll he had left sit. It was his hope that he would not have to try such a risky endeavor, but he could see no other option to safeguard Natsuhi's life. The Namikaze were not particularly known for their sealing abilities, but Minato had given him a wealth of information based off of his mother's abilities.
If the technique he had been studying worked, he would have to thank his mother when it was time to meet.
"What are you going to do with.." Sakura's voice trailed off as she connected the dots; the scroll was larger than most, almost the size of a human.
He couldn't really be thinking of sealing her inside of it, could he?
Naruto saw the concern cross her face, he frowned.
"I'm sorry, Sakura, but we have no other choice but to try. My father assured me that this technique worked once before, we can do it again."The large scroll was unrolled and the seals were revealed to be prepared already, they just had to lay Natsuhi down on them.
"Help me with her." Together they took Natsuhi by the arms and legs and gently set her down to the floor.
Sakura watched as Naruto knelt down near the center of the scroll and began going through hand signs; at the same time, the black ink began to light up with chakra. It seemed it was working as seal tattoos began to cover Natsuhi's body, wrapping around her like securing precious cargo.
The assassin pressed his hand on her revealed stomach, inserting the last necessary bit of chakra.
"Sealing technique.." A puff of smoke covered the ground, hiding the body. "Success."
Natsuhi was gone when the smoke finally dissipated, the kanji for 'sealed' appeared in a large circle. The scroll was carefully rolled back up before being secured to Naruto's back. It would go back with him to his private quarters where not even Kin and Dosu dared to enter.
Until they could find someone or something to help, at least Natsuhi's life would be safe.
For now.
000
Hi no Kuni
000
A group of shinobi were walking along one of the many roads that covered the Land of Fire, on their way home from a successful mission. Not all of them seemed pleased, however.
"Thanks for agreeing to come back, Tsunade-hime. You don't know how much this means to m-"
Before Jiraiya could even begin to kiss the soon-to-be Hokage's rear end, he was subsequently reprimanded.
"Shut it, Jiraiya. I'm only doing this for the Third..and don't even think about forgetting our deal."
Tsunade pointed an accusing finger at the toad sage who held up his hands in defense. She was still regretting to accepting the offer, but in reality she had little other choice. There was no way she could help Orochimaru after what he had done to Konoha because, no matter how cold she acted toward it, the village was still her home. Not only that, but she would rather not have to explain why she left Jiraiya and his ANBU friends almost dead to the council.
If the Sandaime really needed her to sit in for a while, she could do it. Perhaps it would get rid of all the bad karma she had accrued from gambling..and stop her losing streak.
Tsunade wasn't one to do anything for free though, so she had Jiraiya prepare an agreement between her and the council. The deal was that she would temporarily take the seat of Godaime Hokage, but would be allowed to pass it on in the event that she was unable to continue her work or that she was able to find someone else capable and willing to take the job.
All she had to do was stick around in Konoha for a while and then find some sap to become her successor. It wouldn't be easy, but she always liked to have a way out of any deal.
Besides, after all the talk she had heard about the Namikaze, she wanted to meet Naruto. He sounded like he needed some help dealing with Jiraiya, and if she could find a way to use that to her advantage, maybe she would only have to be stuck in Konoha for a year or two. If he was anything like Minato, he must have wanted the seat of the Hokage for something; that meant it would serve as her greatest bargaining chip.
After all, one woman's burden was another man's blessing.
000
This chapter was originally stated to be much longer and not leave with this cliffhanger, though it had another one that could arguably be worse. However, I realized it was too long and decided to cut it since this chapter is already a perfect length.
Great set of new chapters in the manga and anime, inspiration for my future works and chapters.
One more chapter for this one after The Rise of Darkness and I think every story will be done with Part I.
Be sure to review and tell me what you thought.