Chapter 67 Life Goes On

The weather was turning warmer but it was still only in the low the forties in the demon fox city as the end of February drew near. Inside the Namikaze den it was warm as Naruto and his friends stood around the families bar.

"So tomorrow I am going to finally see my parents." said Shikamaru

"And we can plant the seal on one of their transportation seals." said Temari

"But they still control two other seals." said Sai

"Yes, but it's getting us there." said Ino as she ran the seals they had placed down already, the seal controlled by the foxes, the one in the transformation hospital and the demon feline main seal. Shikamaru and Temari would get the wolf's main one tomorrow and the snakes where allies with the foxes they could get to their transportation seal with ease. "I mean when Hinata places her seals down and when we get the wolf and the snake seal; we will have eight out of fifteen seals. That is over half way there."

"We shouldn't count those as victories yet, Hinata may not get the other two seals down, Shikamaru may not get the first wolf seal down, same goes for Choji, we need to get to the joint meeting center in the remains of the Lizard empire and snakes may not lets us in because of Sasuke." said Sakura as she thought about all what could possibly go wrong and those where the easy ones to get "Then there is of course the fact that they may find out about our plan."

"And that isn't even counting the fact we need a contact in the demon horse grand heard to get their seal, the other two wolves and then the major problem is the isolated ants who have two of there on seals." said Naruto "But we have done harder things in the past."

"Then there is the demon apes." said Shikamaru as the others looked at him as they looked down at the map "Don't you find it strange that a nation that is located almost right between the demon snakes and the feline kingdom wouldn't have been taken over?"

"It doesn't make scene does it." said Temari as she looked at the map "The ape republic was located on the boarder of the Lizard empire which is all under the snake control. To the north and south is the Bears and the horses and to the west is the far boarder of the feline kingdom, you have four powers who could calm the land."

"Maybe they don't need the land?" asked Ino "The have huge amounts of empty land why add more to it."

"Land isn't just used for living space, there is farming, and trading routs and positions a nation can strike from." said Temari

"Ya…from there a nation could strike with ease." said Shikamaru

"So the Question is why they haven't taken the land." asked Sakura

"Something is going on there but what?" asked Naruto

"We could ask your parents when they get back." said Sakura

"Were are they?" asked Sai

"Delivering a message." explained Naruto

Meanwhile in much warmer conditions Minato Namikaze moved though the forest just west of the Burning sun mountain range. Unlike the other members of the group who where sticking to walking along the ground Minato was jumping from tree to tree like his old ninja days. He was only a single member of the massive military build up which going to cover every inch of fire country in search for humans, most importantly the one they had nicknamed simply the Dog, Kiba Inuzuka. He was the one that the demons wanted dead; he had killed skinned and beheaded hundreds of demons. Now over half a million demons were on the hunt for him.

"You stupid fox get down from there." yelled a voice as Minato looked to his left to see one person he had never gotten along with either as a fox or as a human.

"Fugaku, our mates are friends so let's at least try to be nice to each other." said Minato to the leader of the Uchiha Pack. The two of them were never enemies like their sons were but they never got along like their wives did.

"I don't care get down like a true demon." said Fugaku as Minato rolled his eyes before jumping down from the tree.

"Happy?" asked Minato

"No…and I will never be happy since your son helped send my son over the edge, he should have been a wolf not a slimy snake." Said Fugaku

"Listen Fugaku I know you are upset that your son choice to become a snake but my son had nothing to do with that." said Minato

"Your son helped push him over the edge." said Fugaku

"Listen neither one of that knows what would have happened if we had been there for our boys but I know my son, he didn't push your son over the edge." growled Minato

"Will you two stop you need to get back to work!" yelled a bear as the two former leaf ninjas turned away from each other and kept the search up.

Hundreds of miles away near the remains of the land of waves Kushina Namikaze walked along the beach with Mikoto Uchiha. Neither women said anything for the longest time, they were part of southern force their goal was clear out any humans. That was their stated goal but Kushina like her mate had a different goal, to inform the Leaf resistance about the betrayer of A, selling human refugees to the demons for the safety of his village.

"So your pack is now members of the high council?" asked Mikoto as the two of them spoke for the first time since they were given this part of the beach to patrol. The two of them where on the beach with two more demons 25 yards in front of them and 25 yards behind them. A larger force moved on top of the cliff which shot straight up after a short stretch of sandy beach.

"Ya, it's mostly because Naruto is a 12 tailed." explained Kushina as they kept walking

"At least you have your entire pack together, I lost both my boys." said Mikoto as Kushina looked down.

"Listen I won't give you a pity thing and say I totally understand but I lost twenty one years with my oldest kit but I have him now." said Kushina

"And you gained a daughter-in-law, I didn't even find out Sasuke was mated until after my grandchild was born…well sort of." said Mikoto as Kushina looked at her.

"What?" asked Kushina

"Sasuke got mated, and as snakes they lay eggs and then nine months later they hatch." explained Mikoto "I mean I have never even met the girl."

"I didn't meet Sakura until she stumbled into my kitchen after waking up." said Kushina before she smiled "I will say this my son did pick a good vixen…if only she had some more cooking skills."

"That bad?" asked Mikoto as she remembered Kushina's legendary cooking skills.

"She is a doctor not a cook." explained Kushina as she remembered watching Sakura try to cook "She actually caused a fire while scrabbling eggs."

"Well no one is perfect." said Mikoto as they neared a small break in the cliff face which leads into a cove with a small waterfall. Suddenly a voice yelled from above.

"Commander wants to take a fifteen minute break, than we return to base!" yelled a lion from the main body above them.

"Alright!" yelled Kushina back as they moved into the cove.

Inside the cover hiding behind the waterfall Kakashi Hatake, Shizune and the two ANBU teams were on high alert as the demons moved into the cove right in front of the command center of the resistance.

"Sir there is only six of them." said an ANBU as a team of two wolves, two lions, a bear and a fox. For a moment Kakashi thought about it, they had surprise and they could use samples for Shizune work however suddenly the single fox a vixen with deep red fur looked up.

"Can you toss down something to eat!" yelled the fox

"Sure thing Kushina!" yelled a voice from above them. Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized two things, first that there was another group of demons probably much larger right above them and secondly the vixen was the wife of his sensei and the mother of his student.

"Stand down." whispered Kakashi "they are above us."

The ANBU nodded their heads as they turned their attention back to the demons now sitting in front of them eating a late lunch.

"Good Kakashi didn't attack us." thought Kushina as her demon fox ears picked up the very fait sound of Kakashi's voice over the waterfall. Judging from the other demons they hadn't heard the voice or else they would have moved to attack.

"Does anyone have fish?" asked Kushina as she looked at the food "I got chicken."

"Here, we can trade." stated a lion

"Thanks." said Kushina as they traded meals "So when do you think we will launch or attacks on Cloud and Water countries."

"Why do you ask?" asked a bear

"They are the last two ninja nations once they fall it's all but done." Said Kushina

"Well I believe we are hitting the grass and those little nations first and then going after wave." Said the bear

"Why is that?" asked Kushina as the bear grinned.

"Rumor is we have a deal with that village leader A I think is his name." laughed the bear

Behind the waterfall Kakashi's and Shizune's eyes widened at the idea of a deal

"What sort of deal?" asked a lion

"Well it's just a rumor but my cousin works at the transformation hospital and he says they get fresh shipments of human refuges every week from them." laughed the bear "They get to be the last to fall and we get humans without lifting a paw."

"Sound like a fair deal." laughed Mikoto

"The question is why are you asking about it?" asked the bear as he looked at Kushina

"It's just the sooner all the humans have turned the soon all my son's friends are demons and we can go living our lives instead of fighting." explained Kushina

"It would be nice to have a few generations of peace and we need to rebuild everything we lost during the great war." said the bear

"Your son knows Queen Hinata right?" asked a lion

"Hinata isn't Queen yet." said the other lion

"Sorry my teammate isn't a huge fan of Lady Hinata." said the first lion

"She is going against all traditions." stated the second lion

"Please she visits schools to read books to some cubs and sleeping in the same room as her mate-in-waiting." Stated the first lion "Like having those traditions go on the way side, will bring down the entire kingdom."

"For all we know they are having sex human style." stated the second lion

"And what is wrong with that?" asked Mikoto "I didn't have three kids as a human by not having sex."

"But they are demons now." Stated the second lion

"Ya…but sometimes role playing is fun." laughed Kushina "Besides as a demon you can't really do strip tease."

"Still it is un honorable." Stated the second lion

"They are both in their twenties, let them have their fun." Laughed Mikoto "Because life gets slower when you get older."

"Her old teammate is Kiba Inuzuka…the one we are here to kill." stated the second lion as he looked for another reason to go against Hinata.

"So what, he did all those things after the fall of the leaf." explained Kushina "I mean you get some crappy teammates, you just have to deal with it."

"I am with the fox on this one, we can't judge her by the actions of her old teammate." stated the first lion "Besides she will be Queen soon enough."

"Is there something we don't know?" asked Kushina

"No…it is just there is multiple pools for when they either come out with news that she is with child or that they are getting mated." explained the first lion "I have April in my pool."

For the longest time the demons spoke about different things, mostly their personal lives before a voice came down.

"Alright let's move out." yelled a voice from above as the demons gathered their things and moved out of the cove and back down the beach away from the command center.

"Get on the radio to Guy; tell him what we just heard." ordered Kakashi

"Sir do you really believe one of the Kages would betray us?" asked an ANBU

"A Kage's first job is to protect his people first….the refugees aren't his people." explained Kakashi

"We don't want to lose an allies." explained Shizune as Kakashi thought about it for a moment.

"Tell them him to check up on those missing people he reported to us a while ago." Said Kakashi "And send a message to Neji that there are multiple demon groups in the area searching for humans and the kill order on Kiba."

"Alright." said the ANBU as he moved toward the radio as the other ANBU moved to look out locations leaving Kakashi and Shizune alone.

"Are you thinking what I am?" asked Shizune

"Yes…Kushina knew we were here." said Kakashi "But if that is true why didn't she tell the other demons?"

"She may be setting us up for a trap or she could be siding with us behind the demons back." Said Shizune

"If she is still on our side, so maybe is Naruto." said Kakashi

Meanwhile in a large wooded area just east of the burning sun mountain range Neji, Tenten, Hidan and a handful of ninjas stood in the trees waiting.

"They should have been here an hour ago." said Tenten as she checked her watch.

"This is Kiba we are talking about he is almost as bad as Kakashi when it comes to being on time. Also they are moving the civilian's too." said Neji as Hidan sat impatiently.

"I haven't killed anyone in months." growled Hidan

"That may be because you where one step above death." stated Neji "From what Lee said if the demons hadn't cut off your head when they did you would have died."

"Who would have thought that the only way to kill you would be to have you carry out your own justu with your blood." said Tenten as Hidan glared at her "Don't worry you can kill demons with them."

"Sir I have contact." said a jonnin as Neji activated his Byakugan

"I have them about a mile away." said Neji as he looked toward the group of ninjas and civilians heading their way. "Wait there is only a third of the people who were there when we left?"

"Could they have lost them to the demons?" asked Tenten

"Maybe." said Neji "But how could they lose so many people?"

"Let's go find out." said Tenten as the group started to move toward Kiba's group. It didn't take long for them to cover the one mile distance. Neji and Tenten landed in front of Kiba as instantly both sides where on guard.

"Long time Kiba." said Neji

"Yes, prove your human." ordered Kiba as he held up his hand as blue chakra danced around his hand, Neji did the same thing. Since no demon had blue chakra it had become the quickest way to show that someone was human.

"Looks like your missing some people." said Tenten

"They are back at our camp." explained Kiba

"All civilians were suppose to be transferred to my command and you would get Hidan." said Neji

"The people choice to stay and I wasn't going to force them to leave." explained Kiba "These are the ones who wanted to leave."

"Less than a quarter of the people wanted to leave." said an ANBU beside Kiba

"That wasn't the deal." said Neji "The deal was that all the civilians out of your command and you get Hidan. Then you can go wild killing demons without putting the civilians at risk."

"The way they figured they would be safer with the people actually fighting the demons." explained Kiba as he crossed his arms. "So are we going to do this?"

"Not unless we get the others, they are not safe with you." explained Neji "We got a report the demons have a kill order on you. Everyone around you is in danger."

"Good." stated Kiba "I am doing my job and they know that."

"All you are doing is kicking a tiger in the ass with no plan on how to deal with its teeth." stated Tenten "All commands are reporting increase demon activity, they are doing what we feared flooding fire country with demons. They have"

"More targets for us but I prefer to kill lions over tigers." laughed Kiba as Tenten glared at him.

"This isn't something to laugh at, because of the number of demons flooding the villages we can't go looking for supplies in the rubble." explained Tenten

"Then fight then an reclaim the villages." Stated Kiba as Tenten prepared to yell at him some more but Neji spoke up first.

"Lets just get the trade done and get out of here." stated Neji "The longer we are out here the more likely we are going to get found by the demons. So let's just the people out of here and to safety."

"Neji…Kakashi said the deal was for all of them?" asked Tenten

"Better to save them then none at all." explained Neji as he singled for Hidan to come out of his hiding spot.

"Alright people let's get going?" asked Neji as the group's head their separate ways.

"What are you thinking?" asked Tenten as they headed back toward the civilian camp with fifty of the hundred and fifty civilians which he had lead out of the Leaf village months ago.

"That we are likely never going to see Kiba alive again." said Neji as they moved away from the meeting place his Byakugan leading them though the small gaps in the multiple different demon patrols which flooded fire country.

Well I hope you liked this chapter and the interaction between Kushina and Mikoto. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and I hope you keep on reading. Thanks Wilkins75