Chapter 77 New Duties

"You wouldn't believe all the orders coming in." said Ino as she along with her mate in waiting Sai and the rest of her friends all stood around a table in one of the many night clubs in the demon fox village. "I mean we are in a totally different nation and we can't keep those flowers in stock."

"I still find it funny that out of all of us, it's Hinata who is getting married first." said Sakura

"Well it's partly traditional isn't it." stated Naruto "Something about having to do the ceremony on a certain day and within a year of the engagement."

"I mean I don't know how she is handling planning everything, I mean I am going somewhat crazy planning our ceremony and I have as long as I really want to plan." said Ino as she looked toward Sai with a smile "Hinata has to throw a ceremony for an entire country."

"Maybe the fact she has probably a small army of aid helping her plan everything is why it could happen so fast." explained Shikamaru

"Also it may explain why your parent's can't carry white or red roses." said Sakura knowing that red roses were the flower of the lion royal family line and the white rose was the symbol, they were already nicknamed it the rose wedding.

"More than likely." said Ino the song in the night changed. "You know apart from everyone being demon foxes I wouldn't see any real difference between this and a night club at the Leaf."

"Well there are some more differences." said Naruto as they looked at him "Not all our friends are here. They are different villages now, some of whom are not that friendly to us."

"It isn't just friends." Said Shikamaru "My parents are wolves and their letters have entire lines blackened out."

"They are centering them so that they don't give information away to us." added Temari "At least with Gaara he is in a friendlier village now."

"How is Gaara doing? Is he part of the tournament?" asked Ino

"Ino, the rules of this tournament is that we don't know officially who is fighting until some sort of ceremony two days before the tournament begins." Said Naruto "Officially no one knows who is fighting."

"But unofficially they know who is likely fighting." said Ino "I mean almost everyone knows you are doing it, and they have a pretty good idea that it is either forehead or Temari as the other fox. They also know that Sasuke will likely be the snake and Itachi for the panthers."

"But we don't know who all else will be there." said Sakura "It's all about strategy, we don't know if there is going to be a surprise constant."

"I heard they moved the tournament back to consider with that grand celebration." said Sai knowing that the grand celebration of the end of last demon war was when they were planning to set off the seal and separate the human world from the demon world hopefully ending the war between them.

"That part is true, it takes place the week before it and a month after Hinata's wedding." said Naruto

"And you take your trip to that resort?" asked Ino knowing that the trip itself was just a cover story so that they could cross the river and entire demon ape country so that they could place the seal to destroy the transport seal.

"Next week, we have our own cabin booked." said Sakura "A little romantic trip before we go back to training."

"And what if Tsunade goes into labor while you're gone?" asked Ino

"First off she isn't due till a week after the wedding so that gives us just under a month." explained Sakura "Second maybe from an act of God or something both kits are developed on scheduled, they could be born safely now."

"It's a miracle that she can carry those two kits at her age." said Ino

"A testament to the skilled of the doctor she had looking after her." said Naruto as he looked at Sakura with a smile.

"Well I can't all the credit Lady Tsunade has gone cold turkey from all drinking, and has been taking great care of herself." said Sakura "And Jiriaya is actually helping her which is a little surprising."

"Well he is the father of the kits." said Naruto "And for all the perverted things he's done I think he always wanted kits."

"Well it would have been easy for him to have kids if he really wanted too." said Ino

"But not with the vixen he loves." said Naruto as he looked at Sakura.

"Alright let's stop this flirting between you two." said Ino "It isn't something we want to see."

"And we didn't want to see whatever you call what you and Sai did on the dance floor because it wasn't dancing." said Sakura as she looked at her friend, if she still been human she would have been blushing. "More like dry humping than anything approaching dancing."

"I wonder what everyone else is up too?" asked Ino as she changed the subjects "Anyone heard from Lee? Or Choji?"

"I haven't heard anything about Lee and nothing from Choji since that last letter." answered Shikamaru

"I am more worried about those who haven't turned." said Naruto sadly "It's been nine months since the fall of the Leaf."

Naruto watched as all his friends lowered their heads before lowering their drinks.

"You know I totally forgot about that." admitted Ino

"We have been so focused on our own lives that we forgot about it." stated Sakura as she took a big drink "Our friends, the people we are trying to save have been out in the field without reinforcements, without regular supplies and without the ability to strike back apart from hit and run attacks."

"The newspapers are even saying attacks are down to only about one a week." said Ino

"It's worst then that." said Naruto as Ino looked at him "I have seen the after action reports about the fighting, the reports that most don't see."

"What does it say?" asked Ino

"That most of the attacks as the media calls is normally them trying to get some supplies near an outpost or a delaying action while the main body of the resistance escapes." explained Naruto "They are a hair away from losing the war."

"What is the situation in water country?" asked Sai knowing that was the Mist was the last major ninja nation standing with a few other small nations located on islands off the coast.

"They are in civil war at the moment." said Naruto

"The Mist was always politically unstable." stated Shikamaru knowing that the Mizukage was in a political weak spot even before the demons appeared. "But I would have hoped that the threat of demons would have united them."

"But it didn't." answered Sakura "So we have to carry out this plan now because if we miss this opening then the next time isn't until a year later and by then it would be pointless."

"Who do we know who is still human?" asked Ino

"Lots of people." said Naruto

"I mean who are our close friends?" asked Ino "I know Kakashi, Shizune, Guy, Tenten and Neji are still out there but who else?"

"Konohamaru, Moegi, Kankuro and dozens of others." said Naruto

"I know it's wrong of me to say but on some level I would want them captured so at least they would be with us when we do it." admitted Ino as everyone looked down; knowing that if they set off the seal it would get off the demon world from the human world for at least a thousand years.

"There is nothing we can do about that and whatever happens they will have either a happy life as a human or as a happy life as a demon." explained Naruto

In another city the sun had gone down hours earlier as Hinata rested in a lounge chair with a drink in her hand. She was sitting on the same balcony were Gamba had proposed to her a few months back however she wasn't alone, sitting beside her in his own chair with his own drink was Gamba.

"So how was your day?" asked Hinata as she looked at the King.

"Another one of those days when all I did was listen to different reports about different things." Said Gamba "Today I had to listen to a three and a half hour report on how closing one of the water lines for repair would cause major destructions to the city sidewalk traffic in the seventh district of the city."

"Isn't the seventh mostly just warehouses and some factories?" asked Hinata

"Yes but it is located along one of the major streets that connect two residential areas." Explained Gamba

"Have they ever thought about just doing it at night when most people are sleeping?" asked Hinata

"That is what I told them to do." said Gamba as he took a breath before taking a drink of his own glass of wine "Then I had to answer a few questions from the media about where you have been. One of them thought I had replaced you with a new member of the harem."

"Well that wasn't uncommon in the past." said Hinata as she remembered reading how some kings had multiple Queens, once he grew tired of one a king could replace her with another.

"Well that is history now, I signed the order to disband the harem." said Gamba "No need to have a bunch of lioness just waiting for me to show up when I have you right beside me."

"Were are they going to go?" asked Hinata

"They all come from high level prides so they will either move back in with their pride and in time they or their pride will find someone else." explained Gamba

"So did the press believe you when you said I have been spending all my time planning the ceremony?" asked Hinata knowing that they wanted to surprise the people with the fact that their Queen was going to represented their kingdom in the tournament. Former Queen Oda and her sister had taken her place visiting the schools and hospitals across the kingdom.

"Mostly, some think your with cub." said Gamba

"Not yet." answered Hinata as she took a breath "I wanted to talk to you about something for the ceremony?"

"What?" asked Gamba

"I want to have my friends be part of it but they are now different race." said Hinata knowing that she had to carry out a balance of demon traditions and human traditions. She knew her choices would be followed by future Queens. Already she was breaking some traditions by having her sister be her maid of honor instead of Gamba's oldest sister however that was countered by having the oldest sister who was the head of the religious priests presides over the ceremony itself and Gamba's second oldest sister as the second bride maid.

"Well they have always have delegations from different nations invited to the ceremony." said Gamba

"I don't want them just to watch I want them to be part of the ceremony itself." said Hinata

"I don't really see how?" asked Gamba "I mean you only have four what do you call them bridesmaids and tradition says that two of them have to lioness and the other two have to be a tiger and a panther."

"I know and I don't want to change that, but you know about the walkway guards?" asked Hinata as Gamba nodded his head. It was traditional for have members of the military along with the government standing guard along the walkway leading to the altar. The closer you were to the alter the more important you were.

"You want your friends to be some of the guards?" asked Gamba

"Yes, that way they can be part of the ceremony." said Hinata

"You know if you want to do that way we will have to treat the other races the same and I personally want as few as snakes and wolves here as possible." said Gamba "

"Same here but I just can't think of another place to have them." said Hinata "Also we can't show direct favoritism toward the foxes then we may upset the horses and bears which we may need in any war with the wolves or snakes."

"You know I think I may have the solution." said Gamba as Hinata looked at the grinning King.

"What?" asked Hinata

It was well past midnight in the human world as Kakashi sat down after a long day of listening to different reports coming in from the different unites which were under his command. The news wasn't good and there didn't seem much hope of it getting better any time soon. The problem was that a lot of the groups were no longer checking in. Guy's group which had formed from the remains of the cloud village ninja had moved out of radio range in an attempt to escape from the demon patrols. Kankura's group of sand ninjas had moved back into wind country a few months back and had all but disappeared from radio contact. Every week the reports from the commands in the leaf stated how many people were left, they were down to under 25 thousand people in an area which used to have millions of people and the number went down weekly. Those numbers were dropping not just from the demons taking them or even from sickness or lack of food, now the leading cause of death was suicide as people ended their lives.

"How are you doing?" asked Shizune as Kakashi turned to face possibly one of the last still human member of the leaf ninja medical core.

"Bad." answered Kakashi "I wouldn't be surprised that within six months we have either no humans left or we are on our own. Has there been any luck on a defense to being transformed."

"No." answered Shizune "I have looked at the transformation agent for countless hours but I still have no idea how the mental part of it works."

"You mean how they get people to like being a demon?" asked Kakashi as Shizune nodded her head.

"Yes, it shouldn't be possible. There is no way I am aware of to change a person's mind like that apart from some of the most advanced forms of mind control justus." said Shizune

"And people under those act like zombies without thinking." said Kakashi "And the demons have personalities they are for the lack of a better term human, not mindless drones."

"That is what I am talking about it shouldn't be possible to change someone's mind enough to make them switch sides and yet have them keep their personalities." said Shizune as she ran her hand though her hair "And I can't do much in the way of a defense unless I know how the mental side works because all I will do is hand the demons a human with a demon mind."

"A perfect spy." said Kakashi

"That is why I haven't done much work with it." said Shizune as she shook her head "I can't help but think that if Sakura or Lady Tsunade were here they would have this solved by now."

"You are doing the best you can and I don't think anyone else could have done all the things you have done all while being on the run." said Kakashi "I don't even think Lady Tsunade or Sakura could do that."

"They are better researchers then what I am." said Shizune

"That may be the case." said Kakashi "However they would need all the advanced computers and medical tools, you are working with a few microscopes which belong more in a basic science class then in medical research."

"Thanks." said Shizune as she yawned. "Well I think I am going to go used my daily portion of hot water and take a shower."

"Alright then." said Kakashi as she started to walk away.

"Do try to get some sleep Kakashi." said Shizune

"I'll try." answered Kakashi

A week later Naruto and Sakura were walking up a road toward a large resort in the demon bear country. The resort main building was giant easily dominating the land, it had two giant building wings shooting off from the main center which had a large red domed roof. The building itself was painted a bright white and had fields of beautiful flowers with tall trees all around the building. Both foxes then turned and looked at the area behind the massive main hotel area. For a moment the two of them stopped and looked out over the rolling hills which were covered with thick forests. Cabins could be seen poking out from small clearings in the woods and giant snow top mountains could be seen in the distance.

"Well Adria was right this place is amazing." said Sakura as she took a deep breath of that mountain air, she could smell the flowers and felt like she was standing in the middle of the woods not steps away from a massive resort hotel.

"Well there the river." said Naruto as Sakura looked to their left to see what Naruto was looking at.

"That's a river?" asked Sakura as she looked at the giant river she could just make out the shape of land on the far side. The land on the other side looked almost totally flat and with even thicker woods however first they had cross the river "Looks more like a giant lake."

"I know but it's what we have to cross to get to demon Ape country." Said Naruto as he looked at the waterfront from what he could see apart from a demon made sandy beach the entire river bank was large rocks.

"So after we check in, we pretend to settle in to our cabin and then we head across the river at nightfall?" asked Sakura "We have ten days here and it will take all that time to get to the ape capital and back.

"Sakura-chan I have to admit something." said Naruto as Sakura turned and looked at him "I lied."

"Lied about what?" asked Sakura

"Judging from the old maps my father got of demon ape country it should only take five days for us to get there and get back here." said Naruto

"Then why book a ten day vacation?" asked Sakura as Naruto simply smiled.

"So that we can have at least a few day vacation together." answered Naruto as Sakura shock her head a bit before laughing a bit.

"You loveable baka." said Sakura as she placed a hand on Naruto's check before pulling him into a kiss.

Well I hope you liked this chapter, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and I ask that you keep reading. Thanks Wilkins75.