CHAPTER RATING: T
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Episode 9: Emissary, Part V: The Mizukage's Conditions
Naruto's eyes blinked as he began to stir; his hand rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. The world slowly came into focus as he sat up.
"Awake? How are you feeling?" A voice came. Naruto sat up, pushing his back against a wall.
"Kakashi-sensei? What happened?" Naruto asked.
"You just fainted when we were in the middle of our training session, are you sure you're alright?" Kakashi asked with a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"I don't know, I don't even know why I-" he turned his head to the right and saw Hinata fast asleep on a couch. He gave Kakashi a puzzled look.
"She's been waiting for you to wake up for days, never left your side." He said with a smile. Naruto's expression eased with his explanation. "Now then, we need to get this straight. Why did you faint?"
"I-I don't know."
"Naruto…You started to experience pain when your shadow clones disappeared, what happened?"
Naruto took a deep breath.
"Kakashi-sensei, I had a weird dream. There was a woman who confessed her love to me." Kakashi nodded while listening.
"Your shadow clones remembered your dream, and when they disappeared, the dream became clearer to you."
Naruto nodded.
"I took a walk that night and tried to sort out my thoughts. I started to relive the dream, I could hear her voice speaking."
"What did she say?"
"She said: 'I've lied to you, all this time.' But in the end I heard her say 'I mean it…I love you.'…I don't know why I saw what I did."
"And? Do you know who this person was?" Naruto took a deep breath, brought his head up, looked at Kakashi and nodded.
"It was Sakura-chan." Kakashi heard a terrible desperation in his voice. "I-I don't know what to do…Kakashi-sensei, what does this mean?"
Kakashi tightened his grip on Naruto's shoulder. "It's not that there's something wrong up here." He pointed to Naruto's head.
"But something is confused, down here." He said with his hand pointing at Naruto's heart.
"Something in your heart is in conflict. If I could help, I would, but this type of struggle is something that you have to overcome by yourself."
"How would I even do that? How do I proceed from here?"
"Maybe you should talk to her some time. But now…"
Kakashi took Naruto's arm onto his shoulders and helped him to his feet.
The entrance to the room opened, three people came into Naruto's view.
"…It's up to you to negotiate the trade agreement terms with the Mizukage herself."
…
The trio that approached Naruto consisted of a woman with dark auburn hair, both covering part of her face and almost touching the floor as she walked towards him. She wore a blue dress.
A very, VERY revealing blue dress. Naruto thought
"Bow your head" Kakashi informed him with a whisper.
She was flanked by two men. On the left, a shy looking man, with blue hair, glasses and what looked like headphones. On the right was a man with a stern face and an eye patch.
"I see you've rested well, Uzumaki Naruto." He heard her say. "Did you enjoy your time here?" she asked.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I don't even know where I am." He said with a smile.
"You are in the Village of the Hidden Mist-Kirigakure. If I'm not wrong, you've been here before, the Great Naruto Bridge is the one monumental structure that connects our great nations."
Naruto nodded.
"How symbolic that you are also the one person who will connect our nations once again. Ao, help him up and follow me."
The man with the eye patch did as he was ordered to, he took Naruto from Kakashi and began to walk away.
"Wait-Kakashi-sensei…"
"Don't worry, I need to be here to watch over Hinata. I'll be in touch."
Naruto nodded as he was helped out of the room.
…
Naruto then found himself being dragged into another room. He was placed down onto a large bed with blue sheets.
"Ao, Chōjūrō, Leave us." The Mizukage ordered. Naruto sat dumfounded on the bed as the two left. The Mizukage pulled a chair up to him and sat in front of him.
"Now, Uzumaki Naruto, I know who you are, and what you've done. I even know why you were sent here to propose this trade agreement." He listened intently as she spoke.
"You are the hero of Konoha, you saved your comrades from death, and now you're in need of this country to help rebuild yours."
He smiled nervously as she gripped his hand tightly. She looked into his eyes and licked her lips.
"What sacrifices are you willing to make for your country?"
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Thanks for reading!