Chapter 52.
Disclaimer: I don't and wouldn't exactly fine joy in owning Naruto.
For Nami life as the Hokage was becoming tedious, not to mention irksome. For starters she has been in more then thirty meetings in the last week. Most of them to discuss the details of her Hokageship.
"And we will end the meeting with this Nami, you will have to sign off on these bills, review them, and then give them to Shikamaru to revise them and review them, before he hands it to us."
Nami eye twitched.
"Anything else?"
"No, Thank you."
"Then I hereby end the meeting." The room cleared out.
"Pretending to listen again?"
"I listened to the important things."
"Like?"
"You know important things."
"You didn't listen to shit:"
"So?"
"You're the Hokage."
"I am?"
"Lord have mercy." Shikamaru said as he finally woke up from his council nap.
"At least you get to sleep during the meetings. I have to stay up and listen to them; Like who the fuck needs to listen to a man complain about the road being broken and his caravan wheel cracking, and asking for repaiment for lack of repairment." Shikamaru nodded.
"I guess its the Hokage job to want to listen to those things."
"Is it?"
"I think so, from what I read in your accepteance paper they managed to sneak that in." Nami sighed.
"Smart."
"Very." Shikamaru agreed.
"So whats on the agenda for today?" Nami asked as she got up. Shikamaru shrugged.
"I guess you have to sign off on those papers then give them to me to revise and give it to them."
"Is it?"
"Yeah."
"To the office."
"To the where?"
"Office." Shikamaru shook his head:
"Nah. Too far. I'll leave you to those papers, call for me when you're done with them."
"Call for you?"
"Ring, fetch, walk, mail, yell. Up to you, just make sure you bring me those papers. Don't want to fix the mess you made last time I didn't review the papers."
"You would think me signing off on a paper that would've sent us to war with the land of dragons wouldn't be that big of a deal."
"Yeah right? I mean who wouldn't like a big bloody war."
"See you get it." Nami said smirking. She hasn't been home in a week. She's been couped up in the office doing nothing but sigining, revising, reading, interpreting, accepting, denying, agreeing, and hoping for a miracle.
"You should take advantage of their leniency while you have it. Once they get tired of your shit they're going to crack down on you."
"Well then I should take full advantage of their leniency until that day comes."
"Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you."
"Shut up."
"New favorite word."
"Second."
"What's the first?"
"F-" She didn't get to finish as her assitant walked in.
"Nami-Sama your father has called for you."
Nami sighed.
"I'll tell you next time." Shikamaru smirked.
"Tell me when for I could rain check it." Nami flipped him the bird before disappearing.
"So its just us." Shikamaru said looking over at Nami assitant. She had purple hair with glasses, and buisness attire.
"I guess so."
"Lunch?"
"No, wouldn't want Temari-san to kill me." She quickly walked out.
Shikamaru sighed.
"Does everyone know about that?"
"Pin what are you doing here?" Zabuza said as he looked at the young girl. He was just getting ready to leave when he ran into her.
"Came to see Naruto one last time." Zabuza raised an eyebrow. Its not the fact that she wanted to come see him, its the fact that she came to visit him multiple times. And from the story she told him they only met once. Who would've thought Naruto would give people a good first impression.
"Hopefully he tells you something he didn't tell me." With that Zabuza left the small shrine.
Pin frowned as she looked down. She sat down one blue rose before saying a small prayer.
"Your an idiot you know." The wind blew her hair and she frowned. There hasn't been any wind today.
"If I didn't know any better I would've thought it was you." The wind didn't react this time. She sighed before getting up.
"I'll spend the next hour with you then. I know you like being alone. So I won't stay for long."
"What do you mean?" Pin turned around to see a pregnant woman walk in with a couple of guards.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you there."
"Its okay I wont stay long." With that the woman walked up laid her flowers and walked out.
Pin smiled.
"And you said you didn't have any friends but your basically drowing in gifts." Pin said as she finally decided to say her thoughts in her mind. One hour turned to two, and two turned to three before she finally sighed and walked out.
"I just wish I would've met you earlier."
"Did you?"
"So this is where your from?"
"Yup!" Guren said as they walked through a small village in the middle of nowhere.
"You said you come from a country, we're in uncharted territory and this is a dump inside of a dump, in the middle of a big piece of land that the major villages considered to be a dump." Sugetsu said.
"Shut up!"
"What? I put it nicely." Sugetsu said smiling. Sasuke ignored him. The location was perfect for a base but that was it after that everything else about it was useless.
"What exactly did you want to come here for?" Jugo asked. Guren nodded.
"Theres more to this then what you see." Guren said. "We need to go to the village square; there we will meet up with the other people from the village and they could help us."
"Help us how?" Sugetsu asked.
Guren smirked.
"Do anything. Look how useful I am, now imagine more of me." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Orochimaru said your village was destroyed, and you were left an orphan." Sasuke said, not liking having his information with holes in it.
"He was half right. My village was destroyed, my mothers village. and I was left an orphan since I lived with my mom."
Sasuke frowned.
"So this is?"
"My fathers village, the person I got my Kekkei Genkai from." Sasuke nodded.
"So that means?"
"We just made some very powerful friends."
"Powerful?" Sugetsu questioned.
"Yes powerful."
"I mean your strong but I wouldn't consider you powerful." Sugetsu said. "Like you may be a little above strong, maybe dazzling, but powerful?"
"Shut up!" Guren smirked as she saw Segetsu turn into water.
He quickly reformed.
"Powerful? Nah. You're definetly strong though." Sugetsu said smirking.
"Enough games. Where is your father?" Guren shrugged.
"Didn't I just tell you I lived with my mom."
Sasuke pierced her with a glare.
"Where could we find him?"
"Somewhere in this village." Guren answered. Sasuke eye twitched.
"There could be thousands of people in the village." Guren nodded.
"You said we have five months to burn."
Sasuke took a deep breath.
"Do you know what he looks like?" Guren nodded pulling out a small necklace and opened it to show a picture of her parents.
"He should look like that only older."
"How much older cause you aint that young." Guren eye twitched.
"I'll kill you if I wasn't so terrible at fire attacks." Sugetsu smirked.
"Even if you did, you'll still need to be powerful enough to catch me." Guren resisted the urge to trap him in diamond and through him off the nearest cliff.
"Sugetsu stop playing around we need to find this guy." Sasuke said. Now he was interested; this man managed to avoid Orochimaru spies, now that was worth knowing.
"You're actually going to entertain this?"
"Yes."
Sugetsu sighed.
"Fine, but he better be powerful." Guren missed him with a small diamond blade by a hairs length.
"We shouldn't try to kill each other." Jugo reasoned.
"Shut up or your next!" Guren said in her moment of rage only to pale a second later.
"Jugo." Sasuke said and the mans body instantly relaxed.
"Let's go find this guy. I got a question for him."
The ame kids walked across the arid dessert of the land of wind.
"You're a fucking idiot for letting Blood pick the route." Sorrow said. Morn shrugged.
"You wanted to go through the land of snow. We voted on it, you lost democracy saids majority rule so shut up." Morn said. He was down to his boxers from the heat.
"Yeah shut up and stop complaining." For some weird reason Blood still had his hoodie on, with sweat pants and steel toed boots.
Sorrow was wearing a sport bra with black shorts and placed her sandals in her bag for that she didn't have to pick sand out of her toes every couple of steps.
"It's the land of wind, in the middle of summer! Not to mention we have to walk across the whole fucking desert, not across a small section, or through a couple of domes and then make a right, or left. Straight across the whole fucking desert in the middle of summer!" Sorrow yelled.
"Save your spit, we don't have that much water." Morn said. Blood chuckled.
"Good one."
"I wrote that one down back at the inn, I knew it'll come in handy."
"Why did I get stuck with you assholes!"
"Cause Pein said no to adopting a fourth one." Blood said. Morn bursted out laughing.
"Good one." Sorrow sighed.
"I hate my life."
"We hate your life too." Morn said, him and blood busting out in laughter. Sorrow smacked Morn across the chest leaving a bright red mark and ripped Blood hoodie off.
"The sun on my skin! It burns! You know I got sensitive skin! And we didn't bring sun block!"
Sorrow laughed.
"I thought of that one back at the inn, I knew it'll come in handy." Morn and Blood just pouted as they licked there wounds.
"Enjoy it while it last." Morn said. Blood nodded. Sorrow just chuckled.
"We're not even half way through the dessert; you'll both be red as tomatos by the time we get out of here. Better prey the night is cold, cause you'll need it."
"Where the fuck are we going anyways?" Morn asked.
"Who knows."
"But we do have a destination, right?" Sorrow shook her head.
"We're wandering the world in search of treasures. Maybe we should dig in the dessert, I heard Suna was once a big ocean. And pirates travelled across it and some ships were sunk and there richest were left on the ocean floor." Blood explained. Sorrow just looked at him.
"If that was the case that means the water either evaporated or travelled down hill. Which means we're standing just above the ocean floor. Not to mention the sand is only a couple kilometers down, and I'm pretty sure in the lesson we were taught that the land of wind was never rich in water. Ever."
Blood looked peeved.
"Do you have to ruin every fucking thing?"
"I try."
"Do you?"
"No."
"Fuck you."
"Love you too little brother." Sorrow said playfully.
"I'm older then you." Blood said. Sorrow looked at him geniuenly curious.
"You are?" Blood nodded.
"I was the first one they adopted." Sorrow eye twithed.
"You idiot, that doesn't make you older then me." Blood smirked.
"I thought we were going by order?" Morn lost it and started to laugh uncontrollably. Sorrow took a deep breath.
"You didn't listen to a word they said in Biology did you." Blood shook his head.
"I know everything a man needs to know about Biology."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Why you think they call me blood?"
"Because our parents suck at picking names that don't go with emotions, or highly relateable." Morn explained. Blood nodded.
"True."
"This conversation is going nowhere."
"We're in the middle of the desert. Why not talk about nothing." For Morn the conversation was highly enjoyable, one because Blood was an idiot, and Sorrow was a know it all. And when you put those two together well you get this. It was basically the closest thing he had to television.
"Suna sure is beautiful look at all those palm trees." Blood said pointing at a pile of rocks.
"Its a mirage idiot, drink some water." Sorrow replied tired of Blood pointing out shit that just wasn't there.
"Not a drop of imagination in your soul huh?" Sorrow shook her head.
"Imagination is for people that are rational. You are not rational, therefore imaginating is not something you should take part in."
"I have more rationality in the left side of my brain then you have in your whole brain."
"Rationality is a function operated by the right hemisphere, just like imagination. Learn your brain patters. Did you not listen in Psychology."
"Nobody listened in Psychology, you were the only one that understood what that crazy guy was saying."
"I second that."
Sorrow shrugged.
"Not my fault I actually listened in school."
"It actually is your fault smarty." Blood said. Sorrow sighed.
"I am going to go crazy."
"Use your Psychology to save you." Morn once again burst out into laughter.
"I'll make sure to use my knowledge in math to show you a lesson in counting the amount of punches I hit you with." Blood smirked.
"Jokes on you, I could only take three punches before I black out."
"A good thing you have Morn to count the ones you get after the fact."
"As if, Morn failed math." Morn nodded.
"And Physics, and Psychology, and Biology." Blood nodded.
"Don't feel ashamed I failed them all too."
"You didn't take Physics, you opted to take chemistry." Sorrow said.
"Which I failed. But if I would've taken Physics which I'm glad I didn't, I most likely would've failed it too." Sorrow just gave him a disappointed glare.
"What? I thought they showed you probability in Algebra."
Sorrow sighed.
"I am going to kill you."
"Criminology 101 saids if you do decide to kill me."
"I know what it saids, I helped rewrite the whole lecture plan after I took the class." Blood smirked.
"Aren't you a walking bag of books. You probably have more brain then body."
"That's physically impossible." Sorrow replied.
"Saids who? My PE teacher use to tell you that all the time."
"It was a metaphore."
"Why would he give you a metal
for? You sucked at PE." Sorrow couldn't believe he was actually that stupid.
"How did you graduate?"
"I didn't they gave me the diploma because they didn't want to deal with me anymore."
"They told you that too?" Blood nodded bumping fist with Morn.
"I have to talk to the person in charge." Sorrow said if they let these too idiots pass imagibe how many others they let slide.
"Mom said the same thing. They didn't budge. They just really didn't want to deal with us anymore."
"Well I can't blame them."
"You could they just wont care. Plus when have we applied any of those things to our everyday lives."
"We just did, I'm going crazy Psychology. You have a sun burn Biology. And Morn is tired PE."
"Shut up. You sound just like Mrs-"
"Professor-"
"What ever you sound just like her." Blood finished before pulling out another hoodie from his bag and putting it on.
"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Sorrow said as her eye twitched. He waited until he was fully burned to put it on.
"I just remembered."
"You're an idiot." Blood nodded.
"This conversation established that. In fact I pretty much admitted it. What they didn't teach you that in school?"
"Morn let me kill him. He'll reform in a couple of days." Sorrow asked Morn shook his head.
"Too much waiting, its hot." Blood nodded.
"Yeah plus, regenerating in sand takes much longer." Blood said. "Blood moves way slower in sand."
"I am the only sane one in this famiy I swear." Sorrow said exasperated.
"Our father is chasing monsters, while controlling multiple bodies, while he sits on a spider chair made of wood." Blood nodded.
"Mom is pretty normal."
"She actually loves that man. Not to mention she turned into flammable paper. That explodes. So shes technically suicidal." Sorrow explained.
"Isn't everyone?" Sorrow shook her head.
"No. Psychology saids."
"Fuck Psychology." Blood replied. Morn nodded.
"Yeah what he said."
Sorrow sighed once again.
"I'll be thirty by the time I'm twenty."
"Physically impossible." Blood said. Morn just chuckled.
"He got you there."
"Its a -"
"Yeah I know, you'll get a metal for cares." Blood said as he drank some water.
"Where you get that from?"
"My bag."
"Why didn't you drink it earlier?"
"I forgot, I had it."
"How do you forget you have water in the desert. It should be the only thing on your mind." Sorrow explained.
"What are you talking about? I've seen like seven oasis on our way here." Blood explained as he through the container away.
"How are you alive?!" Sorrow asked genuinely concerned over her brothers lack of brain power.
"I've died a couple of times I just keep coming back. It's a little annoying if you ask me." Blood said like it was nothing. Sorrow sighed.
"Perfection is a myth you know." Morn said. Sorrow nodded.
"I know I read about it in a book." Morn sighed.
"See I didn't have to read a book or take a class and I knew that." Morn explained. Sorrow nodded.
"Yeah but your still an idiot. It's called Myth of perfection."
"Sorrow if you try explaining to us what it is. I'll kill you." Blood butted in already growing tired of the small talk.
"Fine." Sorrow said. Blood used his serious voice it was better not to bother him for a while.
"See now Blood is mad." Morn said. Blood just glared at him.
"Fine I'll shut up." They walked in silence for awhile before Morn got tired of it.
"Where the fuck are we going?"
"Lady Koyuki, your husband is ready to see you." Koyuki nodded as she walked into the office.
"Having me waiting, I see. Do I no longer please you? Am I becoming a hindrance for you? Should I look into other suitors that actually have the time of day to see me and wont have me waiting-"
"You were waiting for less then a minute." Koyuki smirked.
"I shouldn't be waiting at all."
"In a perfect world that would've been ideal."
"So now I am not perfect?" Koyuki reasoned her husband sighed.
"Are you here to drive me crazy or to drive me insane?" Koyuki placed a finger to her chin.
"I don't know, which one do you think?"
"Both."
"You'll be wrong. I am actually here to see how are the flying machines coming along, and what are we going to do about that Raikage wedding."
"They're coming along nicely. And I don't really know. The wedding comittee takes care of things like that. I know he already forwarded the money, and has formally invited us to join him in his special day."
"Are you going to go?"
"No."
"Good." Her husband smirked.
"Actually I might actually consider going-"
"Shut up." Her husband laughed.
"As you say your holiness." Koyuki smirked before walking around the desk and sitting on his lap.
"Is that sarcasm I hear Brien-Sama." Brien smirked.
"I see you still say my name with such tender love." Koyuki nodded while smiling.
"It's different, western a welcoming sound from the usual."
"Oh how it pleases me that your tongue is Enamorao with my name." Koyuki smirked.
"It's not the only thing its Enamorao with." Brien smirked.
"In the office?" Koyuki shook her head.
"Not today, you made me wait. I should have an open door policy to your office."
"As you say it shall be done." Brien responded. Koyuki nodded.
"I wouldn't want you to do that for poor o'll me." Brien looked appalled.
"But it was I that have requested it, my only shame was not thinking of it earlier."
Koyuki laughed.
"Such a wise man." Brien nodded.
"With a wiser wife." Koyuki blushed.
"Oh you-"
"Now. If your done with your games I have to go back to work." Brien said as he looked at her. Koyuki chuckled before getting off of him.
"Fine, be that way." Brien laughed.
"I'll see you tonight?" Koyuki nodded.
"I'll be waiting." Brien nodded as he watched her leave the office in amazement.
Koyuki was greeted by the guards at the door and they quickly fell into formation behind her.
"Sup?"
"Sup?" Koyuki asked as she saw him appear next to her.
"My guards?"
"I knocked them out two hallways ago." The man explained as he sipped from his coffee.
"Are they badly hurt?" Koyuki asked, those two were her favorite.
"Nah they'll be fine. Depending on how good they are at breaking Genjutsu." Koyuki frowned.
"They're civilians." The man nodded.
"Then I'll help them out later."
Koyuki frowned.
"What do you want?" The man shrugged.
"Decent coffee like the ones they give in Asguard but I guess its to cold to make such rich flavors over here."
"Anything else that I could help you with?" Koyuki asked, already intune with the mans way of speaking.
"Man you have that guy eating out of the palms of your hands." Koyuki eye twitched.
"He's my husband." The man nodded.
"A good one?"
"If the question is better then Naruto? Then yes." The man smiled.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen."
"Have they?" The man shrugged.
"I'm still here." Koyuki nodded.
"But you don't do anything. You might as well be a ghost."
"I do things." The man said as he moaned at the vanilla enhanced coffee in his hands.
"Like?"
"Drink coffee and follow people around."
"Don't quit your day job because you suck at both those things." The man chuckled.
"You're good with words."
"A lady learns the lingo that she needs to learn."
"Anyways, I'll be leaving soon."
"Goodbye." The man shrugged handing her a scroll.
"Follow those directions and when we meet again I rather see results." Koyuki nodded.
"Don't you always?" The man nodded.
"Goodbye." With that he was gone. Koyuki frowned when she noticed that she was standing in the same place with her guards behind her asking her whats wrong.
'That idiot.'
"I'm fine lets go." She tucked the scroll deeper into her bra.
'I have to be crazy.'
"Pein." Konan asked as they walked through a rice pattie field.
"Yes?" Konan frowned as she looked at the face of Nanashi staring back at her. She kind of missed Yahiko body but Nagato was still making adjustment to it not to mention it wasn't as powerful as this one. She wished Pein would get past the power and realize the meaning of Yahiko body.
"Why do you follow that man." Pein already knew what she meant.
"He has vision, without him none of this would be possible. He has not lied to us once and has helped us tremendously." Konan nodded.
"So your repaying a payment?" Pein shook his head.
"I am doing this for us as well." Konan frowned.
"But we both know his intentions are less then pure Yahiko wanted a world where we could all live together in harmony."
"Yes, and that is what we are going to accomplish."
"His plans sound more like world domination!"
"We have to show the people fear, and through fear we could oppress."
"What if he asks to oppress us." Pein frowned.
"If you are not happy with the arrangement Konan you are welcomed to leave."
"That's not the point. Fear those not lead to oppresion, the people would not love to live under fear. That is not peace."
"Peace is having no wars!"
"Wars are not the only thing wrong with the world Nagato!" Pein stood silent. Fully aware of what she meant.
"What exactly are you trying to say." Pein asked.
"Fear is temporary. So is peace. We do not have to make everyone scared of us to remain in power. All it would take is one brave person to stand up agaisnt us and we will again be lead to war. And even if we win, are victory would be contridicting to our goal. And even if we end war, what about rape? Sin? Robbery? Hate? Who would put an end to that? We could make them fear us, but who woud make them fear each other?" Pein frowned.
"Life is not perfect Konan. You must take the good with the bad."
"Is that the only thing you have to say."
"Yes."
"Then I am being lead by a man no better then the ones that scarred us." Pein stopped walking.
"Konan, I am not perfect."
"I don't want you to be. But I need you to be understanding. And fearless, and rational."
"One day."
"Not one day. Today. Think over what you are doing, look at whos on your side and realize who are the ones beneficial to your goals. Because fear means nothing, because believe it or not people that have nothing to lose, have nothing to be afraid of. And Tobi has nothing to lose."
"I should consider your words."
"A wise man would."
"Yahiko would be proud of you." Konan nodded.
"I know. I am merely repeating his words to you."
Filling out a couple of chaps.
See you next time on
From Love to Hate: Crossing paths.