CHAPTER 29: An Approaching Storm
Raikage's Hideout… Outskirts of the Hidden Cloud Village…
"Now this is interesting…" Doto Kazahana said with narrowed eyes while reading a specific document. "Koyuki… invited representatives from nearby countries around the continent just for her to announce her betrothed to the entire world…"
"I think it is quite normal for a maiden like her to have a lover given her current age, Doto-sama." Nadare Roga, Doto's most trusted right hand, commented. "After all, being a Daimyo, it is quite a ripe time for her to seriously consider establishing her royal family for her to establish an heir who will be her successor to the rulership of the Land of Spring."
"I am not concerned about that because that itself is a given," Doto said, his eyes still all-serious. "My main concern, however, is the one she chose to become her betrothed."
"Now that you've said it…"
"Despite not being in the Land of Spring, I made sure to keep track of all her movements as much as possible so I could strike her down once everything that I was preparing to dethrone and kill her has been executed. That fact alone should be enough for me to at least have an idea of who this betrothed of her really is. But right now… I basically have no idea who he really is…"
"…" Nadare Roga also seemed to understand Doto's concern.
"If I have known that guy from the start, then I'll use every means necessary to make that guy be on our side… even using his family, or even use force if I have to… so that Koyuki's supposed most trusted betrothed will also become my underling. And I will use him to control Koyuki from the shadows… yet… that person still is a mystery… and as a matter of fact, I didn't know that Koyuki already has a fiancé until this very invitation that Koyuki had distributed towards the other nations…"
"So… do you think this is some kind of a trap against us?"
"Possibly." Doto Kazahana replied with his arms crossed on his chest.
"…"
"Fine… we'll play a bit with her." Doto Kazahana said with a small smirk. "Have a hundred of our men prepare for battle. Have them don the prototype Chakra Armor with a fragment of Gellel Stone installed. Also, make sure to gather intel regarding who will be representing the Nations and the Hidden Villages during the event so we can prepare countermeasures against them. And if we can make the right preparations on time, let's have an uninvited attendance on that event…"
"Understood, Doto-sama." Nadare Roga bowed his head. "Though, won't this be a problem with the Raikage? The mass production of Gellel-imbued Chakra Armors was being handled in strict confidentiality by the Hidden Cloud. If we will use those armor in the open like that… then…"
"It's a double-edged sword." Doto Kazahana said with a small smirk. "The Chakra Armor's technology didn't specifically come from the Hidden Cloud, but from the Land of Spring. So I can easily shrug it off if the Raikage questions me about it. So all you have to do is to make sure that the Chakra Armors cannot be traced back to our organization."
"Alright. However, one last thing, Doto-sama." Nadare Roga said with a very serious expression. "While we still don't have full intel on who will represent other Hidden Villages and Nations during the event, let me just inform you that the Hidden Village of the Leaf will be sending Uzumaki Naruto, the Hero of the 4th Great Shinobi War, as that Village's representative for the said event."
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Doto Kazahana dangerously narrowed his eyes. Mentioning the name of the kid, now a full-fledged Shinobi, who defeated him more-or-less 10 years ago made the vortex-shaped scar on his chest throb in pain. "…the kid with the power of the Nine-Tails… if not because of him, I already have the entire Land of Spring under my rule…"
"…" Nadare Roge lightly sweat upon seeing his leader's anger surfacing upon mentioning Naruto's name.
"Have each of our men be equipped with the Chakra Sealing Device that we have used before against Uzumaki Naruto. And instruct them to avoid engaging him directly in battle as much as possible. If a close encounter against him is inevitable, make sure to attach that Chakra Sealing Device on him even as a last-ditch effort and kill that bastard on the spot before he can gather power the power of the Nine-Tails and break it again to counterattack just like he did when we fought against each other before. And make sure to also amplify the power of that Chakra Sealing Device with the Stone of Gellel to increase its Chakra Sealing properties!"
"Understood. It is a shame that the current Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, won't be joining that entourage though. I also have a beef against him that I need to settle with…" Nadare Roga said with a face of mocking annoyance.
"They might be the heroes of the Shinobi World War, but I don't care how powerful they've already become. Their power relies on Chakra. Without Chakra, they're basically powerless… more so against our newly augmented Chakra Armor..." Doto Kazahana said while clenching his fists. "Begin preparations immediately…!"
"Hai!"
Nadare Roga then disappeared in front of Doto Kazahana…
-Scene Change-
On an airship en route to the Land of Spring…
"I know that I have the ability to levitate and fly right now… but being aboard a flying structure like an airship still feels nice," Naruto said with a smirk with his elbows leaning on one of its railings. The altitude of the airship was quite high that it was right above the first layer of clouds, allowing them to somehow watch the beautiful horizon where the blue sky and white, fluffy clouds beneath them meet.
Naruto chose to wear his usual mission gear on this event-slash-escort mission, comprising of the same outfit, the black, long-sleeved shirt, and orange pants that he used to wear during the Moon Mission but now topped with a Jounin Vest and a high-collared Sage Cloak just like his father used to, albeit in red hue with black flaming hemline.
"Well, according to some of your stories, you've been to such other flying structures before during missions. Even Sai-san can create an ink bird to take you to the skies if you want to." Sara said as she was also leaning on the railings, her left hand touching some of her long, red hair that was being blown by the wind to keep it from covering her face. As a royalty who was used to such gatherings, Sara chose to wear her red-themed Queen attire that she used to wear on Rouran for the duration of the event.
"Most of those times, we are either on a mission or on an important battle, that's why we don't have much time to enjoy sceneries like this…" Naruto said with a small smile.
"Naruto-kun… there is one time that uh… the both of us were up in the sky right after the Moon Mission… where we did our first… kiss… levitating under the moonlight…" Hinata said, lightly stuttering and blushing while reminiscing about such a romantic event. Hinata chose to wear her purple-themed casual, non-mission gear clothing for the upcoming event.
"Oh… yeah… there's that too… haha…" Naruto felt embarrassed after being reminded of that time as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I wasn't also able to enjoy the view out there since that time, my focus was only on you…"
"Ehem… Way to go rubbing your romantic memories with me around…" Sara stood and crossed her arms in front of her chest with a playful pout. "If it's just that, then I was also able to hug Naruto a lot of times during his mission in Rouran. He kept on carrying me like a princess, warding me away from harm's way."
"Ahaha… just like Naruto-kun had said before, those are just for missions, something that he doesn't have time to appreciate and enjoy due to the ongoing battles at that time," Hinata replied, with Naruto noticing a light, comical twitch on her eyebrow despite her seemingly angelic smile towards Sara.
"It may not meant that much for him, but that meant a lot for me." Sara also said with a light twitch of eyebrow while donning a beautiful smile as she said that towards Hinata.
The two girls playfully glare at each other with Naruto in the middle, sweating profusely. He's not used to such intimate attention directed towards him that he doesn't have any idea what he has to do for the two girls. The only thing he knew was that this small banter was just Hinata and Sara simply trying to get along with each other, no harm intended.
"Ehem. If that is the basis, then I was also carried by Naruto a lot of times during his first mission with me and during the previous battle against Moryo. We even mutually shared our powers, his Chakra and my divine powers, to beat Moryo on both occasions." Shion suddenly popped behind them, puffing her chest with her arms on both sides of her waist. She was wearing her pink-themed Miko outfit and her golden crown that was the emblem of the Leader of the Land of Demons.
"Since when did physical contact with Naruto-kun become the determining factor here?!" Hinata complained to Shion and Sara.
"It's because you started it, Hinata-san. We know that you're Naruto's first kiss. But you don't need to bring it up like that…" Shion playfully glared while pouting towards Hinata.
"Uh… I am not Naruto-kun's first kiss though…"
Sara and Shion visibly jolted simultaneously. And like a doll with a broken neck, both of them slowly looked with comical horrific faces towards the blonde Shinobi near them…
"If it's not Hinata…" Sara said with a threatening tone…
"Then who is it, Naruto…?" Shion said with the same threatening tone.
Naruto gulped every saliva he had while sweating hard…
-Scene Change-
Orochimaru's Hideout…
***Sneeze***
Sasuke unintentionally sneezed due to unknown reasons, waking up his consciousness…
"…"
He immediately realized that he was within an experimental tank with oxygen support on his mouth, his entire body completely submerged in a liquid composed of unknown substances. While he vaguely remembered the events that happened before he lost consciousness, he was sure that he wasn't supposed to be in this kind of situation.
"Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)!" And with a casual voice, he used one of Rinnegan's Deva Path abilities on its weakest output to shatter the transparent glass of the experimental tank that was containing him, making him land on the ground on his two feet.
"…" He immediately examined himself by sensing his entire body, thinking that Orochimaru might have done something on his body while was unconscious. And to his relief, he couldn't sense anything foreign or unusual on his physical body. In fact, he actually felt refreshed and fully rejuvenated.
And even much to his surprise, he was still wearing the same attire he had, his vagabond get-up during the Moon Mission, implying that whoever put him in that healing tank was so worried about his physical condition that the said person didn't even bother changing his wardrobe during his recuperation.
With a single hand seal, he ended up drying himself and his clothes from the liquid substance from the healing tank.
"Sasuke!"
Karin immediately barged into the room, most likely because she heard the breaking glass of the healing tank just earlier.
"So you're the one who placed me into that healing tank, Karin…" Sasuke neutrally inquired.
"Yes, of course, Mister!" Karin replied with a mix of anger and worry on her face. "You're more or less recovered after we left Konoha a few weeks ago! Then, after having a talk with Orochimaru, you suddenly decided to use your Rinnegan's space-time ability to travel to the Ryuchi Cave, the land of Snake Sages! And just yesterday, you ended up returning with a nearly completely exhausted Chakra! I promised Sakura to take care of you, yet you still ended up pushing yourself too hard doing all these!"
"…" Sasuke simply looked towards Karin without rebutting from the girl's outburst.
"Don't you have anything else to say?!"
"I didn't mean any of that. The fault is on my side." Sasuke said with a small smile towards Karin, making Karin freeze due to the sudden rare, sincere smile from the Uchiha. "I know that you and Sakura will take care of me, that's why I ended up pushing myself beyond my limits while I am at the Ryuchi Cave. Because that's the only way I know that I can protect this world, both you and Sakura, and also… my means to catch up to Naruto's growth."
"Sasuke…" Karin felt like melting upon hearing those words from her beloved Uchiha. After all, she was used to him being not so vocal with his emotions and feelings. But seeing him like this made her feel some butterflies in her stomach.
'You really have changed after reuniting with Naruto and returning to Konoha, Sasuke…' Karin said, remembering her first meeting with Sasuke during the Chuunin exams more or less ten years ago… the event that made her fall in love with him.
"Very well… it seems that you're now completely patched up…" Orochimaru, with Jugo and Suigetsu behind him, also entered the room. "…but you still ended up breaking my healing tank. It was programmed to drain the healing substance within that tank once your consciousness return. Yet you…"
"…"
"Anyways, I can just construct another one. That's what that glare of yours means, right?" Orochimaru said with a deep sigh. "By the way. How is it? I suppose you won't stay for two weeks at the Ryuchi Cave without gaining anything in return…"
And with a confident smirk, Sasuke performed another single-hand seal, and with a poof, Sasuke ended up equipping himself with Uchiha Madara's gunbai, now hanging on his back ala Madara. Also, Sasuke then drew his treasured sword on his right waist with his left hand…
"…!" Orochimaru felt shivers down his spine upon looking at the Kusanagi sword that Sasuke had just recently drawn… "You did something that I have failed to do all these years, Sasuke…"
"What do you mean, Orochimaru…?" Juugo immediately asked.
"The Sword of Kusanagi… together with the Sword of Totsuka and Yata Mirror, are the so-called three Divine Artifacts that were said to exist even way before the era of the Sage of the Six Paths. Each of those Divine Weapons was kept under the custody of the three ethereal Land of the Sages: the Toads' Mt Myokobu, the Snake's Ryuchi Cave, and the Slug's Shikkotsu Forest."
"…" Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu listened to Orochimaru with interest while Sasuke, who seemingly already knew what Orochimaru would say, simply closed his eyes.
"While there were no specific accounts of what happened during the past with the Sages and those Divine Weapons, I simply just happened to end up getting the intel of those weapons when I ended up having a contract with my Snake summons. I've been to Ryuchi Cave, attempting to learn Senjutsu from the Snake Sages. While I do fail since I am not compatible with Senjutsu, I ended up acquiring a fragment of the Sword of Kusanagi that was in the Ryuchi Cave's custody."
"So the Sword of Kusanagi that used to be in your possession, despite its reputation and unique properties and now currently with Sasuke's, is just a fragment of the real Kusanagi Sword at the Ryuchi Cave?" Suigetsu asked in surprise.
"That's right. Sasuke was only using its weakened state, thus wielding it just like a mere, regular katana. But right now, Sasuke can now also use its other properties as I have used before. With its ever-sharp blade that can cut even diamonds, with capabilities to extend and retract at the user's will, I assumed that after this recent training of yours at the Ryuchi Cave, you can now utilize the fragment of the Sword of Kusanagi's power the same way as I have utilized it before…" Orochimaru said, still with surprise in his expression.
"…"
"But as it is right now… you were able to… acquire the full power of the Sword of Kusanagi at the Ryuchi Cave, doesn't it, Sasuke…?"
"Yeah… I was able to acquire the Sword of Kusanagi's full power that was sealed by the Snake Sages." Sasuke replied while looking at his treasured sword. "The true power of the Sword of Kusanagi is on an entirely different level. And as it is right now… even in its current, sealed state, its power and sharpness can even rival the power of the Perfect Susanoo's sword…"
"…!" Orochimaru and Team Taka have their mouths hanging after hearing Sasuke's words.
"And that's not counting the unique powers and abilities that this sword and its wielder will acquire once I am able to release its seal…" Sasuke said with a small smirk. "With this, I can easily cut down those Otsutsukis in half if they ever underestimate me again…"
"And that's not all, isn't it, Sasuke?" Orochimaru said with a serious expression, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "After all, I have you proceed to Ryuchi Cave to train on a different kind of power, and not because I intend you to acquire the Sword of Kusanagi's true power, right?"
"As you have said… my body wasn't compatible with Sage Mode. Just like Madara, who ended up needing Hashirama's cells just for him to use Senjutsu." Sasuke immediately answered. "However…"
Sasuke then closed his eyes, then reopened them… and with it, came burning marks growing from his left arm, spreading all over his face, despite being covered under his vagabond clothing, the markings also spread on the entire left half of his body.
"The Cursed Mark's markings?!" Suigetsu said with a surprised expression.
"So you can now also utilize Senjutsu using Cursed Mark just like how Kabuto did so during the previous War… how ingenious of you, Sasuke…" Orochimaru said with a taunting smirk.
"Orochimaru, this left arm… aside from Six Paths Madara's Chakra, you also added a bit of Juugo's Cells so I can also once again learn and use the power of the Cursed Seal since you already knew from the beginning that I don't have the compatibility to use Senjutsu, right?" Sasuke said with a serious expression towards the Snake Sannin.
"Right," Orochimaru said as he looked towards Juugo. "You're body is more compatible with Juugo's cells than mine, that's why Juugo's Chakra can meld with your Susanoo during your fight against Obito during the previous War. So you may not be able to enter Sage Mode like Naruto, but you can now utilize Senjutsu at more or less the same level as him by tapping into Juugo's cells and entering Cursed Mark state, no, rather, you can call it as Sage Transformation."
"Hey! Does this mean that you're still intending to steal Sasuke's body using the Cursed Mark!?" Karin yelled towards Orochimaru.
"On Sasuke's current level of power, I doubt that I have the capability to try stealing his body even at his weakest state." Orochimaru sighed at Karin's outburst. "And besides, I don't have a fragment of my cell or Chakra in that left arm. Right, Sasuke?"
"That's right. No trace of Orochimaru's cells or Cursed Mark's influence on him whatsoever. Just Juugo's." Sasuke said calmly. "And if I ever even sense even a single atom of his being on this left arm, I would've already purged it the very moment I sensed that. It is just that, I can't enter Cursed Mark Level 2 without Orochimaru's chakra and cells. But that's fine with me. After all, I can feel that I can reach that same level of power on that 2nd state if I focus enough power on the Cursed Mark Level 1 state."
"Well, that Cursed Mark Level 2 transformation is kinda gross if you'll ever ask. I mean, having a pair of hands sprouting from your back with duck-flaps connecting each finger, making it look like makeshift wings? You looked like a perfect folklore monster with that form, Sasuke." Suigetsu said while making fun of Sasuke's strongest form before accessing the Mangekyou's power.
"…"
"Anyways… now that I have upgraded my very own arsenal if ever those Otsutsukis return, you have to tell me everything that you have come up with right now after hearing all the intel I had from the Otsutsuki after our previous battle against them, Orochimaru…"
"Somehow…" Orochimaru replied with narrowed eyes. "…or at the very least, we already knew the kind of being these Otsutsukis were."
"…"
"Alright. Let's move into another room first." Orochimaru said with a sigh. "This place is a mess right now since you broke the healing tank…"
"…"
The group then followed Orochimaru's footsteps in anticipation…
-Scene Change-
Land of Spring… the day before the scheduled event…
With their airship landing on the Land of Spring's Airship Port, the combined entourage of Konoha and the Land of Demons has been picked up by their designated service vehicle. And after almost an hour of travel, they arrived at the residential temple of the Daimyo of the Land of Spring.
"I can't believe how advanced the current technology of the Land of Spring currently is…" Sara just muttered as she was walking, together with Naruto, Hinata, and Shion, towards the entrance of the residential temple. "It was like, no, it definitely was on par with Rouran's tech. And it is not farfetched to assume that there were parts of their industry and technology that were beyond Rouran's. So we really must establish a proper relationship with this country for us to be able to exchange technology and culture to further Konoha's development!"
"Talking about the Land of Spring's oh-so-great technology in front of me, another Daimyo from another country, eh?" Shion lightly narrowed her eyes with a bit of pout towards Sara. "Yeah, yeah, I know. The Land of Demon's technology is a bit lagging behind. But our culture revolves around mystics. While technology is good and all, with the Shinobi World as it is, wouldn't it hurt for Konoha to also further establish better relationships with the Land of Demons? Technology alone can't help fight against threats like Moryo, after all…"
"Oh yeah… sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, Shion." Sara said with an apologizing gesture. "It is just that, having such industrialization and techs around me made me feel at home… since I feel a little homesick… uh… I hope I am getting my thoughts across…"
"Yeah, yeah," Shion said with a playful pout, then elbowed Sara with a wink. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm just making fun of you."
"…" Naruto simply listened with a smile while listening to how Sara and Shion communicated with each other. He's just glad that even in the situation they were currently in, with all these issues regarding the Daimyo's law and now this seemingly all-important event in the Land of Spring, those two girls seemed to be at ease while he, on the other hand, felt so stiff since he wasn't used on these kinds of situations.
"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked Naruto, as if sensing her fiance's concerns.
"Nah… Just… nervous… but seeing the three of you seemed to be so calm and collected even with all these, I guess things will be just alright," Naruto said with a stiff response.
"The Hyuuga's are often being sent by Konoha as its Clan Representative during clan meetings with other Hidden Villages and countries, so I am also quite used to these kinds of situations," Hinata said with a small smile. "Knowing you, I'm sure you're able to adjust easily. And the three of us are here for you to back you up. Just be yourself and things will be alright."
"Yeah… thanks…"
Then… as they were walking towards the entrance of the residential temple…
"Naruto… It's been a while…"
"Gaara!"
Naruto immediately recognized the voice who called him as the Sand entourage met with Konoha's.
"Yo, Naruto!" Kankuro greeted the blonde Shinobi casually.
"Hehe, I'm glad that you guys also came. Now I feel more at ease!" Naruto gave his usual friendly grin towards Kankuro and Gaara.
"Hey there, Hinata, Sara!" Temari gave a big smile towards her fellow girls, then looked around as if looking for someone.
"Hello, Temari-san!" Hinata returned the greeting with her usual sweet smile.
"Shikamaru-san is not with us." Sara immediately said to Temari, as if already knowing and understanding the meaning of the Wind Kunoichi's gestures.
"Wah?! I'm not looking for that idiot!" Temari immediately waved her hands with a big blush on her face. She then immediately noticed Sara behind the two girls. "And this girl… yeah! Priestess Shion…! I remember you during that time when you and Naruto defeated Moryo five years ago… and… the girl who made Naruto naively agree with such an intimate yet absurd promise!"
"Gah…!" Shion, while acting all-diplomatic at first due to her meeting with another Hidden Village's representative, immediately lost composure and also blushed in embarrassment upon meeting an actual eyewitness of her stunt back then. "It seemed like… I have left a pretty bad impression of myself to you, huh?"
"Bad impression? Not really. In fact, I'm very impressed because I can never be as bold as you, Priestess Shion!" Temari gave a huge, Naruto-like grin to the Priestess.
Shion returned the gesture with a friendly smile towards Temari. Her gesture towards her feels like she can also be at ease with her.
The group of Konoha and Suna began walking as they were being led by the representative of the Land of Spring to their respective private room accommodations…
And while walking…
"…in the end, you and Sasuke ended up fighting against Kaguya and the other Otsutsukis…" Gaara said with discomfort painted on his eyes. "And I still can fathom that each of those other Otsutsukis are in the same league as Kaguya. After all, us current Kages didn't even stand a chance against Uchiha Madara, with him not having Six Paths' power at that time. I just can't imagine how powerful those Otsutsukis are… if one of them merely used a much more powerful version of Madara as a mere vessel for her revival during the war…"
"That's the reason why we have you guys don't approach the battlefield as reinforcements during the previous battle," Naruto said seriously. "Only me and Sasuke can fight against them head-on."
"So having all the Bijuus within you was basically a good thing," Kankuro said while nodding to himself. "By the way… I'm quite amazed at how fast you have adapted to the declaration of the new Daimyo's Law. In just a month or two, you already have a harem of three beautiful women in your entourage on this so-called special event." Kankuro ended his statement with a huge, comically annoying grin.
"Ahh… A lot of things happened…" Naruto ended up being embarrassed while rubbing the back of his head with his right hand goofily. He then immediately switched back to his casual self. "Not that I am okay with it though… They are all beautiful, wonderful girls. I am glad they ended up having feelings for someone like me. However… I feel that the Daimyos' Law was being unfair to all of them."
"And it will also be unfair for them if you're thinking like that," Kankuro replied while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I don't know how a woman's heart works. But in my opinion, they were also not happy with the provisions of the said Law. However, they chose to adjust and accept the current situation, and as far as I can see, they were also trying to be on good terms with each other because of you. Because they wanted to always be with you. If you're thinking like that, then you're the one who's really disregarding their own effort and feelings for you."
"…" Naruto and Gaara blankly stare towards Kankuro.
"What?" Kankuro said with an annoyed tone.
"Since when did you become a love guru, Kankuro?" Naruto asked.
"You've grown, elder brother…" Gaara said in the same tone as Naruto. "Well, you better listen to him, Naruto. He might look like that, but he already has two fiancés, with the 2nd one being official just a week ago."
"Hey, Kazekage-sama. Both of us got engaged to our 2nd fiancés last week. Both of us have just entered a double engagement…" Kankuro replied with a tone of sarcasm.
"Yeah… I also felt the same as you, Naruto. I also feel bad for Matsuri since she's my first fiancé. But she still ended up accepting it. She's a strong girl." Suna's former Jinchuuriki said with a small smile.
"…" Naruto then looked towards Hinata, Sara and Shion who were having a good time chatting with Temari. He then smiled warmly at them, with the girls not noticing the said gesture.
"A Clan Princess, a Queen from a distant timeline, and a Priestess… you're one lucky bastard ain't ya?!" Kankuro playfully smacked Naruto on his back, making the blonde Shinobi comically lounge forward.
"Shut up!" Naruto yelled back. "Anyways, do you guys happen to know who will represent the other Hidden Villages?
"We have met earlier with Iwagakure's representatives, with their main representative being Kurotsuchi, the Tsuchikage's daughter, while being escorted by his father, Kitsuchi, and their elite Jounin, Akatsuchi," Gaara answered. "On Kirigakure's side, it was being led by the Mizukage herself, Mei Terumi, with her only escort being Choujuro…"
"…and on the Kumogakure's entourage, Darui was the main representative, with him being escorted by Samui and Omoi." Kankuro finished Gaara's statement. "And take note that we were the only representatives from the Five Great Shinobi Nations. The other guests from other countries and continents were being represented by their Daimyos themselves, or by the leaders of their most prestigious clans or royalties. And all of them were not capable of Shinobi combat capabilities, including their supposed bodyguards."
"Wow. But ain't this a bit dangerous? I mean, having all these important people all around the world gathering in this one specific place was just… dangerous." Naruto said with a serious expression. "If anyone decided to attack this place, sure we can protect it as a Shinobi, but regardless, this is a perfect opportunity to start creating misunderstandings that once again might result in a bigger conflict."
"I know. But the reason itself why such important people decided to gather around on this event… was because of you." Gaara said with a neutral expression.
"Me?! What does it have to do with me?! Ain't this event all about the declaration of Koyuki-hime's betrothed?"
"Yes. However, the invitation highlighted your attendance as the Hero of the entire Shinobi World." Gaara replied casually. "So it is natural for all these important people to gather at this event for an opportunity to meet and establish a relationship with you, or with Konoha, or even the other Hidden Villages of the Shinobi continent, moreso now that the Shinobi Nation's Daimyo's Law was now renowned to the royalties around the world."
"Okay… now I feel more nervous. This really is not my kind of event." Naruto shivered comically.
"I bet that's the very reason why Hokage-sama sent your potential wives with you on this event is to protect you from political whatnots though," Kankuro said with a confident smirk. "So chillax. In any case, the Sand will also back you up should the need arise."
"Yeah… thanks for the reassurance, Gaara, Kankuro."
After a few more minutes of walking, the two entourages went their separate ways towards the direction of their respective accommodation.
Their accommodation consisted of a traditional yet luxurious room consisting of two separate bedrooms and its own bath. The girls entered the room together, with the three of them seemed to mutually agree to share with each other, while Naruto informed them that he'd be resting on the couch for now.
"And here I thought that this just a watch and greet event… all of a sudden, it became a serious event that I can't even let my guard down, both being as a Shinobi and as a potential Hokage…" Naruto sighed.
And then, a knock on the main tatami sliding door was heard. And since Naruto was the only one in the living room area and the girls were still in their shared room, the Shinobi opened the door to entertain the one knocking on the door.
It was then that both Naruto and the person knocking on the door got surprised upon meeting each other as the blonde Shinobi completely shifted the sliding tatami door to the side...
"So… you really came… as Konoha's representative…" the girl with long, black hair tied in a ponytail with hime-cut bangs, round, jade-colored eyes and black themed kunoichi outfit muttered in surprise…
"Yeah… I'm surprised… to see you here…" Naruto absentmindedly muttered, completely devoid of the formality that he practiced as Konoha's representative diplomat. And as if immediately recollecting himself…
"It's been a while! What are you doing here, Shizuka?"
-Scene Change-
Konoha… ANBU Headquarters…
"Based on our estimates, Uzumaki Naruto has finally arrived at the Land of Spring." Magire muttered to Kido Tsumiki. "I know… it is un-Shinobi-like to rely on estimates on such important intel. But we can't risk some of our men tailing Uzumaki Naruto and his entourage. After all, his sensing capabilities are one of the best, if not the strongest, among most Shinobi. We'll get caught or end up in a trap if we do something stupid as following him!"
"I know. It is understandable." Kido replied to Kido Tsumiki. "Now that both Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were out of the Village, it is a perfect opportunity for us to do something. The Hokage no longer had the Sharingan. So he is no longer as powerful as he used to be. So we must take advantage of this opportunity!"
"I know that you've planned on doing this exact thing before Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke returned from their previous missions, it is just that our artificial Bijuu and Sharingan product wasn't completed yet back then so we weren't able to execute this…" Magire muttered. "But still… doing this to the Village is still…"
"Who needs the ANBU if the Village has those Shinobi like those two with godlike abilities?!" Kido said with narrowed eyes. "So we need to do this to prove that the ANBU needed additional support and funding so we can continue doing what we intend to do! This might be an extreme measure, but we won't be able to mass produce our products if we lack funds for equipment! If Hatake Kakashi will not give us the additional funding, then we'll just have to use what we have under the mask of protecting the Village!"
"One last thing… Uchiha Sasuke has his Rinnegan space-time jutsu and Uzumaki Naruto can now also use the Yondaime's Hiraishin. Both of them can travel back to Konoha in case the situation becomes dire. If we ever execute this plan, we can only do so much before they end up returning here and foiling our plans!" Magire inquired.
"I know we are walking in a thin, red line. But the only one we must keep to watch out for on this specific situation is just Uchiha Sasuke." Kido said with narrowed eyes. "Uzumaki Naruto was currently in a very important event outside of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. So the Hokage will not summon Naruto back if Uchiha Sasuke is around…"
"…and Sasuke cannot recklessly go all out within the Village… so by assumption, it will still take time for him to stop what we are about to do. So we will proceed as planned."
"So… we need to do it… and maximize the time we might have to execute our true intent…" Magire said with a serious tone.
"Yes… Yugao and the Hokage were already monitoring us. This might be our last chance to do whatever we intend if we really plan to continue what we are currently doing with minimal chance of us getting caught in the act."
"…"
"Begin preparations, now!" Kido instructed Magire, as Magire immediately disappeared in front of him at that exact same moment…
However…
Within the shadows of one of the walls of the ANBU Headquarters…
'I knew that I was right following those two's footsteps… they were underestimating Papa's capabilities way too much…' a female voice muttered to herself, both her Sharingan and red-colored Rinnegan glowing within the darkness. 'They were the ones responsible for attacking Inojin and Chouchou's parents using artificial Jinchuurikis before. I have all the abilities and evidence right now to stop them if I want to…'
'However…'
The girl then used the Yomotsu Hirasaka portal, then entered it to leave the secluded headquarters.
'This is also a perfect opportunity for me… to have Papa return to Konoha… and protect the Village from these guys…'
'…while taking advantage of the said opportunity… to approach Mitsuki's parent, Orochimaru, since I believe that he is the right person to approach regarding my current situation and discuss the circumstances of this Singularity…'
The Yomotsu Hirasaka then disappeared completely… as the gears of fate began moving…
Author's Note:
Thanks for reading! I've been doing lots of real-life responsibilities (being a father of two, one is a newborn, a husband, and a full-time office employee) so I barely have time to write these past few months. But I'll try to continue writing in my available free time and also… depending on my motivation.
That's why, I want to thank those reviews and PMs of support. Those greatly motivated me to give time and continue writing.
That being said, please drop a review for additional motivation. It would be greatly appreciated and will fuel additional fire in me to continue writing. Thanks again!