O Lord of Balance, we praise you

You keep the cycles ever true

You are the source of harmony and justice

You balance all things with your might

War and peace, you reward in turn

Sickness and health, you bestow in turn

Love and perversion, you grant in turn

We follow you, O Serpent of Balance

You give us suffering for knowledge

You bring us rot so life may thrive

You change us so we may not stagnate

You stagnate us so we may not fall

We serve you, O Wyrm of Balance

Bless us with your madness divine

So we may be sane in your eyes

O Spiral, we praise you!

—Hymn of the Spiral, an ancient song of the Uzumaki

Chapter Four: Intel and Nightmares

The sun rose over the towering Hokage Mountain, casting blistering rays over the village hidden by tree leaves. It was a place where a hundred different legends were born, and remembered the world over. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was where the modern ninja world was born. It was the foundation of two great clans assimilating smaller clans, begetting all other ninja villages that now thrive, both small and great. The village was a network of buildings, roads, rivers, lakes, veining a huge patch of lush forest.

The Leaf's Ninja Academy was located in the shadow of the great Hokage Mountain, showing the future generations waiting in the wings the heads of great leaders carved upon the monument. It was more than just a school, however. Most people know about the red building standing beneath the great stone leaders of the first ninja village to ever be, the second most iconic symbol of the Leaf, upstaged only by the monument itself. With an entire village of people on one side and protected by the great mountain on the other, it was the safest place in all the village.

The Fourth Hokage, Tsunade, was where she always seemed to be, behind a desk, a mound of paperwork taller than her stacked on the floor waiting for her—everything from shinobi missions that needed categorizing to staffing issues or promotions and so much more. It was a vicious cycle. She hated the paperwork, so she procrastinated, so the amount only got bigger, which made her want to do the work even less, so she put off even more stuff; eventually it always led back here, with more paper than sense and patience combined. In a few months, Minato would be taking over as the Fifth Hokage, and her retirement was looking sweeter with every stamp she pressed. Given this vicious spiral, any and all distractions were welcomed with open arms.

When an anbu appeared before her, without sound or flash, she welcomed the disruption to her montonany. A feline mask hid his face, but Tsunade knew who it was. The identities of her anbu were known to her and her alone; even the advisors were on a need-to-know basis only. All of their faces and names were burned into her memories, along with the masks they used to erase themselves.

"Finally got the chance to slip away, I see." Tsunade leaned back into her chair and stretched, the gray kimono hugging her ample curves briefly tightening. Her face was youthful and flawless, belying her true age of over fifty. A large diamond-shaped mark adorned her forehead, a sign of her mastery of medical ninjutsu.

"Yes, though not for long. Danzo is expecting us to be there by nightfall. I ran throughout last night so I could get here early enough." His voice was soft and soothing to the ear. "I have much to report, Lady Hokage."

Tsunade shifted again, resting her chin on interlaced fingers. "Well, don't keep me waiting, Yamato."

"There's a few minor things, but the most important bit is this: it turns out Danzo has been looking for Naruto since the day he left."

Tsunade perked up. "What, why?" Of the host of reasons he had been sent to spy on the Root, Naruto hadn't been one of them.

Yamato shook his head. "Afraid I don't know that. He recently assigned three of us to a mission in the Land of Waves, with the goal of finding and escorting Naruto back to the compound. He's not one to give details beyond the bare minimum." His masked gaze looked to the ground, almost in apologia. "He sent us out that second, so the risk of exposing myself was too great to come notify you. I'm sorry."

She waved it off. "No, you did well; an exposed spy isn't worth much." Tsunade thought for a moment. "Do you have any theories as to why he wants Naruto so badly?"

On paper, there were many reasons why Danzo, or anyone from the village, would want him back, especially with how tense relations are with the Land of Lightning at the moment. One of the most obvious reasons was simple: Naruto was one of the few strategic-class ninjas the Leaf had.

In the modern times of great ninja villages, by and large, there are two different classifications assigned to a ninja the world over: tactical and strategic; the major difference between the two being not power, but scale. All ninja start as tactical, and most stay that way. The Kages are the only exceptions to these classifications.

Ninja labeled under the strategic class are more assets than operatives; these ninja are not used just to win battles. Their presence dictates the flow of entire wars, sure, but their main function was key to the village's existence itself. Two of the three Sannin, for example, did not meet the criteria for being labeled as such, even with their renowned power. Shikamaru Nara, however, is classified as one because of his leadership and his exceptional understanding of strategy and politics. Ibiki Morino, head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit, is another one; he was a fully competent ninja, but it was his talent in information manipulation and psychological warfare that made him special. Before her tenure as Hokage, Tsunade herself had attained this classification due to being the greatest healer in the world. By default, as the host of the Nine-Tails, Kushina Uzumaki was also in this special category.

The other key difference between the two types was the roles they had in the village. Strategic-class ninja were rarely deployed on the front lines or given missions outside of their respective villages. This was because their duties tended to be too specialized for anyone else to do. Instead of taking missions for money, most were employed by the village like actual workers, given salaries and time off, with a minimum number of hours they had to work in a week, and so on. Any mission they went on was little more than a bonus.

Naruto's abilities gave him the power to absolutely dominate the flow of a battle. To completely change the topography of an area and to spawn fortresses, towers, homes, supply depots, and other structures of strategic value, but that was only the start of his accomplishments. He was an amazing asset on the battlefield, but his role within the village was just as important, if not more so.

Naruto had been given the title of the Leaf's chief logistician, despite his young age. Under his supervision, he had optimized and renovated a dozen different sectors, from weapon production lines to food and agriculture—increasing their output by an average of 130% in just fifteen months. That was just the start, though. One key to this success had been some of the things he created using his powers, chief among them being what he called "conveyor belts", an invention so monumental that the Leaf considered any attempt to vandalize, copy, or take them out of the village a crime punishable with imprisonment.

It would be an understatement to say that Naruto's importance to the village far surpasses that of a ninja who is just "strong." Naruto wasn't labeled a strategic weapon for being another powerhouse; he couldn't outmuscle a Tailed Beast or split mountains in half. In fact, he could be crippled, and so long as he maintained his ability to weave ninjutsu, he would still be classified as such.

"Too many to list," Yamato admitted.

Tsunade nodded at his answer. "I understand. What happened to the other two?"

His shoulders shrugged. "Not sure. Each of us took a different vector of approach, and we were told explicitly not to cooperate with each other, and our only allowance for communication was to Danzo himself."

"Of course; leave it to that wretch to actively assume one of his men are traitors," Tsunade grumbled.

Yamato laughed. "To be fair, Lady Hokage, it is working as intended."

"Not another word," she said, raising a finger in warning. The last thing she wanted to hear was anything that man did being, in any way, right.

Throughout the entire conversation, a question had been welling in her chest, but Tsunade had kept herself from shouting it like her emotions wanted her to, to keep up her authoritative presence. It took a few seconds to calmly express what she wanted to know most: "Well, did you find him?"

"Yes, I did," Yamato surprised her. "Talked with him for a bit as well, but I don't know if he recognized my voice. I didn't try to hide it from him. Last thing I want is to fight with a star pupil of mine."

The Hokage seemed more eager and attentive now. "Alright, hand over your notes on the matter, and I'll take over from there." From a pouch on his waist, Yamato pulled a tied scroll with seals of protection inscribed on the exterior. He handed it off to her. She didn't read it right away; instead, she tucked it away in one of a dozen drawers. "I'll put together a team to follow the trail."

Tsunade's conversation with Yamato had been a tad disheartening, but it had also rekindled an old hope. She wants Naruto back, not just as a valuable asset to the village or a tool to be used, but as a beloved pseudo-godson. She longed to see him again, to see him and his parents goofing around like they used to.

Actually, speaking families: "What about that girlfriend of his—are they still together?"

"From the rings I saw on their fingers, it seems they're more than that now."

Tsunade raised a thin eyebrow. "Oh, wow. Kushina is going to be livid about missing the wedding." Their being married was probably the least surprising news of the week; they had been young, dumb, and in love with each other almost from the get-go. While Sakura had been his first crush, Tayuya had quickly stolen all that attention.

He definitely has a type, that's for sure. With how similar both women's temperament were to his mother, Ibiki would have a field day with it.

Yamato interrupted her stray thought. "My lady, if you don't mind me asking, did you ever find out why they left?"

Tsunade fidgeted at the question, dancing her fingers across her desk. "No; nothing new." She had a pretty good idea why they left, as did his parents. Most of the village despised the girl he was so infatuated with. As a former enemy of the village, someone who was there during the assault on the Leaf Village years ago, naturally a lot of people hated her from the start—a hatred made even more visceral by the fact she was one of Orochimaru's minions. No matter what she did, there was always going to be bad blood with her, but it was made worse by Naruto's status.

As a son of heroes, a son of a Jinchuriki at that, several of the clan heads had held out high hopes for one of their daughters to be married to him; before he had even entered the academy, deals were offered to Minato and Kushina alike for their sons' future. Kushina, not having the tact or patience for civility politics, announced during a meeting of the clans that she would beat anyone who proposed another deal into an early retirement.

Naruto distinguished himself over the years as an exceptional shinobi, like everyone had expected and even more, making the interest in his future bride only grow with him. It was just kept behind closed doors this time. It didn't take much to imagine how they viewed this orphaned foreigner, who, just months before her arrival, had actively fought and helped in an attack on the Leaf Village. It was a recipe for drama. Even Danzo had voiced his objections; if anything, it seemed like he despised her, even more so than the clan heads.

The running theory is that, one day, it had just piled too high, and he snapped. Naruto was the type to keep his troubled thoughts to himself, to an extent not even his parents could read. After a couple days of silence, Sakura had gone over for a visit since she had a spare key to their place. Everything was gone, with only a note announcing their departure and a formal resignation of their ninja licenses left on the kitchen counter.

Tsunade still keeps them both in her desk to this day.

Yamato noticed the disappointment on her face and tried to amend it by offering a bit of hope. "We'll bring him back, Lady Hokage, and Danzo might just be the key to it. Two birds with one stone."

Tsunade supported her head with a palm, her elbow resting on a stack of papers. "Well, at least he'll be of some worth to our village—for once."

Yamato voiced his departure and bowed in respect. She had just started shifting her body when a thought crossed his mind. He froze mid-step. "Oh, there's one last thing I wanted to bring up."

Tsunade looked back up from her desk, not even getting a second to find where she had left off on this document. "Yes, go on."

Yamato's voice wasn't as lax as it usually was. It seemed tense and unsure. "Naruto flexed his chakra to scare me away." He paused. "Something's different about it now."

Her face scrunched in confusion. "Huh? Like how?"

Yamato shook his head. "I don't quite know. It reminded me of Kushina when she was training with the Nine-Tails. Something just felt off, like it wasn't human, but whereas the Nine-Tails is monstrous and overbearing, this one felt…subtle, almost insidious."

An awkward pause stretched between them, more serious now than they had been before.

"My lady, you don't suppose they could be true—the stories about the Uzumaki..."

Naruto had tried to sleep, but something was stopping him. It was one of those nights where nothing he could do seemed to help. Tayuya was snuggled into his shoulder, completely passed out, as she had been for the past couple of hours. Maybe it was because of the hotel, he thought to himself; maybe being in an unfamiliar place, knowing anbu are after him no less, was stealing any chance of a peaceful slumber he had.

He had been tempted to go take a walk through the town, thinking maybe something physical would tire him out, but had quickly decided against it. Tayuya seemed so peaceful at the moment that he didn't want to disturb her—not like he was uncomfortable with her against him anyway. He distracted himself the only way he really could, with his left arm trapped under her head—he started twirling her beautiful red hair around his finger in idle affection. He had tried counting the number of twirls of her hair like the wives tale said to count sheep, but after counting well over a hundred, he gave that up.

His eyes closed in annoyance. He resigned himself to a sleepless night and sighed, feeling content to simply listen and feel his wife's warm breath against his skin.

A cold shiver slithered down his spine.

His eyes snapped open, and he saw a dark figure standing at the foot of the bed, its glowing red eyes burning into him. The figure was humanoid and childlike, but distorted and twisted, with long claws and sharp teeth. The nude girl crouched over, placing her hands on their mattress and pulling herself onto it.

Naruto tried to scream, but his mouth was locked shut. He tried to move, but invisible weights pinned him to the bed. The phantom's gaze pierced his soul, filling him with dread and despair. It crawled over his legs and past his torso. The shadows on the wall became distorted silhouettes of human impulses. Some shadows danced like ancient shamans around a mystical fire, leaping from one from one wall to the next, or from ceiling to floor; out of the conner of his eye he saw two shadows rutting each other like beasts in heat, and next to them a smaller shadow was being twisted into a vortex.

Her cold, foul breath ghosted his face as it leaned closer and closer. For a second, it looked as if the thing was going to kiss him, but her teeth suddenly sank into his neck, biting and tearing like a rabid dog.

Naruto was in agony, but he could not wake up. He was trapped in a living nightmare, and there was no escape. He looked at Tayuya, hoping she would notice his distress and help him, but she was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the horror that was happening next to her. She looked so beautiful and innocent as she slept. He wished he could protect her from the phantom, but he was powerless.

He felt his consciousness fading as the little phantom drained him of his blood and energy. He felt his heart slow down as the monster consumed his essence. He felt his life slipping away, his soul claimed by…

A gentle nudge on his shoulder woke him up.

Naruto jerked awake, only to see Tayuya looking down at him, her fair face etched with concern, red hair spilling over her bare shoulders and onto his chest. She touched his forehead and felt his fever. "Hey, are you okay? You look terrible."

Naruto tried to say something, but the first syllable was a shaky sob. That's when he noticed the tears running down his own face. When did that happen? When he touched his cheek to feel the wet trail, he realized his hands were trembling.

Tayuya didn't wait for him to speak. She was back beside him in an instant, stroking his hair and kissing his tears. She affirmed him in many generic ways: that she loved him, that she was there for him, that, with her, he would never be alone, and so on. They may have been plain words on paper, but from Tayuya they were worth more than gold.

Eventually, Naruto was able to mumble a coherent word: "Sorry, I—"

"Shhh," she whispered. "Later."

She enfolded him in her embrace, her arms tightening around him like a warm cocoon. She hummed a soft lullaby, her voice rocking him like a gentle breeze. This was a side of Tayuya no one else knew about; the soft side which she had to hide to keep herself safe. Now, she had found someone who took comfort in that softer side. Naruto felt safe, loved; he was alive once again in her arms. His worries began to melt away, and his fears started to slink away.

With Tayuya hugging his back, Naruto had nothing to stare at in front of him but his shaky hands. He looked to his right hand, already expecting the worst. There was a mark, ritual scarification, etched into his palm—a simple spiral of nine concentric rings. It wasn't a seal, meant to keep something in. It was a representation of the worm that eats itself alive, symbolized by the spiral gnawing into its own core.

Reaching from behind, Tayuya cradled his hands in hers, or what she could fit, and pulled them closer to Naruto's chest. The mark began fading; he didn't need to see it to know; he could feel the slight burning sensation of it receding back into his skin.

Life seemed to take pleasure in ironic misery. He had wanted to know about his clan for so long, and after so many years of boiling curiosity, he was faced with the fact that his ancestors had been a bunch of fools meddling in things they didn't understand, and he himself was no different.

After that, it wasn't long before Naruto found some peace in his wife's arms. They fell asleep together, in each other's embrace, bound so tightly together that just the idea of space seemed insulting.

But as they slept, they did not hear a faint sound in the dark. A sound that was barely audible but unmistakable. A sound that was sinister but playful. A sound that was familiar but chilling.

A child's laugh.

(End of Chapter Four)

Author's Notes: Normally I only post on Saturdays, but this chapter got wrapped up sooner than I expected and I'm gonna be busy over the next few days, so I figured I'd just post it today. As far as the chapter itself goes, it's mainly a context chapter. Part of the problem I'm running into doing this fic by the chapter is that scene are being pushed and back; a proto-version of the Tsunade segment was initially going to be in chapter 2, then I pushed it back to 3, and now here we are with 4, with a different segment now pushed off for 5 that was originally going to be in this one… It's just very weird for me. For as much as a breath of fresh air this story is, it's a learning curve, that's for sure. Also, I'm curious if anyone is going to know my inspiration for the Uzumaki Hymn. For those that do, I can say it's not the same exact thing...that is all for now, lol.

That aside, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter—talking to people is how I know what I'm doing right (or wrong), especially with this work being so casual for me.