A/N: Wow, I'm pretty humbled by the response to "Looking More than Underneath." To date, I think that's the biggest update I've cranked out and I'm glad the majority of you approved (almost 4,000 views in 36 hours). Also, thanks for the reviews (wish there were more to help refine the story) and PMs; they really do help fine-tune the rest of the story.
NOTE: Guardians are not human, they are half-human/ half-Umihebi. This was revealed after Naruto's bonding so, if there are any more questions on that, all of the details - the good and the bad - are spread out over several chapters (and yes, the Umihebi initially tell their summoners that breeding with sea serpents is not possible due to incompatible biology, however, an entire colony of half-breeds begs to differ on that point).
As to the confusion about character development, did you really think that Naruto would not have a plan to turn Konoha's plot against them? What about all that "Underneath the Underneath" stuff I've been hinting at?
This chapter became sorta liquid as I edited it. Keep reading, the details are below.
~Siva'a-tasi
~III~
Chapter 41: Secrets Brought to Light
A student said to his master, "You teach me fighting, but you talk about peace. How do you reconcile the two?" The master replied, "It is better to be a warrior in a garden than to be a gardener in a war." – Unknown
~III~
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Both sets of eyes grew enormous at the sound of Ino's mother just past her bedroom door.
"Ino! Are you okay dear?!"
Still locked in their struggle for supremacy, neither had managed to gain control of the kunai pointed upwards at the neck of the blond figure straddling the other blonde.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay mom! Just hit my shin."
"Do you need me to come in and take a look at it, dear?"
"What?! No! I can take care of it on my own!"
They could hear Inoichi trying to insert himself into the conversation.
"Maybe we should leave her be, Hime-Waaah!" They could hear the distinct SMACK of flesh on flesh. "OW! What was that for?!"
"Shush! My daughter might need some motherly advice."
"MOM! Personal time!"
"Personal time? What does she mean by-?" His words trailed off only to be followed by an anguished, "OH! Oh… but that's… I don't need to KNOW THAT!" Her father's panicked footsteps could be heard hurriedly pattering down the hallway to their bedroom.
"Don't stay up to late dear." Her voice came through the door in a hushed whisper a second later. "And try not to keep her up too late, Naruto-kun."
"Mooooooooooom!" Ino's wail followed her mother's giggling voice down the hallway, the older woman hoping this was an opportunity to win her daughter back from the precipice of stupidity.
At this point, Ino Yamanaka's face was a healthy beet color, her eyes closed tightly trying to unhear everything happening on the other side of her bedroom door.
"I didn't mean to get you in-Mmph!"
It's difficult to speak with another person's lips smashed into your own as Naruto discovered the moment her mother was behind the closed door of her bedroom. Ino compressed her abdominals and surged up to lock lips feverishly with her counter-blond.
The kunai went one way with a casual flick of Ino's wrist, the same hand breaking free (now that he was distracted with her mouth) and the now unencumbered appendage grabbed a handful of shirt tugging his body one way while she pressed upwards with her hips effectively rolling him onto his back and her on top of him.
Eventually, the fervor of youth must give way to the biological need for oxygen and the two broke for air.
"Oh-smooch-dear-smooch-Kami! I've been-smooch-hoping to see you-SMOOCH-for weeks now!" Apparently, she did not appreciate his laughing smile and slapped his chest with a severe case of the pouts, which only became cuter with her lips swollen from their aggressive workout.
"It was your idea to help Hinata and Shino. Do you know how hard it was for her to use our little meet-ups to pass me information about what's going on in her clan?"
Naruto remembered each time she hugged him and managed to slip a small fold of paper under his jumpsuit collar or into a pocket. He also remembered the times they'd just sit and talk and she'd slip in words during their normal conversation every fifth or sixth spot, sentences he'd have to memorize, write down, and decipher later. It was hell to recreate.
"I know, I know and I'm grateful that we can help them. Really I am." She let loose a heavy sigh that rapidly faded as her pensive look gave way to rampant curiosity, her lower body gently coming to rest atop his own.
"I thought she was heads-over-heels mad about you." He liked how her brow wrinkled up cutely in thought. "You never explained to me how that got all twisted around towards Shino." She did not miss his deep breath before speaking.
"She wasn't in love with me," he began with, his head shaking side to side as her incredulous position at such a statement started to rise. "She was in love with the idea of me."
"Huh?"
"No one really knows what goes on behind the walls of the Hyuuga estate but I can tell you after sitting with her and slowly drawing out some of the truth that she's an incredibly lonely girl."
Ino nodded at what was considered common knowledge among the female crowd.
"What most don't know is that her home life is a horrible one made even worse by her normally shy nature and tragic past."
"Tragic?" He tried not to let her quirky eyebrow distract him, instead letting his hands distract her by lightly tracing gentle circles at the small of her back making the sensitive kunoichi shudder at the delicious sensation.
"The Hyuuga kidnapping some ten years ago?" He watched her mind work as she sifted through the mental sludge that accumulates over the years before the light came on, her eyebrows rising up to kiss her bangs. "Yeah, well there are some in her clan that blame her for that whole mess."
"That's stupid," she hissed. "She was what? Three at the time?"
"You aren't wrong but that doesn't mean people are rational in their grief. More and more I believe that to be the case with her mother's death and her father's emotional abuse of her. It doesn't help that she's far too gentle to ever be a killer in a clan that see themselves as the pinnacle of warrior development. All she's ever wanted to do is heal others be it mentally, physically, or emotionally."
Ino's lips pursed, her eyes flitting down to watch her fingers as they toyed with his shirt. "Konoha's Shinobi Corps is voluntary. Why doesn't she just quit?"
"Daddy dearest won't let her." Naruto did enjoy the way her mouth formed a silent "O" at his response. "Perhaps he's hoping she'll get taken on out mission and then he can legally solve several problems with one solution. He's made no secret as to how he thinks her younger sister would make a better heiress."
Ino's disgusted "tsk" let him know where she stood on that argument.
"Yeah, so she's got issues - a lot of them and that's where her feelings for me come in."
Her eyes shot up to stare into his again, her interest obviously peaked.
"She's watched me from a distance most of my life and she's never seen me give up or cave into the hate. She doesn't know why the village hates me but she can see it and what she's fallen, er, originally fell in love with, was the ideal of a strong-willed orphan standing strong against the odds." He reached up to push a strand of hair behind her ear. "With her very loving and supportive mother's death at the age of five, she somehow transposed her lack of support and lack of strength on to me believing that I could somehow help her get stronger if she just lived by my example. She'd put me on a pedestal that's just too hard to maintain."
"Transference," Ino mumbled waving off his question with an "I'll explain another time" look.
"Originally I started meeting with her trying to help her overcome her shyness and lack of confidence. We became friends and, I think, I was able to help her realize that I'm not the guy she thinks I am. I think, once we hit that milestone sometime during our last year in the academy, she was finally able to look at the rest of her world objectively and that's when she noticed Shino."
"Yeah, I get that but... Shino?!" Naruto's face wrinkled up in slight annoyance at her tone.
"And why not Shino?" He countered. "He's quiet and withdrawn, like she is, meaning he's a much calmer influence in her life than I ever could be. He's honestly a very kind-hearted fella more than willing to do what it takes to support and protect her, and that goes a long way with that sharp mind he's carrying around. Also, his family has been helping her tend to the garden she inherited from her mother, something that is very near and dear to Hinata. It was only a matter of time before she noticed him without me fogging up the view."
Ino's head tilted sideways as she considered the argument on "bug boy's" behalf.
"Okay, I can see that but I'd just gotten used to the idea that I might have to share you with this whole CRA nonsense and, while I'd rather not, there are worse sister-wife candidates out there."
"Like?" He was secretly pleased that he and Hinata managed to keep people from deducing what was really going on. If Kiba's constant interference was any indication, their misdirection was still working and that was good for the plan. It was crucial to keeping the Yamanaka safely isolated when the crap started rolling downhill in his direction.
"Like that sneaky heifer from Nadeshiko." Ino's eyes narrowed dangerously and Naruto astutely pushed that topic off for another time, much to Ino's grumbling dissent.
"At least tell me, can I stop the act now?!" Her pupilless eyes were hopeful, the ice blue orbs searching his deep blue ones for some hope of reprieve only to be disappointed with the hesitant look on his face.
"Oh, come… ooooooooooon!"
He had to shush her with quick pecks on the lips to keep her rising voice down. "Our plan to get help from the Fire Daimyo failed, sorry Hime, so we still need you and your family clear of the blast zone until Hinata is truly free."
"Why?! You know we'd stand with you in a heartbeat," she whispered through gnashed teeth. His caution on her behalf made no sense even if it did make her chest constrict with warmth. "Also, why would he take some third-rate cousin over keeping you in Konoha and on his-." Her voice trailed off as her sharp mind began to muddle through the problem peeling apart the layers of deception.
"Do you see it?" Naruto asked hoping the bad news might be a bit easier to swallow if she reached the same conclusion he did on her own.
"He would have to be banking on a bigger reward to refuse." Her teeth were worrying her lower lip as she came to rest fully on his chest, her hips comfortably secure on top of his own. "But what would be more important than the last Uzumaki heir?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know but I'm willing to bet he's been promised something big to keep the arrangement."
"Damnit!" she hissed. "That means I need to keep hugging on that smarmy bastard, don't I?" His nod of agreement dropped her forehead into the middle of his chest and she wept mock tears of suffering.
"Every time I touch him, I feel this unshakeable need to dip my entire body in vinegar. I'm running out of disinfectant baby wipes, ugh!"
"We can stop any time you want."
"NO!" she hissed. "Hinata needs this to be free of her clan." Her eyes came up to meet his own. "It's just hard, y'know? It was hard before we staged that big fight at the Dango Stop, it was hard rehashing it at training," her hand casually stroked his cheek where she'd struck him during that pretend-fight, "and it got really hard in front of the Hokage. Plus, the last time I glomped the teme, he spun around and hugged me back. I had to use some slick moves to keep his grubby mitts off my sexy tush."
It got the reaction she was hoping for as his beautiful blue eyes pulsed a deep purple even in the darkness of her room.
"Hey, none of that. I can handle myself," she chided as her palm gently smacked his left pec. "Is our 'Plan B' ready?"
"Yes, and that means we just need to get through the first day of fights. After that, if he touches you, I'll break his hands."
"Thank you for doing this for them and thank you for not abandoning me back when I first told you about this stupid mission the Elders gave me."
His only response was to gently kiss her until their lungs started to burn again.
"It turned out to be the best thing for us since we got to spend a lot of time together and managed to feed some crappy information back to the old buzzards. I'm still not letting Shika in on the truth." He kissed her again as her mouth opened wide in disapproval. "Not yet. He was more than happy to go along with this whole plot, so he hasn't earned the right to join in on our side yet."
She didn't like it but she'd go along with it for now. Shika was their teammate and he'd come through more than once but it was his call now after co-opting her "seduction" mission and making her a double agent.
Another twenty minutes of face-sucking and body groping and a very heated Naruto eventually rose from the bed to pad silently across the room to the corner by her dresser. Turning around to face her, he shot her a flirty wink as something ink-like slithered around his torso making her gasp. There was a brief pulse from what appeared to be a purplish pair of eyes up by his right shoulder, the corner grew very dark, and then the overhead light slowly came on to reveal an empty room.
She was sure it was empty because she checked everywhere after he left. It was like he just… vanished.
Not ten seconds after she closed her closet thinking that she'd need some real "personal time" after their brief makeout session, the sound of pebbles plinking off her bay window drew her across the room to the hopeful face of one Sasuke Uchiha down at street level.
With a deep sigh and a fake smile, she prepared herself for the arduous task of sending him home unfulfilled by heavily cursing the Fire Daimyo under her breath.
~III~
Samui followed the enormously imposing figure of her Raikage into one of the six posh penthouse suites of the Olive Branch, this one taking up half of the entire rooftop of the central building. She wasn't worried about the Mizukage just on the far side of the walled divider splitting up their two suites; her Konoha concierge had been very clear on the Fūinjutsu barrier separating dignitaries in order to prevent "misunderstandings" that could lead to international incidents.
It was unfortunate that the bungalows were already taken up by daimyos, but rank had its privileges.
Her mind snapped back to the present as A's heavy footsteps halted him near the central sitting area, his Kage hat resting on the low coffee table. Throwing one heavily muscled arm over the back of the couch, he turned his sharp eyes on her, his blond eyebrows knitting together to almost form a Tori gate cresting his brow.
"Where are we with the Uzu Daimyo?"
Samui's impressive chest expanded to help provide her answer but Mabui was faster.
"He's been missing for the month." Her answer was clipped and professional.
"Missing?!"
Samui knew that tone. It never meant anything good and expensive things tended to break shortly thereafter.
"He's a Genin in the competition. Apparently, he's been training at a secret facility."
The blond eyebrows rose almost back to the normal resting place as he turned to Samui looking for confirmation. She gave it with a brief nod.
"Hnh, at least we'll get a shot at the formal dinner to speak with him."
Mabui pulled out her trusty clipboard and began running down the itinerary for the next four days. Apparently, Saturday and Sunday were free, and the hotel had a Kage-level training facility one floor below this one, complete with in-door onsen and sauna.
A grunted his approval and that indicated where he'd be spending his free time.
"He must be back in town by now. I expect the two of you to get as close to him as you can." The tone in his voice made it very clear as to what his expectations were. "Iwa is killing us with those second-hand seals from Konoha's Consortium and we need to get back on their international trade agreement as soon as possible."
Samui went to speak again only to find herself blocked by Mabui yet again.
"We understand the A.S.C. is under new management. Perhaps it is a simple oversight."
A's grunt as he rose to his feet signaled the end of the conversation. "Catch Yugito up to speed once she returns. I'll be below testing this workout facility."
Once he was past them and out the door, Samui wheeled on Mabui angrily.
"What are you doing?!"
"I've read your reports, cousin." Her voice was calm, clipped, and professional like always. "All you have without hard proof is conjecture and that will do us no good until he's had a chance to speak with the Daimyo."
Samui snorted in disbelief. "Conjecture?! I was there!"
"A Daimyo, doing Genin level escort missions? Pfft! Wild speculation at best."
Samui goggled at the daintier female.
"Wild...?! He's here in the Chunin Exams, isn't he?" She was beyond irritated at this point. "This is going to bite us all in the rear, Mabui. Not cool, lady."
Mabui could only watch as the angry specialist stormed from the room to her adjacent quarters. She hoped Samui would be able to forgive her at some point but Kumo needed to pay for what they did to their family.
One way or another, she would find a way out for both them and Atsui.
~III~
Saturdays and Sundays were scheduled as free days, as explained by the scroll delivered by a raccoon-faced ANBU.
"What does he want now?" Karin chirped out from behind him as the door closed with a soft CLICK.
Settling into the smaller table just off the kitchen since the island was once again inhabited by Guardians in various bedtime attire, Naruto glanced over his shoulder to his crimson-haired cousin just in time to get a "good morning" peck on the cheek, his face blushing at his cousin's very friendly disposition. "I am to meet with the Council Sunday night before the festivities officially begin. Apparently, there will be a separate brief declassified to civilian levels to make sure the casualty plan is set."
Konoha's Casualty Plan consisted mostly of protecting vital infrastructure and evacuating civilians to wartime bunkers for their safety. With Orochimaru being a major factor in the invasion, it was safe to say that the long-established plan was, at best, heavily compromised.
Keina leaned over his right shoulder to gently peck his other cheek. "Morning, Sochi."
Naruto's mumbled response to his "Kaa-chan," with his eyes locked on the scroll, made her giggle, her thoughts on a rare serious side to her older sister when she would do the same thing.
"Since we're still part of the defense plan, we are 'respectfully requested' to attend upon the hour of seven p.m." He rolled up the missive before passing it to his mother figure even as her follow-up question caught him with a glass of orange juice invading his face.
"I assume the real mission brief will happen sometime later?"
SLURP-nod-SLURP. He loved orange juice, still a novel experience after being denied most of this life.
"That leaves plenty of time between now and then, Naruto-sama." Twitching eyebrow and all, Naruto glanced up at the fresh plate of eggs, bacon, toast with a side serving of cubed fruit in time to get a gentle kiss to his forehead by Haku. "What will you do between now and then?"
He promptly turned his eyes away from the soft view of her dainty cleavage provided by the slightly open neck of her sleeping yukata when she kissed him.
Several of the women in the room, including his female Guardians, giggled at his consternation while the bigger males chuckled.
"Just accept it, Walker," Umi taunted. "We've never won against any of them."
Naruto also ignored the comical representation of one of his more emotive Guardians sipping coffee (their latest addiction, given their dwindling supply) while snug in his giant-sized Navy-blue PJs sporting leaping silver dolpins. The chuckling-slash-giggling continued unabated regardless.
"Training will be out of the question. If I'm not ready by now, I never will be." The eggs were hot and fluffy giving him a peaceful feeling as he chased it down with toast, bacon, and dark coffee fresh from the new pot. "Besides, we can't afford for spies - from any side - to get the drop on us."
Several nods of agreement caught his eye over the "Who's Your Tou-san?" Mug, which made him smirk.
"I'm planning to visit the A.S.C. to make sure Abe-san and his family are okay and will be safe during the attack. Ishi-kun, Nisshoku-chan, Sandā-kun, I leave the protection of the Naozumi family and my beloved cousin in your capable hands." Locking eyes with each of them conveyed exactly how important he felt that request was and they each acknowledged it without hesitation, his eyes catching the rampant blush of his cousin despite her recent bonding with Titus.
He was very surprised when she flashed him her coiled dragon seal with Titus's head resting on her right shoulder during their stay at the Grotto - he really didn't need to see his cousin's naked chest but he was snatched from his growing embarrassment by the peacefully waiting Nishoku-chan standing just to his left.
When he looked up questioningly to her pinking face, she jerked her thumb from her lips (she worried her thumbnail with her teeth when she was nervous - an odd thing for their assassin to do), dipped quickly to kiss his nose, meeped in abject mortification as her face flushed a bright red, then darted off in her fox-themed onesie with its floppy ears flapping about haphazardly, bushy tail swinging side to side as she hastily retreated, and oversized feet slapping gently at the wooden floors of the hallway.
Sandā and Ichi both roared their approval, the latter slapping the counter repeatedly as he hissed like a leaky air valve and tried to find breath. Eventually, Sandā gained enough self-control to slurp down the last of his morning caffeine and slap a meaty hand on his silent brother's shoulder.
"Come, let us prepare for the day lest Walker-sama demands manly hugs from us as tokens of affection."
Naruto could only blink in surprise until the laughter died down once again.
"Will you be okay with so few protectors, Walker-sama?" Soyo-chan's face showed genuine concern sans her mercurial smirk but Naruto batted that away with a blinding smile of his own and a few kind words.
"I've no reason to worry with you three around, Soyo-chan."
Unfortunately, that comment earned him more affection from his Wind and Flame Guardians as they immediately responded by attacking his cheeks with their lips before going off to gear up, continued chuckling aside.
An hour later, a fully robed Uzu Daimyo departed his modest secondary estate thankfully lipstick free and flanked by his closest people and heavily armed guard escort. With the bright summer sun to greet them on a remarkably clear day, it was already working its way up to uncomfortable levels of mugginess as they departed the heavy levels of shade his new home afforded.
It still amazed him as to how destitute his life was back in the slums where nothing worked. Even small clans lived a magnitude level better than he did and that thought sometimes reared its head accompanied by brief bouts of disgust at Konoha's two-faced pettiness.
Shaking off those thoughts as his escort lead broke into the clogged levels of foot traffic along the main thoroughfare and hung a left, his mind temporarily pushed aside his agenda being gently rehashed by Haku at his left shoulder and noted the old adage that all roads eventually led to the Hokage. Given that the current plan called for all other major gates to be secured to foot traffic (the southern gate would remain open to mercantile use), every single body from every nation was traversing the east-west artery, many gawking in awe as vendors set about establishing their stalls under the watchful eyes of contracted Genin teams not involved in the exams and their Jounin senseis.
He also pointedly ignored the smooth motions of disguised Konoha shinobi filling out the roster of hired civilian labor for those same stalls.
He flicked his head over his left shoulder to acknowledge their first destination to Haku then glanced up towards the top of Konoha Stadium, its architecture reminiscent of a similar structure in a Roman culture no one would know of in his universe. His eyes took in the four life-sized statues framing the walkway up to the entrance (with many empty blocks of granite awaiting their future Hokage replicas) before streaking skyward to watch more Genin and Chunin placing banners representing all of the shinobi states of the elemental nations, Konoha and Uzushio taking a prominent position to the left and right of the entranceway.
His smile in that moment was genuine despite the recognition coming far to late in the game to matter. It made his eyes snap down to the battle pennant fluttering gently between Umi's shoulder blades, the Navy blue background proudly carrying the scarlet whirlpool of his home, his clan, as his Guardians - all of them - carried themselves a little straighter. He could feel their pride radiating outwards, something he imagined the amassed throng detected as well as the Guardians had little trouble carving a path through villager, visitor, vendor, and ANBU overseer alike.
The ANBU bowing respectfully to their little entourage didn't hurt either as the sea of humanity parted like a curtain before Umi's masked/ hooded scowl and broad shoulders.
The near three-meter glaive-type weapon gripped in his beefy right hand didn't hurt the perception of "imminent harm should you fuck with my Daimyo" one bit.
They moved on passing the hospital conveniently located another block closer to the Hokage on the left side of the thoroughfare, Ichiraku's stall setting up directly across from the A.S.C.'s temporary new home being manned by Abe-san himself and his youngest, Kiyoko. Naruto made sure to spend a few moments speaking with both vendors, his final moments spent with the good Naozumi family.
"Ah! Naruto-sama, a most welcome good morning to you!" Kiyo-chan seemed happy to see him, her father looking up from the shelves of the walled stand that would be their home for the next four days at the sound of his daughter's greeting.
"Kiyoko-chan, I hope your father isn't working you too terribly?" The teasing smile on his face made her blush as her chuckling parent joined them.
"And I hope Konoha has given you a satisfactory location, Abe-san?" The two gentlemen bowed to one another, the older man's genuflection much deeper than the younger.
"Konoha has been most generous," Abe responded, his voice easily carrying to the many nosy faces trying to get a glance at the A.S.C.'s latest offerings. Abe's, "Your clones have been most helpful in clearing out the office," was much softer and for his ears only as they both straightened up.
Both were very aware of the main storefront not two blocks away deep in the heart of the Business District of Konoha.
"It warms my heart, Abe-san." Without hand seals or words, four clones of Naruto appeared then henged into his dark shinobi gear atop brown-haired replicas of Tai-kun.
"These young lads will provide any additional assistance you need today, tomorrow, and the first two days of the ceremony."
Both men bowed and this time the younger one whispered back, "If you need me for any emergency, one of them will dispel and we will come to your assistance, old man."
Abe chuckled with a short, "Hai, Naruto-sama, and thank you. Your parents would be so very proud of you!"
Naruto moved on with a much lighter heart.
~III~
Tenten looked up as the bell of their storefront jingled merrily, snapping off a quick, "Be right there! Gimme a sec!"
Packaging up her current customer's purchases, she rang up their change and wished her fifth Genin team of the morning a good day, her heavy huff blowing loose strands of her hair buns away from her face.
"Hey, let me know if you guys have any questions over there about our kunai or senbon varieties," she barked out to two more squads haggling over durability versus economy. Stepping from around the counter she ignored yet another complaint about why they couldn't test out a few Stingers before buying and turned her attention to the good-sized party waiting patiently by her displays of shinobi body armor and TAC gear.
"So, what can I do for-NARUTO!" Her eyes slid right past the massive blue-skinned bear of shinobi to the blond-haired joy of her life bedecked in flowing robes of rich blue and her father's admonishment to carefully watch foreign shinobi in their shop vanished like a puff of chakra smoke in the wind.
Without thinking she rushed forward to tackle him in her strongest hug only to "Urkk" in surprise as that same wall of blue muscle slipped an arm around her waist effortlessly hoisting her from the floor of her shop.
"She's fine, Umi!" Naruto chuckled. "You can release her since I don't think she'll hurt me too much for being away."
It was a very cross Tenten angrily brushing off the wrinkles to her attire, her glare directed upwards to see the slitted eyes and raised eyebrow of the large nin smirking back at her, right before she took off dashing the final step and a half so she could latch on to her blond comrade with a happy "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The sound briefly brought the elder Higurashi up from his shop in the back to shake his head ruefully before disappearing from view once again, the sound his hammer striking metal picking up again its steady lullaby.
"Oi! Where you been?!" Tenten punctuated her question with a gentle slap of his shoulder, much to the growling displeasure of the two heavily-armed kunoichis standing behind him.
"Missions, Ten-chan, and training for Wednesday. You know that already," he chided.
"Doesn't mean that you can't visit once in a while." He was trying to ignore her cute pout.
"Kinda have to be in town to visit."
Her eyebrow perked up in question.
"Allow me to introduce you to some of my newest, and most precious acquaintances, Ten-chan." Before her pout could turn into a glare he continued with, "First off is my adoptive mother, and my mother's twin sister, Keina Uzumaki, the Yondaime Uzukage."
'Glare halted, check. Pout vanished, check. Shocked glancing between Keina and myself, check-check. Embarrassed look turning into her frantically hopping down to smooth out her clothes before bowing formally to a powerful kunoichi she could find an appropriate role model, triple-check.'
"Oh, please excuse my poor behavior, Uzukage-Shushō." Tenten's face blushed an immediate cherry-red to make Hinata proud.
Keina nodded her head in return, her eyebrow quirking at the unusual suffix added to her title. The last time she checked, which was this morning, she hadn't signed up to be the young kunoichi's role model or mentor.
"You know Haku, I believe."
Despite her respect for the skillful ice maiden, Tenten's jealous heart could not prevent the competitive scowl from her face.
"I'd like to finally introduce you to my clan's hereditary protectors, my Guardian detail comprised of Umi, whom you've already met, Taifū (the pale-skinned female nodded with a guarded expression), and Kaen."
Tenten bowed to each, in turn, noting the obviously surprised - pleasantly surprised look if the redheaded guard's body language was accurate - reaction to his final comment. She didn't know that the powerful female warrior couldn't use the name, which Tenten didn't know to recognize as such, until her Walker-sama bestowed the title upon her officially - and that meant publicly before at least two Guardians and one witness.
For Kira-chan, it was a very big deal as it made her official. She was now and forever a Guardian and she'd get her Seal as soon as Keina could draw the ink on her breast right above her furiously beating heart.
Then Tenten recognized the swords strapped to the back of the two female Guardians and her eyes began to grow.
"Naruto!" The two female Halfkin tensed as hearts began to float in the bun-haired girl's eyes, her hands slowly reaching out to touch either/ both Zanbatō only to be lightly slapped away by both females.
"Hm?"
"Why didn't you tell me you knew how to make replicas?!" Unperturbed, her hands began their inexorable creep forward again only to be slapped, again.
"Replicas?" He pretended to be ignorant knowing full well what she was referring to.
"These!" She was pointing at the pommels sticking out behind their shoulders as she tried to get a better vantage point or one of the legendary blades in her hands.
"Oh, those." His casual response earned him a reproving glare from the weapon fangirl. "Don't worry, Ten-chan. By the time the finals are over, everyone will know that these aren't cheap replicas and that Kiri is a nation of honorless thieves."
His vehemence surprised her even as he hugged her once more before the entire group peacefully left her shop. Much to her oblivious surprise (given her bout of weapon fandom), she failed to notice the bespectacled Kiri nin in the corner of her shop taking a look at the large weapons on her display wall and his sudden interest in the matching swords walking past the glass storefront.
"You think he'll deliver the message, Sochi?"
Outside as their group made their way to the Hokage's office as part of his second stop, Naruto's smile turned into an evil smirk.
"Oh, I think it's a safe assumption." He'd detected Chōjūrō and his ridiculously-sized knockoff the moment they entered the store.
His smile widened just a hair as his final clone tasked with keeping an eye on the Kiri delegation puffed away atop the building overlooking Higurashi's entrance.
~III~
"Why are we here without our troublesome teammate?"
It was the fifth time in as many minutes that the lazy Nara had chucked out that particular question. It was also the same number of times he'd been ignored by the irritated group at their booth as Ino rolled her eyes at him before grabbing Fumiko-chan's hand to drag her out to the dance floor. Ino had noticed her less than impressed glares for her normal dance partner.
"Does he usually gripe this much?"
It was a good thing that the thumping bass was a natural counter to the pink-haired banshee's screeching because the brooding Uchiha showed no interest in answering and Asuma was even less inclined to respond as his eyes wandered from his date and her "doll-friend" grinding up against each other on the dance floor much to the bloody-nosed stupefaction of the army of foreign Genin trying to hold back the crowd allowing for unfettered drooling.
"You should gripe less and pay more attention to your date for the night, Shika. We're still training despite the mission we were given." Asuma released a plume of smoke straight up into the overhead lights of the club.
"This mission is troublesome meaning I can't enjoy dancing with her and monitoring these losers to the degree required." The sour-faced Nara promptly ignored the red flicker in their supporting Genin's eyes, a quick glance over his left shoulder showing a returning Chouji carrying his third snack tray of finger foods.
He did catch the condescending snort from the Uchiha bastard and promptly ignored it.
"The Iwa gaggle are on the far side of the dance floor taking note of our kunoichi. If I didn't know better, I'd swear they were sizing them up for capture and extraction."
Shika's eyes swept the dance floor and found Kurotsuchi's disgusted snarl. They'd need a plan for her.
"Any other threats?" Asuma prompted.
"Hnh, Kiri has two swordsmen but one seems too scared to be much of a threat." The comment drew both Shika and Asuma's attention, both surprised that the brooding heir deigned to participate.
Guess he could be a professional when it called for it.
"Think you can handle the perverted one trying to hug on to your fangirl?" Asuma knew the game he was playing with that verbal poke but he needed to keep the walking flight risk engaged. Besides, Kakashi was apparently too interested in his smut to provide any guidance so it left it all to him.
Another annoyed grunt burped up from the Uchiha's abdomen as he rose to stalk out to the dance floor to place himself between a very persistent Suigetsu and an equally annoyed Ino. Once the horndog backed off, courtesy of an angry Sharingan glare, the Uchiha further shocked everyone else by turning around, lifting his hands up waist-high, then shuffling side to side in time with the driving bass.
A very shocked Ino shuffled over to dance at a respectable arm's length from her pout-faced partner only to be joined ten seconds later by an overly ecstatic Sakura Haruno.
With a sigh, Shika rose and sauntered out to make up with his annoyed dance partner much to Asuma's chuckling entertainment.
"Heads up, Hatake. They're here finally."
With a heavy sigh of his own, Kakashi put away his favorite distraction and focused his uncovered eye on the meeting between Kiri's, Iwa's, and Kumo's Kage.
"Easy, Sarutobi. We're only supposed to intervene if trouble breaks out. T and I have the lead for INTEL."
~III~
A slid easily into the chair provided for him in their private room. He expected the entire place was bugged but he didn't care. His conscience was clear for this visit in the belly of his enemy.
Across from him sat the very attractive Mizukage and to his left the less so Tsuchikage.
"Let's get this over with," he groused. "I actually like the music in this place and wish to return to my booth."
Ōnoki huffed once. "You know why we're here so let's cut to the chase. What is your vote?"
Mei's answer was immediate. "Abstain. My village is done with hostilities and, to be honest, I'm more interested in securing an alliance with this new Daimyo. He's a bit young but should grow up into a looker plus I hear he's wealthy enough to rebuild my entire nation by himself. Political marriage maybe?"
Ōnoki scoffed. "I saw how you stared at the new Uzukage."
Her response was both curt and direct. "Stay out of family business that doesn't concern you, Fencesitter."
It also raised eyebrows on both males who glanced up to see if her one-eyed escort would give anything away. They were disappointed by the stone-faced shinobi's immobility.
"And you, A?"
Despite A's surprise at the white-maned gentleman standing behind his peer, he kept his face unreadable. "Kumo is here to enjoy the spectacle and has zero intention to violate, intentionally or otherwise, Konoha's offer of sanctuary."
Ōnoki couldn't believe his ears. These were what was left of the former alliance that once crushed (just barely) the vaunted Uzumaki? He needed something to nudge them to his side.
"You've heard the whispers, haven't you?" His beady eyes flickered from one face to the other.
"We have ears in the same places you do, Tsuchikage-dono." If the female was concerned, she hid it well.
"This could be our only chance, you realize that?"
A responded this time. "Then feel free to act in your best interests, Dono. For me and mine, our goal is to rebuild ties with and correct the mistakes my predecessor took with the Land of Eddies." A rose from the table, Yugito moving to guard his back instinctively.
"Mizukage-dono?" the large man asked offering his hand to the stunningly gorgeous kunoichi rumored to have slain her predecessor single-handedly.
Ōnoki's hands balled into angry fists as his last two options for an alliance casually strolled back into the thumping club and away from his petty schemes for revenge.
"You'd better not fail me, Gekido." The older man's chuckle only irritated his ears.
"To my awareness, Tsuchikage-sama, I have never failed you."
~III~
As busy as Saturday and Sunday were for setting up the vendor stalls, Sunday night was equally busy as the entire village turned out to absorb the increase in the tourist influx. Every establishment, from food to entertainment in every variety, was full to bursting with curious customers.
The overwhelmed native populace of Konoha opted to hide away in their homes in preparation for the spectacle to come, a trend easily picked up by two Konoha residents being escorted by a hooded Komodo quartet as they approached the Hokage Administrative Building.
Formalities and brief greetings out of the way, Naruto took his seat as a guest next to the Hokage, the seat directly behind him being occupied by his aunt in lieu of the normal advisor. To her immediate right sat Jiraiya apparently unhappy because her Kage robes completely hid her womanly figure from his greedy eyes. To Jiraiya's right sat the Slug Princess, her eyes (at first shocked to disbelief at the Kushina doppelganger) spending a great amount of time sneaking peeks at the identical sister of one of her greatest friends long departed.
The rest of the room was packed as every available seat, save for the Uzumaki Clan spot, was occupied by either a stone-faced nin or nervous civilian. Along the back walls were the more easily notable suspects seen in briefs of importance.
"Thank you all for coming. Before we begin," he turned to lock eyes with the Uzukage who sighed heavily in return before rising to glide sensually around the head table to the middle of the room.
Instead of running through a dozen handseals, she modeled a healthy dollop of chakra, slammed her palms together, then squatted down to slap both palms on the floor of the chamber. It didn't take long before black tendrils like tentacles of ink spiraled outward, random bursts of shadow exploding before expanding outward to link with other pools of energy until the walls, floors, ceiling, and doors of the windowless chamber were covered. It pulsed once before a half dozen red bursts of energy lit up in seemingly random spots along the walls before wisps of smoke lazily curled their way to the ceiling.
Hiruzen nodded gratefully at the frowning female sauntering back to her seat as if her powerful display of inkless sealing was a daily occurrence, which very well may have been in her world.
Keina, for her mild amusement, spent the rest of the meeting ignoring an imploring Jiraiya's efforts to both get inside her underwear and her brain.
"Now that we are secure, let us begin this final meeting before the exam finals making sure everyone in this room is on the same page. Iruka-kun, if you would please."
The scarred Chunin bowed once before stepping forward.
"Everyone here is reminded that this meeting, and everything witnessed or discussed, is hereby classified secret by Claus Three of the Konoha Shinobi Charter of Regulations, its S-Ranked assignment to remain in effect until rescinded by the current Hokage and releasable only by the same or subsequently designated appointees. Those appointees are to identify themselves at this time."
Ibiki raised one arm followed by a terse, "Hai."
Shikaku followed suit with a lopsided arm and an accompanying, "Troublesome."
Jiraiya followed suit hoping it would impress his redheaded neighbor. It didn't but it did earn him a belittling snort from his blonde neighbor.
"Having settled that, let us move on to the necessary corrections to the plan. If you would turn your attention to-."
"Just a moment, Iruka-kun." Everyone paused to take in the confused appearance of Mebuki Haruno.
"Hai, Councilwoman Haruno?"
"Why are we deviating from our long-established emergency procedures?"
In lieu of a direct answer, Iruka turned to the Hokage.
"We are changing because wise security practices dictate avoiding stagnation. Who is to say that a nukenin of Konoha isn't part of the external threat to this village? Caution dictates that we periodically change things to prevent those with knowledge of our automatic responses from gaining an advantage using standard protocol against us."
Despite appearing to chew on his explanation, Mebuki nodded in understanding returning her attention to the young Chunin giving the brief.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. With that out of the way, let's turn our attention to the first three automatic responses in our contingency plan." He turned to the eternal gate guards as they brought up a modified Veil projection displaying Konoha at large.
"Our first step in the event of a crisis is normally to secure all gate traffic to limit access to the village, thereby establishing siege protocols. With the Chunin Exam Festival in full swing, this would be extremely difficult with the increased number of visitors. To ease this burden and increase our response time, many of you have noticed that three of our major gates are secured vice the normally secured North Gate facing our northern neighbors." Many heads were nodding approvingly at this.
"By funneling all foot traffic through the main gate to the east and all merchant traffic through the south gate, we greatly clarify the threat picture making it easier to identify potential hostile threats to our village. It also makes it easier to compile a list of foreigners inside the walls since they must all sign-in on the same registry. Kani-san."
An ANBU from the Barrier and Internal Defense (BID) Branch with oddly round eyes below a ridged set of feelers stepped forward. "With the tireless help of the Naozumi family, we've been able to repair some one-hundred and fifty damaged seals along the perimeter."
That statement drew immediate gasps of concern from both sides of the Council along with bombardment in the form of questions asking for details. The ANBU waited patiently as the Hokage's gavel silenced the chamber.
"Save all questions until the end of the brief." A gentle caress by his KI produced the muted nods of acquiesence needed to ensure compliance. "Please continue."
With a bow, the crab-faced agent moved on. "As I was saying, we could not have affected such extensive repair work without the assistance of the Naozumi Family. Based on their feedback, the vast majority of these seals were intentionally tampered with but not destroyed leading to reduced detection in key areas around and near the Red Light District and the outlying farms in the southern and southwestern sections of the wall. As of our final sweep earlier this afternoon, Konoha's barrier wall remains intact and we will continue to monitor its status throughout the week, a task made infinitely easier by their gift of an alarm matrix in Barrier Division HQ displaying visually the barrier seal in its entirety. With the added anti-tampering arrays buried under the barrier seals, we'll receive real-time indication at HQ should anyone else attempt to undermine our defenses." The ANBU wrapped up with a bow and stepped back against the wall.
"Thank you, Kani-san. We'll move on to step two, which is the securing of non-combatants and medical personnel. Tsunade-sama, if you would please."
She almost faltered as the blond Daimyo next to her sensei turned to lock eyes with her. Almost.
"Triage wings have been pushed outwards from our two outpatient clinics to the three Konoha P.D. substations located there, there, and there." The Veil genjutsu flashed in the north, east and southern sections of the Konoha map. "My apprentice Shizune Kato and I have spent the last four months whipping our med-nin into some semblance of shape meaning that the two med squads supporting each station should be prepared to provide triage before being recalled to collapse back to the hospital as required. With their assigned Heavy Combat squad, they should be able to perform their duties with minimal interference."
Her eyes swept the room before landing once more on the deep blues eyes of her godson in his Uzu robes.
"I will be manning the hospital with Shizune." She settled down into her seat raising a palm to stave off Jiraiya's near-immediate pleas to reconsider.
"Thank you, Tsunade-sama." Iruka turned on to lock eyes with Shikaku Nara. "This next section may take a moment to discuss. Would our Oyabun please explain the section of the contingency plan addressing changes in emergency bunkering for our non-combatants?"
Despite being phrased as a question, everyone in the chamber took it as anything but as the Nara Clan Head rose to his feet and began highlighting the newest bunker locations in each of the major wards of the hidden village.
It was going to be a long night for the very confused civilian council members and a surprisingly entertained Uzu Daimyo. It only continued once the civilians were released and the official mission brief for the invasion took over. At least there he had a part to discuss, his requirement to deal with the Ichibi should things get out of hand waved off with an almost lethargic shrug much to the shocked reaction of the other shinobi clan heads.
The matter of dealing with Orochimaru was a much more contentious issue, Jiraiya's annoyance at the Komodo Squad's absence from the containment plan one of his larger problem areas. With Jiraiya being tasked with any potential snake summonses, back up for the Hokage would be limited to one maybe two of his stronger ANBU, something Jiraiya believed to be woefully inadequate.
It was a problem left unresolved to the Gama Sennin's disgruntlement.
~III~
"We could assign a few of the stronger Halfkin to aide the old man," Soyo-chan offered during their journey home later that night breaking the somber tone of their walk in the late evening. The surprised looks on the faces of both royals drew out further explanation.
"They wouldn't have Fangs, but they'd have their personal weapons. Any of our Guardians in the training program would be strong A-ranked or low S-ranked threats capable of protection duties. They don't gain the subtler aspects of shinobi training until they become alternates for the ranked Guardian of their sects."
Naruto nodded his thanks at the offer as they turned into his new compound. "Thank you. I'll be sure to let him know at tomorrow's- what the heck is going on here?"
Umi had come to a complete halt, his weapon held lengthwise across his body drawing Naruto's full attention to the kneeling gaggle of women surrounded by most of his clones left to patrol the compound.
Naruto's surprised laughter shocked everyone, his Guardians looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Bring them inside Ishi," he gasped out between dying chuckles. "I want to be formally introduced to the squad of women assigned the unfortunate task of kidnapping me several months ago."
If that didn't make every one of his guards tense up, then nothing would.
Inside his Guardians were clearly uncomfortable with their Walker seated so casually before four women, Konoha kunoichi admittedly trained to ANBU levels by their own admission, formerly of Konoha's Root organization under one Danzō Shimura, and operating under their last known directive which was to kidnap and facilitate the brainwashing of said Walker into Danzō's mindless weapon.
It didn't matter that the already scantily clad women had been immediately stripped of their concealing cloaks to reveal four almost indecently-dressed clones of Yūgao Uzuki, Ino Yamanaka, Kurenai Yuhi, and a furiously blushing Akimi - as in, the real Akimi from his childhood.
Naruto's female Guardians had been very thorough in their search of their four suspects as evident by the bloody wad of tissues held up to Naruto's face as each woman slowly replaced her displaced clothing to cover their brief bout of nakedness. How the male Guardians could compartmentalize what was going on and appear unaffected was beyond Naruto but he'd need to learn that skill someday soon.
Then his eyes settled on the still downward-facing Akimi. 'She hid more than I thought under that Ichiraku apron. Must use the same wraps Ayame-nee buys.'
"You were one of Danzō's all along?" His voice was surprisingly calm with just a hint of edge to it.
She didn't answer right away until an angry Nisshoku-chan nudged her in the ribs.
"H-Hai." Her hands were doing their best not to fidget like she used to do when she got nervous. With an amused snort, he realized at least that much was real.
"I would have followed you anywhere," he began shrugging off her nervous flinch at his words. "Why the whole mess with Aono? Were you ever really in any danger?" An unbelievable pressure came down upon all four women, one powerful enough to make everyone else in the room flinch at its strength. "Were you ever truly my friend?"
His voice was soft. Deadly. Threatening.
His omission of the boy's first name showed just how much he despised Koaru Aono and the horror their escapade put him through. Akimi, much to her horror and shame, knew what that tone meant in his voice as she heard it every time he expressed his displeasure at Koaru's presence in her life.
"Danzō-sa... Danzō wanted to isolate you from Konoha and felt that removing your ties as traumatically as possible the most efficient way to do so." She fell to the floor promptly prostrating herself in apology. "I'm so sorry." The last part was a faint whisper as she choked out, "I once served him, but I've always been your friend."
Though his eyes never left her mane of auburn hair, he noticed her three companions flinch bodily.
"How is it that I didn't recognize you the very first time you tried to subdue me?" His eyes were narrowing dangerously and the three still standing immediately lowered to their knees seeing their once chance at sanctuary slipping away before their eyes.
Detailed answers were needed and the clone of Kurenai spoke up hoping to stave off their arrest and transfer to Konoha's tender mercies, inside her mind thanking whatever deity removed their seals with Danzō's death.
"We died her hair and applied minor stage makeup hoping that the confusion of the summons and her near-naked body would distract you enough that she'd be unrecognizable to you until we could subdue you with a hidden mind-control seal in that faked ceremony. Danzō-sa... Danzō intimated that the reverse summoning would disorient you for a few moments giving us the upper hand but you recovered much faster than a normal shinobi would have. It worked to our advantage because you did not appear to recognize her lying beneath you."
No mysticism, just obfuscation, and shoddy seal work, Naruto noted. So much for mystery.
Akimi rose from her prostrate position to sit upright but her eyes never left the floor.
"Tell me why I should not turn you over to Konoha this very minute?"
This time all four of them flinched but the brunette continued on and no one could fault her bravery in that moment.
"We will go if you so order it without complaint, Naruto-sama." She tried not to get her hopes up when his eyebrow peaked just a bit. "But we know that our future would be either imprisonment or death, as many of our Root brothers and sisters ended up that way in Konoha's purge."
This did catch his attention.
"However," and here she nervously licked very dry lips, "our modified Root training does not affect us emotionally making us excellent undercover agents and we'd much rather offer those services to you." She bowed again and the others followed suit. "We've had time to observe you a bit during all of this and you possess the heart and mind of a leader we could follow without shame."
"Even if I plan to serve my Clan and former Country someday? I thought you Root were all about 'Konoha first and always' meaning anything that took away from that was bad? How can I trust you in service to my clan now that I know what you are?"
It was a very legitimate question to ask.
"Despite Danzō's questionable reputation, he valued Konoha above all else. We were trained to value our leader above all else and, with his death, we are free to transfer our loyalties to our next Commander. Given that our choices are either a painful death, after a lengthy period of torture and interrogation at Ibiki's hands, or a life of forced prostitution on behalf of Konoha's Intelligence Division, we'd rather devote our loyalties to someone that would value us as Kunoichi, as people first. Perhaps that someone could use our loyalty and talents to further his goals?"
His eyes didn't soften prompting Akimi to jump in.
"We would swear whatever oath you'd require of us, serve any penance you demand of us to prove our loyalty."
That did earn them a reaction.
"You know how I feel about forced servitude and seals, Akimi."
She nodded as she did. He'd complained often growing up how his first act as Hokage would be to provide a better life for the women of the Cherry Blossom, about how he'd do away with seduction missions for kunoichi. She was fairly confident he'd never require something like that even if he accepted their offer.
The problem was that his defenders were also aware of his gentle nature.
"There is a loyalty seal that would make it impossible for them to harm you directly without forcing service or mindless servitude on their part." Keina's voice snapped every head to her.
"No mindless drones, Kaa-san."
Akimi's eyebrow quirked at that as her eyes darted quickly between the two speakers. 'Did his mother come back?!'
"Oh, nothing of the sort, Sochi. It's just a modified version of the same seal your Guardians possess. It would tie them to you in a similar fashion allowing you two distinct advantages." She stepped forward and lifted a finger into the air.
"First off, it ties their lives to yours just like it does your Guardians. If you die, they die with you." She enjoyed the hard swallows from each woman kneeling before her Sochi as she lifted a second finger to match the first.
"Second, it comes with a ranged kill switch." Her eyes grew very hard. "If they betray you, you can eliminate them with a single-handed seal and a word."
She lowered her hands to glare at each one individually. "Removal of the seal is solely contingent upon their good behavior, which remains their free choice, of course."
Naruto seemed to consider the idea as he stared each woman in the eyes noting peripherally that the eyes of Uzuki-chan's clone didn't quite match the original hers being several shades lighter in color. "Are you agreeable to this stipulation? There's no turning back if you do."
Each of them bowed low issuing a terse, "Hai" in response.
"Is there anything we can do about their appearances? Those three are surprisingly identical to three women I have various levels of acquaintance with. While two very beautiful blondes in my life aren't a hardship, I doubt Ino would approve."
He caught the furious blush of the Ino-copy despite the obvious difference in his Ino's extremely curvy body and this one's more subdued but equally appealing figure. He had to admit, the Yūgao doppelganger's figure was on par with Anko's and he very much approved.
He was still an extremely horny teenager and waking up with anywhere from three to four half-naked women every day was beginning to wear on him. He could look and appreciate just like anyone else.
"We'll have to keep them masked similar to the Squad," Keina interjected. "They haven't earned the gear but we can design something similar. At a minimum, they won't be wearing this," she casually flipped the scarf-like garments worn by the purplette kneeling next to her causing the right side of her heavy chest to bounce enticingly, "unless they're on sleep detail."
That was Keina's code for sleeping next to Naruto in whatever chamber he occupied to keep assassins away and he blushed along with every female already in his Guardian detail. Haku's angry growl wasn't missed by the four infiltration specialists which let each of them know that "Sleep Detail" most likely meant something intimate with the young Uzumaki royal, and that made them blush in turn.
Keina laughed evilly seeing a way to bring back her clan in a single generation, but she kept that bit to herself.
"Hnh, I wonder how much of my life has been managed by that accursed Shimura bastard. Can't say I'm sorry to hear that he's dead."
Amongst the agreeably nodding heads of his family, four very pretty and scantily clad women were blinking innocently at each other wondering if a better opportunity for them to ingratiate their way into his world would present itself. With an encouraging nod from their self-appointed squad leader, the very pretty and extremely curvy purplette gently cleared her throat drawing everyone's gaze to her.
"So, Naruto-sama would this be a bad time to tell you about Danzō's attempt to kidnap Akimi-chan and murder your beloved teacher, Iruka Umino-san using Ebisu and his Demon Brigade organization?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"Ano, also the fact that we were required to set him up at a safe location until he could be recalled following the invasion."
Naruto's already narrowed eyes drew down tighter, the deep blue becoming a scorching red as his growl rumbled the sternum of the Yūgaolook alike. He, of course, did not know that, as their S&M infiltration specialist, she'd be physically stimulated by his animalistic response, her milk chocolate orbs dilating with desire.
He was also unaware that her previous statement would eradicate any other reservations he might have had with swearing them into his service.
"How soon can they be sealed, Kaa-san?"
In the enclosed space of the very cozy living room, he and every Guardian with heightened senses could clearly smell it and somewhere deep inside his seal the Kyuubi's laughter echoed off the chamber walls of her den at the ongoing drama that was her container's life.
~III~
A/N: Didn't quite make it to the finals, unfortunately. I promise you though, there will be blood when next we meet!
~Siva'a