A/N: This chapter is for Mephy whose review came at the end of an otherwise miserable week. Anyone that considers my work anywhere near the same mention of stories like "Better Left Unsaid" is appreciated. Thank you for the kind words. It gave me the motivation to offer up this for your weekend enjoyment.
Okay, so the results have been tallied. As promised, Kisame and his brother are about to give their family reunion its long-awaited conclusion.
Review Corner
Rubas273: Glad you liked my version of Gaara.
AnotherC4T: No worries. I got the general gist of things. The issue in dealing with Keina is that this part is still new to Naruto - having someone acting as a mother figure is still very new to him so he's trying to navigate it for the final slide. The issue Keina herself is that she means well but not all good intentions are helpful. Though she doesn't have the previous slides to work with, she's learning that you can't raise children like ANBU soldiers. She just hasn't figured out how to raise a real child yet and her family goals might be getting out of her control.
TigrezzTail: Keina has her reasons and right now she sees more potential out of Itachi pointed in another direction. Plots within plots, plans within plans. Keina is a ninja after all.
Codywhite162: Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Rubas 273: I'll work on going back to get you a list of the clones from the opening Fracture Arc. They weren't meant to be a permanent part of the story so I didn't worry about that at the beginning.
Thor94: Thank you and glad to see you in the comments again. Hope you are doing well.
Atenawchok: I think I replied to you directly but, for everyone's sake, no, I didn't make Hidan stronger. Remember that Naruto, at this point in the story, is weaker than he wanted to be. He's not able to take on S-Ranked baddies yet because Keina (in thinking that she's helping) is trying to groom him for duty as a royal and has forced him through various means out of his normal training rhythm. At the point where he meets Hidan, he's actually slightly weaker than he was in the Chuunin Exam Festival and the Sirens are not front-line combatants. All four could delay Hidan until backup arrives, however, two are healing the Hatchlings hoping to get them up enough to help fight off Hidan.
musadak khalid: Um, no. What I said in the opening chapter of this story, word for word is:
"I intend to keep the OCs much lower in number, but I make no promises on characters remaining blindly faithful to the Kishimoto canon versions. Neither do I plan on keeping the story faithfully in line with canon – I'm just not going to wander off into the back woods of Narnia."
Keeping the OC lower in number is a reference to Nature of the Savage beast, which has an entire OC race of Kitsune, so I am way under that limit. This is AU fanfiction. I have absolutely no desire to stick to a canon timeline or storyline but I did use large milestones from canon to frame the story's pace. The opening sequence with Danmachi was a way to put in a different sort of initial quest for Team 10 but it still fell in line with the Nami mission and I make no apologies for it. If you want canon, there are plenty of stories out there that mirror it more closely than my story.
Mephy: I had to go back and read my comments from the AN in CH24. I agree with you that rape is a form of sexual assault. My point was that not all sexual assault is rape and sexual assault, in any form, is bad. I wanted to clarify that Shizuka has not crossed that line yet because some readers shot straight to criminal proceedings. Remember, shinobi story, and not every shinobi is going to react the same way. Still, Shizuka was in the wrong and let's not sugarcoat that fact. That's why she got sent away.
Gara K.: Yeah, I've said all I care to but I respect your position. I disagree but respect it nonetheless.
I stopped answering Guest comments many chapters before but I got a giggle about Danzo's pettiness. It's not pettiness if you look at it from Danzo's position. It was a failsafe he put in motion in the event that he couldn't rule Konoha. If that happened, he wanted someone that would follow in his leadership style and break away from Hiruzen Sarutobi, and what better way to do that than to make your own mini-me? Despite Danzo's personal brand of evil, he does mean well for Konoha and thinks Hiruzen has been a horrible, weak-minded leader. You see it as pettiness. Danzo sees it as a failsafe to get a strong Hokage that he feels Konoha deserves. Kakashi just happens to have years of untreated mental baggage that kind of makes his mind the perfect place for that kind of mind control.
Okay, enough reviews for now. If I didn't get to yours this time, please shoot me a message and I'll go back and take another look.
I hope you are all staying safe out there, and, as always:
Enjoy as you will.
~Siva'a-tasi
~III~
Chapter 58: Loose Ends
~III~
Once Upon A Time on 'No More'...
Morino Ibiki was never one to shy away from conflict. The bear of a man stood just over two meters in height and carried enough muscle to rival Konoha's Magnificent Green Beast so he had little reason to do so.
Among Konoha's notable shinobi, it could be said - though never by Ibiki himself - Ibiki's mere presence was enough to give those about dark methods and persuasions pause in their ne'er-do-well pursuits.
WHAP
The meaty sound of a fist meeting flesh momentarily brought the iconic Shadow Wraith out of introspection. Dark eyes creased near the corner as a pained groan tickled his ears and raised the fine hairs at the nape of his neck.
The metallic tang of blood never used to bother him, his mind opined. Not since he shifted his focus from intelligence gathering to assassination.
Not since he was forced to shift at any rate.
Scars tend to make you memorable. The way a scar creases the skin and grabs the attention of the weak-spined makes it impossible to blend in with the peasants.
More often than not the peasants flee from you like a ripple of human sheep in a busy market place fleeing from the wolf making you stand out clear as day to attentive shinobi.
Since he could no longer enjoy the thrill of the spy hunt, Ibiki instead changed his focus from finding where all of the bodies were hidden to hiding a few of his own. Over the years, Ibiki realized that he did in fact know where all of the bodies were buried.
He discovered a knack for it.
Eventually, he perfected his art and moved to expand it. To broaden his horizons and cut his own path. To become one with the shadows.
It made it easier to hide the scars and black hid traces of blood better.
Soon the Shadow Wraith of Konoha became a household name in places that hated Konoha. Soon enough, hatred was joined by fear, fear of dark places, and silent shadows.
At that time, Ibiki soaked his dark uniform in plenty of blood. Before long the warm, sticky substance greeted him like an old friend. It meant another kill in the books. It meant another Leaf nin would live as another enemy wouldn't stumble across them in the field.
A warm, loving embrace for an old friend.
WHAP
A soft groan followed this one and Ibiki tried to ignore the way the large man towering over the old retiree chuckled as if he'd said something funny.
A long pause.
Then another stinging slap of fist to flesh followed.
Ibiki fought to hide a reflexive tensing of his legs and instead tried to focus on how much he used to love his job and the blood and all the mystery that came with it.
But not tonight. Tonight the mental tug of war held no allure, no twisted puzzle in need of solving. Tonight the pungent fragrance held no allure. The bruised and purpled flesh of the tired body leaning precariously to the side, the metal straps at their wrists and legs the only impediment to gravity's harsh tug, brought no succor.
As it was, Ibiki's iron will nearly did break several times over the three-day interrogation. Twice he's had to bodily corral an over-eager interrogator and forcibly hurl them from the room much to the Godaime's perverted glee.
Another flick of his eyes to the far side of the room shows the one-eyed vulture contented as he waits, the soft grunts of the tiny body stripped from the waist up the only response to the harsh thuds against his face and torso.
Three times in the four separate hour-long sessions Ibiki has nearly broken ranks and slaughtered the smug prick where he stands.
Each time the half-closed eye of the Sandaime Hokage catches him at his weakest and the bloody smile forced onto the elder shinobi's face holds him in stillness. It roots the reinforced leather boots Ibiki loves so much in the messy interrogation chambers to the floor.
No, Ibiki thinks as Hiruzen's face crumples through a painful expulsion of air driven by another hammer-like strike to his already broken jaw, he didn't use to mind the smell of blood so much.
"That's enough," the Prick coughs out from the corner and Ibiki's red-tinged eyes snap to the large Interrogator chosen for this final "session," as it's called.
Just as he figured the large idiot, instead of lowering the clumsy tool he calls a right hand, pauses then lifts it high to get in just one more for the road.
It never lands as the untrained brute brought in especially for this by Hatake experiences an acute case of vertigo once his body takes flight. Ibiki's iron grip around his throat assists in the brief journey as the Hokage's man finds himself painfully implanted into the reinforced concrete walls of the session chamber.
A furious Ibiki hisses out, "If I ever find you in another of my interrogation chambers again, maggot, no one will ever find your bones."
Ibiki releases him and turns away allowing his latest victim's own body weight to peel the semi-conscious male from his new perch and land with a dull thud on the unforgiving floor. He never looks back instead striding to the blood-soaked form of the former Sandaime, his hand already flicking signals to Dove and the latest rendition of Hawk to join his interrogation squad.
One promptly sprints from the room to bring help. He is to gather two squads for VIP security detail and to grab every available medic not slated for morning rounds.
The other steps forward to begin treating the barely coherent man old enough to be her grandfather and marvels at his strength even in the twilight of his years.
"I'll let this slide since you seem to be a bit...overwhelmed, Ibiki-kun." The Godaime's voice seems almost jovial amongst the carnage.
Ibiki merely grunts deep from within his gut. It was the verbal equivalent of, "Go fuck yourself."
Hatake chuckles as he turns to leave casually tossing over his shoulder how he wants the old man strong enough to stand in two days. He makes some cryptic remarks about his prisoner being in "top form" for his audience.
Ibiki ignores him as he kneels before the fragile, broken, and bloody figure slumped in the chair before him.
Gently, almost lovingly, he begins to unstrap the man responsible for piecing him back together and giving him new purpose. The man that built him up when he had nothing left in the world to make him crawl out of the hospital bed he'd tried to end his own miserable existence more than a decade and a half before.
When Dove complained about not having enough chakra to do this on her own, he wordlessly handed over a bag of chakra and food pills growling out, "Whatever it takes. Help is on the way."
His eyes never left his self-appointed task, his clumsy fingers gently massaging the strong wrists and calloused hands of his Kage. His true Kage.
He may have paused when one gnarled and shaking hand landed atop his bandana-clad head even as he stubbornly continued to dab at the sticky fluid coating the elder's neck and chest. Furthermore, Ibiki refused to acknowledge the burning sensation prickling the corners of his eyes despite the choking sobs of his interrogation healer trying desperately to save the old man's lungs from bone shards.
He'd chastise her lack of restraint later.
Yes, later, but not now because his Hokage needed him now.
He would not break. He would not look up to lock eyes with a man he loved like a father but knew wasn't much longer for this world.
His ears were all too familiar with that wet gurgling sound at the end of each inhale and exhale of the former Hokage trying to hide his wince at the meaning behind it.
He'd caused it enough to know only so much medical chakra would help and, at this point, it could only make the old man's final days comfortable.
When a bowl of warm water and rags landed at his side, Ibiki refused to leave. Instead, his meaty paws doing their best to wipe the warm liquid from darkened skin and torn flesh.
Even as the now murky water was taken away and replaced with a fresh bowl, he stayed at his task until the ANBU declared Hiruzen stable enough to move into intensive care before gently lifting the old man away, Ibiki stayed.
Murky eyes filled with dark thoughts traced the drying pools of blood in the chair and on the floor as the former shadow deep in the man's chest stirred.
Through it all, Ibiki knelt before the chair and focused on the man he felt responsible for all the recent ills of his beloved village. The village he once fought, stole, bled, and nearly died for.
Ibiki stayed and the fire in his soul burned fresh in his heart.
And his mind focused on a fresh spot where he could hide just one more body.
.
.
~III~
"Your Worst Enemy Could Be Your Best Friend & Your Best Friend Your Worst Enemy"
― Bob Marley
~III~
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Umi and Kisame
Umi's eyes took in the space Kisame had found for them to have their little reunion then filed away in the back of his mind the relative distance he'd traveled to get there.
There would be no immediate interruptions and that suited him just fine.
Kisame, on the other hand, looked considerably less comfortable. His eyes were jittery, his hands nervous and fluttery as if he, for the first time in his career, had little idea of what to do with them.
This also suited Umi just fine.
"Done running?" he barked almost conversationally enjoying the minute twitch of his brother's sword arm, the unwrapped Samehada already twitching agitatedly in his grip.
Kisame only responded by taking a deep breath.
"What? No funny cracks or rude comments this time, little brother?" Umi drew his Fang enjoying the tensing of Kisame's body.
"You steal from me. You run from our clan, target my Walker, then have the nerve to ignore me?"
"...a you," the younger brother mumbled, beady eyes narrowing as his chakra began to fluctuate and ebb like the tide.
"What? Speak up youngling! If you're gonna talk sass, have the balls to stand by it!"
Umi had waited years for this and wanted to punish the man he once called brother for his treachery. Vindication drove him to savor this kill.
"I'm. Not. Scared. A. You!" Each word was bitten off like a curse.
Umi, who finally had enough of torturing his sibling, started pacing forward with a snarled, "Prove it then!" He wasn't one for waiting after all either and he despised cheeky brats even more.
Kisame began with "Sweeping the Rushes," a low arcing strike crossing upwards from hip to chest that Umi met with a downward chopping block from the Konoha ANBU repertoire.
Metal rang out against metal. The sounds of heavy weapons rending air and the grunts of large bodies trying to cleave the other in two joined the already hectic sounds of battle.
The first few clashes were telling for the elder brother. He couldn't call Kisame a youngling anymore as the boy had finally grown into his gangly limbs. Each time their swords banged together, the weapons would vibrate up through both pairs of arms, bright sparks flying from the harsh ringing of steel on what he thought was steel.
Kisame dipped low to spin on his knees, the ridiculously shaped sword of his displacing more air than anything else. Umi almost lazily stepped back to let the blade WOOSH harmlessly by.
Kisame was strong but Umi felt he depended on his unique weapon more than he should and felt it was time to remind his younger brother of that fact. To a shinobi, over-specialization usually meant death.
A blur and a boot to Kisame's chest at the end of his spin sent the younger brother crashing violently into a tree.
Umi paused to enjoy the sight of leaves fluttering to the forest floor, many finding a resting spot on his sibling.
The older brother was using the Konoha ANBU version of Kenjutsu to feel out Kisame's skill but he wasn't seeing much in the way of improvement from their early years of sparring. Kisame, however, slipped right into their Sect style of swordplay, and Umi was disappointed with what he saw.
Umi snapped back to the business at hand and gave chase in a rush of wind once Kisame found his feet again. Trying not to overly enjoy the terror in his younger brother's eyes, metal once again met metal with a screeching hiss.
Kisame's fighting form was like an open book.
His younger brother's skill fresh from leaving the Sect had more than likely been greater than most of his opponents, or at least good enough to get him into Mist. From there he most likely peaked before becoming a runaway for a second time. Without anyone to keep him on his toes, Kisame probably stagnated focusing more on avoiding the hunter-nins while relying on his greater physical abilities to carry him through life.
His younger brother's form in their clan art was beyond rusty as a result of substituting finesse for raw power. He'd lost most of the edge he'd earned through hard work training with his older brother and would more than likely burn himself out in exhaustion at the pace they were going, but Umi didn't want to wait that long.
Clashing on the next swing, he planted his feet and shoved hard sending Kisame stumbling back a few paces while adding a disappointed "Tch" at the end of it to keep the younger man's temper up.
Despite the flush of anger in the runaway's eyes, which he was hoping for, it allowed him to channel just enough chakra into the blade to activate the Fugu[12] seals lining the blade's edge of his own weapon.
"What have you been doing with your freedom, brother?"
He could tell by the angry gnashing of Kisame's teeth that he felt patronized, one of Umi's lifelong regrets and probably one of the greatest reasons why the Hatchling fled. Training for the "Kin" was not a gentle affair, often mentally and emotionally abusive but it had to be.
Guardians could never be weak in any way, shape, or form. Their responsibility was too great to fail.
Only now with this wreck of what used to be his brother could he see the harm in those not strong enough to make the cut. Those that fell under the insurmountable pressure to be strong never rose whole again.
Kisame grunted as he attempted to do "Parting the Wave," a two-handed spear thrust his sword was clearly not made for, its gaping maw of teeth wide open to take a bite out of his side. It was an opportunity Umi could not pass up.
He obliged by mirroring the strike and jamming his fang into the sword's gullet, locking them in place as the sword wailed and hissed in agony.
When Kisame gasped and tried to retreat, he surged forward to keep their swords locked.
Samehada's wailing grew to an agonizing keening, the sword literally shaking so hard Kisame's forearm shook because of it.
The younger one body flickered away cursing him, demanding to know what he'd done to his sword while sending shark jutsu after shark jutsu to fend off his brother while he made sense of Samehada's pain.
Umi merely grinned and took up the chase, his fang slicing through chakra and branches like rice paper as Kisame's fear of his older brother grew more obvious by the second. He cursed even more when he discovered that blocking further blows only made Samehada wail more or try to curve away from the Guardian's weapon.
Blocking turned into dodging. Dodging then became running in abject retreat.
They took to the trees with narrow misses, clashes, more wailing sentient weapons, and the occasional grunt as Umi landed a kick or elbow strike while easily avoiding the wild blows of his panicked brother.
Umi knew how the "Demon Shark Blade" worked. Sharks were old enemies of the Umihebi and Kisame was not the weapon's first wielder.
Umi was hoping for more of a challenge, to be honest. Sure, his brother was strong not to mention faster than he'd figured. Years on the run fighting for your life tended to do that and he was sure Mizugakure played some part in that growth. Keina had simply been a better master and tutor and it showed.
To begin with, Kisame showed up rattled. Umi's actions since then only served to further unnerve him.
He'd held back a little to see if his brother could overcome his fear and put up a decent fight but the acidic chakralitic toxins coating his blade were doing their job from what he could see, both in hampering the sentient weapon the traitor wielded and further unnerving his sibling.
Now the traitor was in full-flight.
Umi gathered chakra into his legs and combat-flickered. His foot shattered the tree bark where his brother barely managed to wrench his body away and to the side.
"S-Slow down, Sa-me! I-I-I can't understand you."
Umi smirked. The sword seemed to be fighting its owner. It would try to wrench away from his fang and would periodically squeal in agony right before Kisame would grunt in pain and complain the sword was taking too much of his own chakra.
"What do you mean it burns?!" Kisame roared.
It wouldn't be much longer now. The venom coating his blade was a deadly chakra poison even he had to be careful not to get mixed in with his own blood. This was one of the benefits of not having a sentient weapon that would fight its owner when afraid.
As he watched his brother wrestle with his blade down near the base of the tree, he could count the dozen or so metal scales spread out across the soft grass of the forest. He only needed to push a little further to fully break them both.
Jumping down to land a safe distance away, he turned and raised his weapon to point at his sibling once more.
Kisame blinked in surprise and confusion. Then he raised his sword in similar fashion only for spikes to shoot through his hand causing him to drop the weapon.
Both brothers stared with interest as the famed weapon slithered away leaving behind a trail of rotting, rusting scales.
Then they locked eyes, one brother gripping his mangled hand as realization and acceptance finally sunk in.
"T-Tell Kaa-san," Kisame began only to get cut off as his brother rushed by him a blur too fast to follow.
Umi stopped just two paces beyond, the now blood-free weapon returning to his back even as the zombie-like Samehada wailed and slithered to lay atop its master's headless body.
"Mother withered away after you brought shame to our family." The tired Halfkin retrieved the stump sealing it away into a fresh scroll.
"It's too late for you to apologize now, brother."
He sealed the body and sword in another scroll, the sword barely twitching as the parchment slapped down on its pitted surface, before heading back in the direction he felt the camp was in. The sword he would present to his Walker as proof. His brother's head he would present at his mother's grave in the hopes that his ancestors would finally forgive him.
~III~
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Ishi
Ishi, now flying through the high branches back towards camp, couldn't help but be disappointed by his lack of success. He hoped Keina wouldn't chide him too much. No, the woman was far too pragmatic for that.
He knew going into his assignment that, if it was this Zetsu they'd been briefed on, that his chances of catching the creature would be slim at best. Tracking nature chakra was difficult to do if you weren't a sage and no Hatchling had been able to crest that mountainous achievement that he could remember.
He certainly hadn't.
No, he wasn't suited to tracking a Senjutsu user, if that's what this Zetsu truly was, but he had the most refined sensing ability of all the Guardians so, despite hating the thought of being separated from the Walker during this nonsense, he'd been the one sent.
Futile. All of it was a monumental waste of time. He was convinced of it.
It was more like chasing smoke trying to find the absent air it displaced. He would catch glimpses of something close to chakra, like it was just beyond his fingertips and all he needed to do was...
Then nothing.
Whatever it was would dart far beyond his reach or try to circle around him to get back to where the fighting was. Seconds turned into minutes which bled into many minutes. All of it turned into miles and miles of forested frustration and wasted energy.
By the end, he couldn't even feel the minute vibrations through the ground or nearby trees anymore. So he turned back.
He had better things to be tending to.
He was nearing the campsite, his heavy boot tamping lightly onto a branch he was sure to be strong enough to carry his weight, just like Keina-sama taught him, when his seal pulsed with unfiltered sorrow.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
He recognized that voice and a fresh jolt of ice shot up his spine.
Walker-sama!
The next branch exploded with the force behind his leap and the world blurred as his increased momentum blended seamlessly into a Body Flicker that ate up the distance with frightening ease. His bulky shoulders burst into the clearing in time to see the bloodied bodies of two women striking the ground.
Time seemed to slow painfully. He could see individual strands of hair streaming behind them as they fell. His mind registered the Walker nearly prone, his back to a tree as his legs scrambled to push him away from the cackling man standing over him.
A hateful man in dark robes with a wide, sick smile plastered across his face.
That horribly smiling hyena enjoying the pain he'd inflicted while cherishing more pain yet to come.
Ishi saw it all in the two-plus seconds he needed to process the scene. Then the S-Ranked ANBU killer kicked into high gear as one of the bloody weapons responsible for the death of his master's companions rose into the night air.
Then he was an enormous blur smashing that horrible human from the side sending both of them shooting away from Naruto's prone body, the Jashinite's back and side slamming into the nearest tree with the sickening sound of bones snapping like twigs.
Instead of joy at the man's pain, Ishi only felt all-consuming rage. Rage at being unable to protect his Walker, to being unable to shield him from the pain of battle and the loss he knew to come once adrenaline faded and realization set in. He knew at least one of the Sirens was dead given the blood he glimpsed coating her mouth, throat, and chest and this monster was the one responsible.
It was Ishi's job to keep monsters like this from his Walker. He knew this just as he knew that he failed and an indescribable rage welled up in his chest and throat - a rage that automatically searched for a target as he stepped back from the tree three paces with the Jashinite still gripped in his unrelenting bear hug.
When Keina's face flashed before his eyes with the order he knew he should have refused, his rage flashed through his body searing his blood like molten earth. His chakra pulsed in response, a malignant tumor in his gut as he Body Flickered directly into the tree again using the Jashinite as a body cushion.
This psychopath would share in his pain and guilt. All of it.
He knew his responsibilities but he'd followed his former General without question, without hesitation trusting in her previously infallible judgment.
No more.
There were more gruesome snaps and pops as the fanatic's body absorbed the momentum of Ishi's near four hundred pound mass moving hundreds of kilometers per hour.
The limp mass of flesh in his arms screamed bloody murder unable to draw enough strength to regain his scythe without an interconnected skeleton to anchor his muscles. He was pretty sure the bastard's spine was crushed and both shoulder blades were smashed into tiny pieces.
Just as quick as it came, his anger flickered and another face appeared this time bringing with it self-hatred and loathing. The face this time was his own.
'I should have refused!'
He took three more steps back and Flickered once more, Hidan's resulting scream of pain filled with equal amounts of blood as his undead lungs filled with the sticky fluid.
.
.
Hidan knew it would be both painful and time-consuming for his undead regeneration to pull the bone fragments from his lungs. He hated that part but his thoughts were interrupted as he hung limply from this monster's grip fearing another meeting with the tree.
Oddly enough, his only recurring thought was to wonder where the hell his partner was and if he would be in time to rescue him again.
.
.
Ishi merely stepped back again before throwing the broken mass of flesh to the ground with a snarl.
"I should have refused!" he bellowed before pinning the bloody figure's arms to the ground with his knees.
Then the blows began to land with enough strength to crater the ground beneath Hidan's head and for the second time in over a decade, the dimmer Zombie Brother knew fear.
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~oOo~
Naruto's eyes blinked, his gaze flitting back and forth from the terrifying figure once standing over him, to the two Sirens lying unmoving on the grass a half-dozen paces from where he still sat sprawled against the tree, to the image of Ishi's back as it heaved with each chakra enhanced punch that he rained down on the now spread-eagled Akatsuki member lying prone beneath him. With each earth-shuddering punch, blood, bone, and gristle flew into the air as the hatchling sought to dismantle the crazy Zombie Brother with his fists.
Ishi's great, big, peaceful, fists.
CRUNCH-CRUNCH
Hidan's screams were becoming more liquid-filled and garbled with each blow.
CRUNCH-CRUNCH-SNAP
Hidan had dropped his pike during Ishi's initial charge. The scythe lay long-forgotten as the massive Hatchling continued to rain down blow after punishing blow.
CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-SNAP-CRUNCH-SNAP!
Ishi, gentle protective Ishi was moving on from smashing Hidan's face to crushing his ribcage with each thundering fist.
Through it all, Naruto could only sit and vindictively cheer on the massive Hatchling with each blow as the tears began to freefall down his cheeks. He only turned away once Ishi drew his blade and began hacking the body into pieces.
Instead, he began to crawl to the unmoving bodies of his Sirens, his back glowing a brilliant shade of green bright enough to shine through the creases of his armor.
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~III~
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Keina and Itachi
Itachi landed lightly on a branch only to have a sword tip burst through his chest. A second later, he burst into a flock of crows and separated in a rush of squawking feathers.
"You are wasting time when the Jinchūriki needs your help," the somber youth deflected.
They'd been at this far longer than he'd liked and the strain of keeping his Sharingan active was beginning to catch up to him.
Still bedecked in her sleeping yukata and combat mask, Keina turned around to face the evasive shinobi. "Oh, I think my Sochi has all the protection he needs with your six friends occupied."
Itachi tried not to flinch. 'She knew about Zetsu?'
"Now, Itachi-kun, my little turncoat." She set her feet on the branch and tensed, Itachi doing the same on reflex. "You're going to tell me exactly how you knew we were coming this way and when."
Itachi only gripped his kunai tighter producing another disappointed "Tsk" from the woman threatening to carve him in two and doing a good job of keeping him on his toes. He'd given up trying to catch her in layer after layer of Genjutsu, his suspicions around her scary resistance centering on the mask she wore.
"Wrong choice, 'Tachi-kun'."
She blurred again, her almost casual movements right on the edge of his blurring vision to keep pace. It was bad enough that he couldn't see worth a damn past three meters without the Sharingan. Now even the edges of his doujutsu were beginning to dim. Itachi couldn't help but wonder that it wouldn't be too long now...
He dodged the blade narrowly, his chakra burning through his pathways as she kept him on the defensive. She clearly wanted to keep him distracted while the Guardians dealt with the others but to turn and flee with her speed would be a lethal mistake.
She saw the backpedaling shinobi crouched down five or six meters away inspecting the latest addition to his Akatsuki uniform, a new slice in the side of the billowy garment still smoking from the flaming chakra she'd been pushing through her sword on that last pass. From what she could see, he'd barely kept from adding a new scar to his ribs.
"C'mon, Tachi-kun," she cooed.
Keina waited for him to glance up at her before continuing.
"I don't know why you're keeping up this charade with Danzo dead and buried in an unmarked Konoha grave."
For his part, Itachi was finding it harder and harder to keep his vaunted cool. She kept claiming that the man was dead but he couldn't take the risk. There were far too much planning, blood, sweat, and tears into his sacrifice for the Uchiha Clan. There was just too much at stake to "take a chance."
His eye twitched as he weighed her words against what little he knew.
Keina smiled wide enough between the semi-soft Guardian facemask that he could imagine the Cheshire grin beneath. "You mean your new handler hasn't told you yet?"
Itachi blinked again before glancing around nervously. Red eyes flared frantically before he was sure of something, sure enough to speak up. "Why would you assume that I have a Konoha handler? I murdered my entire clan."
She shook her head enough for him to notice, then placed a finger next to her throat before speaking, her voice becoming a perfect match for the former ANBU Commander, Dragon.
"I taught you better than that, Itachi."
The shock on his open face was telling, the half-stumbling partial step backwards even more so.
"Zetsu is occupied," she continued, her fingers dropping from her throat as her voice returned to normal. "Also as I said earlier, Orochimaru has your younger brother with him. I'm sure you're aware of what that means, aren't you?"
"But Danzo..." he paused still stunned by the possibility of freedom.
"What? Danzo promised to protect him in exchange for your continued service, didn't he?" she asked to confirm.
The shell-shocked youth nodded numbly in return, dry lips afraid to speak should Zetsu actually be near.
"When we stormed his underground bunker we found written agreements between him and Orochimaru, the same Orochimaru that implanted stolen eyes from your clan into a borrowed synthetic arm for the one-eyed bastard to use."
She paused to admire the flushed tinge of anger on the youth's neck and cheeks before continuing. "He also promised to deliver your brother like a wrapped gift once he gained the hat and robes from the old man."
"You lie!" he hissed back at her. The hateful warhawk swore! He swore on his honor that-.
Somewhere in the back of his roiling mind a small voice questioned any sort of honor associated with the old war hawk.
Kiena shrugged seeing his inner turmoil. "Don't believe me then." Then she turned to walk away, to his very much stunned surprise, unconcerned with the threat of him. "I'm sure you have ways to confirm my story on your own."
He blinked in shock. Was it... over? Just like that?
It was as she reached the edge of the trees that she heard his voice call out.
"Someone in Konoha promised a rather large sum for Naruto's head as proof. It was enough money to entice my organization to act."
His words stopped her flat, her head turned just far enough for one crystal-covered eye to watch him.
"How heavy hangs the head in Konoha that wears the crown," he finished before vanishing in a flock of cawing birds.
Keina immediately pushed further thought of him from her mind as those two statements began to twist and tumble over themselves. She had a new target to focus on with that last comment even if it only confirmed what she'd already suspected.
Could she skin a new Kage and get away with it?
It would be several moments later before she returned to the camp smiling at putting that earworm she'd wriggled in Itachi's head. Hopefully, he'd keep the Snake distracted for a little while freeing her attention up for other concerns. So many other concerns...
Her mind wandered briefly for several moments before she stumbled across a gaggle of defenders standing over the wailing form of her Sochi, his clothes drenched in the blood of the two unmoving women clenched in his arms as he sobbed over their unblinking bodies.
'Oh, Sochi.'
.
.
~III~
.
.
Konohagakure, Restaurant and Markets District
The heat of the day seemed to fade after the sun finished setting. Walking through the now active streets of Konoha, Sakura couldn't help but take a deep, cleansing breath to push away the last of her stress. Practicals always did that for her. She hadn't left such a great impression in her practical work after all.
She paused to push her arms over her head, fingers locked together as she exhaled sharply.
In with the good, and out with the bad.
A simple charm to ward away bad thoughts. Sakura had her fair share of those lately especially when it came to...
No.
She promised that she wouldn't overanalyze his decision not to come for her. It's not like she could freely admit that she would have done the same for him even now with Sasuke's-.
Another sharp exhale.
Another forced stretch followed by a rough shake of her head.
It took a very long and sleepless night filled with extreme soul-searching before she could honestly admit to herself that Sakura had done little to garner Naruto's respect. Forget feelings of devotion like the ones she once harbored for the raven-haired prince of the Uchiha.
No, she'd earned nothing near enough for him to sacrifice himself for her. If anything, she'd ruthlessly pushed him and every other male away-not that there were many more-so it came as no surprise that, when she needed him the most, he'd turned away.
Part of that soul-searching included all of the other behaviors she'd purposely ignored. I mean... it didn't include Sas-the Uchiha so she intentionally blocked out a lot not centered around her love interest's personal orbit. That included all of the harsh treatment the Uzu-Naruto suffered at the hands of Konoha.
Boy did that list go on and on and on.
Her brows pursed in unhappy thought at the little she'd seen or participated in. Could they ever make it right?
Would he ever give them the chance?
The sound of raised voices interrupted her thoughts not realizing that her feet had taken her nearly to her destination. Lifting her eyes from the cobbled stones of the Market Quarter, Sakura was greeted by the bright lights of "The Q" and a crowd of onlookers blocking traffic to the entrance.
Sighing she began working her way through the mob only to pick up the very angry voices of two people from her academy days.
Boy did that bring back memories...
"You keep using that tired 'dead last' insult but I remember your test grades being below everyone else's in the class, Kiba, including Naruto's!"
Kiba's snorting huff reached her even as she reached the inner ring of bodies clamoring for a front-row spot to the clan heir scuffle rapidly drawing attention in the open market.
"Not sure what that loser imposter has on a babe like you but you need to wake up and move on! He isn't good for anyone in Konoha!"
The Inuzuka's eyes shamelessly raked the blonde's curvy figure lingering on her considerable chest. Kiba was puffed up on himself like he usually was but this time Sakura didn't feel the need to chime in on his defense.
"A babe with your curves deserves a real man to protect her."
Sakura could see the dog nin's smirk clear as day. Odd how it seemed just a bit slimier than before...
Ino's retort was an angry, "I'd rather kiss Akamaru than let you sniff around me!"
Kiba's, "That can be arranged!" was equally snappy.
Sakura tried not to snort in laughter at the exchange even if she was wondering why they were all outside instead of inside at a table like Ino said they would be.
"We were thrown out because of their bickering," a voice at her left elbow whispered.
Despite her recent spate of confidence, Sakura twitched in shock before she recognized the subdued shape of Shino Aburame.
She nodded and he returned on in acknowledgment.
"How long have they been at this?" The Akimichi's running the establishment were notoriously tolerant of shinobi outbursts so this must have been going on for a while.
Shino Shrugged noncommittally. "We arrived together near seven o'clock."
Sakura glanced at her wrist noting it was nearly eight and winced. "Sorry I was so late." Perhaps if she'd been on time she might have been able to prevent or at least tone down the argument.
"You flea-bitten mongrel!"
Ino's insult spurred on another wince. Maybe not after all.
"Face it, Blondie! Your boyfriend's a traitor and that's why his whole misbegotten family is getting the Konoha boot!"
Ouch.
In response, Ino's open-mouthed gasp was immediately followed by a threat to lobotomize the annoying boy, braid his hair in pigtails, then dress him up for a summer tea party. At that point, Sakura knew she needed to end this before it turned into a street brawl.
Street brawls between shinobi often ended up with one party maimed and the other in a cell at T&I.
Sakura stepped between the two verbal combatants and pushed Ino back three steps before turning on the still-angry Kiba who was being held back by Shino.
"It's no wonder he hates this village," Sakura spat out.
"And this village hates him back!" Kiba snarked refusing to not get the last word in.
Sakura couldn't believe his stupidity, hell she couldn't believe the absurdity of the entire village and she said as much by responding with, "Kami, it's a wonder he hasn't turned this village into a bonfire."
At that, the dog nin as well as many in the crowd laughed out as if she'd told a humorous punchline.
"Ha! The 'dead last'?" Kiba paused to enjoy the onlookers boosting his ego. "What could he ever hope to do?!"
"You must be the dumbest nin in Konoha if you've already forgotten Gaara of the Desert!" Sakura was sure to yell that one out and it silenced the entire crowd immediately. She almost enjoyed Kiba's full-body shiver at the response.
He'd not been shy about how Gaara crushed his opponents like grapes in Training Area Forty-Four. He'd told anyone that would listen without shame that the psychopath terrified him. When it became known that he had the Ichibi sealed in him and that his instability was a result of his village's mental torturing of the boy, it took next to no time for word to spread and a healthy fear-induced respect to form around the visiting nin.
"W-What does that sicko have to do with anything?" Kiba was sounding just a bit defensive as he tried to hide his fresh wave of fear.
Good. Maybe now he'd listen for once.
"You forgot, didn't you?" She waited for an answer but didn't get one.
"He has a demon sealed in him just like Naruto but his entire village is terrified of the monster they creating by mentally and emotionally torturing him." She chuffed at the stupidity. "And his Bijuu, as that's what they are called, is the weakest of the bunch."
"So! So what?"
She ignored the childish outburst.
"So what do you think would happen if Naruto, who has the strongest of all the bijuu sealed in him lost it like Gaara did after all you morons treating him like crap?"
The entire crowd grew eerily quiet.
"What? Did you think he'd just continue to take your abuse forever?" She glanced around to gauge the crowd's reaction and was disappointed by what she saw.
They actually thought he would or that someone would keep him under control so they wouldn't have to stop.
"I mean the guy with the weakest demon - as you call it - holds his entire village hostage to his rage and you morons casually go around poking Naruto like a primed chakra tag laughing the whole time hoping he doesn't blow up on you."
Sakura placed her hands on Ino's shoulders and gently turned the girl to walk away. Perhaps they could get a decent meal at that dango place Anko used to always eat at.
She even included one final, "Idiots, the entire lot of you," before leading her friend away to catch up on the latest news in her soon-to-be-married life.
Back in the center of his ring of supporters, Kiba's eyes were blinking as his mind slowly began to connect the dots but he wasn't alone. Some wanted to rail back in anger but the girl's words had an eerie ring of truth to go with the terrifying realization.
Many in the crowd cheering him on not minutes before were beginning to realize the possible consequences of their actions. That Suna kid could crush people like rotten fruit with that sand he controlled. Many believed it was because of the demon sealed in him.
If that weak demon could make the child strong enough for that, what could the monster of their nightmares do for the kid they'd emotionally shunned and mentally tortured for years? Could he turn Konoha into a burning crater like the Councilor's daughter said he could?
With the Yondaime gone, the Toad Sage banished by the Godaime, and the Sandaime imprisoned, would anyone be able to stop him? Did the new Godaime even have the strength?
Many shocked faces began to run home to check on loved ones just to ease their newly troubled minds and, by the end of the following week, Naruto Uzumaki would be on the mind of many of his tormentors.
Shino looked down at the rapidly spreading pool of wet soaking the front of his teammate's trousers and the corner of his mouth turned up, just a little.
Served them all right in his opinion.
~III~
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.
They'd gone from the withering heights of victory to the soul-crushing depths of despair in a matter of days.
Returning to Konoha held feelings as mixed as the ones they left behind in Tetsu. Three days with nothing to do but reflect on recent events did nothing to improve people's moods either.
They'd survived against Akatsuki but the price had been a dear one. Well, at least for Naruto it had been. The next Uzukage clearly miscalculated the seal backlash from bonding those women to her Sochi and he was paying the price for it.
Keina's somber eyes took in the form of her son, two Sirens huddled into his sides as he tried to console their tears with soft words and an arm around each fetal-positioned female.
Most of the Akatsuki retreated shortly after Hidan stopped twitching allowing the rest of the Guardians to regroup. Among the escort detail, they'd lost a single Hatchling to decapitation while another dozen suffered minor wounds after being outnumbered nearly four-to-one.
Ozuoko-chan was dead.
Kaiyo-chan was dead.
They were dead before their bodies hit the ground, the complete discharge of his supplemental healing network absolutely useless when it comes to reviving a corpse. Worse still was how Naruto kept blaming himself for not staying put as he'd been told. He'd never been good at following orders but he'd never gotten people killed because of his actions either.
Decisions like that tended to impact a person's level of guilt.
The remaining Sirens didn't blame him oddly enough. They'd made decisions in the heat of battle and accepted the consequences, like kunoichi. It didn't mean that the loss of their comrades hurt any less.
Things were oddly silent among his little gaggle of protectors, none more so than the remaining Sirens though they whispered in his ears that night and each thereafter that it wasn't his fault, both kissing dry the tear tracks along his whiskered cheeks.
Maybe he'd actually start to believe it in a year or two, but not tonight and maybe not next year either. That kind of pain needed to be absorbed over time and processed. Grieving and mourning required equal parts attention and due diligence before healing could truly begin.
The look in his eyes said it all and, for now, they mourned the loss of their sisters together.
Everyone else recognized the stupid level of difficulty in fighting six S-Ranked nins even with seven of your own. Even knowing that offense sometimes made for a better defense, guilt hung heavy among several of the Komodo Squad due to the pain plaguing their Walker, none more than the quiet Shadow Guardian. Several of them couldn't help but think things may have been different if at least one of them had been nearby to intercept the Jashin zombie resting in another storage scroll next to the one holding Kisame's corpse.
They'd worry about the four that escaped another day.
Despite the irrational logic of hindsight, many of them shared Ishi's guilty thoughts thinking they'd abandoned their number one charter: the protection of their Walker. As a result, the Guardians distanced themselves from everything non-Walker related, including Keina their former Taichou.
There would be other things to focus on soon enough.
Having summoned hatchlings and messenger serpents to ferry the ambush survivors to the Grotto before leaving Tetsu, no one in the Uzumaki camp wanted to risk exposing them to Konoha given the uncertainty in relations between nations. That was too much opportunity for Kakashi not to take advantage of it or make himself a pest. His recent betrayal of them to the Akatsuki only stood out more in their eyes as proper justification.
Fool us once...
Keina suggested they wait to tell the others back at the house about the clan rescues, at least until the entire clan was out of Konoha and beyond the reach of the Leaf. They were going to be evacuating soon enough anyway.
Naruto lethargically agreed, his head lolling as the litter rocked back and forth.
It made sense. Really it did. Naruto just didn't want to wait longer than he had to before he could speak with the newest members of his clan.
There was so much to learn! Maybe, if he kept busy enough, he'd stop seeing their unblinking faces.
Tradition, history, funny stories! Most were civilians but Uba-sama and a few of the really old ones could share a bit more. Maybe he could eventually forget, even if he couldn't forgive himself.
At a minimum, this meant he didn't need to worry about multiple brides, right? He hoped so but Keina's stony silence when he asked did not bode well so he stopped asking.
Instead of the smile he'd been on and off wearing for the last four days of travel as he shared happy memories of the girls, his face soured once the great walls of the village came into view and stayed that way. With one final scowl, he slid both the curtains and the sliding litter doors closed deciding that Konoha could wait until he'd processed the entire week's worth of drama.
But there would be no isolation now when he wanted it. How ironic?
Through the closed doors, he could hear one of the Lieutenants speaking with the gate guards. A brief argument ensued when the guards tried to search the litter only to be rebuffed by angry hatchling snarls and hands resting on sword pommels.
There was a pregnant pause then the litter rose smoothly from the ground and resumed its gentle sway, presumably through the streets of Konoha. A surprisingly subdued Konoha.
The main east-west road was usually chocked full of people during the late morning, the cacophony normally apparent to the litter's passengers unless someone activated the privacy seals built into the interior as Keina did on their original departure.
KNOCK-KNOCK.
Anko leaned forward to slide a small messenger panel aside to see one of Keina's personal escorts walking alongside the portal.
"The guard at the gates told me that the Hokage has summoned all villagers to the Hokage Square for an announcement."
'That explains the silence,' Naruto thought.
"That one-eyed donkey-," Anko began only to get pulled up short.
Keina's hand clamped onto her shoulder cutting off what was building to become a virtuoso tirade. "Have the Dōji take us to the edge of the crowd. Be prepared to leave in a hurry if need be."
There was a crisp salute, the thump of a fist to leather-bound breast, then the woman leaned back as if she intended to nap until they arrived.
Anko and Naruto shared a shrug before the older kunoichi nodded to the Hatchling, sliding the panel closed before assuming a similar pose.
Naruto leaned back against the rear paneling of the litter and listened to the distant murmur of a confused crowd gradually being paced nearer by the gentle steps of the bearers.
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~III~
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Top of the Hokage Tower
"They've cleared the gates and should be here shortly," Raidō relayed into the ear of his eye-smiling Hokage. Below them, the crowd of villagers was becoming impatient and he was tired of waiting. Still, the fact that the Akatsuki failed in their attempt rankled his mood.
They were supposed to be the best but killing one adolescent appeared to be beyond their capabilities.
At least the Aburame had its uses.
"About time. I was about to call it a day and head home early."
Kakashi's eye-smile turned into an upside-down "U" while his guards' sweat dropped at the amount of work piling up on his desk while they waited atop the tower pretty much all morning. They'd more than likely get stuck sorting the growing mound of paper late into the early evening hours.
Again.
"Why don't we bring out our guest of honor gentlemen?" Kakashi folded his arms lazily across his chest as he stepped forward to begin his first, and greatest, literary work: the speech he'd spent the last three days wordsmithing.
"People of Konoha," his voice rang out snatching the murmuring attention.
"I want to thank you for your patience but I could not in good faith begin without our special guests, who'll be here shortly." The impatient din below died to a hushed murmur as people pressed in to see clearly enough.
A trickle of chakra to his exposed eye brought an appreciative whistle from the Godaime, his eye boggling at seeing the Dōji for only the second time in his life.
Only a true Uzumaki could... maybe they are...
There was a mild tingling at the back of his head, the mildest form of discomfort, before warmth spread from there to his temples. Brushing away the wince and the lingering doubt, he pressed on knowing he had the crowd's attention.
"By now you've all heard about our treaty nullification with Clan Uzumaki."
He paused to let the combined cheering and grumbling below die down. "It's become clear of late that the great clan ain't what it used to be!"
There was scattered laughter among the civilians and non-clan shinobi. Far fewer than he'd hoped for but he continued.
"Yet and still," he paused for dramatic effect as he saw the mass of summons shuffling in time down the main road, "being old allies is never a reason to betray one's village."
Gasps of shock mingled with shouts of rage. Some, those few ninja he'd planted in the crowd, were already waving small nooses in the air.
"That's why we'll be executing justice today on a traitor to the village almost on-par with Orochimaru!"
The roar from the crowd nearly deafened him from atop the tower, that is until a pair of ANBU forced a bound and gagged Sandaime Hokage forward to stand just in front of the Godaime.
The almost-immediate silence, like a switch being turned off, was just as deafening.
Then the doubt and disbelief began. At first, it was only a few voices asking in confusion what the meaning of this poor joke was. Many grew angry at the bruises adorning the old man's face, the multiple trails of dried blood darkening his cheeks, mouth, and spindly beard.
The Sandaime Hokage was one of the most beloved figures in their entire history. This had to be a mistake, right? If it was a joke, it was a sordid and unwelcome one.
The grumbling was beginning to grow into a mild roar of discontent, a deep rumbling as it passed through the gathered throng.
Kakashi tried to wave down the crowd most of which was demanding an explanation while pockets of resistance tried to shout over the angry host demanding just as hard for him to be allowed to plead his case.
A gout of flame over the entire crowd provided enough of a break in the noise for him to continue.
He pointedly ignored the smug smile on his abused guest of honor.
"You are all familiar with how much protection the Third Hokage gave the village demon."
Almost the entire crowd gasped, several looking about for flying swords and kunai.
"I've rescinded the law preventing discussion of this village's worst-kept secret! It's lies like this that have crippled our ability to heal as a group and move beyond that horrific night nearly sixteen years ago and it's time we allow ourselves that chance for closure!"
He could see the shock in their eyes, a long-buried shock slowly changing to a resentful agreement, and his eye swept to the palanquin now resting sideways in the street so that passengers inside could watch the proceedings. A quick glance showed, much to his displeasure, that the tranquil smile on Hiruzen's face was directed to his clan members standing below and one side of the tower itself, and not his intended audience.
No matter. Akatsuki may have failed but he still had his larger game plan.
"Consider today the first major dose of therapy for this village, our first step to real closure as we root out the horrible lies of our past." He nodded once and stepped back two paces.
The two guards forced the former Sandaime to kneel hunched over at the waist while a third, a dark hooded shinobi, stepped forward. In two strides, the shinobi garbed all in black from head to toe, struck out, his blade a silver streak through the late morning air.
Hiruzen's head bounced once on the tower roof before rolling to a stop a meter away from his slowly collapsing body.
Kakashi paid no attention to the roars of disbelief as his eyes settled on the litter, his grin beneath his mask near maniacal, only to see the viewing panel slide silently closed as the litter rose from the earth to shuffle back from whence it came.
His grin died as the crowd below began to cry out in shock and disbelief.
"Not quite the reaction I wanted but it's a start," the one-eyed nin groused.
Then he spent the rest of the afternoon calming villagers either arguing for proof of the Sandaime's guilt or asking why a tribunal was never convened per the Sandaime Hokage's right.
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~III~
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.
Reactions across the village went largely as could be expected.
Ninja clans, especially the more senior Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Yamanaka, and Akimichi, made it clear in no uncertain terms that punishing and executing a former clan patron - a once sitting Hokage no less - without the benefit of a tribunal was not acceptable. All four submitted notarized statements of protest as a result, statements that were forwarded directly to the Fire Lord for his response, a thing that hadn't been done since the days of Madara Uchiha.
It may have done little to assuage their dislike in the Uzumaki, but it did open eyes to the fact that the clans held no special privilege in the eyes of a Hokage long parted from the clan lifestyle and ignorant of clan bylaws. They were too busy circling the proverbial wagons in self-protection to worry about the Uzumaki now.
The Aburame and the Nara remained oddly silent despite the sideways glances they received at the next short-notice Council meeting, the widening social gap between the Nara and the other Ino-Cho members obvious to everyone else in the room. Chouza sat firmly on the opposing side, if ever there was one, knowing full well that his son would have died under Kakashi's leadership if not for the Sandaime earning a favor from the Uzumaki, who then found his son, kept Chouji alive, and brought him home for emergent medical care. To the Akimichi, loyalty was more than a catchy slogan and Chouza gave short shrift to those that displayed none.
The civilian side of the Council held mixed reviews.
A good portion held on to their anger from failed attempts to kill the Kyūbi Brat. The ones that refused to let it go, especially now that the brat in question was permanently beyond their reach, could do nothing but displace that anger to the deceased Hokage. It was as close to closure as they were about to get and the truly bitter civilians embraced that succor wholeheartedly.
For those with more level heads focused on profit, the vast sums of money made during the Hokage's long tenure tempered their rage. In that tempering of passions, they were able to consume recent events translating the lack of protection afforded to a senior Clan Head to their considerably less secure status as civilians in a shinobi dictatorship. That crystal clear deduction did more to cool their passions than the heated debate going on amongst their less reserved council members resulting in equal parts a healthy amount of concern and skepticism - all directed at the current Hokage.
In short, neither shinobi nor civilian was free from a Hokage's scrutiny if said ruler ignores the rule of law whenever convenient - never mind that the civilians often did just that. But a Kage doing so...
THAT was an extremely sobering thought considering all of the dirty deeds done in the name of self-promotion.
What happens when their dirty laundry gets aired out as it did for Hiruzen?
Many rubbed suddenly itchy necks in concern as the Sandaime's final moments flashed through their minds.
To make matters worse, the Council, for the first time ever, mirrored the general opinions of the villagers who remained too shocked to discuss the issue near any form of village government, shinobi or administrator alike, for fear of earning the Hokage's attention.
With that blanket of gloom settling over the village, the Hidden Leaf quieted from its normal gaiety to a deathly pall. Citizens stepped quickly through the streets with shoulders hunched and heads bowed. Normal social niceties gave way to isolationism and the occasional head nod.
The clans retreated to their compounds, the Uzumaki setting the precedent heading straight to their grounds before the mass of humanity surrounding the Hokage Tower could disperse on the day of the Sandaime's execution. The more astute clans took note and did likewise using their response to the Godaime's prodding as the default.
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~III~
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.
"How long you think before he passes out?" Anko's question was filled with equal parts humor and jealousy.
Yugao glanced her way with a single eyebrow twitching skyward as she fought back a giggle. "Why? Are you jealous, nee-chan?"
Anko's brow knitted together in annoyance but she didn't comment further. She didn't even rake her pinched gaze over her purplette sister's matching form-fitting ANBU-styled gear in blacks or dark grays trimmed in red.
They were both standing off to the side shortly after the family returned from their trip, the core Uzumaki family gathered around the nook debriefing what they'd seen in Tetsu as well as upon their return to the Leaf. The entire time that discussion was going on, Fuka - the latest Uzumaki addition - was smothering a very surprised Naruto with her breasts while masquerading her amorous affection as a welcoming hug.
Anko was not alone in her annoyance.
"PWAGH!"
There was a deep gasping for air afterward as the three female hatchlings sitting opposite the Uzumaki women pulled him into their laps while waiting for his eyes to stop swirling.
Fuka chuckled before turning to smile at Keina. Arms folded beneath her moderate breasts, the oldest clan woman in the room nodded at the good news of Hiruzen's death. "So what's our next move with your only supporter a head shorter?"
She'd made no secret of her desire for retribution on the Leaf, in general, and the Old Monkey, in particular.
"We have the alliances we needed," Keina offered before looking to Takako, her First Lieutenant and asking, "Where are we with the withdrawal?"
Still new to being inside the inner domicile in any official capacity, the quick Fire Sect Hatchling rifled through her clipboard checklist. "Eighty-four percent complete, Kage-sama. We still need to crate up the final camp supplies that won't be used here in the village but those can be wrapped up in a few hours."
Keina nodded. "With Hiruzen's death, I'm not planning to wait around until the end of our thirty-day notice. I want to be vacated by next weekend."
Both of her henchwomen saluted with the thud of a fist to their leather-covered chests producing a heavy WHUMP.
Fuka pouted.
"I get that you're looking for a fight, Fuka-chan, but I'm not starting one while we're trapped in the middle of hostile territory."
Keina's eyes flickered to Haku. "Did they drop off the signed purchase contract?"
The Yuki smiled and then nodded her head once before handing over the red ribbon-bound scroll. "It was," her face twisted up in annoyance, "more difficult than I expected getting the document notarized but Shibi-san was a perfect gentleman. The gold bars are sealed at the bottom of the contract."
Yugao's face scrunched up at the mention of the Aburame Clan Head, something Keina caught notice of.
"Something wrong, Yu-chan?"
The former Konoha ANBU flinched but did not answer wanting to avoid starting a problem.
"Speak up lady! You're part of this clan now even if it's only a temporary thing for you." Keina was really hoping she'd become a permanent member but the woman's heart still grieved over her lost love.
It was an understandable reaction, unfortunately.
"Hana came over three days ago grumbling about her mother."
Naruto's head perked up despite Soyo's attempt to keep it resting in the middle of her marshmallow-soft cleavage.
"Apparently her mother has developed a strong dislike for Naruto, much like Kakashi." Yugao was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice eyebrows jerking skyward amongst the people in the room. "She says her mom was gloating about how Kakashi was going to add another notch to his belt once they removed Naruto's biggest supporter."
Keina nodded. "We heard his little pep rally outside the tower."
"True, but Tsume was saying that the information that put the final nail in the Sandaime's coffin came from the Aburame Clan Head, Shibi. He ratted out the old man's release of a long-term prisioner." Her eyes narrowed at the smirking hug monster she still had an adversarial relationship with.
"She claimed her mother drank toasts half the night away proud that he'd 'finally come around to the non-demon side,' as she put it."
"Ha!"
Everyone jumped at Keina's shout, none more than a confused Yugao.
"That worked better than I thought. Krack-ashi must be farther gone than we expected." Keina hopped up and turned to the Dōji standing by in the kitchen. "Big feast tonight! We're celebrating!"
She pointed a finger at her clipboard-wielding second. "Remind me to get 'Ole Shibi-san a going away present."
Said second withdrew a pen from her cleavage and scribbled a few hurried notes and helpful suggestions.
She turned back to the stunned dozen or so people huddled around the nook and barked out a brisk, "What?"
"You planned this?!" Naruto's jaw fell open after his outburst, his eyes blinking uncontrollably at Keina's expanding grin.
"You didn't think I'd let him get away with all the shit this village put us through, did you?" Keina planted her fists on curvy hips then locked gazes with her still stunned "son."
"B-But... I thought he was our friend?!" He had no idea how they were going to explain this to Tsunade of the rest of the Sarutobi Clan.
"Friends don't lock up your family for over a decade without just cause, Naruto-kun," Fuka threw back in his face without pause. "Friends don't stand by while your entire clan gets wiped out either."
She took a step forward to rest her palms on the tabletop of the breakfast nook, her eyes boring into his own even as she saw the ongoing pain hidden just behind them.
"Friends don't condone the decade-long torture of your greatest hero's son."
The entire kitchen was silent for several minutes as every eye settled on Naruto's torn face.
Keina stood erect and then clapped her hands together to avoid a major argument knowing Naruto still had some affection for the old man despite how disappointed he was with him. In her opinion, Hiruzen owed her family too much blood to care and she'd already dumped his loving memory in the trash where she felt it belonged.
"Now, on to the important things before we move out." Her eyes twinkled dangerously. "When're you gonna buckle down and start giving me some Uzumaki grandbabies to spoil?"
"Mooooooooooooommm!"
And just like that the heavy atmosphere was gone.
His momentary distraction was enough for Soyo to slap a palm to his forehead and wrangle him firmly back into her cleavage. She tried to ignore the way Fuka kept hungrily licking her lips, her arms wrapping protectively around his shoulders.
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~III~
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Four days later, the entirety of the Sarutobi Clan marched through the Eastern Gate during early morning peak hours, most of them surrounding the horse-drawn carriage holding the eldest son, his wife, and their child, Konohamaru. Asuma and his sibling had the paperwork pre-filled along with the required Notice of Secession indicating that the entire clan would be departing the village. Given that Kakashi never revoked their clan status, technically there was nothing he could legally do.
The fact that the Daimyo was there at the time roasting him over the fire, so to speak, also meant that he couldn't openly send squads of ANBU out to discreetly retrieve them.
It was after he'd undergone the most epic ever reaming out by the Fire Lord and was escorting the man, with his hundred samurai escort out of the village, that the Uzumaki stormed out just ahead of them. When he stumbled through the proper explanation as to why one of the Fire Lord's most trusted Clans was departing Konoha with all of their possessions strapped down in several wagons - just like the Sarutobi before them, the Fire Lord sent one of his more respectful Captains after the group then turned promptly around to trudge back to the tower and await proper answers.
Kakashi could do nothing but groan and long for days when all he had to do was find a quiet corner to read in peace.
~III~
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[Points of Interest]
[12] Fugu means "Pufferfish." In this case, it refers to special seals along the wavy edge of the Fang's sharpening line that temporarily coat the blade with deadly toxins, a different poison each time they are charged with the wielder's chakra.
~III~
Final Comments: A quick update to push us firmly into the final arc. Umi finally gets justice and Sakura turns her last mental corner.
Until we meet again.
~Siva'a