Yello! Yes, it's a new chapter. I just wanted to start by apologizing for the long delay.
The visit of Kirigakure and it's outcome left him feeling good about himself. Even as he left Shisui behind, Naruto was more excited about his return to the Leaf, to delve into the depths of his planning. Because politics were involved, a shrewd mind was required. It had never been his forte, but Naruto wasn't going to allow anything to dampen his mood.
He hadn't gone to see the Sandaime Hokage upon returning. He knew the old man wanted to pick his brain regarding the expansion of the Military Police, but had probably expected him to trot into his office as soon as he was back. Naruto wanted to gather all the materials and have a clear mind before facing the old man. He didn't dismiss the possibility that the old man could screw everything up if he so chose. The Hokage did wield ultimate power; it was just a power the Third Hokage often lacked the courage to use.
In due time, the Hokage would not be so absolute. It would be good for the Uchiha and, of course, the village.
"I trust things went smoothly?" he asked, staring between Riku and Kouseki. They were within the secret chamber under the Naka Shrine.
The two hadn't needed to be called to his presence to deliver their report. They had dragged themselves from wherever they were and come to him.
Loyalty was not a question. Capacity to act was always the question. Riku was a little more hardened and stern, Kouseki had his moments. But both were capable and stood above the rest. The only glaring defect Naruto found was that neither possessed the Mangekyo. However, their use of the Sharingan was perfection.
Just this advantage made them stand above many who spent days and nights in training sessions. For now, that was more than enough.
"Hardly smooth," Riku replied with displeasure. "We spoke to the Feudal Lord. He went around in circles. We only made progress once we were before some Council members."
The indecision of the Fire Lord had unearthed a loathing in Riku. He had wanted to put the old man out of his misery. The Fire Nation was too big to be ruled by an idiot. There didn't seem to be much difference between the Third Hokage and the Fire Lord. Perhaps that was why they seemed to get along. Birds of a feather, apparently.
"Did you have to use any other methods?"
"No," Kouseki didn't hide his disappointment. "They were more than happy to talk after hearing the bottom line."
There was a real fear of giving too much power to the Leaf. Presently, the Fire Nation could starve Konoha. But if the Military Police grew, it could surround the Fire Nation.
But once they heard the good part, drool began to form in their mouths. The idea of gaining more control over almost every little thing happening in the Fire Nation was too appetizing for them to dismiss. Control and control. That was all they wanted. For politicians, it was about gaining power and staying in power.
The good part in this was that it wouldn't be too much of a drain on the Nation's finances. After all, a good proposal had been put out to fund the Military Police. With a few concessions, the Fire Country's Council began jumping to the finishing line, asking, no, they demanded to know when this could be put into motion.
If Naruto thought the standards of Konoha's forces was up a notch, implementation would have started. But the demands of Military Police were higher. Rankings of Jonin and Genin mattered not. They were all supposed to be of Jonin strength. Regardless of who, Military Police Officers were supposed to always project the authority of the institution. Mere Genin could not achieve that.
"For them, this puts a structure in which they can fully control the entire country," Riku said, shaking his head. A twisted smile settled on his lips. "They want the Fire Nation to be the absolute authority, and for the Military Police to swear loyalty to the Fire Nation. It will be like their own little personal army."
"Nothing unexpected. Civilians can be rather greedy," Naruto shared Riku's smile. "And?"
"We couldn't agree on making them the absolute authority. The Military Police will take much of Konoha's forces. And it is still a position in Konoha. However, we were able to negotiate on a structure. There will be a different force that operates outside of Konoha. The Feudal Lord will reserve the right to appoint the leader and the captains who will head each branch. They want the prison to be under their command."
It didn't make a difference because Naruto would give out names. Everyone in Military Police would still report to him. Unless they were going to put civilians in charge. He could see that happening. Powerful men would want their children to be in charge of enforcing the law and ordering the shinobi. Naruto wasn't going to allow civilians to take charge. And he would train everyone to ensure they knew where their loyalties lay.
That meant he would change his approach. Instead of making Uchiha captains, he would make them members of an oversight body within Military Police.
"They can take the prison. I assume it is to have cheap laborers," Naruto said, waving his right in a dismissive manner. "And the borders?"
"Nothing was agreed on that front."
Borders of all Great Nations were unprotected. Shinobi always crossed borders without care when doing missions. Why even have borders if people from other villages were going to trespass on them without consequence? Borders were there to simply point at territory controlled, without any actually control on them. Naruto wanted to remove this culture. Others could follow, but that was fine.
"If Fire Country suddenly mans with borders, other Feudal Lords will take notice and it becomes an issue. They must want to discuss it." Naruto shook his head. "Politics. It is useless to have such talks for such a measure. But let them play their politics. We can do what we can. We do not even have the man power to guard the borders."
"It is going to be challenging for the towns. Suddenly, the Feudal Lord decrees a certain amount must be paid out for protection. But as long as the fee is reasonable and the Military Police brings order rather than abusing its powers, they will understand."
"I saw their looks. It's not going to be smooth sailing. I can imagine them ordering the Military Police to do some of their dirty work," Riku said.
"Well, we'll have to sort out boundaries. Mission requests must still be sent to Konoha. The Military Police will be there for enforcement of the law and bringing order, not to accept mission requests," Naruto said. "You've done well. This can go to the Third."
He hadn't thought this was an impossible task. If the Fire people didn't want to, they could have been persuaded in another way. Naruto didn't mind going to extremes with people who refused to be reasoned with. Greed could be played upon, and in this aspect, it had worked wonderfully in his favor.
A new-look Fire Nation would take place. In every inch of the country, everyone would know there was a Military Police that functioned on the orders of the Feudal Lord.
"I should have made a stop in the Wave," Naruto said. "One of you will go there. Share our plan with them and give them the opportunity. We can overcharge them a little because coffers must be filled," he said.
"Given its history and Shisui's part in setting it free, I think we can work with them," Riku said, agreeing with the plan. "Pakura's village, Hidden Rivers, looks fine. It is well-placed and the River Lord doesn't seem to be sparing any resources. Then again, someone as strong as Pakura is a huge military asset for anyone."
"But there is a strategic move from him to put some distance between Konoha and the village," Kouseki added. "Pakura expressed her unease about it, and we visited him."
Feudal Lords always wanted to be the leading ones. It was no shame for the River Lord to want his nation to have a military power he could control. But trying to distance Konoha from that village was stretching things. Those people were alive because of him. Even Pakura's life was saved because of him. Konoha gave back Gaara. And that man thought he could sweep in and own everything?
It was ridiculous. Truly ridiculous. The arrogance to try to steal from him should be applauded. But only a crushing defeat awaited those who became so daring.
"I should have known he'd try something," Naruto smiled. Maybe he could go to the River and stare down at that man, then leave without saying a word. "The arrogance to think he can cut off those people from us is amusing."
Pakura survived because of his whims. It was his desire. If he felt like it, that entire village could be submerged in the river streams that surrounded the country.
Perhaps, he'd been a little too kind. There was much 'pause' and deliberation in his actions. Naturally, people would attempt to take advantage. Kindness was like that. He should sharpen his sword and strike those who dared question him.
"What did you say?" Naruto asked with curiosity.
"We just inquired," Riku said, expressing some distaste over the course of action they took. "If we had done something else, he could have been daring and plotted something sinister against the clan. We inquired in good nature and left."
Feudal Lords were masters of political games. The River Lord had already shown he was adept at playing games. He could very well plot to drive a wedge between the Uchiha and Konoha by accusing them of having ulterior motives. As much as it was insulting to play nice with a fat civilian who knew not how to handle a kunai, the Uchiha clan's future was above something like his pride. And so, Riku had been diplomatic.
"Rather generous of you," Naruto said with a stare.
"You're displeased?"
The Land of River was no different from a fly. What could such a civilian-led village do to threaten the Uchiha clan? If they felt threatened by ants, then they didn't deserve to proudly call themselves Uchiha.
"A little. Perhaps this has been a side effect of my actions lately. Why must we dance around ants?" Naruto asked.
"I considered killing him," Riku said coldly. "But there are ways to humble him. It wasn't even on our path, just something we stumbled upon."
"Well, he must be humbled. It is not a matter that can be left for the Sandaime." Both Riku and Kouseki agreed with him.
They had given Pakura a Jinchuriki. That was Konoha's power to use when necessary. The Sandaime may not be so willing to make hard decisions to avoid conflict. Being still would only embolden the weak to take advantage. The Cloud did the same, and the Sandaime bowed his head, bringing shame and humiliation to the heads of the Uchiha.
"There is one more thing to do now," Naruto said. "We must establish an intelligence network. I'll leave that task to you. Use any means necessary. An operation this large needs to have a constant flow of information to act where necessary."
"And manipulate the flow of information," Riku added. "Information is powerful. Our clan has been a victim of information warfare by Danzo. That man spread wild rumors about us…" His contempt for the dead shinobi was drawn across his expression.
"Hating dead people now?" Naruto asked with an amused expression.
"You don't hate him?" Kouseki asked with surprise. "That man put our clan through a lot. I can never forgive him. I wish he could come back so I could kill him all over again…" He smiled wickedly. "Well, I wouldn't even mind learning a forbidden Jutsu to bring him back from the dead, just to witness the Uchiha's power."
"It's pointless to hate the dead. I consider it a victory that I'm alive and they are dead."
"That's curious, coming from a man who will hold a grudge until death. I'm sure you'd hold a grudge even against a child."
"I'm still your clan head."
"I meant that with no disrespect, Naruto-sama."
"Just focus on those alive," Naruto said and then smiled. "I used to be philosophical about such things when I was younger. Perhaps that is why I think the way I do." He shook his head. "You can do this?"
"Military Police had agreed that they wouldn't run intelligence operations," Kouseki pointed out.
It was an attempt by Anbu to manage the Military Police, but it was a futile one. However, Naruto didn't need to renegotiate; he could simply get it done once Itachi assumed leadership. For now, it would be something controlled by the Uchiha clan, not the Military Police Force. The clan needed to have some other selling points besides its military power.
"Military Police was not as big. With outside operations, we will need an intelligent service to operate effectively. Anbu is focused on Konoha." Naruto said with a Wave of his right hand.
"Jiraiya?"
"Leave the man be with his operations. We could use it when convenient. But we need our own operations."
Later that night
It was strange, yet generally pleasing, to always know that someone was waiting for him. This house had once been a dark hole. It had always fed off his loneliness, amplifying the emptiness within. The presence of Naori changed everything, and Naruto was starting to enjoy those little moments.
He figured that one day he would feel sadness if he came home with expectations and she wasn't available. There had been darker days when he thought he would be lonely until the end of time. But here he was. Being the Clan head hadn't even been in his wildest dreams. Life had a funny way of working out. Luck, of course, was something one created. This was the result of his choices. He could have rejected Naori. Then some man would have taken him. The idea brought a dark thought within him.
"I heard the Mizukage is quite a beautiful woman," Naori said, sitting across from him at the dinner table. She had cooked, but would soon leave the house for night duties. It made this a fleeting moment.
If Naruto didn't know her better, he would have been on the defensive. But he knew her. His inflexible part when it came to socialization might have decided to be flat-faced and burst her little bubble.
But he indulged her. He had been told that life was better this way. He didn't necessarily disagree. A chuckle here and there lessened the burden on his jaws.
"You heard right," he said, intentionally staring at his meat-filled plate rather than at her. "She is also a sly woman with a curious personality. You'd probably get along with her."
"She's an old hag. Probably seen her fair share of men too."
Naruto chuckled. "And you haven't? You're not exactly innocent."
"I'm not a whore."
"Neither is the Mizukage," Naruto replied with a shrug. "I think she would work well as a wife. She is powerful."
Naori grinned. "I know for a fact that you wouldn't marry her." She said with absolute confidence.
"Why not?"
"You haven't even married me. And I'm Uchiha!"
"You say it like I look down on other clans," Naruto glanced at Naori, wearing an amused expression across his face.
"You look down on Uchiha who can't awaken the Sharingan."
"That's fair," Naruto said, and then stared at Naori. "I've decided to permit a political marriage between Shisui and her. Of course, he'll still have to marry another Uchiha woman, just in case."
"I'm shocked. You're going to allow the mighty Uchiha blood to mix with inferior humans!" Naori said sarcastically. "I remember you categorically rejecting the notion because you didn't want to take chances and weaken the clan!"
"There are exceptional circumstances. It can go either way, really. Their children could have the Sharingan and one of Mei's bloodlines."
"Or neither."
"I'm sure I'd kill them."
Naori stared, blinking. "You're serious."
"Well, I can't send them off to Kiri because they are Uchiha. Their children could possibly awaken the Sharingan," Naruto said.
"You're going to be a bad father. I don't want to carry your kids anymore." She said, folding her hands across her chest.
"Someone else will."
"At least try to beg me to make me feel important!"
A smile crept onto Naruto's lips, but he didn't continue with the subject, having heard enough of it already. Or maybe he didn't want to get used to this kind of casualness.
"I know I'll be a good father. But, that is something I haven't really thought of. It's madness that I'm not obsessed with the idea, given that my greatest fear is the extinction of the Uchiha clan."
If he removed the older generation, the current one would be just a few. They had never been that many. If war erupted or maybe two or three Uchiha died in battle, the clan would be limping toward disaster. The Sandaime understood this because he indulged his need to protect what remained.
"I have to. I have to take the lead," Naruto continued. And suddenly, his appetite deserted him.
"I'm not ready to be a mother."
"Others are ready."
"It worries me when you say that because I know you're serious." Naori sighed deeply. "I'm happy you're prepared. Our numbers are laughable. We have to do what we must. We can afford to suffer a little bit now for the future."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "That is that," he said. "I'll have to move you out of night duties."
"You miss me when I'm not on your side?" Naori asked, a sly smile on her lips, her eyes watching him like a hawk.
"Admittedly, yes."
"I should be able to get some privileges of being the clan head's future wife. I shouldn't even work this hard!"
Naruto smiled. Mikoto had retired from shinobi duties and focused on taking care of the family. But Naruto didn't see Naori doing that. He wouldn't even consider it. It would be a waste to let her retire to simply lazy about the house. There were grannies to take care of the children. And she could make time. The load just had to be managed.
"If all mothers retired, we'd be finished."
"You're meant to agree with me."
"I'll take you off night duties. If you were a little stronger, I'd give you some responsibilities."
"Ouch. Can't be a little compassionate?"
Naruto smiled.
Since the Third War, Konoha has always had a stench of misfortune trampling upon it. They nearly didn't even survive the Third War despite having many renowned shinobi. There was peace, and the streets weren't burdened by dark clouds of anger, pain, and regret. Even with such an atmosphere, Shikaku had always felt a darkness lurking in the shadows, waiting to snatch away their happiness and plunge them into misery.
Perhaps it came with being the biggest of the Great Nations. Maybe they were suffering from being the strongest. Either way, the Leaf has suffered tragically since its founding. Then again, it was founded to stop the warring of the Uchiha and Senju. The archenemies had built this village on the blood of their many clansmen who had fought and killed each other for generations.
For the first time in a while, Shikaku felt the demons that had always summoned tragedy to the Leaf had been banished. He couldn't possibly see anything causing harm to the Leaf, or even being unable to confront war and come out with missing kneecaps. He believed they could trounce anything at the moment. The only thing that could possibly dismantle the foundations being built was betrayal by the builders.
Konoha wasn't divided. He was thrilled, even though his expression remained bland. If he had danced across the streets, he might have been taken to the hospital by Anbu. But finally, the Leaf seemed to be sliding through a stream of prosperity. The foot of the mountain didn't seem to hold thorns either; only a cushioned descent seemed to be the only reality.
Once this was over, he could finally rest. He could go back to the days of old, maybe spend the whole day going through just three pages of a book, or spend a whole hour going through a single sentence.
The mission room wasn't crowded with shinobi coming to fetch jobs, to make a living and keep Konoha financially stable. It was just the Third Hokage, sitting gracefully with Naruto sitting across from him.
The old man's expression brightened upon seeing him. Naruto didn't move an inch. Shikaku matched the old man's warmth and welcome.
"Sandaime-sama," he greeted casually as he settled down on Naruto's right hand. "Naruto-san."
"Shikaku-san," Naruto's response was short and curt. He didn't even glance at the Nara. Shikaku glanced at what was in front of the Uchiha, a large map of the Fire Nation.
"Itachi is not joining us?"
"No," Hiruzen said with a shake of his head. "This is between us."
Shikaku nodded and then glanced at the map once more. The towns in the Fire Nation were mapped out clearly, even some border crossings.
"I thought you'd return with Shisui."
"I intended my visit to be short. As soon as I saw what I wanted to see, I took the journey back." Naruto glanced at the Nara head for a moment and then back at the map. "Are you curious?"
"A little," Shikaku conceded. "But that's a matter for another day. You really want to have influence, don't you? I understand that when you do anything, regardless of what it is, you give it your all."
Whether it was dealing with Konoha's enemies or building something, Naruto gave it his all. He never did anything half-heartedly. Military Police turned out to be perfection.
"Every clan wants to hold some sort of influence. We don't want to be pushed around. It's worse for me since I have some sort of entitlement idea."
Shikaku chuckled at the admission. He really wished Naruto didn't change. "Because the Uchiha founded this village."
"Yes."
"But you don't necessarily think you should be rulers."
Naruto glanced at the Sandaime with a smile. "With the Senju out of the picture, I think we should be rulers of Konoha, without any question. But of course, what I think and what reality ought to be are two separate things. We all have certain ideas regarding different issues. Or maybe I'm just a little twisted.
"Either way, what I think is not good for the Uchiha. It is what it is. If we try to become overlords, we risk a haunted future. We will become despised. Power can easily corrupt. I don't know what tomorrow holds. But I know humans can turn on you in a whim, and they fear power they cannot control. That is not what I desire. Influence, yes. But complete control? No."
"You're not bothered to share this."
"Because I'm not going to do anything behind your backs," Naruto stared at the Sandaime. "I told the Council some years ago that I would do as I'm told as long as people were fair. I'm not much of a hypocrite to start conspiring to dispose of you and then scream unfairness when you do the same."
Whether right or wrong, Shikaku would give the Uchiha full marks for his consistency. He has always been daring, speaking of fairness and unfairness. He had a feeling Naruto didn't dislike competition, as long as it was fair. If people were being unfair, he could do that too. The problem with that was it entailed destruction. After all, which other clan could compete with the strength of the Uchiha?
"Public perception is important in politics. If you're good, even if you murder someone in broad daylight, people will not turn on you. But if you're bad, they are just waiting for one wrong thing," Shikaku said. He then dove into the matters at hand. "Why did you choose to send out your people before discussing things with us?"
"I needed to see feasibility first. Expansion is dependent on the Leaf but the Fire Nation. The Leaf can still trample on such plans. But it was simply better to see the possibility with those in power in the Fire Nation."
"And?"
"They've opened their doors, but only to satisfy their greed for power and control. Their motives hardly matter to me." The indifference was ultimately due to the fact that they would be led to believe they had control over things when, in fact, they did not.
"They want to have the power to appoint someone to head the Military Police Faction that patrols the Fire Nation. It is only fair to give them that right. I had originally planned to have one institution, but if things are this way, flexibility is permissible. The Military Police of Konoha will continue its functions. There must be a distinction, of course. The Military Police of the Fire Nation will wear Konoha's forehead protector, but their uniform will not have the Uchiha emblem. They will carry the Fire Nation's emblem.
"There will be a leader. He'll report to me, and I'll, in turn, report to the Hokage. Control of finances and personnel will be by me. Konoha's forces will retain a higher ranking. We will also be responsible for investigating any abuse of power by the outside forces. In this way, all Uchiha will have the primary duty to Konoha."
"Funding?"
"Model I disclosed, but there might be changes depending on what the Fire Nation decides."
"My main concern is the effect this will have on missions," Hiruzen said in a serious tone, stressing just how important this little detail was for him.
"I've considered this as well, Sandaime-sama. Mission requests are important. And its not far fetched to say the village depends on them to keep functional. I understand this much. Military Police's duties will be confined to a specific condition. We will not take mission requests, unless the Hokage decides to give requests to us when he deems our services much more suitable."
"We can work around that."
"What of resources?"
"We don't want Military Police to be big. We want it to be effective. Say for example, in Tonika village, we could simply have seven shinobi, a leader and two three man cells. It makes it manageable and doesn't offend the Feudal Lord. As long as the shinobi are effective, the numbers won't necessarily mean much."
"We can increase the numbers as people become accustomed to them." Hiruzen said.
"The Academy is still operational, so it will continue to produce its own forces."
Naruto nodded. "We'll need to come to an agreement on that part. I'll look to recruit some Genin to the Academy and begin training them for the next two or three years."
"And for outside? You need ready made shinobi."
"I'll require two hundred shinobi. At least 150 must be Chunin and the rest Jonin. They will go through a training regime for six months."
That was at least for now. If he wanted a thousand, he couldn't feed them. Power alone didn't wasn't enough. Money was required. Feudal Lord had it, but not limitless. He would add more as time went on.
"And the Jonin?" Shikaku asked with a raised eye brow.
"I want them to become real shinobi. Throwing Ninjutsu around doesn't make one effective, just dangerous. For Military Police, that is a danger to everyone around them. I want them to be specialists in Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. They must be silent, yet visible in operation."
Law enforcement must be feared by criminals. Criminals were simply scum. Fear operated against them. If they were afraid, they would behave. Corruption was easily possible, but those in his corner, committing a perverse act against their oath would be cut down and turned to ashes. The oath of duty in Military Police was a sacred one. Anyone who dared to disregard because of greed was committing blasphemy. And only death would await them.
Naruto needed them to be a prestigious institution known for its ethics and power. Weak shinobi would dishonor him as their leader. They wouldn't even be effective in their duties. He needed people who would face any situation head on.
"Acceptable," Hiruzen said. "But on a few conditions."
"I'm flexible."
"I desire peace, but it's setting Konoha up for failure to weaken the Leaf while others are amassing their power. We will have allies in the future. Nothing much in the academy will change and still want the kids to enjoy their childhood. But I want them to be better prepared to face the shinobi world. It is disheartening hearing that children died on their first mission outside of Konoha. I'm responsible for this. And I know Itachi will take a different approach. I'd like to help him that he doesn't start from the bottom.
"You have your own academy, and it has produced fine shinobi. They were not trained in the same methods like Danzo. It is actually curious just how jovial how your student are, given your personality. I want you to make some arrangements to help the academy. And, allow greater scrutiny into the affairs of Military Police by ANBU."
"Acceptable."
"You have always chosen to train shinobi before they enter Military Police. Even now, you're going to train Jonin. For normal ranks, being a Jonin is the ultimate rank for a shinobi. Yet, you think that isn't enough?" Shikaku asked Naruto out of curiosity.
"The Nidaime created Military Police as an elite force that watches over other shinobi. They must be of a certain level before they can watch over other shinobi. Besides, Military Police requires a certain discipline. They must change their thinking and part of the training is to put them in the correct frame of mind."
Shinobi didn't always have room in terms of discretion. Military Police has to know the law of the land and enforce it. Nobody would be holding their hands. If they saw wrong, they had to use their discretion and act rather than go to the Hokage and ask for permission. There were of course, certain targets that would require permission, but that was simply for politics.
It was in difficult times that being a mortal exposed its flaws. He was not god. But a mere human who could only do things limited to a human. The Sharingan performed miracles, but within the confines of what his human body could handle. Naruto couldn't be everywhere at all times, and equally so. Time was limited but with a mountain of activities crying to be completed.
The Kage Bunshin could solve a few things. But Naruto was loath to use a mere clone for important things. It would be like sending a clone to bed Naori because he was too tied up with his duties. It was unacceptable.
In in the MPF academy training ground, about fifty men stood in rows of ten, lined up and facing him. They were a group he'd trained before, with a few more added.
Naruto considered them elite shinobi. With new shinobi coming up, they would be the ones holding forte, along the kids he trained.
"Weakness disgusts me." Naruto had often said this that he thought it was becoming a borderline cliché. "Incompetent Military Police Forces disgusts me. You're supposed to be elite shinobi. Shinobi who can track down an Anbu and arrest him for whatever crime. If Kakashi-san has committed a crime, you're supposed to arrest him. A weak force means law will not be enforced. There will be anarchy and chaos.
"Learning never stops. There are physical limits. But you can learn new things. Experience makes you better. Instincts refine skill. You're all Jonin. But I want to humble you once again, to prove to you that you are still weak and must continue to improve yourselves for duty. Become complacent, and will kick you out of Military Police Force.
"We are a prestigious institution. Those we protect must respect us. Criminals must fear us. That can only happen when you have power and discipline. Without discipline, people fear your power and Military Police Force loses its status in society." He stopped, looking straight at all them with an intense stare. "You will come at me, row by row. A Taijutsu battle. You will not succeed. But precisely why you must become better shinobi."
In Taijutsu, speed and instinct are very important. With these two qualities, you can simply evade being hit until the opponent becomes tired, if you don't have the strength to break through them or land a powerful blow. Naruto learned this early in his years, realizing just how important speed was for a shinobi. Being able to read and dictate the fight is also important. It was something Gai had, much to his embarrassment, taught him.
Daiki watched with a bitter smile. Naruto was simply amazing. He may be praised for his raw power, but in a Taijutsu battle, he moved swiftly and with grace. This didn't take away the brutality of his actions. He could hear the sound of each blow, the groans and gnashing of teeth when his fellow Police Force shinobi were hit.
They were Jonin, but they were being swatted around like academy brats.
"That isn't fair," he said wryly. It wasn't just the speed, but the man also had the Sharingan, a doujutsu that could predict movement. How could you keep up with that?
"You not only have to fight the man head-on, but before you do that, you have to get past your fear of the man," Yoshino kept his sharp gaze on the Uchiha, watching him move. Sometimes, he didn't even move but still deflected and hit everything in his vicinity. "His battle aura is intense."
"Yeah."
"Should we ask him to deactivate his Sharingan?" Yoshino asked.
"Will he agree?" Daiki asked skeptically. He'd never seen the man without his Sharingan activated. "That man's bingo book entry has the Sharingan drawn because nobody has ever seen his natural eyes."
"I wouldn't even be shocked if his eyes aren't black like others," Akira said, smiling to herself.
Their turn arrived and Yoshino stepped forward. He was a man among men. The lady killer. He was tall, even towering above Naruto. But the Uchiha had never once looked up.
The first time they'd met in a training ground, he'd kicked Yoshino to his knees and nearly broke his legs for trying to make him look up when he was disgustingly weak.
The Uchiha expressed his contempt for weakness in ways you understood. Hell, when he realized just how weak some Jonin were, he'd become so disgusted Daiki had been certain he was holding back a spit.
Yoshino asked, and Naruto complimented the effort. He rejected it. He told them it was like asking him to fight blind. They'd argued that it could even be better. But he rejected it, saying he was holding back too much and they were supposed to be Jonin. He could only fight blind when it was against kids.
Like everyone else, their turn ended in failure.
Gai arrived at the training ground while Naruto was busy with the last group. The man may have been mocked and spat on during his academy days, but he was a force to be reckoned with, even without the use of Ninjutsu. His only flaw was his eccentric personality.
"Naruto-san!" The Jonin greeted in his loud, boisterous voice. "It's good to see your flames still burn as brightly as before!" A thumbs up and a wide grin.
Everyone perked up. Yoshino was certain that if there had been a man or woman close to losing consciousness, they would have woken up with sheer willpower. They wanted to see how the interaction would pan out. Naruto was approachable. Sure, he could look down on everyone, but he was the type of person you could approach and have a casual conversation with. However, he wasn't the one you shared jokes with. He didn't read bedtime stories to children. And Gai was, well, Gai.
"Anything else would be a disappointment. I have yet to even reach my prime."
First, that was nothing unexpected. It was a classic Naruto response. Yoshino cackled. Secondly, did the Uchiha just say he had yet to reach his prime? Was there something much bigger than this?
"Perhaps we should enjoy a match!" The Green Beast said with excitement.
"Haha," Naruto laughed. The Uchiha clan head laughed. They all stared, dumbfounded. "Perhaps."
They all knew that was a polite way to refuse. It was interesting since Naruto didn't give any polite response. Then again, it could just be because there was a difference in his relationship with Gai.
"You all know Gai-san. This man has taught me a lot. When I was younger, I trained with him. I'll admit," Naruto looked embarrassed as he spoke. "He got me good back then. I felt so embarrassed I wanted to kill him. How could a man who doesn't even use Ninjutsu be this good? How could I, who is blessed with the Sharingan, be inferior?
"It all boiled down to one thing—hard work. Some are blessed with large chakra reserves and become Ninjutsu specialists. Gai-san was mocked for his inability to use chakra. Some of the people who mocked him are stuck being Chunin despite having fought over a thousand battles. But he is here because he trained his body. There is no excuse for any of you not to reach your full potential with hard work.
"You will wear weights, to increase your speed and strength. Military Police is going to be expanded to work in all areas of the Land of Fire. You must be strong enough to face other challenges. You will need to be strong enough to chase after errant officers. For the next year, you will come here everyday at 6am until 8, doing physical training. You will be wearing heavy weights, used only for training, and some which you will wear at all times. Once the year is finished, it will be mandatory for all Military Police Officers to spend at least a half day of each week in the training ground.
"None of you will become lazy and take it easy on your training until you retire. Muscles will gradually lose their tone with age and lack of training. Fitness is maintained. I will not allow you to become like Kakashi. He could have reached higher heights, but laziness obstructed him. None of you will be allowed to follow the same route.
"The weights you'll only wear during training. For only you and the kids will be active during the day for duties. You're Military Police Force. This is why I'm giving you a hard time."
Yoshino already understood why they always had to be better than the rest. Naruto had hammered the message in their first training sessions. They spent a year training under the Uchiha, and each day he reminded them. He reminded them of their weakness.
He'd thought they had grown strong. Naruto's training had been focused on Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. The weights were given the kids he was training.
"Isn't Gai a little extreme?"
"Compared to him?" Daiki asked Yoshino with a stare. "We're going to suffer…" he shook his head. "Naruto-sama… how will the new Military Police Force be structured? Will there be more men joining us?"
"There will be more," Naruto said. "It is precisely why I want you all to become better than what you are. You have experienced, but you must be strong enough to be the elite of Military Police.
"Konoha's Military Police Force will continue as normal. However, you will have new responsibilities. The Fire Nations MPF will be subordinate to us. Its commander will still answer to me. Captains will have jurisdiction on different parts of the Fire Nation. These teams will work only in their confined areas and cannot work outside of their areas. For now, there is a greater responsibility on your shoulders."
Yoshino couldn't hide his happiness. "Our force is going to become very powerful. We'll be like Anbu to regular forces."
"You're not allowed to compare yourself to those useless people." Naruto said harshly. He then smiled. "I spoke mildly," he said. "Anbu are weak. I know, I have been there. They are just overrated shinobi who hide their faces."
"I don't think they'll be happy to hear that."
"If they have a problem, they can prove me wrong. We will have some sparring sessions with them, to promote teamwork. And you're expected to make me proud."
"What happens if we don't?"
"I was wondering why the food became cold," Tsunade said in a harsh tone, sitting behind a table alone, with plentiful food in front of her. There were a couple of bottles of alcohol on the sides. It was her dinner after a long day at the hospital.
Naruto settled down across from the Slug Princess and then held up his right hand, calling for a waitress to come over. She arrived, and he gave her the order. He then stared at the Senju with a curious glance. She was known to drink and gamble, the latter a habit she picked up from the Shodai Hokage.
It was still laughable that she was the granddaughter of a man hailed as a God of Shinobi. As far as he knew, the Sannin never even surpassed their sensei. Tsunade had never come close to the power of her grandfather. Madara would never look at him with disappointment. None of his ancestors would be disappointed in him—because Naruto was clawing towards their peak powers.
"I'm not the only one who had a long day, it seems."
"Creating new things is tiring, it seems," Tsunade managed to speak in a sarcastic manner. "Are you going to continue showing up here? I already told you I have no interest in making new students."
Naruto rested his hands on the table and his head on the palm of his left hand. He tapped three times on the table while staring intently at Tsunade.
"Tobirama was a curious person. He not only created hundreds of jutsu, but he also structured the Leaf. We live in a village he designed…" Naruto smiled bitterly. "After your grandfather's battle with Madara, Tobirama took his body to study it. He wanted to understand the Sharingan. He died probably knowing more about how it works than even some Uchiha. That man really wanted to counter us at everything. He created the Flying Thunder God technique to counter the Sharingan, developed demonic illusions, and then became a master of Suiton…" he chuckled. "It is no wonder Uchiha history writes the man as a true hater."
"But you don't believe in that?"
"Tobirama worked well with other Uchiha. The Uchiha were never nice. We killed our brothers for power and became consumed by hatred. We love too much, and when we hate, it consumes us. The hatred fueled our powers…" Naruto explained. "But I don't like him. In fact, if he were alive, I'd have killed him myself."
Tsunade snorted. "Why are you taking me through history lessons?"
Naruto's food arrived. He glanced at it for a moment and then took a small piece of the meat and shoved it inside his mouth. It was fresh and tasty.
"Just a passing thought," Naruto replied with indifference. "Or perhaps that you're the only one who carries the Senju name."
"Shouldn't you be happy?"
"That the Senju are extinct and once you're dead, there will be no more? The thought completes me."
Tsunade stared at the Uchiha with narrowed eyes. He was a dangerous person—she failed to see why Hiruzen didn't see it. She was sure he was itching to use his Sharingan on her, to control her and get what he wanted. He wasn't going to back down and his patience would run out. Once it did, he would resort to extreme methods. His go-to method was always violence. But in this circumstance, he was choosing dialogue, for reasons unknown to her.
"You told me that the degeneration of vision was a natural consequence. The use of the Mangekyo naturally strains the eye. But what is so special about Eternal? Why don't you become blind once you implant the eyes of a blood relative?"
"Now that is a question you ought to have asked me," Naruto said with a nod of his head. Tsunade glared at him, thinking he was being condescending. "You need to have an understanding of how the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan works. You could say the EMS is an evolution of the MS. When you implant the eyes of a blood relative, your shape changes. It also takes on the form of the eyes you took. Arguably, it becomes a combination of both eyes."
Tsunade stared at Naruto and realized there was a lot about the Mangekyo Sharingan that people didn't know. The power Itachi was said to have displayed in Suna was otherworldly. It still baffled her how her grandfather had been able to fight against such monsters.
"The power causes strain on the eyes… I have no doubt on your whole body as well. I think, it is more of a case of the power being too great for one person to handle. If you think about it, it is. What one cell can't handle, two are able to handle it. The need for someone closely related to you is a basic thing in medical ninjutsu. The cells in a body will refuse any body part it cannot recognize. It can only recognize when something in the DNA matches. But that is just needed for the eyes to be completely fused into your DNA, for the evolution to occur."
"Something like that."
"But what happens when your body is strengthened to the point where it can withstand the power?"
"You do know that Uchiha and Senju descend from brothers, right? We are all descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. If you combine a child of Senju and Uchiha, that may very well be possible. In fact, Orochimaru wanted to do this because he believed it possible, hence he kidnapped Matsui. He wanted to fuse Hashirama's DNA into the boy, with the possibility of awakening the Rinnegan."
"Are you a child born of Senju and Uchiha? That can only be the only possible reason." Tsunade said with narrowed eyes. "It could also explain why there is a shroud of mystery around your existence."
"I wonder about that," Naruto smiled. "In any case, it's not easy, and it dilutes the blood. You no longer become Uchiha. Besides, Orochimaru's research was primarily based on the premises of recreating Mokuton."
"And he succeeded."
"That he did. We'd all be doomed if he'd been able to get his hands on an Uchiha who could use Mokuton."
"But that is not why you went berserk."
"That's a funny way of putting it…" he said, smiling but didn't answer. "Your parents didn't have Mokuton, neither do you. Children don't always inherit their parent's abilities and intelligence. Lucky for me, I have inherited my ancestors powers."
"Fugaku was not this powerful. And only Madara was this powerful. Are you saying you're related to the latter?"
"Indeed I am." Naruto said, and dug out a small scroll before handing it over to Tsunade. "The Sandaime must have already spoken to you about creating a medical corps. That is a list of people you'll train over the next year or two. It is just five names. That scroll contains some of Orochimaru's most valuable research material on your grandfather's cells."
Tsunade didn't hesitate to take the scroll. Konoha had tried before but then stopped. Orochimaru didn't and kidnapped children to experiment on them. After so many years, he must have perfected the technique.
"But nothing on the Uchiha."
Naruto just smiled.
Tsunade shrugged. She could always have Shizune do the training. She didn't need to do anything herself but just supervise the training.
"Why do you refuse anyway?"
Tsunade stared at him blankly, wondering if she'd misheard him. "I just don't want to."
"Is that all?"
The air became thick, he was looking at her with contempt. Nobody had ever looked at her with so much hate and disgust. It was like she said something filthy. Even as Sannin, who fought in the Second and Third Wars, Tsunade felt terrified by those hypnotic eyes that seemed to be trying to pierce into her very soul.
"I gave that to you not because I want favors. There are answers to some medical research in that scroll. I thought you of all people would be able to understand it. But your answer now disgust me. I'll do anything, but I try to be civil. However, I do not tolerate things like you." Naruto said coldly and the scroll in Tsunade's hands burst into flames. She was forced to drop it. "I'll talk to Shizune to do the training. Don't get in the way. You're a useless Senju. If you stand in my way, I'll kill you."
He said that, and dug into his food, as if he hadn't just threatened to kill her.
Tsunade grabbed the table. It shattered where she held, her killing intent floored the entire restaurant and everyone froze while others choked in their food. Naruto was the only person who continued to eat, unbothered. His indifference to her intent made Tsunade bang the table, to get his attention, but he just ate away.
"You DARE threaten me, you think you can get away from it?!"
Naruto smiled. "Who do you think in this village frightens me? Itachi? Unlike with Madara who never formed close blonds with his clansmen, I have. If I order it now, the clan will leave Konoha with me. I control the Kyubi. There is no one who will do anything. I'm not saying this to make you uncomfortable; it's just facts. Just keep your mouth shut and out of my way."
Hiruzen was upon the restaurant within a couple of minutes. Naruto didn't look surprised—Anbu must have alerted him on the first sign of danger when Tsunade started leaking her killing intent. It was not a matter Anbu could solve and Military Police wouldn't get involved.
"There was really no need for you to come, Sandaime-sama." Naruto said, eating his food while Tsunade gave him death glares.
"When a Sannin and a clan head are squaring up, I have to worry. News will spread tomorrow and people will start talking. How do I explain to the people that you two almost fought?"
Naruto chuckled. "Well, I'd asked your student to impart some her knowledge to some students I'd picked and she refused 'just because.' Ridiculous." He didn't hide his contempt. "First you abandon Konoha and then refuse to do anything. Sandaime-sama, you indulge the entitlement of your students a little too much. Perhaps she truly does feel like a Princess, hence her attitude. Any other shinobi wouldn't be permitted to act with such petulance. It is as if I'm talking to a five year…"
Tsunade drove her fist through the table. It shattered. The plates fell away. The food fell all over but none of it on Naruto's face.
Naruto just sighed, even as the Slug Princess hovered over him.
"You don't get to say that to me brat! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HAVE GIVEN TO KONOHA? I WAS FIGHTING WARS BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN BORN!!"
Naruto just stared at her with boredom and then stood up. He faced the Third and spoke. "I apologize for dragging you into this. If the villagers have questions, just tell them your student doesn't want to train anyone. She'd rather get drunk And she was trying to fight me over it."
The eyes stared at them. Some hurried away as Naruto departed from the restaurant. The Third just stared at Tsunade with a bit of disappointment.
"Don't give me that look!" She shrugged and then settled down, picking up one of the bottles that didn't break. "He had no right to speak to me like that. You know I am entitled to refuse students. Nobody is forced to do that."
"Itachi is going to be Hokage soon. Keep that in mind." He whispered to her and then turned around to leave.
Hiruzen stopped outside. An Anbu appeared in front of him. "Take care everything." He ordered.
"Hai."
He glanced into the sky. For those obsessed with star gazing, the stars were at a meeting at large. The moon was nowhere to be seen. He could allow what transpired here to spread. But he didn't want the village to be engaged in negative sentiments at such a time. The Anbu would ensure nobody said a word to anyone, and this incident would be swept under the rug, like nothing ever happened.
He blamed himself for the behavior of his students. He ought to always be thankful to Jiraiya for staying loyal and giving his all even when it was hard. Orochimaru fell to the dark side and he indulged Tsunade for far too long she forgot shinobi operated under the strong arm of the Hokage. He could instruct her to train students, failure of which would be insubordination. What she said to him was pure nonsense.
But he fostered it by allowing her to leave Konoha for far too long.
Hiruzen found Naruto walking alone, heading toward the Uchiha compound. He joined the Uchiha and sighed deeply.
"You must have been angry, considering, I had chosen her as my successor," Hiruzen said in a bitter tone.
"Do you not think I'm wrong?"
"No," Hiruzen shook her head. "She has no reason to refuse to train others. I've given orders to others. Some Jonin I've ordered to take particular students. Nobody has a right to refuse. But I have always asked with her. Perhaps that is the problem."
"Uchiha can be accused of many things but we've always understood duty. For some, it seems to be optional and that is infuriating."
"Leave Tsunade to me. She will train them. Its important for Konoha to be able to sell this service to other nations."
"Ahead with plans to make Konoha economically stable?"
"Yes."
"It seems, Itachi's reign will be the one that changes a lot of things."
The Following day
Hiashi stepped into the Hokage's office with a clear mind. It might be politics but it was real politics and he wasn't simply being petty. The Hyuga has always held a valuable position within the Leaf. In recent years, it had been the most powerful clan, in terms of politics and prestige, even though the Uchiha held more physical prowess.
He'd not admit it to anyone but after the death of Fugaku, he'd been more than certain the clan would far surpass the position of the Uchiha. Even as he made deals with Naruto, he'd been certain he could control things. But the dream faded far quicker than the than the night. Naruto was untamable. He feigned not playing politics but he played it well. His strength was unparalleled and the Uchiha have grown into becoming the most important clan within Konoha once more.
Chouza was indifferent and Shikaku didn't seem to care. Then again, the latter was always certain his clan would have the position of Jonin commander due to the clan's nature.
The Third was crowded by stacks of papers. There were alliance agreements to be considered. The recent destruction of Suna and Pakura's new village. Then, there were Naruto's plans. But Hiashi could turn back. Not when the Sandaime could retire at any moment and Itachi would be at the helm. Without question, if it was the Uchiha, he'd not even be coming here.
"I figured you'd be coming," Hiruzen said from behind his desk while Hiashi wandered within the depths of his thoughts. "Please sit." The old man didn't look up from his papers. "I'm busy, as you can see." He said of his attention.
"I understand. As long as you hear me." Hiashi replied. "I don't have to explain why I am here then."
"You're worried about your clan's position."
"I am." Hiashi said. "You said our clan would handle diplomatic missions. But so far, we've only done the one in the Cloud and just once."
"You'll be heading to the River Country to talk with Pakura-san and the Feudal Lord about our new relationship. Once alliances are done, there will be more work."
"And the Uchiha?" That was mainly his concern. "You'll agree with me if everything goes to plan, the Uchiha will be responsible for most of the things. With an Uchiha Hokage, too much power will be focused on one clan. That can never be a good thing for the village."
Hiruzen looked up at Hiashi for a moment and then stared back at his work. "Your concern isn't what is best for Konoha but your clan," he said in a mild tone. "What do you have in mind?"
"Let us be involved in Military Police."
"Members of your clan are already in Military Police."
"They do nothing."
"What do you want them to do?"
"Wield some authority. If Military Police grows in the way Naruto wants, he will have too much power."
Hiruzen sighed and closed his eyes. He leaned back to his chair, deciding to take a breather from the workload. "Military Police in Konoha will have two divisions. One in charge of Policing and another in charge of protecting Konoha. They'll watch the village outskirts and watch over the village during the night. In events such as the one caused by Sasori and Deidara, Military Police would have been in charge of diffusing it and handling it. That means more men will he needed."
While Makoto hadn't seemed happy about it, Hiruzen welcomed the idea of Military Police doing everything. Anbu could focus on Covert operations and watching over Military Police Force. They'd been created for this reason only. They would remain the working force reporting only to the Hokage. He wouldn't use elite shinobi because even Itachi agreed with Naruto that Anbu standards were low. Military Police Force however, had outstanding shinobi.
"Watching the outskirts and the night is something the Hyuga clan can handle best. You can talk to Naruto-san about making one of your own head of that division."
"You're not going to order it?"
"If there are to be changes, Itachi will make them."
"You're giving them too much freedom."
"It works best for Konoha. Sure, he has other reasons, but Naruto-san does not compromise when it comes to duty. He reminded me of this last night. You are here to complain because you're afraid your clan is losing ground to the Uchiha. Despite history, they've come with plans which are acceptable. What has the Hyuga done to deserve the same level of respect as the Uchiha?"
Area 44
Neji's feet danced through the training ground, before halting in front of Sora. He drove his palm straight toward the boy's chest. His opponent's hands moved in a blur. His left slammed into the wrist of his outstretched hand, before taking a step closer to him with a raised knee.
Neji leapt backwards to avoid the knee, and Sora lunged at him. The boy was fast. Deadly fast. A double jab into his face left him staggering back a little. Sora then attempted a frontal kick. He quickly folded his hands across his chest to block the kick, but the foot slipped through his defenses, and the kick slammed into his chest.
He felt the full impact. the pain shot through his chest. He felt unable to breath for a second before spitting out blood as he was being sent tumbling back.
How could he hit that hard?
He wasn't given enough chance to ponder on this as Sora was in his face once more. The boy attempted a roundhouse kick and Neji was swift un ducking under the kick. He lifted his right arm, aiming it toward the chakra points around Sora's ankle, but his index finger hit something metal and chakra exploded.
Sora jumped back, grinning at him.
"Cool, huh?"
Neji had noticed something with his Byakugan. But shinobi wore wrist plates all the time. It was nothing unusual. But there was something unusual with the plates Sora wore. They were wrapped around with bandages, but he felt them when he it.
"The chakra was deflected. How?"
"Sensei got them for me." Sora said happily, almost boasting. He'd never made it a secret that he was his sensei's most favorite student. "They are meant to save me in such situations. I can defend against even blades coated with chakra. There are seals, like chakra suppression on them."
Neji's eyes shot toward Naruto, who was watching with an expressionless mask. Besides him, there was a boy, their age. He was Uchiha. the boy sometimes wore a mask much colder than Naruto.
"Continue?" Sora asked with excitement, obviously raring to go on.
Neji suppressed the urge to frown. Sora was no doubt a student trained by Naruto. There was nothing special about him, aside from the fact that he was smart. But as far as he's seen, the boy worked hard. He was quite skillful and resourceful. Neji was a genius of the Hyuga and here he was struggling against a clanless child without even a bloodline.
"That's enough."
Sora would normally complain he still wanted to continue. But be knew when to joke around with his sensei and when to simply obey. Now was the latter. and so, his shoulders slumped and he turned to face the teacher.
His gaze first fell on the younger Uchiha. the bloody bastard was looking at him with disinterest. He wasn't the most skilled. Sora could proudly stamp on the Uchiha to remind him he was smarter than him. The arrogant little prick may be infuriate him at times, but he worked hard as him. He bled on the training ground like someone who didn't have the damned Sharingan.
But he had it. And Sora knew, his advantage would soon disappear. And the Uchiha would walk all over him.
Naruto called them over and they went over to him. They sat down in front of him while he leaned against the trunk of a tree.
"You three will be part of team Naruto. I might take you with me when I go out. There will be missions to test your resolve and strength..."
An overkill, Sora thought. On his right was a Hyuga who could use swords. In fact, he was deadly with it. If he became faster, Sora would not want to face the Hyuga without a sword. On his left was an Uchiha. A hardened boy with ten lives. He loved Ninjutsu and mastered flames and lightning. But he loved fire so much Sora would suspect him if there was a random case of arson in the village.
Sora was secretly a sensor. With the Byakugan and the Sharingan, there was no one who could possibly sneak on them. They could chase after anyone. Add an Inuzuka and they would become hunting dogs capable of isolating a rain drop from the ocean.
"Sora will be vice-captain. You three will work together in Military Police. You'll train together until you become Jonin. I expect you to work together."
"Of course."
Sora turned to Yuto. "I hope you'll listen to me from now on. I am your captain after all."
Yuto snorted. "As long as your don't lead us to death."
"You're trying too hard to be Naruto-sama."
A/N
So, I've had the chapter for a while but I didn't want to update it until FanFiction admins fixed the email alerts issue. I got reviews through email, which made it easier for me to respond. I haven't been getting any alerts on my email. I'll admit, I don't usually go through this site unless I see something on my email. Anyway, it doesn't seem like it will get fixed any time soon.
I'll only respond to reviews with questions, or if someone writes an 'essay.'
The Omnipresent Sage