Hokage Office
Hiruzen thought Kitsuchi had seen better days. It was apparent he'd been put through a lot, even an eye missing. But the fact that he was still alive was shocking, given what he has done. He could try to repair the damage to the Uchiha clan, but damage was huge, and would be felt for generations to come. Yet, this man was still alive.
Naruto was an unforgiving person, especially to those who harmed his clan.
"It wasn't long ago I was speaking to your father, and we were agreeing to a Kage Summit," Hiruzen shook his head, his disappointment evident. "Will he even agree to the summit now that he has declared war on Konoha?"
The more he stayed in Konoha, the more he delayed his village's fate. It wasn't forgotten, Naruto's words had left a heavy impression upon him. He'd barely slept since. Each time he closed his remaining eye, he saw the Uchiha slaughtering everyone related to him by blood. As long as he was in this village, he somehow kept his own safe. He wanted to beg the Third to take him prisoner, to beg for the lives of his people, but he couldn't.
"Why did you want to speak to me?"
"I wanted to know why you came here in a hurry? I had assured you we wouldn't do anything. My reputation even proceeds me. Why did you do it? Why did you wish to see this village in smokes?"
"Is it so hard to believe?"
Hiruzen smiled bitterly. "I suppose not," he said.
"Regardless of your reputation, nobody will take the word of a shinobi. We saw what happened to Sunagakure, and we knew that if that power was turned against us, we would likely suffer the same fate. It took one village, but it could have taken two and the Kyubi," Kitsuchi said in a bitter tone. "If we had known, maybe we wouldn't have done this. But we were afraid."
It was better for them than for us. No Kage ever truly wished for the prosperity of another village. They were all greedy for the success of their own villages. The success of others brought two things: envy and fear. It was ridiculous that none of them ever wished for happiness for the other. If someone held power, it was feared.
"You destroyed Uzushio simply because of that fear. The Uzumaki had never fought any wars. Of course, they had their own nature, but they never threatened anyone. Yet, they were destroyed. Your fears are irrational," Hiruzen looked at Kitsuchi with pity. "I'm old, and so is your father. I thought he, of all people, would understand. Yet, here we are.
"I want to talk to him, but I'm afraid that will not be possible. The Kage meeting will not even happen. What do I have to discuss with someone who conspires to see the work I have done destroyed while feeding me food?"
Kindness killed in this world. Hiruzen was learning this repeatedly. He wanted to believe in the best of people, and again and again, he was being proven wrong. Kage would always put their villages first, even if they were being unreasonable and had to betray friends.
Kirigakure
Kisame had considered heading straight to Konoha to confront Naruto about his actions, but he changed directions along the way. The Uchiha could kill him in the same way he killed Ao. He held no illusions over his ability to face the Uchiha in battle. Talking to Mei about it was the best option.
The only reason he considered why Naruto would even go that far was simply for the Byakugan. But then, there was no reason to kill Ao. Kisame would nonetheless admit, the man was only useful with the Byakugan. Without it, he'd have just turned into another normal shinobi.
The streets were joyous. Tourists. Civilians going about their daily lives. Never had he thought the bloody Mist would turn into such a peaceful village. Kisame often found himself staring, wondering if this was all reality. The streets once reeked of blood and death. The houses were filled with anguish and the village's reputation was in tatters. This was nothing short of a miracle.
And Mei's leadership had brought it this far. For this reason, Kisame would always respect her. There were things they didn't agree on. He nonetheless still respected her for the work she had done.
He found her sitting behind her desk, surrounded by stacks of papers, as always. But she appeared to be in a far better mood. He could only imagine she enjoyed her talks with the Professor.
"Back so soon?" Mei lifted her head and faced Kisame.
"I was cut short by an unexpected person," Kisame replied, smiling a bit, and then sat down in front of her desk.
Mei stared, an eyebrow raised in surprise. Kisame rarely sat down in her office. He always stood, addressed her, and then left. He never sat down for a chat. She began to worry that things may have turned sour with whoever he came across.
"Your mission?"
"It had to do with that." Kisame said. "I was busy looking for answers and someone appeared in front of me. Ao is indeed dead. Had his Byakugan gouged out despite having those seals to protect it..." he smiled wickedly. "Apparently, the Mangekyo is very good at manipulating people."
There were three people who had those eyes, and Mei had trust in one of them. The other two she didn't know. The last one, she could say with absolute confidence that he was capable of just about anything.
"Naruto?" She asked, her mood flattened with deep worries.
"Yes," Mei felt her intestines twitch.
She fell back into her chair and held her breath for a second. Shisui had warned her. The Sandaime had continued to say that the Uchiha was a decent person, but Mei had met him and had decided that the Uchiha was not her friend.
Why had he done this?
She had asked Shisui, and he had denied any knowledge. Could she have been misled? Could Shisui have lied to protect his clan head? He obviously shared a closer relationship with Naruto and would always put that first above anything else. She dreaded the thought. She had to trust Shisui. He would never lie. Though, that wasn't outside the realm of possibilities. He was still a shinobi who served the interests of his village above all else.
She chuckled bitterly. She had been starting to see him as more of a friend, completely separate from Konoha. But that was just fantasy. If Konoha ordered him to lie, he would lie. It didn't matter if he wanted to or not. The fact was that he was a shinobi of the Leaf, not of Kirigakure. Above all else, he was Uchiha.
"You said the Mangekyo Sharingan was good at manipulating people... are you saying Naruto manipulated Ao?"
"If the information I received is true, anyway," Kisame said. "We'll, of course, have to be careful with them. Genjutsu is a powerful tool. He has shown that despite not being famed like Itachi for his use of Genjutsu, he is very much capable of that much."
Shisui had already told her that Genjutsu cast by the Mangekyo was powerful enough to manipulate a person. He had said that even she could be manipulated. It depended on the skill and chakra of the caster. Unlike most Uchiha, Naruto had chakra to play around with and knew the Sharingan inside and out.
Shisui's own ability was different. Normal Genjutsu was different. Being undone by someone could lead to death. The genjutsu was a forceful twisting of someone's mind. The Sharingan could do, due to its unique ability to enter someone's subconscious. Hell, it could even plant false memories.
Kisame would demand that they break their relationship with the Uchiha if she had the same information she had. The Sharingan was truly a dangerous doujutsu. And it was apparent that if she had been manipulated, Naruto wouldn't have come here to talk to her and give her terms for starting a relationship with Kisame.
And to think she considered living under the same place as that man. No, it was probably much better to better protect Kirigakure.
"Can this person be trusted?"
"Of course not." Kisame waved his right hand. "I'm not that stupid. He obviously told me to sow a seed of distrust. But it just seems believable that he was the one behind it."
Indeed. Mei had asked Shisui because she suspected Konoha could have been behind it.
What did this person want? That question was just as important as confronting Naruto about this. She didn't want to dance to someone else's tune, she had been looking for answers and now she had them. She couldn't simply avoid it and turn a blind eye.
"We'll have to find out why that person wants to put a distance between us and Konoha," Mei said in a serious tone. "What do you think we should do?"
What else could they do? They had to confront Naruto about this. "We can't go to the Sandaime Hokage. If we do that, it creates a problem and he'll be looking at us with a dangerous eye. He could do anything after that."
Mei frowned deeply. She dreaded the confrontation, but Kisame was right. Shisui had already warned her that Naruto's love for his clan far exceeded that of the village.
"This is completely different from them keeping Zabuza's actions a secret," Mei said.
"It's not comparable," Kisame agreed.
"I will speak to him," Mei said. "We'll have to keep this from everyone else. It simply reaffirms my view that he is indeed a dangerous person. They've done a lot for us, but we can't allow fear to make decisions for us. We may as well be vassals if we can't do anything because we're afraid of him."
"What will you do after you confront him?" Kisame asked.
Mei smiled bitterly. "What do you think he'll do?" She laughed. "He is the kind of person who'd admit to doing it and then ask what of it."
He'd admit it because he didn't fear them, but they had to put a foot to the ground. Naruto couldn't do as he pleased with Kiri's assets. It wasn't even a matter she could rely on Shisui. It would be putting him in a spot, and he was certainly going to take the side of his clan head.
Maybe Shisui had been right to say things were going too well. There was now a loose screw. It had been there for a while, but it was pointed out by someone with every intention to drive a wedge between them and Konoha.
Without question, the Sandaime didn't order this. But why did Naruto do it? He didn't seem to be the one to care about such things, as long as it didn't affect his clan. Was the Hyuga clan involved? Regardless, she had to confront them. The question was what to do then after the confrontation? What did she demand of them?
"If Zabuza had spoken to me then, we would have executed him there and then, and we wouldn't have this problem," Kisame said, frustration showing on his face. A rare thing, but even he realized Naruto was a mountain too tall to climb. The only way to get to him was to play politics. But his power remained all the same. Still, it was better to die standing for what they believed in rather than simply living in cowardice. "We can't ignore this," Kisame added.
"We can't. We wouldn't be doing justice to Ao and this village. It is just a question of whether we can possibly get what we want. He claims to be a fair person who can be reasoned with, I will put that to the test," Mei said in a firm tone. "Depending on his answers, I might decide I don't want to be associated with the Uchiha clan."
"It sounds like there is a deep meaning there."
"We agreed to a marriage with Shisui."
"Congratulations." Kisame was smiling, but there wasn't a hint of emotion across his face. "Did everything else go well?"
"Yes. Much better than I expected. We came to some agreements which will surely broaden the relationship with the Leaf."
"Hopefully, the Uchiha don't screw it up."
"You'll stand back until I've confronted him?"
"If he shows up in front of me, I'm gonna talk."
Konohagakure, Military Police Academy
Naruto sat at the small desk in a classroom within the academy. He stared at the captains and a few other men who were part of the Military Police Force.
It was frustrating for him to have to explain things to people who weren't even Uchiha. It seemed ridiculous that the mighty Uchiha had to engage in diplomacy with subordinates because he needed their support. Without these people, there would be no Military Police.
He cursed Danzo for bringing the Uchiha to this point. That man could have potentially succeeded in wiping out the Uchiha clan.
"Have there been any disturbances during operations?" Naruto asked.
Daiki smiled, always prioritizing duty above all else. It was amusing how the people who had considered staging a revolt were some of the most dedicated individuals when it came to their duties.
"No, we've been able to carry out our jobs without any problems," Daiki replied.
"The fact that there are no members of the Uchiha clan helps," Naruto remarked.
Having Uchiha members on the streets would likely lead to open hostility in some cases. It was fortunate that this situation had occurred while the Uchiha were off the streets. It was a stroke of luck.
"Although there haven't been any issues yet, things could quickly spiral out of control with one wrong move. We deal with both civilians and shinobi, but we're somewhat helpless in this situation," Yoshino said, and the other captains nodded in agreement.
It was important to defend the Uchiha and stand by them. Regardless of the circumstances, they had a duty to maintain order and suppress any form of civil disobedience that could bring the Leaf Village to its knees.
The situation was different now. There were no shinobi to chase. There were no criminals to arrest. They had never been trained for this kind of situation.
"Part of the reason I called you here is because in this situation, you all look like bystanders. It must be frustrating," Naruto smiled. "But what is the correct way to deal with the situation? Are the rules being broken by civilians?"
"None."
"But some are boiling. There are extremists. People who just want to hate for no reason and are always ready for anything."
"That is human nature, unfortunately..." Naruto thought this was the first time he was talking like this to his men. He was usually in business fashion, pointing out their flaws in the training ground. "You can do nothing but simply be visible. Remind everyone who might be having ideas that you're there."
"What do we tell the people when they ask questions?"
"The Sandaime Hokage will address everyone in due time. Maybe today or tomorrow," Naruto said, with indifference.
It was a little bit of a dilemma. Did he explain things to them? What were they that they deserved an explanation from him? He proudly thought of that. But he needed them to be focused on duties. He didn't train them to get sidetracked. He trained them to become Military Police Force officers, and he needed them to continue, for the sake of his ambitions.
He released a heavy sigh. "What do you all think?"
"Personally speaking, I have trained under you and have come to learn a few things. I know for certain if you wanted to take over Konoha, you'd have done it already. You're more focused on rebuilding your clan. You've only strengthened us and taught us the values of the Military Police," Yoshino said with confidence.
"Things could have been different if we didn't train under you. But nothing changes, nor do our opinions on you."
"It doesn't mean there aren't questions," Daiki said, a bit nervously. "There are things we are curious about. But we understand it could be privileged information."
They didn't need to know the Uchiha clan suffered. The Sandaime was likely to explain the history. He doubted it would win them any sympathies. But it just added a bit of context.
"Questions?" He smiled. "I suppose there are and should be. I honestly don't feel the need to explain anything to anyone. What happened is history. A tragedy that the Council had agreed would never be spoken again. Alas, there is a swine that wants us to drag to be dragged into conflict."
"Nothing less unexpected." Yoshino said, shaking his head. "Is it true it was Iwagakure?"
"Yes. It was the Stone."
"What is our role then? They want this village to be dragged into conflict. They've failed. But what is Military Police's Duty now?"
"Your duty would have been to investigate the source of the leak and apprehend them. But that is done. We've already done that. I intentionally advised against such action because scrutiny is upon us. In a matter that directly affects us like this, we stand back.
"Anbu is handling it. Our actions are limited. The Military Police can't go to Iwagakure. Our duty would be to investigate the source and hand over the report to the Hokage. If we're ordered to do something, we'll do so."
Naruto smiled, remembering the good old days when Anbu and Uchiha used to clash. Both could investigate anyone. The Military Police just couldn't arrest an Anbu without Hokage approval. And the same could be said for Anbu, but not because rules dictated so, but because of political considerations.
"Our duty is to be on watch, ensuring there is order in the village. If something internal occurs, we'd have to act quickly."
"Then, if there are shinobi plotting to fan the flames of civilians to cause damage, do we act?"
"Anbu is handling things. But normally, we would handle such." Of course, Naruto was simply giving consideration to public opinion. It didn't matter if the Anbu said they would handle it. It affected the clan; he simply couldn't just bulldoze his way through the situation without regard to consequences. "You mustn't ignore. Investigate and watch. File a report. If action needs to be taken, the order will come. But, I doubt we'll have to do anything. Anbu are on top of it."
There seemed to be some frustration in not being able to do more. But that was the nature of things.
"If we go to war with Iwa, will our priorities still be with the Leaf?"
"Yes." Naruto closed his eyes. "Ordinarily, yes. You're elite shinobi whose duty is to enforce law in Konoha and maintain order. We're police, not the military. Alas, our power means the village might ask us to head to the front lines."
"And here I thought we'd avoid the front lines," someone commented with bitterness. There were exclamations of shame for such an admission, but the man was unrepentant, simply stating he was tired of war.
"Naruto-sama," Yoshino started in a dead serious tone. Everyone quieted down. Nobody even blinked as they recognized the seriousness in his tone. "Will there be changes?"
Naruto shook his head. "You'll get the full picture when the Sandaime speaks about it. But nothing will change. This past tragedy was a matter deeply discussed and debated before the decision was taken. It wasn't like there was a coup that nearly occurred. But the village decided it couldn't tolerate the existence of such people and took a decision.
"The Sandaime is aware of everything. There will be no changes. Even to the expansion of the force. This does bring me to another issue. But is everyone satisfied there will be no changes?"
They all nodded with satisfaction.
"Our first expansion will occur in the Wave Country. They want at least fifty shinobi. We don't have those numbers. For now, we'll send seven officers. Six will be two teams. The seventh will be the commander of the area. Assignments will vary in length. We don't want to break team dynamics. When a team is sent to the Wave, it will serve between 3 to 6 months. Some can last a year. It will depend. Think about it, and if you want to volunteer, do so."
"And the pay?"
"The basic will be 8000 Ryo per month. That doesn't include any other bonuses. While away, you'll live in Military Police buildings. Normal rules for bounties apply. But the force will take ten percent."
The money would only be spent while they were home, and there would be bonuses. Considering Chunin often died doing missions in order to care for their families, they would have it easy. After all, there were fewer dangers.
"That is just for now. We're still starting. So, we'll see how things go in the future."
Corruption was a possibility. They were dealing with humans after all. In a country like the Wave, he wouldn't even find it surprising if officers started taking money from merchants to turn a blind eye to things and for 'protection.' But rotations would solve this. And the Uchiha would be there to root out such corruption within the force.
Uchiha Compound
It was a rule for everyone who was a shinobi to be welcomed to clan meetings. Under Fugaku, once you graduated from the academy, you were a fully-fledged adult who could take part in the decision-making.
Naruto had never considered the kids adults. He hadn't even allowed Sasuke into meetings. Then again, important clan meetings were always held above the Shrine to include everyone and foster a united front.
With the kids inside their secret bunker, there were more than twenty heads. Everyone was present, from Yuto to Itachi. Seeing so many heads, Naruto felt extremely happy. In a few years, they would all be adults, and a new generation of children would be raised.
Of particular concern was that the kids didn't know what Fugaku had done, the oppression under which the clan had suffered because of the former village council.
"These numbers give me a little joy," Kouseki said, looking around the room.
"Means nothing if we don't see your children," Naruto replied sternly. "Really, if none of you start giving me what I want, you'll be taken off duty and sweep the streets."
He couldn't crush their manhood's. They were still needed to produce offspring. Nor could he do anything to physically harm them. They were still proud members of the clan.
"That sounds serious."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Well, you'll be pleased to know my wife is pregnant," Hikaku said, beaming with excitement.
"Congratulations!" Isamu jumped in to congratulate the man. He even clapped his hands, nodding enthusiastically as if he was the one to be the father.
Congratulations followed suit from the others. For Itachi, it was quite refreshing that despite the dark cloud hanging over them, clan meetings could produce such an atmosphere. It just meant that there was nothing to worry about. All was well. And would be well.
Sasuke nudged him, giving him a look. "What about her?" he more or less demanded, glaring at Izumi.
Itachi smiled. "You'll always be my little brother." He poked Sasuke on the forehead.
"Yeah, but not your son."
"You're thirteen, Sasuke," one of the children said, looking at Sasuke with an expressionless mask. "What, you want your brother to babysit you even when you become an adult?"
Everyone shook their heads. The love between the brothers was legendary, but Sasuke's attitude was something to be frowned upon. Itachi didn't seem to mind, and so nobody said a thing.
"I once thought you wouldn't even be able to go on missions without your brother. Color me surprised to learn that you regularly go on missions without protest," Yuto shook his head. "But I won't be surprised to see you hanging in the Hokage's office once he becomes Hokage."
"I don't want to hear that from you, of all people," Sasuke scoffed.
Naruto just shook his head, but it was pleasant to see things being so lively. "It is good, Hikaku. I expect to hear more good news from the likes of you..." he didn't say names, but the culprits knew by the looks Naruto was giving them.
"We're still waiting for the clan head to tell us his news," Shisui said as a joke, glancing at Naori.
"I'm too young to be taken off duty to look after a child!" Naori exclaimed. "Why do kids have to even grow in your belly for nine full months?"
The moment she became pregnant, there would be no heavy duties. She was likely to work in the office, doing admin and logistics. But no more battles.
"Curse the god who created us," Riku said, but he had no sympathies. After all, it was all nature. They've all come through that way. Each had their own struggle, for both men and women.
"So, not any time soon?" Shisui asked, still smiling.
"Not unless you surprise me."
That shut up Shisui pretty quick. Everyone looked at him. Shisui didn't even have a girlfriend.
"Well, I'm going to be married to the Godaime Mizukage."
More rounds of congratulations, but a few voices of dissent over the choice. Naruto, of course, explained himself. It wasn't simply a favor to Shisui. The terms of the marriage were laid bare for all.
"It is truly good the clan has come this far," Itachi said earnestly. "The mood around this place used to be filled with tension. As children, we often left this place with a sense of dread, fearing for the future of both the clan and the village.
"We sometimes went to extremes. I was not always right. Perhaps I could have handled things better, but I'm truly happy to have been a part of this. And I thank you all for accepting me and treating me as a brother. I am a proud Uchiha and love this clan. It fills me with pride to see how much we've grown after everything." He bowed his head slightly.
"You didn't make it easy," Riku said. "But we're all Uchiha. We could have only come this far if we worked well together."
"Indeed."
"The clan head has worked well to make this happen. We should all do our best to make sure nothing falls apart," Shisui said, and then added in a sad tone. "I haven't contributed much to the clan. I've been heavily involved in diplomatic duties. But I am here. We must salvage what is left of our reputation."
"What did you have in mind?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Itachi and I are the most loved by the village. We'll be active members on the ground. We'll be asked questions. The seed of doubt can only be erased when they interact with us and see that we're harmless, kind people who only have desires to protect the Leaf."
Naruto thought about it for a moment. "I'll allow it," he said and then turned to face the young ones with a warm expression. "It must have been difficult for you. Being called children of traitors. Not even knowing anything."
"They called us many names," Yuto complained. "They even said some unpleasant things about you."
"I haven't met anyone who has said anything nice about you, Naruto-sama," one of the kids said.
"Yeah," Kouseki nodded in agreement, smiling a bit. "Your reputation has taken a dive. People are rather nervous about you."
"A pity," Naruto said.
"Well, at least some of us are still famous."
"And I worked hard to earn their favor," Naruto said with a bitter chuckle. "Ah, oh well. This is the nature of life. As long as the rest of you are fine, I can't complain..." he said, shaking his head. "Our clan has a shameful past. Things were not always this happy. When you were little brats, there were people in the Council who loathed our existence. Some began to think we must get rid of the leaders before they get rid of us. The village came to know this. And a decision was taken. Fugaku-sama took a hard one. He volunteered. For he thought it was only right it was his responsibility as clan head.
"It is the past. But you can ask any of the adults the details and how it was like living in the past when everyone was suspicious of you. It should free you and you will be able to defend your clan. You must never be ashamed. Stand proud. Despite the history, We Uchiha protect Konoha and the Leaf is in a great position because of that. Regardless of what anyone says, always remember that."
It was a Reality, they had to face, but they couldn't be depressed about the past or what they were called. They were simply better than everyone else.
"I'll take over your training as well. I'm going to be around anyway," Shisui announced, to some excitement from the young ones.
"Even me?" Well, not from everyone.
Shisui smiled. Yuto was Naruto's student. "How much do you think our clan sleeps?" he asked, not to Yuto, but to everyone in the room.
"Naori is in a good position to answer," Kouseki responded, with a sly grin.
"Just enough," Naori replied with a shrug.
"Military Police, the clan, handling training, and other missions as well. Naruto-sama does too much on his own," Shisui said in a stern tone. "I know Riku and Kouseki have stepped up, but it's not enough. Ever since he became clan head, Naruto-sama hasn't had time to relax. We have to pick up some weight. We must divide some work among ourselves."
It had always been an issue, but he couldn't raise it then because he wasn't even around. But here he was, present. Naruto would be burnt out if things continued at this rate. He was simply doing too much on his own. Their lack of manpower was responsible, but others simply had to do more.
"I second that," Naori said and then faced Yuto. "We have an issue at hand. Military Police plans may be scrapped. Some negotiations need to be handled. For now, he should focus on that much and not worry about babysitting."
"We've been taking care of training other members," Hikaku pointed out. "You two are never present." He said to both Itachi and Shisui.
"I know he hosts training sessions with clan members," Itachi said. He'd admit, he was neglecting clan activity. Once he became Hokage, things wouldn't become easy. "I'll take over the training sessions with clan members. Shisui and I can also host diplomatic negotiations with other clans."
"Will that be acceptable?" Shisui asked Naruto.
The clan head was silent for a few seconds. "Hmm… well, I do need to sort out Iwagakure," he said. "It is fine. I'll leave the training to you, Shisui. You'll have to soon begin recruiting kids who will be part of the academy. Everything related to training, you'll be in charge. For both the clan and Military Police Force." He cocked his head to the side. "Any other duty you'd like to take?"
"What of Internal Force? Who gets to head it?"
"Disciplinary?" Naruto glanced at Shisui and then shook his head. "Riku will see to it."
"We'll work hard in improving the clan's image." Isamu said. "You can simply focus on Military Police and eradicating the clan's enemies. The rest, we can do."
Naruto nodded his head and then stood up. "I'll leave you all to discuss how you'll handle things… Kouseki, you'll to commission the building of Military Police's quarters across the Fire Nation and the Wave."
"Money?"
"I'll get the Mokuton user accompany you." Naruto said with disdain. "It's still ridiculous that the Great Mokuton has been reduced to house building. Well, it is there and we must take advantage of it."
Once Naruto was gone, Naori clapped her hands, beaming with happiness. "Shisui, I always knew I could count on you."
"Are you that happy?" Riku asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course!" Naori exclaimed. "There is no time to do anything with him. I can't even see him during the day or go out for dinner with him. It's frustrating. I can't enjoy being normal because he always has duties in his head."
What was wrong with a little bit of happiness? She was still young. She wanted to have fun. She wanted to drag Naruto to the movies. She wanted to enjoy the peace in the hot springs and maybe do something a little naughty there. Presently, the only time they had together was at night.
"Ah, young love," Kouseki said with a wide smile. "But I can't imagine Naruto-sama enjoying the things you want to drag him into."
"What makes you think I want to drag him into anything?"
"Really?"
"Well, it doesn't matter!"
"He never had any friends," Shisui spoke in a sad tone. "It has always been training and work. Izumi shares the same concerns with Itachi. But at least Itachi plays with Sasuke. Naruto has no such time or person."
"That's a little sad."
"What is wrong with the way Sensei is?" Yuto asked curiously. "He enjoys training us. He doesn't consider training kids work but some sort of leisure. I know that is not how people think of it, but he actually just enjoys it."
Anyone who saw him conduct his classes would know this much. Hell, the Naruto in class was different from the clan head Yuto knew. He could be cold and harsh, but there was some warmth and gentleness about the way he carried out his duties.
"Yeah, you mean he enjoys toying with others," Sasuke snorted with contempt.
"Your brother doesn't like Naruto-sama that much, does he?" Kouseki asked, amused more than anything.
"It is not that." A tiny smile grew on Itachi's lips. "Sasuke was much closer to him than I was. He still calls him 'brother'. They've just drifted over the years. Sasuke trained more with him than he did with me."
"Ah, love and hate relationship." Kouseki smiled. "Let us leave Naruto-sama's happiness to Naori and focused on relieving the burden on his shoulders."
Naruto has been the clan head for a while now. He assumed the role at a young age, and yet, he has always led with a strong hand, using both rewards and punishments. At some point, they had all forgotten that he was still young, a youth who never got to enjoy his glory days.
Riku thought of this with contempt and then glared at Shisui for not making them realize it sooner. "He has carried the clan so far. It is time we show him that the training he has given us was not in vain," Riku said, his eyes scanning the room. "And he can't keep worrying about having children. What do you think his greatest fear is?"
"The extinction of the clan," Yuto replied. He had admitted to Riku that the thought kept him up at night.
"We don't even leave the village. Naruto takes on all the tasks because he knows that if two or three members die, we'll be in trouble..." Riku pointed at the children. "Their grandparents don't have much time left. Some are already gone. If the rest of them are gone, who will we be left with?"
It would be a tragedy. Even Itachi would agree. He loved the clan and didn't want the Uchiha clan to go extinct. His father had sacrificed so much to give them a future, and he wouldn't want to disregard that by not seeing their clan grow in numbers.
"The extinction of the clan is something we should all be worried about. Naruto has given us strict orders because he doesn't want us to be miserable while trying to prevent it," Itachi said.
"You're making Izumi blush, Itachi-san," Kouseki said with a wide smile. "She's probably imagining carrying your babies."
"Be serious," Riku warned Kouseki.
Shisui laughed. "We have truly grown and changed as a clan. We're no longer ruled by hatred. We can sit here and laugh. I believe, more than anything, that is Naruto's greatest achievement..." he said in a warm tone.
Hokage Tower
The masses dispersed around the Hokage Tower, some with fallen expressions and others with glares. But there were many questions being asked. In a sad and pitiful tone, filled with all kinds of emotions, the Sandaime had explained the history of the founding of Konoha and the prejudice suffered by the Uchiha. He had gone through Danzo's mistrust and treasonous actions against the Uchiha, and ultimately, the discussions around the coup.
He had made it clear that the plan wasn't to be carried out as Fugaku and other Uchiha disagreed with it. Not everyone who was killed agreed with the coup plan. The village council simply decided that it couldn't tolerate living with people who conspired. Naruto agreed that it was the only solution and that was the reason he still fought for the Leaf and protected it from enemies.
The village councilors stood behind the Third as he spoke. Meanwhile, Naruto stood with an expressionless mask, both of his eyes fully visible. He tried his best not to show his contempt.
"Humans are truly ungrateful creatures," he said, almost spitting. "We've given everything for the Leaf, and yet there are still people who demand I resign because I cannot be trusted?"
"That is just fear speaking," Chouza said in a concerned tone. They were still standing above the Kage Tower. "But the good thing is that people will eventually accept what has happened, as we have, and we will continue to live normally."
"Nothing will ever be normal," Naruto said in a harsh tone. "We will live with the stigma for the rest of our lives."
"The Uchiha cannot blame anyone but themselves," Makoto said in a cold tone. "We will defend this generation who have shown nothing but loyalty toward the Leaf, but it is a fact that there was a plan to stage a revolt."
Naruto raised his index finger and wagged it. "I'll say it in front of everyone, here and now. I will defend my clan above all things. And you get on my nerves. I've been diplomatic so far, but it all ends today. Give me this attitude, and I will kill you. Of course, you won't be alive to actually see what happens afterwards, but I wonder."
"Naruto," Hiruzen cautioned.
"No, Sandaime-sama. You explained things properly. I even asked this Council a question when I appeared before you, and it wasn't answered. Call it entitlement; we formed this village with the Senju to stop the bloodshed and deaths between the two clans. Other clans came and joined us. We are founders, yet scum like Danzo treated us with scorn. And this man tells me we can only blame ourselves?" He scoffed and then folded his hands on his back. "Thank you, Sandaime. Council members, you've stuck with us, continued to be reasonable. And as I said, if you were fair, I would work with you. I have and will continue to work with you. What you've done here has made me trust you a little more."
Shikaku shook his head. Makoto wasn't being entirely unreasonable to say the Uchiha could only blame themselves. The reason Naruto hasn't done anything was probably because even he accepted this fact. But it wasn't right to put the sole blame on them.
"We've done what we have because you've done everything ordered, protected Konoha, and have not given us any reason to question your actions. I'll admit, I was a little worried you wanted to take all the power for yourself. But you've done well. If we did not back you on this, it would be a betrayal of your work," Shikaku said. "We thank you and the Uchiha for continuing your work despite the past."
"Regardless of the reasons, we ordered the deaths of members of the Uchiha clan. The children in your clan have lost their parents because of this. They might now hate us. But we hope you'll reason with them, as we have reasoned with you."
Naruto smiled. "Of course," he said. He turned away from the group and then disappeared into a swirl of flames.
Hiruzen turned to Makoto. "You wonder why Itachi didn't say he'd keep you. You're being perfectly rational, but that was not the right thing to say at that time. When I retire, you will also retire from Anbu. A position in the Fire Capital will suit you best," the Third said in a stern tone. "Shikaku-san, let us go."
Makoto stared at the Sandaime Hokage, shocked by the announcement. Unexpected and despite what Itachi had said, he had always thought he could work something out with the Uchiha. There was silence as the Sandaime left with Shikaku.
"Am I wrong?"
"To say the Uchiha can only blame themselves?"
"In a sense, no. But that is something you can't say. Who you are dictates what is wrong or right. Any other person, nobody would have flinched. But we must also consider the circumstances around the issue. We know for a fact that the Uchiha were not simply greedy, but Danzo was actively working against them because he didn't trust them."
Regardless, the clan could have still approached the Sandaime Hokage to work out something before deciding to make their plans for a coup a possibility. And even so, he couldn't say? Nobody else would be allowed to threaten an Anbu commander and get away with it. Yet, Naruto did so, and they all acted as if they didn't hear anything.
Was he the one who was wrong even though he spoke facts?
He shook his head. He could do nothing but follow orders. That was the nature of the shinobi world. He served at the pleasure of the Sandaime, and if the leaders thought this was the way to go, he could do nothing but follow such a route, with reserved opinions.
Hokage Office
"Are you sure it was the right call?" Shikaku asked as they entered the office.
Hiruzen didn't reply until he was behind his desk, settled and relaxed. "I gave him too much freedom. But at the end of the day, Anbu are personal to the Hokage and must be trusted to carry out anything the Hokage orders them without question. Do you think Makoto will simply do everything Itachi orders him without questions?"
"If you say it like that, I understand," Shikaku said. "But who would replace him?"
Hiruzen shook his head. He wasn't going to bother with such a question. "Itachi knows Anbu. He will make his choice. It has to be someone he can work with," he said. He then fell silent, organizing his thoughts. "My faith has been shaken," he admitted with bitterness.
Could he even trust Kumo's motives, considering what had just happened? He had made repeated pleas to Rasa to avoid war, but the man didn't listen. He could have used the power he gained to better Suna, but he sought out war with the Leaf, even when Hiruzen had done everything and more to assure him that they could work together. And now, it was Iwa's turn to twist the knife.
Iwa had done more damage than Sunagakure. The Sandaime Tsuchikage had stood in front of him and declared his willingness to be invited into an alliance and even asked him if he had any intention to destroy his village. Naruto had gone there to let the Tsuchikage know Konoha had no war with Iwa. Given the power he had displayed, it should have been obvious that if they wanted to destroy Iwa, they would have done it already.
Yet, Onoki sat in his office and fantasized about the destruction of the Leaf. In a civil strife, none of their friends would have been involved. If Kumo involved itself, it would be at a major cost to one of their bloodlines.
Shikaku could understand. To continue to think otherwise would be unreasonably stubborn. "I did sense something was amiss. But he came and asked about taking part in the games," the Nara head smiled. "But this is all the nature of shinobi. We want to hope for the best, but we cannot ignore certain things. The Raikage has not changed. He is still the same person. He has just changed his approach because he now respects our strength and knows he can't do as he did before."
"But if the opportunity arises, he'll try to make deals to gain an advantage for his village."
"Indeed," Shikaku said in a somber tone. "He is a Kage. He will always try to put his village in a top position. Konoha retains military strength, but once our economic aspirations come to life, we will reach higher heights."
Shikaku didn't have the same considerations for Kirigakure. He hadn't met the Mizukage, but he thought her position was different. Without Konoha, Kiri wouldn't be where it was. And those people didn't have the same history as the Raikage and Tsuchikage. Each had to be dealt with based on their personalities.
"I wish things were not like this," the Third said. "But we have to consider it, for the sake of Konoha. It is a good thing the marriage arrangement was been agreed upon. And other agreements indicate to a measure of faith and trust. We should select a few students the Mizukage can take with her."
"I'll send a message to the academy to speak to parents about volunteering. Some parents might decide to just leave with their children."
"Then, we'll have to quickly settle the land issue and buy houses that can be used by our people."
Shikaku nodded in agreement. "We'll have a lot of expenditure in the coming days. Military Police has to build a prison, and offices in a handful of towns within the country." He smiled. "We'd have to begin such operations, but the Fire Nation is going to change its mind once it hears about this. There will be those in the Council who will think this is a plan by the Uchiha or even Konoha to take over the Fire Country."
That was a real possibility and Hiruzen was actually afraid that things would happen in that order. He didn't even think mere words would be enough. No, words would not be enough. Even so, he would have to find time to go there and try to convince them otherwise. The situation was bleak, considering how those people operated.
If he were Danzo, he would be thinking about using Shisui's ability. The thought made him think of Naruto. There was no way Naruto hasn't even considered using this method to solve things. He had more reasons to be worried about the Fire Lord than Konoha's people, and yet he didn't seem concerned and was continuing as planned.
Hiruzen put a mental note, deciding he would have to speak to Shisui about this.
"They might even threaten us." Hiruzen said. "I suppose that is the real danger that has appeared out of all this. Nothing will change with Kirigakure or Kumogakure. The villagers' situation will eventually resolve. Months or years, but It will resolve."
"If they decide to can the idea. What do we do?"
"As things stand, they are going to destroy it." Hiruzen said firmly. "I will work out something to the situation. But for now, let us continue with preparations and assist Naruto in making this happen."
"Of course."
Hiruzen sighed. Who could have thought things would become this way? He had been in dreamland when he discussed things with the Mizukage. There was a future, one built on trust and mutual benefit. A future in which they could depend on each other, a future that wasn't built on naivety. After all, he and Mei agreed that conflicts could arise, but there needed to be a mechanism to handle them.
Perhaps once this took root, other nations would be inspired. Maybe even Iwagakure would change. Anything was really possible.
"Was I right to say Iwagakure must not be destroyed?"
"You were," Shikaku said firmly. "We've destroyed Suna. Others can dismiss this as Suna was small, but Iwagakure? Even allies would fear us. Once we become feared, things won't go smoothly for us, and others might work to topple us. If Suna and Iwa fell, so can they."
It had nothing to do with an act of kindness, but simply upholding the Leaf's image. If they represented an image of a vengeful tyrant, even future generations of Kirigakure people would become wary of them. They had to play this strategically.
"But we don't trust that they won't try to sabotage us."
Shikaku smiled. He was happy the Sandaime had thrown away his naivety. Indeed, if they demanded the Tsuchikage's head, those who remained in Iwa would resort to guerrilla tactics. He didn't even think Onoki was going to willingly allow himself to be killed. He wouldn't trust that they would stop there.
"We'll have to discuss the issue with Naruto. We do need a measure that will please us," the Nara head said.
Hiruzen nodded. "Hopefully, they don't do anything stupid while we ponder on the issue," he said.
"The Tsuchikage is not that stupid."
"I'm not so sure anymore," Hiruzen shook his head. "On a more positive note, I've decided we must change the format of the Chunin exams. The current regime is brutal and unnecessary. How many children die in the exams?"
A lot. Too many. Some face dangers they probably wouldn't even face in the real world. But such is the nature of the exams. Participants have to be prepared for dangerous missions.
"You've said this before, but what did you have in mind?"
"Jonin-Sensei will evaluate their students' performance and aptitude during C-rank missions and above. We will keep profiles about each student. A student can apply to be evaluated, or a Jonin can recommend a student for Chunin evaluation. Based on the reports we have, we can also select Genin for evaluation.
"We can reject or accept the request based on missions completed. A survival test is not necessary because they are already Genin; they go out on missions. We'll just have to require a minimum of C-rank missions for one to be considered, unless exceptional circumstances."
Missions build experiences. A Jonin was able to evaluate their students during such missions. If a Genin has completed more than twenty C-rank missions, then surely, a survival test was unnecessary. That person has gained enough experience.
"You're not concerned about the mental part of it."
"We're not all smart. There is no reason to deny promotion if someone has the physical skills. After all, they are not all going to be leaders. As long as they have shown they can follow orders, there is no reason to deny them promotion."
Not everyone was suited to be a leader. Not everyone had the intelligence to lead a team. The onus was on them to place individuals based on their skills rather than expectations.
"Mission reports will tell us about a Genin's mental capacity. Ranks are based on strength. Defeating other Genin doesn't mean one is a Chunin-level shinobi. We can evaluate the Genin by having them face off against a Chunin-level shinobi. Not one but three. A panel of five Jonin can observe the fights and determine if the Genin has proven enough skill to be promoted. They don't have to win any of the battles, of course."
"I'll select a few Genin, and we will trial this and see how this works." Hiruzen smiled. "Better not include the Uchiha."
Shikaku shared the smile. "Nobody would get promoted."
Later that night
A fancy restaurant outside of the clan grounds. Dinner. A few people of wealth and power. What was this? A dream? What was happening to his life? Very soon, Naori was going to make him put on a dress and sweep the streets.
Naruto glanced at the fancy meal. A bottle of alcohol on either side. An expensive meal for fancy people. Naori had even dressed for the occasion. More than anything, Naruto was thankful Itachi had been too busy to be dragged to this place. It would have been a literal hell for him.
"You better get used to this," Naori said in a casual tone, enjoying her meal without a care in the world.
"I don't think I can."
"You will." Naori replied in a dismissive tone, a slight shrug of her shoulder.
"You know what amuses me?"
"Are you going to tell me?"
"Well, it is definitely not this," Naruto said, glancing around. Everyone was just minding their own business. He might as well not be there.
"It's dinner. You're not meant to be amused," Naori glanced at him, a brow raised. "You're not going to be miserable on purpose, are you? Just so you know, I'm not going to quit."
Naruto sighed and dug into his food. Shisui was probably celebrating wherever he was. He had often pressured him to live normally. That had flown out of the window when Fugaku died and he had to be clan head. And now, here he was, despite the circumstances.
Was this what normal people did? Naruto had never played with other kids. He didn't know what it was like to sit on a swing, to climb trees for fun, or play tag. He didn't enjoy going out to drink with friends. He didn't even have friends. Clan members were brothers.
"I'm going to be a lousy father," he said with a bitter smile.
He treated kids to training. That was how he was raised. He saw blood and death when he was just six. With children of his own, he had to tolerate them even if they became mediocre. He simply couldn't throw them away like trash.
"Probably," Naori agreed, amused nonetheless.
"You're supposed to support me or offer me some words of encouragement. You'll be their mother."
Naori looked up at Naruto for a moment before going back to her food. "You have little tolerance. You're likely not going to like even your own kids," she said with indifference.
It was a little funny. Sure, weakness disgusted him, but he had learned from Fugaku that parents loved their children, even if they disagreed with their choices. Of course, it didn't mean he would hold a weak child over his shoulders and parade him. It would be humiliating. It didn't mean he'd hate and condemn the child. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to deal with such.
"It would be a shame."
"Indeed." Naori and them stopped eating. "Are we going to try, or are we going to wait?"
"Let's wait for a little while longer. It would be a disaster if you were forced out of duty before we have sorted things."
"And in the meantime," Naori stared. "You can't impregnate anyone."
"You think I'd give my seed to just anyone?"
Naori giggled. "I forgot you're racist," she said with a wide grin. "Wait till Konoha finds out about this. They'll demand your head and that you be burnt."
"Some things are better left unsaid."
Naruto revealed a lot, but he still kept many secrets. He was going to be the father of her children, and there was still a lot she didn't know about him. He maintained that he wasn't blind and kept secrets about his special Mangekyo ability. This was the same person who would probably explain how some of his jutsu worked to an opponent he was facing.
She didn't come here for fun. She wanted to know. She wanted to be informed about the person who would father her children.
"When are you going to start telling me your secrets?" she asked in a serious tone.
It was a rare thing. It caught Naruto by surprise. Naori was hardly serious when she spoke. "What secrets?" he asked.
"The clan, you..."
"The clan?" Naruto fell silent, looking thoughtful. "Here?"
"Genjutsu so that nobody can lip-read."
Naruto smiled. "There are not a lot of secrets regarding the clan. I don't think I've hidden things from you. I understand that you don't want to be Mikoto, but you want an active part in what happens in the clan."
"Of course." She then sighed. "Nobody sees me as a leader, though."
"Because you're not," Naruto pointed out. "You treat me to delicious food just to ask for secrets..." he said. "Some things are better left unsaid. But the Kyubi rampage, Obito came here calling himself Madara and according to Minato, possibly had the knowledge of Madara. Obito was crushed by a rock. But he somehow survived. The Yondaime knew that such a revelation would destroy the clan."
Naori had already heard bits about this. It was another secret that Naruto feared. If it came to light, it would just prove to the villagers that indeed the 'Uchiha' were behind the attack. It wasn't the clan, but a thought-dead member. It wouldn't matter. The fact was that the person was Uchiha.
"How could he have survived?"
"I don't know. He could have met Madara. Unlikely, but possible. Or he survived because of his unique ability and then decided to make himself Madara for some reason."
Naruto wouldn't reveal this unless he was concerned or possibly thought it would eventually come out, or at least part of it. Was he worried about Madara?
How she wished things in her clan were simple. There were dark secrets. What about the one Naruto causing the misfortune of village elders? If that came out, they were screwed. It was nothing short of treason, and the clan would pay a heavy price for it.
It seemed that while the clan wasn't controlled by hatred, it was a very significant part of Naruto's life. After all, he held grudges quite deeply and was rather good at hiding it.
"Was the Yondaime shocked to find his student attacking Konoha?"
"I don't know. But most likely. Don't ask why. Nobody knows why. Perhaps he blamed Konoha for the misfortune of his life," Naruto said with nonchalance.
"What about your eyes?"
Naruto stared. Naori stared back. She really wanted to know and wasn't going to back down. He sighed and then replied.
"Only Itachi has seen it active. But bits of it," he said, before falling into deep silence. Naori just stared at him. "Izanagi works by altering reality. Certain abilities of the Mangekyo can be programmed to activate under certain conditions. I could set my eyes to immediately cast Amaterasu the moment Shisui shows up in front of me with his Mangekyo activated.
"You know how Izanagi works, so I won't bore you. My ability works similarly. The Sharingan can predict movements. If I'm going to be stabbed, I'll see it. If I can predict it, and I can cast an illusion on reality to mirror my present form. Two forms then exist. An illusion and reality. Once the attack on me is completed, the illusion becomes reality. Basically, I create a copy of myself. The copy doesn't exist; it's an illusion."
"It's not that it doesn't exist. It just exists in limbo," Naori said with a slight shake of her head. "Two realities cannot exist at the same time. One must fade for the other to exist. Can anyone with a Doujutsu see it? The copy?"
"No."
That was an absolute ability even on par with Izanagi. But if Naruto kept it a secret, it meant it had some deficiencies and not on par with Izanagi.
"It sounds absolute," Naruto said with a small smile. "Yeah, but not quite. The copy needs to be sustained with chakra. If death is immediate, the copy will disappear. If my chakra is at a certain level, I can't cast it. It doesn't actually save me from death, just fatal injuries." He paused and closed his eyes. "And it's the only thing that causes my eyesight to deteriorate."
"So, you'll eventually become blind?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why do you sound so excited by that?"
"You're normal just like everyone!"
"I'm not," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "You'll find out eventually. Are you satisfied?"
"Why hide that ability? It is an awesome ability."
"Because it is my ace. It has many uses for defense and attacks. What I told you is just the basics," Naruto smiled, feeling a bit proud of himself. "I have devised something brilliant, but I'd probably lose sight in one of my eyes if I used it."
Naori became her usual self. She didn't ask deep questions. She didn't stare at him with a hard expression. She was smiling once more. For some reason, Naruto felt relieved. It wasn't because he didn't want to answer questions. He could tell her a flat no, but he just wanted the normal Naori back.
"You're smiling warmly. It's freaking me out," Naori said, looking at him with an exaggerated shocked expression.
Naruto cackled and placed both his hands on the table. He looked at her with a warmth expression. "I never lived a normal childhood. A lot I learned from observation. But that is normal. We were born into war. Fugaku-sama took us into battlefields. Itachi became a pacifist, and I developed indifference to life and death, as long as it wasn't my clansmen. People die. It's normal.
"I've just accepted this reality. Of course, some people look at me and think I'm cold hearted. Maybe some part of me believed so. So, it's strange. I saw you troubled, because of what happened. I never gave you any comfort aside from saying it will be well, because I didn't know how. Right now, I'm simply happy to see you back to your normal self. I love everyone and wanted to protect all of you. but seeing you worry, awakened a foreign emotion to me. Perhaps that is love."
Nobody in the Uchiha clan could say Naruto was an emotionless person, or emotion challenged. He displayed more emotions than most people. To the people outside, especially the Jonin, it was three sides of Naruto; indifference, disgust, and approval. For the clan, they saw everything, they heard him laugh, so him angry and sad, even concerned.
He was just invested heavily into his clan and didn't particularly for the rest of the people. But he cared for those he considered his family.
"He is a real boy after all!" Naori exclaimed, and then clapped her hands.
"I'm serious here."
She giggled. And then fell silent, putting on a beautiful expression across her face. "I've always known you care." She said. "That sounded like a love confession though."
Naruto shrugged. "I never understood why Shisui was hell bent on trying to make me have friends," he said in a low tone. "Speaking of him, we've drifted apart. He was the only person I could consider a friend."
"Duties," Naori said. "But I've noticed. Even when he is around, you don't spend much time together as used to. You're usually just telling him what to do. Unlike before. He is no longer the one person you relied upon. I suppose it is due to your nature and his. You probably order him to do things he isn't comfortable with."
"I do that," Naruto admitted, and then released a heavy sigh. "I suppose this is part of life."
"You don't lose friends like that." Naori said in a serious tone. "I'd be happy if he was much closer to us. Shisui was a positive influence to you. My children will need an uncle who will dote on them, their father looks at them with disgust for failing to do the simple things…" she said with a laugh.
It was around 9pm when they departed from the restaurant. At the end, Naruto thought it wasn't so bad. The food wasn't bad either. Nobody interfered. The mood had shifted based on subjects. But an overall, not so bad time. He wouldn't mind coming again.
Naori wanted for them to walk along the streets. Side by side. She locked her arm over his, and leaned toward him. nothing was said. It was just silence as they walked along the silent streets. The night lights brightened the streets. Alleys remained in the dark. A few civilians and shinobi walked the streets. One glared at them as they passed. Others simply greeted with a nod and went their way.
Naruto stopped, forcing Naori to do the same.
"What?"
"Go on home. I'll join you soon."
"What a way to ruin the moment," Naori sighed deeply. She glanced toward the left and stared toward the rooftops. "I'll allow it.
"Allow?"
"Of course. I dictate things in this relationship." She said, smiling as she pulled away. "If it was those Anbu boys, we were going straight home. Those two would drag you to drinks and then a whore house. I know their types. You shouldn't play with them."
"Of course, mother," Naruto bowed mockingly.
Naori glared at him but didn't say anything. She just folded her hands across her chest and then departed from him. Naruto glanced at where Naori had been looking a moment ago and then turned toward the direction, before leaping into the air. There were no Anbu moving about. The rooftops were deathly silent.
"You're going to kill yourself with too much work."
Shisui was lying on his back on the roof of an apartment block. "You're the last person to say that," he said with a smile.
Naruto stopped by the man's right side, and looked up at the sky. It was just pitch black. He didn't stare for long before sitting down beside Shisui. "What are you doing?"
"There is no telling what the Tsuchikage will do once he learns what Kitsuchi-san has to say. He has often used the Akatsuki. He may hire them again, and we could suffer the same aerial attacks as before, but this time, much more deadly."
Naruto blinked with surprise and then chuckled. "I didn't even think of that possibility. In my head, Iwagakure is a non-matter and the Tsuchikage will just sit patiently and wait for his punishment."
"It helps having other people around you."
"So, it would appear," Naruto said. there was a comfortable silence that settled for a minute or so.
"Things appear shaping up if you're going to dinner at an expensive restaurant." Shisui said happily.
"More like being dragged," Naruto said. "But, it isn't so bad. She even wants me to join with Itachi and Izumi. I dread that day. What do I even talk about? That girl is afraid of me. I'm usually looking at her with disgust."
Shisui laughed. "Well, you'll figure it out."
"You approve of such a thing?"
"Why not?" Shisui said with a smile. "The future Hokage and his clan head, and their future wives, dinning up together. It is good for socialization and getting to know each other. It helps, Izumi will see a different you and won't be afraid of you anymore."
"I don't particularly care if she stops fearing me."
Shisui sighed.
"Naori is going to demand you join us with Mei when she comes to this village."
"Well, it won't be so bad. You and I will be on the same boat. And given their personalities, I'm sure Mei-san and Naori can get along," Shisui said, a little excited about the idea.
Naruto shook his head and he'd hoped Shisui would say it was a bad idea. "We haven't been casual in a while."
Duties. Shisui could only fault that. When he was around, Naruto was busy with other things. they only had time for duties and nothing else. "How about a sparring session? We haven't had one of those in a while. It's good for communication."
Naruto was silent for a few moments before nodding. "Okay," he said and then glanced at Shisui. "You don't hold some ill feelings toward me?" It would be worrisome if he did. "Such minor things do concern me on some level. You're the older brother I've always had."
Shisui got up and then handed Naruto his hand, smiling a bit. Naruto took it and then got up. "I understand your responsibilities. Naivety leads to destruction. You've never done anything for simply the sake of chaos. Even now, I worry Iwagakure could do something. Kisame? He has always had some reservations. If he'd become Mizukage before, things wouldn't have been so simple. Genjutsu has always been my favorite tool to avoid blood. If I can use it to avoid blood, why not?"
Kind and gentle, Shisui didn't consider himself naïve. That was why he'd often used Genjutsu. He didn't think Onoki was simply going to apologize and give his life. No, the man had a history. He had lived long enough. Everyone in Iwagakure had a general tendency. Even if Onoki was killed, there was no telling what his successor would do.
Iwagakure would always fault them for the death of their Kage. And they would always feel threatened. That was the nature of things. If he could use his Genjutsu to stop a bloody war and the destruction of Iwagakure, he'd jump at the opportunity. Of course, Naruto's actions with Kitsuchi was simply vengeance, but the overall picture was something Shisui could agree with.
"You've never ordered me to contribute to destruction. It has always been to avoid blood and needless deaths. It is manipulating people, but it avoids needless conflict. That is something Itachi would be quick to agree with," Shisui said with a chuckle.
"I see," Naruto said with a stare. "That is good then."
"We've just been a little too busy. But we have time now." Shisui smiled.
"In a troublesome situation."
"What matters is that we're together in this."
"Indeed."
They leapt through the roofs toward the Uchiha compound. The training ground by the Naka river welcomed them. The air was a little bit cold. Naruto went over to the edge of the cliff, and stared down the strong currents of the waters.
"We came here often when deaths to all of us looked like a possibility, grappling with our inability to change the mind of our people. It has been peaceful since. This is nothing more than a reality check. To remind us to always be careful, because not everything will go our way," Naruto said in a serious tone.
Shisui stretched his body a bit. "Things are not so bad because of the reputation we've built ever since."
Itachi joined them while they were sparring. The Uchiha just watched and once they were done, the three of them jumped over to the river. Naruto was upside down, floating on the water with his hands, challenging chakra through them to stop himself from sinking.
"Let us run toward the end of the bank in this way to see who is faster," Shisui suggested, moving into the same position as Naruto.
"That is a little unfair. Naruto has more chakra to play with than anyone else," Itachi pointed out. "And he still has some ridiculous control over it."
"Uchiha Itachi complaining about unfairness?" Naruto asked. "Is it Izumi speaking?"
Shisui chuckled. "That does sound like something she would say," he said. "Come on Itachi. My right eye barely sees anything."
"What is the wager?"
"Have we waged on something before?"
"No, but not a bad idea," Shisui said with a grin. "If I win, we all go for dinner when the Mizukage arrives here. and I introduce her to both of you."
"If I win, we do this every now and then." Itachi said.
Naruto thought this was funny. Neither of them were coming with anything really serious. Shisui's thing was something that was bound to happen as long as Naori existed. It wasn't really something to be wagered. And he'd been thinking about something clever.
When both stared at him expectedly, he released a heavy sigh. "If I win, well, I'll decide whether to agree to both your terms."
"Fine," Shisui said. He didn't sound overly pleased. "This will be our first official match. I plan to retire with the majority of wins."
A Hokage, running with his hands, in the water with his fellow Uchiha. Naruto thought this was all going to make everyone laugh. Who could even imagine him like this. If people from Military Police saw him like this, they'd ask if they were seeing an illusion.
He laughed.
Following day
It seemed that for Konoha, happiness begot misery. Whenever they were on the path to a smooth landing, something always tripped them up. Peace was never sustained, and a sense of security was never maintained. It was as if there was some god or perhaps the powers of fate that just wanted to screw them over.
The moment he walked past the gates, Hiashi knew there was something wrong. The villagers didn't treat him differently, not until he was deep in the village and a few stopped him to inform him of what had transpired since he was away. It was no source of joy, not even a little. He wanted the Hyuga to be better than the Uchiha, but not in this manner. This kind of travesty could only bring chaos. The villagers happily chirping lived in ignorance. A shinobi who didn't realize just how important the Uchiha were, Hiashi would slap and demand that he be stripped of his headband.
Men and women went in and out of the Hokage Tower. Some came out carrying stacks of papers. A few Hiashi recognized as merchants. Konoha's path toward economic independence appeared to be finally taking center stage.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, looking more measured and calm. There were no plumes of smoke billowing from the village. There were no villagers trying to trip members of the Uchiha clan. There was no witch hunt, at least as far as he had heard from those who spoke to him.
"I suppose things are fine," Hiashi said as he settled down in front of the Sandaime's desk.
Hiruzen lifted his head and looked at Hiashi with a smile. "Yes... there are those who grumble, but the overall situation is fine."
"It could have been worse," Hiashi said and then asked the Sandaime to provide him with the details. Once he heard the details, he repeated his words. "It could have been worse."
Curse Onoki. Curse everything to do with Iwagakure. Rather than trying to benefit from Konoha's prosperity, they wanted to destroy it. Did he have no desire for peace and no care for the lives of his shinobi? This was filth. Stupidity. A decision that should have been made by a naive child, not someone as aged and experienced as Onoki.
"Fear truly makes people panic," Hiashi said, shaking his head with disappointment. He then stared. "I hope you're not going to fall into default. This is a declaration of war."
Hiashi was hardened. He was one of the few who did not consider his emotions and didn't shy away from extreme methods. If he said Iwa would be exterminated, he'd agree. Of course, the biggest cheerleader would have been Danzo.
"Iwagakure will not be destroyed," Hiruzen said in a firm tone. "What about your discussions in the Fire?"
"Does it matter?" The Uchiha controlled Military Police. Once those people found out about this, it would be the end of everything. He had done much work. He had spent more days than necessary because he was bargaining with those people until an agreement was reached.
They might as well burn everything now.
"What did you agree on?"
"A structure, funding model. But the ability of the Fire Capital to appoint the leader of the Fire Police Force."
Hiruzen nodded. He would have to guarantee that the Fire Nation's Police Force was separate from Konoha's and had an idea of independence. This way, they would think they were in control of all operations.
"What does the funding model look like?"
"They make a law requiring every town in the country to pay a certain amount to the Military Police. It will be considered a tax. The money will be paid to the Fire Nation, which will make the transfer. They'll cover up any other shortfall."
What could he give up on that? The only way those people could be satisfied was if they had the idea they were in control of everything. Well, as long as they funded everything, they could make some demands.
"They also want to be able to use the Military Police for other things."
Hiruzen sighed deeply. "They'll try to use them as their personal army. I wouldn't be surprised if the surrounding small nations were bothered," he said in a low tone.
It was a bridge they would have to face once they attempted to cross it. For now, it was about getting things on track.
"Before you leave here, you need to think about someone who can be stationed in Kirigakure as our diplomat. It can't just be anyone but someone important. Someone we can trust to hold the values of the village and represent us well. We also agreed on an exchange of students. The diplomat will be responsible for the health of all students we will send to Kirigakure."
Anyone from the Hyuga clan was out of the question. Noble clans would want to hold such a position. But there was nobody noteworthy in the clans. They would have to select from one of the top Jonin in the village.
"We can't send Kakashi. His absence would be felt," Hiruzen said.
"How about your son? He is a former guard of the Fire Nation and is the son of the Hokage. It doesn't have to be permanent. He can be there for a year. In the meantime, we can train someone who can occupy the position for a long time."
End of chapter
I was halfway through chapter 29 and looked at it, I thought, "yikes; this is just not good". I deleted everything and I'm deciding to just rewrite everything. So, I don't know when the next chapter will be uploaded. If I do write quickly, maybe next friday.