"You've been planning something." Itachi said to Naruto. It wasn't an accusation but a statement of fact.
Naruto glanced at Itachi and then stared back into the Mist filled streets through the window of the room. It was still early morning. Only early risers and the civilians who operated shops were breathing in the mist.
He walked away from his window and went to his bed. He slumped down, lying on his back and then stared at the ceiling. "Is that how you speak to your leader?" He asked with amusement.
"You're in a good mood." Itachi felt the amusement in Naruto's tone.
"There is every reason to be in a good mood," Naruto replied. "I must admit, I want to be gone from this village before the day ends. We must be home. Without us, the clan will be in discomfort. Naori can't possibly keep the ship from sinking…" as if it could sink any lower. They'd yet to pull out of the bottom of the sea. Anymore lingering about and they would soon be gasping for air.
There was no higher power to uplift them. They had to fight with nature to rise from the bottom. The only saving grace was that nature had given them tools to fight before it turned its back on them.
"They will be fine."
"The powers in which you have confidence in do not fill me with the same confidence. Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily think they will do something, I just worry because I have no confidence in them."
Even if some part of him didn't trust the Sandaime Hokage, a very sizeable part of him knew the kind of person he was. Hiruzen was a gentle soul who had to conspire a roundabout way to tell them to kill the Yondaime Mizukage and usher a new era in the Mist.
"The clan needs to be able to stand on its own."
"That is true. And I have no interest in raising parasites." Naruto said with coldness. "But they don't have the tools. They still grieve."
"You're treating them like children." Itachi said with a slight shake of his head. "Shisui will see Mei-san. We have to get rid of everyone who can get in the way," he said, getting into the main subject. "We don't know if the other Swordsmen will support her or will try to stop her once we're gone."
"From what Zabuza told me, they are all rotten scums who enjoy death. I'm not judging and I see no reason to kill them all… I'll see how it goes… If I must take their weapons, I'll do so. If I must cripple them, so be it. As long as the weapons remain, new members can be trained."
Itachi nodded. "I'll join you after dealing with Yagura."
"I don't need any help." Naruto rose and sat on the edge of the bed. "You're not planning on fighting him." He said with a stare.
"If we engage in battle, he'll likely transform. We know he has full command of the powers of the Three-Tails. Allowing him to transform will just cause havoc and unnecessary deaths. We're not looking for chaos, and war with the entire village." Itachi said. "But I can't move unless you keep the Swordsmen company."
"Of course… Zabuza will do well." Naruto had both hands on his knees, staring straight at Itachi. "Shisui is unlikely to Fight Mei. I don't think it is necessary though. But he wasn't going to take any of our duties. He is too kind and doesn't want to kill."
Itachi didn't deny it because it was the truth. "You think it will haunt him?"
Naruto shook his head. "People will always have regrets. Even as I stand here, I think, maybe I should have done something and maybe Fugaku-sama wouldn't have had to die." His voice sounded haunted. "But some people will have no regrets because they have fully embraced their way of life."
"What are your plans?"
"There are no plans. I just had a bit of fun with Zabuza… I might dance with the Swordsmen. It depends on my mood. Most likely, I will put Susanoo to the test. Which is why I don't need help." Naruto replied. "There are many people who want Yagura dead, but they have no power. The Swordsmen act as enforcers. Once Yagura is dead, and someone takes a hold on power, the village should continue to function. Zabuza said his team would work with speed to eliminate those who might try to spur civil chaos. Our job should be a success and we can go home in peace." He added with confidence
"I will see your signal to make a move."
"It will just be chaos." Naruto replied. "Once you're done… don't come to me. Flee, and go to the rendezvous point… I'll play about to see if there will be any problems. The strength of the Uchiha needs to be evident. If we are weak, Konoha is weak and there is a risk of invasion. The invasion puts us all under threat."
"Not unless some of the Great Nations try to recruit us."
"That is a possibility but it would lead to war. But if there is such, the clan will be divided. We cannot afford that now. Konoha is still our home, our clansmen died that it may be safe. We can't spit on that." Naruto said in a hardened tone and then blinked with a thought. "I forgot Kakashi."
"You're not thinking about getting the Sharingan from him, are you?"
Naruto shook his head. "No. Obito gave him that eye. Besides, he uses it with mastery. But he must be informed to keep secrets about the Mangekyo."
Itachi narrowed his eyes. "This is the first time you mention that name."
Naruto raised an eye brow. "Is it?" He asked. "Curious?"
Itachi shook his head. "It's better if I don't know some things."
"See, you and I can work together. And I'm conscious of this. Konoha needs to trust you. I won't put you in a difficult situation where you must choose between Konoha and the Uchiha. You'll have to accept that some things, I won't tell you."
"I understand."
Otogakure
The air was warm, the lights bright you'd not think they were deep within the belly of the planet. The lab smelled of many ingredients, some toxic and some a tonic. The watered cubes held their prisoners at bay. They would be moved out once Orochimaru felt bored enough to poke needles into their flesh.
Kabuto stopped in front of a liquid cube, a man held, almost lifeless. Being a lab rat was nothing but pain and suffering. Death was the only reprieve. Yet, in here, death did not come very easily. Many begged, with the gnashing of teeth, blood in their eyes, but death never came.
Orochimaru dictated who lived and died. And when.
Kabuto turned away from the man and moved past the tables decorated with lab equipment. He found his master sitting on a wooden chair, a small desk in front, and a bundle of papers atop.
"You came back early," Orochimaru said in a dry tone, his eyes never lifting to meet those of Kabuto.
"Something interesting happened," Kabuto tried and failed to hide his giddiness.
Orochimaru lifted his face. He became immediately curious, but he didn't get to it. "And your mission?"
"Handled," Kabuto replied. "There was indeed a survivor from your experiments. We can use him to create more clones. But, he is working with the Anbu…"
Fleeing Konoha meant he fled without valuable research on Hashirama's cells. The children he'd experimented on had all died or so, he'd thought. But if there was a survivor who could use Mokuton, he had to get his hands on him. He needed to see how his body adapted and he managed to survive. This way, he would be able to replicate the procedure and create an army of Mokuton users.
He grinned at the thought. The grin turned into a mad chuckle. Maybe he could recreate the mythical powers of the Shodai Hokage. He stopped himself when he remembered Kabuto said something.
"What happened?"
"The official story is that Danzo tried to have the Sandaime Hokage killed. He was then charged with treason, and Military Police Force was charged with dealing with him. Both parties ended up dead, including Fugaku."
Orochimaru stared. "Fugaku dead? Killed by Danzo?" He laughed coldly. "Fugaku had the Mangekyo Sharingan, even though he kept it a secret. Even I wouldn't want to fight him if there was an option. Danzo had tricks, but he couldn't possibly have killed Fugaku."
"But he is dead. Along with Military Police. Most of the Uchiha who remain are just civilians. It does appear that Danzo had some secrets in his body. What exactly is closely guarded by the higher ups."
Orochimaru shook his head. "Something happened. But this is good. Konoha has become weak…" he frowned for a second, before lifting his lips. "Even with the Uchiha dead. We still can't find any Sharingan. They really bury them without the Sharingan. It would be good if we got our hands on Fugaku's eyes."
"He was buried within the Uchiha compound."
"Shisui and Itachi?"
"Alive."
"We can still get one of them. In the meantime, we must find where the Uchiha hide the Sharingan."
"And the experiment?"
"He is mine to begin with. We'll make plans to capture him. He'll be a useful tool to continue with more research," Orochimaru replied with a wide smile. "We might even draw Konoha to us. It would be healthier if they sent an Uchiha to us."
"I'll head back to Konoha to see how we can take out the experiment from Konoha."
"How is sensei? He lost Minato, whom he chose over me and now, another Hokage candidate. Konoha is in trouble," Orochimaru said.
"Not much on him."
Kirigakure
The Mist was a nice place. But its history was full of bloodshed and civil strife. The Kaguya had become too powerful and yet, they were all extinct. It could have been the fate of the Uchiha. But they dodged that bullet, yet, not with all their limbs. A surgical procedure was required to reattach the limbs, and after some rehabilitation, they would walk again.
Shisui had honestly wished Naruto had taken the reigns for this mission. But he figured Naruto refused because he knew him too well. Sometimes, Shisui wondered how he even operated in Anbu.
He glanced up into the sky, and stopped walking. The sun was just above him. Dark clouds were joined together. Thunder and hail could soon bring much activity to a halt, or maybe it was just a threat. Nature loved throwing such feints.
Someone bumped into him. The man fell over while he didn't even budge.
"Sorry," Shisui apologized, holding out his hand. He was in a transformation, having disguised himself.
The black haired man cursed under his breath but took Shisui's hand. He didn't say anything once on his feet. He just marched on, his mind seemingly at a certain destination.
Shisui shook his head once more and then continued to walk alone. He left the Residential blocks and arrived at a secluded training ground. It was surrounded by a thick mist. There was only one person in the training ground.
"I was wondering who wished to see me," Mei was sitting on a meditative posture, her hands held together.
Shisui undid his transformation, revealing himself.
"Another handsome Uchiha… are all Uchiha formed like this?" She asked with a warm smile on her lips.
"Another?" Shisui asked. She was on guard. He couldn't move without her taking action, and it seemed she'd surrounded herself by something. He could feel the chakra around her, and the heat below her.
"I saw one of you earlier."
She was a little indifferent, so Shisui assumed there hadn't been much talking. "I'd come here to fight you," he revealed.
"Then?"
"You're ready for me. This place has been rigged," Shisui explained. He left a good distance between them, but he wanted to cut it down. "But that is not the reason I don't want to fight you. The fight would have been simply to test you. I think it is pointless."
"Oh?" Mei stared at Shisui. The heat around her increased a bit. "Then you have come here with some agenda."
"It is by no means to bring harm to you… My name is Shisui Uchiha, by the way," Shisui introduced himself. "May I step closer? I wish to speak with you." His voice was earnest, eyes straight at Mei, hands above his shoulders.
Mei stared at him. Appearances deceived. Shinobi smiled with warmth, whispered sweet melodies into your ear and then put a poisoned dagger on your back. Yet, this one did appear to be earnest.
She motioned for him to come closer.
Shisui did as instructed and settled a breath away from Mei. "Thank you," he said.
"Why do you want to test me, and why is it pointless?"
A loud explosion from the village was heard. It caused Mei to leap into her feet, while Shisui remained sitting.
"They've started," Shisui said. "Please listen to me."
"Make it quick. If you're threatening my village, I will defend it!"
Shisui shook his head. "That is not our intention," he said. Maybe he should use his Genjutsu. He could have done the same with Yagura but felt that could only be left as the last resort in case their plan A failed.
"What is?"
"To ease your worries, there isn't destruction in the village. That is probably just my clan head fighting the Swordsmen." Shisui said with ease. "We were sent by Konoha. We've come here to look for an ally. We could have spoken to the Yondaime Mizukage, but felt his reign was fragile. Kumo was already circling around the village to strip it of its bloodlines.
"We came here because we know there are many who want the Yondaime Mizukage to be killed because of his cruelty. I hoped, you'd be willing to listen. I was informed that you could be a candidate for his successor."
Mei stared. That there were people who wanted Yagura dead wasn't a mystery. He was driving this once great nation to the ground. Mei couldn't even recognize her once beloved nation. The current Kiri was a colossal mass of blood, death and hatred. Nobody trusted the other. The Kaguya clan invited suspicion to all other bloodline wielders and the Swordsmen murdered all those who dared threaten Yagura's reign.
They were helpless. There were many who wanted to jump off this sinking ship but loved Kiri too much to abandon it. Some had already fled. Of course, Yagura hunted them down.
"Did you come here to kill him?"
"Yes. It will be done." Shisui said confidently. "But once it is done, someone has to step up or you'll have people killing each other."
He could imagine the chaos; a leaderless nation. Not just any nation, a bloody nation. There would be treacherous battles for who became the leader. Yagura's supporters would summon blood hounds to sniff out all those who conspired with the enemy to kill their benefactor. Kumo's mission would be much easier. And Konoha's position would become even more fragile.
Mei narrowed her eyes sharply. "If I were to become Mizukage after Yagura, I would be beholden to the Leaf. What do you want in return? I will not allow this village to become subservient to Konoha."
"Once we leave this village, you can do as you please. That is, you can reject anything. Konoha cannot spare its forces to try to suppress you and powerful as we are, we cannot fight the whole village in our circumstances." Shisui said in a measured tone. "Konoha is in a dangerous situation and we just want to have an ally. Not to fight with us, but be a deterrence to our enemies who think we are alone. That is all we want."
"Words of a shinobi are meaningless. You say something now, and tomorrow, it is something else." Mei said in a stern tone.
Deception was part of the trade. Some were trained to manifest empathy like saints, and some could worm their hearts into anyone's heart. Shinobi were devils. They could speak with love tomorrow, and return in the night with weapons of treachery. In this life, words meant nothing. Actions spoke the loudest. You trusted at your own peril.
"That is true."
"What if you're just keeping me here while your friends try to control the village by Killing Yagura-sama and the Swordsmen?"
"I do not stop you from going there. But at least give me an answer to what I am saying. We don't want our actions to leave Kiri in chaos."
Meanwhile
"Zabuza, you damn traitor!" Jinpachi spat at the man who called himself a demon.
"It is you who are traitors to the Mist. I hope you all die so that so that Kiri gets people who are worthy to be called the Swordsmen!" Zabuza shouted and then fled the scene. The others didn't make any attempt to run after him.
"We will get him after this." Kushimaru said in a casual tone.
Naruto was sitting on a boulder, a knee raised, his gunbai leaning against the boulder. There was no other shinobi who'd come here; it was just the Swordsmen. Shinobi would divert their attention to securing important facilities, taking civilians to safety and protecting the Mizukage while the Swordsmen dealt with the enemy. Others would focus on trying to hunt down Shisui and Itachi.
Everything was set for a good exercise.
"We'll just get rid of him and take the sword. He is the weakest of us anyway," Jinin replied with indifference.
"Have Fuguki and Mangetsu betrayed us as well?" Kushimaru asked.
"Fuguki was held by Kisame. But he'll deal with it," Raiga replied with a shrug. "It is just one Uchiha. I alone should be enough for this. He dared to attack the Mist."
"It's better if we take him at once." Jinpachi replied with a grin. "I'd like to toy with him until he realizes just how stupid this was."
"Just so you know, my friend has gone to face the Mizukage," Naruto said, waving his fan about. "I'm just telling you because I don't like the idea of being the distraction," he said, his composure intact, despite the overwhelming malice from the four Swordsmen in front of him.
"The Mizukage?" Raiga laughed in a mocking way. "You have confidence but your friend is going to die."
"If that is so, let us—" He wasn't given an opportunity to finish as Kushimaru flung a needle toward him.
Naruto ducked under the barely visible thread, and watched it move above him. While he was still in that position – bent over and facing up – Jinin flashed above him, swinging his hammer down toward his chest. Naruto fell down the ground from the boulder, and rolled to the side. The hammer crashed to the boulder, and completely destroyed it, raising chunks of the earth.
Kushimaru grabbed his right foot while he was still on the ground. The man hurled him toward Jinpachi. While Naruto was airborne, Jinpachi took a stance, holding his sword with both hands. Naruto brought his gunbai in front of him, just in time for Jinpachi's sword to collide with it. The man's eyes widened, as his sword glowed and exploded. Flames picked up from the face of the gunbai and completely blocked the explosion from doing any harm to him.
Naruto leapt away. He wasn't given the time to land, as a hail of thunder flashed toward him while he was still airborne. Naruto shielded himself by lifting up his gunbai. The fan completely absorbed the lightning. Kushimaru flashed over him, attempting to stab him across his throat with his sword.
"Uchiha Return."
The Gunbai flashed and then an explosion occurred, taking Kushimaru with it. He was caught within the explosion, which burnt both his arms before he could even flee to the distance.
Naruto landed, but as soon as he landed, the ground exploded in a powerful shock. The explosion tore through the ground, causing a huge column of flames to rise into the air. As the flames licked the earth, creating heating temperatures, all that could be heard were Jinpachi's mad giggles.
His laughter died in his stomach as Naruto appeared in front of him in a swirl of flames. The gunbai was strapped on his back, and he took a single step forward, landing a drive with his fist on Jinpachi's stomach. It was a brutal blow made the man skid back a little. He swung his blade wildly, but Naruto ducked under it, while sweeping his right leg.
He caught Jinpachi around the ankle, causing him to fall over. Naruto leapt over, and crashed both his legs on the man's chest before he could hit the ground. The brutal blow pummelled the man to the ground, burying him there while he coughed blood from his mouth.
Raiga appeared behind Naruto while he was still above Jinpachi, swinging his lightning sword toward his upper body. The blade struck the gunbai strapped on his back. The collision caused Naruto's whole body to be encased by lightning, which coursed through his body. The swordsman then landed a roundhouse kick on Naruto's shoulder, sending him flying away.
While airborne, Jinin appeared above him, slamming his hammer down toward him. As soon as he appeared above him, Naruto's eyes met with his and he froze in mid-air, his sword above his head. He crashed to the ground, with his eyes wide.
Naruto flipped twice, he noticed threads on the ground where he was about to land. He landed on the threads instead of in-between them to avoid getting his legs cut off. The second he landed, the ground exploded.
Boom!
Crimson flames picked up, rising high into a huge column. Naruto burst out of the column, his apron being licked by flames, but otherwise unharmed by the explosion.
"Lightning Dragon!"
As soon as he came out of the flames, a pure white dragon of lightning came rushing toward him from the sky. He used his gunbai as a shield, and the lightning attack crashed into its face. The collision didn't cause an explosion, but it sent Naruto crashing into the ground with his back. He was firmly buried within debris upon crashing.
While still buried, Jinpachi appeared above him, swinging his explosive sword toward him. Naruto simply held his gunabi, which was glowing, and threatening to release the energy it held. It wasn't supposed to be used this way, and he was going to damage it.
As soon Jinpachi's sword collided with his gunbai, he released the lightning dragon. The jutsu was released in a loud explosion of lightning that completely consumed the Mist nin. Kushimaru reacted swiftly, throwing his blade into the explosion. He pulled back, pulling Jinpachi from attack.
The man fell to the ground, twitching uncontrollably with burns on his legs.
Naruto slowly got up from the ground and was immediately forced to go into the defensive.
He smiled—this was truly a battle. They did not let up. They kept coming at him with intensity. And they coordinated their attacks very well. He was truly in a fight against the four of them. Susanoo would truly be tested. But he couldn't just unleash it; they had to force him to unleash him.
Naruto placed his gunbai above him, holding it with both hands for reinforcement as Jinin flashed above him, swinging his hammer downward. In a blink, the hammer crashed onto his gunbai. The blow forced Naruto's feet into the ground, his hands trembled, knees bent that he nearly fell.
Kushimaru appeared behind him, throwing three senbon toward his upper body. Naruto's eyes sharpened, and he was forced to abandon his gunbai. He disappeared via Shunshin. Jinin crashed to the ground with the momentum of his attack. Naruto suddenly materialized in front, and delivered a kick to his face, sending him tumbling backwards.
Sensing Kushimaru lunging at him from behind, Naruto swiftly turned around while ducking. The Mist nin had attempted to stab him through the back of his neck with his blade. Naruto glanced up, his eyes coming to face that of Kushimaru.
Kushimaru found himself pinned to a wall, multiple bladed attached to his body.
Naruto grabbed Kushimaru's wrist which held his sword while taking out a kunai. Without pause, he stabbed the kunai through the man's right shoulder. Flames burst through the kunai, and exploded on his shoulder. The pain forced Kushimaru to be dragged out of the genjutsu.
Jinpachi took effective advantage of the situation, appearing behind Naruto. He slashed his sword toward the Uchiha's back, attempting to sever him in half, but Naruto blurred out of existence, avoiding the blow. His sword crashed into the ground, barely avoiding the bleeding Kushimaru.
"Revengeful little brat!" Kushimaru hissed in pain. Naruto's attack had left a gaping whole on his shoulder. His right arm was left unusable. The bleeding was even taking some doing to stop.
Naruto slowly got up from the ground. "Impressive you saw that," he said, glancing at his right shoulder. One of Kushimaru's shoulder had manage to pierce into his shoulder. He had to force chakra into his pathway systems to keep using it. The bleeding was not a problem, and he could ignore the pain. "But you hurt my shoulder, I thought it was fair if I hurt yours."
Kushimaru spat. "I will take my time with you."
Naruto laughed. "I'm sure you dream so..." he said. "But this is exciting. It has been some time since I have felt this much pain. My arms are still shaking from blocking Jinin-san's blow. You live up to your fame."
The gunbai truly saved him from having to use Ninjutsu. Against such opponents, burning chakra at an alarming rate was just suicidal. While he enjoyed this thrill, he hated the idea he would lose a battle. If would bring nothing but shame to the Uchiha if he fell here. They could continue using their chakra, and when he won, he would win by a huge margin.
A thick mist began to gather in the area.
Naruto smiled. "I was wondering when you were going to start getting serious. It is a pity, one of you is injured," he said with a slight shake of his head. "You can get a medic to heal him and I won't attack you in the meantime."
"You're mocking us!"
"Not at all." He said with a straight face. "It wouldn't be fair you started to fight for real while handicapped…" he paused, tilting his head to the right. "Unless you were already fighting at your best."
"He is mocking us."
"We don't need a medic!"
"Then this will not give me the push I want. Then again, even a rat while cornered, it can do miracles."
The mist completely covered the area and Naruto could see anything. But He had no intention of fighting in the Mist. Sure, he wanted to crush them in their natural habitat, but against such opponents, he didn't want to take chances and up humiliating himself.
Naruto's eyes shifted into the Mangekyo. Chakra began to form around him. The chakra blood red. It created a rib cage around him, and Naruto decided to settle down.
"I should add a little more and see if they can break it," he said to himself and the ribcage remained the same, but he added more chakra to strengthen it.
Mizukage Tower
"Yagura-sama, it is one of the Uchiha who has attacked members of the Swordsmen," a shinobi said, kneeling before the Kage.
Yagura was sitting behind his desk, his body frame relaxed despite what was happening inside the village. Bouts of battles were hardly a surprise within the village. He wouldn't even be surprised if the springs started leaking out blood instead of water. People were buried every day. There were a few who tried to rebel. And few who just needed to be quieted down.
This was different; Konoha sent a striking force to Kiri. The letter was merely a disguise, their way into the village. It was likely the Leaf decided to work with dissenters like Zabuza in order to remove him. It wouldn't even surprise him if Zabuza sought them out. He'd been getting desperate because he lacked both the power and resources.
A sentimental man.
It was pathetic really. For a man who killed everyone in his class to become this emotional because of a little blood was disappointing. It was treacherous he would even work with enemies. He had sold his soul for some achievement he would not even sniff.
"You said one, and the others?"
"We don't know," the shinobi responded in a fearful tone. Fear that he might face the anger of the Mizukage for not having the right answers.
"And Zabuza?"
"He was with the others. Fuguki-sama and Houzuki are not there."
Where could they be? Houzuki was a little too nice. Fuguki, Yagura didn't really trust. There was a lot that went on that made him distrustful of the man. Where could he be?
"Search for the Uchiha."
"We should move you to safety, Yagura-sama."
"They'll come to me. But send some men to look for them. I'll be waiting for them. And secure the village. They can't be allowed to flee the village."
"Hai."
Academy students had to know some basic jutsu; Henge and Bunshin. On the grand scheme in battle, the jutsu did not save lives but in covert operations, they were supremely effective. Itachi didn't need to dig deep into Genjutsu to be able to pull it off. He only needed to utilize a higher level of Bunshin, and supress his chakra. Then, he could safely walk about Kiri without anyone stopping him.
Of course, when troubles ignited with Naruto starting his battle with the Swordsmen, he was forced to blend in. But it was much easier to sneak into a village. The shinobi were looking for him, but he was in front of them, rushing like a civilian.
It was ridiculous how easy it was.
When he saw the Mizukage tower, he'd wondered how he'd gone in. It was deceptively left open. There were no shinobi guarding it. An idiot would be thinking it was safe to attack the Mizukage. But it was just a trap. The Mizukage was waiting for him.
Itachi hid inside a building and created a clone, with more than half of his chakra. The clone disguised itself as a shinobi from the Mist and rushed to the Tower. He couldn't keep Naruto fighting for too long. The moment he stepped into the tower, he was stopped. He changed into his real self.
The Mist Shinobi jumped with alarm and he was immediately surrounded. Weapons were drawn at him, but no one attacked.
"The Mizukage is waiting for me, please take me to him." He said in a calm tone.
The shinobi looked at each other. There were ten surrounding him, and sensed a few dozen had surrounded the Mizukage tower. There was just no way if he'd come himself that he could have escaped without a huge battle taking place. This was the best strategy.
The tension was thick, a few explosions could be heard outside. One wrong move, and the twitchy shinobi would lunge. Itachi was impressed that they still didn't attack him. In this thick air, footsteps echoed within the walls as someone walked toward them.
The Mist shinobi made away and Yagura showed up, holding his stuff.
"Mizukage-sama," The clone greeted with respect.
Yagura looked amused. "Even in this situation, you still talk to me like that?" he said. "Well, it matters not. What do you Konoha shinobi want?" He asked in a curios tone. "You don't think you can make it out of here alive, do you?"
"I apologize, but I cannot discuss that with you," Itachi replied in a quiet tone as his eyes shifted into the Mangekyo.
"Scatter!" Yagura barked at the shinobi as he jumped back the second Itachi switched to the Mangekyo. He was also sensing a massive built-up of chakra.
"Amaterasu."
Jet black flames ignited around Yagura's entire body, engulfing even his stuff. He dropped it to his knees, as the blames started to consume his flesh. Immense pain shot through his body. From head to toe, his body was being incinerated. He'd not experienced this much pain before.
The moment the clone released the Jutsu, it burst into a cloud of smoke.
"Look for him!" One of the shinobi shouted.
"Suiton: Water Bullet!" Another hit the Mizukage with the water Jutsu. The water hit him, sending him crashing to a wall, but the flames continued to burn him. He fell on the ground, now writhing in pain, rolling on the floor as he did.
"Suiton: Water Explosion!" Three shinobi released the jutsu at the same time.
The volume of the water being released at the same time caused an explosion, destroyed the walls of the tower. With the lower structures being destroyed, the tower came down, but was only submerged into the water. The volume of the water created as so much that it looked like a lake had been created.
And yet, deep within the waters, the flames continued to burn Yagura's body.
Panic ran hot as it became clear there was no saving the Mizukage. Cries ruptured through the streets, and some didn't hide their joy at seeing a man who led a bloody ship, sink into his death. For some, such a behaviour was treason. They should be working together to hunt the men who murdered their Mizukage not celebrating his death. As a result, shinobi started to argue amongst themselves.
Panic spread like a wildfire. The village was on edge. Skirmishes were starting to break out between shinobi. Once it became common knowledge that Yagura was under attack, and so were the Swordsmen, those who opposed the Yondaime Mizukage without being part of any group started to fight those they believed to be loyalists.
If nothing was done, the whole village would become a battlefield and Kirigakure would fall. For now, it was on a tipping edge. A little push, even by an ignorant child, the whole village would begin to breathe a black smog like a house of a blacksmith.
The reality worried Mei greatly. This was perhaps what these people wanted to avoid but her beloved Kirigakure was on the verge. It made her nervous and fearful for the reality that could choke the life out of this village.
She was watching everything from above a building. The many shinobi who moved about their duties, shifting civilians and dragging their fellow Shinobi. It wasn't just about that only—petty criminals were taking the moment to rob stores.
Shisui was transformed into a child. She was holding his hand. It looked like a child she'd rescued, abandoned by adults.
"It seems Itachi is done," Shisui brought Mei out of her deep thoughts.
Mizukage tower was already destroyed. It had exploded a minute ago. Naruto should have heard it and moved to safety. He could sneak about in this form. If obstacles come, he would have to rely on his abilities.
Mei glanced at Shisui with a worried expression across her face. She couldn't fully trust these people. He'd explained Konoha's situation, but even that could be lies. She would only be comfortable once they had left the village.
Even at this rate, if Konoha was in danger, Kirigakure would be obligated to give a helping a hand. It seemed, she would have to return the favor as soon as possible because she didn't want Kirigakure to be dragged into wars that would leave it crippled.
"What did he do?" Was it that simple to kill a Kage? Shisui hadn't expressed any concern. He'd seem absolutely confident that his fellow Uchiha would kill Yagura. It was over before it even began. His other fellow Uchiha was now busy fighting the Swordsmen. Was the power of the Uchiha this great?
It honestly left Mei feeling afraid. If they could do this now, as young as they were, what more could they do once they had become older? It was this fear that made her doubt she should become Kiri's leader.
"You'll see," Shisui said. "I trust you'll handle things with care. We must leave before we're surrounded," he said. "Will you lead me to safety? I would immediately get surrounded if I were to start hopping through building, heading to the nearest exist."
"The safest place is with civilians."
"I could get discovered easily. Shinobi villages are large communities. Shinobi start looking at you because they don't know, civilians say they don't know you either. In a second, a sensory type exposes that you're a shinobi."
The Mist had cleared. Jinin was on his knees, painting with weariness. Naruto did not fight fair. He'd completely stopped attacking them, and just went on the defensive using Susanoo. He seemed to enjoy seeing them toil and burn themselves out with tiredness as they tried to penetrate through his defences. He'd already gathered his gunbai and was using it in conjunction with his Susanoo. There had been times the Susanoo was holding it as well.
He glanced at Kushimaru; he was barely alive, he'd never truly recovered from the blow to his right shoulder. Worse, he needed both hands to effectively use his Swords. Jinpachi was just fine, but his frustration showed. Raiga was the one who expanded more chakra, but he seemed ready to continue.
"He is anything but normal," Jinin conceded, between his tired breaths.
"It brings shame to our names that we face this situation. Wasn't it a Konoha shinobi who threatened to kill our team last time around?" Jinpachi replied with frustration written in bold letters across his face, his voice didn't hide the brewing hatred inside his heart.
"He can't keep this forever," Raiga said.
"Indeed," Naruto replied, even though they were not talking to him but among themselves. "I have a different way of fighting. But I was taught to fight strategically. I used to think of it with contempt as to fight strategically exposed weakness. This is a different kind of thing. You're called great swordsmen, I thought my Susanoo should receive a stern test from you.
"Winning is easy though, isn't it? You can have all the jutsu, and be better than your opponent, but if they have an absolute defence, they can simply use it to wear out their opponents. Once you're at the same level, you become easy pickings," he chuckled. "But there is no joy in such mental battles. Oh, well, as long as you win, right?"
Tactics were truly fundamental. It was no wonder Itachi was highly successful. Naruto was just capable of much, but he loathed it. There was nothing decisive about going on the defensive while his opponent's continuously hit a brick well. Weaker shinobi should employ such tactics. But it just showed, a better equipped shinobi with just one Jutsu could dismantle a better shinobi.
Hashirama had something going on for him. It was not his godly chakra reserves or the unrivalled power of Mokuton, it was his ability to heal from wounds without even needing to weave hand signs. If Hashirama had been in Kushimaru's position, he would have healed his shoulder and continued to fight.
Such details declared a lot. They could be the difference between a winner and a loser. Naruto didn't have absolute power. He couldn't sniff Madara's shoes. Such power was of course not necessary to defeat the likes in front of him. If they couldn't even break through his Susanoo, they were not worth the mental exercise. But simply fell to be crushed with overwhelming power.
Yet, he couldn't just go through that. The powers of the Mangekyo required such battles to be mastered. He was most focused on putting them to the test, rather than crushing these people.
Raiga launched at Naruto, his entire body encased with lightning. Naruto was surrounded by his skeletal Susanoo. The Susanoo couldn't react in time to swing at Raiga. The Swordsmen crashed into his chest like a lightning bolt. The Susanoo cracked a bit upon impact.
In a second, Jinpachi flashed behind, swinging his explosive sword. Multiple explosive jutsu tags surrounded the entirety of the Susanoo before a ground shaking explosion shook erupted. Both Jinpachi and Raiga were forced to leap away into safety as flames picked up, creating a monstrous column of flames that became visible through the entire village.
Naruto shot out of the flames, holding his gunbai. Susanoo had failed him in the last moment. No, more specifically, his chakra had failed him. Using the jutsu at this level required large amounts of chakra.
But with enough training, he would get used to it.
When he landed, he fell onto his knees, grabbed his chest. He felt as if his chakra had just vanished in a flash.
"Not so invincible after all!" Jinpachi laughed gleefully. "Hahahahaha... No defence is absolute!"
Naruto was glad his scroll wasn't burnt. He took it out while still on his knees and then, summoned his spear. He hadn't had any intention of using it, but the fact that Jinpachi was laughing at him hurt him, a little. He was on knees and a man who was struggling to win against him was laughing at him.
Without warning, the spear became encased in lightning and he leapt onto his feet, channelling all his strength. He angled the spear from above his shoulder and then hurled it. Jinpachi didn't see anything; he just heard the sound of lightning and the spear entered his mouth and pierced through the back of his head before marching ahead.
There was silence, caused by the shock that grabbed the swordsmen by the balls. The spear had moved so fast that none had seen it until it had gone past Jinpachi.
The sound of bloody spraying from Jinpachi's body, broke the silence. And then his body hit the ground in a thud.
Naruto was on his knees once more. He'd never truly suffered this much in a fight. It was a worthy experience and the first time he was using the Mangekyo to such an extent. He'd done everything he could. Itachi managed to get to Yagura without the swordsmen getting in the way. In their weakened state, they couldn't oppose Mei from taking control over the Mist.
He grabbed his gunbai and used it as balance. He took a huge breath, panting a little.
As he gathered his strength, Kisame crash landed into the scene, landing between him and the Swordsmen. He turned his back against him and faced the Swordsmen.
"Pathetic," he Kisame hissed. "You call yourself the Great Swordsmen and yet, you can't defeat a brat," he said, holding Samehada on his right shoulder.
"Kisame, you bastard... did you betray us as well!" Jinin demanded with a sharp glare, ready to attack Kisame. "Why do you have Fuguki's sword."
"Fuguki was a traitor who sold Kiri's secrets to outsiders. He sold information to even these people," Kisame replied with a slight shake of his head. "I'm replacing him. Yagura is dead as well. You have a problem, state it and I will fight you now."
Raiga stood there, shocked that someone had actually managed to kill Yagura. No, it shouldn't be shocking. The Uchiha in front of him had already disabled two of his fellow Swordsmen. These Uchiha were powerful shinobi.
"Why are you here instead of hunting down those who killed our Mizukage?!"
"Kirigakure is going through some changes. Of course, if you or these people from Konoha try to get in the way, they will be stopped," Kisame said, turning around to face Naruto. "Got it? Kirigakure is not Konoha's toy. This was going to happen sooner or later, but if you try something, we will deal with you. You can leave now, and Kiri will not declare you its enemies." He said, pointing Samehada straight at him.
Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously. His expression devoid of any emotion. "This was a mistake," he said. "You people should have been made to realize you cannot speak like that," he said.
Kisame laughed. "Got a problem? I'm happy to take you on."
"When worms get to speak like this, it is offensive. But do not make mistake anything, no one in this village has the power to stop us. If we so wished, we would have brought this village to its knees ourselves and take over."
"Try it then."
Naruto grabbed his gunbai tightly. Before he could respond to Kisame, he felt an intense killing intent from behind him. This forced him to muster every bit of chakra to react swiftly to avoid and counter the sneak attack.
Zabuza thought he had it easy. Naruto was worn out from the battle. That earlier stumble showed that while the powers of the Sharingan were majestic, they were taxing to the body. Kisame wasn't even making things easy. The Uchiha was so focused on Kisame he thought he could get this done.
And yet, even as silent and swift as he was, the quick horizontal swing of his sword was dodged from behind. He'd lunged from the Mist, knowing full well Naruto couldn't take his eyes off Kisame, and yet, the Uchiha ducked under his swing.
In a blink of an eye, Zabuza found himself in a crushing grip of the Susanoo. Not even steel bars could shackle him this tightly. For a second, Zabuza thought he was caught in a Genjutsu, even though he made sure not to look into the eyes of Naruto. He tried to dispel it but it was no illusion.
He'd pathetically failed to assassinate Naruto.
Naruto turned around, finally showing Kisame his back. Only when he looked at the cold and unforgiving expression the Uchiha gave him did Zabuza realize he'd made a grave error. Naruto wasn't even supposed to kill anyone in this battle, but he'd done it.
"Zabuza is really important to the village," Kisame called out, taking a couple of steps forward. "You kill him, I'll have to deal with you."
Naruto ignored Kisame and stared at Zabuza who was being held up in the air by his Susanoo. None of the other swordsman were going to come to the rescue because of what he did. He'd betrayed him. They would rejoice in his death.
"I hate traitors. But more than anything, I loath people who try to stab me in the back," Naruto said in a chilling tone. To be stabbed in the back was just humiliating. If anyone was going to stab him, it had to be in front. Worse, he'd given Zabuza mercy, now saved his village and helped him achieve his dream, and he thanked him by trying to stab him in the back?
Ungrateful fool.
"You should take lessons from me," Kisame said to Zabuza, he was playing with Samehada as he spoke.
"Just help me out here!"
"What were you even thinking?" Kisame was in no hurry because he didn't think Naruto would actually kill Zabuza.
"The other Uchiha are not around. We could pass it off as if he died during battle," Zabuza replied through gritted teeth. "Regardless of how you look at this, these people are not normal. They could very well come back tomorrow and demand subservience. From a shinobi's stand point, this is only natural. It is nothing personal."
"It is personal." Naruto said in a cold tone. "I do not forgive treachery."
"Grrrr!" Zabuza gritted his teeth as he felt crushed. His breathing became hard. "Just let this go… I failed and you're alive…" he pleaded.
"I had no intentions of killing you, but, you have made an attempt on me, that cannot be forgiven. It is Konoha's mercy we have not demanded subservience. Do not think of it as weakness."
"I would urge you not to kill him. Doing so could ruin our future relationship." Kisame urged, gripping Samehada tightly.
Naruto glanced at Kisame for a second and then coldly stared back at Zabuza. "A moment ago, you were underestimating our abilities. You've mistaken mercy as weakness. I understand you don't want to be taken advantage of, but you must know your place!"
"Guh!" Zabuza screamed as the Susanoo tightened its grip.
"Don't!"
Kisame tried to lunge toward Naruto to free Zabuza, but the Susanoo's other arm, holding the gunbai, swung it toward him fiercely. The swing caused powerful gusts of wind to pick up, while peeling off large chunks of the earth. It sent rubble flying toward Kisame and what remained of the Swordsmen. Kisame used Samehada as a shield and leapt onto the air to avoid the rocks from shooting holes into his body.
Simultaneously, the Susanoo crushed Zabuza in a blink. Blood splattered around, spraying the Susanoo's hand crimson. Zabuza's legs and head dropped onto the puddle, the rest of his body crushed beyond recognition.
The Susanoo dispelled and Naruto turned to face the others. If they wanted, he could kill them. Disrespect of this nature was not be tolerated. Kisame could not speak as he wanted, and he couldn't flee like that. He was no loser, he would leave this place like a winner.
Kisame cursed Zabuza's stupidity. The others didn't have the energy to fight. He hadn't intended to fight the Uchiha but just wanted to make it clear to him that they hadn't needed their help.
But Zabuza ruined it.
If he had succeeded, Konoha couldn't have done anything. Kiri wouldn't have needed to justify anything. People died in battle and Naruto had been battling against the Swordsmen. They would have just had to hide the fact that Zabuza betrayed him.
"You give a man a finger and he wants the whole hand." Naruto shook his head. "For your sake, I hope whoever becomes Mizukage is not treacherous as Zabuza."
"Unfortunately, Mei-san is full of honor." Kisame replied with a smirk. "You've killed three members of the Swordsmen. That isn't going to go well."
"I can add a fourth."
"That would really make things difficult."
"Blame yourself." Naruto said and then turned around. "We shall meet again." He didn't jump away, but actually just walked.
"You're just going to let him leave like that?"
Kisame placed his sword on his shoulder. "If you want to kill him, go ahead. But I wonder if you can even succeed. He was simply defending the whole time and when he attacked, two people died."
In the near future, Kisame wouldn't mind fighting the Uchiha. If he had been fighting earnestly, the Swordsmen would have been decimated already.
"You arrived first," Shisui said to Itachi with surprise.
The Uchiha was leaning against a boulder, the Mist a distance away. The terrain was rocky, with a mist, but it wasn't thick. Fuguki had told them a couple of safe routes they could use to flee the village. He'd held some fear an ambush could await them, but it seemed it was all well.
"My job was much easier," Itachi replied. "It doesn't look like you fought," he said.
Shisui chuckled; only someone like Itachi would say killing a Kage was the easier job.
He stopped beside Itachi and leaned against the same boulder. "We spoke. And I think we can now leave without waiting to see what happens. She seemed like a decent person. They don't trust our motives nonetheless."
"Nothing unexpected," Itachi replied. "Naruto is taking too long."
"Must be deep in the battle. We'll have to fetch him if he takes longer. They may even turn on him."
The shinobi world was like that. Shisui thought Mei could be trusted, but he couldn't say the same thing about the others. Even if he did think she could be trusted, it didn't make it true. Kunoichi were the masters of deception. Everyone was always looking out for their own village.
The powers in Kirigakure wouldn't want the village to be turned into Konoha's colony. They could try to kill Naruto and then pass it off as something that happened in battle. Konoha couldn't say anything nor do anything. The Leaf was already in a dangerous position.
However, attempting to kill Naruto would be a disaster, moreover if it is something planned from the beginning. Naruto would kill them and then make Kiri Konoha's satellite.
"Risky, but in this world, anything is possible," Itachi conceded. "But as long as you think we can work with the next Mizukage, Konoha should be fine."
"It doesn't mean we don't have to be cautious with other nations."
Itachi nodded. "As long as Kiri has a choice, it can always refuse to back us in case of war."
"That is the danger part. Self preservation trumps loyalty."
And this stage in time, Kiri had no loyalty to Konoha. But if the push came, Shisui could solve the problem. For now, there was just the possibility. And he had a good feeling about Mei.
"In some respects," Shisui added, staring straight into Itachi's eyes. The elephant was visible to both, he didn't have to mention it. "Regardless, things are in a good shape and we can sigh in relief."
Mei stood motionlessly within the rubble that was once the Mizukage tower. Tensions rose within the ranks. The shinobi all around were shifting with nervousness. A simple word, and there could be chaos and death. A sense of dread dripped in the hearts of many, even those who would celebrate the death of their former Mizukage.
An accusation could be thrown about—that those who celebrated had worked with Konoha shinobi and had to be killed. Or those who have supported Yagura ought to die with him.
The village was at standstill, the entirety of its weight on her shoulders. She was doing everything just to keep from being dragged to her knees. Her knees trembled, her emotions wreaked havoc inside the back of her mind—a place once famous for its peace and joy.
"Mei-sama." It was a senior shinobi; a man who could speak and others would listen. "Yagura-sama's body was burnt to ashes. But the Bijuu escaped…" the man, wearing a Jonin flak jacket, said in an emotionless tone.
"I see." Mei fell silent. The village recognized her talents. Her dual bloodlines made her a rarity not just in Kirigakure, but within the shinobi world.
"We must gather everyone and decide what to do," the man said in a firm tone. "If we linger about for a much longer, the village will descend into chaos."
How true he was. Something had to be done, but Mei wasn't going to appoint herself Mizukage. She'd immediately have people after her.
Kiri's elite force had to be around. Without the Swordsmen backing her, Mei couldn't go anywhere. Her reign would be fragile, and threatened to a bloody fall before it even picks up steam.
While Mei pondered and wrestled with her intense thoughts, what remained of the Swordsmen crashed landed within the rubbles. She thought it was done intentionally to gather everyone's attention.
Even Houzuki had now joined them.
"Where are the others?" Mei asked in serious tone.
Kisame stepped up. His expression adorned a grin. "Dead," he replied with an air of indifference. "Fuguki was a traitor. While he executed those who sold secrets of the village, he was also selling secrets himself. This worked out well because he sold information to Konoha's Anbu who came some months ago. He also sold information to Kumogakure about the Yukie clan.
"For the act of treason and a betrayal of his duties, I executed him." He glanced at the others and then back at Mei. "The others died in battle."
Practically, it made things much simpler, but Mei couldn't utter such coldness through her lips. To wish death upon fellow Kiri shinobi was treasonous, even if they were corrupt scums. To be rejoice in their deaths was a different type of evil.
"Where is Zabuza?" Mei asked. Despite his past, he was one if the few who wanted to change Kirigakure. She thought his presence would be beneficial.
"Dead."
"How?" Mei demanded. "He wasn't fighting."
"He tried to kill the Uchiha." Kisame replied. "If he had spoken to me about it. We could have done it together and successfully executed it."
Treachery at this early stage. Mei felt like she'd been stabbed through the back by a double edged sword. She'd held mistrust toward the Uchiha and when it had seemed they had seemingly done as they said, one of their own determined to betray them.
It was a blunder that would have massive consequences toward Kirigakure. She had to solve it before they left.
"Why would you say that? Our relationship with Konoha could be broken!"
"They are dangerous." Kisame replied with a shrug. "Reducing one of them would have meant Konoha is weakened slightly to try to take advantage of us. They didn't come here because of some good nature. They want our power and we don't want to give an impression they can do as they like. I don't care for the relationship. While it would have been good for Kiri to have Konoha, this is also not bad since they will think they can't trust us."
"If you were going to be Mizukage that is fine. But you don't want to be Mizukage, do you? We cannot do things like that. We will never have allies." Mei said in a stern stone. "Konoha cannot know about this."
"What do you suggest we do?" Mangetsu asked.
"If Konoha knows about this, they will take a hard approach toward us. We have lost Yagura-sama. And we know their power," Mei stared at Kisame. "If they come with more, or maybe just one of the Sannin, can you stop them?"
"As powerful as they are, they cannot take on an entire village themselves."
"Be that as it may, this is not right and we must make it right." Mei replied. "We will go to them before they leave."
Shisui had been honest with her. If one of them betrayed that trust, she had to make amends. Kirigakure didn't have many allies to be making enemies of the Uchiha.
"Why are you so spooked about this?" Kisame asked.
"Because the Uchiha Zabuza tried to kill is not just any Uchiha; he is the clan head of the Uchiha."
"Oh." Kisame still smiled. "Well, that changes things." He faced the remaining Swordsmen, and then glared at them. "You will become obedient or drop your swords to the ground," he said as he knelt beside Mei, leaving Samehada in front of him. "We will be happy if you led us Mei-sama. The village needs a leader now that Yagura-sama is no more."
Houzuki did the same.
"The village suffered greatly under the previous leadership. We hope you can unite all of us into becoming the once Great Nation we were," he said in a calm tone.
The remainder of the Swordsmen did the same.
There was silence.
The masses of the shinobi then followed one by one. Until, almost everyone was on their knees.
"Lead us, Mei-sama!"
Any other person would be dancing in joy. Some people killed, poisoned, wormed into dark pits for favours in order to gain this power. Mei was being anointed, she would be happy that she could finally set Kirigakure into the right path. The colossal task ahead of her made her hesitant, and so, she stood frozen for a minute.
"I was beginning to worry about your safety," Shisui said to Naruto as he appeared in their meeting place. His tone was serious, and stare very firm to express just how serious he was.
"I'm worried about the safety of others," Itachi said, studying Naruto's expression. He didn't even look the least pleased. Something had bothered him when by all accounts, he should be pleased that things have proceeded smoothly.
Naruto didn't immediately reply. He leapt onto a boulder and took a meditative posture, with his eyes closed. He was still for about a minute, and then let loose of a long breath he'd been holding in.
"They are not looking for us, there is no need to be cautious," Naruto said to his fellow Uchiha. "Then again, after what happened, they could very well plot to get rid of all of us. If they simply send a message to Konoha that we died in battle, who could reject it?"
His words left both Itachi and Shisui on edge.
"Something went wrong?" Shisui asked.
"Everything went well on your end?" Naruto asked instead of responding to the question posed to him.
"I spoke with Mei-san. She was as advertised. There was no need to fight her. We just spoke. Our involvement in freeing Kirigakure won't be made a secret anyway," Shisui replied.
"There were no problems on my part." Itachi reported. "It seems that the Six-Tails Jinchuriki is not within the village. We would have otherwise encountered it."
"So it seems." Naruto's eyes slowly opened. His lone visible eye didn't display an ounce of emotion. The coldness within it made both Itachi and Shisui uncomfortable.
A lesson learned. Trust was a commodity one couldn't offer willy nilly. They'd done the thing that Zabuza hopelessly hoped to accomplish but was too weak to get done. And yet, the man decided to stab him in the back because he felt threatened.
It wasn't shocking. He shouldn't be. But Naruto thought the daring treachery was unforgivable.
"I decided to have a training session. Two of them ended up dying." Naruto said with indifference. "And then Zabuza tried to kill me while he was being held up by Kisame. If they were working together, I would have killed both," he added.
"I'm not surprised." Shisui said with sadness. "He must have realized we were too powerful and didn't want Kiri to be dragged into Konoha's battles. It was nothing more than the need to protect ones village."
Was there a way out of this? Shisui didn't know if Naruto would hold the whole village responsible. But without question, unless something drastic occurred, he was never going to treat anyone from Kirigakure as an ally.
"We should leave in case they decide to come after us," Itachi suggested.
"It would be a problematic situation if the Sandaime wasn't so kind. Any other Kage would be coming with vengeance unless someone pays a heavy price. As Kumo did with us," Naruto said with indifference.
"But they don't know that." Shisui said. "And we can't leave until we know what the situation is like."
"Shisui is right." Naruto said. "This whole exercise would be futile without ascertaining whether Kiri will be with us or not. One act can change the whole situation. Failure is not acceptable. If we must, they'll be shown the true power of the Uchiha."
"I will handle it, if things are not as promised," Shisui was quick to say.
Naruto's eyes narrowed toward Shisui. "You want to avoid deaths. How admirable." He closed his eyes once more. "We rest. Then you'll go back to see how things are."
Itachi glanced at Shisui and then into the sky. As much as both he and Naruto respected Shisui as an older brother, there was a trait about him that they tried to ignore; Shisui was too kind, even to enemies. He didn't want to kill anyone. He didn't want to hurt anyone despite his power.
Naruto had never seemed to have a problem with it. But things were different now. He was clan head and he had a duty over Shisui.
Well, Military Police duties would suit him just fine. Killing was always the last resort. Disarming suspects and handing them over for questioning was something he could excel in.
"How were the Swordsmen?"
"Not bad." Naruto said. "But they didn't push as much as I wanted. I restrained myself… but it was a good exercise. I've gotten the hang of Susanoo and its capabilities."
"It seems we don't have to go for them." Shisui suddenly spoke.
He immediately jumped toward Naruto, flanking his side. Itachi did the same. Regardless of everything, Naruto was still their clan head.
They were completely surrounded. It made Itachi nervous. They could wriggle out of the situation but nothing was given in this life. A few surprises could leave them paralyzed.
"If you'd just used your power we wouldn't be thinking about anything bad." Naruto said to Shisui without moving an inch or even opening his eyes.
"I wanted to leave an opportunity for hope," He said with a sad smile. "You become cynical if you think nobody can be trusted. It is not the life I want to live. I know treachery is part of life, but I want to believe that some humans are still good people who can rise above greed."
"Good thing for you, the killing intent isn't that strong."
The Mist that had surrounded them dispersed. They were surrounded by close to fifty Jonin. Mei led the pack with Kisame and Houzuki flanking her.
"We're not here for battle," Mei said in a warm tone, trying to disarm the Uchiha. A wrong move from her men, and a battle would ensue. The result of which would leave Kirigakure as an enemy of Konoha and she'd be forced to make deals with the Cloud, if she even managed to survive the battle.
"Why so many men?"
"Security."
"Amusing," Naruto said, opening his eyes. He placed his hands on his lap and stared straight at Mei. "How may we help you? We've done our part and if you're leading the group, then Kiri has not taken a dive off a cliff."
"Thanks to your efforts." Mei said earnestly. "Without you, Yagura's reign would still grip the village. And the Cloud would strip us naked. We have a chance to begin afresh, and while a revolution would have happened eventually, it has occurred swiftly thanks to you. I will always be grateful for what you have done."
Itachi was surprised by Mei. She seemed earnest and had even bowed her head in thanks. It was a small bowl, but a bow nonetheless.
Had Naruto met her? If he'd not met her, he wouldn't have been calm. Zabuza was a man who was trying to overthrow Yagura and some preparations were done with his help and yet at the end, he tried to kill Naruto. That was an unforgivable sin. If Naruto hadn't met Mei, the default action would have been to unleash all his power to make Kirigakure fall to its knees.
"Our efforts will only mean something if you intend to stick on what we spoke about," Shisui said.
"Of course," Mei smiled. "We will keep our word. You've not tried to make Kiri subservient to Konohagure. If we can get past this and work equally, then there shouldn't be a problem."
But Kiri and Konoha were not equals. Naruto wanted to remind her of this but he kept his mouth shut.
"It seems that you're indeed their leader," Mei said to Naruto. She glanced at her men and nodded before taking a couple of steps forward. She stopped closer to the Uchiha, and far enough from others that they wouldn't hear her. "Kisame informed me that one of my own tried to kill you."
"That is true."
"I want to let you know that I had nothing to do with it. He acted on his own. But I must take responsibility for his actions." Mei said in a serious tone. "If such information were to reach the Sandaime Hokage, it would make things difficult."
"You want us to leave it from our report?"
Mei nodded her head. "If there is a demand you want and I can fulfill it, I will do so. You also have my unreserved apologies."
"Zabuza paid with his life. There is no need to worry about it." Naruto said and then stood up. He took deliberate steps and jumped toward Mei. He held out his right hand. "Konoha will not know about this. You have my word."
Mei didn't waste time shaking Naruto's hand.
"Maybe when you grow up, we get married and forget about it." She said with a sly smile. It was intended as a joke and she was half serious but Naruto didn't blink.
"We have a long way back to Konoha," Naruto said, moving away from Mei.
"You really don't want anything? Even a gullible person wouldn't think you can easily forget something like that. Zabuza tried to kill you."
"I don't recall saying anything about forgetting anything."
The coldness in Naruto's eyes made Mei uncomfortable. It was only then that she felt the full weight of his presence. She frowned deeply.
"Then what do you want?" the desperation broke through into her voice. She noticed and quickly suppressed it.
Naruto shook his head. "Nothing than what Shisui has already said." He said firmly. "You can take my word; the Uchiha will not say anything about the attempt on its head. We want you to be able to work with Konoha and this inconvenient little incident cannot get in the way." He closed the matter by turning away from her.
"It was a pleasure." Shisui said to Mei with a smile.
"I want to send some people with you, to begin talks."
Shisui shook his head. "That can wait. What is important is that Kirigakure is stabilized. We were not expecting anything like that anyway."
"You're being generous." Mei said with narrowed eyes.
"I've already told you Konoha's situation." Shisui smiled bitterly. "But we're also fair to our allies. If Kumo comes and tries to use force, call for us, we will help you."
"Then I hope this truly is the beginning of a lasting friendship."
"Of course."
Naruto was the first to jump away, followed by Itachi. Shisui was the last person to disappear.
"Are you sure about this?" Kisame asked Mei. "Those people are dangerous and he admitted that he wouldn't forget about what happened. And I don't trust them."
"They don't have reasons to trust us either." Mei shot back with a glare. "Even if Konoha hears about it, we'll have to come up with mitigating means. Regardless, it appears that Konoha would still be willing to overlook everything because of their circumstances."
"At least she looks like a trustworthy person," Itachi said as they stepped into a ship, ready to head back to the Land of Fire.
He was relieved the mission resulted in success. Failure would have been doom and gloom, for their clan and the Leaf. The circling enemies would now have something to consider before trying to take a bite. He just hoped, the alliance did not crumble before it fortifies Konoha.
For now, the job was done.
"She is." Shisui nodded in agreement. "After speaking with her, I realized as much. With others, it would have been different. Let us just hope nothing happens to her."
If Mei died, any alliance would be dead. Kiri might even declare them enemies and then try to put pressure on other great Nations to do something. It would be a storm but a storm they could weather. They had no option for anything less.
"But I don't think he agreed to keep quiet because she can be trusted."
Shisui laughed heartedly. "You know our clan head well," he said. "Is that it?" He asked Naruto.
"Nothing gained from making things difficult." Naruto replied with a shrug. "In any event, they know death awaits those who feel treacherous." He leaned against the frame of the ship and stared into the water. "Importantly, we did not bring shame to our ancestors. But we must become much stronger to protect the things we value."
Two Days Later
As they hopped through the trees, heading toward the Leaf, Naruto suddenly came to a halt, dropping to the ground. His fellow Uchiha did the same, with curious glances.
"Something wrong?" It was Itachi who asked.
"No…" Naruto replied with a sigh and a deep frown.
He was hesitant. He should have turned to another direction some time ago, but hesitation held a chokehold on his decision. He had his other mission. But worries for his beloved clan dragged him into indecision.
What was happening? Were they living in fear or well off? Members of their clan had just been killed. The village could have sent them away to finish them off. Paranoia and fear were truly mischievous demons. But it came with having emotions.
"But there is something."
"Yes…" Naruto replied after a long silence. "You two go on without me. There is something I want to do at one of our former stomping grounds."
"You've hardly been outside."
"I know of its location. Fugaku-sama took me there once. I wish to see it before going back to Konoha to act like a clan head," Naruto replied.
He was going to visit the place but be was going to make a stop to see Ao. If he wasted more time, the man would disappear into the sea. He didn't even know if the was going to be in the town or not.
How he wished he had an effective spy network to feed him information. In this time, having knowledge was a necessity for survival.
"We should also go there some time. I'll try to clean it up."
"It is just going to unnerve Konoha," Itachi replied. "The village will think we're simply waiting to become strong and then leave the village."
Naruto laughed. "But of course, you'd choose to remain behind. However, that is not the idea. We come from there. We should care for where we come from. Our ancestors used that place."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Two weeks maybe. Or three. I'd like to get some training done with Susanoo." Naruto replied.
"The Sandaime will be suspicious. But you're not breaking any rules since the mission is done. I just hope you have a good explanation when you return," Shisui said with a slight shake of his head. "You should be treading carefully."
Naruto sighed. "I know," he said. "But it is not a leisure visit. There is a sword and a mirror I am looking for… Sword of Totsuka, Yata Mirror and the Sword of Kusanagi. But I'm much more interested in the Yata Mirror. On its own, Susanoo does have its weaknesses."
Itachi had heard about the weapons from his father. Those two were said to be able to make Susanoo unbeatable. "Orochimaru has the Sword of Kusanagi. I heard it from Anbu."
"A pity," Naruto replied. "If I don't leave now, I won't get the chance. There will be a lot of work waiting for me. It is best to get this out of the way first before I do anything."
"We understand. And we'll be hoping for your safe return."
Naruto nodded and then jumped onto a tree.
Authors Note
Hello everyone! Its been a minute.
Obviously, Naruto wasn't going all out but simply testing his defences.
The next chapter will be the last. Not for the story, but for the first part of the story. I will do part II of the story, and then another time skip. Part III will follow after then. And that will be the last part.