Yugito sprawled herself out on her bed, stretching her limbs awake as she yawned. She was not a morning person. Normally, her schedule and requirements as a shinobi kept such things in the recesses of her mind. Now, however, Yugito was forced to suffer her days in the regular way. Waking up when she so pleased, trying to find things to occupy her time and mind, and following her Kage's orders of staying within Kumo. Most people would be happy with the vacation time. Yugito was not most people. This day-to-day drab existence was not for her, and it was with no small amount of frustration that Yugito had come to realise that the highlights of her days these past two weeks had come in the form of a certain redhead.
Tayuya had been… interesting to the say the least. The moment she had reported back to the Raikage about the girl's obvious subterfuge, her leader had wanted to storm the hideout in the mountains. Thankfully he had been quick to calm down for Yugito to explain her thoughts on the matter. Her plan was simple; let Tayuya continue to think that she had them fooled and see what became of it. Since they knew it was all a ruse, there was no risk in entertaining the girl. It did help that Yugito had a soft spot. Lies aside, Tayuya was a very pleasant individual. It hadn't been hard for Yugito to hit it off with Tayuya, and despite her own actions also being a lie, it was difficult to not to develop a fondness for the fake Tayuya. Part of her even wondered what the real Tayuya was like, if she would get along as well with that person too.
No matter how many times Yugito played the conversations over in her head, she couldn't pick apart the lies and the truths. The scars were real, as was the arm, so at the very least Tayuya wasn't lying about having had a hard life. A lot of shinobi had. In the back of her mind, Yugito knew she was being naïve. She was hoping that this whole thing could be solved without bloodshed, without loss. Hoping that Tayuya wasn't here for any nefarious reasons. The fact that the other woman who had infiltrated the Raikage's office was here only to offer a warning was a good indication that there was a chance of things working out harmlessly. Yugito just needed to confirm it for herself and for her Kage.
That was where things got frustrating. Tayuya was good. Too good even. Nothing slipped from her mouth that she didn't immediately have a good explanation for, and as with everything else she said, it was difficult to guess what was true and what wasn't. Yugito couldn't imagine how long Tayuya had been playing at this game. How many times she had recreated herself to fool who knows how many villages. What kind of life was that? Who could use someone like that? That was the biggest question in everyone's mind at the moment. This group that Tayuya belonged to; just who were they working for, or with. Which of the other villages were involved. The Raikage wanted to guess Konoha, but Yugito had her doubts.
With a groan Yugito got up and started getting dressed. There was still time. She was meant to be meeting Tayuya later today anyway, so it wasn't as if she was running out of chances to try and figure the girl out. Unless Tayuya acted with hostility, Yugito would continue to play along until the Raikage ordered otherwise. As she waited for some water to boil so she could begin her day with a nice cup of coffee, she was interrupted by a knock at the door. No one ever visited her, save for B, and maybe the occasional messenger. Opening the front door to her apartment she was met with the nervous expression of a genin whom she didn't know.
"Can I help you?" Yugito asked tiredly, her tone being much harsher than she intended. Why couldn't they have waited until after she had her first cup of coffee?
The young boy fidgeted nervously in the presence of one of Kumo's greatest weapons. "Lord Raikage has requested your presence," he stammered off quickly, offering a small bow.
Yugito rolled her eyes. A knew that she started every day by meeting with him, so why was he wasting this poor kid's time with such a message. Sometimes she wondered if her leader ever thought things through before acting. Probably not. "Yeah, okay," she said, waving dismissively. "I'll go see him soon."
"Actually…" the boy started, only to freeze as Yugito's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He wants to see you right away. No delay. I'm sorry."
Well, that was annoying. But it couldn't be helped. The Raikage's word was law, and his orders were to be followed without complaint or question. It would be pointless for Yugito to unleash her morning frustrations on the genin just doing his job. "Fine," she said, quickly grabbing her shoes and cutting her routine short. She didn't bother waiting for the genin, leaving him behind as she took off across the rooftops. It didn't take long before she was standing impatiently before the Raikage, foot tapping away and eyes narrowed on the hulking man, her displeasure evident. "This had better be good, A."
A ignored Yugito's lack of respect. He knew what she was like in the mornings. "Have you had any progress with the girl?" he asked bluntly.
"You know the answer to that," Yugito said. She had been coming straight to him with every single scrap of detail she could get after the days spent with Tayuya. There was nothing she knew that he didn't.
A hummed irritably. This Tayuya girl was proving to be an annoyance he didn't have time for. The only reason he allowed Yugito to play along with the little game was because it kept his jinchuuriki focused on a task within the village walls. As confident as he was in both Yugito and B's strength, he wasn't about to ignore a warning when he received one. "You are meeting with her today?" he asked, getting a nod. "Good. You will keep her busy. Try to ensure she stays in the village for as long as possible. When she goes to leave, detain her."
Yugito blinked, her remaining tiredness suddenly vanishing with her lord's sobering words. "What?"
"I have grown impatient," A said. "It has been weeks, and we are no closer to understanding what she is doing here. It's time we make a move. Teams have already been put in place. As soon as she enters the village again, they will converge on the mountain hideout that you discovered. Once we have them all, they will be interrogated. If there truly is a threat to the jinchuuriki, Kumo will be ahead of the other villages. Anything else we can pry from them should prove useful as well."
"But what if they really are here to help?" Yugito asked. A stupid question, really. It was in their nature as shinobi to always be ready for friend to become foe, for any stranger to be holding a knife at the ready.
A grunted. "Then they should have requested an audience and not barged their way into my home. Regardless of their intentions, their actions thus far cannot be ignored. A slight against Kumo must be responded to in kind."
Yugito held her tongue from voicing her true thoughts. A was a much more respectable Raikage than his predecessors, but he was still very much an acquired taste when it came to leaders. Anything was permitted in his mind if it meant bettering or progressing Kumo in any way. That was what lead to the Hyuuga shemozzle all those years ago. If A thought there was a chance to gain something, then he would take it, by force if necessary. Yugito understood, even if she didn't respect the approach sometimes. Now more than ever.
"I should go. Tayuya will be arriving soon," Yugito said, offering a small bow before turning to leave. Arguing would get her nowhere, and as long as she played things well, then she could at least make sure that Tayuya's detainment was a harmless affair. The last thing she wanted was the girl getting hurt on the off chance that she was innocent.
Neither of the two saw the seal on the ceiling of the Raikage's office glow ever so slightly.
Guren gasped as she came to yet again. Her breathing was haggard as she gulped the air down, doing her best to fight off the constant tugging of unconsciousness. She was covered in sweat, her hair matted to her face and her shirt sticking to her skin. Even still, a smirk was plastered on her face the whole time as she stared down the Yamanaka before her. She didn't quite know how long they had been at this. What Guren did know was that she was winning this little battle of wills. Sure, eventually she would break, everyone did under such circumstances, but she would ensure that every morsel of information they managed to scrape from her mind came at a cost.
She watched as the blonde in front of her regained her composure, the young Yamanaka sharing in Guren's exhausted and worn-out image. Guren didn't understand why it had only been this lone Yamanaka interrogating her, even if it beat having the crazy guy covered in scars. As soon as the Konoha interrogation team found out that physical pain was a dead end with Guren, they had no choice but to rely on the Yamanaka clan. That suited Guren just fine. She wasn't a pushover. As one of Orochimaru's more capable subordinates, she had gone to great lengths to ensure that whatever information the Sannin chose to impart onto her would remain safe and secure. That same devotion now extended to her newfound handler, Naruto.
"I already told you, blondie. I'm not giving you anything until I get to speak to your Hokage," Guren said. "You've been at it for days. How much have you gotten so far? Not enough I bet. You'd have an easier time rummaging through Kabuto's head than mine." Ah yes, Kabuto. That insufferable shit. His smug know it all persona had disappeared quite rapidly once she had caught him. Once Naruto had caught up and explained his intentions, well, Guren never took Kabuto for the pleading type. She had heard his screams from down the hall several times over the past however many days. He was having a much worse time than her. It seems Konoha could hold a grudge after all.
Ino frowned as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "You aren't going to see anybody until we can validate your little story," she said sternly. "So, either you let me in to make sure you're telling the truth, or I keep chipping away until your mind breaks."
Guren smiled. "Sweetie, I worked for Orochimaru. Nothing you can do will break any part of me, and even if it could, do you really think Naruto would leave a loose end. Even I don't know what this seal does." She was referring to the seal that was now printed very clearly on her forehead, not too dissimilar to the one used by the Hyuuga to seal away their prized Dojutsu. Obviously, Guren didn't have any Dojutsu to protect, but her own kekkei genkai was protected by the new seal, that much she knew. Konoha, and any other interested party, wouldn't have access to her abilities without her permission. Outside of keeping her kekkei genkai sealed, and apparently keeping certain pieces of information locked down tight, Guren had no knowledge on what else it did. Naruto hadn't exactly been in the mood to explain it all. Not that she minded. It was all just part of the process of proving her worth to him and finding her new place in the world.
"You could just tell us," Ino said irritably. It was true, she wasn't making much progress. Any time she felt like she was getting so much as a glimpse of info on Naruto or Tayuya, the seal would flare to life and put her back to square one. The rest of Guren's mind was apparently open to be played with, assuming Ino could put the effort in. What parts of Guren's mind that weren't protected by the seal were still being guarded by the woman's formidable fortitude.
"Like I said, I need to speak to the Hokage," Guren said. "I was given very clear instructions to only talk to whoever is in charge of Konoha. I know that isn't you, and it sure isn't anyone else that I've seen since I've been here. So, how about instead of wasting both of our time, why don't you go and get the person I need to talk to or shut up and get back to trying to break me."
Ino sighed deeply as she readied herself to dive once more into the former Oto-nin's mind. She was interrupted as the door to the interrogation room opened suddenly and she stood to her feet quickly upon seeing the newcomer. "Lord Hokage," she greeted with a bow. "I don't have anything new to report. I'm sorry. I will keep trying to-"
"It's okay, Ino," Jiraiya said, waving the girl off dismissively, instead settling his eyes onto the woman bound to the chair in the middle of the room. "You've done good work. Take the rest of the day and rest up. I'll handle this from here."
The young Yamanaka looked torn. On one hand, she was relieved that the Hokage wasn't upset with her lack of progress; on the other hand, she desperately wanted to stay and maintain her efforts. In the end, Ino decided to take up the offer of rest and left the room quickly. It did help that Jiraiya's glare left little room for argument. He clearly wanted to be alone with the prisoner.
Guren waited for the door to close behind the blonde before she smiled at Jiraiya. So, her former master's former teammate had finally taken up the mantle of Hokage. What a joke. But not unexpected. "About time you came to talk to me. It's only been what, two weeks?" she said. While Guren was able to keep up appearances, internally she was grateful for the turn of events. The Yamanaka girl was good, and Guren didn't know how much longer she could hold out on her own. She truly didn't know what the seal on her did if she ended up breaking. This would be a pretty shitty way to die in her opinion.
Jiraiya sat down across from Guren. "Naruto sent you," he stated simply. "Care to explain why?"
At first, he had been sceptical of the whole thing. No one had heard a peep about Naruto since he disappeared from Suna nearly four years ago. If that boy was good at one thing, it was knowing how to vanish and leave no traces. As such, when a former subordinate of his now dead traitor of a teammate showed up at the village gates, claiming to have been sent by Naruto himself, and offering up an incapacitated traitor in the form of one Kabuto Yakushi on a silver platter, no could blame him for not trusting it. Of course, Jiraiya knew now that Guren was telling the truth. The seal printed on her forehead was all the proof he needed. It was clearly Naruto's handywork. That didn't mean he wanted to get directly involved. He would have much preferred if the interrogation department could have handled it all on their own. No such luck it seemed.
"Are you going to let me go if I do?" Guren asked even if she knew there was no chance of such a thing.
"Probably not," Jiraiya answered honestly. "Your ties to Orochimaru would give us reason enough to keep you locked up. Now though, with that seal on your head, and whatever connection you have to Naruto, well, you won't be going anywhere anytime soon, that's for sure."
Guren rolled her eyes. "Figures," she muttered before stretching her neck as best she could and tried to relax while she had the chance. A hard thing to do with her arms tied to the chair behind her back. "Come on then, ask away. Let's get this over with."
"Is Orochimaru really dead?"
"As far as I know."
"Why did you come to Konoha?"
"I was given a choice."
"What kind of choice?"
"The life changing kind."
Jiraiya frowned. "You aren't going to be very clear, are you?" he asked.
Guren smiled sweetly. "Not unless I get some assurances for my cooperation."
"What do you want?"
"A home," Guren said.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Come again?"
"Orochimaru is dead. My mission is over, so Naruto gave me a choice. I could turn my loyalties to him, or I could do one little favour for him and earn my freedom. Guess which one I chose," she said.
"Bringing Kabuto here-"
"Was the favour. Yes." Guren would have preferred if Naruto ordered her to kill Kabuto as a show of loyalty, but no, it couldn't be that simple. "Bring him here, hand him over to you, and pass along a message. That's it. After that, my life is mine, save for this stupid seal." Jiraiya didn't need to know that Guren had accepted the seal willingly. Anything she could do to avoid being a liability was worth it in her books. "I don't exactly have anywhere to go after this. You give me somewhere to go, and I'll give you everything I can."
Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully. "This could just be an elaborate trick," he mused aloud. "What assurances do I have that you aren't just a spy or saboteur?"
Guren attempted a shrug. "None. All I have is my word," she said. "I just want somewhere to live. I don't care what the conditions are. Seal my chakra, keep me under watch, do whatever makes you feel safe. So long as I get somewhere comfortable to go about the rest of my life, I'll be happy, and you get all the dirt on Orochimaru and Naruto that I have." That was the plan. Get herself implemented into Konoha, even just as a civilian. After that it would be a piece of cake. Keep her ear to the ground, maybe take note of anything important happening with the village, and then if, only if, something big came up, she would contact Naruto. It was a very dull task, but no different to the previous four years spent with Naruto's little gang. Guren was confident she could make Konoha see reason to give her active shinobi status in some respect, so it would only be boring in the beginning.
"Of course," Jiraiya drawled, not buying it for a second. After everything that Orochimaru had pulled, trusting people was at the bottom of his priority list. "Let's say I agree. What do you have?"
"Locations. Places of interest. I know where several of Orochimaru's labs and hideouts are within the land of fire, ones that have likely not been touched yet by other interested parties," Guren told him. "That little Uchiha pet of his too. I know where he was last seen. I know some of the things that Orochimaru was looking-"
"On Naruto," Jiraiya interrupted. "I don't care about Orochimaru. Those days are behind me, and he's dead already. What do you have on Naruto?"
Guren smirked. "You know, he did say you'd probably still be upset," she said. "Of course, we didn't think you'd be the Hokage now. How's that treating you? Bet it keeps you all couped up in an office instead of out there, looking for him, trying to get him back."
"Careful," Jiraiya growled. "I can just as easily decide you aren't worth keeping alive."
"You can," she agreed. "But then you won't get to hear Naruto's little message."
Jiraiya took a deep breath and calmed himself. This was not what he was supposed to be dealing with. He was a spy master, not a spy. Gathering the information, extracting it from various people and sources, that was a job for those with the skills and patience for it. His job was to gather all that information and piece together the bigger pictures, to find out what was lurking beneath the truth of the world. All of this interrogation stuff wasn't his area of expertise. If Jiraiya wasn't painfully aware of how the seal on Guren somewhat worked, then he wouldn't have bothered showing his face to her. He was pleased however, that Guren was trying to cooperate in her own weird way. Kabuto was just… a mess.
Yamanaka techniques were agonizingly slow working, and Ibiki was beginning to think that Kabuto was learning to enjoy whatever pain could be inflicted on him. The fact of the matter was that Guren had come here willingly, knowing full well what was in store for her. Kabuto was dragged, kicking and screaming into their hands, so it made sense that he wasn't giving them anything at all. He would break eventually though. Unlike Guren, Kabuto didn't have the special seal keeping anything safe. Obviously, Naruto knew that any information the little snake might have had was worthless, or he simply didn't care about Kabuto enough to try. Guren, however, was close enough, or important enough to warrant a seal.
It was a trap; Jiraiya had no doubt. Still, there was no way Naruto could have thought this little ploy would work. Something was going on, and Jiraiya was frustrated to admit that his curiosity couldn't leave it be. He needed to know why Guren was here, what Naruto was up to, even if it meant taking a little risk.
"I can offer you asylum in Konoha in exchange for your cooperation and information," he said simply. "You would be under strict rules and observation, but in time I'm sure that you could earn your comfort here."
Guren smiled. "I can work with that."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Now, what did Naruto deem so important that he sent you all the way here to tell me?"
At that Guren's expression soured. "I'm not really sure, but I'm hoping you understand what it means better than I do."
"Just get on with it."
With another attempted shrug, Guren spoke a single word. A word that froze Jiraiya in place and made the world go silent around him. A name he was sure he would never hear again.
"Nagato."
Tayuya was practically bouncing with each step by the time she walked through the gates of Kumo, waving enthusiastically to the guards who now knew her on sight and had long since stopped bothering to check her over. Yugito probably had something to with that. Actually, Yugito was doing a lot to make Tayuya feel as comfortable in Kumo as possible, which would have been extremely sweet, and kind had Tayuya not known that her cover was blown the same day it was made. Yet here they were, still doing the same dance; Yugito pretending to not know, and Tayuya acting as if she were none the wiser. Neither of them making a noticeable move against the other, desperately trying to figure out their next move.
Tayuya, of course, already had her next move planned, though she was surprised that it had come to the point of using it so soon. The past two weeks had given no indication that Yugito was the impatient type. Must have been the Raikage forcing her hand in that case. The moment she had left for the village, Tayuya had known the jig was up. Several teams of Kumo-nin were already in position to make an attempt on their little base, all of them foolishly staying on the borders of the 'confirmed' range of their sensor. If only Yugito had known that Jugo had given her that false sense of security for this very reason. Tayuya would have to pat the giant on the back for his quick thinking once this was over.
"You seem awfully chipper," Yugito said with a smirk.
"Can you blame me? These girls' days out are growing on me," Tayuya replied, grinning like an idiot. It was not at all surprising that Yugito would meet her at the gates, nor that there was a team shadowing her since she had gotten close enough to Kumo. 'Wonder how long they are going to drag this out before they try take me,' she thought to herself.
Yugito rolled her eyes, the smirk never leaving her face. "Come on then. Todays a good day for it. The weather is just right," she said, heading off with the redhead following eagerly along.
They walked for a time, bickering between each other over what the best kind of food was, and what 'real music' consisted of. To the unknowing onlooker, the two looked like good friends, and had things been different, Yugito would say they could have been. Tayuya wasn't of a too dissimilar mind either. Yugito was a very nice woman. Easy to get along with, pleasant on the eyes, and unexpectedly quick witted at times too. The redhead had been on the receiving end of a few jokes at her expense during their time together. She didn't mind. It was actually kind of relaxing, this whole little act. While her pretend persona was a far cry from how she truly was, it had allowed her to unwind and enjoy some things she otherwise wouldn't have time for. If nothing else, Tayuya would say she enjoyed Yugito's company while it lasted.
Eventually they reached the top of a stairway cut into the mountain side that ended at a small little plateau with a large cliff face at one end. It was a strange formation, with the cliff being more hollow than anything. A complex system of tiny caves and holes eroded into it, all smoothed and polished by the rain and wind over who knows how much time. The singing cliffs. This was just one of the many structures similar that had been made accessible, but Tayuya noted the distinct lack of tourists, or anyone else for that matter. The wind picked up for a moment, and with it came a song. A melody of hums and whistles, by no means a musical masterpiece of any intention, yet the sound was beautiful all the same. Even Tayuya had to admit that it made her feel at peace as she let natures little symphony whisk her away from her thoughts.
This location was absolutely a trap, but Tayuya wasn't going to let that stop her from enjoying it.
"It's beautiful," the redhead said.
Yugito smiled. "I thought you'd enjoy it," she said as the wind died down and the melody stopped. "Whistle."
"Huh?"
The blonde shook her head with a laugh and placed her fingers at her lips, letting loose a sharp and loud whistle. The sound carried, echoing through the cliff and making a whole different song that sounded like a forest full of birds. Yugito turned a smug look to Tayuya who at this point had stars in her eyes.
"It amplifies?" Tayuya asked incredulously. "Oh, I have gotta try this."
Yugito didn't have a chance to ask what the girl meant before Tayuya produced two halves a small steel flute from her pouch and locked them together before taking a seat on the ground in front of the largest hole in the cliff. Yugito managed to catch herself from charging the redhead right then and there, thankfully so. There was no benefit to rushing this. The team following her would be in position soon enough, then there would be nothing Tayuya could do. Even should she attempt to use genjutsu, Yugito was effectively immune with Matatabi's help, and the other were all jonin, fully aware of the girl's potential use of the ninja arts. There was nothing Tayuya could attempt up here that would help her in the slightest.
It was a soft melody that Tayuya ended up playing. A delicate, sorrowful tune that carried itself through the rock so gently. Yugito was surprised at herself. She was not the kind of person to particularly care for music, but as Tayuya continued to play the flute, Yugito could appreciate the emotion that went into such a thing. By the time the song was over, Yugito had to brush the hairs on her arms back down into place and withhold a deep sigh. This was really going to suck.
Tayuya chuckled. "Sorry, had to see what that would sound like," she said with a sheepish grin.
"It's fine. That was actually quite beautiful," Yugito admitted.
"Ahah! I told you I would turn you. Finally ready to appreciate true art," Tayuya announced pompously. "I don't think your friends liked it though."
Yugito's jaw clenched as her hand instinctively lowered close to her kunai pouch. "Friends?" she asked.
Tayuya sighed and stood back up. It was a dick move to do it this way, but it was also a dick move on Yugito's part to try and lead her into a trap, so fair was fair in her mind. "Yeah, the dumb fucks that have been following me since before I even got into the village," Tayuya said, relieved that she no longer had to pretty up her speech. She liked swearing dammit. "Honestly, I'm a little insulted. One team? Is that all you think I'm worth? And here I thought you liked me."
"Tayuya, I don't know what-"
"Come on, Yugito," Tayuya interrupted. "You've have had me got since day one when you followed me back to our hideout. Don't play dumb now. I know you aren't dumb. So let me hear it. What pussy-footed offer have you got for me?"
Yugito took a breath and steeled herself. It seemed things were destined to go bad since before she even tried to plan around it. So be it. "The Raikage is prepared to offer you a deal in return for your cooperation," she said.
Tayuya snorted. "Do you idiots even know who I am? Who I am involved with?" she asked. "What happens if I don't have any good information to give you about anything or anyone? What happens to this proposed little deal when I have nothing to offer? What happens to me? Think, Yugito. You don't even have a reason to come after us. Your kage is just swinging his dick around for the sake of it, and you are being nothing more than a good little lapdog for him. Or should I say, a good little kitten?"
"So that's it, huh? You have interests in the Nibi?" Yugito asked sternly. "Is that what you were here for this whole time?"
"We came here to warn you fuckers about Akatsuki," Tayuya said. "And we did, but then that dickhead leader of yours decided he didn't care about that, so now we have to take matters into our own hands."
"Stop insulting lord Raikage," Yugito snapped, pulling a kunai out. "It was only by his kindness that you weren't killed as soon as I found out about your lies."
"Like I care. None of you could kill me even if you wanted to, and on the off chance you did, well… it would be worse for you guys than it would be for me," Tayuya said with a smirk. "In all this time, you never actually bothered to ask me who my 'boyfriend' was. Pretty short sighted of you if you ask me. Oh well, too late now. I had hoped this little ruse could go on for a while longer. Hanging out with you was a nice vacation."
Yugito sighed. It had been nice. She dropped into a fighting stance only to widen her eyes in surprise as she was quickly surrounded on all sides by the team of Kumo-nin. She was about to go off at them when she noticed they didn't seem quite right. 'That's not possible.'
Tayuya couldn't help herself from laughing. "Looks like you caught on," she said. "See, I knew I couldn't put you in a genjutsu. That furball in your stomach would just mess things up and let you in on the game way too early. Your friends however, they needed to keep playing hide and seek, waiting for your signal. You shouldn't have let me play my flute, Yugito. With how this place amplifies sound, I doubt even a kage could break themselves out of the hornets' nest I have these four wrapped in."
It had honestly been too perfect for her. Tayuya couldn't believe her luck. She had come prepared to deal with all kinds of situations, and none of it would be necessary. Being brought here, out of the way, to a place that could amplify her unique brand of genjutsu, and for the team surrounding them to be spread out enough that even if they caught on in time, they wouldn't have been able to help each other. Yugito wasn't stupid, but fuck did this make her look like a real idiot. It wasn't like Tayuya didn't hint at her love for music and sound.
"What do we do with the prisoner, miss Yugito?" one of the kumo-nin asked, clearly looking to Tayuya for further instruction.
Yugito glared at Tayuya as she weighed her options. She was immune to genjutsu, and if that was all Tayuya had at her disposal then that left her at a significant advantage, assuming she could get the team out of her way without hurting them too badly. 'B is going to kick my ass for allowing myself to get caught out like this,' she chided herself.
"Bind her hands," Tayuya commanded.
One of the kumo-nin stepped forwards and grabbed Yugito's hands firmly, something that Yugito used to her advantage to push her chakra into the man, disrupting his chakra flow and effectively disabling whatever genjutsu he was under. Only it didn't work that way. As soon as her chakra invaded his, he fell to the ground, screaming and contorting in pain. The remaining three were quick to react, making sure not to touch Yugito but pressing their swords to three lethal points on her body.
"Tsk, tsk. You should have known that wouldn't work," Tayuya said disappointedly. Bringing her flute to her lips, she played a quick few notes that caused the writhing man to suddenly go limp and pass out. "I told you, hornets' nest. Unless you're prepared to actually hurt your comrades, there's no way you can break them out of the several layers I have them locked in. And even if you do, I don't think it'll help."
"Why are you doing this?" Yugito hissed. She did note with some relief that the man on the ground was still very much alive. He would likely feel horrible when he woke up, but Yugito wouldn't forgive herself if she got anyone killed here. At least that was one of them dealt with, now she just needed the remaining three to get out of her way and she could go all out.
Tayuya shrugged. "I told you. The Raikage didn't listen to the warning. Akatsuki are more of a threat than you guys seem to realise. We were willing to let you sort out your own shit, but then someone thought it would be smart to follow me," she said. "And then you went and sent teams to raid our hideout while I was coming to hang out with you. What a fucking low blow. You're so lucky that Jugo is such a sweetheart or else you guys wouldn't be getting any of those shit-stains back in one piece."
Yugito's eyes widened.
"That's right, Yugito. No sneaking up on us like you hoped," Tayuya taunted.
In an instant the Nibi's chakra flooded Yugito's system, two large red tails erupting out and sending the three kumo-nin flying away from her. She didn't have time to play it safe. Her fellow shinobi would understand, and no doubt forgive her for her actions. Right now, all that mattered was detaining Tayuya and getting word to the raid parties before it was too late. Dropping to all fours, Yugito let her bijuu cloak cover her completely before lunging at Tayuya, nails now grown to long claws as she swiped at the girl's flute. Her claws sliced through the flute, and Tayuya's hands, only for the redhead to smile as she rippled away into thin air. 'Fuck!' Yugito screamed internally, making a hand seal and pulsing her chakra, only to notice nothing change around her. 'Matatabi, a little help here, please."
"Of course, dear. But you wont like it," the Nibi replied within her mind.
Pain spread through Yugito's body as the Nibi pulsed its chakra through her. A perfect jinchuuriki she may have been, but a strong pulse of bijuu chakra was still an unpleasant thing. More unpleasant than that, however, was the realisation that nothing around her changed, again. She wasn't in a genjutsu, that was good, but Tayuya was nowhere to be seen, and that was really bad. A would be so mad if Tayuya slipped away. Jumping back, she narrowly dodged a sword and growled as two of the kumo-nin charged her, the third apparently having been knocked out. She was careful, staying on the defence as she dodged and manoeuvred herself around the two of them, making sure not to touch them with her cloak for too long on the off chance that it broke the genjutsu and left them writhing in pain like the first one. At the same time, she was trying to figure out how to hurt them enough to snap them out of it without going too far.
Weaving around one of their swords as it came for her, Yugito lashed out and dug her kunai into the back of the wielder's forearm and twisted before jumping away from the second. She watched as the man she had stabbed shook his head and appeared disorientated. "Quick, genjutsu, all of you," Yugito called out to him. He wasted no time in whipping his sword in the direction of his teammate, the blade cleanly gliding into her shoulder and snapping her out of her trance. "Take the other two, now. I can't handle this while you're here." The two kumo-nin quickly gathered their fallen comrades and left without question or argument. It was a known rule to always get out of the way of Kumo's jinchuuriki when ordered to.
"Lame," Tayuya droned, walking out from behind a rock formation. "I was hoping to use those fuckers a little while longer, or at least make you feel bad for causing them harm. Oh well, just us girls now. I can work with that."
"Work with this!" Yugito yelled, lunging at the redhead with a speed most ninja could only hope to achieve, her claws digging into Tayuya's chest before she could utter a word. It was an odd sensation, having one's fingers inside someone's chest, feeling their heart pumping against each digit, their lungs fighting against the intrusions, so it stood to reason that Yugito was confused when the whole thing didn't feel right. "What the hell?"
Tayuya smiled at Yugito, blood trickling from her mouth, then her nose, then her eyes. "I thought we were friends," her disembodied voice filled the blonde's ears as the Tayuya impaled on her claws collapsed into a puddle of blood. "I never would have tried to kill you like that."
'Matatabi,' Yugito commanded another pulse, only to get no response. 'Matatabi?' Her panic began to set in as the bijuu cloak quickly receded back into her seal and she was left standing in the middle of the plateau by herself. "Where are you?" she called out. "What have you done?" She pulsed her own chakra once more, just to be safe. Nothing happened.
"You know, I do like you," Tayuya said earnestly, her voice coming from seemingly everywhere. "I mean, this whole battle could have been so much harder if you didn't bring me here. I owe you for that one. But even before this, the hanging out, the lunch dates, just spending time here with you. Sure, I wasn't being my true self, but I never pretended to like you. I didn't need to. You're a really cool chick, Yugito."
Yugito growled. "What does that matter? You only care about the Nibi. Just like everyone else," she said. "You think I'm just going to roll over and let you take her because you gave me some sentimental bullshit? The village probably already knows what's going on here. You'll never get away." The world around Yugito shimmered slightly and the unconscious bodies of all four kumo-nin appeared tied up at the edge of the plateau. Yugito grit her teeth and plunged her kunai into her leg, the world shimmering once more as Tayuya appeared in front of her with a blank expression.
"I didn't want you to get hurt during this," the redhead said, eyeing the wound on the blonde's leg. "I didn't kill any of them out of respect for you. If you come with me willingly, I promise no one has to get hurt."
"Like hell," Yugito growled, trying once more to reach for the Nibi's chakra to avail. She couldn't be captured. Not within the village limits. It would be the greatest humiliation to both herself and Kumo. Just being stripped of her jinchuuriki abilities was more than enough of an insult. Just who the hell was Tayuya?
Tayuya sighed as she watched Yugito try to summon her bijuu cloak again. It was sad to think that the jinchuuriki were often so dependant on their respective beast. Naruto had been right to worry for their safety. Tayuya was by no means an S-rank shinobi just yet, and although her skills and genjutsu were especially effective against jinchuuriki, this was still sad. A fight like this shouldn't have been so one sided, even with the environmental advantage she had gained from the cliffs amplifying any and all sounds she made. A smirk made its way to her face all the same. Yugito never stood a chance up here. It was one thing to have used the cliffs to put the surrounding team under a series of layered genjutsu, but Tayuya had been doing so much more than that from the moment she realised the potential.
Every sound she made, every word she spoke, every wayward breeze that blew too close to her, all were imbued with her chakra, ever so slightly, flowing into the cliffside and flooding the area. Piece by piece, genjutsu over genjutsu, she had wrapped Yugito up in a web of illusion that would take far too long for the blonde to discern properly. Even now as she went to extremes to break through, more were simply being woven over her once again, and that wasn't even taking into account the ones aimed at the Nibi. Tayuya made a point to give Naruto an extra special thankyou for letting her practice that idea on him and the Kyuubi. Turns out the perfect jinchuuriki bullshit wasn't quite as bullshit when you figured out how to treat them as separate entities, and when the bijuu had access to their container's senses. Right now, the Nibi was probably fast asleep, completely unaware of the desperation of its jinchuuriki. Yugito couldn't even risk diving back into her mind to try and dispel the genjutsu either, that would just leave her vulnerable.
'Fuck I am badass,' Tayuya cheered in her head. She would be lording this achievement over the rest of the group for years to come.
Yugito went to rush Tayuya once more, bloodied kunai in hand, only to collapse as her legs gave out from under her. Looking down, she watched in horror as her legs literally melted into puddles of flesh beneath her, her arms quickly following leaving her to slump to the ground. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, knowing that this was just another genjutsu. Yugito pulsed her chakra, her limbs returning to normal, only now she was embedded within a tree, its trunk having grown around her body and its limbs twisting tightly around hers.
"Stop, Yugito. Please," Tayuya said. On the outside she seemed unbothered, inside however she was a little stressed. This approach was not perfect. Tayuya didn't have the chakra necessary to compete with Yugito straight up. Weaving so many layers of genjutsu was incredibly taxing on the old chakra pool, not to mention the mind. Yugito would eventually bulldoze her way through all the layers and then Tayuya would be fucked. She still needed enough chakra to get out of here, so playing this game for too long was out of the question.
Yugito's breathing became panicked as she tried to fight her way out of the genjutsu. This could not be happening. It wasn't happening. And yet, there was no illusion as to who was in charge of the battle right now. Tayuya had Yugito in the palm of her hand. As humbling a situation as it was, Yugito couldn't calm herself enough to truly appreciate it. How could she be so stupid, so vulnerable, so weak. Was she really so reliant on the Nibi. Had she failed her village, her sensei, her Kage. She growled as her chakra pulsed again, the world shifted, this time her lungs filling with water as she fell to her knees. There had to be a limit to how many genjutsu she was ensnared in. Yugito dug her nails into her palms, another shift, the pain quickly being replaced by the sensation of flames licking at her skin. A bite of her tongue, shift, the world plunged into darkness. Between each genjutsu was a momentary flicker of reality, a split second in which Yugito could see Tayuya watching her, expressionless. There had to be an end to this. Tayuya couldn't keep this up forever… could she?
In the real world, Tayuya sighed, opening a small hidden compartment on her prosthetic arm and silently thanking Yugito for having such a soft spot for her. She had only been game enough to bring such a thing into the village once she knew the guards at the gate weren't going to search her again. Pulling a small syringe out, she eyed the dark liquid within with some distaste. Poison wasn't her favourite thing, it reminded her too much of Orochimaru. She would use it, though usually only if genjutsu failed her somehow. Walking up to Yugito, Tayuya smiled sadly at the dazed faraway look on the older woman's face before gently plunging the needle into her neck. She hadn't been lying when she said she didn't want Yugito to get hurt. The poison wouldn't kill Yugito, or cause any lasting damage, merely leave her in a weakened state and with horrible chakra control for a little while.
As she caught the falling blonde, Tayuya made a mental note to leave the subterfuge to Konan next time. Apparently, all the time she had spent with Naruto had left her softer than she thought. While Tayuya would admit she cared about Naruto, and as such was invested in the mission to protect the jinchuuriki for his sake alone, she now had to come to terms with her newfound desire to protect Yugito. Caring about two jinchuuriki was enough trouble for her. The rest could be someone else's problem.
'I wonder how Doorbell is going.'
Jugo was having a fantastic day. Right up until he wasn't. The morning had started out so promising; an early wake up to a beautiful view of the sunrise over the mountains, a good breakfast, even a calming stroll accompanied by the many birds and animals he had managed to befriend during his short time here. Today had started perfectly for the towering eternal sage. Then he had sensed the teams of kumo-nin trying to sneak their way into various positions around the hideout. It was a good strategy, some would come the normal way, blocking their path back down the mountain, some would loop around to the other side just in case, and one team even went further up and stayed on the high ground. Eventually though, all of them began to converge on the entrance to the hideout and Jugo resigned himself to the inevitable.
They took their time, thankfully. It gave Jugo the chance to do a once over of everything and make sure he hadn't missed anything. While he knew Naruto would no doubt be understanding if something went wrong, Jugo had no intentions of failing his friend. Yes, friend. Naruto had made it very clear that he was not a fan of being anyone's superior or handler. While Jugo had at first been insistent on swearing his loyalty, especially after his curse had been alleviated by the Uzumaki, he had quickly come to respect Naruto's wishes. Naruto was not his lord, his superior, his leader, or anything of the like. Naruto was his friend, and as the fiercely loyal friend Jugo was, he would do everything in his power to help Naruto in his cause, even if it meant curving his dislike for violence.
By the time the first teams of Kumo-nin arrived at the entrance, carefully making their way inside, Jugo was waiting for them. Having taken a place to sit and meditate in the centre of a large open room, it was easy for him to be surrounded, a good number of swords and other weapons pointed at him. He didn't mind. The past few minutes had been spent consciously drawing in as much natural energy as he could in preparation. He no longer lost control of his mind, and his transformative abilities seemed to only get stronger now the more he focused on them. Jugo did often think about the irony that was his longing for peace whilst possessing the body of a living weapon. Oh well, he could dwell on that another time.
"Are you alone?" one of the shinobi asked.
Jugo took a deep breath, not opening his eyes.
"Answer me."
"Screw this. Let's just kill him and move on."
"The Raikage wants as many alive as we can get, especially the blue haired woman," one man said with a sickening tone. "He has something special planned for that one."
Jugo's brow furrowed. He had grown fond of Konan in their time together. The former Akatsuki member was a surprisingly caring and patient woman beneath her emotionless exterior. She had gone out of her way to teach Jugo many things over the years, most of which others would have seen as beneath them and a waste of their time. Opening his eyes, Jugo levelled a glare at the man that had last spoken, sending an uncomfortable chill up the man's spine.
"You… may not survive what is to come," Jugo said coldly.
The Kumo-nin rushed in, all lunging forward with their weapons and striking with lethal precision.
"What the fuck?" one of the men said in shock, his sword, along with the blades of every other weapon having come to a sudden stop against the boy's skin as if striking solid stone.
Jugo yawned and cracked his neck, the abundant amount of natural energy flooding into his body from the seal on his back. His eyes remained their usual brilliant orange colour, but his sclera had gone black, his skin darkening considerably as he smiled at the ninja. "You shouldn't have threatened Konan," he said, standing up and towering over those around him.
"Outside!" a woman yelled, the group quickly turning to retreat to more advantageous grounds. They wouldn't be able to use many jutsu within the base, and normal weapons had already proved ineffective.
"No," Jugo said, forming a hand seal as the entrance simply vanished. It wasn't blocked by stone, it wasn't sealed by a jutsu, it just vanished as if it were never there to begin with. "I'm sorry. I can't let you leave now."
"You're dead!"
A sword, glowing with lightning, swung at Jugo, only for the blade to snap upon impact with his neck. The shallow cut that the attack left on the boy closed in moments as Jugo's smile took on a more predatory tone. His arms twisted and bulged from beneath his sleeves until his hands morphed into two large scythe like blades that he raised across his chest. He wouldn't kill them, that much Jugo could assure. Some of them would have long recoveries, however. Naruto's willingness to let Jugo sit on the sidelines and avoid fighting had left him with little experience in the field of restraint. At the very least, this would be a good test of his skill at not outright killing anything he attacked.
"Please, show me how much I've grown," Jugo muttered, mostly to himself as he charged forward.
"God dammit!" A yelled, his rage unrestrained as he launched his desk through his office window.
Mabui didn't flinch, nor did she dare to reprimand her leader for his outburst. The man's rage was justified, this time. After the report she had just given him, it was surprising that he was already running off in a fit, hunting down those that had so openly insulted Kumo. Actually, insulted seemed too simple a word to describe what had happened right under their noses. To think someone, anyone, could take one of their perfect jinchuuriki head on, within their own walls, and not only come out victorious, but do so without leaving so much as a trace. It didn't sit well with the Raikage's assistant. Something was wrong about all of this. Whoever these people were that had showed a sudden vested interest in the jinchuuriki were clearly very prepared in how to handle them. That raised the question of if Kumo had become compromised. No one just knew how to fight a jinchuuriki without dealing with one firsthand, let alone a perfect jinchuuriki.
Such thoughts could wait, however, as the more pressing matter was still very much at the forefront of everyone's mind. Yugito Nii had been taken, and she had been taken effortlessly. This Tayuya girl supposedly had accomplished the task single handedly, with genjutsu no less. The very thought boggled the mind. They had been careful when selecting the team to accompany Yugito in the apprehension of the girl, taking into account the very real possibility of Tayuya being a genjutsu specialist. Those efforts had proved useless. The team had been found, restrained and without any memory of what happened after Tayuya began playing her flute.
Mabui clicked her tongue. Auditory genjutsu were rare and especially deadly in the hands of a master. Still, Yugito shouldn't have been vulnerable. There was simply too many questions and not enough information to help them figure out what had happened. The lack of any form of struggle, of any kind of fight on Yugito's end was the most concerning aspect. The opinion of the jinchuuriki in Kumo wasn't perfect, but it was a hell of a lot better than other villages. Despite this, many were beginning to question if their prized weapon had abandoned them, or worse, turned against them.
"I want everyone mobilised!" A yelled. "Trackers, hunters, everyone who has even the slightest ability that could help us track Yugito down. Make sure no team goes without a genjutsu specialist. If this Tayuya girl is truly the one who took Yugito, then we need to be prepared."
"Of course, lord Raikage," Mabui said, noting everything down quickly. "We have yet to hear back from the teams sent to the groups hideout, perhaps we should start-"
"Mister eight says we should wait. Yugito Nii's as good as bait."
Mabui and A turned to stare at the third member of their little meeting, a tall dark-skinned man with white hair and sunglasses. He wore seven swords strapped to his back and had a tattoo of a bulls horn under his eye. Killer B, the Raikage's adopted brother, and jinchuuriki to the Hachibi. He was Yugito's sensei, as well as Kumo's famed protector, among other more extravagant and self-imposed titles. The man's input might have been taken with a better reception had he not delivered it in rhyme.
"B, this is no time for your silly rhymes," A quipped. "Yugito is missing. Kumo cannot lose one of its jinchuuriki, not like this."
"I know that you fool. But hot heads ain't gonna solve this, so you gotta keep your cool," B said, still refusing to drop his speech habit. "Little Yugito is still alive, that much we know. Her captors will have demands, so just wait for them to show."
"As much as it pains me to agree with him, B is right," Mabui said with a groan. Was this situation not serious enough for the man to stop rhyming, just this once. "We have no reason to believe that Yugito was harmed. If the groups warning about the jinchuuriki being vulnerable is to be believed, then this may be nothing more than a show of strength to prove their point."
A grumbled as tiny arcs of lighting danced across his skin. Prove their point indeed. The only problem was that A had to kill them now, no matter how peaceful they claimed to be. No one would respect a decision that didn't result in their immediate deaths and the return of Yugito to Kumo. That said, he wasn't going to ignore the obvious lesson to be learnt from all of this. The jinchuuriki were at risk, hilariously so. As soon as Yugito was safely back in the village, both she and B would be put under lockdown. Only his most trusted and strongest shinobi would accompany them, anywhere and everywhere, until the Raikage was confident that nothing threatened them again in such a way.
"Let me go and have a look, maybe I can get us off the hook," B offered.
"Absolutely not," A said. "You are not leaving the village unless I order otherwise. Kumo needs its protector now more than ever. Mabui, get someone to check in with the raiding party. Find out what's taking them so long."
Mabui bowed. "Right away," she said, turning to leave only to stop dead in her tracks.
The room went deathly silent as the Raikage, and his brother, were quick to follow the woman's gaze and share in her pointed stare.
"Nice office," Naruto said casually from where he stood, mere feet from the three of them. "Has a bit of a draft though, don't you think?"
A glared at the man. How? How did someone manage to get into his office without him noticing, without anyone noticing. Of course, A knew how it had occurred, but the actual technicalities of it were still up for discussion. It wasn't as if this was some mere nobody waltzing in off the street to make a name for themselves all of a sudden. No, this was Naruto Uzumaki, who by all accounts had disappeared around four years ago. The last and only known user of the Hiraishin, standing in his office, in his village. If he wasn't currently so full of rage, A would have been very amused by the balls on this kid.
"Uzumaki," the Raikage growled. "What excellent timing. Just as we lose one of our jinchuuriki, another walks openly into our hands."
Naruto frowned. "Is Yugito of such little value to you that you would trade her out at the first chance?" he asked coldly.
Everyone tensed at those words. "You…" A trailed off, already putting two and two together.
"Yes, me," Naruto said, ignoring the glares aimed at him. "And don't blame me either. I tried to warn you first. I sent Konan to give you the message and you ignored it. This was just plan B. No pun intended."
"Why should we believe anything you say after what you've done?" Mabui asked.
"Because I'm a jinchuuriki too," Naruto said. "I'm being hunted the same as the rest. Akatsuki are coming for all of us. If you couldn't stop just one of us from taking Yugito, how the hell would you stop however many they send? Tayuya isn't even the strongest of us, and from what I understand, it was effortless."
A ground his teeth. Today was just insult after insult. "Okay, boy. I'm all ears, so start talking," he said. It was taking everything in him not to make a move on the blonde jinchuuriki. With a glance to his side, he noted that his brother was being suspiciously quiet all of a sudden.
"The chance for you to listen has passed," Naruto said. "You had a chance, you blew it. Now I'm stepping in. I'm keeping Yugito until my uses for her are dealt with… unless someone wants to take her place." He turned his eyes to B as if waiting for a response, only to receive nothing. "Fine. It'll work with either one of you. Once I'm done you can have her back."
"You would be wise to give her back now and save yourself," A warned. "Kumo will not overlook this. You already have Konoha out for your blood. Do you really want two great villages after your head?" It didn't matter if Naruto handed Yugito back, Kumo would still be after him. Even if they had to stoop low and ally themselves with Konoha to get the job done. A was confident he could even rope old Onoki into the fray as well, what with Iwa's history with the Namikaze. The Uzumaki would have very few places to run and hide in that case.
Naruto shrugged. "I don't care," he said. "People have been after me since I was born. It's gotten boring. I'm only here to tell you to stay out of my way. I know you won't listen, but I'll feel better about myself knowing that I tried when I have to kill everyone you send at me. Speaking of-" he paused to make a hand seal and in a flash a pile of bloodied and beaten kumo-nin appeared in the middle of the room. "-you can have these back. This is a one-time offer. Next batch will be delivered in bags, if at all. See ya."
A didn't bother trying to stop the boy as he vanished in a flash. He knew all too well the limitations of his speed and the absurdity that was the fourth Hokage's famed technique. Still, the fact that jutsu was used at all within his office raised a very important red flag for the Raikage as his eyes scanned the large room keenly. "I want this office combed, thoroughly," he said. "I don't care what you have to do, tear every wall down for all I care, just find the Hiraishin seal." It was humiliating enough to know such a thing existed in his office at all. He would make sure it was gone before the Uzumaki had a chance to use it again.
Mabui nodded before rushing off to deliver the orders, leaving the two brothers alone with the group of incapacitated shinobi. B, surprisingly, stood silently in deep thought. He had known of the supposed threat to the jinchuuriki but had shrugged it off. Between Yugito and himself, there shouldn't have been anyone brave enough to try anything against Kumo. Now he knew better. B should have stuck to Yugito like glue from the start. Once they got her back, that was exactly what he was going to do. Of course, there were more pressing matters to consider as well now. Naruto Uzumaki. To think another jinchuuriki would make moves against one of his own. That was not cool in B's books. That being said, it left the kumo jinchuuriki with many questions; questions that he would get answers to even if he had to beat them out of the Kyuubi brat himself.
"B." the Hachibi said from within his mind.
'Come on eight, you're running late,'
The Hachibi grumbled. Even it was not spared its container's infuriating speech pattern. "The Uzumaki boy, is he not meant to be the jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi?"
B frowned at the bijuu's tone. 'What are you playing at? Everyone knows he is the Kyuubi brat.'
"Something is wrong, B," the beast said. "I couldn't sense my brother from that boy. Remnants of the Kyuubi's chakra, yes, but not the Kyuubi itself."
'So, he sent a clone. That's no reason to groan.'
"That was no clone, B. Something else is going on here, and I don't like it."
"Something you want to contribute to the situation, B?" A asked with a frown. He didn't like it when his brother spaced out in such a way. It never meant anything good.
B shook his head. "All is good, big bro. If something comes up, I'll let you know," he said, waving dismissively at his brother as he went to leave.
He would keep the Raikage in the dark about his tenant's concern, for now. The last thing anyone needed was a panic search for a possibly free Kyuubi. The world was much safer if everyone kept thinking it was locked away inside the Uzumaki, and as far as B knew, that's exactly where it was. He needed more information. The question was, how was he going to get it without pissing off his brother.
A/N:
Was almost planning on holding onto this chapter until after Christmas but figured what the hell. You guys have been good to me so I should be nice. That being said, here ya go. Hope you all enjoy this one, even if I don't have my hopes up. I'm sure some of you will be upset about how I handled the whole Tayuya vs Yugito thing, but it went down the way I felt it should. Tayuya did not just sit on her ass for four years, and she trained under Naruto, so I specifically wanted her to be a jinchuuriki's worst nightmare. Genjutsu is also just an insanely OP concept, considering what Obito was able to do with it to Yagura and the Sanbi. Please let me know if I did well with her 'layered illusions' because it's something I want to use a bit in the future and if I want to know if I need to tweak it at all.
Kumo is pissed, Konoha is back in the fold, and Naruto doesn't have Kurama anymore apparently. Much fun to be had with that little tidbit of information. I'm still very much up in the air about including any of the white/black Zetsu and Kaguya stuff in this fic. None of that interested me in canon, so don't be surprised if I just stick to Akatsuki being the big bad they were meant to be. Hope that isn't too much of a letdown.
P.S. It has been brought to my attention that Naruto getting with both Tayuya and Temari would not in fact classify as a harem type situation. Probably more polycule type thing, I guess. What will I do with this information? No idea. I shall let the characters decide.
We are so close to 500 reviews that it's scary. Thank you all so much. Please be sure to leave one on this chapter. Every review is very much appreciated.
Till next time guys.
Soul out.