A new start:
Shikaku and Jiraiya sat with Shin who was in a hospital bed resting.
"I know you've been injured but we need a report" Shikaku said
Shin nodded
"There's an array of seals that concealed their chakra outside of the village so even those of the Namikaze clan couldn't sense them. My teammates Fu and Torune were killed as they sacrificed themselves to allow me to report to Lord Danzo. I came across Lord Jinsuke and he attacked me himself. I was able to dodge the majority of his powerful techniques but…. As I fought Lord Jinsuke, the invasion started. I tried to let him know ahead of time but Jinsuke stabbed me and Lord Danzo" Shin said
"We'll have the anbu go search it out immediately." Shikaku said
"That plus 3 known akatsuki members infiltrated us with several insiders. 5 ninja varying between Chunin and Kage level abilities"
Shikaku nodded as he crossed his arms and said
"I'm going to find the Tsuchikage and negotiate the terms of the training with the Hidden Stone Shinobi. Lord Jiraiya, I would ask that you go with them on this mission as well."
"I doubt the Tsuchikage would be comfortable with that. You'd better talk to him about that first, he doesn't seem like the type to not notice when he's being followed."
"Perhaps we can work something out with him to have the shoe on the other foot." Shikaku responded
Jiraiya nodded as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall.
"Owl!"
An anbu in an Owl mask appeared before Shikaku.
"Yes, Lord Hokage"
"Bring me the Tsuchikage" he said
Owl nodded as he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
Xxx
The hidden Stone shinobi were in a rented japanese mansion with a large backyard. Wukong sat on a porch with Krillin, Yamcha and Han as they all drank tea while the sun shined down on them.
.
"So, since there's a new Hokage will there be a hold up on leaving for the training trip?" Krillin asked
Wukong shook his head as he put his cup down. He looked at the sky as he spoke
"No, but I'm sure that they're just a bit curious on why we're doing so much for them"
"It is a good question. Why are we doing this for them? What do we get out of it?" Yamcha asked
"We get peace in the elemental nations, and a united front for those who may look to descend from upon the stars. Especially with Frieza and the Arocsian empire threatening to come here" he said
Yamcha nodded, and soon Wukong continued to speak
"Also, I seek to protect any places with living Saiyans. I will keep an open hand to those in need but also those who share my heritage" he said with a smile, taking another sip from his tea cup
"Speak of the devil" Krillin said looking over his shoulder
Soon they felt the Owl masked anbu appear in the meadow near their resting place.
"Lord Tsuchikage, our Lord Hokage wishes to speak with you"
Wukong sat his cup down and stood up to walk near the Owl masked anbu.
"I'll be seeing you guys in a bit"
Owl put his hand on Wukong's shoulder and they disappeared.
Soon they reappeared in the Hokage's office in front of Shikaku and Jiraiya. Owl bowed and disappeared from the office in a puff of smoke. Wukong smiled and bowed halfway in respect and stood back up smiling confidently.
"Hiya Lord Hokage, how are ya? And hello to you too Lord Jiraiya" he asked
Shikaku and Jiraiya nodded back towards him. He signaled with his eyes for Wukong to sit on the couch in front of the desk.
"So what's up?" he asked
"I've been briefed on you and Lord 3rd's plans for training our new chunin graduates. I've held off on promoting them due to the fall out from the war. What exactly do you plan to teach them and how long would they be gone?" he asked narrowing his eye
Wukong nodded in understanding.
"They would be trained in martial arts or taijutsu as we shinobi call it, Ki control, meditation to be able to sense the life force energy and ki of others, along with real combat against professional martial artists and skilled shinobi. This would be for 3 years. And you may send 2 elite shinobi of your choice to oversee the training. I will have several ninja watching over the area as well as the white Lotus clan who are not aligned to any village but hold ties with my masters Roshi and Han" he said with ease in his voice.
"How many people can we send?"
Wukong put his hand on his chin in thought.
"Send your top 3 candidates and I'll send my 3. My daughter and son have already been there and so I've been taking part in their training with my masters"
Shikaku nodded as he smirked.
"I think I've got just the candidates" he said
"Next, when do you believe this Arcosian Empire will be striking?"
Wukong rubbed his chin again.
"I think they'll keep sending out warriors to test us, but it'll be hard to tell. Perhaps, if I could give a rough estimate, I'd say we have 3 years until Frieza gets here"
"And just how strong is this Frieza? Could one of us take him?" Jiraiya asked breaking his silence to satiate his curiosity
"Honestly, if all 3 of us went against him, we'd lose…badly"
Shikaku and JIraiya tensed
"What can we do to prepare for him?" Shikaku asked
Wukong smiled
"I'd say have Noridasu and his family could teach several people who have high enough lifeforce energy to use ki"
"Can anyone use it?" Shikaku asked
Wukong and Jiraiya shook their heads
"You have to be somewhat of a seasoned warrior to even try it. At least have a high genin to low chunin skill level and some decent chakra control"
Shikaku nodded as he pondered his next move.
Xxx
9 genin stood in front of Shikaku as he spoke.
"You all showed true determination throughout the war with the Hidden Sound and Sand. I was given a look into each and everyone of your performances and I decided to choose you all out of the bunch"
Gohan, Kurotsuchi, Ryu, Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Mina and Neji were standing in front of the Hokage with their Jonin sensei.
"Well, I guess we should get on with it not to drag this out"
All the Jonin sensei had a bead of sweat dropped down their foreheads. After he finished handing out the chunin vests he began to explain to them the joint training regime. They were told that it would be good for them but they could either accept or refuse. They were also told that depending on how well they did, they could move up in practice. Naturally, they all had something to consider, but they were told it would strengthen the bond between nations.
Later that day in the Nara residence.
Shikamaru told his parents of the opportunity to go train with the White Lotus clan and possibly climb Korin's tower, but that it would be for 3 years.
"I think you should take it." Shikaku said
Yoshino agreed but she looked at him in a confusing manner. Shikamaru was a bit confused as he looked at his father, then he sighed.
"I'm not surprised that you're saying this dad. Especially since you're Hokage now. What a drag… but I do like the idea of being able to fly like Naruto, if it's possible" he said with a bored look on his face as he looked to the sky.
Yoshino looked at her son and her husband in a bit of a new light.
"You two are really starting to change…I like it" she said with a smile as she got up to go get dinner ready
Shikamaru was lying on the back porch of the house looking out at the backyard of the Nara Compound, while the sun beaded down on the ground. He yawned as he looked at a rabbit running through the field. Shikaku came out to sit next to his son. He figured he would tell his son before he got back to work in the Hokage's office.
"Son, this trip is more important than you realize." he said as he watched the clouds with his heir.
"I get it. Those guys in black cloaks with red clouds on them right? They're after Naruto right? Plus that guy Orochimaru, he's a Sannin formerly from this village." he said
Shikaku smirked as he folded his arms.
"Looks like you're finally getting your head in the game I see"
"Humph, things are bound to get troublesome as a shinobi. Plus that red chakra that Naruto had bubbling around him and that kid from the sand. The guy in the orange swirled mask was calling them jinchuriki. I did a bit of research into the term and it was called the power of human sacrifice. They're usually people who get a tailed beast sealed inside of them. Judging from the fact that Naruto was born on October 10th, and that's the same day as the 9 tails attack. It only makes sense that Naruto has it sealed inside of him. And I heard Gaara is the son of the previous Kazekage, and it's been said that Jinchuriki are usually close to the Kage and the fact that Naruto is close to the 3rd, it just came together for me"
Shikaku was a bit surprised but not too much, after all, his son was pretty sharp on the uptake.
"So you know why this is so important and you chose to be ready instead of slacking off. I think that's some huge growth on your part"
Shikamaru dug in his ear with his pinky as he has on the floor propped up on his elbow with a pillow under his bicep.
"Eh, what a drag. This is gonna be something crazy" he said as flicked some earwax away from him.
Xxx
Deep in the Hidden Rain village:
Obito and Sosetsu stood in a cavern with 3 other individuals who were sitting down. One was a man with tanned skin, long black hair in a ponytail, black eyes, a black cloak with red clouds and boots similar to Vegeta's. Konan had short, straight blue hair with a bun, grey eyes with lavender eyeshadow, and a white labret piercing. Konan's eyelashes are shown to be a diagonal line at the bottom corner of her eyes, but in the anime, they are shown to be distinctive lines. She has worn a large light blue paper flower clipped on her bun since she was a child. Her facial expression was neutral, and she wore a black cloak with red clouds.
The other person had orange hair, Rinnegan eyes, pale skin and he wore six piercings, a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side of its upper nose, and one spike stud on each end of the bottom lip. It also had three piercings on each wrist, at least one on its upper wrist and some just under his neck His face became also a little pale. On his right thumb, he wore a purplish-grey Akatsuki ring that bore the kanji for "zero" (零, rei). He also wore a necklace, which was somewhat similar to the one worn by the Sage of 6 paths. He was also seen wearing red nail polish. He also had a black cloak with red clouds.
"So you failed" the long haired man said annoyed
"Relax, our enemies would've been too much for even you to stand against alone" Obito said
"Preposterous, you're just slacking on your training"
"Raditz. Enough" the man with piercings said
The now named warrior crossed his arms and grunted. Sosetsu continued while flexing his newly attached arm.
"Two jinchuriki, the son of the yellow flash and the Uchiha clan head along with the heirs of the Hyuga and Nara clan were our opponents. The only reason we were able to defeat them is because we gave them no openings and used our experience against them. We have weakened the hidden leaf village. But, shortly after we failed, we heard nothing from Orochimaru. We have found his location and plan to-"
"That won't be necessary." a hissing voice said as he walked into view with Zetsu flanking his right
"Well, that saves us the trouble of tracking you down" The man with piercings said
"But of course Pain"
"Now, what was the progress throughout the invasion?"
"Shimura Danzo and his elite guard were taken care of. Sosetsu and the Fuma clan destroyed half of the Uchiha clan, as did the Kurama clan when they killed off half of the Hyuga"
Pain nodded as he looked at the woman next to him.
"Konan, tell Hidan and Kakuzu to continue gathering excess members. We will need canon fodder leads for the elemental nations to believe that they're getting close only to be at a dead end"
"As you wish. But when will we strike against the Jinchuriki?" she asked
"In 3 years time, we will move in on them." he said
Orochimaru smiled as his sharingan activated
"When did you get those?" Sosetsu said as his eyes narrowed
"When you all murdered half of the Uchiha clan, one of my subordinates grabbed some dead Uchiha corpses" he said with a shiteating grin
"Whatever. All long as I get to kill more Uchiha's I don't care" he said scoffing
"Now, now, let's not fight, we have much more to discuss. There are more issues I've found out from Zetsu"
"My fight with the Tsuchikage was very insightful. He used the art of ki in tandem with his chakra. He was quite formidable and I dare say he was holding back"
Pain's eyes narrowed
"You believe he was more powerful than he showed. But why would he hold back?"
"I believe he held back so as not to kill the 3rd Hokage. He fought on par with his father and the 1st Hokage and seemed like he could continue on with no problems"
This brought a chill down everyone's back except for Raditz.
"Humph, of course my brother could fight our father and that dead relic at this point."
They all looked at him with a bit of shock causing him to smirk.
"Kakarot and I have always believed in training until exhaustion or near death. By the time we've entered battle, we're ready to put ourselves to the ultimate test. Do not underestimate the Saiyan race. It would do you all some good to learn the art of ki as well. Life force energy can be far more destructive than just the power to control, mix and mold chakra"
Pain narrowed his eyes at Raditz
"Saiyans or not, their powers are nothing to a Gods"
Raditz smirk began a feral grin of challenge
"Oh really, because if you were to fight him right now, I believe he could not only figure out your abilities, but he could neutralize you with medium difficulty" he said matter of factly causing Pain to tense
"This isn't about your pride in your abilities, I'm only saying it because he and I have achieved a power beyond that of a regular Saiyan's. Even his children have ascended to the transformation of the Ikari. The wrathful form of Saiyans that compounds our great ape transformation into our smaller frames. It boosts our power 10 times what it normally is. And if he were to tap into his full reserves, you would need that paper Angel of yours to drag you back from the battlefield" he said in annoyance
"If that is the case, then who would teach us the art of ki?" Sosetsu chimed in
A red hooded figure walked in with a tail wrapped around his waist causing Orochimaru to smirk deviously and Raditz stood up instinctively,
"YOU!" he said in annoyance
The figure smirked under his hood as he pulled it down revealing spikey brown hair, tanned skin and black eyes.
"You again? Orochimaru, you associate yourself with such bullish company" he said causing Raditz to clench his fists
"Now, now, Giblet, he's a part of the akatsuki like me. He's a necessary acquaintance, kukuku" he said with slithering chuckle
"Now then where were we" the snake man asked
Xxx
3 days later at the village gates:
Naruto, Sasuke, Mina, Hinata, Neji, Shikamaru, Gohan, Kurotsuchi, Ryu, Han, Wukong, Krillin, Yamcha, Kakashi, Jiraiya, the remain 2 Hidden Stone Anbu and Shikaku stood at the village gates along with various family members of the selected chunin graduates. Several of the village citizens were looking at them in curiosity as they were being seen off.
Hiashi and Hisashi stood with Hinata and Neji.
"This training will be important but, don't shirk on your gentle fist training. If possible try to apply this new training with it." Hiashi said
"Yes father. I'll do my best" Hinata said bowing curtly, standing back up with a smile
"You heard your uncle, son, this is the time for you to evolve your gentle fist techniques even further with the application of ki. But of course, you should find a balance between your upcoming skills and your current ones"
Neji bowed
"Of course, father" he said bowing curtly standing back up with a straightened stance
Both the brothers smiled at their children
With Sasuke and Mikoto,
"Please be safe son and don't allow your mind to be clouded by other thoughts" she said as she ruffled his hair
Sasuke sighed as he accepted her embrace
"Of course mom. I'll be fine…Besides Itachi already had this talk with me…and…I've decided to protect the family that I have left" he said with a blush on his face.
"Good…he told me but I still believe as your mother I need to check on you. Now, remember to write every now and then, after all you'll be gone…for 3 years"
He sighed and smiled as she took her hand off his hair and hugged him.
With Jiraiya, Naruto and Mina, they stood with Noridasu, Kumiko, Tsunade and Mito were there to see them off.
"Be careful out there you too. You'd better write to us! Understand?" Tsunade said specifically looking at Jiraiya with a serious stare
"Yes daddy! And when you come back I wanna train too!" Mito said with an exuberance around her as her hands were raised in excitement
"Of course my dear. And I'll be sure to take careful"
Kumiko held Naruto and Mina's hands.
"You two must look out for one another, and be sure to keep yourself under control Naruto. I know you tend to get into a lot of trouble but please be mindful of where you're going." Kumiko said giving him a serious stare
"Y-yes mam" he said nodding and standing upright
Mito and Tsunade laughed at him, until she looked up to see Jiraiya with a grin on his face at her. Suddenly her face turned red and she moved in to kiss him on the lips for a few seconds. This elicited an
"Ewwww" from Mito
And a few giggles from Naruto and Mina, while Kumiko smiled and said
"Ahh, young love"
She leaned in to whisper in his ear
"When you come home I'll be sure to spoil you" she said in a seductive voice as he got a perverted blush on his face
Kenji flashed next to Naruto and gave him a tri-pronged kunai
"You get into trouble, I'll be there. Hopefully you don't need it" he said as he patted the younger brothers head
Shikamaru stood with his father and mother as he was just waiting with his hands behind his head. Suddenly Yoshino brought him in for a tight hug and kissed his forehead, then she gave a comical mock scowl with a vein on her forehead.
"No slacking on your training! You'd better not fall behind either!" She said
A bead of sweat fell down the side of his head as he nodded. Shikaku walked up after she gave a motherly smile, and he put a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Be safe out there son, and learn as much as you can. You're gonna need it" he said
He then looked at Kakashi and Jiraiya,
"Hey, you two gain as much power as you can as well, but watch out for the genin."
"Of course Lord Hokage" Kakashi said as he nodded with ease
"And Jiraiya, if you need to, leave to make sure you can maintain your spy network"
Jiraiya nodded at what he said.
He got a true but a lazy smirk on his face as he nodded. Shikaku then looked up at a patient Wukong and nodded.
"Alright, is everyone ready?"
They all said "Yes sir" at once aside from Jiraiya and Kakashi
"Ok let's head out!"
They leapt into action and made their way down the path towards Korin's tower.
As the family members of the leaf ninja scattered Kenji, Tsunade, Kumiko and Noridasu stood watching.
"He's gonna come back a powerhouse"
"He'd better. As Jiraiya had better master Sage mode this time around. He has no excuses" Tsunade said with vein in her forehead
Kumiko nodded in affirmation
"Perhaps, we should put Kenji up to test him when he gets home"
Kenji smirked
"Fat chance he'll ever beat me. But, I do plan to keep training"
Xxx
1 month later
Tien was sitting in a cell with Chiaotzu in a separate cell. He was reflecting on his actions as he looked at his hands. He didn't want to be a killer, he wanted to be a protector and repent for his actions. He looked at his friend who was locked in a cell next to him. He didn't deserve this. He was just a child. He looked around the cold dark cell then at the ki blocking handcuffs around his wrists.
'I wish I could change this. Well, at least I helped the citizens in the stadium and I defeated the ninjas trying to kill them.'
He heard footsteps coming through the hallway as he continued to think to himself.
"Perhaps I deserve to rot here for following the crane school after all'
He continued to hear footsteps walking through the hallway of the prison.
'If I got a chance…I'd do everything over…I'd take in a student and be who I needed when for them when I was young with no parent'
Soon he heard the footsteps stop and he looked up to see Ibiki Moreno, 5th Hokage Shikaku Nara and two anbu. Ibiki opened the safe and the Hokage walked in and knelt to a knee in front of a wide eyed Tien.
"I've got a deal for you" he said lazily
Xxx
2 weeks later
Kenji was lying on a tree branch in training ground 7 with his feet up as he was taking a break. He was bored and had taken 2 c-ranks by himself. Even though they said they would send all Saiyans for the training, they didn't realize the damage the village would take from the war with the Sound and Sand invasion, so they decided to stay and only send the chunin graduates.
"Sigh, I guess I should be happy with this after all" he said with a lazy drawl
"Kinda miss the brat hahah" he said with a ghost of a smirk
He pulled out a book called 'the art of sealing level 8' and began to read. As he read he felt a sense of peace about him as he ran away with his reading and a few hours later he was asleep. Soon, he bolted up as he felt a handful of decently strong chakras, not enough to challenge him, were approaching the village. He sighed and teleported away from his resting place and landed in front of the village."Looks like I'll handle this one solo if it's an enemy" he said with a bored look on his face.
Soon he found 3 ninja walking into his view. One of them held a strong yet calm presence. Soon one of the gate guards, Izumo, walked up next to him.
"Sir, should I go and get the Hokage?"
"Send Kotetsu, I may need you for backup" He said as Izumo turned around and went to give word to Kotetsu
Soon a tall, slender woman with fair skin. She has green eyes, and ankle-length, auburn hair styled into a herringbone pattern at the back, a top-knot tied with a dark blue band, and with four bangs at the front. Two bangs are short, with one covering her right eye, and two are long, crossing each other on her bust, just below her chin. She wears a long-sleeved, dark blue dress that falls just below the knees. It seems to be closed at the front with a zipper, and is kept open on the front-right side from the waist down. The dress only covers up to the upper part of her arms and the underside of her breasts. Underneath, she wears a mesh armour that covers slightly more of her upper body than her dress. She also wears a skirt in the same colour as her dress and, underneath those, mesh leggings reaching down over her knees. Around her waist, she wears a belt with a pouch attached to the back on the left along with high-heeled sandals, shin-guards reaching up over her knees, dark blue nail polish on her fingers and toes, and is usually shown with purple lipstick.
On her right, there was a man with spiky black hair and bandages wrapped around her face. He wore a sleeveless black shirt and matching pants, complete with a waist-guard, and yet again, Kirigakure's striped wrist and leg-warmers. Other swordsmen of his generation wore attire identical to this, implying that they might be clothes related to the group. While donning this attire, much like his fellow Swordsmen, he had bandages loosely tied around his neck like a scarf.
On her right, there was a woman relatively short in comparison with the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. She had long, red hair, black eyes, and together with a Kiri forehead protector, she also wore a simple cloth around her head, distinctively tied at both sides so as the ends of the material protrude upwards, while the remainder of hair is allowed to flow downwards. She wore a loose, pin-striped long-sleeved shirt with a dark obi around the waist, black pants which got much looser near the ends, resembling hakama, and striped leg-warmers. Like all the other members of her generation of swordsmen, she wore bandages loosely tied around the neck and had jagged teeth.
As he saw them get closer he narrowed his eyes as he looked at their forehead protectors.
"Mei Terumi, Ameyuri Ringo and Zabuza Momochi eh? What could they want?" he asked as he tensed
Izumo walked up next to him with a seemingly relaxed face but his hands were in his pockets.
As they approached the woman in the middle looked Kenji and Izumo over and her eyes lingered on Kenji as she smiled.
"Excuse me, we have come to speak to the Hokage." she said as she and her cohorts pulled out their ninja passports to gain village entry.
Izumo nodded and Shikaku, 2 anbu and Kotetsu appeared next to him as they looked at the woman with stoic yet serious visages.
"What brings the leader of the Mist Rebellion Camp to the leaf village?" he asked
She gave him a stern look, then her gaze lightened up as she looked at the Nara Leader in his eyes.
"May we have a private audience?" he asked
Soon he nodded and turned around but not before nodding at Kenji who followed them. He moved along with his 5 ninja as Izumo and Kotetsu at the gate, while Mei and her two shinobi escorts followed them to the Hokage's office. The citizens looked at their Hokage and his escorts along with eying the shinobi. As they moved through the village, there were several ninja hopping off rooftops and some anbu standing in the shadows watching them. Mei was a bit perplexed. She didn't know if the citizens were looking upon the Hokage or her. They eventually moved along and soon Shikaku and his envoy made it back to his office taking a seat at his desk.
"What is your purpose for this unannounced visit?" Shikaku asked
Mei stood with a smirk on her face
"I would like to hire several shinobi to help the cause of the Mist Rebel Faction."
"And what do we gain from this? Besides the money. You know it would look like the Hidden Leaf was interfering in the politics of other countries right? What if other nations were to attack us as soon as they heard of this?"
Mei narrowed her eyes, she knew money wouldn't talk, especially when she heard his reasoning.
"So, what if I offered something, a bit more permanent?" she asked
Shikaku narrowed his eyes
"What did you have in mind?"
She looked at Kenji then back at Shikaku, then she sighed.
"What if I offered myself?"
Shikaku's eyes widened
"What do you mean?"
"I would be willing to give you my life in exchange to save my home. But I have my own condition"
"And what would that be?"
"I'd like to married into a family of my choosing" she said as she looked Kenji up and down
"And I think I'd like to be the next "
Zabuza and Ameyuri sighed in exasperation.
Kenji was clueless as he said
"Well, I think Naruto is a bit young for you. He is only 13, and my Grandparents are still together, so that would leave-"
Kenji paled as he looked at the Hokage who looked at him like an idiot, then he looked at Mei and put his arms up in defense.
"You can't mean my cousin Akari can you?"
Everyone in the room sighed, even the 2 anbu hiding in the shadows of the room in henge form.
"Kenji, she means you" Shikaku said putting a hand on his face
Kenji paled even more
"HUH? WHY ME?"
"Why not you?" Shikaku asked
"Sir, one thing you and I both know, wives are troublesome" he said with an honest shrug
Shikaku looked around causing everyone to sweat drop as he shushed Kenji.
"Be quiet… My wife visits the Hokage tower frequently and she's actually been very helpful with organizing the paperwork, speaking with political figures, bringing the village into a more favorable light with foreign dignitaries and bringing my lunches. So…you're on your own with that stance at this point and time"
Kenji sighed, and everyone else had a comical sweat drop
"So, do we have a deal?" Mei asked after a few minutes
Kenji put his arms in a cross formation
"Don't I get a say in this?"
"While I welcome the marriage of a powerful ninja into the village, what else would we be getting?" Shikaku asked
Mei smirked as she played her two final trump cards
"Well, not only would there be a link between the Hidden Mist for an alliance, but we have also gotten an alliance with the remainder of the Uzumaki clan"
Kenji's eyes narrowed as his white aura began to radiate and crack the floor. Everyone in the room quickly looked at him in surprise, except for Mei who grinned knowingly.
"Do not, joke about that!" he said in a hissed voice as he looked her directly in her eyes.
"And why would I joke about that? I came here with clear set goals"
"Why do you want to marry me anyways. I'm not breeding stock dammit, and how do I know you have good intentions towards me and my family, or that you have Uzumaki allies?"
"You don't think my hair is for show do you?" she said with a calm voice and a roll of her eyes
Kenji realized that her dark red hair wasn't for show as he asked
"So…you have Uzumaki ancestry then?" Shikaku asked as his eyes widened
She nodded her head in affirmation. Kenji sighed as he hardened his heart and his resolve. If it was for his family, he would do what he had to do, even marry someone he didn't love. He ran his hand through his blonde locks.
"Fine, I'll do it. But, don't expect much from me. In fact you can go back to your village after this pact between us is over"
Mei rolled her eyes as she spoke
"That's fine and I'll have to stay here afterwards of course. A wife must remain at her husband's side."
Kenji scoffed
"You'll change your tune after a while" she said batting her eyes at Kenji who ignored her as he went to lean against the wall quietly
Shikaku sighed as he spoke up,
"Alright then, it seems like you've put all your cards on the table, and if they're good one at that, but I have my own demand"
She raised an eyebrow
"If and when you find the Uzumaki, they will be delivered to the Hidden Leaf village, that is if you want our help" he said with narrowed eyes
She sighed
"That will be their choice, and you know that. All I can do is tell them our deal"
"Fare enough. I'll have the shinobi ready for you in a few hours. When will you be leaving?" he said
"By tomorrow morning" she said
Shikaku nodded as he began to take a piece of paper and write down names.
"I take it this mission will only be chunin and up?" he asked
"If you have any capable genin, we will accept a strong 4 man cell" she said
He looked at Kenji and smirked
"Looks like Team Crow will be reestablished"
Kenji smirked as he sighed
"Never thought we'd be back in action to go to war." he said
His smirk disappeared and he looked at Mei with no emotion
"You only get your marriage if the Uzumaki agree to come back to the leaf" Kenji said
Mei kept her smile as she also kept his gaze.
"Again, that's their choice. I only lead the rebel faction of the Hidden Mist" she said with ease
"Look Kenji, she has a point. Perhaps, your marriage with her can be the link between the Hidden Leaf and the The Land of Whirlpools"
Mei smirked as her plan was complete
"That sounds like a wonderful idea"
Kenji looked at his fathers picture in the office briefly.
'I know you'd do it if you were in my position, wouldn't you dad'
He sighed
"Fine, its a deal" he said
"Excellent. We can have the wedding after the war" she said
"Sure, whatever" Kenji said as he went to leave the office
Mei's smile almost dropped but she knew this was needed for her cause and her home even if she wouldn't be able to live there anymore.
"Ok, looks like everything is done, now we just need you and him to sign here, so hold your horses blondie."
Xxx
Sozu Kohinata was sweating barely standing in the forest of death as he wobbled. He had been training in the environment for 2 weeks straight as he was bleeding from the side of his head as he was surrounded by a myriad of dead animals ranging from a giant bear, several giant tigers, and several recently killed spiders.
"Urgh! Son of a bitch. This is ridiculous" he said as he had several gashes in his chest, cuts across his torso and arms, and a set of shallow claw marks across his right legs.
He hobbled himself across the forest floor and sat at the bark of the tree. He pulled out a blood pill and popped it. He pulled out another blue chakra pill and popped it again. He felt the effects immediately and stood to walk to a nearby river. As he kneeled near the river where his bag was and he took out a rag and began to clean his wounds he took out another rag and a bottle of alcohol, poured it on the rag and dabbed it on his chest wounds.
"Fuck!" he said as his eyes winced
"This shit was not a good idea,"
Sozu was pulling out a set of bandages to put over his chest when he soon coughed up blood.
"Urge! Ack!"
He continued to put alcohol and antibiotics over his wounds then bandaged them. He heard a snapping of twigs behind him and took a shuriken out of his kunai pouch subtly and he whirled around and threw it at the figure behind him only for the throwing star to bounce off of them.
He is a short, pink-skinned man with a white mohawk and dressed in a posh Kai outfit. He also wears a pair of green Potara earrings.
"Who or what are you?"
The man smirked at him as he spoke
"My name is Shin. I am a friend, Sozu Kohinata, and you are a child to one of my dear friends Hamura Otsutsuki"
Sozu narrowed his eyes
"My fathers name is Mukai" he said with a hiss in his voice
"My child, I know who your biological father is, but, your projinator, is Hamura Otsutsuki, the brother of the Sage of 6 paths"
Sozu gave a bittersweet smile
"Sorry, but I'm not that special. Also, who are you?"
"My name is Shin. Last of the Guardians of Life for this universe"
"Oh really? So you're the God of life? Then who's the God of earth?"
"That would be Piccolo, guardian of earth"
"The hell? Who's the guardian of death?"
"You mean the God of Destruction, and his name is Lord Beerus. He watches over your friends Son Gohan and Naruto Uzumaki."
"I FUCKING HATE GOHAN! He is NOT a friend of mine" He yelled and breathed In harshly
Supreme Kai sighed in exasperation
"Please, don't hate your friend. He means well for you and petty attachments shouldn't cloud your judgment of a character." he said pinching his nose tiredly
Sozu sighed as he realized what he heard to be true.
"Tsk, whatever. Fuck him" he said as he turned around and continued to clean his wounds
Supreme kai held up his hand and white energy was shot into Sozu
"Huh? What?" he said as his body was healed and his wounds mended immediately
Sozu spun around and looked at him, mystified.
"How'd you do that?"
"I can show you if you're willing to become my disciple. But you will need to fix your inferiority complex"
Sozu's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the area around them and activated his Sekigan to see if anyone could see them, there was no one.
"Boy, give me your broken sword" he said as Sozu pulled out his fathers blade in confusion
"How did you-"
"I am the Guardian of life for your world. The Supreme Kai"
Sozu's eyes widened
"What? You mean, the Gods over the Sage of 6 paths really exist eh?"
Supreme Kai nodded
"Yes, we of the Kai watch over the universe, and we contrast with the Gods of Destruction. The Otsutsuki or those of the power of the Sage, are an alien race that created chakra. Ki on the other hand has always been around, but it is not as accessible as chakra. Saiyans and Namekians are more adept at ki usage but, humans as you know can use it as well. Perhaps, when you return, I can whisk you away from this village for a while and provide you with a weapon to wield in tandem with that sword." he said as he handed him the sword fixed
"What do you mean when I return?" he heard feet jumping off branches in the distance and turned around, then he turned back to see Shin was gone but his sword was fixed and he picked it up quickly.
Soon he had to dodge a kunai as he drew his sword and spun around to parry a kunai swipe from Anko.
"Not bad brat. I've never been parried when I mislead with my kunai attacks like that. At least not not a genin" she said sheepishly
He narrowed his eyes as he deactivated his Sekigan and Anko stepped backwards, withdrawing her kunai.
"What brings you out here Anko?" he asked
"Lord Hokage has a mission for us. Follow me" she said as she turned and walked back towards the gates of the training ground.
Sozu began to follow her slowly. He looked down at his sword and felt as if it was different from before. He steeled his determination as he put the now fixed sword back into a sealing scroll and followed Anko on.