A/N: I don't normally answer Guest reviews (I prefer to answer thru PMs), however, the last one I received asked why I removed the section dealing with the chakra manacles. After blinking in confusion, I went to the online story and verified that it's still there. And it is. It's in Chapter 2 in the part where Tsunade is returning to her office and confronts the agent reporting that Ibiki has her Gaki.
Not sure what story you're reading but, if that section isn't there, you might want to check or refresh the page again. Hope this helps.
Enjoy as you will, Chapter 3.
~ Siva'a
~III~
Act I: Exiled Arc CH 3: Hokage No More: An Exile In His Own Land
The Blue Pharmacy, Orario
This time it was Miach that broke the connection, gently releasing what was becoming a very painful grip on his now bloodless fingers. Folding his hands one atop another to hide the bright red digits, he shared a concerned glance with his two guests of the Blue Pharmacy. His dark blue – borderline purple – eyes paused long enough to note the tears spilling from both women before focusing on the once dull, grainy wood of his table to give them a small bit of privacy.
Tsunade Senju shed unabashed tears as her shoulders shook at the freshly-dredged memories. To her left, Miach's right, Kato Shizune, the woman's apprentice, appeared just as miserable having now been made privy to those same memories through Miach's manipulation of Divine Mana to link their collective consciousness. They were part of memories he'd already absorbed from his newest child, Uzumaki Naruto, through his Familia's Falna blessing.
If this procedure hadn't been mandated by the Guild's penultimate leader, he would have refused a thousand times over. He felt that a person's thoughts, emotions, and feelings were sacrosanct and Miach hated melding. One never knew how the collective trauma of those involved would affect everyone of the group and it was extremely difficult to properly filter the deepest recesses of the mortal mind.
One could never fully prepare for what popped up.
Worse still, these two still understood so little of what made their society different from the Elemental Nations far to the West. Most of the terms he used in his daily speech and thought, they were not just being introduced to but were being submerged in – drowned entirely within - through immersive non-interactive memories. They were powerless spirits along for the ride, good, bad, or indifferent, and Miach understood how the mortal mind often rejected what it had little control over despite the evidence presented. Unfortunately, these key tenets drove Orario's entire Falna system. Some way… somehow, Tsunade and her apprentice would have to resolve their past lives with Naruto's current one but that was being made even more difficult given that the elder of the two stubbornly denied what she was experiencing making everything that much harder to resolve.
Miach sighed softly as the sniffles across from him began to die down and his eyes lifted to meet with red, puffy cheeks now being dabbed by tissues delivered by his latest child's clone, something he still found remarkable, given the difficulties Naruto originally had sorting out his battle of contesting energy natures. Still, the end result was simply remarkable.
Forcing down the bubbling chuckle at his internal thoughts – so as to not spark a misunderstanding amidst their collective grief, Miach softly cleared his throat to garner their attention.
Both women proceeded to cough and burble as they fought to gain emotional control tissues in-hand. Miach, for his part, tried not to notice the look of hurt on young Shizune's face as she dared a quick glare to her mentor and mother figure. He couldn't help but wonder how much the younger woman was included in what happened.
Another time then.
Miach would leave them to sort out their own feelings of discovery on their own time. They still had much to chew through before he could give a final report to the guild and they were already on a compressed timetable. Naruto hadn't even left the elemental nations yet meaning they had so far left to journey.
Soo many people with their fingers meddling in the affairs of others…
"I-I'm sorry."
The sole male at the table waved away the bright blonde's apology. "No need Tsunade-san. It is quite understandable given our circumstance."
Miach's eyes twinkled just a bit as his smile tried to lessen the embarrassment of the moment.
"R-Right… we still… h-h-have much to work through."
The nod she received from him seemed to help shore up her shaken resolve but he could tell there was a question lurking beneath the surface.
"Ask it, Tsunade-san. The whole point of this session is to clarify how Orario finds itself in the situation it currently resides in. If helping you to understand the process helps us reach our ultimate destination, then I am happy to do so."
Silence filled the air as the busty kunoichi sought to corral her thoughts, her admittedly cute lips (at least to Miach) pursing amidst the occasional sniffle as she pieced together what she wanted to say.
"I know that the Yamanaka have techniques capable of doing some of what you can with," her hands waved about briefly and Miach noticed a lessening of the reflexive hand flicking she'd been doing earlier, "whatever this technique is."
Tsunade pointedly ignored the humor in his face.
"What I'd like to know is how you're creating these sequences that none of us have been partial to? There does not exist a technique, to my knowledge, that could pull this all together from our current range to Hi no Kuni."
Miach smiled and noted the determination in the soft brown eyes staring back at him and forced down a chuckle. Without the belief of chakra or the application of a Falna blessing to her skin or witnessing blatant acts of magical power from one of the few casters he was familiar with, there was no way he'd be able to convince her of their reality. No, that would have to wait until he was allowed to bring Naruto-kun into the conversation but he could put forth a small effort to explain. At least for now.
Gathering his courage behind a sip of still delicious tea (Naruto's clone must have refreshed their cups while they were in the meld), Miach met Tsunade's gaze for what would surely be an uphill battle of stubbornness.
"I touched on this earlier when I asked about the origins of chakra."
Miach noticed both heads nodding once in agreement.
"What you know as chakra is a distillation of an already distilled power never meant to fall into the hands of mortals." Glancing at both women, Miach saw concentration instead of anger giving him a sense of hope. "Otsutsuki Kaguya earner her nickname, The Rabbit Goddess, not for her unusual appearance after eating the fruit of the World Tree, but for how prolific her family was in spreading the use of chakra amongst the nations of your home."
"Former… home," Tsunade growled out.
"Former," Miach acknowledged with a small bow of his head.
"Regardless," he continued, "the belief that mortals were not ready for the gift of chakra has only been reinforced here once you see what was done with the gift over there."
Shizune simply could not help herself here. "Conflict is not a problem isolated to the Elemental Nations."
"This is true." Miach's return smile was sincere. "We are not immune to the curses of hatred, greed, and jealousy, no more than your people were. We are, however, responsible for the controlled use of our blessings – through the Falna - which grant our children access to powers, both individually as Familias and collectively as the entire guild."
Miach took a moment to level the first serious glare in their direction sending a small shiver down both female spines.
"Those that ignore this responsibility pay the price. Familia leaders that are found out to have violated those tenets find themselves banned from the mortal realm for all eternity. This has allowed us to contain the problems of mortal fallibility to Istoria, barring notable exceptions."
Tsunade's face clearly showed she didn't believe any of what he was saying but, by now, Miach knew she wouldn't unless she'd seen it wither her own eyes, and maybe not even then.
"That's an interesting tale but it doesn't answer my question." Tsunade folded her arms beneath a ponderous pair of breasts as she waited for some sort of answer.
"Explaining something you clearly refuse to believe is pointless," Miach shot back. "It means nothing I say will satisfy you so, in the hopes of expediency, I will say that my technique allows me to tie together reflections from people that have come into contact with your diffusive chakra release."
"Diffusive? Do you mean passive chakra expression?"
Miach nodded to the smaller brunette, his smile growing at her quick mind. "Even passive contact leaves an imprint, no matter how short-lived and, even if you don't realize it, your bodies do. They, meaning your chakra network, instinctively make an imprint of that contact which the Divine is able to pick up on."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly. "How far back can you go?"
"With secondary or tertiary contact?"
Tsunade nodded once only to receive a negative shake of the man's very dark blue hair.
"Not very far with my strength limited. It is limited to contact around especially strong memories and, even then, no more than three to five years depending on the strength of the network involved."
The three sat unnaturally still as the conversation digested. No matter how you sliced it, a technique like this would have made dealing with Danzo infinitely easier but it was too late for that now.
Grasping her tea cup in one hand, Tsunade downed the scalding liquid with only minor discomfort before slapping the back of her hand onto the tabletop.
"Well, let's not dally then if we have a time limit. I want my Gaki back!"
A second joined hers on the table as both pairs of eyes challenged their host to do his worst.
Miach merely smiled as he linked hands once more and the world once again faded into a white mist. He knew neither believed him, not yet anyway, but there was time for them to learn.
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~III~
Konohagakure, Land of Fire
Body Flickering with an injured prisoner never ended well. In any of the case files he read when he was learning the basic technique (on his own), the results were always the same as the weakened constitution tore itself apart when exposed to the high forces pushed upon it.
Human bodies exploding into bloody chunks was never pretty, so Naruto was very appreciative when his escorts took their time and carefully helped him out of the underground ANBU base through its dark side tunnels.
Unfortunately, they didn't take him out the way he remembered coming in. Fuzzy though he may have been, they should have turned right outside of the interrogation room. Instead, they shuttled him to the left and deeper into the warren of tunnels that made up the T&I interrogation cells. Dark hallways gave way to darker tunnels, damp air that reeked of moss, and slick stone tiles under his sandals.
His body still ached so Naruto was thankful for the docile pace and the warm hands that gently held him upright. The pounding in his head felt like Chouji was hammering on it with his fists and his tongue kept trying to scrape a thick layer of scum from the roof of his mouth and teeth.
'I'm working on it, kit.'
'I know buddy. I know, and I'm thankful.'
His only response was a low-level hum from the great chakra entity. They'd been through a lot and few words were needed at this point.
Time droned on without end until he heard a door open and their cramped tunnel filled with artificial light and the rancid smell of disinfectants. A familiar yet unwelcomed place where he found reproach more often than welcome.
He couldn't help it. He groaned, his normally warm body shivering at the chilling brush of artificial hospital air.
"Sorry, Naruto. We need to officially check you out with the doctors and take what's left of your things."
Kakashi's voice didn't match his normal behavior but the tired Genin nodded anyway. The man's voice was thick, like he needed a glass of water, and oddly subdued but he didn't think it was something that his sensei... no, his former sensei couldn't handle.
He shrugged it off though. This man wasn't his sensei any longer and the sooner he got used to the idea the less it would hurt.
'And the Uchiha wins again.' The thought stung the back of his throat like rancid milk and he felt the body-clenching desire the belch up the bitter bile in his stomach.
So much left unfinished in Konoha...
Bitter thoughts aside, he stepped out of the secret passage into an underground hallway of the hospital. At the other end was a freight elevator guarded by two porcelain-faced shinobi, which he was promptly shuffled into, his uncovered eye finding the plain tiled floor more interesting that anything else around him.
He could hear the single button by the closing get punched. He could hear the doors close. He could feel the metal box lurch as they were carried skyward. Through it all, Naruto kept his one uncovered eye on the floor as his body went through the motions.
It's why he missed Kakashi motion for Anko to stay back once they stepped from the elevator. It's why a familiar voice he never expected to hear again coming from the other end of their current hallway temporarily snapped him out of his funk and, against all odds, hoped beyond hope that one other person in this miserable village would prove his personal cynicism wrong.
'Did she finally come to visit?'
Deep inside his seal, the Nine-Tailed Bijū scowled before closing its eyes hoping to block out the next few minutes. Sometimes being able to sense the emotions of others was a draining experience for the millennia-old entity.
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Outside Naruto's Room, Konoha General, Kakashi's POV
When the elevator's doors creaked apart, Kakashi's very sensitive nose was bombarded with a very familiar perfume his mind associated by long habit with the only female on his team. Catching a glimpse of shockingly pink hair just outside Naruto's assigned room admittedly caused the elite Jounin to pause and, for just a second, hope beyond hope that one of his other students had finally come through for his sensei's embattled son. He hoped that the Will of Fire finally caught on with the pinkette. The young man needed to catch a break somewhere in his life and now, when he appeared at his lowest, would be a good time for an uplifting moment of comraderie with one of his teammates.
That happy thought lasted up until his experienced mind took note of both her body language and position. Two seconds into his personal observation and his dream of a happy send-off for Naruto burst like a child's balloon.
To begin with, she was outside, not inside waiting for him. The two ANBU, two agents known for being fiercely loyal to the Hokage's office and non-hostile to the village's Jinchūriki, standing outside were focused clearly on her and had positioned themselves closer together to block access to the door. He realized that both agents clearly saw her as a threat. It was not a very hopeful sign.
Then there was Sakura herself. She was standing in front of the agents, her back to them and her arms crossed in front of her non-existent chest. Most of her weight was on her back leg, the foot of the lead leg tapping impatiently on the gleaming hallway tiles. He could almost see the steam rising from her forehead as angry eyes of her backward-tilted skull counted the ceiling tiles probably for the hundredth time.
It didn't take a genius to figure out where this encounter was headed so he signed for Anko to keep her Foxy-Gaki back while he sauntered forward trying to pull off his normal lazy demeanor. It was tough to do when he lacked the motivation for his usual reading material but he gave it the old shinobi effort.
"Sakura, it's good to see you visiting your other teammate. He'll be happy to finally have a visitor."
The fuming girl scoffed loudly without turning to face her sensei and Kakashi tried to hide a disproving glare in return.
"Visit him?!" Sakura didn't appear to notice the taller man's hand flicker towards his kunai holster as she ranted on. "I came to give him a piece of my mind for what he did to Sasuke-kun but these two won't let me in to his room!"
Kakashi's eyes followed her head nod in the direction of the two elites blocking her way to the door and nodded appreciatively, something Sakura also missed as she was too busy scowling at Dove and Boar.
One signed back, 'You're Welcome.'
Steeling himself for a mental battle, Kakashi bit back a scathing insult and instead tried to help her see reason. He admittedly hadn't been much help to his sensei's son but the boy deserved this much support.
"Did you even pay attention to the wounds Naruto suffered bringing Sasuke back? Given that Sasuke knocked you out, did you even think he would come back willingly or peacefully?"
Sakura's rising tide of righteous indignation sputtered a bit. "Well, no... I was busy trying to look after Sasuke-kun and didn't have time to come back for Naruto. Sasuke… H-He wouldn't... I-I don't think he'd e-ever..."
Kakashi continued to wait for the light to come on in the girl's otherwise sharp head. Too bad Sakura continued to disappoint, her often intelligent mind failing to make the necessary connections as it instead fought to defend the traitorous Uchiha's behavior.
"But it couldn't have been that bad." He could see her eyes unfocusing almost as if she were listening to some mental soundtrack he could not pick up on. "No! Sasuke-kun would never hurt-."
"He tried to kill Naruto," Kakashi bluntly interrupted but he could see the blatant denial in her eyes now that she'd half-turned to argue with him. His free hand twitched once more towards his loaded kunai holster. He'd honestly had enough with the girl's delusions and wanted this over as quickly as possible.
Sakura, for her part, sputtered to a stop and blinked a few times as her present mind waged war with her inner personality.
"No. No, that's impossible. Sasuke would never-."
"You keep asserting that he would never but the fact is that he shoved not one but two Chidori into Naruto's chest in an attempt to kill him." Kakashi was going to keep using her other teammates name in order to force her to recognize him as a person worthy of living.
Her eyes were staring at the floor now, the sharp green orbs flickering back and forth as her mind tried to analyze the new data Kakashi presented in the aftermath of Sasuke's return. For just a moment, just one tiny moment, he thought he'd gotten through only to inwardly groan once he recognized that stubborn streak deep inside the fangirl rear its ugly head. Again.
"No," she huffed.
Kakashi's patience gave out and his eye narrowed dangerously.
"NO!" Green eyes snapped up to lock with a single dark one. "It had to have been something Naruto-baka did! The Elders said so when they came by to check on Sasuke-kun today!"
At that point, Kakashi no longer cared. He reached out with one hand painfully taking hold of the girl's left shoulder and the two vanished in a small tornado of leaves and wind. He had faith that Anko-chan could take care of Naruto in his absence.
For now, he needed this trainwreck as far away from Naruto as possible.
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By the Elevator Door
Anko was watching Naruto closely as they listened to the ongoing conversation involving him. His body may not have reacted but his one exposed eye said it all to the experienced interrogator right up until the point where his face went dangerously blank. Everything resembling a recognizable human emotion faded to the background but his eye never looked up from the floor.
Not even when Kakashi Body Flickered the annoying sack of blood away did he move or say anything. Despite the heavy atmosphere, seeing her Gaki like this was freaking her out a bit.
"C'mon, Gaki." She rested her right palm on his left shoulder, the unwounded one, and felt him begin to stumble forward. Let's get your stuff and get out of here."
He nodded once then settled into a slow shuffle.
"You're hanging with me and 'Kashi-kun tonight, bud." She wasn't taking "no" for an answer. "I promise to make him put up the silencing seals so you can sleep." Anko tried to throw up her best crap-eating grin and peace sign hoping to cheer up her Gaki, all to no avail.
Inside Anko Mitarashi wanted to start gutting everyone in this village that ever hurt Uzumaki Naruto starting with a certain pink waste of shinobi metal. 'Girl isn't worth the kunai she carries.'
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~III~
Konoha, Outside the Hokage Tower
The mob multiplying outside the Hokage's administrative complex was growing both hostile and festive at the same time. Clenched fists waving crumpled sheets of paper above their heads fueled the gathering mass of stupidity, as Shikamaru referred to them. The growing mass of wine and food vendors continued to add to the festival mania rapidly taking over the crowd.
Ino's original delight at juicy gossip to be had rapidly deteriorated at the tasteless scene developing all around them. 'Anything to make a quick coin, damn the consequences,' Ino silently groused.
Looking left and right she could see similar faces of disgust growing on her former classmates, most of which had arrived to find out what the Council was going to reveal to the masses at noon.
'No Sakura, hmmm.' She didn't put too much thought into it knowing exactly where the Number-One Uchiha Stalker would be. 'That leaves...' Her eyes raked the gathered members of Academy Class 3-B still standing. Herself, Hinata, Shikamaru, a still-bandaged Kiba with his ninken, and Shino.
Sakura wasn't there, obviously. Sasuke was in a hospital bed alongside Chouji, Lee, and Neji, two of which were in critical condition. What was worse was the fact that the latter three were in the hospital because of the troublesome Uchiha survivor, a fact Ino was having a harder time coming to grips with.
She couldn't see him as anything but a traitor so why were people in the crowd chanting that they should jail or execute the Uzumaki for hurting the runaway? It made no sense and the more she thought about how Chouji nearly died to bring the traitor back, the angrier she was becoming.
True, she never paid much shrift to Naruto-ba-...
No, she never paid much attention to Naruto, but Shika had been very honest with how the orange Genin performed on the mission. From what he shared with her, they would not have gotten by their first opponent without the Orange Menace and if not for his clones, then Chouji and Neji might have been considerably worse off than they were. Not that Sakura cared at all from what little time she could talk to her former frenemy.
When the angry pinkette stormed up to her demanding her assistance in dressing down the badly injured orphan, she snapped and ripped her a new one. She may not have cared about him before but that changed both during the invasion and now during the Sas-... Uchiha retrieval.
Yes, her opinion of Naruto was slowly changing for the better. Ino would probably see him as acceptable boyfriend material with a little more grooming but at least he wasn't a total loss in her eyes now. However, it seemed like there was a limit to how much some fangirls would take in regards to their former crushes and, from what she'd heard, Sasuke expressed zero remorse for his actions when he woke up from an Uzumaki-delivered beat down.
Thinking again on how Chouji nearly died, Ino could not help but wish Naruto had broken something when bringing the Uchiha back. It would have served the bastard-.
A pained yelp broke Ino out of her thoughts in time to see a civilian body sailing through the air to land ungracefully on the cobbled earth at their feet.
More than once Kiba had to strong-arm a drunken civilian that suddenly found the Yamanaka heiress "cute and vulnerable" enough to warrant their "protection and comfort." The last one was still laid out on the ground where the Mutt-boy deposited them, arms out wide and snoring to the clouds above in the waning morning.
It did allow them to get a hold of his flier much to their shock and dismay. The only difference seemed to be Kiba as he started snarling, "I knew it!" over and over again.
Seeing that the smelly mutt boy wasn't going to be much help, Ino turned to the only guy she knew could be of help. "Shika, what the hell is a Jinchūriki?"
The word sounded ominous. Threatening.
Instead of meeting her eyes, the shifty-eyed Nara cut a quick glance to Hinata of all people making the platinum blonde's hackles rise at being ignored.
With a mumbled, "Troublesome," he stuffed his hands into well-worn pockets before turning to stalk, er... saunter off. "None of you want to be here when the riots start," he lazily called over one shoulder, his right hand making a brief appearance to wave over the attached shoulder.
It was enough for Shino to shrug and meander off to his own home, Ino's frustrated wail emerging a split-second later.
"Shika!"
Her cry caught the attention of another drunk. That drunk joined the first in a growing pile of limbs courtesy of the Inuzuka-nin hoping to get a celebratory kiss out of her for his heroism.
He got a knee to the nuts instead as the blonde terror stormed off to find her mother. She was in need of an impromptu gossip session about this jin-thingy and what any of it had to do with the nine-tailed fox that nearly flattened the village the year before she was born.
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~III~
Konoha Main Gate (East Gate), 2 Days Later...
Danzo was flanked by the two senior advisors feeling justifiably proud of his accomplishments. Jiraiya had been sent out to gather intelligence on Konoha's enemies, so he wouldn't need the shameless pervert for this little bit of theatrics.
He was surprised to see the fair-sized crowd in support of the weapon mingling about near the main gate but they didn't matter given the size waiting to throw rotten fruit and vegetables at the boy on his way out. The weapon's supporters were outnumbered thirty-to-one-easily and more were stumbling up after two straight days of partying once the news was released. This would only help break the child down further, all of which helped to further Danzo's goals for Konoha.
Yes, things appeared to be lining up nicely as he prepared to watch the weapon's departure. He'd handed Tsunade a resounding defeat despite her futile judgment against the Uchiha - which also helped him with the Uchiha fanbase - and began the second stage of his plan with the co-opting of the Council fully under his banner.
Well...
True he had to threaten most of the Shinobi side of the Council to get done what he needed but it worked all the same. At this point, none of it mattered as someone yelled out that they'd seen the Hokage approaching.
It was time.
Afterwards, it would only be a matter of time before he removed her as well from the board and took his rightful place. Konoha needed someone that could lead it to its rightful place atop the elemental nations. The woman was far too soft-hearted much like her former master, something he felt was weighing down Konoha as the other nations leeched off of the once great tree's slowly rotting carcass. Danzo's ascension was inevitable at this point especially without her pet to protect her. Once he'd gained his throne, ah, er… the Hokage's Seat, he'd begin with the small fish to consolidate power then focus on the big prizes…
He saw the crowd part only for his elated mood to stop its measured rise at the oddly happy smile on the woman's face. Wasn't she losing another part of her precious family?
This made no sense and Danzo hated when things didn't fit in their logical places.
.
.
For her part, Tsunade cleared the crowd near the main opening and donned an innocently surprised look. "My ANBU reported that there was a disturbance here." She paused to look over the crowd, her smile widening just a bit. "What's with this illegal gathering?"
The confused murmuring began almost immediately, many pointing and looking to the Council Elders wondering what the hell was going on. Weren't they all here to evict the demon child?
At least they thought they were. Many were now looking at the rotten produce in their hands with confusion and turning to the Council to sort this out.
"Hokage-sama," Koharu chimed in gaining her attention. The old woman's face was pinched more than usual. "Aren't we supposed to see the jinchūriki depart the village today?"
Tsunade kept her smile on her face but anyone that knew her could see that it was partially forced. The repeal of the Sandaime's law concerning the bijū's jailer was still a sore subject. It was apparently good enough to torture the Genin his entire life while keeping it hidden but now keeping the secret was detrimental to Konoha's growth and expansion?
"Why would you think that?" Tsunade forced an even more innocent look of confusion on her face just to tweak their noses that much more.
Homura's hand reflexively pushed his square glasses up to his forehead, his one clear sign of annoyance. "The Council ordered his exile forty-eight hours ago. That time limit is now expired."
Her snorting laugh was the opposite of what they expected to hear. A whining Hokage? Certainly. An angry toddler impotently stomping her heeled sandals? Sure, why not.
But this?
Danzo's calm was slipping when suddenly...
"He was given up to two days to leave and decided to leave that night rather than put up with this," she swept her arms at the gathered crowd, "circus you call a welcoming committee."
The outrage was immediate.
"Hokage!"
Tsunade raised one thin eyebrow and the old bag coughed out a belated, "Hokage-sama," in response.
"He was supposed to have a tracking seal placed on him? Without it we won't be able to recall him!" Koharu seemed sorely put out over this one detail. "Without it he'll be marked as a nuke-nin when he doesn't return!"
Tsunade snorted once more and tossed something into the quick hands of Iruka standing in the small pro-Naruto crowd. When the man finished fumbling around with it, he held up a well-worn but very well-cared for forehead protector of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Many blinked in surprise and looked back to the still chortling Fifth Hokage for an explanation. All but Iruka who was losing a valiant battle against the water forming in his nearly squinted-shut eyes.
"You idiots were hoping I wouldn't be familiar with exile and banishment procedures," she snickered. Tsunade remembered all too well from when she decided to leave the village the first time, however, she borrowed a trick from Naruto and had a clone brush up on village laws while she was putting together his "care package" the night he was kicked out by the Council.
"Since I can't reverse your decision, thanks to the Fire Daimyo, Naruto asked me to make it permanent." Her grin turned feral. "He. Is. Free." She bit out each word with glee. "You can't recall him as he's a civilian now and he doesn't need to come back if he doesn't want to so you can't make him a nuke-nin either."
Danzo's grip cracked the handle of his cane. His plan was to subtly place a tracking seal on the weapon so they could find him when they needed to bring him in, and this... this wench!
His internal rant was cut short by Tsunade's barking laughter, a sound he was rapidly growing to hate.
Koharu, unfortunately, was having a hard time processing what she was hearing and sought clarification. "He should not have been able to leave with the wounds he suffered from retrieving the Uchiha heir..."
Her mind was trying to grasp the folly and failing.
"That might be true if he weren't a true Uzumaki," Tsunade countered. She pointedly ignored the calls from the crowd denying anything of the sort for her Gaki.
The elder's comment did narrow a few eyes among Naruto's fellow classmates. They'd heard that Naruto had been severely injured by Sasuke but not how badly. To be injured badly enough to be unable to walk under his own power? More than one pair of minds began turning…
Tsunade turned viciously on the crowd gathered hoping to assault one of her loved ones. "CLEAR OUT!" she bellowed, sneering savagely as her potent killing intent drove the civilians from the gate area in droves.
Once they were all gone, she turned to head back to the tower but not before one last jab. "By the way, you three are fired as my advisors. I'll expect your retirement letters on my desk in the morning."
She never looked back to see the shocked faces of the Elders knowing the ANBU she asked to snap a photo would come through on her behalf.
Photos lasted longer than human memory anyway.
She kept smiling up until she cleared the gate entryway and ran straight into Gaara of the Desert and his siblings.
"Hokage-sama," Gaara drawled in his scratchy voice. "We would like a word, if you please."
"Crap," she muttered in response. Just like that her good mood was gone.
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~III~
Just over 6 Months Later, Root HQ, Konoha
Danzo was on a tear and had been ever since they'd lost the weapon to Tsunade's thievery. Those not familiar with the esteemed former Elder, couldn't tell the difference from his normal cruelty, however, those in the "know" saw it clear as day and made every effort to stay well out of his way.
Root were trained to be emotionless, not idiotic.
It only took fifteen unnecessary deaths among his own "personal security force" before they recognized the increased pattern of lethality and discovered a way to eliminate the higher levels of fratricide.
Then salvation was dropped literally in their laps in the form of the once Great Toad Sage.
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Jiraiya, The Toad Sage
"We found him."
Three words prevented the near-imminent beheading of an agent kneeling before his illegal master deep in the bowels of Konoha's underground. The raised hand sporting a Wind Blade from the index and middle fingers hovered as the owner forestalled judgment, his single exposed eye rotating up to silently demand an answer.
"Even without your precious toads to help?"
The former Toad Sage scowled but didn't respond to the bait. If Danzo wanted to be peevish two could play that-.
The hand holding the Wind Blade fell and a headless body crumpled to the floor. The agents kneeling to either side of the deceased shinobi did not so much as breathe out of place.
Seeing that Danzo was in little mood to play around, Jiraiya stepped forward from the shadows. "He was snuck out of the village, most likely through the same ANBU tunnels that got him out of T and I, and taken west of the village to a farm in the Natsu Province. There is a cell of 8 currently watching him in case he bolts."
"Get the tracking seal on the weapon." Danzo's words were clipped and hissed through clenched teeth. "Now leave me. I must prepare for the Council meeting later this afternoon."
Yes, he was pleased but he was not pleased enough to spare the other two broken tools at his feet as a motivational lesson to the rest of his troops.
"Yobun'na." His voice was soft almost whispered, but a masked figure was kneeling next to three corpses by the time the sound faded.
"Hai, Danzo-sama."
The old mummy never took his eyes from the three bodies as he reached for his arm sling and braces. "Recall the scouts and prepare field teams ten and twenty-one."
"Hai! Danzo-sama."
"Also," he interjected forcing the agent to pause before leaving.
"Clean up this trash."
Without another word, the shinobi war relic glided from the chamber with one hand fiddling with the bolts sealing away his "broken" right arm absolutely convinced that his instructions would be followed to the letter.
They always were.
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~III~
Konoha, Office of the Hokage
"Well, this is going to go over like a turd in the party punchbowl," Tsunade groused.
The young blonde in front of her desk wearing the Suna headband around her neck only raised an eyebrow as if she found the comment humorous. "It was to be expected, Hokage-sama. Especially after what your village did to Gaara's brother in all but blood."
Temari of the Desert crossed her arms across a healthy expanse of chest wrapped snugly in the formal sand-colored kimono of a Suna Ambassador, her hair done in a single high ponytail vice the Yottsu no Michi style of a wind mistress from her home, her Great War Fan absent in advance of the official setting per Council Chamber rules.
Tsunade shrugged as if to say, "What can you do?"
"True, but I never expected Gaara to have this much pull with the Suna Council." The elder blonde looked up from the parchment in her hands and into the bright teal eyes of her diplomatic counterpart.
Temari did not shy away from the piercing gaze. "Our village is looking for a symbol to rally behind after your nuke-nin murdered the last Kazekage."
Tsunade couldn't hide her wince at the accusation but was saved further embarrassment when Shizune popped her head past the door and into the office announcing, "The Council is gathered, Hokage-sama."
A little too quickly, the older kunoichi rose from her desk with a quick thanks to her apprentice and led Suna's representative down the hall to the chamber that added to her heavy nights of drinking. Once Temari was ensconced behind the small table set up for her on the Shinobi side, Tsunade called the meeting to order, the advisor row in front of her seat noticeably empty this time; with his official role as advisor absolved, Danzo now sat at the far end of the Shinobi Council just ahead of Temari, who hated every minute she spent next to the old windbag often complaining about the lingering smell of pain ointment.
"Welcome Counsel. Today we have a special guest at our bi-weekly session." She lifted one hand to indicate Temari. "We will address the returned alliance proposal before we turn to normal business. Temari?"
The younger blonde rose from her seat and bowed her head in return. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"Well, it's about time your village acknowledged its debt to Konoha!" Many unhappy eyes on the shinobi side glared at the corpulent Finance Guildmaster at this breach in protocol. Ichiro Nogashi had never been known for patience, manners, cleanliness, nor political savvy.
Temari smiled politely at the known pervert after his failed propositioning of the Ambassador during the last visit to lay the groundwork for this very alliance. "Oh, we have considered all the facts carefully and that's why Suna feels that a non-aggression treaty is perfect for our purposes."
It took several seconds as the civilian half of the Council processed what she'd just said, but when they finished...
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"
It took a few moments before order could be restored. Once done, Mebuki Haruno surprised everyone with her eerily calm rebuttal.
"You can't be serious, can you? Is this some sort of joke, Ambassador?!"
Tsunade was more impressed with the fact that she wasn't screeching at top volume. It was no secret where Sakura got her lungs from.
"Suna is quite serious, Counselor. The Suna Elders deliberated long and hard once they received new evidence concerning Konoha's position on certain key events."
Many eyes blinked back at the young kunoichi in confusion but Mebuki once again took it upon herself to calmly continue the press. "What key events? Your village attacked us."
Again, Mebuki was surprisingly calm but Tsunade wasn't complaining. She also enjoyed not having to say a word as the conversation worked its way to its inevitable conclusion.
"My village attacked yours after your nuke-nin murdered then impersonated our Kazekage before ordering our forces to align with Oto."
Many of the Council were nodding in appreciation that she was big enough to admit her village's mistake. It would make their submission all the easier to demand in the end.
"Your village was meeting in secret with the traitor long before that happened!" Mebuki's voice rose just a notch in frustration and Tsunade could feel the telltale signs of internal rupturing.
Temari, however, seemed unphased. "This is true and I make no excuses for that."
Mebuki began to smile in early victory.
"It was still your nuke-nin that sponsored this treachery promising recouped wealth for the missions your village willingly pilfered from Suna." Temari folded her arms against her chest narrowing her eyes in the same manner she'd seen parents do with particularly willful children. "Missions and money you happily took with little concern for the people that starved as a result."
No one on the Konoha Council looked the slightest bit contrite over the realization. Quite a bit of that surplus found its way into their businesses and pockets after all.
"However, our Kage refused to commit citing our tattered treaty before committing to the actual assault, which was when Orochimaru lured him from the village under the pretext of a final negotiation and then assassinated him in the Path of Bones about two days from Sunagakure." She finished her statement by tossing a scroll onto the table before the businesswoman, one signed by the former Kazekage and dated two weeks before his supposed death.
Mebuki snatched up the scroll and eagerly began reading. "But... but... this proves noth-."
Temari viciously cut her off. "You don't have to believe it and by all means keep that copy of the original. One has already been sent to our Wind Daimyo as he heads to the capital of your nation to discuss this subject with your Daimyo."
"I hope you are proud of yourself, desert rat!" Mebuki's aura of calm vanished like a puff of smoke in a stiff breeze. "We will survive this treachery but losing Konoha as a trading partner will ruin Suna!" Mebuki had officially lost her calm and shifted from cordial to spiteful in one second flat.
"Oh, somehow I think Suna will be just fine." Temari"s insufferable grin only widened making once convicted Konoha politicians grimace in fresh uncertainty.
.
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~III~
Nami, New Hall of Leaders (around the same time as Temari's meeting in Konoha)
"I think this multi-lateral trade agreement will do wonders for our four nations." Gaara rose and began extending his hand to each of the three representatives sharing the same luxurious conference room. Three radiant smiles beamed back at him from Wave, Water, and Spring.
Quick handshakes ran the gauntlet until the attractive redhead sitting his opposite asked, "I agree but why call it the Uzumaki Accord?"
Silence reigned until the former actress answered, "Because without Naruto Uzumaki, none of this would have been previously possible. He is the bridge across many waters, it would seem."
"Does this have something to do with that enormous bridge I saw when my ship pulled in? I was told it was named after Wave's Hero." It was clear from the blinking confusion on her face that the new Godaime Mizukage didn't see the whole picture but it didn't matter. She had new trading partners and access to a major trading hub in Nami. She could learn the rest later.
"Something like that."
Tazuna turned to the youngest at the table wanting to avoid unpleasant conversations. "Is there anyone else we should include?"
Gaara nodded in return. "Yes, but I'll be reaching out to Taki separately. They aren't reliable enough yet to join the trade alliance but they're leader should be more than willing to help apply pressure on the Leaf." It took four months to set this all up and Gaara was loathed to risk it on uncertain participants.
The old man could only nod at what he called "weird ninja things."
Gaara seemed to catch himself as if remembering something. "Naruto mentioned adventures in Moon and Tea…"
The Actress-turned-Daimyo perked up at this knowing both countries did not have shinobi villages of their own. "I will reach out to them. I need to firm up our trade agreements with Jirōchō Wasabi in Degarashi Port anyway."
"Oh, I wouldn't mind providing you escort for that little adventure," Mei offered. She was already beginning to see the benefits of joining this little gathering even if she never understood why Konoha's Kage directed her this way. That being said, she was grateful for the letter of introduction and the rapidly growing list of political benefits. 'Thank you whoever you are, Uzumaki Naruto.'
Tazuna nodded one last time to the group before stepping away to his office. He'd let them chat about "weird ninja stuff" while he began working on the final draft. They would all need to read it once more before signing multiple copies. The final would be sent to Konoha to notify the uppity village about the changes to every affected treaty held by the Leaf now that any and all debts had been paid off.
It would also give him time to break out the good sake without feeling guilty!
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~III~
Back in Konoha...
By now, all Civilian faces in the room were twisted into angry sneers, most wondering why Danzo was seated with the shinobi clan heads and not aiding in the discussion. They all believed that he could turn this around if he wanted, but had been unusually silent and brooding since the meeting started.
"What I want to know is why?" Ichiro whined back.
"Why what, Counselor?" Temari seemed honestly perplexed as to why they didn't understand.
"Why. Ruin. Relations. With. Konoha?!" Counselor Ichiro appeared to be talking with an unbelievably obstinate child.
Temari, with a smile as sweet as ice cream, locked eyes with the talking pig wrapped in expensive silks and gave three words that made the entire Council pale.
"Ask Uzumaki Naruto."
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~III~
The Next Day Somewhere in West-Central Hi no Kuni
Birds singing. Cool breezes gliding across his face. The smell of fresh hay and gentle barn noises. The soft morning sun lighting up the loft that had been his home for the last three and a half months.
These are the events that substituted for Naruto Uzumaki's alarm clock these days and he loved every minute of it. As the farmlands around him woke to the day's greeting, so too did the former shinobi as he stretched and yawned... and smiled.
"Nii-san! Nii-san!"
The sounds reached his ears of little hands and feet climbing up the first three ladder rungs leading to his hay filled loft and he couldn't fight the smile stretching his whiskered cheeks. He knew the little girl was too scared to climb all the way to the top but she often got too impatient when he took too long to show up for breakfast.
"NII-SAAAAAAAAAAN!"
"Hai, hai, Tamiko-chan." Despite the smile he groaned a little. A good day's work followed by some light training before bed always left him sore in that good sort of way. "I'm awake. I'm awake."
His mind could almost see the cute little pout surrounded by immaculately-brushed chocolate brown hair. Tamiko-chan's mum always took great pains to care for the little girl's hair. One must always look their best in case new customers come to the farm for produce.
He could hear her little sandals tapping their way back down the ladder as she huffed about lazy older brothers. She was six and, although she knew that he wasn't related to them by blood, she treated him like an older brother all the same and he was thankful for the warm welcome.
It wasn't the life he'd planned for himself back when he started the academy but it suited him all the same and he'd have to thank Kakashi for it the next time he saw him.
Rolling off the makeshift bedroll-hay pallet combo, Naruto thumped noisily across the wooden loft so that the small girl could hear him moving around and meandered to the small table that held a washbowl, a pitcher, and a small stack of fresh towels. Without handseals, there were three puffs of chakra smoke, although admittedly they were smaller than the ones he used to make when he played the village idiot. Now they were barely more than a few hearty puffs from Jiji's old kiseru pipe.
He paused for a second as the old man's image flittered briefly across his mind.
"Boss?" an uncertain clone asked seeing his creator pause.
Naruto snapped to with a quick fluttering of his eyelids and turned to face the three doppelgangers staring at him unsure of what was going on.
"You," he pointed to one without preamble, "fresh water please." He nodded to the other two. "You two take care of the morning feedings and I'll deal with the hay piles after breakfast."
Bailing hay was an excellent morning workout.
With two sharp "Hai!" responses, all three vanished without a trace. Old Tamashini (who was in his mid-twenties making him certifiably old) may have owed the old Cyclops for saving his life but he wasn't complaining about the extra help that came with his new farmhand. With Naruto's help, the old farmer had been able to break out of debt at the last harvest and completely turn the farm around. The old man literally crowed at dinner last night about finally being able to send little Tamiko-chan to school in the village twelve-desk classroom.
Everyone had their dream and the old farmer wanted a better life for his daughter. When Naruto heard the married couple lamenting how they'd possibly be able to afford that with the problems concerning their harvest last year (and the signs of a poor harvest this year), Naruto set about learning what he could so he could help turn that problem around.
What could he say? Farming seemed to suit him better than being a shinobi ever did. He had two very green thumbs and, not for the first time, he was seeing an alternate use for the deadly ninja skills he picked up in the Leaf.
The extra Shadow Clones certainly didn't hurt either.
"Good morning, kit."
The blond paused even as his first clone returned with the pitcher freshly filled from the pump. Nodding his thanks, he sent him off to help with the remaining farm chores. There weren't many since the Yamashita family didn't have many farm animals but what they lacked in quantity the family more than made up for in variety.
A dozen chickens - with one ornery rooster, a half dozen cows, a small flock of sheep, some ducks, a half-dozen fruit trees, a healthy vegetable garden, and a small melon patch littered the area around the cozy farmhouse like a preschool play yard. Tama-san mostly raised wheat and rice to make flour but, with Naruto's help, had begun to branch out into other crops and use more of his family's farmland.
This was going to be a banner harvest for the family and that thought almost made up for all of the bad he'd seen - and done - for Konoha.
Almost.
'Morning, Kurama, and, no, I haven't changed my mind.'
"You're only hurting yourself, kit. They won't give up on you. You know this, right?"
Naruto was thankful for the great being's concern. He just wasn't sure if it was wholly out of concern for his health or for the bijū's sense of self-preservation. Their relationship has been steadily improving since he unlocked his chakra at the age of five but they weren't bosom buddies just yet. Be that as it may, it was his scroll to do with as he saw fit and he'd washed his hands of Konoha (for now). Naruto agreed to keep his edge but he had no plans of ever going back to that life again.
Nope, Konoha burned that bridge pretty thoroughly.
'Probably so, big guy. Probably so but I have a new life now.' His hands dipped into the water bowl and scooped up several healthy - and freezing - handfuls to splash into his face. 'Brrrrrrrrrr! I really should learn some Katon techniques at some point.'
The snort echoing inside his head was filled with humor and something else but Naruto didn't push it. He had a breakfast to get to. It wasn't ramen, nothing was really, but farm living knew how to fill a belly, even his own bottomless pit of a stomach.
Cleaned up and wearing a fresh woolen shirt made for him by Sueko-san, Naruto strolled from the barn making sure to pat the wet noses of the cows his clones were milking to help with breakfast. His good mood lasted until he entered the front door of the small two-bedroom farmhouse to find his adopted family seated around the four-position table with terrified looks on their faces.
He froze in place long enough for the door behind him to slam shut jarring him out of his funk in time to clearly see three masked figures wearing similar cloaks, each one standing behind a family member. Behind him he could now feel the presence of a fourth figure and didn't need to turn around to confirm it. Their chakra signatures were well-suppressed but he was good enough after fumbling with the science to pick them up at a range of four meters.
Too close to defend against anything, true, but he couldn't worry about that now.
"You have a nice set up here, Gaki."
The familiar voice shocked him for a moment. Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously as Jiraiya of the Sannin sauntered into the dining area from the small kitchen in the back with a fresh apple in his hand. The sleazy smirk on his face told Naruto nothing good would come of this visit.
The kunai he could see being held to the throats of the three petrified civilians confirmed it.
"Have a seat, Gaki. We need to catch up on some things." Naruto was beginning to really hate that smirk but knew he wasn't near strong enough to take on the Toad Summoner single handedly. Not yet anyway.
The hand that pushed hard on his left shoulder told him the invitation wasn't optional and came with a limited duration.
'Kurama?'
There was a brief pause before, 'Yeah, kit?'
'We need to have a heart to heart if I survive this.' The entity could have warned him.
He couldn't see the bijū smile sadly but he could feel it as well as the "I told you so" hidden behind it. 'Sure thing, kit.'
Sliding into the only open seat, Naruto shot an apologetic glance to the young family. Odd that he considered them young with all the teasing he did with "Old Man Tamashini."
The understanding couple shot him a look indicating that this wasn't his fault, however, Naruto couldn't find it in himself to agree given the circumstance and immediately tried to deflect from them to himself.
"I was exiled from Konoha for injuring your precious Uchiha. No one said I couldn't have a normal life!"
The four ANBU drones didn't show a flicker of emotion but the old perv responded with a chuckle. "C'mon, Gaki. You know it's not that easy. Not like that." The smirking man took another bite from the fruit gripped in his right hand.
Naruto sneered back a snarky, "Of course not."
Jiraiya tossed the half-eaten fruit onto the wooden floor of the cozy little house with a thump and a bounce.
"So! You'll of course be gone from this place before sunset." Jiraiya sounded if it was the most natural thing in the world but Naruto caught the "or else" hidden in his voice.
So, he obliged and asked, "or else, what?"
"Or else this cute little family will pay for your stubbornness."
The blond didn't like the tone in the older man's voice and he knew he couldn't take the guy in a fight. These four standing around the room? Maybe if it was one on one.
Maybe.
Could he risk their lives on a whim?
Of course not. He wasn't the Uchiha punk.
Tamashini tried to stand up and argue for him until the emotionless mask behind him cuffed the young husband over the back of his head with a kunai handle. The sturdy farmer dropped like a stone to the hardwood floor where his wife and daughter ran to be by his side, both trying to shield him from further harm with their own bodies.
"Aw, now see what you've made us do, Gaki?" The white-haired shinobi gained a dangerous glint to his beady little eyes as the agents around him closed in on the petrified family.
"Enough!" Naruto barked out.
The other five males in the room paused to expectantly turn his way.
"Don't hurt them." He nearly winced at what he knew to be a decent fresh start and the fact that he wouldn't be able to return here ever again. "I'll go just don't hurt them."
Jiraiya spread his hands wide, his grin large enough to make his eyes disappear. "See? That wasn't so bad, now was it, Gaki?"
Jiraiya pointedly ignored the searing glare from the former Konoha shinobi and rose from his chair only to pause dramatically with one hand raised in the air as if making one last point. "Also, you'll be leaving with a little extra hardware then what you came here with."
The large man pulled out a small piece of square chakra transfer paper with a seal inscribed on the shiny transfer side. Naruto recognized the standard tracking array staring him in the face.
Ten seconds later following a brief sensation of burning skin and the Toad Pervert was ripping the paper off of his calf like it was a band aid. Naruto took it all without a sound.
"See ya 'round, Gaki. We'll be watching."
Naruto decided right then that he hated nothing more than the cackling laugh from the bastard of Mount Myōboku. It was made all the more hateful due to his current situation.
He couldn't-wouldn't-risk them not after what they'd done for him so Naruto rose without saying a word and stalked from the house to gather his things. Ten minutes later and he was trudging down the dirt road leading from the farm deciding he'd see what the south of Hi no Kuni had to offer. As he walked, his eyes focused on the tiny puffs of dirt caused by his feet striking the ground to help reduce the temptation to turn back and look one last time.
Back at the farm, one of the Ne agents sent to assist Jiraiya turned to their de facto mission leader and spoke in the familiar monotone brought on by their harsh emotional conditioning.
"Squads two and three will continue to monitor the vessel as he moves about."
Jiraiya merely grunted his agreement not caring which one this particular drone was. He thought it might have been the leader for Squad One but none of that mattered to the Sannin as he watched the boy vanish into the distance.
"What shall will do with the family?"
Jiraiya paused for several minutes to consider their options, that same dark glint popping into his eyes as he polished another apple on his green battle kimono sleeve.
"You know the rules. There are to be no witnesses to trace this back to Danzo." His eyebrows narrowed even as his mind fought what he knew to be the proper honorific for the elder. Shaking it off violently, he glanced down to the shining piece of fruit before taking another healthy bite.
"Hold them for two days to make sure he's far enough away then clean up the scene."
The faceless agent gave a half-bow before turning on a heel back into the home proper.
Jiraiya stepped merrily off the porch whistling a jaunty little tune about a street walker with exceptionally fine assets. He had a godson to report on after all.
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~III~