KG:...I might be drunk. Sue me.
Music of the Month: The Last of the Real Ones by Fallout Boys.
Quote: "Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life." by James Allen
The members of Tsunade's cabinet sat around the table, each of them taking in the information that had been given to them. Inoichi glanced at Naruto and slowly nodded. "I see. That's why you brought Naruto-san back into the village. I'll admit, I struggled with the comprehension of him having a contract with The God of Death. That actually makes the revival of the Uzumaki Clan. While I have concerns about disturbing the rest of the dead, I fear we will need their aid," he said.
Shikaku leaned back in his chair and hummed, eyeing Koharu for a moment. "Speaking of that, why did the Jashin clan even target the Uzumaki Clan? If they've been hiding for over ten years in the village, then what about the Uzumaki Clan would make them risk exposure? They had to realize we would investigate them. Do you have any idea why, Naruto?" Shikaku asked.
Soon, all eyes were on Naruto. The patriarch of the Uzumaki Clan frowned, placing his arms on the table. Yeah, he assumed this story would have come out eventually. It wasn't like he wasn't willing to tell them, he just wondered about the sheer believability of it. After all, not too many people can say they met some manifestation of the Kami, the greatest divine being. Naruto remembered laying his eyes upon her. He remembered her very soothing, yet powerful voice. With but a thought she could devastate every world and every being. It was actually a rather life-changing experience.
Still, he was aware he was treading on thin ice with Konoha as it was. This was a very tense situation where trust was in very short supply. He wouldn't get anything from lying now. "I wasn't really sure of the reason, but the Shinigami invited me to a meeting of sorts. My mother and I went with him. I'll skip the details, but… it was a meeting between divine beings. There was a big table of the celestial bodies just like this one, with observers in the stands. We were one of those observers. I saw the manifestation of Jashin speak with the Shinigami. I wasn't entirely sure on the politics of the meeting, but it seemed that my… privileges as a summoner of Death warranted attention. In an attempt to rectify the act, Jashin tried to maneuver his followers to assassinate my family while they slept. However, the Shinigami saved them and I was offered the chance to meet with Kami," he said.
"You… met Kami? As in the God of all Celestial Beings?" Homura asked while Naruto nodded.
"Goddess, and yeah, that was how I knew they infiltrated the compound. They'd done it on that god's orders," he said. Tsunade and the others turned to Kushina. She nodded her head. Indeed, that was a surreal experience for her. She'd never imagined meeting such a woman in her lifetime.
The Head Anbu leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "What are the lives of men but the playthings of the gods," he said, everyone turning to him.
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose before Ibiki cleared his throat. "So the reasons for this might be because of the gods themselves? Dammit," he said. The man had never been religious, but if this was where the road was headed, then what left was there to doubt? Besides, how the hell could they stand against a cult with the backing of a god behind them?
"Whether the gods are involved or not, it doesn't matter. We are dealing with their servants and followers, not divine themselves. We must simply do what we must to protect the village. At this time, we should first start with the obvious. We should begin locating these members that we can and start monitoring them. With that, we have our chess pieces in place," Shikaku said, turning to Naruto.
The others did as well and Tsunade exhaled. "Naruto, begin please," she said.
The blond nodded and stood to his feet. "Does anyone have any papers? You'd better write down what I say, cause I'm gonna be doing a lot of talking," he said.
Everyone took out sheets of paper as Naruto walked over to a side of the room and closed his eyes. He sat down, taking a pose of meditation he often used when he wanted to be alone. "Alright, while I'm doing this, who's merging with me next?" Naruto asked.
"I would be honored, Naruto-sama," Gari replied before he sat down amongst the other spirits as well. He quickly merged his spirit with Naruto. The young summoner inhaled and exhaled slowly. The others gasped as the rocks around the Uzumaki clan head's body started to tremble.
After a moment, Naruto's hair lost its blond color. The members of Hinoken sat amused, watching the astonishment grow on the faces of the rest of the cabinet. The ground beneath Naruto's feet cracked and the pebbles were blown away. His hair turned as pure as silver and so did his eyes. A white cloak appeared on his shoulders before he stood to his feet. No one in the room was exempt from the feeling of death upon them.
Not even Tsunade nor the Anbu Commander could shake the feeling of the Shinigami looming over all of them. "All who have suffered under the hand of the Jashinist Cult within Konoha in the last twenty years come before me," Naruto ordered.
"Oh my god," Koharu said more to herself as the overwhelming heat inside the cave system suddenly grew cold. It got so cold, Homura could see his breath floating in front of him. However, that paled to the sight of at least two hundred spirits appearing in front of the cabinet. Using Naruto's vast, nigh-divine power as their anchor, the subjects of the Shinigami's realm manifested themselves before everyone.
Hell, the other members of the cabinet noticed Kushina started to change as well. Her red hair became just like Naruto's, silver in color and divine in radiance. If they all had any lesser will, they might have bowed their heads in reverence of the ethereal appearance of the two Uzumaki.
Nevertheless, everyone stayed silent as they watched the spirits line up in front of Naruto. As their Lord, they all paid him the proper respects. Each of them bowed their heads, prostrating themselves with their foreheads on the ground. "I would have never believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," Inoichi whispered to Shikaku. The Head of the Nara clan nodded before Naruto's eyes turned pure white.
"Find them for me. I will exact vengeance in your name," he said.
"By your will, Shikyō-sama," the victims of the Jashinists residing in Konoha said before they floated off through the ceiling of the cavern at great speeds.
"Be careful, Brat. They'll only be to locate the ones that killed them. They won't be able to find the ones who've controlled their urges and lead the groups unless properly linked. Also, brat, I don't like this plan by your Hokage. Something feels wrong to me," the Kyuubi said, which got some shock from the spirits around him.
"Something feels wrong? What do you mean?" Pakura asked while Kimimaro, Suiren, Yahiko, and even Gari narrowed their eyes.
"I'm not sure how to explain it. Let's just wait and see. And you, stay focused!" Kyuubi ordered making Gari stiffen. The former Iwa nin quickly focused himself one more, however everyone felt an inexplicable sense of dread from the Kyuubi's words.
Meanwhile, Naruto groaned much to the concern of everyone else. A trail of blood fell off the side of his mouth. Kakashi and Mikoto stood up, concerned for their teammate. "Why's he bleeding? That never happened!" Sasuke said before Kushina hushed him. Everyone continued to observe as Naruto connected his Honshou with the over two hundred spirits. With this, he could see exactly what they saw. Each of them races throughout the village.
"S-Someone get ready to write," he said.
Shikaku and the Anbu Commander nodded. "We are ready, Naruto-san," Inoichi said and Naruto began speaking the names of the people he observed. Sasuke, Kakashi, and Mikoto activated their sharingan, following the movements of his lips. Three hours passed as one by one, the spirits pointed him to some that shocked the cabinet. Aside from the struggling Uzumaki and Uchiha clans, there was at least one Jashin member in the major clans of Konoha.
Shikaku and Inoichi widened their eyes as Sasuke, Kakashi, and Mikoto tried to keep up with Naruto's intel as much as possible. Koharu felt a bead of sweat fall down the side of her face while Homura narrowed his eyes. Tsunade clenched her fists as the list seemed to get longer and longer.
Yugao knelt next to blond, wiping the blood away from the side of his mouth and the corners of his eyes. Nevertheless, Naruto continued to speak. One named turned into ten. Ten turned into fifty. Fifty turned into a hundred. A hundred finally turned into three hundred before Naruto felt his consciousness break away from the task. Sweat on his face, he fell back into Yugao's arms. She quickly grabbed him while Kushina ran to check on him.
"Is he alright?" Shikaku asked.
Tsunade stood to her feet and walked over to him, coating her palm in green chakra. Naruto panted while she touched his forehead. "He's fine, just fatigued. It seems managing so many spirits at once was too much for him. It's probably even worse than the backlash one would receive from the Kage Bunshin technique," she replied before Yugao gave the young man to his mother. Kushina took him, but he quickly woke and leaned up.
"I'm not done. There's a lot more of them. T-There's over two-thousand of them still left," he growled.
"Two-thousand?!" Inoichi exclaimed while Ibiki bit his thumb and growled.
"It's more than even Pakkun spoke about," Kakashi said while Kushina rubbed her son's head.
She turned to the rest of the cabinet. "No, Sochi. You've done enough for now. What we needed was a start and we've got enough, but it's clear that they've grown somehow or Pakkun couldn't identify all of them."
"Well, he said there were over a thousand signatures. He never specified how many," Sasuke answered before Mikoto tapped her finger on the table.
"Well, we at least have a lot of names to reference from. I suggest we save the clan members for later. Remember, they are an organized group. They'll instantly know if we start sectioning off the suspicious members," she replied.
The Head Anbu hummed. "It wouldn't do good to lockdown the village either. As it stands, we will have to proceed with extreme caution," he said.
As Naruto caught his breath, Kushina stood up and turned to Tsunade. "Well, we're not gonna get anywhere like this. We also shouldn't remain gone for too long. They'll be suspicious of the Hokage's not doing her usual duties. Once we leave, we'll need files on all of these people. If it's me, I can grab at least two in ten minutes. Ibiki and Inoichi should be on standby. Once Sochi recovers, he can grab another two more. We'll have to pick a place to hold them,"
"That won't be a problem," Sasuke said, eyeing his mother and Kakashi. Both chuckled, but nodded.
Homura leaned forward. "The village is vast. How can you possibly get to them in these timeframes?" he asked.
"Sorry, Homura-san, trade Uzumaki secret, but don't worry. My son and I are pretty fast," she remarked.
After this, another hour of planning passed for the cabinet before Tsunade dismissed them all. She ended the meeting on the note that they would all reconvene when Kushina and Naruto dropped their targets off here. A proper channel of communication would be made at a later date. As for now, Kakashi volunteered to stay behind along with Inoichi and Ibiki.
Tsunade took Kushina out and the two stood on top of the Hokage Mansion. "Can you really do it in five minutes?" she asked, handing a profile of her target to her. For every citizen in Konoha, there was a profile in the Hokage's Archives only accessible to the Hokage.
Kushina smirked. "Let's find out," she said as she held up a handsign.
"Kukanyugami no Jutsu!" she called out expanding her Honshou to cover the entire village. One by one, everything stopped moving around her. The matriarch of the Uzumaki Clan smirked before she jumped on the railing and dashed off as fast as she could.
Pushing herself as fast as she could, Kushina flew through the myriad of people. As an experienced kunoichi, her eyes moved left and right, scanning every face and body type. Her target was supposed to live on the far east side of the village. With her speed, that wasn't something impossible. However, obviously it wasn't a given that the person would be there. However, Kushina ran like he was. She ran like the fucking village would explode if she didn't.
In two minutes, short of breath, her heart beating in her ears, she made it to the other side of the village. When she landed on the ground, she looked around for the target. It was a middle-aged man with a rather slim build. She looked at the photo again, trying to use every trick in the book that she learned from her career to find her target. "Dammit! Where the hell are you?" she asked as she ran up and down the street.
Thankfully, luck seemed to be with Kushina. She looked down a dark alleyway and she widened her eyes. She saw her target walking through it. Just before the jutsu could wear off, she slammed her fist in his face. Once time resumed, the man screamed with his head crashing into the side of the wall, knocking him out. He fell to the ground and Kushina reactivated the jutsu. She picked him up and raced back to the Hokage Mansion.
Once she appeared back in front of Tsunade, Kushina wrapped up the target's mouth, bound his arms, and wrapped his legs. If she wanted to be straight cruel, she'd cut his tendons so he couldn't run. Unfortunately, their plan required him walking. She deactivated the jutsu and appeared next to Tsunade.
"D-Done," she said, huffing hard.
Tsunade blinked and noticed the man in Kushina's grasp. The Godaime took the file on the target. Upon verifying him, she nodded and quickly brought Kushina back to the cabinet's location. The two entered and saw everyone around the table.
"Work your magic, Ibiki-san," Kushina said as she threw the Jashinist on the table. The others stood surprised.
"I-It's really only been ten minutes. How did you get him so quickly?!" Homura asked in shock while the female Uzumaki smiled.
"Clan secret. Also, be sure to check his body for cyanide pills. We don't need him croaking cause we were lax," she said. Tsunade nodded and grabbed some gloves from her pocket. Any self-respecting medic always kept at least one pair on hand.
She snapped them on and quickly began inspecting the man for any traces of potential suicide options. She opened his mouth and checked between his teeth. She checked his nails and every other corner of his body, stripping him down until he was naked. To the shock of those present, there were at least ten different places for suicide discovered on the man.
Tsunade turned to Ibiki, Inoichi, and Kakashi. "He's all yours. I want a report of your findings in the hour. Until then, everyone else is set to on-call status. I don't care what you're doing. If I need you, then you'll have to be here. Dismissed," she said.
Everyone agreed. The Head Anbu quickly left. Koharu gave Naruto one more glance before she and Homura exited the facility as well. Sasuke grabbed a hold of his mother's hand, smiling before they wished Kakashi luck and departed. Kushina grabbed her son's arm and both made themselves scarce.
Yugao walked next to Kakashi and took out a scroll. "I'll write down notes. We'll need to record all this information presented. I'll also set up a secure location for it," she replied.
"An extra set of hands will always be appreciated," Inoichi said as Ibiki stretched his wrists.
He raised his hand and slapped the Jashinist across the face. The intense pain shook the man awake. "Huh? W-What the…" he asked before he saw who he was surrounded by. He quickly took notice of Ibiki, Inoichi, along with a masked Yugao and Kakashi. The masks were an extra precaution for the two members of Hinoken.
"Who are you? Why am I here?! I-aaaaargh!" the man shouted in pain when he was stabbed in the leg.
"You're not asking the questions here. We are. You can make it easy or you can make it difficult. For my sake, I hope you choose the latter. I'll be upgrading your stay while you're in our luxurious care. Now, how about we talk about the god of Slaughter, Jashin?" Ibiki asked as the Jashinist widened his eyes. His terrified eyes turned to Inoichi, Yugao, and Kakashi. The menacing aura radiating from the three jonin shinobi was enough to instill great fear throughout the core of the captive. His eyes widened when Ibiki pulled out a pair of pliers. His lips curved upwards.
-x-
Kushina helped Naruto through the door. The aftereffects of his information gathering clearly took their toll on him more than she thought. "You sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" she asked while he laughed.
"Promise. I'll be fine. I just… need a minute to catch my breath. Besides, staying with you always makes me happy," he said. Kushina nodded and led him up the stairs. She took him into their shared bed and rested him there. As Naruto laid down, she brushed a hand through his hair.
"You would have made a fantastic Hokage, Sochi," Kushina said as she caressed his cheek. Naruto frowned for a moment, but soon smiled as he caressed his mother's hand.
"I'd have made a worse one without you by my side," he said, making his mother blush before she slapped his shoulder. Honestly, not even Minato was that cheeky when they were living together. Still, that was one of the many things she'd learned to love about her son, her man, her soon-to-be spouse.
"Speaking of by your side, I think we have a little bit of time and we'd better keep up appearances to the rest of the Jashinists. You're not supposed to be in the village, so you'll have to stay here, but… perhaps now is the only downtime we'll have to discuss… our plans. I think we're making Yuri-chan suffer. So… would you like a traditional wedding or a more modern one?" Kushina asked while Naruto laughed.
"Hey, I'm the man here. I should be asking you that," he laughed in pain while Kushina kissed the top of his head. She slowly nodded.
"So, then start asking. I need something to distract me from this miserable situation the village is in," she said as she laid next to him.
Naruto chuckled and turned to her, wincing in pain a little bit. "So, Kaa-chan, which would you like, traditional or modern?" he asked. The mother of the blond stared into his eyes and grinned.
"Well, we sure aren't the traditional couple dattebane. I had a traditional one with Minato. With this one, I will devote my entire life to you. You and no other will I take for a spouse as long as we both shall live. Just make sure, I have a great place in your heart," she replied.
Naruto laughed. "You know, I think you've had a place even before I knew who you were. I swear I'll make you happy. No matter what happens, I'll always love you, cherish you, and make you never regret your choice," he said.
Kushina smiled and kissed her son. "I know you will. You're my son after all," she said.
Naruto firmly nodded and the two stayed in silence for a little while before Naruto felt Gari's spirit merge with his again. He inhaled and exhaled slowly before his eyes remained more focused. "And where do you want it to be?" he asked.
Kushina stared at her son, confused. "Well, I hear Suna has exotic places. Kumo's also known for its… unorthodox resorts. I bet even Mei-chan's got some recommendations," he said while Kushina slowly shook her head.
"You've… researched this quite a bit," she said before he nodded.
"Because you deserve the best I have to offer," he said and she leaned up with a sigh.
"I never had the chance to get married in my homeland. A place of my old life to begin my new one. I can't think of a better one. The island has wonderful catering and we have rituals there that we can only have on the island. Plus, we can have the reception either at the compound or back in the village itself. Personally, I wasn't much for big crowds. As long as we have friends, then I don't mind," she said.
Feeling better, Naruto leaned up and took off his clothes. Kushina bit her lip as she stared at her son while he slowly got dressed into some other clothes. Since he was back in the village, he'd take the time to continue his training with Gari. Preferably, he'd do so with Fujikaze and Kushina there to help him. "You should also think about who you want to invite. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll have too many differences in opinion when it comes to those. A lot of your friends are also my friends," she said.
He laughed as he grabbed his sword and walked out. She followed after him, grabbing her sword as well. The two left the compound, spotting Shizune and Ebisu working themselves hard along with the other hired workers. "How are they doing?" he asked as he watched the two interact.
Kushina shook her head. "I'm not sure honestly. I want to get them some help, but I'm not sure where to start. I've kept them busy just to keep their minds off it, but they will need to come to terms with what happened. Only then will they be able to move on and rebuild themselves back to who they used to be. This situation actually came at an inopportune time. I'd rather not send them to a Jashinist, no matter how small the possibility is," she replied as the two entered the Uzumaki Clan's private training area.
As expected, both saw Fujikaze sitting on the ground. The Hero of the Land of Iron sat beneath a tree with his sword at his side. Scattered around him were hundreds of leaves, their bodies split in two pieces. "Greetings, Naruto-sama. It's been some time since I last saw you. Your spirit has grown stronger since you last stood before me. However, I also notice some hesitance within you, much more than when you first summoned me. Is everything well with you?" he asked.
Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, they could be better. In fact, I need you and Kaa-chan for training to help me figure out where that hesitance is coming from. Besides, I haven't practiced myself in much sealing arts as of late. I'd rather not embarrass the clan if the patriarch isn't good at it," he said.
Fuijikaze smiled and stood to his feet. "I understand, Naruto-sama. May my blade raise yours to the very heavens themselves," the samurai said, grabbing his sword. Kushina grabbed her own and Naruto felt the ancient energies of divine power circulate through his body. He slowly exhaled and grinned, grabbing his blade as well. A burst of spiritual pressure radiated from his body.
-x-
Sasuke and Mikoto arrived home. The Uchiha heir helped his mother inside. "You know, Sasuke, just because I lost an eye doesn't mean I'm an invalid. That said, I'm glad you're still continuing to grow up to be quite the gentleman," Mikoto said while Sasuke opened the door.
"Had I been stronger, you wouldn't be like this," he said as they walked inside. He closed the door and Mikoto laughed as she took off her shoes.
"It comes with the profession, Sasuke. I've endured a lot of injuries and a lot of scars. I…"
"You don't have to keep telling me. I know," Sasuke said as he stepped inside. Mikoto watched her son leave the hallway, grabbing one of the doors and closing it. After a moment, she took note of his mood. Clearly, her son wasn't happy about something. She wondered if it was the situation with the village. Sasuke hadn't gotten much sleep since the revelation of the Jashinists. It was hard to act normal when the enemy could be literally anywhere.
For a few minutes, Mikoto returned to her room, sighing and staring out into the village. Well, the portion of it that she could see anyway. It was hard to go back to a somewhat normal life with this new knowledge. However, they all had to make the best of it. She changed her clothes and walked downstairs. She noticed her son sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in his hands. Her son's gaze didn't seem focused on it though. When Mikoto looked at him, she smiled. Her son looked so different from before. Rather surprised, she remembered the time back at the Daimyo's Palace.
She grabbed a seat and sat in front of Sasuke. "Sasuke, talk to me. What's the matter?" Mikoto asked as she stared at her son.
"Nothing," he replied.
"Sasuke, I'm your mother. I know you," she answered.
Sasuke snorted. "You haven't been my mother for almost nine years," he replied with a deep frown on his face.
While that statement did hurt, Mikoto inhaled and exhaled. "No, I suppose not. I'm way beyond the influential days when you could have needed me. I realize that, but you're still my son. That's never gonna change. It's a mother's duty to care for her son and guide him. Let me rack up the years now, providing you what guidance I can," she said.
Sasuke clenched his fists and exhaled. "I'm not strong enough," he finally said, pushing his cup away. Mikoto raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? You're my son. Of course you're strong," she said before she stiffened when he slammed his fist on the table.
"Not strong enough to protect you. Not only was I captured, but you lost one of your eyes because I couldn't move fast enough," he replied.
"Sasuke, I'm a kunoichi. I'm aware of our line of work and I'm aware that you did the best you could. There isn't…"
"When has my best ever been enough?!" he said as he stood up. The Uchiha heir walked around the table and grabbed his mother's shoulders. She widened her eyes when he tightened his grip.
"My best wasn't enough when Itachi killed you both. I couldn't get revenge for the clan. My best wasn't enough to surpass him in the Academy. My best wasn't enough to pass Kakashi's stupid bell test. My best wasn't enough to defeat Haku on my own. My best wasn't enough to protect Sakura and Naruto from Orochimaru. My best wasn't enough to beat Gaara. Somewhere in my head, I knew my best wasn't even enough to defeat Itachi on my own. What's going to happen when I'm not strong enough and Naruto can't bring us back?!" he asked.
"Then we'll all have to get stronger. It's not just you, Sasuke. Just like you want to, I did what I did so I could…" Mikoto suddenly grew worried when Sasuke clenched her shirt and dropped to his knees.
"Are you really going to make me see you die a second time?" Sasuke asked, staring at his mother. His question shook his mother to her core. While it wasn't in Sasuke to cry, at least in front of someone else, the pain on his face spoke volumes to her. On her shoulders, she felt his fingers tremble.
Sasuke shook his head. "You, Yuna, if I don't have you both, if I'm not strong enough…" he didn't finish. In fact, he couldn't finish. He just the what-if hang in the air for his mother to decipher however she wanted. Instead, Sasuke placed a hand on her cheek. Mikoto felt oddly silent, unaware that she hadn't even blinked yet. The resolve in her son's eyes made her breath go short.
Mikoto watched her son slowly stand to his feet, still speechless. "I dreamt of the many times I would speak to you like this, more often than I can count. Naruto, that dobe, gave me back the life I'd lost. Now, I'm gonna make sure no one else takes it away from me. While I still have mixed thoughts about this village, I'll protect the place you stay in," Sasuke said as grabbed his sword and walked out the door.
Mikoto watched her son leave and suddenly found herself able to breathe. She touched her chest and stilled. She could hear the drums wailing away.
Wait, where was he going?
-x-
Tsunade sighed, working through her reports. She finally put one of them down and sighed. She looked at the door to her office for what was maybe the fourth or fifth time today. Still no word from Kakashi, Ibiki, and Inoichi. It left her rather tense, especially since she didn't know who the hell she was supposed to be trusting. Luckily, as an expert kunoichi, she'd been used to maintaining a neutral gaze. Hell, her lengthy, if pathetic, gambling career played on that strength rather well.
That said, if there was one thing Tsunade missed, it was having someone to talk to in her office. She stared at the spot where Shizune would have stood had she still been an employed shinobi under Konoha. The blond Hokage felt very conflicted. She knew this job wasn't supposed to be easy. Difficult choices had to be made all the time for the betterment of the village. However, she was still human. She couldn't help wondering if maybe she'd made a lot of the wrong choices.
As a Hokage, she'd commend herself for the firm decision. She just couldn't play favorites. It would be a death of her as a leader, both political and militaristic. However, as a friend, she should have done something to help Shizune. When Tsunade was in a pitiful state, Shizune had bent over backwards to help her, especially with her more irresponsible tendencies.
Then, she effectively crushed Naruto's dream as Hokage. As a rule of the village, since its founding, a person banished from the nation couldn't become the Hokage. That was a document signed with the greatest effect of the Daimyo and the Hokage. It was instilled when her granduncle, Senju Tobirama, had become the Nidaime Hokage. This was enforced so to reduce the possibility of a corrupted spy making it into the office. Her granduncle would tell her that this was just one of the many dreams to be destroyed in the safety of the village, but… it was that dream that brought her back anyway. She saw the way Naruto looked at her. He was professional and calm, an excellent example of the Uzumaki Clan as its patriarch. Yet, she saw that he'd far from forgiven her. It would probably be a long time before they were on speaking terms like before. She just didn't know what she should do to repair their relationship. Everything seemed to be so complex lately.
Tsunade noticed she'd stopped her work and continued. She wondered if she should hire another assistant. She didn't much like this silence. She also had trouble sleeping recently. Turned out that finding out an entire cult of mass murderers didn't do well for sleep, especially when she couldn't tell if they were amongst those guarding her. She hoped she got an update soon.
Unfortunately, Tsunade wouldn't get her update for another four hours. That left her with going around the village: signing off on important buildings, making public appearances, sending shinobi to here and there for important missions. When she was finally allowed to return to her office, she was met with Jiraiya. She frowned and sighed. She didn't even feel like being hostile.
"When did you get back?" she asked.
"Probably ten minutes ago. I received your message and hurried back to the village as fast as I could. You look beat," he said. Tsunade rolled her shoulders and sighed. At times like this, Dan would have given her a massage, but that certainly wasn't happening. She also didn't have it in her to ask Naruto to revive her former lover. Even if he did, they belonged to two different worlds.
Tsunade grumbled. "Yeah well, knowing what I now know, I think I've got a right to feel beat. You got a problem with that?" she asked. Jiraiya held up his hands in defense and shook his head.
"Not at all. Shall I give you a shoulder massage? You can brief me on the specifics of this situation in the meantime," he said. Tsunade glared at her former teammate for a moment. Thoughts of Dan flooded her mind. Thoughts of Naruto came as well and the concept of death. She remembered when Dan and Nawaki hugged her. The former made it pretty clear that what they had would always remain, but life wasn't so simple that one could survive on what used to be.
The Hokage sighed. "I must be fucking stupid. Just my shoulders. If those hands go any lower, I'm not telling Naruto to revive you!" she exclaimed, which got a stunned expression from the male Sannin. He looked at her shocked.
"Huh? You're letting me do it?!" he asked, a little skeptical.
"I'm tired and drunk. Just do it before I realize how stupid I'm being," she said as her heels clacked across the floor. Jiraiya slowly watched her take and seat while she grabbed another stack. He blinked. He… was kinda out of his element right now.
As Jiraiya took stock of this situation, he knew Tsunade was lying. Ever since the time when she'd made that bet, she hadn't taken a sip of sake. It was definitely something he thought utterly impossible. She was completely aware of his actions. If she had been drunk, he wouldn't have taken advantage of the situation. At least, he wouldn't with her. He wasn't that much of a scumbag. He wondered if she'd been replaced by an alien, but she definitely seemed the same.
Tsunade stared at him and frowned. "If you're just gonna stare at me, then you can get out as well. I'll call you when I need you. We made plans anyway. I've got enough on my mind without…"
"Uh, right. Sorry," Jiraiya said before he moved behind Tsunade and touched her shoulders. He then proceeded with firmly rubbing her shoulders, making sure to not do anything that would make him regret this situation.
Tsunade sighed and stretched her neck. Jiraiya was a little clumsy, but she'd take what she could get. "So umm… what of the… problem?" he asked while Tsunade shook her head.
"I said I'd…"
She didn't get to finish before a knock on the door came. "Should I stop?" the white-haired man asked.
"Shut up and keep going," she said as she called for the door to be opened. Just as she hoped, Ibiki and Inoichi came through. The former was wiping his gloves. The two noticed the two Sannin, but didn't reply to the situation. It wasn't their business anyway. The two just nodded and Tsunade nodded as well. She moved Jiraiya off her shoulders and the four left.
Jiraiya was taken to the cabinet's facility. "How's it going?" Tsunade asked and Inoichi nodded.
"Well, unfortunately, this Jashinist seems to be a very minor warrior in the cult. However, we at least know how they receive their orders. We also saw that they tend to meet on the third, tenth, and twentieth of every month. This man was only a civilian so his role was just to mingle in the village. They work in groups of five. We'll have to send him back out soon before they find out he's missing. Kakashi has currently placed him in a genjutsu. We've already set up a suggestion for him. He'll be feeding us information and he's already given us the names of his team members. Once Naruto and Kushina have rested, we can get a hold of them as well," he said.
Tsunade frowned. "Are there any chances of Kakashi's genjutsu being spotted?" she asked.
"There is always a chance of it being broken, but we think it shouldn't be likely. I've removed his memory of this entire situation. Lady Tsunade, we'd appreciate it if you healed him. We have to make sure there's no signs of injury on him. We'll also believe it wouldn't be best to reconvene until the end of the week. It'll be risky, but we can't let them know that we meet on a regular basis. We can have Katsuyu-sama to bring us all together," he suggested.
As the four walked, Tsunade filled in Jiraiya on the situation at hand. The man's expression got more and more grave as the Hokage filled him in. The four entered the room where they saw Kakashi leaning against the wall with the prisoner. Said prisoner was tied up and unconscious. The four took note of the man's gruesome injuries. As expected, the smell of blood was prevalent.
Tsunade quickly got to work healing the man to the best of her abilities. Truly, Ibiki earned his reputation as the Head of Torture and Interrogation. Very efficient, if gritty work. "Where are the others?" Jiraiya asked.
Ibiki leaned on the table with Inoichi. "We dismissed the council members. Naruto-san and Kushina-san went home. Whatever they did to reach our target can't be done until tomorrow. Plus, I think we overtaxed Naruto with the spirits that he used. As for everyone else, there's not much for them to do so we sent them home. We have them walking around the village casually. We hope that the Jashinists, having been comfortable for so long, will give us some tells now that we're aware of them. Yugao's currently moving through the village under the guise of an extended break," he answered.
Jiraiya slowly nodded. "I see. Then I will join the search as well. I have a reason to be back in the village so they shouldn't suspect me if I show up. Besides, I'm better at detecting people than anyone here. I'll see what's going on in this village," he said.
Inoichi hummed. "Just make sure you keep your unscrupulous activities in check, Jiraiya-sama. You have a habit of getting distracted even in the most dire circumstances. Since you're here, I'll transfer all of the knowledge that we've learned thus far," the Head of the Yamanaka said as he touched the Sannin's forehead. Like a movie at the theater on fast forward, the information was pushed into Jiraiya's head.
Out of the corner of her eye, Tsunade watched the interaction out of the corner of her eye. Once the process was finished, Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "Hmmmm, they're a little better than I thought. The issue is, what are we going to do to those who can't withhold their lust for bloodshed? We can't very well just let them do what they please," he said.
Kakashi stepped forward. "No one's saying we should. However, it might be something we're beating over the bush with, but we have to tread carefully. As Yugao stated, they've been here for almost two decades, maybe even longer. They aren't stupid. More than likely, they must treat this like some kind of… cheat day. Say every five to six months, someone gets to participate in a kill of their choice. Of course, it can't be someone high profile either. It would draw too much attention. What we need to do is figure out what they're here for. We also need to make sure that they're not feeding information to the other nations," he replied.
"One thing at a time, Kakashi. For now, we'll see about setting up our own network in their organization. Jiraiya, you'll be the point of contact and those under us. I want us to nib this little infestation as quickly as possible!" she exclaimed.
Jiraiya grinned and nodded. "You can count on me, Hime. I see a busy couple of days ahead!" the man said before he walked out of the room. Meanwhile, Tsunade finished healing their target.
"How are we going to drop him off?" she asked.
Kakashi smiled. "Leave that to me, Hokage-sama!" The one-eyed Hinoken member said with a smile beneath his mask.
-x-
Kushina widened her eyes as she saw her son's blade mere inches from her neck. A bead of sweat fell down the side of her face. Even Fujikaze was a little surprised as both saw the clear fury in Naruto's eyes. His hands trembled and the spirit of rage was met in his eyes. Slowly, Kushina caressed her son's cheek and the maddening anger inside him was soon quelled.
Naruto dropped to his knees and panted as his white hair slowly returned to normal. His body was covered in slashes and cuts. Kushina and Fujikaze sheathed their blades as the former surveyed the battlefield. Innumerable trees had been toppled over, the ground overturned by vicious slashes and curved earth.
Finally, Kushina sighed. "Alright, I think that's enough. Clearly, this isn't working," she said as she rubbed her neck. She saw just a little bit of blood on the tips of her fingers. Had Gari not retaken control from the evil spirit that possessed her son, her head would have been taken clean off. It was… rather chilling, the rage and the inferno that just screamed for death, destruction and chaos. She never thought she'd see such anger in the eyes of her son.
Chiriku, who'd been watching per Kushina's instructions, narrowed his eyes. There was something they were missing. Something within Naruto wasn't at peace with itself. However, it became aware to him that this wasn't something conscious. It was something buried deep in his heart that none of them were aware of.
However, no one was more aware of this than Naruto himself. He remembered swinging his sword as he staved off the assault from his mother and the Hero of Iron. He remembered the joy on his face as he and Gari slowly continued to meld further and further. It felt just like the last time when he'd picked up a sword.
However, it wasn't long for Gari's voice to slowly get further and further away. There seemed to be something frantic, but soon Naruto was filled with great power. When he swung his sword, he saw the fear in Fujikaze's face. He saw the shock in his mother's face when one slash of his blade felled an entire acre of trees. His mind thought of what he could do with this power. His mind thought of the grief he'd been forced to endure all his life because he wasn't strong enough. No one would dare throw away his dreams again. Everyone would kneel or fall into their own ruin. Why stop at Hokage? Why keep such a meager title?
With him at the helm, the Uzumaki Clan would rise to the greatest prominence. No, the whole world would. All this fighting, all this suffering, all of this neglect from stupid principles, different ideologies, and never ending wars for petty reasons, all of them would stop if he was at the head of it all.
King? No.
Emperor? No.
God? Yes, the god of the Elemental Nations. With this power, I will use you to RULE THE NATIONS THEMSELVES!
Soon, Naruto's swings weren't his own. He swung, but he didn't remember doing it. He laughed, but he didn't remember what was funny. It was like his body wasn't his own. He was swimming through a sea of darkness and rage that was his own confusion. All the while a powerful, dark entity attached itself to him, exerting its will over him, feeding off the anger within him that he couldn't find.
As Naruto sat there in the torn battlefield, his mother came to him. She grabbed his cheeks and held him in front of her. "Sochi, it's okay. We'll find out what's wrong with you. Tell you what, let's just relax for today. No training and no sessions. We're under enough stress with the threat of the Jashinists as it is. Here I am burdening you with too much. When was the last time you had a proper break?" she asked.
Naruto didn't answer his mother. Instead, he focused on that scar on her neck. He'd almost killed his mother. He would have had no one to blame but himself. "Kaa-chan, you and Fujikaze-san go back to the house. I'll… I need to be alone," Naruto said.
Kushina opened her lips, but she saw the tremble in her son's arms. Slowly, she held her head down. "Alright, Sochi. Just be careful. We'll beat this, whatever it is. I left you alone before. I won't make the same mistake this time," she said, her heart broken from the sight of her normally confident son. Yet, she wasn't sure what to do. Chiriku's lessons seemed to be working, but they weren't quick.
If only something like this had been addressed when he was a young man, then they could have spent two years working with him. Hell, it'd only been two or three days since their talk with the Shinigami. However, it seemed like this problem had showcased itself ever since Naruto first gained the contract. No, perhaps this problem had been with him ever since he'd been a young boy. Unfortunately, they all seemed to be bumbling through the dark without much help. Kushina stood up, kissing her son on his forehead. She left and so did Fujikaze. The latter bowed and Naruto was left alone in the field.
Heh, left alone. Yeah, maybe that was the best for someone like the blond. Maybe he was better off alone. Naruto stood up and grabbed his sword. "What am I even doing?" he asked as he sheathed his blade. Despite how tired he was, he didn't feel any huffing in his breath. The sun was hot on his face and there was no wind in the air. There was nothing to bring him relief like usual.
For a time, Naruto disappeared into the trees. He walked quietly through them. He touched some of the branches and barks. His feet touched the grass and he watched the sun peer through the openings in the leaves. He exhaled, his breath oddly easy. He looked down. He stared at the contract on his hand. After a moment, he clenched his skin and dropped to his knees. He clawed at the summoning circle so hard that the blood on his hand started to flow.
"What do I do?! I swore to protect Kaa-chan and the others of my family, but how can I protect them if I'm the problem?! I don't know what's wrong with me! KUSO!" Naruto shouted as he balled his fist and slammed it into the ground. He screamed over and over. Rage and frustration filled his mind. He grabbed his head and leaned it on one of the trees.
"Shin… help me," Naruto said lowly as the young man felt the weight of his own expectations coming down upon him.
Suddenly, the air around the blond became cold. It almost seemed like the very air itself had been chilled by the hand of Death itself. When he turned around, he saw the piercing gaze of the Shinigami hovering over him, filled with divine power. His white robe continued to brim with the power of the souls of those within his domain.
"Uzumaki Naruto…" The God of Death said as Naruto turned to him and wiped his face.
"What do I do, Shin? Please tell me what to do! Kaa-chan, and everyone else is struggling to help me and not of it seems to be working! Why can't you just tell me what's wrong with me? If you tell me, then I'll be able to fix it! As it is, I don't see why you gave me this contract! I'm not worth it!" he exclaimed.
Shin stared at his summoner, his eyes growing darker and darker. In fact, Naruto felt so small beneath them. What could he do to hide from the gaze of a god? In fact, he felt like his problems were so insignificant, something not worth Shin's time. Hell, a lot of this reminded the Uzumaki patriarch of his childhood. He was reminded of his life as an insignificance, when everyone thought less of him, when he had to try so hard to appear happy just so he could get from one day to the next.
"As I have observed of you mortals for many years, the journey of self-discovery and self-reflection has taken most of your lives, and some of you will never find it. I have high hopes for you. As I had commented when we first met formally, you interest me greatly. I would not provide a contract with someone I felt unworthy of it. If I am to tell you of your affliction, then you won't learn anything. Though you have begun your transformation, you are still bound by your human thoughts, chained to them in ways that make you easily susceptible. Perhaps it was that susceptibility of you that reminded me of how my brother used to be at times. However, I hear your suffering and your prayers, as well as the prayers of your priestess, continue to reach my ears," the Shinigami said as Naruto calmly listened to the god of Death.
The god of Death, before his summoner's eyes, returned to his more human-like appearance. His pupil-less eyes reflected Naruto's curiosity within them. The Shinigami sat with Naruto. The blond noticed that the longer the god of Death sat in the grass, the faster life around them both seemed to fade away. Naruto quickly remembered that this was a god, a divine being. This was one beyond the thought processes of mortal men, the highest order of any concept of reality itself. Strange that even for his simplicity, even Naruto became aware of that great fact. Hell, he felt like his worries slowly seemed to meld away into a sense of understanding the longer he was honored to stare upon the man, especially one as timeless as Death itself.
"Worry not, Uzumaki Naruto. Your answers will be brought to you very soon. Whether you accept them shall be upon you. That acceptance shall be whether you continue as my summoner or become a vessel for the maliciousness that connects the vile spirits to you. You told me that if you knew your problem, then you'd be able to take care of it. I have been alive since time immemorial and I have seen the very best and the very worst of not just humanity, but of every type of mortal being beyond the stars of your world. When you think of peace, its concept is very simple, is it not? Yet, why has no one been able to figure it out? Find the answer of yourself and perhaps you will find the answer to not just that question, but the questions that will make me see the very limits of not just your existence, but the existence of this world you reside in," he said before he faded away, leaving the young summoner alone.
Naruto glanced left and right. He opened and then closed his eyes, staring at the spot his boss summon had just sat. His words resonated in Naruto's ears. Peace? Yeah, that seemed to be something so easy, but not clearly not so easy to achieve. Truth be told, Naruto had never thought about it that much. "...Come to think of it, when I first got this contract I thought about all the good I might be able to do with it. I thought that maybe I'd reverse all the misfortune one to those when they are nothing but the pawns of others. I just wanted people to be happy. I… wanted to be happy. Still, when I thought of the Hokage, maybe the others were right. I can't save everyone and I can't fix everything. Baa-chan, Jiji, how many people did they send to their deaths because they had to make the hard choices, the choices that I probably couldn't because I just wanted everyone to be happy. I wanted to be Hokage so that everyone would respect me, acknowledge me, believe I was worth something. Now… what am I worth?," he asked as he fell back and sighed. He closed his eyes as the wind blew on his face. The breeze felt good.
-x-
Kushina sat at her family's dinner table, a cup of water in her hands. At the sink was a drip of the faucet. One drop after the other fell, but Kushina never thought much about it. She didn't even move to turn it off. She'd been too far gone in her own thoughts to worry about it. She seemed content to just stare at her cup in silence.
Aside from the faucet, the matriarch of the Uzumaki clan never knew just how silent her compound had become with no one else around. Well, perhaps she shouldn't say no one. She absently heard the clan's hired workers way off in the background. No doubt Ebisu and Shizune were working hard. However, aside from that, the silence seemed so prevalent in this place that was her home. When she'd come to Konoha, Kushina never thought her life would become like this, sitting around in a house big enough for twenty to thirty people.
She certainly never imagined she'd be in an intimate relationship with her own son. Of course, she'd had no regrets. However, sometimes she wondered… was she better off dead still? She didn't remember much when her life passed away after telling Hiruzen Naruto's name. Once she closed her eyes, they were open again in front of her son. When she'd learned what he did to resurrect her, she couldn't say she approved, but… she could understand. Even now, maybe some part of the reason she fell in love with her son was the guilt of not being able to fill him with enough love that a mother should.
Kushina clenched her cup. Now, her son was suffering and as a mother she was powerless to stop it. As his lover, she was powerless to comfort him. What was even the point of her being alive? She'd only been a mother for nearly two or three years, most of those around the age when Naruto would grow out of needing a parental figure anyway. Still, in her heart, she knew that he did it because he wanted her in his life. He probably didn't want it like this, but it was how they turned out and she still loved it. Her son was a guiding force of strength in her life, one that burned even more than Minato. She wouldn't deny that. While he didn't quite have his father's brain, he had his spirit and her tenacity in droves. That was one of his most attractive features, she was helpless before it, especially with his reckless pursuit of her as a woman.
"Some future spouse I am dattebane. Maybe I'm just unlucky," Kushina thought to herself with a sad smile.
"Kushina-san?"
The matriarch of the Uzumaki Clan lifted up her head and she saw her other blond relative, Shi, standing in front of her. "Ah, Shi. When did you get back?" she asked, taking notice of his jonin uniform.
"I called out to you, but I suppose you didn't hear me. I've been hard at work trying to relay messages between Kumo and Konoha. I'm grateful that the Hokage has allowed me this position since it gives me a chance to still be among the people who used to raise me, even if I'm with my real family right now. I've got a report on the trade agreements between Kumo and Konoha that I'll need to write and submit to Lady Tsunade. What's wrong? You seem… upset," he said, grabbing a chair and sitting with Kushina.
The redhead smiled and tapped her fingers on her cup. "It's nothing. I'm just here, alone with my thoughts," she said with a smile that didn't quite make Shi believe her. The former Kumo nin frowned and leaned forward.
"So what did my cousin, Naruto, do?" he asked.
Kushina raised an eyebrow and laughed. "What makes you think my problems are with my son?" she asked, grabbing a piece of her hair without much concern.
Shi looked at her unconvincingly, yet with humor. "You might not know it, but there's a light in your eyes whenever you're talking to or about Naruto. Even Tayuya's got it sometimes, though she tries to kick the ass of anyone who brings it up. You also play with your hair whenever it's something bad concerning him," the second blond of the family said with a smile on his face.
Kushina stiffened when she noticed her hand on her hair. She quickly let it go and sighed. "S-Shut up dattebane!" she replied with a blush on her face while Shi laughed. He then watched her grumble to herself before she slid her cup to the side.
"I don't know what to do, Shi. I don't know how to explain it either, but… there's something dark, evil buried in my son's body, or his mind I should say. It's attracting a lot of powerful, vengeful spirits to him. The reason for his banishment was because one of them managed to possess him. Luckily, you guys were able to hold him off long enough for the possession to stop and we've spent the last few days trying to find the source of his… darkness so to speak. I thought it might be best if we set him up with some training in the meditative ways of the monks in the area. It has produced some minimal results, but clearly this is a matter much graver than we thought. When Sochi and I were training with Fujikaze-san, Naruto… almost killed me," she said.
Shi widened his eyes while Kushina quickly held up her hand. "Again, it wasn't his fault. It's why I set up a barrier to keep the village from knowing. If Tsunade knew he'd lost control again, there's no way she'd allow him to stay in the village. I firmly believe we'd find the answer given enough years of patience, but these spirits aren't going to wait for those years. It seems like they're getting stronger and more violent. I'm afraid that one day he'll be overtaken and there'll be no way for him to break free. As his mother, I'm concerned for his future. Tsunade's already taken his dream away from him, I don't want anything else to take something else from him as well," she replied.
Shi remained silent as Kushina spoke. He felt for his cousins and exhaled slowly. It was true that he'd seen the ravages that Naruto inflicted upon their family when no one but Yuri had been capable of stopping him. Shi had seen many traitorous shinobi and a lot of those who defected, whether for personal or public reasons. However, he'd never seen the eyes of a traitor in Naruto. Though Shi hadn't held a high opinion of Konoha before learning about his Uzumaki heritage, he'd come to see that just like Kumo, the people of Konoha were just trying to live their lives like anyone else. He'd been moved by his cousin's fortitude and the great will that he had. No one had a greater sense for family than him, especially when Shi learned of his orphan status.
It was because of Naruto that Shi and Komachi had patched up their relationship despite the tragedy that it started from. The former had done all he could in repairing whatever damage he'd done to the latter while under Kumo custody. Perhaps one wouldn't call them close, but they tried to be as family dictated, speaking warmly to each other and engaging in civil conversation. Clearly, Naruto had done a lot to help all of them. Now, it was their turn to help him.
…and Shi knew how to do it. The only problem was… he wasn't sure if Kumo would allow it. "Kushin-san, before I speak, let me preface this by saying that you shouldn't get your hopes up. What I'm about to tell you isn't something that should be known to anyone outside of Kumo. I… I'm only telling you this because Kumo and Konoha have a debt to Naruto, as do all of us. There might be something, or some place that can help you," he said.
Kushina widened her eyes, but she saw Shi hold up a hand. She quickly eased her excitement when she saw the seriousness on the former Kumo nin's face. She nodded and Shi clenched his hands together. "It was a place where Bee-sama learned to control the immense power of the Hachibi. It could also help Naruto with this problem that you've been having. I suppose this is good since, if he does run out of control, it could mean something disastrous for not just Konoha nor Kumo, but all of the Elemental Nations," he said to her.
Kushina narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "...and what would Kumo want out of this?" she asked. Judging by this conversation, this wasn't something they could get away with just by being 'allies.' Clearly, if the Uzumaki clan, or Konoha, desired this from Kumo, then they'd be in the right to demand something of the two parties.
As much as Kushina had learned to… forgive Kumo for her kidnapping, she wasn't so convinced of their goals. It was Kumo that had a hand in causing the death of Neji's father, their lust for the byakugan quite apparent. If they did have conditions for whatever Shi presented her with, then it'd be something major, especially if people learned that the Uzumaki and Hyuuga had become bloodsworn clansmen.
"What you're going to tell me, or what you're offering, what are the chances that Kumo will ask for something from the Hyuuga clan?" the redhead asked.
Shi leaned back and sighed. "Well, I won't lie to you. It's not a small possibility, but we can guess what they'll want until the sun goes down. We won't know until I go and ask them. Despite his short temper, Raikage-sama isn't someone you can't work with. He can be accommodating. Just know that for what I'm saying, understand that it's a very coveted Kumogakure secret. If you'd like, I'll take the journey tonight. If Naruto could teleport me, at least to the outskirts of the village, then that'd be best. Can you spare him?" Shi asked.
Kushina sighed. "Unfortunately no. Konoha is… dealing with something major right now and he needs to be in the village at a moment's notice, especially with his abilities and mine. I'll… speak with Hiashi about the possibility. However, if he declines, then I won't force the issue," she answered.
Shi nodded and leaned back. "Right. That's understandable, but if it's for my cousin, I'll try and make the conditions as favorable for both as possible," he replied honestly.
Kushina sighed, nodding again. Well, that was possibly as good as they were ever going to get. That had improved her mood and she'd inform her son of this when he felt willing to speak to her. "And this place?" Kushina asked.
"Well, 'place' is probably the wrong word. His name is Genbu. He's a turtle so large that a natural ecosystem has spawned on his shell. Even I don't know where he resides, but Raikage-sama and Kirabi-sama should know. I don't exactly know what's there, but it helped Bee-sama endure the rage of the Hachibi. It could help Naruto-san with his problem as well," he answered back.
Kushina hummed and nodded. "Alright. Give it a try. At this point, I'll take anything," she said.
Shi nodded and stood up. "I'll get there as fast as possible," he said before he left her, walking towards his side of the compound to get to his room. Kushina watched him go and stared back at her cup. She drank from it and threw it into the sink. The redhead then stretched and walked out of the compound. She made her way towards the Hyuuga Clan.
Thankfully, the journey wasn't long. She found herself speaking with the guards, not even needing to ask for an audience. They opened the doors for her and she stepped through the compound, watching young Hyuuga train with their elders or others working to begin their next missions. In time, she came up to Hiashi's office. Upon making sure that he was alone, she knocked on the sliding door and pulled it to the side.
When she stepped inside, she saw him sitting… or kneeling at his table with a load of scrolls that needed signing. She also noticed that he wasn't alone, Hinako was within him as well. The bump on her stomach was notably much bigger. Kushina's smile widened before the two took notice of her.
"Ara, Kushina-san! A wonderful visit we've been given today. We were a little surprised when you hastily told us to retrieve the allies we hoped to send to help Naruto-kun. Are you sure he'll be alright?' she asked.
"Worry not. He's my son. In fact, he's closer than we might think. I can't thank you both for the help that you've given. We'll be sure to pay back for your good faith dattebane!" Kushina said.
Hiashi slowly exhaled tiredly and placed down his ink brush. "There is no need for such concerns between our clans. We didn't do it for something to gain. We heard of what happened to Naruto and thought it'd be best that he not deal with his isolation alone. Members of the Hyuuga clan were more than pleased to accommodate," the leader of the Hyuuga clan replied.
"As I can tell. Then consider this as us not doing something for the gain, but as sworn brothers and sisters. However, I wish I was only here for a social visit. Do you both have a moment to talk?" she asked.
Hiashi and Hinako glanced at each other. Both quickly nodded and moved their conversation to a more private setting. One of the maids of the manor poured all three of them some refreshments, leaving them soon after. "What seems to be your concern? Please, speak freely. You need not hide anything from us. My wife and I will listen to you with honesty and integrity," the head of the Hyuuga clan said.
Kushina slowly inhaled and exhaled. "Right. Well, something tells me this is gonna be a long talk, but I'll thank you and apologize in advance. I… want to talk with you both about Kumo."
KG: Now before I'm crucified on a fucking stake, even IF I make the deal with Kumo go that way, it won't be Hinata. I just know someone's gonna rage at me for it or site me as some Naruhodo-tard. I have a plan in mind! So CHILL!
KG: I'd chill if I had a cream soda. I don't think I can scream it if I don't have one. That'd just be me screaming in front of you with no soda, wouldn't it? I'd just be a crazy fanfic author, and not a cream soda-crazed fanfic author. You know, I also think I might have an addiction to the stuff. That's definitely not healthy. However, my eyes also continue to look at the computer screen and that's probably not healthy either. Maybe I need a diet plan... bye.