It had been five days.
As expected, the news spread like wildfire. The Tsuchikage was most definitely responsible, there was no doubt about it. How the small man managed to get any rumours to start flowing within a village not his own, all the while being heavily guarded and watched, was anyone's guess. Sadly, once it started, there was no stopping it. Whether that was due to a lack of effort in denying it on the Hokage's part, or a willingness to believe what they heard on the general population's part, the end result stayed the same.
Naruto's identity as the son of the fourth Hokage was now public knowledge to any who were willing to believe it.
Not many had… at first. Whispers had begun quickly following Naruto wherever he went, followed by strange stares of confusion, then looks of shock. Eventually, the population became split down the middle, with those who now looked at Naruto like the son of a Kage, and those who had quickly reverted to looking at him with disgust. Naruto honestly preferred it before the word got out. Before, people only looked at him with a fear of what he contained, a hatred for what he represented, or disgust at having to live alongside him. Now it was different. Now they looked at him with disgust and shame originating from their own ideals of what a Kage's son should be, of what their precious lord fourth's son should be like. Clearly, Naruto wasn't living up to the image they had. Not that he cared.
Thankfully, this revelation hadn't resulted in too many people thinking it was now safe to approach him. Naruto didn't need or want the attention right now. Outside of a few especially ballsy individuals, he had been left alone. This had been a blessing for the past week, as his continued sessions with Roshi were leaving him with more than enough frustration to deal with on his own.
"You're not relaxing," Roshi chided.
Naruto huffed. He opened his eyes and glared at the man. They were sitting in the middle of a training ground, one that they had been graciously permitted to have all to themselves. Naruto had figured today would be another day of nothing but fighting and learning new ways of getting his ass handed to him by a senior, but no, all of a sudden Roshi wanted to meditate… presumably. "Can you blame me?" he asked. "You just want me to let my guard down so you can attack me and claim it as a lesson."
Roshi laughed. "Not a bad idea. Might use that later," he said. "Not now though. I actually do want you to meditate."
"Why?"
"Calming the mind is the first step to getting a proper connection with your bijuu," he explained. "They are pent up buggers, and their chakra amplifies any emotion it can get its slimy tails on. For obvious reasons, negative emotions work best 'cause they are the strongest usually. Keeping yourself calm neutralises the risk of the bijuu's chakra getting out of control easily. Though I suspect you already had a decent idea of this."
Naruto crossed his arms. "I'm not an idiot."
Roshi waved him off. "Debatable. Now get back to it. You can keep talking if you need, but I wanna see some effort in calming your mind."
His eyes closed once more, and Naruto returned to doing what he did best… ignoring the world. Too bad the world couldn't ignore him.
"What are you two doing?"
The two jinchuuriki turned to glare at the interruption.
Kurotsuchi pretended to be unbothered by the sudden attention. "Well?"
"Training," Roshi offered bluntly. "Feel free to join in. Girl like you could benefit from learning to stay calm."
The girl flipped him off and turned her attention to Naruto. "Lord Tsuchikage would like to invite you to a meal," she said formally.
Naruto sighed. He had spent the better part of the last few days avoiding Kurotsuchi. Not for any particular reason, but more so because he knew being around her would only lead to trouble. Temari didn't trust the girl, and Naruto was inclined to agree. The Tsuchikage was an old, clever, and conniving man, and Kurotsuchi was his greatest pawn in this little game. The last thing Naruto wanted was to get caught up in some plot to cause scandal, or somehow get roped into an even more complicated mess than he already was. As such, he had managed to avoid her up until now, something only possible due to her unwillingness to enter the training ground while he and Roshi were fighting. This was the only time that entering the training ground didn't prove dangerous, so that was probably why she chose now to show up.
"And if I refuse?" he asked.
Kurotsuchi pouted. "I'd be disappointed."
Roshi gave a full belly laugh, falling back onto the grass and rolling around. "Oh, that's a good one. Please tell me your grandfather didn't set you up to that crap." He sat back up, wiping a tear from his eye and ignoring Kurotsuchi's pointed glare. "Learn to read people, little Kuro. Fox boy ain't gonna notice or care about any moves you try to pull. Like a dog barking up a tree that isn't even there."
Naruto didn't react. He had been prepared for whatever course of action the Tsuchikage's granddaughter chose to take with him. This first approach had been surprising, but it wouldn't be the last. He did have to wonder if being so transparent was an angle all its own. A way to sabotage her own mission without appearing as so perhaps. He could only hope. "Is that all?" he asked.
Kurotsuchi shrugged, unaffected by his lack of reaction. "More or less."
"Then leave." He didn't mean for the words to be so cold, yet he didn't care to apologise for it. The way Kurotsuchi left with a smirk on her face said she didn't take much offense anyway. Naruto knew he would have to put up with the girl more at some point, for the sake of village relations and all that. Right now, however, he wanted to use his time for one purpose and one purpose only. He turned back to Roshi. "Continue."
Roshi grinned. "Good attitude. Now, while you clear your mind, I'm gonna rattle some crap off to you. You good with that?" Naruto resumed his meditative position and closed his eyes. "Right, first and foremost, good job. I was sure you'd crack at some point over the past few days. Not many brats can take getting beaten to a pulp every day for nearly a week without losing their cool, a jinchuuriki especially. You didn't, not once, so I'd say you're off to a good start with everything. Might be 'cause you're stubborn, or it might be 'cause your seal is extra fancy."
A combination of both most likely, but Naruto would keep that thought to himself.
"Anywho… emotions are a double-edged blade for a jinchuuriki," Roshi continued. "On the one hand, a strong emotion can channel the bijuu's chakra much easier, allowing for you to harness incredible power in a pinch, and on the other hand, those same emotions can overwhelm you, leading to who knows what kind of disaster. Usually death, of a lot of people if not ourselves. It's for this exact reason that most villages are careful to isolate their jinchuuriki and submit them to some pretty drastic training to keep them a veritable blank slate. Nasty business really."
"Not Iwa?" Naruto asked. Of all the villages, from what history Konoha taught, he would have assumed Iwa to be the first to keep their prized weapons on a tight leash. Seeing Roshi, with the way he acted, that assumption was clearly wrong.
The man shrugged. "I mean, I'm sure it crossed their minds when they put the thing inside me, but Onoki took so long making up his mind that it became a moot point. By the time they started to worry, I was already a pretty successful shinobi, and it wasn't like I was going to let them try it on Han. Does help that Iwa prides itself on loyalty. Even when me and Han left the village to do our own thing, no one ever worried that we would turn on them for any reason."
"Must have been nice."
Roshi ignored him. "Back to my point. Emotions are a big deal for us, so learning to control them is important. And I do mean control, not suppressing them like an idiot and exploding at the drop of a pin. From what I understand, that seems to be your current schtick. Best we beat that bad habit out of you before it causes some real harm."
He was right, as much as it pained Naruto to agree. Still, knowing something was detrimental and knowing how to remedy it were two different things. Naruto already knew his emotions, or rather his suppression of them, was a problem. That didn't mean it was an easy fix. "Any suggestions?"
Roshi hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "You just need a way to vent, to destress and whatnot. There are a few options. A creative outlet, therapy, maybe try make some friends." He smiled mischievously. "Of course, you have the best method available to you already."
Naruto had a sudden urge to stab Roshi. "And that is?"
"Well… you do have a wife."
"No."
"Pfft, prude."
"Pervert."
"You'll figure it out soon enough. You're still young," Roshi said with an amused laugh. "Now. Care to tell me how long you've been talking to the fox?"
Naruto tensed.
"Don't worry. This is just between us," Roshi assured him.
"I don't… remember," Naruto said. "He's always been there. For as long as I can remember."
That wasn't entirely true. Naruto could remember exactly when he had started talking to the fox. Their first proper meeting had been a rather memorable day. It was true, however, that the Kyuubi had always been there. His grumbling whispers in the back of Naruto's mind, even as a child, were ever present. He just hadn't known who the whispers belonged to until he was around six or so. It was only from that point on that Naruto actively talked to the fox.
Roshi seemed unbothered by that answer. "Do you get along with it?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Mind if I meet with him?" Roshi asked. "You can meet Son Goku while we're at it too. Be like a little family reunion." Naruto gave him a sceptical look and Roshi brushed it off. "Take off your shirt and show me your seal. Let's see how tight that thing is locked down."
Such a request should have sent off alarm bells in Naruto. Instead, he was immediately intrigued. For his whole life, his seal had been something out of reach to him. It was an impossible thing that neither he nor the Kyuubi could wrap their heads around. It was also the reason he had to deal with Jiraiya. The way the insufferable pervert could tamper with the seal on a whim, cutting off his connection to the Kyuubi without Naruto's say so; it was an aspect of control he desperately wanted in his life. Sure, Roshi might have been playing the long game to get a chance at releasing the fox in the middle of Konoha, but if there was even a chance that he could teach Naruto enough to no longer be at the mercy of Jiraiya…
His shirt was off quickly, chakra channelling into his stomach until the seal flared to life. Roshi inspected it silently for a time, keeping his distance and stroking his chin.
"I see…"
"What?" Naruto asked.
Roshi stared at him blankly. "I have no idea what I'm looking at." He laughed as Naruto's face fell. "Don't fret. It's a seal, brat. They are all the same. Some are just… really fancy." He glanced back at Naruto's seal and frowned. "Really, really fancy."
With a purposeful caution, Roshi reached out slowly towards Naruto's seal. Naruto fought back the desire to flinch away from the man's hand. It wasn't that he didn't trust Roshi, which he still didn't for obvious reasons, but it was the fact that he didn't trust anyone, especially with his seal. People having any access to it had only ever led to bad things for him. The Hokage, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, all of them had used it against him. Then again, none of them were like him, so maybe Roshi would be different.
His worries were quickly forgotten as Roshi's hand stopped just shy of touching his skin, another, larger hand clasped firmly around his wrist like a vice. He and Roshi looked up at the newcomer, finding themselves caught in a large shadow that Naruto knew too well.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Jiraiya demanded, pulling Roshi up by his wrist until his feet were off the ground. Jiraiya was a large man to begin with, so compared to Roshi's admittedly shorter stature, it made for a comical scene.
Roshi was completely unphased. "Just having a peak at the fourth's handywork," he said. "No need to get worked up over it. Not like I could even touch a seal that complex. But you knew that already, didn't you, toad?"
Jiraiya glared. "Naruto. Go home. I will talk to you later." His tone left no room for argument.
Naruto aimed his own glare, only to be waved off by Roshi. "Go on, kid. Take a break for the rest of the day. We can pick this up tomorrow." Jiraiya snorted at the idea and Roshi flashed Naruto a grin with a thumbs up. "I'll be fine. He won't do anything too stupid."
Naruto glanced around, noticing that the Anbu that were always following Roshi had made themselves known now, waiting just at the edge of the training ground. Whatever was going on, it was clearly too big of a headache for Naruto to want any part of. Jiraiya didn't wait for Naruto to leave, disappearing with Roshi in a swirl of leaves. Suddenly, Naruto had the majority of the day to what he wanted, and no idea what that could be. Whether it had been apparent to him before now or not, he had been enjoying the routine with Roshi. Not having to come up with his own training idea's for once was rather nice.
With no better ideas coming to mind, Naruto did the unthinkable… he went looking for his team. A smarter part of him might have argued that dealing with his team was more trouble than it was worth. Between Kakashi's aloof friendliness and useless approach to training, and Sasuke's perpetual stick up his own ass, there simply wasn't any good reason to spend unneeded time around them. Sakura was tolerable, especially now days since she had started taking her training more seriously. Still, the girl was always uneasy around him, and couldn't provide much other than encyclopaedic knowledge on… well, almost anything actually. Naruto hadn't known a question he had asked of her that wasn't immediately answered to an acceptable degree, within reason of course. She didn't actually know everything.
Despite his reservations, he soldiered on towards the training ground that he knew his team favoured. When he said team, he really meant Kakashi and Sakura. Sasuke always preferred training alone within the bounds of his clan's estate. Naruto couldn't blame the Uchiha for that one. If he had a big empty clan estate to hide in, he would make the most of it as well. Speaking of, it might be a good idea to pester the Hokage about whatever his parents may have left him, if anything at all.
When he finally arrived, Naruto wasn't shocked to find the training ground empty and quiet. He was about to turn tail and give up and go home when he stopped mid step and sniffed the air curiously. "Hello, Sakura."
The air behind him shimmered and twisted as Sakura bled into existence with a pout on her face. "How did you know I was here?" she asked.
Naruto tapped his nose. "You forgot to hide your scent."
Sakura deflated and hung her head. "Oh."
Such a miserable sight. "A normal ninja wouldn't have noticed you," he said, though he wasn't sure as to why. It wasn't his job to compliment her efforts. "Where's Kakashi?"
His comment seemed to do the trick as Sakura piped back up a little. "Thanks… I guess. And Kakashi got called away to a meeting not long ago. I don't know if he will be back today. Did you need him for something?"
Naruto shook his head. "It's fine. Sasuke?"
Sakura sighed deeply.
"Didn't show up?" Naruto asked.
"Hasn't shown up all week."
Odd, but not out of the ordinary. Naruto took a deep breath and buried his hands in his pockets. This really had been a waste of time. Oh well, at least he could say he made an appearance. He didn't turn to leave straight away, and Sakura didn't seem to know what to do or say in the moment, leaving both of them locked in a strange awkward silence.
"Did you… want the training ground?" Sakura asked. "I can leave."
"No. You can stay. I don't know what I'm doing here," he said, shrugging. He had hoped one of the others would be here so he could get at least one sparring session in. It was all they were good for. Naruto stared at Sakura, ignoring how she tried to shrink under his gaze. "What are you doing today?"
"Oh, umm, stealth training," she said sheepishly.
Naruto frowned. Sakura was weak, by shinobi standards anyway, but she wasn't normally this timid, even around him. It was one of the only things he respected about her. Even after wave, or the chunin exams, she never gave into whatever fear she held for him. In a way, she was rather brave. Now though, she was disturbingly cautious. He hadn't hurt her somehow on the last mission, had he? Or maybe it had something to do with… fuck.
"Don't."
Sakura blinked. "Don't what?"
"Don't treat me like that," Naruto said, perhaps a little too heatedly. Sakura took a step back. "Stop."
"I'm not doing any-"
"You're acting different around me," he snapped. "Why? What changed?"
Sakura pursed her lips and stared at Naruto like he had grown a second head. "You're the fourth Hokage's son," she said, as if that explained everything.
Unfortunately, it did.
Naruto sneered and spun on his heels, leaving a very confused Sakura in his wake. He needed to find Kurotsuchi. The Tsuchikage wanted to have a word with him? Good. Naruto needed to have a word with the loud-mouthed little man too.
{I}
"Not bad." Kurotsuchi craned her neck and shaded her eyes with her hand as she continued to peruse, unbothered by her company. "Not bad at all."
Temari's eye twitched. "Are you right?"
The Iwa Kunoichi smirked, gesturing to Naruto and Temari's home casually. "Quite," she answered curtly. "Just… sussing the place out."
Yeah, like that hadn't been obvious. The question was for what purpose. Temari could think of a few, but two stood out like a sore thumb. First, scoping the place for entry points and making a mental map for an assassination attempt, and second, getting a feel for the home the pompous little princess thought she could worm her way into. Neither was happening on Temari's watch. No way in hell.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" Temari asked. She certainly had better things to do than keeping an eye on a nosey Iwa harlot. Actually, it was lucky she had been home when Kurotsuchi showed up unannounced. The last thing Temari wanted was to be caught off guard. On the plus side, at least this more or less confirmed her suspicions a little. Iwa was definitely up to something sketchy, and Naruto was at the centre of it. She sighed to herself. Why couldn't I have been married to a normal loser that didn't draw attention to himself? Her thoughts drifted to a particularly boring boy, and she shuddered. Yeah, no. Naruto wasn't so bad, baggage included.
Kurotsuchi smiled. "I do, but he's a little preoccupied at the moment."
Temari wanted to gag. "Do you hear yourself?" It was disgusting. Although, Temari supposed she shouldn't judge too much. If it were entirely up to the Suna council, this is exactly how she would be expected to act towards Naruto. Anything in the name of success. Kurotsuchi must have had no shame.
"Oh please. Don't talk to me as if you were any different. Just because you sealed the deal quickly and can drop the act doesn't mean you're above such things," Kurotsuchi said. "We are kunoichi. Surely you understand what that means. Nothing is beneath us. Well… except for whoever our target is, if it comes to that." She winked knowingly at Temari and laughed when the girl flipped her off. "How was it, if you don't mind my asking? He's got the stamina, so I imagine you were not left unsatisfied."
"Are all people from Iwa so crass?"
"Only the smart ones."
Temari snorted. "You don't honestly think your tactics will work, do you?"
"Not really, no."
Of course she didn't. Temari rolled her eyes. All just part of the act. She could forgive Kurotsuchi for that much. Making sure you looked the part to those giving the orders was often times better than actually succeeding in the mission. Failure could be explained, but disobedience was a sin all its own. Temari couldn't actually hate Kurotsuchi for trying to do what was expected of her, but still, did she have to put the act on this hard? No one else was here, so it wasn't as if she had to keep it up for anyone's sake but her own.
Temari shook her head. She didn't have time to entertain this. She went inside, leaving the front door open just in case a certain someone wanted to follow. It wasn't as if Temari could stop her from snooping inside. Kurotsuchi would just wait until no one was home to do whatever she wanted. Returning to what she was doing before being interrupted, Temari sat down in the middle of the loungeroom. Her battle fan was open in front of her, spread wide across the floor with a small box sitting off to her side. It was nothing special, just a few oils, a couple of brushes, some inks of various colours.
In Suna, a battle fan was a symbol as much as a weapon. They were not handed out to just anyone, and those built in Suna for its shinobi were crafted with immense care and consideration for the wielder. That being said, the nature of being a shinobi weapon meant that they were prone to damage or being lost in battle. As such, Suna opted to stockpile high quality blanks. A shinobi could still custom order something, or purchase one of an even higher grade, but that was usually reserved for those who wanted to show off. Temari, like many fan wielders, was content with the quality of the blanks. The fact that Kankuro had gotten this one for did make it special though.
She picked up a brush from the small box, dipped it into a pot of ink, and went back to painting. Personalising a fan was common, hence the kit she had at the ready. Of course, everyone had their own style and creative ideas, so eventually each shinobi ended up with their own bits and pieces added along the way. Temari herself had developed a proclivity towards purple, as had been the case with her old fan. Three purple moons evenly spaced across the material of the fan. Simple, yet elegant. Now, however, she was allowing herself to get a little… liberal with her design.
"Bit on the nose, don't you think?" Kurotsuchi asked, standing over Temari's shoulder to inspect her work.
Temari ignored the jab. "Sort of the point," she said, carefully adding the final touches to the design before packing her inks and oils away. She could ask her summons to imbue some Fuinjutsu into her design at a later date, once everything had set and dried. She stood and turned a smug grin to Kurotsuchi. "I do have an image to uphold, after all."
Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes. "Don't we all. Some more than others," she said, glancing Temari up and down judgementally. "I'll give you credit. Snatching up Uzumaki before his identity became known. Pretty crafty. How did you manage it? Did Suna have some inside information? No wonder you jumped straight after the chunin exams. Would be hard to compete once the other villages started offering better candidates."
Oh. So that was the way she wanted to play? Okay, fair game then. "Yes, well, I figured that the son of a Kage deserved the daughter of one too," Temari said, words oozing with smugness. Kurotsuchi didn't need to know that Suna hadn't known Naruto would be the one offered for the marriage, or that Naruto was the son of the fourth Hokage. Right now, Iwa thought Suna had gotten one over them, and that was exactly how it was going to stay. "You know, instead of just the granddaughter of one. Did lord Tsuchikage give you this oh-so-honourable mission because of your value, or was it because he couldn't find a better use for you?" Temari did her best to put on the fakest smile she could manage. This was fun.
"Tough talk from a floozy," Kurotsuchi quipped. "And don't try and lord the Kage crap over me. Your dad is dead, so you've got even less sway than me right now."
Temari's smile didn't falter. "So is the fourth Hokage, and yet here you are, desperately scrounging for the man's scraps like the pathetic vultures you are. Not that I expected anything more from Iwa. Have all of your brains finally turned into actual rocks by now? That would explain a lot."
Kurotsuchi's eye twitched. "Scraps? Is that what you think of your dear husband?"
"Naruto doesn't care what I think of him," Temari said. "He doesn't care what anyone thinks of him."
That was honestly one of the more refreshing things about Naruto. Far too many shinobi, especially young ones, were too caught up in appearances. Things like the chunin exams didn't exactly help that side of things. Naruto, however, had proven he didn't care about any of that at all. Actually, from the way he fought, Temari had to wonder if attending the chunin exams was something Naruto wanted to do in the first place. Probably not. She could ask him about that later. Wait…
Kurotsuchi was smirking. What did she have to be so happy about?
"Is that true, Uzumaki?"
Temari followed the girl's curious stare and narrowed her eyes at Naruto. He was just standing there in the doorway, silently watching the two of them. Not creepy at all. "How long have you been standing there?"
Naruto frowned. "Too long." His gaze shifted to Kurotsuchi. "I need to talk to your grandfather."
The way the girl perked up at his words was too much for Temari. "Glad to hear it," Kurotsuchi said. "Follow me then." She made for the door but stopped when Naruto shook his head.
"Later. I'll find you. Just make sure he knows I'm coming," Naruto said. "Now get out."
Temari did a double take at him. Sure, Naruto wasn't exactly polite to most people, but he seemed to have a good grasp of who he could be outright disrespectful to. For whatever reason, Kurotsuchi was copping it the worst out of anyone Temari had seen. In the back of her mind, she hoped that Naruto would take it easier on the Tsuchikage or else another war could happen. That would suck.
Kurotsuchi left without complaint, bowing slightly to Naruto and flashing a grin at Temari that made her want to punch the girl repeatedly. It wasn't until after a few moments of tense silence, during which Naruto glared in the direction Kurotsuchi had left, that he let out a frustrated sigh and turned to Temari with a much more neutral expression. He didn't seem to notice how much this relieved her, as the idea of becoming the next target of his anger wasn't on Temari's to-do list for the day.
"She is annoying," he said bluntly.
Temari grinned. "You can say that again. Though I feel like we have different reasons for thinking so. What's yours? Don't like pretty girls throwing themselves at you like that?" She almost laughed out loud at the expression Naruto shot her. A glorious mix between horrified, disgusted, and insulted. Where was a camera when you needed one?
Naruto was quick to recompose himself. "No, I don't like it. And it's a lie. She wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't who I am… if my father wasn't…" He took a breath. "She's just trying to help her grandfather use me to his own gains. I've dealt with the type before. She'll give up soon enough. Until then, she will just continue to be annoying."
"You didn't seem to mind when I threw myself at you."
He stared at her blankly. "You attacked me."
Temari shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"
"I was going to kill you."
"Flirting at its finest."
Instead of playing into her game, Naruto rolled his eyes and turned to leave, only to pause and look down. Temari blushed slightly as she realised what had caught his attention. Her fan was still there, lying open for anyone to see. She wasn't ashamed of the new design, or embarrassed. There had been the slight hope that Naruto would see it and simply ignore it, but now that she saw it clearly interested him, it made things a little more real.
"I'm just trying some stuff out. Seeing what feels… right. Orange is your favourite colour, isn't it?" she asked. Did he even have a favourite colour, or was there a different reason for his choice in clothes?
He kept staring, not answering her. Maybe Kurotsuchi had been right; it was too on the nose, especially for someone like Naruto. Oh well, that's what she got for letting her creativity get the better of her. The design wasn't anything fancy. It was still much like her old deign, with three purple moons spready out across the span of it, only now those three moons had a bright orange spiral over the top, giving the appearance of both colours mixing together equally. The meaning behind it was clear enough to her, and that's what really mattered. If Naruto disliked it, however, then that would dampen things a little. Temari had hoped, perhaps a little childishly, that Naruto would appreciate her commitment and lack of shame in their bond.
She sighed quietly to herself. Maybe that had been a tad too hopeful of-
"It is," Naruto said suddenly, eyes still fixated on the weapon. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Needs more orange."
He was gone before Temari could fully process his words. Once she did though, she couldn't help but grin. So, the cheeky bastard thought he had jokes, huh? Temari turned to her fan with renewed vigour. More orange? Did he even know who he was challenging right now? She would show him orange. Her eyes flickered over to her ink and oil kit, and she grimaced.
Once she bought some extra ink, then Naruto would eat his words.
{I}
Hiruzen coughed heavily into his handkerchief. The once white square of soft fabric had long since been stained a sickly colour from his own blood. He had refused the replacements, seeing them only as a futile distraction from the inevitable. He had already stained enough of the world with his mistakes, just as the blood of too many to remember stained his hands. It wouldn't do to keep ruining things in his final days.
"It's progressing faster," Tsunade said softly, removing her hand from his chest. "At this rate, you'll be lucky to see the end of the year."
He smiled. "More than I deserve." Morbid, but true. There were few who knew the true gravity of his decisions that wouldn't agree. "You know, after all these years, I always assumed death would still find a way to scare me. Now that it's looming so close, I can't help but feel… relieved."
Tsunade groaned. "I'm a medic, not a psychologist. You want to get things off your chest, call someone else, 'cause I'm not hearing it."
"Of course. Wouldn't be polite of me to burden you with all the ghosts of my past. The less you know, the less likely you'll be to repeat my mistakes."
"That's not how that works," Tsunade said, frowning deeply at him.
Hiruzen smiled. "Perhaps not. But you of all people know the truth. I'm far from a good man, Tsunade. Good men don't live this long, not in this world." Another wheezing cough. He was becoming accustomed to the taste of his own blood. "Some of my ghosts will come back to haunt Konoha. Some have already begun. You will need to be ready."
She scoffed. "Yeah, because being ready always helped," she said. "I'm not worried about your ghosts. I'm not you. I'll deal with them all the same. What does worry me is your plans. The ones that are still in motion."
"You're worried about Iwa?"
Tsunade nodded. "Mostly them, also Suna. What the hell were you thinking, marrying off Namikaze's brat like that? You had to know it would stir trouble when his identity got out."
He hummed to himself. "Just the scheming of a regretful old man. Truth be told, I wasn't thinking much about the political side of things. Securing the alliance with Suna was just a very convenient afterthought." He fished his pipe from his robes, rolling his eyes at Tsunade's disappointed glare. What could she say? 'That isn't good for your health'. Hah, as if that mattered anymore. Hiruzen took an experimental puff, thankful to not be thrown into another coughing fit. "Naruto needs someone, whether he wants to admit it or not. It may not have been the smartest decision, but I stand by it. Temari is proving to be rather interesting, all things considered."
"And they say I'm the one with the gambling problem," Tsunade said. "You're just lucky that girl has a good head on her shoulders. I can only imagine how bad things could have gotten if you caged him in with anyone else."
"Yes. She is quite strong willed. I think Naruto appreciates the challenge."
Hiruzen laughed. A gamble was an understatement. Maybe his looming death was affecting his decision making. Thankfully, it had worked out surprisingly well. Better than even he could have hoped. Temari had exceeded every possible expectation anyone had of her, and she showed no signs of slowing down. Naruto was still a long way off being normal, if such a thing was even possible anymore. Hiruzen could see small improvements though. Small, barely noticeable improvements, but improvements, nonetheless. The fact that Naruto hadn't put anyone in the hospital since the whole arrangement came into play was all the proof he needed. Well, no one but himself.
That reminded him, he needed to check in and make sure Roshi wasn't up to anything. Neither his nor Danzo's Anbu had reported back anything strange, so there was no need to worry too much about it. The sad reality of politics was that you couldn't act pre-emptively on a hunch. Only when the Tsuchikage actually did something could they respond, anything else could incite war.
The door flew open.
Ah, right on cue.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" Jiraiya yelled, storming into the office in such a huff that his eyes didn't even do their usual flicker across Tsunade's chest. It must have been serious then.
"You're a few years too late for that," Tsunade said.
Hiruzen sighed. "So glad to see my dear students think so highly of me."
"Iwa? Are you serious?" Jiraiya asked heatedly. "When I got your message, I came back as fast as I could, but this…"
Yes, it was a bit much. Even Danzo was still worked up about it. The clan heads were on a level of high-strung that Hiruzen hadn't seen since the war. It was all rather entertaining, in a not so pleasant way. Hiruzen was sure that everyone's scepticism was justified. For Onoki himself to come all this way, the man had to be up to something more than ousting Naruto's identity to the world. An alliance, sure, that was one reason, obviously, but there had to be more. No Kage was single-minded in that regard. Onoki had several birds to take down, and likely more than one stone to throw at them. The granddaughter was an interesting touch at least. Hiruzen could honestly say that had come as a surprise to everyone. Unless the girl was acting that way of her own volition. Doubtful.
"They have done nothing wrong yet. There is nothing to worry about. All members of the envoy are being shadowed at all times."
Jiraiya frowned. "And why did I catch their jinchuuriki attempting to mess with Naruto's seal?"
Any pleasant atmosphere that remained in the room vanished. Hiruzen's eyes hardened and he leaned forward to rest his chin on his hands. "Go on."
"I stopped him before he could do anything and sent Naruto home. Roshi claims he was only looking to see what was going on with the seal, but I'm not trusting his word," Jiraiya explained.
Tsunade took a step forward. "Did he say anything else?"
Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose. "He said the seal was too tight, that he couldn't train the kid if Naruto couldn't access more of the Kyuubi's chakra. Told me to loosen it." He snorted loudly as if insulted by the idea. "I leave the village for a couple of weeks, and everything falls apart. One of you needs to bring me up to speed, and quick."
"Onoki wants an alliance. Akatsuki managed to take one of their jinchuuriki, and sent Roshi running at the same time," Tsunade explained. "Somehow, they thought we had taken the Ichibi from Suna after the failed invasion. Not sure where they got that idea. Either way, they are here now, and they aren't budging. Roshi wants to train Naruto, and I suspect Onoki wants to try and undo Naruto's marriage to Temari and put his own granddaughter in her place."
Jiraiya glared at Hiruzen, and the old man chuckled. "No, I didn't tell them. Onoki figured it out all on his own. There were observers during the chunin exams. To be fair, the truth was going to have to come out soon anyway. Others were asking questions, especially after you taught him the rasengan," Hiruzen said, enjoying the minor victory as Jiraiya looked away abashed. "We knew this day was coming. Better sooner than later. At least this way it has presented us with a few interesting opportunities."
"You are seriously considering allying with Iwa? After everything that has happened. You know they can't be trusted. Even now they are only here to save their own skin and try get something out of us at the same time." Jiraiya crossed his arms and shook his head. "It could all be a lie to get close. Have you bothered to check into their story?"
"No need," Danzo said, appearing beside them as if he had been there the whole time. "My sources have all reported back to me. The Tsuchikage's story holds up. Iwa has in fact lost a jinchuuriki. We would be fools not to take precautions with our own, regardless of whether an alliance with Iwa can be obtained or not."
Hiruzen nodded. That much would be taken seriously. Naruto's safety, both as a jinchuuriki, and now as the son of the fourth, was under direct threat. Once news spread far enough, there would be many seeking him out for both purposes. There was no way of knowing what tricks this Akatsuki would employ to earn their prize, who they could twist into doing their dirty work for them. The other villages would also be eager. Not even the population of Konoha could truly be trusted. Far worse had been done by those promised the world to betray their village, and who knew what others would offer to obtain Naruto.
They would have to be prepared for any and all threats, both internal and external.
"There is one other matter to attend to," Danzo said, earning everyone's attention. "During the mission to escort the Tsuchikage, team seven were tailed by another team originating from Otogakure. Orochimaru's doing. Their target was the Uchiha, with the intention of persuading him to leave Konoha to serve under the snake. They said they would return for his answer in five days." He smirked. "I have been watching the boy closely. He is readying to leave as we speak."
"And you're only bringing this up now?" Tsunade yelled.
Danzo didn't flinch. "Iwa was the more urgent matter at the time. Losing a lone Uchiha meant nothing if a new war was on the horizon. Now that I can confidently say war is unlikely, we can focus on smaller issues."
Hiruzen shook his head with a smile. 'Well played, old friend' he thought. Leave it do Danzo to find a way to use Sasuke to his own advantage right under everyone's nose. That cunning was exactly why the man was still so valuable to Konoha. "You have suggestions on how to handle it then?"
"Of course," Danzo started, bowing slightly. Not that anyone present was dumb enough to mistake it for sincerity. "We have three options, as far as I see it. Firstly, we can let the boy leave, leading us straight to Orochimaru. An opportunity to end that particular thorn in our side. Secondly, we kill him now and stop Orochimaru's schemes in their tracks while also ridding ourselves of a clearly disloyal shinobi. And thirdly, we can do nothing. With any luck, the prospect of a healthy bloodline like the Sharingan being loose in the world will draw some attention away from us and the jinchuuriki, if only for a time."
"Any other suggestions?" Hiruzen asked, turning to his two students.
Jiraiya remained tight lipped, but Tsunade looked a little torn. "Are we sure it's entirely fair to say the boy is disloyal just because he wants to leave? I left. Should I have expected the same?"
"Your loyalty was never in doubt. Only your stability and efficiency as a shinobi." Only Danzo could make such a statement sound like a casual comment.
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Tsunade drawled. "Back to the point. We need to do something. I for one am not in favour of using a child as a distraction just to take some heat off our backs."
"I'm with Tsunade. Letting him run off won't help nearly enough to counter just how bad things could get," Jiraiya said. "If Orochimaru can take over his body, master the Sharingan, or even just make a loyal puppet out of him, it'll be dangerous for more than just Konoha."
"Agreed." Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully, taking a few more puffs from his pipe. What an interesting predicament to be in. "Danzo, keep your men tailing Sasuke. Instruct them not to interfere until they are beyond the village border. I don't want anyone else caught up in this mess. Keep it quiet. Should young Sasuke go with them willingly, then he will be taken into custody and tried for desertion."
Danzo nodded. "And what of the team sent to collect him?"
Hiruzen waved at him dismissively. "Dead or captured. Their fate is your decision, so long as there are no loose ends."
"By your will." And like that, Danzo was gone; slipping away just as seamlessly as he had arrived.
His students looked at him strangely. "You're giving him a lot of freedom. You sure that's a good idea?" Jiraiya asked.
"You are both too old to still see the world in black and white," Hiruzen chided. "Danzo serves this village loyally, in ways you must both learn to understand. Once I am gone, he will continue to serve, and you will both find use of him. I know this, Danzo knows this, so you'd best come to terms with it yourself."
Tsunade scowled. "And if I choose not to?"
He smiled at her. "Then you will shoulder the entire weight of this position alone. As strong as you are, Tsunade, I fear not even you are capable of that. Few are, and fewer are able to realise it before it is too late." That had been the case for him. As much as his dear sensei, Tobirama, had tried to dissuade him from the position, Hiruzen had always dreamed of being able to change things for the better. It had only been after he had taken the hat that reality set in. Being forced to make unthinkable decisions for the greater good had a tendency to make monsters out of even the best-intentioned men.
If not for Danzo, Hiruzen wasn't sure what kind of Kage he would have turned out to be. His old friend had lightened the load for decades now and would likely continue to do so for years to come. That was just the sort of man he was. Of course, Danzo still had many skeletons in his own closet. Anyone their age did. No one was perfect or without lapses in judgement. His students would learn to accept his old rival in time.
He stood from his chair and tucked his pipe back away. "We can continue this later. Once we know how things pan out, then we can make a more informed decision." One issue at a time. Onoki seemed happy enough to wait anyway. "If you'll excuse me."
"And where are you off to?" Tsunade asked.
Hiruzen waved to them as he left. "To apologise to a certain young lady who is about to be caught up in more than she bargained for."
{I}
It was meant to just be training. That's how it had all started, and Sakura wished it had stayed as that. Her logic was simple; if she could sneak into the Uchiha compound and tail Sasuke, then she could gauge her skill based off how long it took for her to be found out. Sasuke always seemed to have a sixth sense for when people were watching him, and combined with the Sharingan, that made for a difficult person to fool with something as simple as a camouflage jutsu.
That had been the idea anyway. Nothing at all to do with trying to find a way to follow her crush without getting caught.
Now, however, as she peeked over the crest of a rooftop at her target, Sakura could only hope that Sasuke never noticed her at all. She had known something was wrong with the way Sasuke kept looking over his shoulder, always checking his surrounding before doing anything. Then there were his movements. Routine and practiced as he ventured from empty house to empty house in a clear pattern, though for what purpose she couldn't figure out from this distance. Initially, Sakura was able to brush it off as a standard inspection of the compound. Trespassers weren't unheard of in Konoha, and the Uchiha district was known for being empty. Sasuke must have been staying alert to such things.
That assumption changed when Sasuke got to his own house. He entered and exited so quick; a pack slung over his shoulders as he simply walked away. Sakura tried to think of reasons for his actions. An impromptu training trip. A surprise mission she hadn't heard about yet. Maybe he was going for a sleepover somewhere. Even she began to realise how stupid it all sounded. Eventually, the only real possibility made itself known to her.
Sasuke was leaving.
She considered running off to find someone, to report her concerns to someone who could do something. She hadn't. Instead, Sakura continued to follow him, silently praying that he would change his mind at the last moment. He didn't. Sakura almost couldn't believe it as she watched her own teammate march out of the village without so much as a glance back. What was she supposed to do? What could she do? Should she have tried to stop him? Too many questions, and not nearly enough time to consider them all.
What Sakura did know, was that if she went and told someone what she saw, Sasuke would be labelled a deserter, a traitor. There would be no coming back from that. Sasuke would have known that too. Was leaving so important to him? Was his revenge all that mattered? Sakura was rooted to the spot for a while longer than she was proud to admit. Her jutsu slipped away, and with it went her hesitation. She broke out into a sprint. Who could she turn to with this? Kakashi? The Hokage? No. They would just do what was best for Konoha. The Sharingan couldn't be allowed to fall into enemy hands. Even if Kakashi was far more inclined to side with her, at the end of the day he was a loyal shinobi before anything else.
Sakura cursed as she ran towards the one place she really didn't want to go. Of all the people she could turn to right now, there was only one that Sakura knew could help her. Ino would come to her aid in a heartbeat, as would many of her other old classmates. But Sakura wasn't the one that needed help. She needed to pick someone who could get through to Sasuke, and there was only one person whom Sasuke regarded with anything other than dismissal or annoyance. Whether or not that was a good thing would have to be seen.
Now… where did Naruto live again?
{I}
"Hop in."
From the way Sasuke stared at the barrel, Sakon knew the boy was full of doubt. Understandably so. When Orochimaru had asked the same of him, he too had been sceptical. Every member of the sound four had had similar reactions. Still, time was of the essence, and Sasuke's continued disruptions were… testing.
"Tik-Tok, shithead. We don't have all day."
Sakon shook his head. "Language Tayuya," he chided. Not that he minded too much. Tayuya was expendable, and therefor Sasuke's opinion of her mattered little. He, however, had higher expectations aimed at him. "She is correct, I'm afraid. Time is very important, both to us right now, and to our master. You've come this far, so why hesitate?" They needed to leave soon. This clearing wasn't what he would call the best place to rest. Still far too close to Konoha for his liking, but they needed to get things moving with Sasuke's curse seal. If they showed up without Sasuke's body being ready for Orochimaru, well, he'd rather not think about that.
Sasuke grunted but complied quick enough. He crawled into the barrel and Jirobo fitted the lid. All was coming together nicely. Now they needed only avoid any potential scouts or hunting parties sent out for the boy. Should be easy enough since Sasuke hadn't been… followed.
Sakon's smile fell immediately as his attention was caught by a flash of pink. Well, wasn't that just perfect. Not entirely unexpected though. Sasuke had potential, but he wasn't flawless. That's why Orochimaru had sent them all to collect the Uchiha. Retaliation was unavoidable, and so precautions had been taken to ensure success. That being said, Sakon wondered just what kind of retaliation this was supposed to be.
"Can we help you?" he asked, words soft and pleasant, even if his smile promised anything but.
The girl continued to stare them down, not even a weapon in hand. Such foolishness. Still, she was a pretty little thing. Pink hair, green eyes, soft skin. Was this girl supposed to be a shinobi? Konoha truly was scraping the bottom of the barrel to fill out their numbers these days. No wonder Orochimaru had left, and no wonder Sasuke wished to follow.
"Give him back," Sakura demanded.
"Oh? But we didn't take anyone? Everyone here is here of their own free will," Sakon said. "Of course, you are a shinobi of a hidden village. I suppose it only makes sense that you would wish to take away someone's free will for your own gain. Forgive us if we do not allow that."
Sakura glared, a rather striking image with the colour of her eyes. "This is not the same."
Sakon shrugged. "Each to their own. All that matters is that we have a mission to complete, and dear Sasuke has made his decision. You alone cannot do anything to change what is happening here." With the slightest gesture, Sakon commanded his team to action. Jirobo hoisted the barrel onto his back, while Tayuya and Kidomaru took position on either side of him. "We had hoped to finish this without bloodshed-" Tayuya snorted. "-well, most of us. You should have stayed home, little girl."
Sakon grinned viciously. Sakura didn't so much as flinch. Such a shame to kill something so pretty. He would have preferred to take her back with them as well. The team needed a plaything, or some live target practice in their free time. But that would only slow them down. The mission came first, and that meant this girl needed to die. He flicked his hand flippantly in her direction, uncaring of how the matter was dealt with or who did the honours. Kidomaru was the first to move, so eager to have fun. Sakon had considered the problem solved, until he saw Tayuya's eyes widen.
"Wait you idiot!"
Kidomaru didn't hear Tayuya in time. He was behind the girl in an instant, two hands grabbing each of her wrists, two more wrapping around her waist, while a fifth clasped itself tightly over her mouth as his final hand brought a kunai to her throat. The blade sunk deep, tearing open her throat in one clean motion. Blood gushed from the wound, running down her front and over Kidomaru's arms. That was where his satisfied grin vanished. The blood felt… wrong?
Sakura fizzled out of existence, leaving a surprised Kidomaru holding nothing but air. He cursed. "Genjutsu. Really?" He looked at Tayuya. "Couldn't have picked that up earlier? Where the hell is she?"
The ground beneath him opened up, and in a blur of orange and red a kunai slashed up and into his thigh. Kidomaru threw himself back, blood pouring from his wound, and there was no question as to if it was real this time. They all stared as the newcomer climbed out of the ground, blood already staining his bright blonde hair as he glared at them. The pink haired girl shimmered into existence next to him and Sakon clicked his tongue. He glanced at Kidomaru, the boy already tying something around the wound on his leg. None of them were medics, so he'd be dead soon enough, or become dead weight for the team unless he drew upon the second stage curse seal. Being this close to the village, such an act would be like lighting a flare. Fuck. One of them was as good as done and they had barely gotten anywhere.
"We weren't asking," the blonde said. "Give him back, and I might let you leave alive."
Sakon frowned. He knew this boy. Orochimaru had definitely mentioned someone fitting his description before. "You must be the Uzumaki," he probed, smirking as the girl blinked in surprise. "And that makes you Sakura Haruno. Oh yes, lord Orochimaru told us all about you two. To see both of you come to your teammates aid. How touching."
This was bad. Not in the 'oh no, we're gonna die' kind of way, but more in the 'oh great, this complicates things' kind of way. Depending on how annoying these two wanted to be, it could spell death for him and the team. Well, maybe not death, but something that would make them wish for a fate as simple as death. Sakon sighed. Failure was not an option. Thankfully, there was only two of them, and they were still only genin. They may not have been allowed to kill the Uzumaki, but the girl was fair game. Or maybe they would just kill both and blame it on a freak accident. Orochimaru couldn't care that much about the jinchuuriki… right?
{I}
Naruto hadn't known what to think when Sakura of all people had tracked him down. How she had accomplished that was still a question burning in the back of his mind. Nevertheless, he had entertained her and followed along, trying to make sense of her panicked ramblings. He had put the pieces together rather quickly. From there, things were simple; catch up to Sasuke, figure out what he was doing, and stop him if they had to. Normally, Naruto wouldn't care either way what anyone else did, but a chance to piss the Uchiha off was a rare opportunity.
That was before the reality became obvious. Sasuke leaving on his own was one thing, having a team come to collect him on the other hand, that was different. Naruto still didn't care. Not really. He could have turned around and walked away like nothing had happened. But then he'd be leaving Sakura to die, and if he was being honest, he would rather not have to deal with the consequences of her death. Sakura was mostly useless, but she was smart, and a quick learner. There was no guarantee that her replacement would be as understandable or tolerable as Sakura had become. Naruto didn't want to teach some random loser the rules all over again, which meant he had to stick around. At the very least he could keep Sakura alive.
"What should we do?" Sakura asked.
Naruto breathed deep. He had no idea. No one was moving yet, all of them stuck in this strange little standoff. There was probably more going on here than either he or Sakura were aware. Sasuke making a run for it was only part of the equation. He hummed and glanced at the forest around them. There were others close by. Anbu? Maybe. Or it could be more shinobi sent by Orochimaru to ensure a successful extraction. There was no way Sasuke wasn't being watched ever since Orochimaru had marked him in the chunin exams, so why wasn't anyone else stepping in to stop him from leaving the village? A good question to ask the old man. Right now, Naruto had to focus on the real reason he was so eager to stick around.
Before him stood servants of Orochimaru. Four shinobi that the snake Sannin had trusted to have the strength and skill to fulfill this mission. That was enough proof for Naruto. The six-armed one had fallen for their little trap, though that could have been a fluke. Of the four of them, one had to be strong. Strong enough to complete the mission and strong enough to be a challenge. Naruto grinned as the fox's chakra bled into him slowly. The way the four shinobi didn't even flinch at the presence made him a little giddy. He had almost forgotten the importance of testing himself against strong opponents. Training with Roshi was all good and well, but it was meaningless if he couldn't figure out if it was helping him improve.
The chunin exams had been good, if a little disappointing. Gaara had proven a little better. But since then, he had only run afoul of opponents so far above him that there was no contest. Naruto was sick of not knowing where he stood. He wasn't allowed to fight others in the village. Not in any way that mattered. Most were too busy keeping their distance anyway. These ones though… they neither feared him, nor were they protected by the Hokage's orders. In fact, killing them would be seen as a good thing.
This would be a perfect chance to put himself to the test.
Sakura was already taking a step back when Naruto's eyes turned red. Smart. 'Time to see where I stand.'
The Kyuubi chuckled within him. "Show me."
"Sakura…"
His teammate looked at him unsurely and he flashed her a grin that didn't do anything to put her at ease.
"… go."
A/N:
Sorry that this chapter is a bit of a bore. Had some conversations I wanted to get out of the way and have some fun with Temari and Kurotsuchi. I feel like Iwa's meddling will be just the push our dear Temari needs to show some more affection. I hope the fan decorating part wasn't too lame. The idea of Temari making efforts to flaunt her connection to Naruto was just too cute to pass up, especially now that his parentage is known. Speaking of the identity thing, most fics make it to be a much bigger deal than I think it would be, so I apologise if it feels a little lackluster in this chapter.
Finally getting to the Sasuke retrieval part as well. Several have complained that Naruto is still too weak, and I thought it was obvious that I had only been pairing him to fight people he had no chance against. The sound four should be a bit of fun for him, and as for Sasuke... I'll have to see how I'm feeling when I get to it.
This chapter came together surprisingly quick, but I can't promise the next chapter will be released quite as quickly. Reviews have continued to be amazing. Thank you all for your continued support.
Hope you all enjoyed.
Till next time,
Soul out.