Author's Notes: I know, I've been MIA for a few months (and even longer for some of the other stories) and I apologize. While I wish I could say it's been completely all work related and other important responsibilities that have kept me from returning to this project, in truth, I hit a bit of a rough patch and felt unmotivated to write much of anything.

Partially due to my muse/inspiration bouncing around like crazy from project to project, but admittedly getting distracted with various video games that have been on my radar for a long while. Ranging from Final Fantasy VII Remake/Intergrade, Marvel's Spider-Man, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core Reunion, Persona 5 Royal Edition, and Hogwarts Legacy, all of which have birthed additional plot bunnies I have kept locked up in a cage. Not to mention I got caught up in a Dragon Age franchise binge. And of course I am still addicted to the Legend of Heroes games, which that has a massive plot bunny all on it's own ready to burst from it's cage.

Now fortunately, I haven't been just sitting around and doing nothing in regards to this story and others. I just hope all of it was worth the long wait.

Side Note – Yes, this author's note is the same for each of my updated stories in this mass update.

Additional Side Note: I had intended for this update to be part of a mass update of all of my works. But with a hurricane heading my way, I had figured I would at least get this one out to let everyone know that I am still alive and active and working to update all of my active works, as well as a little look into what has kept me away.

So, hopefully everyone enjoyed this chapter!

Review Corner

Hixaf – This was explained in another response, but it is still Naruto's choice of who he wants to be with. Juri simply will not show those she deems as 'weaker' the same respect. She wants women that will look death in the eye and laugh in it's face.

For your second question, most of Konoha as a whole is neutral or begrudgingly accepting. Only few idiots actively try to hinder Naruto. These being Jiraiya, Iruka, and of course Kakashi. The latter of the three I have hinted at his intentions while being selfish, are not malicious in intent.

As for Kushina, for this story it will be strictly mother/son relationship. No Uzumakicest for this one, sorry.

N7 Greek-Valkyrie – So far, only Juri, Anko, and Ino are confirmed. I do plan to add Tsunami as well as Shelob (human form) as well; Kushina however will remain as a mother figure for Naruto and help him train.

As for Jiraiya, Kakashi, Danzo, and Iruka; they will get what is coming to them in brutal fashion.

ZeonSilt – Sorry for the delay, as mentioned above I was a little distracted and uninspired for a period, but I am back now. And honestly, it feels like the only clan that mattered to Kishimoto was the Uchiha. While sure, the Senju get some notable members, all the others are pretty much cast aside.

Fortunately, that is what fanfiction is for!

Oxy27 – I can say that Ino and Temari will not be slaves.

It was hinted a few chapters back that Ino actually has a crush on Naruto and her entire fangirl act over Sasuke was a mask she wore to hide her true skills. As for Temari, I am working the invasion angle a bit differently with Juri being present.

As for the confirmed Street Fighter girls, yes, Chun Li is in, as well as Cammy. Which, I have an entire subplot sort of planned out for her regarding her origin. Maya (Crimson Viper) is up for debate, but can be easily added.

ClanV – In canon, Kushina has violet eyes.

Jiraiya is a favorite target of mine, mainly using the trope of him being obsessed with recognition of training the child of prophecy, but I do try to approach it with a sense of seriousness.

As for Ino and Hinata, Ino is confirmed to be in. Hinata may sit this one out since I have other stories where she is in the line up. Mainly because I don't wanna fill up the harem with Naruto girls, and leave room for more Street Fighter and Tekken ladies.

Psudocode Samurai – Early on when I decided that I wanted Naruto to have the Spider contract, I knew I wanted to move them away from the expected anime spider girls. So, I settled on Lord of the Rings lore, and brought in Shelob and her mother, Ungoliant. Though, some of the anime spider girls will make an appearance I have no plans to add them to the harem.

As for Shelob, yes, she will have her human form from the game.

God of Wind 200 – This is done on purpose to show that Juri is a hard counter weight to Naruto.

Where as Naruto is easy to forgive (for the most part, there are a few exceptions) and show kindness, Juri will not and will remind Tsubaki of her position. Though keep in mind that not everything is as it seems.

Harem

Current – Anko, Juri

Slaves – Tsubaki

Anyways, enough yapping. On with the show!

Along Came a Spider

Chapter 5

A deep frown marred Hiruzen's aged face as he read over the files that he had just received from Maya at Juri Han's behest, whom was accompanied surprisingly by Ino Yamanaka. Inoichi had been rather sparse on the details, but evidently just over two weeks ago the young mind walker had laid into both of her parents in a drunken rant. Since then, the young kunoichi could commonly be found in the company of Maya and sometimes, even Juri Han herself. Making the elder man feel a great swell of pity for Inoichi and his wife, especially if any of the woman's quirks rubbed off on their daughter.

The file the two young women had dropped off was a rather detailed report of the movements of one Orochimaru, more specifically, the snake's dealings with Rasa, the Kazekage. As well as a detailed layout of the newly formed Otogakure that sprung up in Oto no Kuni(Land of Sound), formerly known as Ta no Kuni(Land of Rice); a relatively new country in the political scene that his disgraced student had become Otokage of. Accompanying the report was high definition photos of the two meeting not once, but multiple times up until just under a month ago, when the meetings suddenly stopped. Suspiciously, this was also after the Kazekage had started wearing a veil over his face, citing an assassination attempt had left his face horribly disfigured.

However, the analysts at S.I.N. had determined that somewhere in between the final meetings, Orochimaru had captured or more than likely, killed the Kazekage and had been impersonating Rasa for the last month. In between the sudden rise of Otogakure, whom also had a Genin participating in the finals, and the change in the Kazekage's mannerisms, it was evident to Hiruzen that his former pupil was pulling strings from behind the scenes like a puppet master, and mobilizing the combined forces of Otogakure and Sunagakure for one purpose, and one purpose only. War.

'I doubt the Sunagakure knows they are being manipulated by Orochimaru.' Hiruzen mused with a frown as he placed the paper back into the folder it arrived in and laid it back down on his desk, releasing a tired sigh. Pondering how to utilize this information without tipping off his former student.

Though, he didn't have long to ponder in peace when the form of Jiraiya appeared in his window, looking visibly upset about something.

"Why is Juri Han training my godson?" The Toad Sage inquired heatedly, earning a frown from his sensei.

"Well," Hiruzen exhaled in disappointment. "Hello to you too, Jiraiya."

"Don't give me that crap." Jiraiya retorted. "What the hell were you thinking, allowing that psycho bitch near my godson? And allowing him to have a slave? Have you lost your damn mind!? The gaki isn't ready to have a responsibility like that!"

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at his student's blatant lack of respect for him and his position, but had decided to let it slide for the time being.

"Naruto-kun needed a sensei to prepare for the finals, and Miss Juri was more than eager to lend a hand in ensuring he was ready." He replied with a wry grin as he took out his wooden pipe from his desk drawer and packed it with tobacco before lighting it and took a few puffs from it. Exhaling slowly through his nostrils. "As for the 'slave', you must be referring to Miss Tsubaki, that is Naruto-kun's business."

"Still, you should have consulted me first." Jiraiya insisted, crossing his arms over his chest. "As the gaki's godfather, I have the right to know."

Hiruzen was silent for a handful of seconds as he puffed on his tobacco pipe before turning his attention back to his old student.

"You say that Minato made you Naruto-kun's godfather." He began. "I trust that you have written documentation as proof of guardianship, correct?"

"Well, no." The Toad Sage coughed into his hand, as if trying to cover his answer. "It was a verbal agreement, Minato never had time to draw up the paperwork and then, well, that night happened."

The elder village leader inwardly frowned at this, Minato was not the type of person to leave loose ends unresolved. Especially something as important as securing his own sons welfare in the event anything happened to him and his mother.

"Jiraiya, verbal agreements will not hold up in front of the courts should someone challenge your claim of guardianship." Hiruzen reminded the white haired man.

"Come on sensei, my word should be good enough, right?" Jiraiya commented jovially, playing it off as if it was nothing serious. "Besides, it's not like anyone can challenge me on it."

"Actually, that is where you are mistaken."

"What do you mean?"

"It just so happens that Juri Han has written documentation signed by Kushina-chan, and sealed with the Uzumaki clan sigil, officially placing Naruto-kun under her care."

While his face didn't show it, having years of experience in masking his true emotions, Jiraiya was seething internally. He had spent years and a considerable amount of effort trying to keep the damn brat isolated and stunted as much as possible, hoping to make him so attention starved that the kid would eat up any kind of acknowledgment. Positive or negative, so long as someone acknowledged him. However, even in death that damned Uzumaki bitch had interfered with his plans once again.

Sure, he had attempted to get Minato to draw up the proper paperwork and name him the boys godfather shortly after he had learned of the prophecy, but the young Hokage had refused, stating that Kushina had already selected who their son's guardian would be, should the worse come to pass and despite the man being a feared war hero from the Third Shinobi War, he was not brave enough to argue with his wife on the matter and had simply left it be.

"And the slave, I didn't think you would be so cold as to force another into servitude." Jiraiya inquired, diverting the topic of the boys guardianship. He would have to come up with something to make Juri's claim over the boy invalid. Still, perhaps he could get his sensei to release the woman from the brats ownership and perhaps even transfer it to him.

"As I stated, that is Naruto-kun's business." Hiruzen repeated. "Just know that it was the best course of action for all involved in that particular incident."

Jiraiya frowned at this, as it sounded like something big had gone down between the brat and the woman whom now served him. Part of him wondered if it had anything to do with the falsified information he had fed the woman. He had speculated that the information he had passed off to her through a proxy would have triggered a violent response, but had deemed it an acceptable risk to stall the brat until he arrived.

"Now, since you are here Jiraiya." The elder man broke the Toad Sage from his musing. "Do you have anything of note to report?"

"Nah, everything has been quiet as of late." Jiraiya replied with a shrug. Truth was, he hadn't checked in with his network in over a month, focusing instead on his plans for the gaki. Sure, he could report what he knew of the Akatsuki, but they were not an immediate threat as of yet, so he still had time.

Hiruzen's eyes brushed over the folder that Maya and dropped off not to long ago, and allowed a frown to fall upon his face. He had intended to have Jiraiya investigate whomever had given the falsified files to Tsubaki, however with the supposed 'Spy Master' disregarding a new Shinobi village springing up practically overnight, he had decided against that idea. Not to mention the plot surrounding his wayward student Orochimaru and the mans dealings with Sunagakure. In short, Jiraiya's famed network was proving to be unreliable at best or incompetent at worst.

"If you have nothing, then you are dismissed." Hiruzen stated, a tone of authority in his voice. "And I would strongly advise staying away from Naruto-kun and those close to him. I will not be held accountable if you provoke Juri Han."

With a scowl on his face, Jiraiya departed the office through the window he had entered from. Knowing full well that his old sensei would refuse to offer any aide in separating the brat from the damn bitch. No, if he wanted to salvage his plans for the prophecy, he was going to have to go behind the old man's back and seek aid from the Fire Daimyo's court itself. Though first, he had to find a way to nullify Juri's claim over the brat.

'I will have to request Danzo's aid in this. If anyone can find any dirt on that damn woman, he would.' He plotted. 'Though he won't do it for free. I can't give him the gaki, but perhaps offer the old war hawk his pick of the brats kids when he has any. After all, children go missing all the time.'

Elsewhere in Konoha, Sakura

It had been two weeks since Sakura Haruno had seen her rival and frenemy, and the pinkette was starting to get worried for all the wrong reasons. While the logical side of her mind was worried about her rival's well being, those concerns however were drowned out by her fan girl mentality. Envisioning various scenarios, both innocent and lewd in nature, of the young Ino Yamanaka seducing her Sasuke-kun away from her. Which is what led the pink haired kunoichi to her current destination. The Yamanaka Flower Shop.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Upon entering the flower shop, her nostrils were assaulted with various aromas from the fauna that filled the room. Orchid, Roses, Lilies, Azalea, Marigold, and even the rare Fire Lily native to only the most remote locations within Hi no Kuni could all be found in this one room. Their sweet scents mixing with the wet soil used to nurture the various flora. If Sakura were to be honest with herself, she would admit that she missed hanging out with her former friend here.

"Ah, Sakura-san." A deep voice drew her attention to the counter, where a tall blonde male stood. "Haven't seen you in awhile."

"Yeah, it's been awhile Inoichi-san." Sakura timidly replied. She had always felt a little intimidated by the man, especially considering his position within the Torture and Interrogation Division in the village. Second in command, just under Ibiki Morino. While Anko Mitarashi, the crazy proctor from the second phase of the exams, used physical means to extract information, Inoichi took the psychological approach.

"What can I do for you?" Inoichi inquired with a smile.

"I was wondering if you can tell me where Ino is?" The pinkette asked. "I haven't seen her since the preliminary rounds, and I am getting kind of worried."

Almost immediately the mans mood seemed to plummet at the mention of his daughters name. With a heavy sigh, his shoulders slouched a little.

"I'm afraid the last time I have seen her was nearly two weeks ago when she laid into her mother and I something fierce." The man stated with another heavy sigh. "Though I suppose we deserved it. Anyways, she has been staying at the S.I.N. building last I knew."

"S.I.N.?" Sakura parroted, the acronym sounded familiar, but she couldn't exactly place it.

"Shinobi Information Network." Inoichi explained. "They're a sort of freelance information broker company, privately owned. Originally founded in Konoha about twenty years ago or so, but moved their headquarters overseas to the Outerlands."

"Anyways." He continued. "You'll find their building in the financial district not far from the Hokage's tower. Very modern looking, you can't miss it. And if you see my daughter, tell her I am sorry, okay?"

"Um, okay." The young kunoichi replied with a frown. Any thoughts of Ino seducing Sasuke banished from her mind since it was clear that whatever happened between Ino and her parents sounded very serious. Enough for her to move out.

Unsure of what else to say, Sakura bid Inoichi farewell and quickly departed the shop and proceeded to her next destination that was located on the other side of the village. The building in question was not too difficult to find, being the only modern looking building in the entire village. Standing a modest three stories tall, covered in dark gray marble tiles and reflective glass windows making it nearly impossible for anyone to peer inside, with a very simple Shinobi Information Network displayed on the side of the building in white.

Finding the entrance to the building, she gave the door a firm tug to open, but found it would not budge. Stepping back, she frowned before her eyes fell onto a small black box on the wall next to the entrance with a simple white button on it. Hesitantly, she pressed the button and waited.

[Yes?] Came the short response from the box.

"Um, hi." Sakura fumbled over her words, feeling a bit intimidated in speaking into the box. While the voice on the other end wasn't hostile, it wasn't exactly friendly either. Rather, it was blunt and straight to the point. "I am looking for Ino Yamanaka, I was told I could find her here."

After nearly a minute of tense silence, a loud buzzing noise sounded from the door quickly followed by an audible click, signifying the door had been unlocked, allowing the pinkette entrance to the building. Once inside, Sakura found herself in the reception area decorated with comfortable looking couches and chairs, large potted plants of various green plants that lined the windows, and monitors displaying various things from regional shows to reports of what was going on not only in the Elemental Nations, but also the Outerlands as well.

"Please take a seat." The receptionist instructed, alerting the pinkette to the young blonde woman that looked around the age of twenty five sitting behind the desk in the center of the room. "Ino-san will be out shortly."

The woman in question was a tall and slim with curves that made the young kunoichi envious of. Her blue eyes shielded behind a pair of black rimmed glasses. Strawberry-blonde hair flowed around her face and down her back, roughly shoulder length. Small studded earrings adorned the woman's ears, which was accompanied by a long sleeved black dress that showed off her cleavage, which was barely restrained by the fishnet undershirt she wonder under her blouse.

Silently, Sakura complied and sat down in one of the empty chairs. Her eyes wandering over the television screens as numbers scrolled across them. Indicating the stocks of various companies both local and foreign as they rose and fell in the financial storm that was the stock market. Minutes ticked by before the sound of chattering echoed from down the hall as two figures entered the room.

The first individual Sakura took notice of was a woman with long crimson hair that was tied into a long braided pony tail that ran down her back, stopping just above her ankles. The woman's outfit consisted of a simple looking business suit with a long sleeved jacket that was unbuttoned, revealing the white dress shirt underneath that had the top half unbuttoned as well, showing off her bountiful cleavage that had a purple tie running down in between the woman's large bust. The shirt showing off the woman's midriff as well. A pair of armor knuckled gloves adorned her hands, showing that this woman was prepared for combat at a moments notice. Black slacks, held up by a dark gray belt with a gold oblong buckle and a pair of combat style stiletto's to tie off the woman's attire.

Walking beside and chatting with the woman was Sakura's long time rival for the lone Uchiha, Ino Yamanaka, though the pinkette could scarcely recognize the young mind walker. Gone was the blondes old attire, replaced by a more modern look.

A two piece outfit that was mostly solid purple with the exception of her inner thighs being white, and patches on her outer thighs and chest with a purple and white camo design. Her pants hugging her hips tightly, with a pair of soft soled boots to protect her feet. Which Sakura found odd, as kunoichi and shinobi used open toed sandals to allow for better chakra control. Something else that the pinkette noticed about her rivals new attire was the lack a kunai or shurikan holster, instead replaced with two tonfa that hung loosely along her thighs.

The top of Ino's new outfit consisted of an open shoulder, long sleeved vest which covered most of the mind walkers arms with a pair of combat gloves adorning her hands. Giving the young mind walker the appearance of an assassin or spy from the movies the pinkette had seen in years ago.

(For clarification, Ino is wearing Nina's outfit from Tekken 5)

"Ino-pig?" Sakura stammered, catching the two women's attention.

The crimson haired woman stopped and eyed the pink haired kunoichi, almost as if scrutinizing the teenage girl before her with contempt. A scowl forming across her face as if she had smelled something disgusting before turning her attention back towards Ino.

"I have errands to run, Ino." The woman stated simply, completely disregarding Sakura's presence. "Take the rest of the day off to rest, and I shall see you tomorrow at the usual time."

"Alright Maya, see ya tomorrow morning." Ino replied as the now identified Maya turned on her heel and walked back down the hallway her and Ino had just come from. Once the crimson haired woman had left, the young blonde turned her attention to her former rival. "Been awhile Sakura, what brings you here?"

"Okay, what the hell happened?" Sakura finally inquired, breaking from her confusion. "You just disappeared after the preliminaries, then you move out of your parents house all of a sudden, and now your here in this place!"

"I take it that since you are here, you've already been by my parents shop." Ino commented with a small sigh.

"Um, yeah." Sakura frowned. "Your father said something about you 'laying into both of them' before you disappeared."

"Yeah," Ino nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. "I kind of stayed out late that night drinking with An…."

"WHAT!?" The pinkette interrupted. "But, we're too young to drink and…."

The young blonde woman shot her former rival an unamused and mildly annoyed look.

"Yes Sakura, I was drinking. As kunoichi, we can do that." Ino deadpanned with a heavy sigh, wondering if the pinkette even paid attention at all when Iruka-sensei had given them the lecture about the privileges that came with earning your hitae-ate. "Anyways, full on liquid courage, I went off on both of my parents. My father for being over protective and not allowing me to show my true potential, and my mother for trying to turn me into a gold digging whore."

"Wha-what?" Sakura stammered, confused by what she was hearing. "What's going on, Ino?"

Ino frowned before letting out a soft sigh. She supposed that she had to talk to someone about this. If only to get it off her own chest and give her some sense of clarity as to how to approach her parents, namely her father. While she did view Maya as a friend and in some ways, a sister like figure, the young mind walker didn't want to burden the crimson haired woman with her family problems. Sakura however was well acquainted with her parents and at one point in their friendship early one, was considered to be a second daughter to them.

"Look, I am hungry." Ino began, turning her full attention to the pinkette. "How about we talk about this over lunch?"

"Alright." Sakura agreed, her curiosity eating at her to find out what had transpired between her rival and her parents.

"I'm heading out to lunch, Kalifa-san." Ino informed the blonde secretary sitting behind the front desk. "Want me to bring you back something?"

"Mmm." The woman seemed to think over her options, before a sultry grin spread across her face. "How about a sample of that blonde stud?"

"Afraid you'll have to get in line for that appetizer." The young mind walker laughed. "I haven't even gotten a taste of him yet."

Sakura could only blink in confusion as she looked between the two blondes.

"Suppose I will have to settle for my usual then." Kalifa sighed.

"Spicy roast lamb, a loaded baked potato and a salad on the side then?" Ino confirmed, earning a nod from the spectacled blonde woman. "Alright, be back as soon as I can."

With that, Ino led Sakura to the exit and out of the building to head to her favorite establishment to eat at, Yakiniku Q.

Konoha Market District, Tsubaki Koto

Tsubaki hummed happily to herself as she made her way through the shopping district of the village. A medium sized bag filled with various vegetables, and other ingredients she planned on using for this evenings dinner for her young master. Shortly after their unfortunate encounter with Jiraiya, Juri had called an end for Naruto's training for the day after he had successfully summoned his personal summon for the eccentric woman. Unfortunately for Tsubaki, her young masters personal summon was a giant spider. Something that had sent chills down her spine.

Still, the former Jonin had wanted to spoil the whiskered teenager this evening as a reward for not only defending her honor before the perverted Sannin, but also outright rejecting the mans offer to buy her without hesitation. Something she was extremely grateful for as she could only imagine the humiliation the Toad Sage would have in store for her. Since the elder man lacked the same empathy and humility the young Uzumaki had. Where as Naruto went out of his way to avoid any phrases that sounded like commands towards her, Jiraiya would no doubt abuse the fact she would not be able to refuse an order given.

'Let's see.' Tsubaki began to double check her purchases for tonight's dinner. 'Flour, eggs, baking powder, and chicken broth. Just need to get the pork cuts and that should be everything I need to make ramen from scratch.'

"Stop dragging your feet and keep moving." A harsh whisper broke the former Jonin's attention, turning her attention towards two figures moving through the market place. One male with bandages covering most of his face, leaving only his left eye and eyebrow exposed roughly pushing what appeared to be his team mate, a young woman with fair skin and long black hair that almost ran down to her calves, tied by a violet ribbon near the end.

Tsubaki narrowed her eyes and she observed to two. The body language of the young kunoichi clearly showed that she was uncomfortable and was not being lead willingly to whatever the duo's destination was. Silently, she watched as the male Genin shoved the kunoichi off of the main street and into a small alleyway. Taking that as her cue, Tsubaki secured her shopping bag and leapt into action, taking to the rooftops to follow the duo and learn more about what was going on.

"Just so you know Kin, it's nothing personal." The wrapped Genin stated, though his tone was less than sincere.

"Bullshit, Dosu." The identified Kin retorted with a scoff. "I bet you're hoping that if you're an obedient bitch, the damn pedophile will let you suck him off while his four eyed fuck buddy fucks you in the ass."

The bandaged Genin took offense to the young woman's words and roughly grabbed her, spinning her around and slamming her against the wall, earning a pained grunt from the Kunoichi. His lone visible eye narrowing dangerously as he brought up his Kyōmei Supīkā dangerously close to her face in a threatening fashion.

"Don't ever disrespect Orochimaru-sama in front of me again." Dosu hissed. "If not for him your life, and it's your life he….."

However, before he could utter another word his body suddenly became limp, causing him to fall forward. Landing face first into the wall right next to Kin, knocked unconcious. Surprised by this sudden turn of events, the Oto Kunoichi turned her attention to her unlikely savior, a dark haired woman of average height with black haired braided into a pony tail that ran down her back, while a pair of dark bangs that framed her face.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but who the hell are you, and what do you want with me?" Kin inquired, her body assuming a defensive stance as she eyed the woman skeptically.

"I observed your trek through the marketplace." Tsubaki stated. "Your body language indicated you were not comfortable with your traveling companion here. Not to mention, he was hardly quiet in regards to your involvement with Orochimaru."

Upon hearing the Snake Sannin's name, the young kunoichi's eyes widened in fear, having assumed the worse possibilities that now lay in store for her, due to her association with Konoha's biggest traitor. It was obvious that even with her weapons, she would not stand a chance against this woman. Judging by her posture and how easily she dispatched Dosu, Kin could tell that she was not a civilian by any means. Perhaps an off duty kunoichi, Jonin level at least, if not Anbu.

"So," Kin swallowed thickly. "what now?"

"Now, we go see Hokage-sama." Tsubaki commented as she held out her hand to the young Oto Kunoichi. "You want a way out from being under the snake, I may have a solution that will keep you safe from both Orochimaru as well as keep you out of prison."

In a span of a few seconds, Kin weighed her options. Either go with this woman whom had just saved her from being used as a sacrifice for that snake bastard and accept what she had to offer, or attempt to strike out on her own with no one to look out for her.

With a reluctant sigh, she accepted the older woman's hand, and in a flurry of swirling leaves, both were gone from the alleyway.

Yakiniku Q, Sakura and Ino

Sakura could only stare at the blonde young woman seated across from her, completely gob smacked at not only at what she had been told from her companion, but what she was currently witnessing. The young Yamanaka heiress had already put away two hefty plates of food from the buffet, and was currently working to clear her third.

"So let me get this straight." Sakura broke the silence as she rubbed her temples as she tried to wrap her mind around what she had learned so far. "You're saying that the entire time we were in the academy together and up until just two weeks ago you've been hiding what your actually capable of because your father is over protective of you; and you never liked Sasuke-kun and only pretended to in order to 'blend in with the crowd', as you say, because your mother suggested it. But she only suggested it to get access to the Uchiha Clan's wealth. Not only that, but you are attracted to someone else. Did I miss anything?"

"Nah, that's about the gist of it." Ino commented as she dropped another rib bone on her plate, completely devoid of any meat, effectively clearing her third and final plate of food. Using a napkin to wipe any remains of her meal from around her mouth as she leaned back in her chair, releasing a content sigh.

"So, how did you end up in that S.I.N. place?" The pinkette inquired, genuinely curious as to how that came about.

"Eh, ran into the big boss of the place that night two weeks ago and after hanging out for the entire evening, got offered a part time job." The blonde shrugged as she flagged the waitress down to pay for her meal, as well as placing an order for Kalifa's lunch to go.

It had been more or less the truth of how that had happened, though not in the exact stated time frame. In fact, it wasn't until the next morning that the young mind walker had encountered Juri once more in another chance meeting as the Yamanaka was departing the hotel she had stayed at the previous night. Being blunt and to the point, The Widowmaker had inquired as to why Ino hadn't returned to her home. After a quick explanation, she was lead to the S.I.N. building and informed she would be staying here and had placed her under Maya's care, much to the red headed woman's ire at the time.

When asked why, Juri merely shrugged and commented, 'Because I enjoy your company, princess.'

And Ino didn't argue.

"Sooo…" Sakura broke her trip down memory lane.

"So?"

"So who's the mystery guy you have a crush on?" The pinkette questioned with a grin, curious if it could be someone she knew, not that she would give up on her Sasuke-kun, but she was still curious as to how this mystery guy would measure up to the Uchiha.

"Why so curious?" Ino smirked as the waitress delivered a small bag with the 'to-go' order, along with the change from the paid bill. Giving the waitress a generous tip, the blonde turned her attention back to her former rival. "Going to give up on the Uchiha and explore other options?"

"Not a chance!" Sakura exclaimed. "Now that you're out of the picture, Sasuke-kun is all but guaranteed to fall in love with me and I will help him restore his clan!"

"Yeah well," The blonde mind walker began as she got up and secured the bag. "Good luck with the Uchiha, though between you and me, I am pretty sure he plays for the other team."

Leaving the pinkette to muse over her parting words, Ino disappeared out of the restaurant and down the street. It had taken nearly a full minute before the insinuation of the mind walkers words register in the pinkettes mind, though once they did, she turned to retort, only to find herself alone.

'Damn, she didn't even tell me who the mystery guy is.'

Unknown Location, Underneath Konoha

"You're asking a lot, Jiraiya." The bandaged elder stated from his seated position behind a desk that looked very similar to the Hokage's. In fact, the entire room was a mock replica of the Hokage's office. "Juri Han is not a woman to be tested, nor provoked."

"I am aware of the woman's reputation." The Toad Sannin replied with a scoff. "But I need to get that damned bitch away from the brat so I can seal away his memories and wipe the slate clean, so to speak, so I can train him properly. Make sure he is strong enough to fulfill the prophecy, but not too strong that he can't be controlled."

While his face remained stoic, Danzo inwardly frowned at the selfish motives of the man before him. It was clear that Jiraiya had no interest in the preservation of Konoha, or even the Elemental Nations for that matter, and that his sole reason of wanting to isolate the Jinchuriki was for his own personal benefit. Personally, the elder war hawk had no issue with the woman training the boy. A weapon was of no use if it was blunted and dulled to the point of unreliability in the field.

"And what do you intend to offer in trade for this…. service?" The War Hawk inquired.

"Figured as soon as the gaki had a kid, I could ensure something happened to make that kid disappear." The insinuation was left hanging in the air for a handful of seconds before he continued. "However, until that happens, I could throw my voice behind your bid for the hat; since the old man is getting senile in his later years. Allowing the brat to do as he pleases, not to mention owning a slave."

At this, Danzo allowed himself to quirk an eyebrow at the Sannin's words, ignoring the latter part, already well aware of Tsubaki's current servitude to the Uzumaki for her attack on him weeks prior. However, the former part had caught his attention. Having the support of Konoha's only remaining 'loyal' Sannin in his move for the Hokage position would carry a lot of weight behind it and practically ensure his victory. It was certainly a tempting offer.

"It will take time to fabricate convincing evidence to bring before the Fire Daimyo." Danzo stated after a handful of seconds. "This is something we can not rush and must take every precaution as to prevent anything linking this back to us."

"Yeah, yeah." Jiraiya waved off the war hawks caution. "I'll leave that to you. In the meantime, I gotta go check on my spy network and forge some guardianship papers to ensure the brat will be given to me."

Having secured the deal, the Toad Sannin left Danzo to his own thoughts.

'This is quite the gamble I am taking.' The bandaged elder mused to himself, the every slightest hint of a grin forming on his lips. 'But the rewards will be well worth the risk. Not only will I become Hokage, as I should be, but in years to come, I will have the key of breaking the Uzumaki Clan secrets.'

Hokage's Office, Early Evening

Hiruzen let out a tired sigh as he leaned back in his chair and took a thoughtful puff from his pipe, turning to stare out the window and watch over the village as the sun began to dip below the horizon, setting the surrounding forest aflame in it's orange-red glow, mulling over what had transpired not even a full hour ago.

Tsubaki had arrived with the Otogakure team's Kunoichi, stating that they had information that required his immediate discretion, prompting the old Fire Shadow to dismiss his Anbu and secure the office so they could report, though he already had a good idea due to the presence of the Genin, and he had been proven correct.

Afterwards, Hiruzen had signed off on making one Kin Tsuchi the second slave under Naruto Uzumaki. Something the now former Otogakure Kunoichi had not taken kindly to, understandably so. However, Tsubaki was quick to quell the young kunoichi's anger, informing her of how she herself was his slave as well and assured her that the young blonde had never taken advantage of his position over her, despite her actions against him prior. This had been further reinforced when the Uzumaki in question arrived and had been reluctant to accept yet another slave.

The old man's musings were interrupted when a soft knock sounded from the door.

"Enter." He called, turning his attention towards the doorway as the Jonin Sensei of the Suna team entered.

"You wished to see me, Hokage-sama?" The veiled man asked, as his lone exposed eye discreetly scanned the office for signs of this being a trap of some kind.

"Yes Baki-san." The elder Fire Shadow greeted as he pushed the file he received earlier this morning towards the Suna Jonin. "I believe we have much to talk about."

Additional Author's Notes: And there we have it, a lot to unpack for this chapter. I know not a lot of action going on, but I wanted to take the time to expand on some of the other characters as well as build up some subplots that are going on.

Next chapter will have another small time skip, and we'll get to see Kakashi make a return to the village.

Once again, I apologize for the long delay in between updates and will try and get more out in a more timely manner.

See ya on the far side!