Chapter 16
"Wooooow. She really is small."
Fū observed the Goddess much like a curious child.
Just like a child, her curiosity was not limited to sight alone. With a finger, she took it upon herself to poke and prod at the greenette's cheek, becoming more bold the longer she went unpunished.
Sothis was unmoved, yet not unphased. Despite the girl poking her in the face, her gaze was on her vessel and her vessel alone. Her expression hadn't changed since their arrival, but she was sure her threat of unimaginable bodily harm was heard loud and clear.
"Fū, what you are doing is rude." The Titanic beetle spoke up before the blonde could. Fū blinked back at her beetle friend, looked back to the girl whose cheeks she currently had stretched, then back to the beetle.
"But, Chōmei, she's adorable." Fū reasoned, to which a tick grew on the goddess's head.
"If you wish to keep your hansh, shen you whill remove shem shish inshtansh."
Thankfully, the Divine's threat was taken seriously. Fū's hands immediately returned to her but remained held up as she backed away slowly. Sothis's glare watched her until she was a safe distance away before her attention turned to the giant beetle now in her home.
"You are not one of my siblings, yet your energy is familiar. Name yourself, Youngling."
"For the love of..." With just a thought and a flash of light, Sothis transformed from her younger body into her older persona. Now older, she pushed herself up on her throne, crossing her arms under her newly developed bust and crossing her long legs—now giving the impression of one with power compared to the little girl everyone seemed to think she was.
"Forgive my ignorance." Chomei immediately apologized, to which the Divine waved her off. "I sensed no chakra in your transformation or your form. And yet, you take the form of a human. Am I correct in assuming you are not of this plane?"
"I am not mortal, if that is what you are implying," Sothis said simply. "My name is Sothis... And I am now curious about what other beings there are in this world aside from you, beast. Are there gods in this realm as well?"
"You speak as if you are not native."
"If I was, I doubt I'd have found myself in this situation." The Divine pouted.
"Ah, so you too are a prisoner to the machinations of man," Chomei said solemnly, as if finding a sister-in-arms.
"I am no one's prisoner." The Divine spoke firmly, her voice no longer cordial. "My ward and I have a mutual partnership. I give him my power because I choose to. If I did not wish it, then he shall not have it. My power is my own and shall remain my own."
"You say that, yet you are bound to your host much like I am. There is no shame in admitting-."
"Is there a reason you wish to speak to the boy?" Sothis decided to change the subject, no longer interested in the direction in which the conversation continued to fall.
"...Yes," The beetle played along. "It is you who I wish to speak to more than your container. It is in regards to your current living situation." Sothis raised a brow at that before ushering the beetle to continue. "As you may already know, you are not the one meant to be inhabiting this child's body. It was meant for my sibling, the one known as the Kyuubi."
"You speak of matters we've already concluded. Get to the point." Sothis waved off, the Bijuu a bit taken aback at the way she was being regarded.
"...Then, I suppose I have but one question. Do you know what became of my brother?" Sothis raised another eyebrow at the question, making Chōmei feel the need to explain the reasoning behind her query. "We Bijuu possess the ability to communicate with each other telepathically, yet I and my siblings have been unable to for years. He is not the most loving sibling, but he is still kin. If you know of his whereabouts, then it would put me and my siblings at ease knowing he is okay."
Despite the answer, Sothis was stumped—not because of the question itself, but because of the questions it suddenly brought up.
Why hadn't, in all these years, she ever questioned where the fox had gone? Why did the idea not cross her mind until this moment? Had she gotten distracted? Was such a fact so easy to slip from her mind?
The goddess didn't even realize she had gone quiet until the Bijuu called her name. Focused once again, her face hardened. "I do not know the whereabouts of your sibling." She confessed, the beetle lowering her head in what she thought was dismay.
"I see. That is unfor-"
"However," Sothis continued, giving the Bijuu to pay attention once more. "My daughter once said I was meant to reside within another, yet I first awoke inside this place four years after his conception and the supposed 'sealing' of your brother. I am told I was meant to be within another, which leads me to believe your sibling now resides within the one originally meant to be my vessel."
"I see..." the beetle mumbled, though there was a small amount of hope in her voice. "Then, if I may be so bold to ask, if you are able to reach him, would you be so kind as to contact Fū? It would put my siblings and I at ease knowing he is okay."
Before Sothis could even reply to that, Naruto's lips were already moving.
"We'll find your brother." He stated this, causing the Titanic beetle to focus on him. "I don't know when we will find him, but we definitely will. It's a promise." Everyone looked to the blonde, their feelings spanning from shock to exasperation. Said exasperation came from the Divine who gave a sigh as she shook her head.
"You are far too eager to make promises, Child..."
Despite the comment, her ward held his chest out in pride.
"I can't change the world if I'm not willing to help people."
"I am as far from 'people' as it gets, but your words aren't lost on me," Chōmei replied, her wings flapping in what everyone thought was excitement. "It is not often that we Bijuu find humans willing to help in any way other than their own self-interest. One could easily mistake your kindness for having ulterior motives."
A hand came to the blonde's chest in mock offense, the not-so-subtle accusation not going over his head as the beetle may have liked. "I'll have you know I'm well known for my chivalry."
"The day I believe a Shinobi to have chivalry is the day my elder brother fraternizes with another human."
Naruto didn't know why, but he suddenly had the strong urge to sneeze.
"I want to help because I want to; there is no reason more than that." The blonde said it more seriously, getting a flat stare from both the beetle and even Fū.
"Chōmei, this guy is weird." Fū whispered, pointing at the blonde.
"That is certainly a way to put it." The beetle mused.
Seeing that he was being made fun of, Naruto turned to the only one unfazed by his words.
"So this, they're being mean." He said it flatly, to which the goddess raised an incredulous brow.
"And what of it?"
"Make them stop."
"And how shall I go about doing such? Need to remind you that this space is shared, not my own."
"I don't know. Zap them? Step on them. Insult them back. Let them know my wrath."
"Are you mad?"
"Kinda."
"That's not what I... *sigh* you're acting foolish again."
"But you-"
"No 'buts'; we are done speaking. And you two, if your business is concluded, then be gone."
"Oi, watch it, midget! We leave when we want!" Fū shouted back, admittedly not her best choice of words given the circumstances. A snarl appeared on the Divine's face before her hand shot out. Fū, Naruto, and surprisingly Chōmei as well, only had a second to process what the girl was about to do before they were blasted back by an invisible force and straight into darkness.
In the waking world, Fū and Naruto separated violently, both now on their backs with their legs in the air. Fū recovered first, shooting to her feet and pointing at the blonde angrily. Countless expletives left her lips, all aimed at a green-haired 'midget' the now awake party couldn't see. Meanwhile, Naruto gave the best incredulous look he could muster, knowing his friend could feel it.
"I thought you couldn't do that." He accused.
A 'hmph' was his answer.
...
The two-day journey to Takigakure turned out to be less eventful than the Genin would have liked. Other than telling them which formation to assume, their sensei did not speak. Ever now and then, Shibuki would draw the courage to speak, but for the most part, he did his best to avoid anything to do with Taki if it did not pertain to history.
Fū was no different, but unlike the unwelcoming atmosphere she had maintained throughout the beginning of their journey, she occasionally broke her silence—an action that suspiciously only happened when she was next to her fellow Jinchuuriki. Soon, that would lead Tenten to join the two, which normally brought in the Taki leader and even Neji on rare occasions.
Now, two days later, the seemingly 'arduous' journey was coming to an end.
High in the trees above, Fū scanned for something the Genin couldn't see. About 5 minutes later, she returned to the ground with news. "Almost there. I've sent a signal flare for our Shinobi to converge on our position. You just have to stand by now until their arrival."
The news brought an exhausted 'finally' out of the Higurashi, while the others all nodded in agreement.
"Alright." Shibuki announced, "We should take this time to rest and refill our canteens by the nearest waterfall. Does that sound good to you, Kagero-dono?"
"That is fine."
The Taki leader smiled at the Sensei's confirmation and quickly removed the bag from his shoulders. The rest followed suit, each taking out a canteen and either drinking or filling it.
"Ah, that's good!" Fū exclaimed after gulping down half her bottle.
"Mmm." Tenten hummed, the water cooling her throat as it went down. "So, Fū, what does Takigakure have that Konoha doesn't?"
The question came as a surprise, though not one that was unexpected. Tenten had been trying to get information out of the Taki girl for the last few days and had yet to get even a word from her. Even now, the greenette gave her the same look of indifference she had since their departure.
"...What?"
"Takigakure. Y'know, what do you like about it? What things do they have that Konoha doesn't?"
"There's nothing special about it."
"Bull." Tenten said it almost immediately. "You're just saying that to get me to stop talking, aren't you?"
Fū rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious." She defended. "Taki's just a place to call home."
"Then what do you do for fun?"
Fū shrugged, which caused a frown to grow on the weapon Mistress's face. "I don't really do much. If I'm not training, eating, or talking to Chōmei or Shibuki-san, I'm sleeping."
"Then what about school? I know you didn't have an academy, but you had school still, no? Lectures? Did you at least have fun there?"
The question was met with a flat stare, one that the kunoichi took as a no. "School is school. You go in, sit through lectures, complete assignments, then go home. I didn't have time for fun."
"Really?" Tenten was questioned skeptically.
"You didn't have any friends you hung out with during lunch?"
"I didn't have the time. The faster I got through classes, the quicker I could train."
Tenten's eyebrow twitched, and the conversation started to sound more like a certain blonde and Hyuga she knew. "You didn't have lunch? No breaks? Nothing? That can't be healthy."
"It's not, but I made the most of my time. Being strong is all that matters to me. Once I'm strong enough, She trailered off, not deeming it necessary to continue.
Tenten didn't buy it.
"Once you're strong enough, what?"
"Nothing, nevermind." Fū answered, her tone leaving no room for discussion. "Are the scouts here yet? Typically, it only takes a minute or two for them to get here." She asked, looking to the sensei for confirmation. Kagero answered, but with a question—a question aimed at Shibuki instead of the Jinchuuriki.
"Shibuki-dono, you are recognized well by your Shinobi, no?"
The sudden question had caught the Taki leader flat-footed. "Well, relatively speaking. There are not many, but every Shinobi of Taki has recognized me as the new Takikage."
"Have you had any insurrections or disorders in your ranks lately?" The question further confused the Takikage, but the three Genin suddenly laser-focused on their sensei.
"You do not have to worry about such things, Shimura-san. I trust my Shinobi explicitly." The man stated that the group was slightly surprised by the firmness in both his tone and his face.
"I see. Thank you for being truthful, Shibuki-dono. Hopefully, your words ring true." With that, the woman continued forward in silence.
A confused Fū leaned over to whisper into her fellow Jinchuuriki's ear. "She always walks with that stick up her ass."
Naruto leaned closer. "I think she only takes it out when she sleeps. But between you and me, I have a theory that it's too far up there to get out." The woman currently being slandered looked over her shoulder at the Genin currently talking behind her back to find the mint-haired duo heads turned up and away—their lips puckered as if trying to whistle but failing.
Not ten minutes later, the group was stopped. Three figures landed in front of them. From their color scheme, flak jacket, and the headband around their foreheads, they could easily be mistaken for ANBU. Thankfully, Team 4 had been well informed two days prior of Taki's Jonin, so no sudden movements were observed. The leader, a plain-faced woman with green hair, walked forward, a smile plastered on her face as she saluted their kage.
"It is good to see you again, Takikage-sama. We feared the worst when word of the attack reached."
"Everything is fine, Nanao-san." Shibuki was reassured, walking forward. "We had some of Konoha's best escorting us. I'm sure their presence alone deterred any on our tail."
The Taki Jonin looked from her leader to the Konoha Nin and immediately nodded her head in their direction. "Thank you all for your support. It would seem we once again owe Konoha a debt."
"Hm," Kagero nodded in assertion, her Genin oddly silent in their mutual reply.
"If you do not mind, we will take it from here. Please allow us to escort you home, Takikage-sama." The woman motioned for their Kage to step forward, Shibuki and Fū ready to say their goodbyes. Before they could, however, the Konoha Jonin held a hand for them to stop. Nanao followed the gesture before looking at her fellow Jonin in confusion. "Is there a problem, ma'am?" She asked, to which the Shimura heiress immediately retorted.
"Forgive me, but our mission is not yet concluded."
Nanao blinked at the Jonin Sensei.
"I'm, sorry?"
"Our mission is to escort the Takikage to Takigakure. Not halfway, not on the outskirts, but to Takigakure. Until we have seen this through, then our mission is not yet complete."
"I don't think that is necessary, ma'am. I can assure you that Takikage-sama is safe in our hands." Taki Jonin reassured her, her tone a bit clipped. Unfortunately, Kagero remained firm.
"It is my job as Jonin of the Leaf to make sure the mission is carried out to the letter. In this case, that means delivering the Takikage to his proper destination. If something were to happen to our client and it was found that we did not follow our mission parameters, then it could potentially ruin relations with future clientele as well as Taki. I'm sure you can understand that, Nanao-san."
Taki Jonin seemed ready to say something but closed her mouth. She turned to her leader, the man giving her a 'what can you do' smile before she sighed. "Well, if our Kage is fine with it, then we have no choice. I guess they don't call you guys the best for nothin'." She joked before motioning one of her Jonins forward. The guy, a blonde, immediately stepped towards the group, his hand reaching into his pouch to pull out what looked like clothes.
"Please wrap these around your eyes while we travel the rest of the way. Sorry, but it is protocol. I'm sure you understand." The man spoke, and Kagero saw the irony in his words.
"...Very well." Closing her eyes, she allowed the man to approach her, the Taki Nin extending one of the cloths to wrap around the woman's eyes.
A split second later, a kunai entered his head through the underside of his jaw, killing him instantly.
Everyone reacted to the sudden killing of their comrade differently. Some, such as the remaining Taki Jonin, were frozen in shock, while others, mainly Shibuki, were too slow to comprehend the situation. Nanao, however, immediately ran through hand signs.
The Shimura heiress didn't hesitate, immediately ducking low and drawing her blade in an upward motion. The swing was met by her opponent's katana, the blade cutting through the air before she drew her tanto and sliced through the man's stomach.
Nanao reacted fast, throwing her hands in the air as a wall of water appeared in front of her. A wall that was cut apart before it's true attack could even be formed by the heiress's sword. The Jonin tried to move out of the way but wasn't quick enough to avoid the spinning kick that sent her careening through the air and into a tree.
The remaining Taki Jonin immediately ran at the enemy, drawing their blades and aiming to end her life. Their attempts were thwarted by the incoming kunai. To the Taki Nin's credit, they were quick enough to knock them out of the air, but it did not save them from the Hyuga and Uzumaki that appeared in front of them.
A well-placed palm strike to the chest of the right Nin forced blood out of his mouth as his heart stopped on impact, while a devastating kick to the abdomen sent the right Nin flying. Both Nin fell, one dead and the other severely injured. The Taki Nin, who witnessed their deaths, now realizes the danger of not only the Jonin sensei but the Genin as well.
Behind them, Tenten guarded the Fū and Shibuki, the latter too stunned to speak, while the former practically growled at the Konoha Jonin. "Why the hell are you attacking our Shinobi?" Fū yelled, yet the woman didn't answer, too busy keeping an eye on the downed Nin and her surroundings.
"Neji," she called her Genin's name; he already understood what she wanted.
"We're surrounded." Neji called out, his Byakugan eyes spinning to get a full picture of the enemy. "Multiple squads, at least 15, no, 20. All Jonin and all within 50 meters."
Kagero nodded, her face remaining passive as she continued to watch her surroundings.
"Hey! Answer me!" Fū called out once more, her patience drained upon glancing at the dead bodies of her fellow villagers. They may not have been anything to her personally, but that didn't mean she would so idly stand by while her future comrades were slaughtered.
"They are Taki Nin." Naruto was the one to speak up, his eyes never leaving the Jonin in front of him. Fū and Shibuki's expressions turned confused as they looked to the Taki Nin, as if staring would make them understand the truth.
The two men were silent, but a smirk appearing on their faces told the truth.
"I'm curious. What gave us away?" The right Jonin asked, his smugness evident in his tone.
"The four of you have been trailing us for the better part of an hour." Kagero answered plainly. "You all reek of killing intent. I've seen Genin with better control than you."
The two men snorted.
"And yet, you let us get close." The left pointed out
"Unlike you, I'm no fool." The woman stated: "No Shinobi worth their salt uses themselves as a false extraction team—not to mention your subordinates positioning to make sure none escape than a protective formation. You may have fooled me if you hadn't pulled that first rookie stunt, but your killing intent was more than enough to suspect foul play. Had you gotten any closer, then I would have been more than happy to put you all down."
The two men's smirks fell as the woman's statement processed, the Shimura heiress taking a step forward.
"Now, if you would be so kind, I ask that you surrender, and your deaths shall be painless." The two men shared a glance, with the left's eyes twitching before his head shook.
"Too bad, but I think you've got something wrong." As if that were a signal, the 20 Shinobi Neji had pointed out earlier revealed themselves around them, all of them wearing a gray uniform that Shibuki and Fū immediately recognized.
"Y-you're-" Shibuki gasped, his face ashen.
"You fuckers again?" Fū shouted, getting the smirk on the man's face to widen further.
"That's right, 'Takikage'. I thought this was over. That demon of yours can kill our leader, but our spirit still remains strong. We were promised both Taki and the Sacred Water, and we'll damn well get it or die trying."
"Fitting last words," Neji jabbed, getting a scoff from both men.
"You talk big, but I think you forget your situation. There's at least 30 to your six. I'll admit, the Jonin may be worth something along with you brats, but that's not nearly enough to balance the dead weight behind you."
Two of said 'dead weights' grew tick marks at the blatant disregard.
"...Uzumaki."
Like Neji, Naruto didn't need to be told what to do before doing it. His hands came up, his middle and index fingers crossing to form a seal the team knew intimately. A mass puff of smoke clouded the area. The Shinobi surrounding the group prepared for the incoming attack but grew increasingly nervous when none came. When the smoke cleared, their jaws threatened to fall off their faces.
Below them were no longer a group of 6, but an army of green and orange that nearly covered the ground completely. The blonde kid had multiplied himself to equal, if not surpass, their numbers entirely. To increase the fear factor, a bronze sword manifested in all of their hands at the same moment it took for their jaws to hit the ground.
All at once, the clones charged, and chaos ensued.
The Taki Nin were unprepared, and it showed. While the clones were nowhere near as skilled or experienced as the real deal, they were more than capable of putting up a fight. They moved as one, their swords meeting the kunai of any and every imposter they could find. Their enemy was able to defend one or three, but what exactly could you do against an army of swords that could also apparently turn into a whip at will? There became no room to block or dodge, and soon, their flesh was greeted with blow after blow from the strange weapon.
Thankfully, the sword seemed to only deal blunt damage. Many who fell to a clone only found themselves either unconscious or wrapped up in the whip sword. Those who found themselves on the other end of Shimura's sword or Neji's palms met their end brutally. Those who went after Shibuki directly in a last attempt at taking the man's life met a similar fate via being captured and becoming pin cushions for Tenten's armor.
Almost 5 minutes into the one-sided fight, the original Naruto found himself engaged with the two Shinobi from before. Out of all of the imposters, they were faring far better than the rest. Each clone that engaged found themselves either being cut, kicked, thrown, or even impaled by the two, yet he couldn't say they came out completely unscathed. Cuts and bruises were scattered across their bodies, proof that they had been through hell and back.
Seeing his opportunity, Naruto charged forward towards one of the men. Using a recently dispelled clone to hide his presence and get within striking range. The moment Jonin realized the blonde had closed in, it was far too late. He brought up an arm to block instinctively, absent-mindedly understanding that the sword was blunt and would rather lose an arm than his life.
The blade glowed before cutting through the arm that blocked him, the arm falling to the forest floor. Shock overcame the man as he stared at the stump that was now his arm. A swinging roundhouse sent him flying, his world going black before he'd even hit the floor and not noticing the bleeding on his arm stopping all together.
"YOU BASTARD!"
Turning his attention from the falling man, Naruto stood ready to receive the second imposter charging him, fury clear to see in his eyes.
Unfortunately for the guy, he never made it. A green and white blue met him halfway, folding him like a lawn chair before sending him flying into a nearby tree. Unlike Uzumaki's show of mercy, he wasn't so lucky. The crack that sounded both from the tree and the man's bones told the Uzumaki that if the punch hadn't killed him, the impact certainly had. Looking at his attacker, he found Fū... floating? On closer inspection, he found constant motion behind her, his vision able to see the thin layer that was likely insect wings courtesy of the beetle inside of her.
Turning to him, she smirked, looking smug at stealing one of his opponents. She opened her mouth to gloat, but the blonde didn't give her the chance. Reeling back, he allowed his sword to extend, flying towards his fellow Jinchuuriki, who dodged desperately. The tip of the sword snapped the head of the kunoichi, who'd been moments away from running the mint-haired girl through, before the sword wrapped around the woman like a serpent. Pulling, he sent the kunoichi into a nearby tree, watching as she went limp and unconscious immediately.
Before he could even turn, Fū was in front of him, a fist full of his shirt in her hand and nearly pulling him forward the branch he currently found perched on.
"Hey! What's the big idea? You trying to kill me?" Fū roared, understandably furious.
"I knew you'd dodge." Naruto replied plainly, getting the fist in his shirt to tighten. "Can you please let go? Kinda in the middle of something."
Fū looked ready to say more, but the sounds of battle around her reminded her of the situation at hand. Her grip loosened, but she didn't fall completely. "You do that again, and I'll kick your ass."
"Noted." With that, Naruto was free, watching as the girl dropped low and on top of another Shinobi.
"What a personality." Sothis japes, getting an 'un' from the blonde before his attention is focused back on the remaining enemies.
...
"So, did they all have a death wish, or are they just dumb?" Tenten asked, the last enemy either dead or unconscious, or currently being interrogated by their sensei somewhere in the forest. Either way, the Higurashi did not really care.
"Probably a bit of both." Naruto mused, looking down at the last man he'd knocked unconscious. "They definitely had the numbers on us, but the skill was something to be desired." The blonde stopped to think for a moment. "Or we're just awesome. Yeah, I like that better."
"Does it really matter?" Fū asked incredulously. "They were underlings of that Suien prick and Amegakure missing Nin. That's all you need to know." She finished with a huff.
"Suien?" Neji queried.
"The guy I told you about before The one who invaded Taki Some of his lackies got away before I could kick their asses. Guess I now know where they went."
"We're lucky this was an ambush. Who knows what would have happened had we arrived in Takigakure without your help?"Shibuki said, walking forward with a frown. "I guess I owe you all my life. You have my eternal gratitude."
"It's our job, so don't sweat it." Tenten waved off. "Although, I gotta ask. Did you have history with that guy, Shibuki-sama? The Suien guy, that is."
"You could say that." The leader sighed, his expression becoming solemn. "Suien was a former Taki Shinobi. He was also a Jonin of Taki... and my former teacher." He revealed, but didn't get much of a reaction from the Genin—not that he was really surprised. "I didn't train under him for long, but I never knew him as a cruel man. He was strict, but what sensei isn't? The harder you understand the world, the better you are prepared for it, after all—even if, even if, I was once a craven."
"I told you not to say that!" Fū suddenly shouted. "You're not a coward, Shibuki-san! We both saved Taki together and fought that guy by ourselves! What kind of coward does that?"
The man flinched but didn't disagree.
"Sorry, but as for Suien, I never really understood what made him change. He says it was for power, but was it really? I thought I always knew him, that I could one day bring him back to the village, and things could go back to how they used to be—he as my sensei and me as a student. But... that day, I..."
"You killed him." Naruto stated more than he accused. Shibuki shank more, his fist tightening in his robes.
"He was someone dear to you, Shibuki-sama." Tenten said, understanding. "It is often hard to hate those you love, even when they hurt you."
"But I should! It's my duty as Takikage. He may have been my teacher, but he still committed treason and nearly killed Fū and my people. I should hate him; I know I should, but I just"
"You loved him like family, not a traitor." The Higurashi said, the Taki leader looking away in shame as tears began welling in his eyes.
"But it doesn't matter now, does it? You're Kage now, and he's dead. No matter how much you regret, there's no way you can change the past. What you can change is the future." Neji said it more harshly. Instead of growing angry, Shibuki fell deeper into his sorrow. Where the display made Tenten uncomfortable and Fū helpless, it only made Neji feel disdain. This man was meant to be the leader of his people, yet he was showing such weakness so easily. It disgusted him, yet he had nothing more to say to the man he now thought less of.
"This is pathetic." Inside the blonde's head, Sothis made her thoughts known. Naruto looked inward, trying to get a better understanding of the goddess's words. "This man is meant to be the leader of a nation, however small it may be. His people look up to him for guidance, yet he is so weak-willed.
"He's human." Naruto argued, to which the goddess scoffed.
"Being human does not excuse weakness when in a position of power. In this world, people devour the weak. He is in a position of power he himself accepted, yet he is so easily broken. Those who cannot accept the burden that comes with power are not fit to lead."
"That's kind of harsh. And insensitive."
"Do not lecture me on sensibility, child. He is a leader—one meant to lead his people. A show of weakness is a show of vulnerability. If their leader cannot lead, then what hope do his people have? Your will is never questioned because we were never coddled. He on the other hand," Naruto was forced to focus back on the downtrodden Kage, "who has not yet had his eyes unveiled. It's only a matter of time before"
*WAM*
Naruto, Sothis, Tenten, and Neji watched in open-mouth astonishment as the Kage was suddenly sent flying.
Naruto, Sothis, Tenten, and Neji watched in open-mouth astonishment as the Kage was suddenly sent flying.
"Get off your sorry ass and move on!" The shout came from Fū, the Jinchuuriki marching towards the downed Kage with a snarl. "Do you have any idea how hard I've worked?! How many people have suffered because of you and your inability to get your sh*t together?!"
Shibuki, too stunned to speak, could only stare in shock at the girl who had socked up.
"You may have had a reason to hesitate, but who the hell cares? We fought against him! We saved our village! Stop acting like you've had such a hard goddamn life just because one little thing changed your life! In my eyes, my life is 10 times worse than yours will ever be, yet you don't see me throwing a pity party! You're Kage now, for fucks sake! Now get out of your self-pity pile and ACT like it!"
Everyone remained gobsmacked, the Kage's face frozen in shock while the Genin, and Sothis, followed the greenette.
"B-but-" Shibuki tried, but was reminded of the punch from earlier via his friend popping her knuckles.
"No buts! Get your act together and be a Kage! It's your responsibility, so own up to it, damn it! And I swear, if I have to punch you again, then so help me. I'll make sure to do it with Chōmei this time. Got it?"
At the threat of being hit by not only her friend but the literal demon inside of her, Shibuki immediately nodded.
"Good. Now, let's get moving. If these guys killed off the original guards, then it's only a matter of time before the new ones arrive. We'll wait for them on the outskirts."
Without another word, Fū picked up her red satchel from before and began walking into the forest, passing the Sensei, who had apparently completed whatever she had been up to with the survivors. Meanwhile, the still flabbergasted Genin and Kage followed the girl's back until she was almost completely out of sight.
"W-well," Sothis's coughed, her tone a mix of impressed and surprised. "I, suppose that's one way to approach it."
"She's definitely passionate." Naruto japed, Sothis rolling her eyes at having her words from earlier used against her.
A/N: Just want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who's supported the move along with those who didn't. After careful thinking, I've decided to continue posting here, but will be posting this story more regularly on AO3 as well.
This site will no longer be my go-to for posting stories, however. if I am going to post a new story, then it will now be on AO3 from now on. Also, if at any point this site shuts down or is no longer operational, know that this story and my other will be up to date on AO3.
The next chapter will conclude this mission and will have us in another immediately. However, I regret to inform everyone that after the next chapter, this story will be going on a short hiatus for story quality sake. Will try to write up as many chapters as I can like before then start posting them one after another like previously. This gives me a chance to actually read the chapters more thoroughly and make changes before I actually post them.
But don't worry. This story will return either around Christmas or the very beginning of 2024 :)
Current ages in Scene:
Naruto: 12
Neji: 13
Tenten:13
Kagero: 19
Fū: 11
Shibuki: 16
Imposters: Voted out (RIP)