Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any character, except the OCs created by myself.

Naruto moved from shop to shop, trying to get a better view. Something was going on. Something big. Nobody would tell him though. They never do. Osana-obaa-san hated, simply hated him, he was starting to realize, so asking her was pointless. He always snuck out of the orphanage before breakfast, just to avoid facing her. Today also he did. Miki would save him a loaf, he knew. He always did. Nobody else knew.

The shopkeepers never liked him anyway, so he couldn't ask them either. Many of the shops were closed too, and the ones that were open, the owners were cagey and distracted. The few customers that came were as well; they were more focused on the people passing by them. Naruto wondered who they were.

First..they were really tanned. Almost brown. They also didn't wear green flak jackets, theirs were white and kinda weird, only covering one side of their chests. That's all Naruto could discern anyway, other than that they were about as friendly as the people were to them.

One Konoha shinobi was with them. He made small talk, but he also seemed tense. The three people, the tanned, probably foreign ones, talked even less. One of them, a truly massive ojii-san who looked old only due to that full white beard and walked a bit awkwardly, hummed every now and then, while the other two, one onee-san with a nasty scar running down the left side of her face and another oji-san with spikey grey hair, were completely silent. Their eyes seemed to dart around, and Naruto was pretty sure the ojii-san had spotted him already.

Just who were they? Naruto was pretty sure they were ninja. But they definitely didn't look to be from Konoha. Naruto was still too young to enlist in the academy (or so Jiji said), but he knew there were other ninja villages outside Konoha. He didn't know what those were though.

In order to get a better view of the ojii-san Naruto ran. He ran along the side of the road, using the cover of stalls and shops. Once he was a good 5 yards ahead of the group, he stopped, peeking out from behind a couple of crates. Maybe he could now catch a good view of him. The ojii-san was massive, but something seemed odd about his gait and-

"YOU!"

The roar almost made Naruto leap out, and the kick on his back made him tumble forth, into the road. The oji-san who seemed to have just kicked him was unknown to him, but he was clearly drunk.

"You fucking monster, slinking around! Get out of here! I can't believe Konoha kept you alive after all you did, you fucking-" he threw a bottle that Naruto dodged barely, picking himself up on his feet. The man, however wasn't letting go of him easily. He picked up an empty crate and hoisted it up, definitely planning to throw it.

Naruto found himself frozen.

Then something happened.

The drunk oji-san also froze, gave a small whimper, and collapsed.

Naruto was still frozen.

There was a palpable tension in the air. People moved away, both from him, and the group, clearing the patch of the street. They were still looking, but now their eyes were focused on him. And their expression didn't show curiosity or fear anymore.

It was hatred.

"Naruto-kun."

The voice broke him out of his stupor.

The Konoha shinobi-oji-san was talking to him. He was crouched next to him now, his scarred face wearing an expression of concern. Another two ninjas, ones with the white animal masks, were crouched beside the now unconscious oji-san, tying him up. Naruto also realized he could move now.

"Naruto, are you alright?"

Not sure what to say, Naruto just nodded.

The shinobi-san nodded, standing up. "Can you walk?"

Naruto nodded again. The other three shinobi, the foreign ones, were slowly walking up to them.

"Impressive work, Shikaku-dono." The ojii-san said in a booming voice. "Quite the drama you have going on in here. Consider me entertained."

"What great timing…" Shinobi-san muttered. "Can you walk?"

Naruto nodded again.

"Then can you go back home now? I mean..." he hesitated, "...we are really busy actually. Try not to get into trouble, ok? Just go to the orphanage and stay there." he said hastily.

Naruto nodded again, and ran. The crowd parted for him. What he didn't notice was a lone shinobi with a bone white dog mask was pacing him above the rooftops, making sure he reached the orphanage without any more incidents.

What he did see was why the foreign shinobi-ojii-san looked awkward.

His left sleeve was hanging limply against his body! He didn't have an arm from down his left shoulder!

Sarutobi Hiruzen welcomed the Kumo delegation into his office warmly. Furui Sendō, the Mountain Gorilla was an S-rank Jonin from Kumogakure, and was from the same generation as Hiruzen. Hiruzen wouldn't have expected a man of Furui's temperament to lead a diplomatic mission. Nor did he expect to see the giant missing an arm.

The talks started amicably. At least as amicably as one could expect of Kumo. Hiruzen reciprocated Furui's quips with backhanded compliments of his own and occasional jabs, causing the giant of an old man to flash his yellow and crooked teeth and slam his palm on the desk with bouts of boisterous laughter. Hiruzen wondered if the table would survive the meeting. They haven't even begun actual talk.

There was something wrong here, his honed instincts kept telling him. Furui Sendō was a warhawk who had lost his two sons in the third shinobi war, in a skirmish with Konoha no less. He'd be the last person to head a peace delegation. There were more levelheaded people at Kumogakure for such things. Why was he even here?

The negotiations started, and Hiruzen had to snap back to reality, putting his full attention to the various clauses of the charter. His suspicion aside, this was a historical moment. If Konoha and Kumo enter a non-aggression pact, pressure on Iwa will become tremendous immediately. As for Konoha, it would have a breathing room. Suna on the West being tentative allies and Kiri in the East being embroiled in civil war, Konoha for the time being would be secure for the first time since the third war. If things go smoothly, Hiruzen could even imagine a retiring, leaving the seat to someone younger.

His face must have given something away, because the man sitting opposite to him spoke unbidden. "These are not the times of us old men, Sarutobi." Sendō said, looking at him with a piercing gaze. "It's a new era. Folks like us, feeble, old, invalid, are just bidding our times, making ourselves useful. You and Onoki are exceptions. Unfortunate even, I dare say. You should be home. Tending to grandchildren, sipping warm sake on cold nights. I should be doing the same. And yet, here we are."

Hiruzen felt a pang of sadness, but his paranoia didn't go away.

Meeting went on till noon, and after a ceremonial but otherwise highly private banquet Hiruzen had to join in for another set of discussion. This time he was flanked by Homura, Koharu and Danzo…whose whole presence was an extra level of headache for Hiruzen. His old friend seemed to find something objectionable in every line of the treaty.

"It seems to me Konoha doesn't want peace after all!" Furui said, standing up in a burst of anger.

"Konoha does not want peace at cost of her right." Danzo said, impassive as ever. "You are the ones who wants peace. No, you need peace. That's why you are here. You came to Konoha during for peace, not the other way around. You'd do well to remember that while talking."

With a loud crack Furui punched a hole on the table, causing wood splinters to fly about, and Hiruzen had to adjourn the meeting for half an hour as the Mountain Gorilla's escorts became too busy restraining him.

"What an absolute farce…" Homura muttered as he passed him by.

It was evening when Nara Shikaku emerged back into Konoha streets. The meeting was over…for today. He yawned, already feeling drained. For all his age, Danzo had zero tact when it came to diplomacy, and Furui had temperament of a toddler being told no dango for a year. Of course this was all posturing, and the geezer was probably enjoying it…but if that was true, was Kumo even interested in a treaty? Or was this a prelude to something bigger?

The man in question stood right next to him, stretching his single arm.

"What's the plan for the evening, Sendō-dono?" he asked.

The veteran Jonin threw him an annoyed look. "You're not tagging along, are you?"

Shikaku chuckled. "Heavens no. This day has been long enough."

"The Anbu then?" the man snorted.

"Afraid so." Shikaku smiled back.

The geezer was as shrewd as he was reckless.

Without another word, the grizzled Kumo-nin strode off, flanked by his companions. Shikaku idly wondered about them. The girl, Raira her name was, if memory served him, was an A-ranked sensor and genjutsu specialist according to the bingo book. The guy…he was a nobody in contrast. Therefore probably Anbu. Quite the retinue to bring in for a peace delegation.

An easy explanation would be practicality, Shikaku thought walking back into the building. First Raikage was assassinated, rather famously. It wouldn't be out of place to be extra cautious with that in mind. Konoha was practically enemy territory.

Hiruzen was smoking when he walked in. Without a word he made a few hand signs, activating several anti-surveillance seals. Shikaku idly fished in his pocket for his own smokestack. He needed to smoke one before he made it home. Yoshino didn't appreciate smoking in a toddler's presence.

"What do you think?" the Hokage asked.

"Hard to say. The clauses are pretty steep…but not unreasonable." Shikaku said, inhaling some of the smoke wafting in the room air. "It feels like they are actually trying to make peace. Which…is odd."

"Perhaps we are becoming too paranoid." the Hokage said. "We have been through so much darkness that we can't even look at the light of hope without squinting our eyes."

"Hm." Shikaku mentally agreed. Big paranoia keeps a shinobi alive. "Speaking of darknesses, there was an incident with Naruto-kun today. Our guests had become unfortunate witnesses."

Hiruzen shook his head in sadness. Fate has truly dealt the boy a cruel hand. "I know. I will talk to the orphanage matrons as soon as this business is settled."

"If Hatake doesn't kill them before that." Shikaku chuckled.

Hiruzen shook his head again. "He is reckless, but not that reckless. Even he knows such incidents are bad in the presence of visitors. Let alone for his career."

"Have you ever reconsidered repelling the ban on adopting Naruto, Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen looked up at him, and in that one instant, Shikaku could see the man who wore the hat. A tired, old man, too afraid to break things, cut strings off, say no. A man who's too old to stir up new troubles. A man who's not anymore fit to lead a complex organization like Konoha.

"You know I can't do that. Naruto is too powerful…too valuable." he corrected himself quickly. "Plus it wouldn't sail. You know who would be the most obvious candidates for his adoption. Danzo won't allow it, and neither would the Hyuga. No no…I will figure out something. Don't worry about it, Shikaku-dono. Don't worry about it…"

If only it was that easy to not worry, Shikaku thought, lighting up his own cigarette while walking down the stairs of Hokage's office.

For Sega Kirumi it was a historical day.

For about 20 years, she ran her restaurant in Konoha. Blue Lily was a bit posh, but a civilian establishment. Her clientele was well-to-do civilians, occasional foreign merchants or delegates. But hosting a squad of Kumo shinobis was not something she had ever dreamt of.

And what scary men they were.

Her waitstaff was actively fidgeting, so were her other customers. Luckily she was able to usher the ruffian-looking group into a private booth, but still the entire atmosphere was tense.

However inside the booth it was opposite.

Furui Sendō was enjoying his serving of teriyaki. His associates were also not far behind.

"Civilians.." Jei snorted through mouthful of pork, relaxing his killing intent a bit. "At least we can talk now."

"Hm." Furui Sendo hummed, swallowing his bite. "Ok…so first, change of plans. We are going for Konoha's Jinchuuriki."

His subordinates looked up at him in shock.

"Tsk, tsk." Furui shook his head. "Unacceptable from you, Raira. You didn't detect the double layer of chakras in that twerp? And you call yourself a sensor?"

Raira lowered her head.

"I don't even need to be a sensor to tell he holds the Kyuubi. I can tell, based on how they reacted to him. The people. That bastard called him a monster. Why would anyone call a toddler a monster? Unless he's packing one? The Anbu guard, that split off from us to escort that boy, you saw his mask?"

"I did." Jei hummed. "It was Hound, if I am not wrong."

"You aren't." Furuí snorted. "The motherfucking Hound is assigned to that boy. He has to be an asset. An orphan asset, hated by civilians, called a monster. I will wager my granddaughter's head that he's the bloody Kyuubi jinchuuriki."

"But still…" Raira sounded still unconvinced. "The Hyuga…you can't just-"

Her words were caught in her mouth as the Mountain Gorilla's heavy killing intent fell on her.

"Don't go there girl. Unlike some of you, I don't mix business and personal feelings."

Raira nodded desperately, feeling short of breath, and the pressure subsided.

"Good. We will strike tonight. I want that boy's whereabouts before that. When we start tomorrow, I will go into the Hyuga clan compound and make as much noise as possible. You two are responsible for the boy. Take him and head out. Kill anyone at your path. Don't stop unless you are sure you were not followed. Wait at the agreed-upon extraction point. If I don't join you before dawn, leave."

"Aren't we rushing a bit?" Jei asked, a bit hesitantly. "Konoha probably doesn't suspect a thing…"

"And do you want to wait for them to catch on?" Furui snorted. "A lightning-fast strike is what we need. Do not forget why we are here. A wants us to get caught. He wants us to squeal so he can prove we were cowards, liabilities. He expects us to die. I want to put a slap on that runt's face that he won't forget. Completing this mission will do exactly that. Or are you scared, kid?"

"Of course not." Jei protested hotly.

"Good. Then finish your meal. We strike at 3 AM sharp."