Tsunade groaned loud enough to make sure that everyone else in the room was intimately aware of her disdain. "Well, well, well. This has the makings of a complete disaster, and I haven't even made any bets on it yet," she said, eyeing the others in attendance scrutinisingly. "Anyone care to wager in?"
No one was brave enough to answer her, or they were too caught up in their own internal panic to articulate a response. Understandable, really. It wasn't every day that the village received a personal letter from the Daimyo, let alone a direct request from the man himself. Tsunade would be the first to admit that she never would have guessed the pompous royalty of the world to keep thorough tabs on the hidden villages within their borders, but it was a pleasant surprise to be proven wrong for a change. Based on the letter that had been passed around in short order, the Daimyo was far more knowledgeable of Konoha's goings on than anyone expected.
"It was wishful thinking at best to assume that nothing like this would come of recent events," Jiraiya said, pinching his chin. "Stressing over how he found out is pointless. We should focus on how we are going to handle the request."
The Hokage coughed uncomfortably at the sudden attention directed at him. "We have no choice but to grant it. Anything less than that would sow doubt in our ability to handle such affairs. Now, more than ever, we must prove the strength of Konoha."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. Sarutobi was starting to sound like a broken record these days. Konoha this, good for the future that; it was all getting a little bit much for her, yet she persevered. Somewhere, hidden beneath all the bureaucracy and bullshit, was a silver lining just waiting for her chaotic luck to get its meddling fingers on. Whatever it was that her grandfather had envisioned when he formed Konoha all those years ago, Tsunade doubted this was it. Not to say the whole village was a lost cause, just some notable outliers that desperately needed pruning for the sake of progress. Nothing too extreme, and all easily feasible given enough time and careful placement of the right pieces on the board.
Unfortunately, the game would be much easier if new pieces didn't up and drop themselves in the middle of the board. Case and point, the Daimyo. Tsunade had been more than prepared to deal with the man, albeit not so soon. Yes, technically the Daimyo had a big say in who would be selected as the Hokage, should the opportunity for his input be present, but Tsunade had hoped she might be lucky enough, just this once, to avoid it.
The Daimyo, unsurprisingly, had a certain expectation of people— women especially —and Tsunade was neither in the mood or mental state to tiptoe around that for the sake of securing a role that was all but hers regardless. Pretending to be nice was not exactly a skill she was renowned for, though thankfully she wasn't the one currently causing the greatest level of concern right now.
"Will the boy be able to behave at such an event?" Homura asked.
"Uzumaki will be fine," Koharu quipped, nudging her teammate with her elbow. "Young Temari has made impressive headway in bringing that boy in line. So long as we keep them together, then I see no need to worry about him undoing anything."
Tsunade smirked. It hadn't just been Temari working to put Naruto in check. Between the two of them, there was enough incentive on his part to make sure he didn't act out of turn while everything went down. Truth be told, Tsunade was beginning to question whether her inputs on the matter were even necessary. Temari was, as Koharu had pointed out, seemingly pulling off the impossible by getting close to the boy. It was a strange relationship to say the least, but a healthy enough one from what anyone could tell. All in all, things were moving along rather smoothly.
There had been a brief hiccup when the Tsuchikage had deigned to leave his granddaughter behind when the time came for him to depart, but nothing that wasn't quickly ignored and forgotten. Kurotsuchi had become somewhat attached to the newly married blondes and the rumour mill never did cease its fantastical creative vomiting. Not being able to sate the public with any concrete reasons for all of the recent commotion also hadn't helped anyone.
The alliance with Iwa was still being heatedly discussed and debated, with Onoki apparently struggling to reign in some particularly hot-heated clans from his village into agreeing. There was no foreseeable risk of war breaking out over just talking, and so long as there was no initial spark there wouldn't be an explosive response from anyone. So long as they could maintain that, then an actual peace between the villages might be a viable possibility given enough time.
That was where the real problems began. Somehow, the Daimyo had learnt about the Tsuchikage's visit and the subsequent talks being had between Konoha and Iwa. Obviously, he had already been fully informed of the new alliance between Konoha and Suna, which was apparently also of some interest to the royals of the capital. It had been some time since an alliance was solidified through matrimony; combined with the knowledge of the attempted invasion, and it made for quite the intriguing tale for those willing to gossip about it. Nobility had a funny way of being able to romanticise almost anything, which in this instance, meant that Naruto and Temari's 'enemies to lovers' story was all the rage in the capital.
Tsunade looked forward to seeing how horrified the two would be once they learnt of it.
"And the Tsuchikage's granddaughter?" Danzo enquired carefully. "Would it be wise to grant the Daimyo the full extent of his request? Taking Uzumaki alone would present enough of a security risk, let alone allowing the Suna and Iwa girls to attend alongside him. Perhaps we can convince him to settle on a partial fulfilment."
"It's possible," Jiraiya said. "Me and the Daimyo get along rather well. I'm sure if I go there with Naruto, I can explain it away somehow."
Hiruzen shook his head. "No. We mustn't show restraint based on simple fears. If the Daimyo can be led to believe that we aren't strong enough to protect our own assets, then he may question our ability to serve the capital. With all that is happening, we cannot afford to have the world think our strength is nothing more than an illusion."
"Is it not?" Tsunade snorted.
"Some of it, perhaps," Koharu replied. "A well crafted and easily maintained illusion at that. Hiruzen is correct. Keeping up appearances is important in times like this. Even stretched thin, we are still more than capable of entertaining the Daimyo and keeping our assets secure. It will simply require a certain level of… finesse."
The three elders shared a knowing look. "There can be no room for mistakes then. We must all be transparent and proactive in keeping this from becoming anything more than it already intends to be," Homura said, earning nods from both Koharu and Danzo.
Koharu smiled somewhat smugly. "It has been some time since we were offered a chance to truly display the might of Konoha. We would be foolish to let it slip us by without making the most of it. The Daimyo's request may be ill-timed, and a tad arrogant on his part, but it cannot be denied that it presents us with a unique opportunity."
"That being?" Jiraiya asked.
"Putting our jinchuuriki on full display for the world, in a way that the chunin exams ultimately failed to achieve," Danzo chimed in. "Parading him through the capital, controlled and at the behest of the Daimyo, will be sure to turn some heads. Add the Suna girl to the equation and there will be no question as to where we stand after the recent attempt on our village."
"Might it be worth involving lord Tsuchikage in this?" Homura suggested. "It may have very well been his approach towards peace that spurred this event to begin with. It could be advantageous for representatives from the three villages to attend in peaceful unison."
Hiruzen hummed pleasantly at the notion and nodded. "Another true step towards a united peace. More than worth the hassle. Send word to the Tsuchikage but do not put preparation on standby waiting for his response. Plan for both possibilities."
The three stood and bowed to the Hokage. "We will begin preparations at once and return to you when we have a better idea of how to move forward," Danzo said. "Will there be anything else?"
Hiruzen waved them off. "No. You all know what needs to be done. That will be all. Thank you."
They left in short order, Jiraiya following soon after with some lame excuse that Tsunade hadn't quite bothered to listen to. Her former teammate had been grating on her nerves a little more than usual lately, and it wasn't because of his incessant attempts at rekindling whatever bond the two might have had back in the day. She knew what it was, of course. It was the same reason that she had decided to come back to this gods' forsaken village. Those who were meant to be leading were falling short, and that ultimately meant others were sufferings needlessly. Jiraiya and Hiruzen were clear contenders for the former, with Naruto the latter.
Tsunade hadn't become the worlds greatest medic just for the fun of it. Fixing people, helping them, it had given her purpose for many years and gotten her through many hardships in life. If there was a chance she could step back into that role, to do what little she could to help those that deserved it, then she owed it to them to at least try. Even now, as she stayed behind to give her old sensei one more pointless checkup, it was all worth it if it meant she could save just a few more lives in the long run.
"You seem troubled."
Her lips pursed. "Should I not be? The world teeters on the edge of war more and more every day. If anything, you seem far less troubled than you should be."
Hiruzen chuckled dryly. "Well, you are talking to a dead man."
Tsunade stopped and glared at him. "Don't," she said. "I know what you're like. You have something working in the background here, and not having anything left to lose isn't always a good thing. What are you planning sensei? If you want me to succeed you, then I need to know what's going on."
He smiled at her. That same pitiful smile that he always had when he knew that nothing he could say would appease who he was talking to. "Trust me, Tsunade. That is all I ask. I know I've made more than my fair share of mistakes, but what I am doing now will not be one of them. So please, trust me, just this once?"
Trust. Yes, because that had served everyone so well so far. In a world of secrecy and backstabbing, trust was arguably the most valuable currency, and not one easily obtained or held onto. "And if it doesn't go how you want it to?" she asked. "Even the best laid plans can fall apart. Are you at least putting contingencies in place?"
The smile never left his face as he continued to look at her. "You are the contingency."
Tsunade sighed deeply and pulled her hands back from her sensei. "Of course I am," she muttered to herself. "Your condition is progressing slower now. A small blessing. Whatever Danzo is having his agents do to help you seems to be doing something. Keep it up, and don't go using any chakra if you can help it. You just might live long enough to regret letting me take over in your stead."
She chose not to stick around for long. After exchanging a few awkward niceties, she took her leave with her sights set on one destination and her mind on a very particular kind of liquid that would help soothe her growing headache. Unfortunately, by the time Tsunade finally reached the privacy of her office, which was conveniently out of the way and lacking any kind of signs as to whom it was for, she found it to be not as empty as she would have liked.
Shizune looked at her with an understanding expression. "That bad?"
"Worse," Tsunade said, striding past her student and throwing herself heavily into her chair. She pulled a bottle from a drawer and started pouring herself a cup. "We will be visiting the capital as the Daimyo's guests. He wants to assess the condition of the alliance between Konoha and Suna, while also sticking his nose into the peace talks with Iwa. Can't blame him, but it's annoying. Regardless, it's all going to blow up in our faces, I can just feel it."
"What do you intend to do about it?" Shizune asked.
Tsunade shrugged. "Nothing, for now. Sensei has made up his mind, and his word is still the most important for the time being. Though depending on how things pan out, I might end up having to take charge a lot sooner than we thought."
She wasn't just being her usual pessimistic self when she said that either. Years as a medic, as a shinobi, had given her a sixth sense when it came to impending doom. Tsunade had lost more than enough people, both close and acquaintance, to recognise the feeling that often lingered before another life was going to be taken away from her. It had been part of the reason she had decided to leave this life behind and attempt to drown the sensations out with drink and frivolous life choices. Now she had to try and use that sense to predict what was coming and try to help those who she could. If only she could figure out who was in most need of protection.
She grumbled quietly to herself. Those worries could wait. If Hiruzen wasn't going to let her in on his machinations then there wasn't much she could do until whatever it was unfolded before her. In the meantime, she could at least devote some time and effort to other pressing matters. For example, Konoha's apparent lax in raising and training shinobi capable of actual war.
"How did you go on your end?" Tsunade asked.
Shizune smiled sheepishly. She pulled a file out from the folds of her kimono and opened it out on the desk. "Not as well as we had hoped," she began, gesturing to the rather short list of names the file contained. "Of the new generation, not many stand out in any way that might indicate the potential of truly exceptional shinobi. Those that do seem to lack the training, or motivation, to truly rise above their peers."
Tsunade almost snorted at the first name on the list. Shikamaru Nara. A lost cause if she ever saw one. The brat was bright, with more intellectual potential than anyone had seen in generations. Had her great uncle been around, Shikamaru would be the exact kind of mind Tobirama would have sought out for exclusive training. Sadly, Tsunade lacked neither the tact nor patience to deal with a lazy genius. No matter how brilliant of a medical ninja he could be, if one wasn't motivated to do anything and everything they could to save lives, then it wasn't worth the effort. Still, once she was Hokage there was bound to be someone she could saddle him with in order to get the most out of him for the benefit of the village.
The second name was expected, given what little she knew of the current genin. Sakura Haruno was an academic standout, but outside of that she left much to be desired. Mission reports didn't sing her praises, and if Kakashi was the kind of sensei that Tsunade thought he was, then the poor girl was being left behind at every turn when it came to individual tutoring. That being said, the girl was apparently showing some improvements in the motivation department, what with finally taking some aspects of her training more seriously, especially after the Uchiha fiasco. A backburner project at best, but not someone Tsunade wanted to invest too heavily in without good reason. Time would be the judge of what would become of young Haruno.
Third on the list was a girl named Tenten. No clan or notable specialties to speak of outside of her apparent obsession with anything that could hold a sharp edge. She did have some talent in basic Fuinjutsu; an obscure art that Tsunade sadly had little expertise in. Perhaps, given the right incentives, Jiraiya could be persuaded to aid the girl in her studies. Another shinobi proficient in Fuinjutsu would be a boon for the village no matter how her other skills developed in the coming years.
That was what it really boiled down to. Tsunade was expected to take the reigns of this village and guide it into the future. Be that to peace or to war, both outcomes needed to be appropriately prepared for. No one would hold it against her for getting a head start on things. Hence Shizune's list. Tsunade had tasked her faithful student with reviewing information on the current genin and up and coming shinobi of Konoha's forces, excluding a select few that weren't worth the trouble, and putting together a small list of those that might prove most beneficial given the right focused training.
Tsunade wasn't expecting such a short list, but beggars couldn't be choosers in this world. Even a handful of particularly efficient shinobi per generation would be better than nothing. Her eyes flickered across the remainer of the list. Nothing much stood out. A few from notable clans; a Yamanaka or two, an Inuzuka that seemed a little too interested in veterinary medicine, even an Akimichi who was hell bent on pushing the limits of their clan's expansion jutsu. All decent candidates, but none of them quite sparked Tsunade's interest. That was until her eyes latched onto a name scribbled at the end like some forgotten footnote.
"Hinata… Hyuuga?"
Shizune had the decency to laugh nervously. "I know you said not to worry about sifting through anyone from the Hyuuga clan, but I thought it was at least worth keeping our options open should nothing else pan out the way we want it to."
Well, Tsunade couldn't quite argue with that logic, and considering the slim pickings that were presented to her it made sense to consider all of their options. Still, the Hyuuga were problematic at the best of times. Even when she eventually took the hat, Hiashi was likely to be the biggest pain in the ass for Tsunade given his track record. The man was a perfect example of why clan politics and village politics should never mix too deeply. The whole clan was one small slip up from going a similar route to the Uchiha, and the only ones who seemed blind to that fact were the ones who boasted having the best seeing eyes in the world.
"You think she's worth looking into?" Tsunade asked, assessing her student carefully.
"I do," Shizune answered without hesitation. "She is a shy girl, and seems content to take on a background role in most situations, but there is a something about her… I can feel it." She laughed at her own words. "That must sound a bit silly."
Tsunade smiled. It was good to see Shizune not so high strung for once. "Quite the opposite. There's no one else who's instincts I would trust more. If you say this Hyuuga girl has potential, then I would be a fool to ignore it," she said. "There are a few on this list that will require further attention. Hopefully more than one of them shows promise. I will leave them in your capable hands, Shizune. The Hyuuga I will tend to myself."
"Are you sure, lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked unsurely. "The Hyuuga clan might not be willing to let you near their heiress."
"Hah, like any of them could stop me," Tsunade said. "If sensei can give free reign to that old war-hawk, then he can back me up on something as simple as this. The Hyuuga are part of Konoha, and its about time they started to realise that being in a clan doesn't provide them special treatment."
Two birds, one very heavy stone. That was how Tsunade viewed it. The whole point of the ninja villages was to move on from the days of the warring clans, where everyone remained contained to small groups, unwilling or unable to learn together for the sake of progression. Her grandfather, the fool he might have been, had high hopes for his little passion project. There was no way he would be pleased with the snails' pace of progress being made internally by Konoha. Some changes needed to be made, and Tsunade was unfortunately going to have to be the one to push the village out of the rut it now found itself in. She just needed to get a good backing of those she could trust for when the time came.
"Say, Shizune… don't suppose you'd be willing to spy on your fellow shinobi for me, would you?"
The strangled sound of hesitant resignation was all the answer Tsunade needed. She would figure out who in this village was going to be most useful to her during her time to rule, and maybe, with what little luck she had left, she could try to do what those before her were too afraid to try.
{I}
The capital was, to put it simply, a lot to take in all at once. Temari hadn't known what to expect when she had been told they were requested by the Daimyo, nor had she known exactly what would be expected of her in such a situation. Good behaviour, proper etiquette, manners, some flashy displays of her unyielding loyalty to Naruto, and by extension, Konoha; that was all obvious enough, though it did little to ease her anxiety. Temari had been to the capital of the land of Wind once before, when she was a little girl accompanying her father. While back then the capital of the land of Wind had seemed momentous and larger than life when compared to Suna, the capital of the land of Fire was so much more.
It was huge. From the gates, Temari couldn't even see the other side of the seemingly endless expanse of buildings and houses. Some towers reached so high that they would likely offer a near birds-eye view of the city bellow, something that Temari would definitely take advantage of if the chance presented itself. There was an almost disconcerting aura of wealth that permeated the capital as well, with everyone they passed being well-dressed and holding their heads high even at the sight of the Hokage and the shinobi accompanying him. If the Hokage cared about the blatant lack of respect, he didn't show it.
Temari remembered how respectful— or was it fearful —the people in the wind capital were towards her father whenever he bothered to grace them with his presence. She supposed that was the difference between a reputation earned by death, and a reputation earned through peace. Hiruzen Sarutobi was, at one point, considered the strongest shinobi in the world, the second only person to hold the title of 'god of shinobi', and yet here, in a city full of people he had devoted his life to defending, he may as well have been any other old man in their eyes. Was it ignorance? Arrogance? The result of an inflated ego born from years of prolonged peace and safety provided to them by the very individuals they now looked down their noses at? Either way, it left Temari less than impressed, and she had to fight the urge to not glare at those around them as they walked.
Much to her amusement, Naruto was doing more than enough to upset the onlookers. While the rest of the Konoha delegation had gone to efforts to make sure their appearance was properly presentable and made sure to smile and nod respectfully to any who caught their eyes, Naruto did none of these things. He was dressed as he always was, though he wore his orange jacket open today what with the warmer weather. His hands were buried in his pockets, and he lazily followed along like a stray puppy, messy haired and disinterested gaze scanning the city as if it were nothing impressive. His aloof behaviour, combined with his signature clothing choice, seemed to be precisely the recipe needed to annoy the smug onlookers.
The group made it almost halfway towards the Daimyo's residence— easily one of the largest of the structures in the capital, positioned in what was assumedly the centre of the city —before they were stopped by a small number of… guards? Temari wasn't sure what they were. They were dressed similarly to the guards they had passed at the gate, but they held themselves differently. Some Temari recognised as displaying sure signs of shinobi training, but the others were much too professional. Samurai, maybe?
"Welcome to the capital, lord Hokage." A single man approached them, donning an elegant kimono with the kanji for fire proudly displayed over the left side of his chest. He bowed low before standing back up with the first truly warm smile any of them had seen since arriving. "My name is Kuzo. I am one of the Daimyo's personal attendants. For the duration of your stay, I will be in charge of seeing to all of your needs and wants. Should there be anything you require, please don't hesitate to send for me."
Kuzo was a tall man with long black hair neatly tied into a single ponytail. He was clearly not a fighter, and yet he commanded a certain authority of those around him. Many wandering eyes were quick to widen in surprise at the sight of the kanji adorning his kimono. Temari had known of the famed twelve guardian ninja being identified by a sash with the same Kanji, but with them disbanded, perhaps this was simply the new way for the daimyo to identify who was under his direct employ.
The Hokage returned the mans smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Kuzo," he greeted. "We are in your capable hands."
Kuzo gestured to the guards behind him. "These men will be responsible for your protection within the walls, not that we think any of you will need protecting. We here in the capital are more than aware of the unrivalled quality of shinobi Konoha is known to produce," he said, ignoring the cough from Kurotsuchi. Kuzo's eyes scanned over the assembled delegation and frowned. "I see that master Asuma did not accompany you. I do hope that he does not still harbour any resentment for how his time here came to an end."
"No, no. My son is not one to hold grudges over such things," Hiruzen assured. "I'm afraid that his attention is still required at home. As the sensei of a team of budding young genin, and a newly promoted chunin, Asuma has more than enough to keep him busy without needing to worry about politics as well."
That seemed to appease Kuzo's curiosity for the most part. "Of course. The teaching of our youth is a most honourable task, one that I am sure master Asuma will excel in." With a wave of his hand, the guards dispersed silently into the passing crowds and side streets. Their presence was likely more for show than anything else. "If you would be so kind as to follow me, I shall escort you to your accommodations."
Following Kuzo turned out to set them at a slower pace than what they were managing before, but no one seemed to mind. Temari understood. The capital and Konoha were tightly interwoven, but separate enough that an appearance from either side was a notable occasion. They clearly wanted to parade the Hokage through the streets a little.
"We aren't going to have to talk like that, are we?" Naruto asked, nodding his head towards Kuzo.
Temari smiled mischievously. "Who knows. Maybe it would be in our best interest to keep up appearances," she said. "Why? Don't think you can manage it?"
Naruto frowned. "I'd rather not."
Honestly, she couldn't blame him. The flowery language of politics could get extremely insufferable at times, and something told her that they were in store for an obscene amount of it in the coming days. Still, it did present her with an interesting opportunity, if she so deigned to indulge her curiosity. "Willing to make a trade?" she asked.
"What kind of trade?" Naruto asked scrupulously.
Temari's smile widened. "I'll try to do all the talking, and even give you a quick rundown on what to expect, and some pointers for when you might be called upon personally. In return, you have to do something for me."
Was it a bit much to try and bend the situation to her advantage? Maybe. It wasn't every day someone like her could get one over a person like Naruto, and if this marriage was going to work in her favour, then she had better start getting some practice at manipulating him, even if only for some harmless fun.
Naruto eyed her curiously. "What do you want?"
"No idea," she said cheerfully. "But once I think of something, I'll let you know. Assuming you want my help that is. You can say no. Entirely up to you."
He'd be stupid to take such a gamble, even he had to know that. Thankfully there were several things working in Temari's favour. For one, she had never given him any real reason to not trust her, nor had she shown any intention of doing wrong by him. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to be completely evil about all of this, so he didn't need to worry. Too bad he didn't know that.
"Fine."
Tsunade snorted in amusement from behind them. "And I thought I was a bad gambler," she said, giving Naruto a pitiful look. "One day, brat, you'll learn never to trust a pretty face. Today is apparently not that day, so when you get all bent out of shape by whatever you have to pay her back with, do not come crying to me."
"You don't even know what I'll ask of him. It could be perfectly harmless," Temari said.
"Yeah, and I could be sober right now," Tsunade said. No one missed her slipping a flask from her jacket and taking a swig before it vanished from sight once more; everyone just knew better than to comment.
Naruto narrowed his eyes as he turned to Temari. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"
Temari sighed. "I was just trying to have some fun," she said, offering Naruto a disarming smile. She held her hand out and wiggled her fingers invitingly towards him. "I'll settle for you holding my hand whenever we are out in public here."
It was a pathetic trade, by any standards. She probable didn't need to bribe him into doing it, but hey, the less he could complain the better. He needn't know that her reasoning was far more selfish than she let on. Temari had found that the few times she and Naruto had walked the streets of Konoha, hand in hand, it helped immensely reduce any anxiety she felt being in a place full of people who had once been her enemies, some of whom probably still saw her as a threat. She wasn't scared, and it wouldn't stop her from getting around on her own, but having Naruto with her, in a weird way, reminded her of how it was to have Gaara with her. It was a comfort Temari hadn't realised she longed for, and one that Naruto was slowly but surely filling.
Naruto stared at the offered hand, just as he did every other time Temari tried this type of thing. With a loud sigh and exaggerated roll of his eyes he pulled his own hand out of his pocket and placed in hers, refusing to make eye contact as Temari's grin threatened to split her face. They each ignored Tsunade and Jiraiya snickering behind them, with the latter making a quiet 'whipping' noise.
Temari laughed quietly as Naruto pulled her along, trying to put as much distance between them and the Sannin as they could. And here she thought he was above being bashful.
{I}
A lot could be said about Konoha and its underbelly, carefully hidden under the ruse of it being the most peaceful of the five great hidden villages. Sasuke had known, even as a child, that it was all a façade. The Uchiha had been involved in more than their fair share of distasteful missions and coverups to know better than to buy into the delusion that Konoha was some sort of paradise; a lesson they made sure to pass on through the generations.
They were shinobi, and no matter what their end goal might be, the trail of blood that all shinobi inevitably carved through their lives could not simply be ignored or washed away. It was because of that knowledge, that understanding of how the world truly worked, Sasuke hadn't worried himself with the intricacies of what abandoning the village might entail. There would be consequences to face no matter what path he chose, and it didn't matter to him what those consequences were so long as his goal was accomplished.
Itachi Uchiha… dead by his hands.
Of course, that had been before. Before he had been bombarded with a different side of the story that he had failed to consider. Itachi had done a good job of making it all seem like it was his doing alone. Konoha had done a good job. What could he expect really. They had decades of practice in covering up their darker side, of pinning the blame on anyone but themselves.
That wasn't to say that he believed what the Hokage said completely. How could he. The old man had far too long to concoct a cover story that perfectly resonated with Sasuke, and that alone was enough to cast doubt on any words out of his mouth. No, he needed to hear the truth from Itachi himself. Only his brother would be able to shed any truthful light upon the reason behind the slaughter of the Uchiha clan. And, if it turned out to be just as the Hokage explained… well, Sasuke wasn't sure what he would do if that were the case.
All he could do for now was hope. Hope and train towards a clear goal in his mind, just as he had for these years. In a way, nothing had changed in that regard. Only the scenery, and the ones responsible for guiding him to greater power. Speaking of, Danzo was an enigma all his own. The man who possessed several stolen Sharingan, who had supposedly played an active part in sanctioning the massacre of his clan.
Sasuke wasn't stupid. He was nowhere near strong enough to kill the man himself and walk away from it. It wasn't as simple as killing a single man. Danzo had Root. The fanatical and brainwashed Anbu guard that would devote themselves to hunting down and destroying the one responsible for their master's demise. If he wanted to kill Danzo, he would need to destroy the entirety of Root, and if he wanted to do that, then he needed to figure out a way to do it that wouldn't somehow earn him the full attention of Konoha.
As it was, he was far from being in a position to do anything about his current confinement. Sasuke had no choice but to bide his time, keep his head down, and focus on getting stronger. Not a difficult thing to do once he realised just how deep the shadow of Konoha truly was. The vast amount of knowledge and information that Root had acquired, be it ethically or otherwise, was astounding. There were scrolls and secret knowledge from almost every clan Konoha contained or had contained throughout its years.
Currently, Sasuke's nose was buried in a scroll from the Uchiha library, the entire contents of which had apparently been copied or seized shortly after the commotion of the massacre. It really went to show how much the village respected the Uchiha in their final days, not even their private library was left untouched.
He didn't look up when the door opened, followed by the rhythmic tapping of a cane that he had grown to despise in these few short weeks.
"I see you are keeping yourself busy," Danzo said, taking a seat across from him. "I take it you have found which of your clans scrolls were stolen or altered."
Sasuke grunted and continued reading. That was the first thing he had discovered. The only thing he couldn't figure out was why they had gone to such lengths to alter scrolls containing history and techniques from his clan.
Danzo picked one of the scrolls up and inspected it. "We were careful, of course. Choosing only scrolls that we deemed too much for you to ascertain the true nature of until you were ready. After Itachi decided to leave you alive and blackmail us into caring for you, we had to ensure that you never acquired the power to turn against us. Power the Uchiha held onto for far too long."
There was an arrogance in the old man's voice. Why else would he be spewing such things straight to Sasuke's face. He believed he had won, completely and without consequence. Sasuke had nowhere to run, no one to turn to, and no other option than to rely on Danzo's mercy and teachings. Danzo knew this, and he was letting his ego run wild with it.
"Why the change then?" Sasuke asked. "Why even let me see these scrolls at all? Won't that risk me getting too strong anyway?"
"Perhaps," Danzo said. "But by the time you achieve such strength, I am confident you will no longer be a threat to this village."
Sasuke sneered. "You're so sure that I can overlook everything you've done to me, to my clan?"
Danzo smiled ever so slightly. "Overlook? No. Understand? Well, you are a bright young man. There is still plenty of opportunities for you to grow and mature, to understand the way the world truly works. Once you figure that out, then and only then will you understand the decision made against your clan. And if you don't, it isn't as if we don't already have our fair share of skeletons in the closet to rid ourselves of. What is one more to the list."
Sasuke bit his tongue and refused to let his anger rise. He had learnt quickly that lashing out only got him locked back in that room for a day to calm down. The curse mark on his shoulder burned as he fought against its goading. Sometimes he could swear he heard Orochimaru's voice whispering in his ear.
Danzo perked up, seemingly noticing the curse marks activity. "Come. I think it is about time we saw the full capabilities of Orochimaru's work."
"You just want to study it for your own gain," Sasuke spat.
"Indeed, I do. But so do you. Since you will never be allowed to utilise it without my personal supervision, I would suggest you take what few opportunities presented to you to practice and learn. Together we can unlock its secrets, and you've nothing to lose on the matter," Danzo said. "Unless you would rather remain here, toiling in the knowledge that failed to keep your clan alive."
Sasuke seethed and rolled his current scroll back up. Danzo was an insufferable and irredeemable monster, but he was also an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable shinobi. He had to remind himself that if it wasn't Danzo, it likely would have been Orochimaru trying to guide him and manipulate him into something he was not. Of the two, Sasuke might have preferred Orochimaru, but he would make do with whoever he could. Strength was all that mattered at this stage of his life. He could worry about the finer details of what came after he found out the truth once he had what he sought.
As he followed Danzo through the maze of tunnels and hallways that made up the underground labyrinth beneath Konoha, Sasuke kept his Sharingan active. Each time he was moved, a different path was taken, with some of the old ones even ceasing to exist along the way. Slowly but surely, Sasuke was piecing together a map of this place, taking careful note of what passageways remained and which ones disappeared.
One day, this knowledge would prove invaluable to his mission, and detrimental to Danzo's health. Sasuke would make sure of that.
If his eyes weren't so focused on his surroundings, Sasuke might have noticed the smirk on Danzo's face as they walked. Things were proceeding exactly as expected.
{I}
Naruto narrowed his eyes. She was going to laugh. She was trying her best not to, but with her hand clamped over her mouth, and the glimmer of pure amusement in her eyes, it wasn't hard to tell that it was taking all of her efforts to hold it in.
He sighed. "Get it over with then."
Temari inhaled deeply through her nose before carefully removing her hand, lips tightly pinched together as she continued to stare. With a long exhale, she relaxed. "I'm good, I'm good. No laughing, I prom—" her words caught in her throat before she let out a spluttering giggle, one that was likely as embarrassing for her as Naruto's current situation was for him.
He chose to wait, patiently he might add, until Temari managed to calm herself down. In the meantime, he returned to his… complication. So far, their time in the capital had been simple, if a little boring. Naruto was uniquely accustomed to people looking down at him, so the behaviour of the masses here affected him little. What did affect him, and Temari by extension, was how they had been lodged together in a single room.
It was a large and very accommodating room, within an inn that was most definitely out of their normal price range. They had their own private bathroom, a selection of clothes had been brought to them for the upcoming meeting with the Daimyo, and at least this way neither of them had to put up with living with someone they didn't want to, even for a short period. The real issue was that, just like in their apartment back in Konoha, there was only one bed.
Naruto hung his head a little. He had been looking forward to not sleeping on a couch for a change. He hadn't realised how nice a small comfort such as a bed was until he no longer had one. He shook that thought from his mind, focusing on the real issue at hand. In the corner of the room stood a large vertical mirror, before which Naruto found himself stuck.
He knew how to dress himself; he swore to the heavens he did. Even if his choice of colours made those around him think he was an idiot when it came to attire, Naruto was no fool when it came to choosing the right clothing for the right occasion, and he was he certainly capable of tidying up when the need arose. This however, this was getting on his nerves.
The dark orange obi fell to the floor in a heap for the umpteenth time that day as Naruto shucked off the navy blue haori and began undoing his kimono. Why he needed to dress up like this just to meet one lousy person was beyond him. Sure, it was the daimyo; he understood the importance of that title, but why did he specifically have to meet the man. Couldn't the Hokage have just sorted it out between them and left him out of it like he always had. Why now was his life required to incorporate politics.
"Never worn one before?" Temari asked, having brought herself under control.
Naruto shot her a look that screamed 'what do you think?' before going back to trying to make all this mess of fabric sit neatly. It was an impossible task, and one that he was soon to abandon in favour of showing up to the meeting in nothing but his boxers if need be. No matter what he did, how he positioned the articles, or how loose or tight he made it, the whole thing felt wrong and probably looked ridiculous. It was suffocating and itchy, restricting and lacking any protective qualities. He may as well have been naked.
Temari laughed as she walked over to him and grabbed his hands as he attempted to tuck his kimono in. "Let me," she said, smiling at him as she placed his hands on either side of him. "First times can be a little tricky with these formal ones. Always better to have someone help you."
Naruto didn't dare move as Temari went to work. Her hand expertly glided over the fabric, tucking it and folding it everywhere that it needed, making sure to always leave enough room for comfort. Bit by bit, the creases and unevenness of Naruto's own disastrous work faded away. The obi was the real problem. Naruto knew how to tie a lot of knots, but tying one of those things was not something he had the patience to figure out. Temari made short work of it, and Naruto found himself thankful that Temari was behind him and focused on her task, lest she see the faintest blush he was fighting to hold back.
With one final tug and tuck, Temari completed her work. She picked the haori up off the ground and held it up for Naruto to slide his arms into, which he did without complaint. She circled him, brushing the final layer smooth with her hands lining everything up in one last adjustment. Once she was done, she took a step back and gave him an up and down stare, frowning slightly at what she found.
"I look ridiculous, I know," he said, voicing what he assumed to be her thoughts.
Temari frowned a little deeper and tilted her head. "No, it's not that. Just needs one finishing touch."
She was upon him quickly, fingers raking through his messy hair in long smooth strokes, combing it back away from his face. When she stepped away this time, she gave a pleased nod and gestured to the mirror for Naruto to take a look.
It was strange to see himself dressed up like this. For the longest time he had made do with what he could scrounge together for himself, trying not to rely on the charity of those who only wished to use him. And now here he was, garbed in fancy clothes, clean and immaculate, like some freshly polished trophy awaiting display. It was only a matter of time he supposed.
"This has nothing to do with the Kyuubi," Temari said, apparently reading his mind. Her reflection smiled warmly at him in the mirror. "No daimyo cares about the jinchuuriki, or the bijuu, or what gets done with them. That's the village's business alone. This is more than that."
"More?" he probed for elaboration. What more could he be saddled with in one lifetime? Was he not carrying enough baggage already.
Temari nodded. "This is what it means to be the child of a Kage. To have expectations thrust upon you, whether you want them or not. Being put on display, having to conform to their idea of what you should be and how you should act; it's all part of it," she explained. "With our part to play in the alliance between two of the largest and most powerful villages, it only makes sense that the daimyo would become interested. Everyone will be interested. It won't be fun, but this is likely something we should get used to dealing with from time to time."
Naruto furrowed his brow. He should have run away years ago, long before people figured out who he was. Now he would never know peace in any form.
"What about me?" Temari asked, nudging him from his thoughts. She did a small spin on the spot before striking a small pose and smirked as he looked at her. "Is this kimono flattering on me, or no?"
It was an elegant Kimono, clearly made of some very expensive fabrics and held together with a red obi that hugged her middle. Her hair had been done up into two neater ponytails for the occasion, though they still retained a semblance of unruliness much like Naruto's own hair even when combed back. He liked that. Frustratingly, in spite of himself, Naruto couldn't stop his eyes from lingering a little where the fabric hugged some of Temari's more pronounced curves. She was still young, but she was growing, and it was showing.
"And you humans dare to say that us bijuu are the ones in need of controlling," the Kyuubi mused, and was promptly cut off from speaking his speaking privileges.
Temari noticed his gaze all too easily and laughed. "Guess that answers that question," she said, quickly snatching Naruto's hand in her own. "Come on. The sooner we get there the quicker it'll be over."
As they made their way to the entrance of the inn to await everyone else, Naruto felt Temari cling to his hand a little tighter than usual. She was nervous, he could sense it. More so than she ever was within Konoha. He supposed this whole situation was as overwhelming for her as it was for him, though in different ways. Whereas this was all unknown and strange to him, it was quite familiar to her, for all the wrong reasons.
It reminded her of her life before, of who she was, who her father was. Memories of everything from her childhood, all the pain her family had been through at the hands of her father was fresh in her mind. And yet, she was the one helping him. It didn't feel right to him.
"Thank you," he said softly, not expecting her to hear him.
She did, and when she turned to him with a soft smile and squeezed his hand reassuringly, it almost made him forget that he was supposed to hate all of this. "We're stuck in this together, remember."
"Aww, don't you two look cute together," Kurotsuchi said, striding up to them in her own formal attire.
Temari quirked her brow at the Iwa kunoichi. "Isn't that a man's kimono?"
It was, no question about it, nearly perfectly matching Naruto's own, including her own haori, save for the colour selection. Kurotsuchi didn't seem to mind at all as she struck a confident pose and flashed them a cocky grin. "It's a stylistic choice."
"Of course it is," Temari said, shaking her head at the girl's antics.
The world was strangely silent for Naruto, even as the other members of the delegation filed out of the inn and they collectively made their way towards the Daimyo's tower. 'Together,' he thought to himself. He and the Kyuubi were together, their fates bound by powers greater than their own. It was the closest and strongest bond he had in his life, and one that he cherished despite its flaws. But Temari…
It was similar. They had been forced together by those in command of them, bound together through ritual and duty. Unlike with the Kyuubi, their relationship hadn't started with fear and rage, with a distrust that took years to overcome. Would that make it easier then? Could Naruto grow to view Temari in the same light that he viewed the fox. Would their bond become as strong or was this the extent of their connection; both merely doing what they needed for the sake of themselves.
Naruto wasn't sure what could become of all of this, and he didn't know if he wanted to find out. Despite everything he had lived through, despite his distrust of everything and everyone, he couldn't deny that part of himself, buried deep down somewhere, longed for something he had been sorely lacking until now.
He squeezed Temari's hand back and fought to keep his expression neutral.
This was definitely the old man's plan all along.
{I}
"And we are here, why exactly?" Kiba asked, planting himself on the couch with a bag of chips that he had 'borrowed' from the cupboard.
Ino put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Do you not have any sense of curiosity?" she asked.
Kiba shrugged. "Sure, I do, when it comes to normal stuff," he said. "This whole snooping around peoples houses while they are out of the village thing, totally not normal, and probably illegal too. Besides, the two don't even share the bed. She sleeps in there; he sleeps out here. Totally lame, and not even close to gossip worthy, assuming that's what you're here for."
"He does have a point," Shino said. He had taken some interest in a small arrangement of plants on the kitchen windowsill, the flowers of which had attracted some insects. "Perhaps it would be wiser to wait for them to return and ask them directly whatever it is you are curious about."
Ino rolled her eyes. "Tried that already. Got led in circles."
"Maybe they do not wish for you to know anything," Hinata chimed in.
Ino groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "If you guys were just going to chew me out over this, why did you all agree to come here?"
Team eight shared a look before turning back to the blonde and chorusing a simple 'we were curious'.
"Then act like it. You three are the best trackers of our class. Surely you can scrape together some information on these two," Ino said.
The two in question being Naruto and Temari, whose apartment they were currently invading and searching through carefully. Ino had thought to just come herself once she learned that the young couple were currently out of the village, but thankfully she had brought help. If it hadn't of been for Hinata, Ino might have gotten caught in one of the far too plentiful traps set up to deter precisely what was occurring.
It was strange really, there were so many traps set up, yet almost nothing worth stealing. Ino could have guessed that someone like Naruto would live a minimalistic lifestyle, but Temari? There was no jewellery, no fine clothes. Actually, the only expensive things the pair seemed to own was a disturbing amount of ninja equipment. Seriously, it was insane. Every room they went through, every cupboard, every drawer, all had at least something in the form of a weapon at the ready. If Ino didn't know better, she would assume they were preparing for an all-out war to erupt in the middle of their apartment.
It may have also had something to do with how close the two had gotten to Tenten, but who was to know really. Tenten was proving just as elusive as the blonde couple she trained with, albeit for entirely different reasons. The bun-haired weapon mistress was— and there was no delicate way of putting this —extremely single minded. If it didn't involve training, or something with a bladed edge or stabbing point, then Tenten simply never paid enough attention to retain anything useful.
Ino had tried, much to her frustration, to get Tenten on her own to try and pry information out of her. Turns out, using a familiar topic to start a conversation only worked on normal people. Ino still got queasy whenever she saw a weapons shop, remembering the encyclopaedic bombardment of knowledge that had been unleashed upon her at the slightest mention of wanting advice. Never again. On the plus side, at least now she had a very good idea of what sort of weapons would compliment her physique and fighting style.
"Why do we care about Naruto's personal life again?" Kiba asked, pouring the remaining crumbs from the bag into his mouth. "We aren't in class with him anymore, and he's not on any of our teams. I'd call that a win and be done with it."
Shino stared at Kiba. "It does not bode well for him to be making more than one good point a day."
"Oi!"
Ino's shoulders slumped. "Fine, fine. If you guys don't want to help, then just go. I can find something on my own."
Kiba and Shino wasted no time in making their way to the door. Ino didn't blame them. Shino wasn't exactly one to pry into peoples lives, and Kiba and Naruto had never been on the best of terms. Hinata was… hang on.
"Uh, Hinata? You okay?" Kiba asked.
The Hyuuga hadn't moved. Her byakugan was active, and she was staring at a spot on the wall. "There's something there," she said, crossing the room.
Her hands traced along the wall until she found the slightest seem in the wallpaper. Hooking her nails into it and peeling back a perfectly cut square from the wall. Ino and the boys were by her side quickly, each staring at the wall with varying expressions.
Ino tilted her head curiously. "A storage seal?" Was that it?
"Yeah, one made out of blood," Kiba said, scrunching his nose up at it. "Why would you even do that?"
"A seal written in blood and infused with the creator's chakra can be made to only respond to the one who made it," Hinata explained, only to blush and step back when everyone stared at her wide-eyed. She pressed her fingers together nervously. "We uh, have some things like that in the Hyuuga compound."
"Right," Ino said, dragging the world out as they turned back to the seal. "I guess the only question now is who made it."
A small bug flew from Shino's shoulder and landed on the seal, scuttering around for a second before returning to the Aburame's outstretched hand. "Naruto. It is his chakra signature."
"And we can't find out what's inside?" Ino asked.
"Probably not without destroying whatever is in there," Kiba guessed. "More importantly, I don't really wanna know what kind of crap that freak has hidden away. This is above our pay grade. Let's just put everything back how we found it and hope that he doesn't figure out we were here."
Ino frowned. It wasn't at all what she was hoping to find. Technically, it was nothing, but whatever. At least now she could cross their living situation off her list of things to investigate. She was running out of things on that already short list, which meant she was running out of distractions, meaning she would get roped into training even more if she couldn't come up with a good excuse for Asuma.
After they put everything back and parted ways, Ino sauntered home and pondered her next move. Naruto was hiding something, and she wanted to know what. That seal was all that stood between her and the unravelling of a secret that was just screaming to be discovered. Ino knew better than to go to any of her sensei about it. They would be more caught up on the fact that she had broken into a comrade's apartment to snoop. No, she needed a different kind of help, and preferably the kind that could deal with seals.
Regrettably, there was only one person Ino knew that was at all interested in the intricacies of storage seals and the like. The oncoming headache had already begun pre-emptively forming as she spun on her heels and headed to the one person she swore she didn't want to deal with.
If the gods were good, then Tenten wouldn't be in quite the chatty mood as last time.
{I}
Everything had gone much better than expected. Hiruzen honestly couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. The meeting with the daimyo, which turned out to be a small party that the man held in honour of the budding alliance between three great nations, went as smooth as it could have. Even Naruto, with some careful guidance from Temari, had proven to be respectful and more than presentable in his role.
The young couple would be the talk of the capital for a short while, along with their growing friendship with Kurotsuchi. To many of the royals, it was as good of a guarantee one could get towards the continued peace between the villages and nations. Individual bonds were often what tipped the scales in such matters, as they had done in the beginning days of the villages' formation. With any luck, it would hold true despite what was to come.
He took a long drag from his pipe and sighed deeply. War was supposed to be behind him. The world had already buried too many lives. Had they not learned after three wars that nothing of benefit could come from fighting over what was essentially pointless reasons. Hiruzen had thought, hoped really, that the cycle of hatred had been beaten down enough to never rear its ugly head again. How wrong he had been.
And now, despite all he had fought for, everything he had done in the name of peace, it was he who would finally be the one to thrust the world back into the chaos he swore he would never wish upon another soul. It was he who would condemn the youth of this world to the unforgettable and unforgiveable horrors of human nature in all of its raw, unrestrained glory.
Just another mark against his name. Another failure he would never be able to make right. Even his death would not wash away all the blood that stained his worn and wrinkled hands. Hiruzen had to wonder if this was how the other Kage found themselves at some point or another; looking back on their past decisions, at the consequences of their leadership, before ultimately casting their gaze towards the future with an unsurety unbecoming of their position. Surely, he couldn't be the only one who had felt the way he did now.
"Was this the plan the whole time?"
Hiruzen smiled as he turned to Naruto. Figures that even up here he would not be beyond reach. "Which part?" he asked innocently, chuckling to himself as he turned back to his view.
From up here, atop one of the sky-touching towers of the capital, it made everything seem so small. With a view like this, looking down on everyone else, it made sense how so many of the worlds' leaders became so distant from the effects of their choices. Everything felt so far away, so out of sight, and he in turn felt untouchable. It made him grateful for Konoha's slightly more humble design for the Hokage tower.
"Temari," Naruto said.
Hiruzen laughed softy. "Oh, yes. Well, I can't rightly deny any involvement in that, now can I?" he said amusedly. "Though I wonder if you are more upset that I made a plan involving you, or that you fell for it just as I predicted you would."
Naruto sat himself down beside him, strangely subdued compared to his usual temperament, though with a deep frown on his face. "How could you know it would work?" he asked, voice quiet and unsure. "Am I that predictable?"
There was a pain in the boy's tone, a vulnerability that Hiruzen hadn't heard from Naruto since before the incident that changed everything. All these years, Hiruzen had been careful to ensure that Naruto never felt the pressure and constraints that truly accompanied his role as jinchuuriki. He had permitted the boy to have freedoms far exceeding that which normally would have been allowed, only to now bring that illusion of free-will crashing down around him in such a short time.
He had no one to blame but himself for however Naruto chose to respond. Just as always, in his efforts to aim for peace, Hiruzen had sadly set things up for catastrophe.
"You were lonely," he said simply. "All lonely people are predictable in that they all want for the same thing, whether they are willing to admit it or not. You are no different, Naruto. Regardless of what you are, of how some may treat you, you are still just a person. What you wanted, what you needed, was obvious from the start, but I was too slow to come up with a viable solution. That was, until Temari came along."
He doubted Temari herself or Suna understood just how fortuitous the timing of their offer truly was. Desperate measures had been considered regarding Naruto before the opportunity was brought before them. Thankfully, that was all behind them now. All that mattered was the future.
"She is a fine young woman. Beautiful, kind, strong willed. No one would ever blame you for falling victim to her charm," Hiruzen said, a sly grin on his face. "Even the strongest and most heartless of men are felled every day by the wiles of women. Don't feel too bad about it. One way or another, you would have succumbed to one of them someday."
Naruto didn't appear too pleased by the notion, but he remained quiet, the gears of his mind grinding away, likely trying to figure out what moves were left to him. Poor boy. As much as Hiruzen wished he could tell him that anything was possible, the simple fact was that the world moved to its own rhythm, and they were all just along for the ride.
"There was never a chance, was there? For me to be free"
Hiruzen's smile saddened. "No, my boy. None of us are free. Not yet," he said. "Though I'm sure whatever deal you are forming with Tsunade may very well provide an opening for you." The way Naruto's eyes widened slightly made Hiruzen smirk. He should have known by now that nothing happened within Konoha's walls without the Hokage knowing about it. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I trust Tsunade. Whatever she chooses to do with the position once I am gone will likely be for the best. Though I have to ask, now that you've had a taste of what could be, do you think you will be able to leave by the time that opportunity is available to you?"
Often was the case where the youth looked beyond the walls of the village in which they were born, dreaming and hoping for greater things outside of the confines of their expected careers and lives. No one could hold it aginst them; it was only human to dream and imagine. Then time would take its toll. As they waited for the perfect time to pack their bags and venture forth, they would grow alongside others, form stronger bonds, find someone to love, become comfortable in what they knew, afraid of losing it even. You could call it what you wanted; human nature, the will of fire, in the end it was all the same. Humans were predictable to a point. Give them something to cherish, something to fight for, and you could keep them in line easily enough.
The real trick was finding something that the masses would fight for.
"Did she know?" Naruto asked, his stare piercing and tone demanding. "Was she in on it?"
Ah, so that was it. Hiruzen had to hold back from letting another laugh slip. He couldn't help it. Of all the reactions, all the questions he might have expected from Naruto in this moment, he never once considered that the boy might be more concerned about Temari's part to play rather than the scheme as a whole.
"Not at first," Hiruzen admitted. "By the time I got around to explaining my intentions to her, she had already taken it upon herself to try and get close to you. Even when I did explain myself to her, she was troubled by the thought of having played into my hands. I'm sure, had I given her any reason to, Temari would have sabotaged whatever progress she had made with you at that time. She does seem to care about you in her own way, just as I believe you are growing to care about her in yours."
The two shared a tense silence for several minutes. For Hiruzen, it may as well have been hours. It had been so long since he had simply been able to sit with Naruto, in silence or otherwise. There was still no trust, no reparation of the rift between them, but here in this moment there was only the two of them. It was a comfort Hiruzen did not deserve, yet he was thankful for it all the same.
"For what little it is worth, I am sorry," he said. "It was never my intention for you to suffer. Your parents entrusted your wellbeing to me, and I failed them. I failed you. For that, I am truly sorry." Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe before tapping its contents out on the rooftop and tucking it away. "I will not ask you to accept my apology. That time has long since passed. What I will ask of you, if you're willing to humour me, is that you give the village one more chance when you get back. You might be surprised at what kind of life you can create there."
A glimmer of understanding flashed across Naruto's face, not unmissed by Hiruzen. He had chosen his words carefully, and Naruto knew that.
"When I get back?" Naruto asked.
Hiruzen smiled. "It is late, Naruto. Temari is likely wondering where you've run off to by now. You should go and make sure she stays safe in this strange place."
Naruto seemed to understand what he meant by that, quickly leaving him to his own thoughts. Hiruzen took a deep breath of the cool night air and sighed deeply. He got to his feet, feeling every ache and pain his body had amassed over the years, further exacerbated by the effects of the reaper death seals constant strain. The travel to the capital had only gone to prove how close his time was. Were it not for Tsunade, the journey may have claimed him early.
He smiled. Konoha would be well cared for from here on. Better hands than his own now manned its course, that was for sure. He just hoped he was making the right choice, and that none of his sins would pass on to those that came after him.
"Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen turned to the Anbu kneeling behind him. He was not dressed in standard Konoha Anbu attire, nor were the dozen other agents waiting behind him. Instead, they were all wearing some variation of what was commonly known to be the Anbu uniforms of other notable villages, masks to match. Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure just for safe measures. Not Hiruzen's personal idea, but one that he could understand the potential of, at least when it came to Kiri and Kumo. As for Iwa, well, he just hoped that the Tsuchikage knew what he was doing by asking to be included in this little escapade.
"Are you sure this is your command?" the Anbu asked.
"Quite sure," Hiruzen said. With a shrug his robes fell from his shoulders, revealing his battle-ready outfit underneath. Being outside of the village, no questions would dare be asked as to why he was prepared for danger. The Daimyo would never know just how perfectly his invitation had been in bringing this all together. He coughed hard, ignoring the taste of blood that filled his mouth. Now was as good a time as any, and at least this way his death might serve a greater purpose.
"Please do keep the collateral to a minimum," he said, taking his stance. "Outside of that, you should come at me with everything you have. Give an old man a fight worthy of his years."
The Anbu unsheathed their various weapons, all meticulously collected from the genuine articles over the years prior. Only the denial of the villages in question could sew doubt into what transpired here, and by the time it was over, their word would mean little. All part of the plan.
'I leave the rest to you, my dear students. Show me how much you have grown.'
{I}
Temari woke to the ringing of bells. She was on her feet and dressed faster than she knew she could be, fan snatched up from its place beside the bed as she raced towards the balcony. What she saw when she reached it made her stomach sink. Buildings were on fire, with some having been brought down entirely. The night sky was black with smoke and the wind blew a gale with an unnatural strength to it. At the centre of it all, a battle the scale of which Temari had never seen before was taking place. Jutsu of such immense power and skill being tossed around like toys; every elemental nature was on full display in its most perfected form for the world to see.
It was unbelievable. How could anyone be so bold as to launch an attack in the middle of the capital of arguably the strongest nation. Was it even an attack? A full-scale invasion was ridiculous, but not implausible. Were word to get around that the Hokage and a small escort had travelled to the capital, along with their jinchuuriki, then it made sense that someone— stupid though they may be —might think it a prime chance to eliminate a high-profile leader. Still, it was a ridiculous thought.
Temari schooled her emotions and jumped on the balcony railing, snapping her fan open and readying herself to jump into the fray.
"Don't."
She stopped just shy of jumping off, feet sticking to the railing with chakra. Spinning around, she looked at Naruto questioningly. "What?"
Naruto just stood there; eyes glued to the ongoing battle. From this distance there was no telling who was involved, but something told Temari that Naruto already knew.
The ground shook as an earth jutsu tore through an entire street. Temari glanced back and forth between Naruto and the chaos, her expression getting more confused and worried. "We need to help," she said.
"No," he said, not looking at her.
"Why not?" she snapped.
He finally turned to her and Temari found herself frozen by his gaze. There was a look in his eyes, so very unlike the bored or angry expressions that he favoured. For the first time since she had known him, Naruto looked genuinely… unsure? It was a vulnerable side of him that Temari hadn't expected to see, at least not for some years to come. She still had a lot of progress to make with him before she earned that. So then what was going on?
Naruto understood her unspoken question. "It's the Hokage," he said, nodding his head towards the fight. "This is what he wants."
Temari's grip on her fan eased and her shoulders slumped. "Naruto… what's going on?" she asked.
He knew. He had to know. How else could he be so calm about it all. Temari hopped down from the railing and closed her fan. She waited, watching Naruto with a keen eye. So many questions were racing through her mind. If this was what the Hokage wanted, did that mean it was part of some plan? Where were Tsunade and Jiraiya? Why was she not warned of anything? Was it because she didn't have a part to play?
'Obviously,' she thought. She was still a shinobi from another village, no matter how long she lived in Konoha, no matter how close she got. If this was indeed some sort of political play, then it made sense why she hadn't been included. But Naruto… he knew. Maybe not entirely, and maybe not with the intention of having a part to play, but he new what was going on, at least in part. Did that mean he was going along with it?
"Naruto…"
He looked tired as he walked up beside her, staring out into the smoke-filled sky. "Everything is going to change after this," he said quietly. "The old man told me… about what he was trying to do. About you."
Temari's teeth locked together tightly. That… was not at all what she was expecting to hear. Her heart picked up its pace. What exactly did the Hokage say to him? How had Naruto interpreted it? Fuck. She did not have the brainpower for the absurd number of questions running through her brain right now. Being woken up was bad enough, but this was just rude. The gods must have hated her for something that she did.
"I…" Temari choked on her words, struggling to find the right ones that would get her out of this mess without issue.
She cursed herself for being so stupid. Of course, Naruto would be upset once he finally found out that those above him were trying to manipulate him, that they were using her to do it. Whether or not she was a willing participant probably didn't matter to him; Temari knew it wouldn't have mattered to her had she been in his shoes. She should have confessed the truth to him as soon as the Hokage made her aware of it, but no, she had thought herself good enough to get away with it. Good intentions be damned, she should have known better.
"I'm sorry," she said. "It was never my intention to help him. I thought… I thought I was doing the right thing by trying to go along with it."
She didn't bother looking at him to see his reaction, turning her sights to the fires burning in the capital. If this really did go to shit, there was no way she could beat Naruto, let alone get away in time. Amongst all this chaos, she would just go down as another casualty on the list. Funny, now that the real prospect of death flashed across her mind, Temari found herself oddly at peace with it. Maybe it was all the brushes with that ill-fate she had already had through her short life. Maybe it was the still fading sleepiness beckoning her back to darkness. Either way, she found herself able to calm down far too easily.
"Why?"
Temari laughed. Not at the question itself, but at how quickly an answer popped to the forefront of her hurricane of thoughts. Had she been expecting that question? She must have been.
"I wanted to save you," she admitted, chuckling to herself at the absurdity of how it sounded to say it aloud. "Saving you, helping you, even a little bit, would have been all the proof I needed that Gaara wasn't completely lost to me. If I could help you, get close to you, love you, then I would know I could do the same for him." She laughed. It really did sound so stupid. "You don't have to believe that, but it's the truth. For what little that's worth to you now."
She waited on bated breath for Naruto to respond. No matter how he reacted, Temari knew she wouldn't be able to hold it against him. Imagine her surprise when instead of attacking her, or disappearing into the night, Naruto instead shuffled ever so closer to her and brushed the back of his hand against hers.
"I don't need saving," he said. "But I think… maybe… a friend wouldn't be so bad."
Temari dared a glance, only to find herself locking eyes with him. It felt a little strange. The look in his eyes was so different, as if he was no longer just watching her. Now, it seemed he was actually trying to see something.
"I don't know what's going to happen after this, but I know I need someone I can trust. I… wouldn't mind if that was you. If you're still willing."
Temari didn't need to hear any more. She took his hand in hers and held it tightly. "It's like I already said, we're stuck in this together, right?" She smiled as earnestly as she could, given the circumstances.
No matter what else happened tonight, regardless of what outcomes came to light, what the future would now hold for them, at least they would have each other. Temari wasn't silly enough to think that was the end of it. There was a lot of work still to be done between them, and who knew how many hurdles their relationship might encounter. But for now, this was enough. They were finally on the same page, working towards the same thing in one way or another.
Naruto smiled at her. Though small the expression may have been, it meant all the difference for Temari. "Right," he said, turning back to the view. "…together."
That was how they stayed for a while, watching over the city as it reacted to the destruction and chaos wrought upon it. It wouldn't be until morning that the true ramifications of what was happening became known, spreading like wildfire through the elemental nations.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, third Hokage of Konoha, had been assassinated by a contingent of shinobi from three of the great five shinobi villages. In a single night, the peace that had been so delicately maintained, was torn to shreds by the hands of a few. With the loss of a single life, a message as clear as day was broadcast to the world.
War was coming.
{I}
As all of this went on, from within the seal, the Kyuubi could sense all the pain and anguish washing over the city around his vessel. It was a sweet delicacy of which he had not expected to be blessed with so soon. He only wished he could enjoy their fear from outside his confinement, but alas, all good things came to those who had the patience to wait, and the Kyuubi was nothing if not patient.
What was a few decades to him after all the time he had already spent locked away at the hands of humans. At least in here, he was safe from the prying eyes of the few Uchiha that remained. Were he to play his part properly, it would be a simple task to direct Naruto in such a way to remove said obstacles from his future. Then, once he regained his freedom, nothing would ever subdue him again.
Ah, but his freedom, therein lay the crux of his problem. While at first the assistance and guidance gifted to his vessel had been out of nothing but pure boredom and fascination, Kurama could not deny that he had developed some form of fondness for the boy. Naruto was proof that not all humans were completely beyond salvation. It was for this reason that he deemed it worthwhile to encourage the boy's more human desires.
The girl's involvement wouldn't impair any of the progress he had already made with Naruto. Kurama had complete faith that his vessel was a human of his word, and he had already promised to do what he could to eliminate that cursed Dojutsu from this world. Even if it came about that he would have to wait for Naruto to die before he gained his long sought after freedom, so be it. It was not as if he were all too keen to return to a world so infested with witless monkeys anyway.
Still, there was a chance for anything to happen. Humans were notorious for changing their mind, for going back on their words, for stabbing each other in the back. Though Kurama may have held Naruto in a higher light than the rest of his species, something within him still fought against the idea of trusting him. He could not trust Naruto, not completely. And so, Temari was a necessary piece to his plans. Assurance, if you will.
Naruto was growing by the day, but so too were the Akatsuki getting closer to their goal. All it would take was the right opportunity for everything to come crashing down around them. Kurama couldn't have that. He needed to ensure that if things went bad, that he could save his own skin. Temari served that purpose nicely. He would encourage Naruto, guide him, help him form a strong bond with one of his own, and then, should he require it, she would be the catalyst for his escape.
This seal could be weakened by Naruto's emotions, his strength of mind. Emotions that the boy had spent years training and forcing into submission. All it would take was one catastrophic moment, one monumental flood of negativity to give the Kyuubi all the leeway he needed to do what needed to be done. And what would cause that better than the death of a loved one.
He smiled to himself, finding the reflection of his expression in the water to leave a bad taste in his mouth. 'A necessary evil,' he tried to reassure himself. It didn't help. Somehow, he swore he could feel his father's disapproving eyes lingering on him from beyond this realm.
Just how far had he strayed from the path the sage had wished for him? Where was the line of no return? Kurama didn't know, and he was afraid that he was getting too close to finding out.
A/N:
Damn am I glad to finally post this chapter. Sorry if the pacing is a little weird or too fast for how much I managed to cram into this chapter. Had a lot of fun writing this one (with what little time I have these days) so I hope you all enjoyed.
So yeah, shit is going down. Hiruzen is finally gone and the old geezer has who knows what sort of machinations working in the background. In case anyone was unsure about my inclusion of framing Iwa in his death, well, that will be explained in future chapters properly so don't fret. Naruto is getting ready to develop some real feelings (about time, am I right) and Temari is still proving to be exactly what our poor mistrusting boy needs. The whole Ino and team eight segment was a funny little part I wrote because someone pointed out that I haven't included them in this story yet so I hope that wasn't too out of the blue. Oh, and Sasuke and Danzo are now stuck in an amusing back and forth battle of thinking they are each playing each other like fiddles.
Anywho, time skip will probably be coming up soon. Politics and war is a slow moving process at the best of times and I've no interest in writing it all out. If I'm lucky, I won't screw it up for you guys.
Reviews are still going great. Can't wait to hear all your thoughts on this chapter.
Until next time guys.
Soul out.
