Naruto: Shoton of Konoha

by Arch-Daishou00

: For Stormy Rebel, miss you, Joachim, and thank you: "By the actions of the traitor Mizuki. Naruto awakens a rare Kekkei Genkai. And his path has now changed. And in the darkness awakens an ancient threat more terrifying than the Akatsuki, which only stirs thought of myths from a lost and forgotten age." : huge world expansion story, OC. Co-Author: Etheral-23

75. Shifting Tides

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto

Co-Author and Beta: Ethereal-23

Chapter 75: Shifting Tides

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

He gasped as he crawled over the ground in a vain attempt to get to safety. His lungs burned with every mouthful of air, his ribs were in agony, and every movement of his body resulted in pain. Try as he might, he knew there was no escape.

He was forcefully turned on his back, his mask helplessly thrown away with the sudden motion. The man saw the bodies of his comrades sprawled all over, not a single one of them moving.

He briefly looked over the three individuals who were responsible for their deaths before settling his gaze on the man standing in front of him. Tall, long, messy white hair, wearing mixed robes and holding a staff with one hand, the same staff that had busted his ribs. He looked down at him with disdain, like his mere existence offended him.

"Where is it?" The man, Kazuma, the traitor, demanded.

He said nothing.

The white-haired man sighed and stomped on his captive's stomach.

He spat blood.

"I'll ask again..." He leaned closer. "Where. Is. It?"

Ragged breaths escaped the captive's lips. "You... will never find it, traitor," He gasped. "That power... belongs to Konoha's future."

"And that is why I will ensure it will never come to pass."

"I never imagined they were that stubborn," a tall and slender older woman with long, straight brunette hair dressed in a magenta qípáo with black and tan strips muttered in a husky feminine voice. Her blue eyes danced with amusement. "I didn't think we would have to kill so many."

Kazuma snorted, "Hardy stock despite their upbringing, Fuen. Loyal to the bone."

"Hardy and skill are two different things, though," said another younger female a foot shorter than Fuen. Her maroon-red hair reached to her hips and framed her beautiful, flawless, fair-skinned face, which had a beautiful mark left under her lips. She, too, wore a qípáo but dark pink and a form-fitting one that hugged her very athletic, shapely figure with bare shoulders, detached sleeves, and tight spandex purple shorts. "And their chakra tasted horrible," She stuck her tongue out.

A booming laugh came from a towering, muscular man with short, messy black hair in a man's green qípáo with yellow sleeves and triangles on his cheeks. "There has to be funnier ways to take someone's chakra than a kiss, Fūka."

The maroon redhead deadpans, "I'm not a succubus, Fudō."

Fuen ignored the bickering, coming up beside Kazuma and staring down at their prisoner. "Want me to take over?"

"As much as I would love to see your methods at work. We are pressed for time." Kazuma knelt again to his tortured victim, "So I will ask you again." He leaned forward with a hardened glare, "Where is Azien's Legacy?"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Naruto popped his neck with a groan before stretching his body to relieve the soreness from traveling to the Land of Rivers beside his cousin, Team Gai, Haku, and her team with their prince, and finally, Ryoma with his wife and their guards. They had met up with Gai-sensei and his team outside the palace before leaving Amotsu for their mission.

The Land of Rivers was at least a ten-day walk or five while sprinting. The group had been doing both to reach their destination.

During that, the blond had been catching up with Haku, Kouhei, and Chōjūrō.

"So that's pretty much it!"

The reactions from his Kiri friends were... varied. However, shock was more prevalent among them.

"I think you just summed up several arcs of an anime!" Kouhei shouted.

"Hey, I've been busy."

"'Busy' is an understatement, Naruto," Haku softly expressed. "It's like fate's conspiring to put you in the most dangerous situations as much as possible."

Mimir's words about being an 'Heir of Rama' echoed in his mind. He was someone who was meant to be in the middle of the storm, to fight evil and give his all to protect the innocent. Naruto wasn't sure how much he believed that or how much he understood that, to be honest, but... he felt he wanted to live up to that standard, to be like the sages, like the heroes he'd heard so much about. Be brave and strong like his parents, become dutiful like Tomoe and Aunty Kaida, and seek out wisdom and balance like Kya.

He just felt it was natural for him to follow that path. That's what he truly wanted. So what if he was thrust into mortal danger over and over? It just meant other people wouldn't be.

"So, what have you guys been up to?"

A deadpan came from the whip user on how casually the blond Uzumaki asked that when he had just explained the insanity he had been doing. "Oh, just restoring our nation. Clearing out some bad guys here and there, nothing to write home about."

... Okay, yeah, things have been anything but normal since Han'ei... And just got crazier as it went along...

Naruto weakly chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "Hard to follow up with all that, isn't it?"

"I am just grateful you are alright," Haku conveyed with relief in her voice. "Even we heard about what happened in Han'ei." Hearing that Naruto defied orders to overthrow and slay the Daimyo, they were there to aid. In the aftermath of what came after, the ice user was so scared of what could have happened to her friend. Then, things turned around, and instead of being prisoners, they were promoted to Dainin. She wasn't a religious person, but she would call the events like that divine intervention if there ever were one.

"...Yeah," Naruto's voice grew quiet. He remembered the little princess who screamed at him. He shook his head to focus. "So, where is Zabuza?"

"Sensei has been busy with several missions that require his skills," the shy bifocal swordsman of Kiri answered, adjusting his glasses.

Naruto dryly glanced at Haku, "So killing people."

"Bandits or slavers who have been trying to take advantage of the weak points of Mizu. So they have it coming."

Well, there was that at least.

He turned his gaze to the prince of Water, who decided to climb up the top of a tree to survey the area better. Naruto could see him crossing his arms and staring distantly at the horizon, but he wagered his attention was equally split towards the rest of the group, if the glances he kept throwing Ryoma's group were any indication.

Naruto did not get the best impression of him during that meeting with Maiyuri with that stunt he pulled. He didn't know why he insisted on coming here; it was just so out of place. Did he not trust them to apprehend Raiga, or was it something else?

"So," He said, keeping his gaze on the young royal. "What can you tell me about him?"

"Prince Takeru," Kouhei surprisingly brightened, perking up so fast a bit of his hair moved to show a teal eye. "Oh, he's one of the best swordsmen in all of Kiri. I saw him take down ten of the samurai elite back home during sparring. Hell, he wasn't even using his sword, which I heard is a treasured blade of the kingdom; he's barely older than us, and already he's considered-"

"As you can see," Haku cut him out with a dry look. "Kouhei is a bit infatuated with him."

"Really?" Naruto deadpanned, "I couldn't tell..."

"N-No, I'm not!" His bangs weren't long enough to hide his blushing cheeks. "I'm just showing... due respect to our prince, is all."

"Dude, you were about to write him a love letter there."

"Oh, shut up. Yeah, he is pretty... handsome," Kouhei muttered, as though he was afraid the prince might hear him. "So maybe I'm just admiring the view a bit..."

Close by, Gai-sensei idly spoke with Prince Ryoma with his wife hanging off her husband's arm, who stared at Naruto and Soujiro. Tenten chatted away with Sagiri, admiring her sword beside Neji, listening and Yuzuriha, who idly spun a kunai in her hand.

The conversations were lively and upbeat, save the one-sided one of Gabimaru deadpanning while Lee spoke in a hyper tone that sounded less like words to the young adult man. "Were those stories of you taking down a bandit group with your hands bound true?"

"Yes." The white-haired man droned.

"I heard your body is made of pure steel!" Lee gushed, dancing around on the balls of his feet.

"Uh-huh."

"What's your secret?!"

"I train."

"It must be an outstanding process for your muscles to be so tough yet so lanky!"

A long sigh came from Gabimaru.

Tenten groaned glancing over before looking to the female samurai, "Sorry about Lee."

"Oh, it's alright. Gabimaru just isn't one for small talk—unless it's his wife." The older woman observed the genin kunoichi looking over her sword. "Your father is a weapon's smith, yes?"

"So was my mother before she passed away. I'm still learning, besides being a kunoichi." The weapon's mistress kept her gaze on Sagiri's blade, "The hamon is beautiful, and the edge is sharpened well."

Sagiri smiled politely, "A sword is only as good as a person who maintains it. That's something my father taught me."

"Any warrior worth their steel takes that to heart," Tenten nodded in complete understanding. "I make sure to catalog and organize every single weapon I have, down to the last kunai."

"Considering one of your tactics is trying to make a rain of metal fall over our foes," Neji said with a skeptical tone, "I find it hard to believe you take the time to recover every single one of them."

"I pick up most of them!"

"At least you're not over-relying on explosives again. The client charged us for the destruction of property."

Before Tenten could rebuttal, Yuzuriha let out a very exaggerated and dramatic sigh, still spinning the kunai in her finger. "What is happening to this profession? I was taught that the professionals don't leave a trace, yet wherever I go, I meet people who leak killing intent at the slightest provocation, ninjas who believe their techniques should focus on bigger and flashier explosions, and kids who don't know the first thing about 'stealthy'"

"Hey, now!" Tenten felt her pride insulted, while Neji didn't seem to care, "I'll have you know my team is very good at subterfuge."

Right on cue, Lee showed a very uncaring Gabimaru his taijutsu style, throwing a series of punches in the air with great speed, complemented by high-pitched kiai as though he was in a martial arts tournament.

The scantly dressed kunoichi merely gave the boy in green a dry look before shifting it back to Tenten, who cringed under her gaze. "He knows when to be quiet..."

"Girl, I made a whole castle revolt on my own, and I didn't need a single explosive to get the job done."

The two teens' faces were full of shock and surprise. "W-wow... How?" Tenten muttered.

"Cogency, bribery, blackmail, having sex with nearly most of the guards and nobles." Various emotions rushed through the weapon mistress' face before settling with an uncomfortable wince at the last portion Yuzuriha explained so casually. "Honestly one of my best missions that required zero violence." The older woman beamed with pride.

Tenten shuffle was a disconcerting glance in any direction except near her fellow kunoichi. "Efficient work to achieve your mission, well done." She gave a scathing glare to Neji, who complimented the older woman's work.

"Thank you, Hyuuga." Yuzuriha winked while wrapping her arms around Sagiri's, "I'm semi-retired these days. Who'd have guessed a noble and courageous samurai swept me off my feet.~."

Said the samurai, blushing from the praise, and Yuzuriha rubbed her breasts against her arm.

On the opposite side of them, Gai crossed his arms, "So the civil war began in the palace."

Prince Ryoma nodded, "A failed assassination against father and myself. Everything soon spiraled from there with my cousin being the leader of it all." He sighed, "My fault for not noticing the warning signs."

"Betrayal from kin hits the hardest when you want to see the good in people." Gai remarked with wise words, "What can you tell me about Daken."

"Has trained in combat and strategy since he was a child. His late father was one of our best generals before he passed. Daken always had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but his skills could back it up. Why we have been in a stalemate for a year against his forces."

Gai nodded, "And those who follow him?"

"People who fought beside him, loyal to him to the death. Others who believe in his vision for our nation to be as better than the big five."

"With this alchemical compound, you mentioned," the jounin said, "I think we would benefit from learning a bit more."

The long-haired prince sighed, "It is capable of mutating animals and people into monsters. I wish I could give you advice on how to deal with those creatures, but the mutations are random, and there are never two of the same creature; you'll have to analyze and adapt."

"Noted."

"There is also a pressing issue I'd like you all to keep in mind," Ryoma said, loud enough to garner their attention. "The compound is... processed from people."

That made everyone pay close attention to the River Prince. Takeru dropped from his spot on the tree, eyes narrowing as he took in the fellow prince's words. "When you say processed..."

Ryoma's gaze darkened, frowning as the prince looked down. Sagiri's knuckles popped as she held a tight grip on her sheathed sword. Even Yuzuriha seemed to lose her playful demeanor from the moment. The only people who appeared unaffected were Gabimaru and Oryo.

"A human is infected with a mutagenic agent, their bodies being to change, skin becomes bark-like, limbs elongate and twist. And flowers start growing from their bodies, from which the 'nectar' used to create that compound is extracted"

Naruto sucked in a breath. Neji's eyes widened slightly as Tenten covered her mouth in horror, and Lee paled considerably. Haku managed to keep her composure while Chōjūrō's lips slightly trembled as Kouhei openly swore.

"The victim is by all intends and purposes dead; there is no saving them," Ryoma gravely muttered; the heaviness in his voice showed the anger he felt at knowing his people were being subjugated to such horror.

"And... your cousin is doing that to his own country?" Naruto muttered in disbelief.

Oryo sneered with a growl, "All to make his dream of a River dynasty last a thousand years." She spat angrily, "Worthy sacrifices for the cause, he tells his people. But all to feed his need for power like the petty little mortal he is."

Petty little mortal?

This hasn't been the only bizarre thing the River Prince's eccentric wife has said or done. One glaring issue was that the woman was floating.

Literally floating a few inches off the ground.

Instead of running or walking like everyone else, Neji had heard of a levitation jutsu or something similar to it. Nidaime and Sandaime Tsuchikages were historically known for using an earth jutsu that altered mass and weight. Oryo may use something similar. At least the Hyuuga tried to rationalize it he wrestled with every other oddity that woman had shown.

Ryoma nodded to his wife's words, "Daken has always craved power. And he is willing to use profane research that goes against nature itself to do it. For what he believes is best for our nation." The royal shook his head with disappointment, "I am glad his father is not here to see his son become like this."

Sagiri closed her eyes, "General Masa-sama would have reigned his son in for this treachery."

Naruto growled low, "I am getting so sick of people hurting others just to gain power."

Bemusement came to Yuzuriha, hearing the young blond Uzumaki's words, "A righteous shinobi. Now, there is a novel concept."

"Righteousness can emerge from where you least expect it." The sudden intrusion of a new voice instantly put them all on alert.

Of course, this resulted in kunai, senbon, blades, and fists getting ready and aimed at the newcomer—a short man with a braided beard, brown hair, and shining brass armor of intricate design.

What followed was a screech only a dainty germophobic dwarf was capable of.

Good gods, it could count as a sonic attack.

Naruto groaned, holding his ears and giving the short man an exasperated look. "Ugh, shit, Sindri! Don't ever sneak up on ninja!"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry...!" The dwarven smith panted, holding a hand to his plated chest as he calmed down. "Didn't think that through."

"How did you sneak up on us?" Neji asked the strange man. Even if his eyes weren't activated, he was confident enough of his senses to know that he should have picked something.

"Would you believe trade secret? It is literally that."

Gai sighed and shook his head, "Naruto-kun, you know this man?"

"Oh yeah, we met him all the way back in the Land of Tea. He's a smith working with the Lotus," the blonde explained.

Oryo's eyes narrowed slightly, "The Lotus..."

"We've been getting reports on that organization," Takeru noted, easing the grip on his sheathed blade. "They've been sending their agents to clear out demons and monsters in multiple countries."

"A worthy cause," Ryoma politely smiled, "Your order follows a righteous path."

"Oh, we do what we can. Well, I say 'we' in general; I-I don't have the stomach for all the fighting and-" The dwarf gulped, "B-Blood. Me and my brother make the weapons and... and..."

His gaze became lost. Staring directly at Takeru and Ryoma, the two princesses shared a confused look as the dwarf seemed to see right through them.

"Oh, my word... you two carry something special, do you know that?"

Now, the two princesses looked alarmed.

Okay, he didn't know what was going on with the dwarf, but Naruto felt it was best to get it over with. "Sindri, why are you here, man?"

"Oh, right!" the dwarf shook his head and cleared his throat. "Naruto, Soujiro, it was decided that as 'junior' members of the order, you are required to be kept up to date with the current events and developments. So they sent me."

"They have you running messages? Couldn't a bird or something do?"

"Honestly, I volunteered. I just needed some time away from Brok; he's forgotten to shower... again."

Naruto sighed, rubbing his neck as Soujiro looked apologetically at the group. "This won't take long, excuse us."

A few shared looks among each other in the group while Takeru had his hand unconsciously around his katana. Ryoma glanced at his wife, who glared deathly at the small humanoid man. "Ever heard of Sindri?" He whispered.

"Of his race, the dwarves? Yes. Him? No... But I know of the Lotus..." Oryo turned her eyes to her husband, whispering back, "They can be trusted."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Mikoto stared at her hands as she sat on the rather comfortable bed in a remarkably well-made prison cell with light furnishings. Orochimaru didn't want her to be treated like animals with the others he no doubt had contained in this damnable place. Her attire was simple but comfortable: white pants and a shirt, but no chains on her wrists or ankles.

...Not the metal kind, at least...

Adjusting her sleeve, she saw the simple but elaborate seal glow on her wrist, which was also on her other arm and mirrored on her ankles. Turning her head, she saw the square mirror on the wall. On her forehead, there was a far more complex seal she had never seen the like of. But she found out rather painfully what it accomplished when she attempted to activate her Sharingan.

Shaking out of that thought, the revived Uchiha stared at herself. She was thirty-five when... When her son took her life... And yet, she looked... Younger than she was. At least ten years younger. Her stomach churned; no doubt what that monster necromancer hand in that. Despite her de-aging, she was as weak as a newborn.

Closing her eyes, she shook her head and stared at the ground under her sandaled feet.

With seals on her body causing her pain whenever she attempted to use jutsu and a body that had lost all its fitness, what hope had she of escaping? She was trapped here at the mercy of a maniac...

"Ah! The classic Mikoto strategy, 'Mope-around-and-hope-that-solves-things,'" A very cheeky voice said.

Right, she also had to add her ailing mind to that list. How else was she supposed to explain to him?

Leaning back against a corner of a room stood a young boy, shy of entering adolescence. His skin was dark, which showed the Land of Lightning's heritage. He wore cargo shorts and sandals, a mesh shirt under an open white jacket, and a white headband with a Konoha guard attached to it. His long brown locks framed the sides of his face, and his green eyes stared mirthfully at her.

She knew he wasn't real. He couldn't be. Oh, not because of any sense of impossibility, not in a world of magic and spirits (and resurrecting individuals...), but because the guards checking up on her never saw him...

Her teammate Haru was dead. A lifetime of struggle and traumatic events had finally made her snap, and now she was seeing him.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have options right now." Sad, she even started talking to her hallucinations.

"Then make your options," The young boy shrugged. "C'om, improvise! Get creative, like Sakumo-sensei always said."

"I don't see you offering any solutions," Mikoto shot back before face-palming. "Gods, why am I even talking to you? You're not real, you're dead..."

"Says the previously dead woman," Haru deadpanned, stepping away from the floor and pacing around the room. "Maybe I am Haru, maybe dragging your ass from the afterlife made a bit of it get dragged back with you. Maybe your return to life lets you see the dead. Maybe I am the spirit of your friend, a part of him that came back from the Pure Land to help you, his friend in need."

Mikoto looked at him, her eyes softening, feeling strangely touched.

"Or maybe you just lost your damn mind."

She sighed, "You do sound like him, I'll give you that..."

"Would you accept anything else?"

Mikoto dryly stared, "Haru not being dead."

"...Yeah, I didn't get as lucky as you or Kushi." The illusion or spirit, or whatever, gave a lopsided grin, "And who would have guessed that damn scroll actually worked. Kushi is alive!" That brought a glow to the Uchiha's obsidian eyes. "You have so many reasons to get off your butt and get moving."

"Doing what?" the Uchiha droned. "I am stuck in a cell. I can't use my jutsu or my Sharingan. Oh yeah, I am not even in fighting shape."

"Well, I don't think Orochi-teme is going to give a hoot; you are working on that last part." Haru quipped back, standing in front of his teammate. "Focus on building up back that warrior who was Kushina's equal... Except the strength department, you couldn't chuck a fridge out of anger like she can."

Rolling her eyes, Mikoto ran her hands down her face, "Okay. Say I work my body back into shape, so what then?"

"Use that noggin of yours, of course. You were the brains of our little team; hell, you gave Shikaku a run for his money on shogi." A snort came from Mikoto with the tiniest of smirks. "Point is, you are one of the smartest people I know, and Mi-chan knows how to get out of a situation even as bad as this. To get back home, back to our friends and your sons."

"...And then what?"

"Huh?"

"I go back home, and then what?" Mikoto gloomily muttered. "Back to a fallen clan? Living among the empty streets, my eldest helped slaughter? Back to the village, I turned my back on once Kushina died. You expect me to go on, pretend none of those terrible things happened."

"Mi-chan..."

"I died, Haru." Her voice trembled as she let out a shuddering breath. After a lifetime of losing things and friends dying left and right, she is alone in a family that does not care for what she wants. In a clan led by the self-righteous and arrogant who couldn't understand why the village rightfully mistrusted them. A life that was never her choice, to begin with.

"I welcomed that end. It was over... It should have been over."

And here she was, back again, alive. After letting her son kill her. After she left Sasuke all alone, how could she go back and look him in the eye? How could she live with the fact she burdened Itachi to enact that horrible tragedy?

What right did she have to live when so many others remained dead and buried? Why was she back when so many of her kin, the innocent ones, were left forgotten?

Why did so many people have to die to bring her back when death had been enough for her?

She could almost laugh.

Even death was denied to her; truly, Mikoto Uchiha never had any freedom at all.

"Oh, boo-hoo," Came the mocking reply with a raspberry.

Mikoto let out a startled noise, looking back at the apparition of her teammate, who did not look the least patient with her.

"Oh woe is Mikoto, woe is the poorest thing in the village. 'Oh, my clan doesn't get me! I want to kiss all the girls but they got me kissing boys! Waaaah!'" He put up an overly dramatic performance before deadpanning at her. "Come on, Mikoto, get new material."

The Uchiha woman could only stare at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, a-are you just... mocking all the horrible experiences of my life?"

"No, I'm mocking your need to wallow in self-pity," Haru shot back, crossing his arms. "You always did that since the academy; it was easier to blame your clan and how they decided everything for you. Well, guess what, Mikoto? They're dead. All the people who made your life miserable are dead and gone... and here you are."

She didn't know how to reply to that.

"You were dead, and now someone brought you back. A pair of sick fucks are planning to use you to get to your son. And all you can do is mope around, going 'woe is me.'"

He walked up to the woman, staring up at her, and jabbed a finger over her sternum. Mikoto only felt a very faint sensation over her chest.

"Are you just gonna sit around and let Orochimaru get his hands on Sasuke?" His green eyes shined with intensity. "Or are you going to cut back the little miss emo act and be a ninja?"

The two stared at each other for a long, quiet moment before Mikoto heaved a sigh, "I hate you." She rose to stand.

"No, you don't," Haru smirked, observing his teammate begin to stretch her limbs.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Hotarubara is a modestly decent-sized village surrounded by grassy farmed fields and rivers in Yu no Kuni. This was the destination of Kushina and Homura's mission once they had visited Daimyo Keisui at his residency in Shizukara. The village was a lively place with markets and traders of freshly dug and cleaned produce, along with caught fish from the rivers.

As they entered, the redhead and bluenette received a few glances and looks. Kushina smiled at the children running around her and her pupil playing tag.

"Kushina Uzumaki!" The voice of a man caught Dainin's attention. She saw a middle-aged man in Samurai armor with greying black hair. Beside the man was a woman around his age in shinobi gear and a flack jacket, her hair in a low ponytail.

Recognition came to Kushina, "Aoto Ikari?" She called out as she walked over with Homura.

"And my wife, Emi Ikari." The older man introduced with both bowing.

"Welcome to Hotarubara," Emi spoke with a warm tone.

"Glad to be here; this is my apprentice, Homura Kōgetsu." She waved a hand at the young woman, who formally bowed with her hands clasped in front of her lap. "So, straight to it; Lord Keisui told me construction was almost finished?"

"It's pretty much done already," the samurai happily informed. "The team of engineers was extremely fast in setting up." He motioned for the two Konoha-nin to follow him and his wife. They walked through the market, passing by the people going about their day. Smiles and cheerful greetings were a common sight, as these people were clearly benefiting from the peaceful times they lived in.

A peace that might be threatened, Kushina thought grimly, either by the Cult, its pawns, or another shinobi nation with a bone to pick.

"It's a lovely place," She chooses to comment.

"Thank you," Emi replied with a small smile. "Hotarubara town has always been a simple settlement. But now, with the new dam, we'll be able to expand it further. There are a few natural hot springs unclaimed in the wilderness nearby, so with time, we are hoping to turn the town into another tourist location once we expand the market trade."

Tourism was the bread and butter of the Land of Hot Water, so it made sense to play to their strength once they secured a few more opportunities, with all the new roads being built and other construction projects like the dam to modernize the village. And the pacification of the wilds from the random bands of bandits and demons.

Kushina looked over Homura, who kept giving the village an analytical eye, trying to spot any weak spots or potential infiltrators. Now, she was doing the same, but she would have preferred Homura to pay a bit more attention to the lives of people here. That could be something she could take care of later once they sat down.

They arrived at the edge of the village, following the trail from the river. "There it is," Aoto pointed in the distance.

The river led to a large elevation, a wide plateau upon which the unmistakable concrete stood out from the natural formation. Although 'natural' formation wasn't applicable either. The whole plateau had been built by teams of shinobi using earth techniques to raise the ground, connect the course of a few rivers, and hollow out the plateau to form a large basin, creating a lake that filled up behind the dam. A smart combination of technique and modern construction, the sort of thing Maiyuri pushed for the development of civilization and improved people's quality of life.

"It looks done," Homura observed.

"Indeed," The samurai replied. "It'll be operational in a couple of days."

So they'd be here to oversee its inauguration, make sure it all went without issue, and talk a bit with the town mayor and military stationed here to promote cooperation between the empire and their country and solidify people's trust in Asahi. Easy peasy.

So why was her gut telling her to be wary?

"Our youngest son is overseeing the construction with the Superintendent from Amotsu," Emi spoke proudly staring up at the Dam.

Homura questioned, "You have children?"

"Well, they are adults now, but they will always be our babies," Aoto chuckled. "The two oldest became samurai like me guarding our Daimyo."

Kushina absently listened, still gnawed by the worry in her gut. "Well, well!" The redhead's hand went to her sheathed katana as she spun around, hearing a familiar voice she hoped not to hear again. The others, seeing her actions, mimicked her before seeing a towering, muscular woman with long, flowing, wild orange hair. Kotarō gave a predatory smirk at the Uzumaki matriarch. "Been a while, Red!" She crossed her large arms under her bust.

The people of the village tensed at the mere sight of the woman who gave off an aura like that of a wild animal ready to pounce.

"Would you blame me if I wished it was a little longer?"

The tall woman mocked pain, holding her chest, "Oh, you wound me, girl." She quickly smiled before chuckling, "And look at you! Hotter than ever and not in prison. Made a Dainin; I haven't heard of that rank being used in a hundred years. If I read it right."

"Are you here for your rematch? We can do that outside the village." Kushina spoke sharply, ready for anything.

Kotarō laughed, "So serious." She leaned forward with a dark smile, "As much as I want to take that offer, I'm not up for it right now." She leaned back with a more neutral expression.

Okay, the Uzu woman was not expecting that "You're not here to fight?"

Emi, who had been keeping her eyes on the hulking woman, soon came to a cold realization, "Kotarō Fūma, leader of the Fūma clan."

Aoto clicked his tongue, keeping his hand on his blade to draw it at a moment's notice.

Homura was one step ahead, already summoning two chakra swords in her hands and aiming one at the tall woman. Her gaze was like sharp steel as she glared at the older kunoichi, intending to keep her master safe from harm.

Kotarō just looked down at her solid energy blades with a quirked brow, humming in interest. "Cute, you got a little ducking following you."

"What do you want, Kotarō?" Kushina said, still not willing to put her guard down.

"To talk," the muscular woman shrugged her massive shoulders. "There are a couple of things I think will be of interest to you." She smirked, showing that while she wasn't looking to fight, she could easily change her mind at a moment's notice.

And it would not end up well for the town.

Kushina sighed, taking her hand off her blade. The others slightly followed suit, relaxing their stances and dismissing her weapons in Homura's case, though she still kept a close eye on the mercenary. The Uzumaki hummed as she looked at the woman she once fought fiercely against and at her side. "Hungry?"

"You paying?"

"Sure..." Kushina droned.

Kotarō grinned, "Then I'm hungry."

The samurai and shinobi couple only exchanged a helpless look.

It wasn't long before Kushina, Homura, and Kotarō were all sitting on a bench in front of a dango shop, munching on the treats and drinking sweet tea. Aoto and Emi stood at a respectable distance, keeping an eye on things, while the civilians knew better than to keep away.

The poor owner was shaking, though; Kushina figured she'd tip him later...

"So," Kotarō mumbled with her mouth full, waggling a half-eaten dango stick at Homura. "What's with the kid?"

Said 'kid' let out a displeased sound as she drank her tea, giving the tall woman a side-glare.

"New student," Kushina easily replied after swallowing her dango.

"Really?" Kotarō hummed. "So, how about it kid, she a good teacher?"

"Master is a seasoned warrior. Every day, I learn much from her," Homura said with the utmost respect before hiding her mouth behind her sleeve and muttering, "Even if her weird attitude baffles me sometimes..."

Kotarō let out a guffaw while Kushina deadpanned at her student.

"Sorry..."

"Well, it takes a weird one to know a weird one," Kotarō smirked cheekily, being glared at by the redhead and bluenette. She took another bite of her, "Good stuff!" She praised the owner, who bowed shakily, earning a cocked brow that went to Kushina, "Am I that scary or something?"

"..." the former ANBU dryly remarked, "Well, if you tone down the aggression a little, that might help."

The orange-haired woman scratched the back of her head, "Yeah after the crap done on me, I can't really turn it off."

"What was done to you?"

Both adults looked at Homura, hearing her question, and at each other. The Fūma smirked back, "Well-" Before she could speak, a golden chain was wrapped around her mouth. Kotarō growled at Kushina, starting to bite at the chain.

The redhead ignored the taller woman's request to apprentice. "Trust me... You don't want to know." Even she heard the… practices of the Fūma. The finality in her voice made the teen nod and keep quiet. "Now," Kushina turned back to Kotarō, who kept trying to chew through unbreakable chains. "Unless you get Adamantine for teeth, you're just going to wear yourself out." The towering woman growled, speaking incoherently. "What did you want to talk about?"

A groan came from the Fūma woman once the chain retracted around her mouth and back into Kushina's body. "Damn, you play rough," Kotarō muttered before smirking, "That's hot." She cleared her throat before taking a drink and putting down the bottle, "Okay, onto business. Someone tried to hire me to kill you."

Aoto and Emi tensed along with others, hearing the woman speak so casually about such a matter.

Kushina stared intently, "Tried?"

"Yup. I said fuck off and refused."

Okay, that was a lot to unpack there. Someone gave Kotarō a mission to deal with an opponent she wanted to fight. And said no...

"A rival nation?" Homura spoke up with some concern.

Kushina rubbed her chin, "Going to tell me who they were?"

The hulking woman nodded, "They were special forces, ANBU, I believe. They had hooded cloaks and masks, very professional types."

Thoughts raced through the Uzu woman. There could be any number of groups from anywhere with that description.

"But something about them... really creeped me out." Kotarō's words gathered the attention of all listening. "I never really was sold on that 'Shinobi must show no emotions' bullshit. I've seen the most stone-faced, emotionless bastards break when putting enough pressure on them..." She paused, "Yet these guys... I didn't feel anything from them. Nothing. Like they were robots in human skin or something."

"Emotionless..." Kushina muttered thoughtfully as she frowned, her gaze shifting slightly from side to side as she pondered on her words. A theory was forming in her head, so she decided to see if her student was smart enough to come to a similar conclusion. "Who do you think it could have been, Homura?"

"Hmm," The young woman pursed her lips. "There are a lot of people who'd want you dead, teacher. But..." She looked at Kotarō. "Was there any particular trait about their masks?"

"They weren't the blank-faced masks Kiri uses, I can tell you that. There were no turbans like Suna's or the cowl-scarfs of Kumo. There was no common motif; each mask was of a different animal, " the muscular woman explained.

"Different animal masks..." Homura repeated. "Just like Konoha. Emotionless, machine-like..." A gasp escaped Homura's lips as epiphany dawned; she looked at her teacher with concern. "ROOT, master"

Kushina nodded grimly in agreement, "Danzo." She said his name like a curse.

"Ohoho," Kotarō grinned widely, clapping her hands once and rubbing them eagerly. "Now that explains it. Hmm, getting interested now. You people put up quite a hefty bounty on him~."

"You will have to take your turn," Kushina growled. "Everyone back home wants a piece of him," None more than Hiruzen.

"If the traitor wants you dead, teacher," the bluenette swordswoman warned, "It means he's planning something; he must already be putting whatever plans he has into motion."

"I never doubted the old Warhawk was scheming while running from us."

A part of Kushina almost felt flattered Danzo was coming after her first... Or was she? Hmm, she'd have to tell Maiyuri and the others about this, "Anything else?" She turned her eyes back to Kotarō, who shook her head. "...Thanks... For the heads up."

"And you keep that lovely head on that gorgeous body~." Raising from her seat, the Fūma smirked, "Think I'll stick around here." She turned her eyes to Aoto and Emi, "I won't raise any hell, I promise." She turned her gaze back to the Uzu woman, "But if you want to enjoy a tiebreaker, come on and find me~" The tall woman purred with a wink and walked away.

Kushina scoffed, rolled her eyes... then hummed in thought.

Homura looks at her disapprovingly, "Master."

"I'm a single mom of two, and I have needs!"

"You can go to the Silky Leaf for that back home. Mother gave you a lifetime discount." The redhead's brow shot upwards, "Showing her appreciation for becoming my teacher."

...How much were the rates for that place? And come to think of it, she did notice those two gorgeous guys who looked quite muscular and well-endowed... She froze, and her cheeks matched her hair before shaking away those thoughts... They were on a mission!

Priotrities!

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Asuma took a long drag from his cigarette as his eyes settled on the farmstead of Kinteki Town. Well, it was more than a farmstead with a traders' market, but it wasn't as big as some of the major towns in the Land of Fire. Overall, it was a town with very little, if anything, remarkable about it.

Yet...

Sasuke, Shikamaru, and the other young shinobi saw the melancholy eyes of Sarutobi-Sensei, Gaku, and Suburo. Tokuma kept a look of professionalism alongside Nemu at his side. Kuko sniffed around the ground but let a wary whimper look at her partner, who patted her head.

Upon leaving Amotsu, Chiriku followed up by bidding his farewells and going to the Fire Temple. From there on, the current party made their way to their first lead to find the traitor Kazuma. And their search began here, in the most the most unremarkable town Karin had ever seen.

...So why did she feel like something was wrong?

There was no malicious chakra around, nothing that would permeate the air, nor any sign of hostiles so far. Yet the way the adults were looking at this place with such conflicted emotions in their eyes, the apprehension, and remorse coming from Asuma's chakra, it all just made her feel on edge. There was a lot more to this town that it met the eyes, and they kept it a secret.

Karin didn't like this. There were too many secrets nobody wanted them to know, and they were hiding them out of a belief that it was for their own good.

Ninja always kept secrets, it came with the job... but when a secret haunted someone like this, she knew it was bad.

But what dark secret could this calm little town have?

"There!" Tokuma snapped her out of her reverie as he pointed to an old, dilapidated house by the edge of town. The bulging veins around his eyes and the faint presence of an incomplete pupil showed he was using his Byakugan, scanning the area. "There is a giant block right underneath the house."

"Block?" Choji repeated.

"A chamber layered with seals to prevent detection," The Hyuuga explained, "Even if I can't see what's inside, I can still see the chakra running over its matrix."

Asuma grunted as his gaze hardened. "So it is here," he expressed, sounding like he was chastising himself.

"There was no reason to believe it would be," Suburo said comfortingly as he patted his comrade's shoulder. "Come, let's move." And took off towards the house, with his team following closely behind.

As they made their way, Ino looked over to the fourth girl of their party (not counting Kuko, of course). Nemu was oddly quiet and expressionless. She only spoke when relaying relevant information; the rest of the time, she remained completely silent and still, not so much as twitching.

It reminded Ino of the poor ROOT inductees they rescued from Danzo's dungeons, the ones undergoing much-needed rehabilitation provided by her clan's psychologist experts. At least the younger kids were getting better, figuring out things they liked to do for themselves. Sai's paintings were lovely; he just needed more help regarding how to act properly around others.

With that in mind, she tried to strike up a conversation with Nemu to see what the girl was about. "So, a specialist at our age? That's impressive."

"Yes," Nemu curtly replied, not even turning to look at her.

"So... must be exciting, getting to work as an aide to the Twelve."

"No. It is work."

"Oh," Ino blinked repeatedly, "So what do you like to do then?"

"I work."

Well... The Yamanaka heiress could at least tell Nemu wasn't trying to be rude to her or anything, just not into much or at all for small talk, which reminded her of another person with a similar non-chatting variety. Dryly turned her eyes to Sasuke, who turned his Sharingan active to survey their surroundings.

Honestly, the more the blond thought of it, the more Ino kicked herself for having such an infatuation blinding her as it did. Sasuke was damn good to have as a friend. He'd be there for you if you needed him, but anything else was just never going to happen. Well, that wrong had been corrected, and Ino was damn certain not to be like that again.

Brooding silent types were not really her thing the more she thought about it.

Rousing out of her thoughts, she followed the others to where Tokuma found the possible hideout of that Kazuma guy. "Should we expect any traps?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if there are," Asuma quipped, glancing at Gaku, who nodded in agreement. "Notice anything out of the ordinary, Sasuke?"

A shake of the head came from the Uchiha, "Nothing. everything seems overly ordinary here." which only put the young teen slightly on edge as he spoke.

The people around town looked peaceful, just ordinary folk going about their ordinary lives.

But still, this feeling that something was amiss wouldn't leave them alone.

They reached the abandoned house, and the door was so flimsy and rotten that one could accidentally pull it off its hinges. The interior didn't look any better, dust everywhere, holes in the roof, patches of broken wood in the walls, dirt stains as well as dark mold spots littered a large portion of this home. If someone had once lived here, it was very long ago. Tokuma knelt by an old dusty rug and pulled it away, revealing a latch that had a sealing matrix on top of it.

"Allow me," The masked Suburo said as he knelt, placing his hand upon the seal. Within moments, the matrix disappeared.

Sakura whistled, "Nice seal-breaking."

"Stick around, Kushina-senpai." The leader of the Twelve spoke with humor in his voice, eyes crinkling under the visible portion of his skin beneath his headwrap. "And you'll learn a lot. I know I did." Without further ado, Suburo pulled the latch open, revealing a staircase that led underneath the house. "Feel anything?" he asked those of the team with special senses.

Both Inuzuka and his hound sniffed, "Nothing."

Tokuma hummed as he surveyed with his Byakugan. "I'm picking up faint signatures, but I believe those come from objects that might be... esoteric in nature."

"I agree," Karin said, focusing on the chamber underneath. "No life signs"

"Good. Let's go in carefully; we don't know if there are any traps."

"If this place is what I think it is," Asuma muttered. "Then he wouldn't have risked losing his research by setting traps..."

That drew Shikamaru's attention, "Even if it risked being found? Wouldn't it have been safer to set a trap or failsafe to destroy any evidence?" Even if the importance of the work was beyond priceless. It was better not to leave any evidence for an enemy to find.

"Not if it is research I pray he did not find," Suburo spoke up with trepidation before going down the staircase with the others following.

Nara and Uchiha exchanged glances with disconcerting expressions. Nothing was adding up for either teen, from this town in the middle of nowhere to this hidden lab. The more impatient of the two only felt his frustration building, "And if this research is about whatever you won't tell us about?"

Sasuke's words were met with silence from Suburo, Gaku, and Asuma as they pressed forward. Annoyance came in the form of a low, long grunt from the raven-haired teen, but he did not speak again, seeing how his question would not be answered. Choji looked nervously between his longtime friend and the Uchiha before glancing at Ino, who shrugged, shaking her head.

They descended the stairs, with Suburo taking the lead, the senior shinobi following next, and the younger generation last. There was no illumination going down, so they had to watch their steps carefully. The leader of the Twelve reached an entrance to the underground chamber, and after running his palm over the wall to his right, he found a switch.

Lights turned on, letting the shinobi finally get a good view as they entered the room.

"Huh," Sakura mused as she surveyed their surroundings. "Is this... a library?"

There were rows of books everywhere, desks filled with scrolls, pedestals that held small statues of wrathful deities, an assortment of different weapons, and other artifacts that seemed to radiate the faintest trace of chakra. One could even consider it a collection, but there were other things here, too. In the middle of the chamber, there was a sealing matrix meant to channel something. It looked very complex and outside the pinkette's expertise.

"Looks like he also kept a research facility here," Gaku mentioned to his peers. "Looking for clues of its location while also preparing various rituals."

Asuma sighed warily, "I thought this place would get undone, too."

'Undone?' What a strange way to phrase it, the youngsters noted.

"No doubt Kazuma stopped by here," Suburo said. "Looking for any remnants"

"Do you truly believe there are any left?" Tokuma asked, "I only know what the reports said. This was a bit before my time."

"I wouldn't rule anything out."

Sasuke's patience was wearing thin. "What are we looking for? What does this have to do with Kazuma? We can't keep operating without you telling us what is obviously very relevant information."

"I gotta agree with Sasuke," Shikamaru jabbed a thump in the Uchiha's direction. "Seems this is all 'Need-To-Know' basis at this point."

Suburo sighed, turning apologetically at the youths. "This is one of the highest secrets of the Nation. Its mere knowledge is strictly forbidden by order of the emperor. To tell you anything more-"

"There was a man," Asuma suddenly cut in. They watched as he slowly walked toward the end of the chamber, casually ignoring all the books and potential leads they could be researching now. "Who did a terrible thing on a scale you can't imagine."

"Asuma!" Suburo reproached him.

"I'm only telling them what they need to know right now, nothing else," The Sarutobi replied. "This man was cunning, ruthless, and unbelievably ambitious. He amassed incredible power."

He stood at the end of the room, looking directly at a hanging wall scroll, his gaze lost and unreadable.

"Using that."

The teens gazed at the wall scroll depicting a man in holy robes with a staff in one hand and a, "Is that a pearl or a stone?" Ino inquired, leaning forward.

Sasuke's face bloomed with skepticism and dry annoyance at the adults till seeing their stony, grave faces. The Uchiha looked back at the wall scroll, "What the hell is it?"

Asuma turned to Suburo, who grunted, rubbing his eyes with one hand and waving the other to speak. "Something even I thought was nothing but a myth. But as well have been learning more and more, a lot of things are not exactly just tall tales," He looked back to the scroll.

Shikamaru stared at his sensei before looking back at the picture. "Is that a Cintāmaṇi?" Karin's brow shot up past her bangs.

"Count on a Nara to figure things out," Gaku snorted, petting the head of his hound.

Choji turned his gaze between his friend and the adults, unsure as much as Ino, who scratched her head, "What is a Cintāmaṇi?"

Before anything else could be said, Karin's head whipped around to the stairway they had come from. "We might have some trouble coming our way." That drew everyone's attention as the redhead stayed focused on the stairs.

"You certain it isn't a villager?"

The bifocal Uzumaki kept her eyes forward and answered Choji's question, "Their chakra is too large to be villagers."

Suburo instantly shifted to a commanding tone. "How many and how far?"

"At least five. Around two hundred yards."

"Tokuma."

The Hyuuga's Byakugan flared to life, "She's right."

"To the house, quickly," The leader of the Twelve ordered with a swipe of his hand. "We'll lay an ambush for them."

They didn't need to be told twice as they swiftly ran up the stairs and began swiftly hatching up a strategy to intercept the newcomers. As was expected, Shikamaru had already hatched one the moment they went back to the upper level. Hiding in various parts around the house, the shinobi lay in wait.

Sakura and Sasuke crouched on the upper floor, staring down a sizeable hole to the first level, knowing the others were lying in wait.

Five figures in large dark cloaks entered the house, causing the two to stare in shock and share a bewildered gaze the moment they spotted those masks.

"We're in the target area," the figure at the front said in a monotone voice. "Start searching."

"Are those... ANBU?" Sakura whispered as low as she could, knowing Sasuke would hear her.

The Uchiha merely shook his head; he didn't know either. This didn't make any sense. Why would there be ANBU here?

...Unless...

The trap sprung into action, and five dark tendrils emerged from the darkness. They attached themselves to the cloaked individual's shadows. Their bodies seized, shuddering as they struggled to get out.

"Nara!" One of the masked individuals called out.

"Now!" Came Shikamaru's voice.

With haste, they came out of their hiding spots and sprung into action.

Being the quickest, Tokuma darted towards their enemies with his doujutsu activated. His open palms moved like lightning, striking the chakra and pressure points of the masked men with the precision a member of the Hyuuga clan was known for. "You can disengage your shadow Shikamaru-san. Their bodies from the neck down." The Guardian rookie spoke evenly, standing straight and deactivating his Byakugan.

Following the orders, the Nara retracted his shadow jutsu, and Suburo and Gaku grabbed the men before they fell to the ground. Ino let out a low whine as she stepped from her hiding spot with Karin; "I was looking forward to a bit of a fight."

A snort came from the Inuzuka, "Sound like your old man when he was younger."

"They are dressed like ANBU," Sasuke spoke up, looking at the two beside Nemu.

Choji let out an unconscious shiver. "Those masks always creeped me out." Kuko barks in agreement. "Can we tell where they're from?"

The Uzumaki, along with them, sharply focused on the downed foes, feeling their chakra starting to fluctuate rapidly. "Something's wrong!" The empire's shinobi sharply turned to the Uzumaki. "I... I think they're dying!"

"What?!" Ino gasped, looking at the cloaked shinobi.

Tokuma activated his Byakugan once more, frowning as he looked at their flow of energy. He witnessed how the chakra levels dimmed until nothing was flowing through either their hearts or brains. "They're... They're dead."

Suburo quickly sprung into action, removing one of the masks, only to be greeted by an expressionless face... and a foaming mouth.

Asuma and Gaku followed suit, removing the masks from the other shinobi, and found the same in each of them. Dead faces and foam coming from their mouths. "Shit..." The Sarutobi swore.

Kuko sniffed at the corpses and barked. Gaku growled as he nodded. "You're right. Cyanide"

"They killed themselves?" Sakura muttered, terrified. She had heard stories of shinobi who were under explicit orders to sacrifice themselves lest their secrets fell into enemy hands. But in this day and age, it was considered an extreme act that only the most ruthless of organizations would employ.

What kind of mindset did these people have to do such a thing?

"Gods," Choji muttered, horrified. "You think they were with Kazuma?"

"I... don't think so," Asuma muttered as he analyzed the situation. "Kazuma is charismatic, I'll give you that. But to have people actually kill themselves rather than reveal information? No, these people worked for someone else."

"Who could make a group of ninjas so zealous as to do *this?*" Sasuke pondered, waving a hand at the corpses.

"...Not zealous," They turned to Nemu, who had knelt by one of the bodies, carefully inspecting the mask and cloak. "Programmed."

They exchanged confused looks, "What have you found, Nemu?" Suburo asked.

"The material of these masks and cloaks is identical to the ones employed by Konoha's ANBU,"

"Wait, these were ANBU?" Ino exclaimed in disbelief, "Our ANBU?!"

"Can't be..." Shikamaru mused, "What jurisdiction would they have over our mission?"

"We certainly weren't informed?" Tokuma pointed out.

"Because they weren't ANBU," The dark-haired girl muttered, her voice analytical and cold. "I believe these people were ROOT."

The others felt a cold dread upon hearing that. Asuma growled low, "Great... Just what we needed..." He took a long drag off his cigarette, looking at the faces of the two dead men. They were at least around his age, but no recognition came to the Sarutobi of ever seeing them before in the village.

"Would Danzo be working alongside Kazuma?" Sasuke spoke up, staring at the bodies.

"Unlikely," the oldest son of Hiruzen answered, "Those two have very different philosophies. And they would kill each other at first glance."

Suburo grunted, "We still can't rule anything out regardless. If Danzo is any way involved, this matter just became more dangerous."

"Agreed," Gaku crossed his arms. "We're going to need to get the other Twelve in for this?"

"We send a message back to the capital to see what they want to do. And we keep onto the trail for Kazuma. If we find the man, we will get answers." The leader of the twelve spoke steely.

Asuma grunted, "Not that he will outright tell us."

"We will deal with that when the times come."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The afternoon sun hung from the heavens above over vast grassy plains as far as Kyoka could see. Despite the warmth of the sun, the wind was slightly chilly as it blew. He sat on horseback beside Mitsuko, who volunteered to join him alongside the prince next to Shogun Maiyuri and her guards. Behind them were three regiments of the Amotsu army marching.

While this was spur-of-the-moment, this matter held great importance that could not be ignored, and thus, Kyoka joined Maiyuri and Mitsuko on this mission to the Land of Steel.

He'd been going around human territories in the last few months than most of his ancestors put together had. The age of seclusion was over, as was his mother's orders, to once more inhabit the mainland so their people may thrive.

Of course, there was the matter of not-insignificant percentage of humans not being okay with the idea at all. The frightened looks and scowls he and his people got when they openly crossed streets, no longer hiding their demonic traits, were not easy to forget. Kyoka thought himself fortunate he looked more human than other demons, but if push came to shove, he could unleash his 'true' form, which... was not pretty.

Regardless of what Kuroka said.

The Shogun was fair and did give them a chance for their people to prove themselves and earn the human's trust so they, too, would see how much they brought to this growing empire of hers. Kyoka's green eyes shifted to a positively massive figure Marching alongside the regiment. His canine head stood as the most noticeable trait, brown going from his nose to the upper side and light brown from his snout down. He wore segmented armor placed over the captain's coat that had been given to him once he took command of the 7th Regiment.

Sajin Komamura had been studying the art of war longer than many humans had been alive, which was why his mother had appointed him as a main liaison to Asahi's military. The shogun had taken a liking to the hound yokai and arranged for him to be given command of a regiment once he proved his leadership skills to the council of generals.

That is not to say there hadn't been protests, a foreigner put in charge of a full regiment, a demon at that...

Thankfully, Sajin-dono was swiftly proving himself. He certainly had a loyal subordinate with the lieutenant appointed to him. A man who looked like he was trying very hard to look like a tough yakuza. But from what he heard of the man, he had nothing but praise for Komamura.

He just wished things could go as smoothly. New Lanka's construction was still ongoing, and the demons who chose to settle down in Amotsu weren't exactly having the easiest time adapting...

"It takes time," He heard Mitsuko say softly. The former human hadn't even turned to see him as they rode, and already it was like she could tell what he was thinking.

His armor rustled as he squared his shoulders, sighing. "We have time... not sure if humans will be patient, however."

"Being human once, I get where they are coming from; most are just afraid. Fear can be changed with understanding and the results that we achieve." The former human spoke with wisdom: "We won't win over everyone, no matter how much we try. But their voices of hate and intolerance fade when choruses of acceptance drown it."

"Your words are well spoken," the two turn, seeing Sajin walking behind them. "We knew this would be an uphill battle for us, your Highness. But your people stand ready to prove themselves that we are not monsters but children of this beautiful world like all others."

At that, Kyoka nodded, "You are right, Sajin; thank you for reminding me."

The hound demon bowed his head while Mitsuko tilted her own, "So why are we going to my old homeland?"

Ah, that was right. Mitsuko's village was in the Land of Steel. "According to what I was told," Kyoka spoke up, "The Asashi troops have been having a standoff with the Land of Steel. Unable to pass through their borders to help another territory, The Land of Apples."

Sajin grunted, "The third regiment fully explained why they needed to go, but the people of Steel refuse to allow them passage."

Overhearing the conversation, Sajin's human lieutenant, Iba Tetsuzaemon, spoke up, "The Land of Steel is known to be stubborn to its core." a man of average height in his early thirties with fair skin and average build, a unique style of a haircut with shades over his eyes. "Luckily, nothing boiled into a full-fledged fight. But there was a skirmish. No one on either side was injured gravely, at least."

"Small miracles," The demon prince responded. "So instead of sending a messenger, Maiyuri is making the direct approach."

Iba chuckled, "Likely gets her majesty out of doing paperwork."

"I'd rather be doing paperwork than this."

The shogun's voice silenced them. Maiyuri kept riding her loyal steed, Ushiwakamaru, with a severe expression, utterly focused on the task at hand. Her soft pink hair was pulled up in a ponytail, leaving only a few strands to fall over her forehead. She wore a commander's yoroi with segmented pieces of shoulder guards, arm guards, and shin armor and her white and teal haori underneath.

She was dressed for war... and depending on how things unfolded today, it may become that.

Tetsuzaemon cleared his throat, "My apologies, my lady. I shouldn't make light of this situation."

"Hmph," Maiyuri merely hummed in reply.

Her steed was one of the few daring enough to speak to her at that moment. "Relax."

These were not the words one would want to hear at that moment, but they spoke volumes about how he got away with it. "I'd rather be focused."

"We're not in sight of the Steel army yet," Miharu, ever the calm one, said. "Stressing yourself like this won't help."

"They're the ones keeping my army from passing. Every day we delay, the Land of Apples' situation deteriorates, and their aggressors grow bolder," The shogun sharply said. "It was my public support that held them back... if our troops don't arrive in time, they might be attacked."

"Ugh," Namika rolled her eyes, "and of course, Steel has to be a bunch of lunkheads about it."

It should have been a simple issue. They would cross through the Land of Steel to reach the Land of Apples, but the former weren't letting them. They didn't trust their forces would walk by; they most likely felt they would be surrounded and eventually attacked from multiple fronts. They weren't even listening to her messengers; they demanded she come here herself... and most likely, she'd have to fight in a duel to get her people to pass.

When shinobi became prominent in use, the military cast of various nations had been vocally against it. Some had gone so far as to leave their lands completely and found new countries built and led by warriors, such as the legendary Land of Iron. Another such country was the Land of Steel, one which, like the samurai-led country, had remained neutral in multiple conflicts due to its sheer martial might. Even large nations didn't dare provoke without plenty of aid.

But that was not to say they did not have their own. The Land of Steel has been involved in battles throughout the decades that have displayed its martial prowess and strength in warfare. From rival nations or fools with a chip on their shoulder, The Land of Steel has brought down those who dared to face their blades.

Most surrendered, many fled, and others were utterly annihilated.

For the most part, dealings with the Land of Steel were cool but cordial with the Land of Fire. The adage 'You don't bother me, I don't bother you' summed up the relationship well enough. Till now, as Maiyuri has laid out her plans to unify the Nations as a whole under her banner has brought consequences for her actions.

Her soft emerald eyes soon noticed numerous figures standing at attention yards away, all dressed in full armor and with weapons at the ready.

"Finally," Maiyuri huffed with some frustration.

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Akeno sighed with a mix of emotions while walking through the streets of Amotsu. Per the orders of her queen, the succubus came alongside Ambassador Uyo and the people of their island to make themselves useful to the new human empire that was being built. Akeno jumped at the chance to give whatever aid she could to make a mark in history for such an event to unite her people with humans after so many centuries of isolation.

That being said...

The raven-haired demoness ignored the glares of several humans cast her way. Despite looking completely human herself, Akeno did not hide what she was when she came with Uyo and the others to Amotsu. None of them did, they had no shame in being what they were and refused to hide themselves for anyone's comfort. Their people were children of this world as much as any other race that exists here. And they had a right to live as any other.

She made her way to the Lanka Embassy, the diplomatic holdings provided by the shogun to facilitate relations between the empire and her nation. It was a traditional building surrounded by high walls and only a main gate. Akeno stopped for a moment as she watched a pair of servants washing graffiti off the smooth surface of the wall.

They clearly were only starting, for she could still see the words, 'Go back, you ungodly beasts'

Akeno let out a soft sigh. It was the third one this week.

"Cowardly," She heard a man say behind her. She turned to see a human, middle-aged and with a graying goatee. He crossed his arms with a stern gaze as he looked at the words. "To write that in the dead of night instead of just coming out and saying it."

Now, Akeno's lineage provided her a certain level of empathy, so she could tell the man truly felt disgusted... but it wasn't directed at the act of vandalism.

So she was not surprised when he sneered at her and said, "Your kind shouldn't be here."

And then he spat on the floor at her feet.

Akeno kept an impassive gaze, giving away nothing that the human could use against her. He just kept glaring at her as if her existence offended him.

"You there!" a guard's heated voice called out. A human woman in traditional Yorio walked up to the man, her spear tapping the ground with every step. She glared at him with an accusation: "Are you threatening a member of Lanka's diplomatic envoys?"

The man had enough sense to know he should leave. He held up his hands and began walking away, his tone calm and even; "I was just going" He turned around and went his way.

The guard looked like he wanted to pursue him, but Akeno stopped her. "Let him be, Kimari. It's not worth it."

The human woman scoffed, "In older times, peasants would get a finger cut for speaking out to people above their station."

"Well, good thing society has evolved, hasn't it?"

The guard, Kimari, merely sighed. She craned her head to rub her neck in the opening of her helmet. "I am sorry we did not apprehend the vandal who did this," She said, referring to the graffiti. "This was done last night when guards were on rotation."

"I guess it's better than the protest from the other day..."

Integration has not been easy since they arrived. At the same time, there have been no actual attacks against Akeno's people in fear of reprisal. But it did not stop people from expressing their displeasure.

"Cowards like these bring shame to the Shogun for treating her guests like this."

The succubus shrugged, "It is the nature of some people to hate what they don't understand or see as monsters."

"You sound like you know from experience," Kimari inquired.

"I lived among humanity for a time before my queen found me and brought me to the home I had long searched for."

"How long ago was that?"

"I'd say when your great-grandmother was alive." Akeno giggled, seeing Kimari's shocked expression. The demoness took a long breath. "I knew this would be difficult. But thankfully, we knew Uyo was the right person to act as ambassador."

A low huff came from the gate entrance, "A duty I do not take that duty lightly for our queen." Spoke a deep, aged masculine voice that came from the black beak of an anthropometric crow man adorned in garments known to his kind.

Kimari bowed respectfully, "Uyo-sama." The young guard's woman never in her wildest dreams thought she would ever meet a real Tengu. She had heard so many stories as a child, but to see one in real life still nothing but amazement to her. Something that did not go unnoticed by Akeno, who smirked. "This insult will be removed from the compound wall soon."

The Raven Tengu nodded, "Very good. What news do you bring for me, Akeno?" He turned his bird-like eyes to the succubus.

The raven-haired succubus motioned her hands like a scale, "Things are tense in some areas. And not so much in others."

"Hmm, as expected," the tengu said patiently, waving at the woman to follow him. "Come, we'll discuss things in my office."

Akeno nodded before giving the guard a polite smile, "Thank you for your help, Kimari-san."

"All in a day's work miss... ma'am?" She made a hilarious face, not knowing how to refer to the demon woman now knowing her age.

Akeno giggled, and was about to reply with a somewhat flirting quip... when suddenly a horrible sound made everyone's heart skip a bit.

An explosion, there was no mistaking it.

Uyo let out a startled gasp, sharply turning around, and stared off into the distance. "Gods!"

Akeno looked on with a horrified expression as a plume of smoke rose into the sky to the city's east. It looked like it was all the way on the other side of the city, yet the smoke was visible all the same. Civilians stopped and pointed, letting out shocked exclamations and frightened murmurs as to what had happened.

"That's... near the main headquarters," Kimari muttered in realization before she reached inside her helmet and tapped into a radio on her ear. "Kimari to patrol leader Kuso, requesting status report!"

As a muffled voice replied to the guardswoman, Akeno's hands joined together as they watched that cloud of black smoke rise higher and higher into the sky, an omen of the dark days to come…

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