Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
Co-Author and Beta: Etheral-23
Tribute: You are remembered, Joachim.
Chapter 66: Reforged Path
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Even at the young age of ten, Kushina knew what it meant to honor the clan. The Uzumaki prided themselves in their crafts, she was already showing a lot of promise with her sealing, and she already had the signs she'd be able to manifest the Adamantine Chains. They valued their heritage, for the dragons were kin to them. And they treasured their oaths and friendship; the Senju were family, and Konoha were their friends.
And she was needed there, now.
Old lady Mito was... old now, which was odd for one of their own. Even at her age, she shouldn't look so frail. People thought it had to do with her circumstances.
And it was hard to grasp for Kushina. Lady Mito was cool, like, WOW. She had WAY more chakra than even baachan!
But, there were still consequences for sealing the strongest Biju into an adult.
She was the next candidate to seal the Biju. Only an Uzumaki had the right chakra levels and lifeforce to house the strongest of the Tailed Beasts.
She had to leave Uzushio, her home, so that Konoha would be safe. So another war wouldn't break out.
She had visited Konoha many times before; it was a nice place, but... it wasn't Uzu.
So now she walked across the streets, memorizing the sea of redheads, the stores, and houses. The training grounds and smithies. The temples and sanctuaries. She felt her chest tighten at the people talking, laughing, shouting, and being so amazing. She felt as though she'd never see them again. Kushina didn't want to leave it all behind, but... she didn't have a choice.
None of them did.
Baachan was against it, and Daddy was against it. Even Hiruzen-dono, who brought it up in the first place, didn't like it!
...But what other choice did they have?
Kushina sighed and eventually wandered back into the main branch complex, wanting to spend more time with her family. Perhaps she'd feel a little less loss, a little less scared. The training garden was the first place she went through, and Kushina was not surprised to find Aunty Kaida there, swinging a wooden sword down repeatedly. Knowing Aunty, she must have done a thousand swings already.
Aunty Kaida was TALL, not as tall as Grandpa Korin, but so very tall Kushina didn't even reach her waist. Her clothes were much like Grandpa's, a short-sleeved gi and loose hakama pants. Her long red hair in a ponytail swayed with her movements, long bangs sticking to her head with sweat, and strong muscular arms rippled as she gripped the practice sword tightly. Aunty was so focused it looked like the world around her didn't exist to her, 'one with the sword' and all that.
Kushina smirked, giggling deviously, and sneaked around. She grabbed a few stones as she moved, keeping herself close to the ground and out of Kaida's line of sight.
Then she jumped, throwing the rocks with the respectable precision and speed of someone her age.
Kaida whirled on her feet instantly and knocked all the stones out of the air with swings so fast that Kushina couldn't even follow them.
Kushina grumbled, puffing her cheeks and stomping her foot petulantly.
Her aunt smiled, "63-0."
The score of their little game, Kushina had yet to win even once…
Kaida felt her smile falter when Kushina slumped onto the ground. Her violet eyes stared in no particular direction. Strolling over, the older redhead sat beside her niece, crossing her legs. Putting down her practice sword, she put a hand on the top of Kushina's head, "You okay, kiddo?"
It was a stupid question. Nobody was feeling okay about this.
"Do I have to be the Jinchurriki in Konoha? Can't I be it here?"
Pain glowed in Kaida's eyes, "We both know you can't, Kushi. No matter how much we would want it to be so." Or rather, Kushina is not made a damn Jinchurriki, to begin with. Her mother was still slightly upset with the late Hashirama for that brilliant idea... Not that it could be changed now after so long. But by Sussano-o's blade, Kaida wished it was different. But she still offered a smile of reassurance, "Just because you will be in Konoha doesn't mean you can't come back home once in a while."
"...I know..." The little redhead mumbled defeatedly. "But I don't know anyone there."
"You can make new friends there."
"I don't want friends there," She mumbles with childish defiance. "I want my friends here."
Kaida sighed, "Oh sweetie, I know things are hard, but... sometimes life is like that; we must do things we don't like. I know it's not fair to ask this of someone your age. We'd do it in a heartbeat if any of us grown-ups could. But," She paused momentarily, "there is the large picture to consider. It will all come around; eventually, you'll see."
Kushina did not reply, instead grabbing a fistful of her shirt's hem.
Her aunt touched her cheek, "The day will come when you can live here again. I'm certain of it."
"You promise?"
"We know not what the future holds for us," A firm yet gentle voice spoke up, "it is neither naive nor hopeless to want to hold on for something better."
Kushina gasped joyfully, turning around to see her beloved grandmother standing in the wooded hallway, her red kimono prim as always, her long logs mostly tied in behind her back with a few bangs loose, her smile warm and her red eyes loving. "Baachan!" Kushina barrelled against the woman's legs, hugging her tightly. Tsukiko bent over slightly, stroking the top of her tenderly.
"Mother," Kaida greeted with a smile as she stood and approached the older woman. "I thought you'd be busy."
"The meeting did not last as long as I anticipated," Tsukiko replied as Kushina kept burying her face in her kimono. "Your lady friend assured me I'd find you here."
Kaida bashfully chuckled, scratching her head while her mother playfully stared before looking back to little Kushina. Despite opening her mouth, no words came from the immortal sage. Kneeling, she engulfed her granddaughter in a warm, loving hug. She felt Kushi's little arms wrapped around her tightly. Lifting her easily, Tsukiko said nothing, feeling the little redhead beginning to cry on her shoulder.
The sage felt her tears form along with her first daughter, who soon came over, hugging both. Feeling their hearts ache so much, hearing Kushina's restrained, choked sobs. No words could convey the pain all three were feeling. But Tsukiko and Kaida poured as much love as they could in their embrace.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Kushina rubbed away the stray tears, sitting with Lyn and Kosuke in the Valley of Courage and Perseverance. "Baachan left soon after. That important sage mission of hers... And she never came back..."
"I remember," Lyn mumbled, lying fully on the ground with her hands behind her head, staring at the sky.
Kosuke stared at the ground, "The memories are few and far between for me. But I'll never forget the attack soon after Baachan vanished."
"... Me either," Lyn spoke softly.
The former ANBU only read reports and visited the ruins once she was older. When she finally dared to go there. Bless Minato and Mikoto for going with her cause she could not have done that alone. Her future husband and best friend had to hold her as she wailed in pain at the devastation. Kushina brought her knees up, hugging them with her arms. "Hiruzen-Jiji had everyone buried."
"That's something, at least," The large Uzumaki remarked.
"And right now, Saito and Samenosuke are off who knows where trying to find as many surviving kin as possible." Lyn sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "How are we to rebuild? The village is completely wrecked. We're just going to hope we won't get attacked again?"
"Maiyuri-hime is willing to extend protection to Uzushio. Any attack on the clan would be an attack on the empire," Kushina brought up, "So we have that going?"
Lyn turned around, lying on her stomach. "And we're supposed to go back and build over the ruins? Try to move on like it didn't happen?"
"Nobody is saying that, Lyn," Kushina replied.
"I know! But," She stopped herself, trying to find the right words. "I'm just... I don't know how to do this. We pick up our people, build new buildings, and continue our traditions. We move on, but I don't know how we move on like this."
"We all moved on when Uzushio fell," Kosuke pointed out. "Why should it be any different with this?"
"Because it doesn't feel real," Lyn voiced with mounting frustration. "Just... ignore me. I'm afraid of going back, getting the clan together, and... living with that fear of losing it all again," She muttered. "I don't want to be afraid anymore."
"I thought everyone had died," The two Uzu women shift to their cousin, whose gaze was lost in thought. "I feared leaving the forest because I thought the snakes or enemy Shinobi would find me. Some nights I woke up screaming, seeing my parents and everyone else dead at my feet." His gaze met his hands.
"Kosuke," Kushina muttered quietly.
"The few villages around where I was had presumed me as some evil spirit of the forest. Whenever I got near them, they threw rocks or chased me away. I stayed away from civilization after that. I had a sleuth of bears who loved me as a family if nobody else wanted me." He lowered his hands, looking to the ground again, "Yet..."
"Yet?" Lyn had sat up fully, looking up at the towering man with Kushina.
"I wanted my family back. I wanted to see everyone again..."
Kushina bit her lip, hearing the horseness in his tone. "You could have come to Konoha."
"I had no idea where Konoha was back then. I never paid much attention to those things as a kid. I was just happy being with all of you running around Uzushio... Then I had nothing. For so long..."
He remembered how it was to be a child, small, lost, and scared. Running, always running, as if the snakes were still chasing him. He did not look back for a single second, fearing for his life every step of the way. In running from the danger, he left behind so many things, memories of his childhood most of all, but what he remembered the most was the happy times he and his friends enjoyed together, laughing in Tsukiko's garden, of the kind grandmother figure who taught him so many things, who held his hand and taught him not to be afraid.
Those memories drove him to survive, continue forward, and live.
At some point, he met those gentle bears who gave him food when other wild animals would have ripped him apart. They did not talk, but they understood; they welcomed him into their family.
He grew up strong and hardened, doing what he had to survive. And when the time came for him to move on, Kuma was at his side. Decades spent around non-talking animals made him grow unused to other people's ways. He strived to remember writing and language, but how people acted or interacted within their societies often needed to make more sense to him. In Uzushio, things had been simpler than what he remembered of his childhood. People laughed if they were happy, shouted if angry, and cried when sad. Always be honest about everything. The same was for the animal kingdom. There was no concept of falsehood.
The rest of the world wasn't so. People always said one thing and meant another. The villages he ran into had many people, some he liked, some he didn't like. Others he felt outright disgust for due to their predatory ways, abusing and hoarding while others suffered.
Takeda was a good man. He gave him food without asking. His people were hurting and fighting back against a bad man. It was simple. That's all he needed to understand. There was good and evil; anything else was excuses and conveniences.
Life could be simpler with the clan together again.
Kosuke's eyes refocus on the present seeing Kushina stand to hold his face with her dainty hands. Her expressive eyes glowed, "You are not alone anymore. You are back with your family, and we are not going anywhere." He grunted as she brought him close to hug him, resting her head on his own.
A teary-eyed Lyn chuckled, sitting on her knees to hug Kosuke's side, "Well, what do you know? Kushi and I agree on something."
Kushina did not have a snappy comeback. She could only hold back the tears after seeing the immense loneliness in her cousin's eyes. A sight she couldn't bear to see any more than what she saw in her son.
And she would find a way to fix it.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Kya blinked with surprise shining in her blue orbs. "You what?"
In front of her stood Naruto, who spoke back with determination, "I want to become a sage."
The two stood further away from the others who were getting a tour of the training grounds. The Namikaze sage was more than a little curious when her little cousin wanted to speak to her privately. The topic of that discussion caught her off guard.
It took a few minutes for the buxom blond to find her voice before speaking again, "Are you sure about that?"
"You don't think I should?"
"I didn't say that," Kya shook her head, "Naruto, you were promoted to the Shogun's guard. Wouldn't you want to get to know that job before doing something like Sagehood?"
"Maiyuri-hime is a great person," Naruto said, "She's going to do many amazing things. And I'll be happy to help her with it."
The mocha-skinned woman raised a brow, "But?" She prompted.
"But..." Naruto's gaze shifted as if looking for the right words. "I want to do... more. I feel I can do more than follow after my Shogun."
Kya let out a humming sound, pondering on his words for a moment. "Walk with me," She asked.
Naruto followed her on an elevated path up one of the large earthen peaks, with stairs built upon the edge. As they traversed upwards, the view of the Valley of Courage and Perseverance became more open to him, letting him get a better view of the many temples and training grounds. However, they were not so high, as though he couldn't see the activity down below. Hundreds, if not thousands, of monkeys and humans milling about, training, and doing other activities like keeping the Valley's gardens, meditating, and conducting other ceremonies. They all moved with a purpose...
They stopped by a flat part of the terrain, built with a stone floor, with old trees growing at the sides of the mountain face. It was clear to Naruto this was a place used for meditation.
Kya sat cross-legged on the floor and waved at him to join her. Naruto did so, copying her pose with his hands on his knees. "I have a good idea what prompted this decision," The Namikaze woman said, trying to be tactful. "Han'ei"
Naruto's lips pursed. "Han'ei..."
"It was not an easy choice," Kya said, her blue eyes looking at him with sympathy. "It was not fair you were put in that position."
"It shouldn't be a hard choice either," Naruto stated. "People were suffering, and the man responsible needed to be brought down."
"And he was," Kya nodded. "The people can thrive, be proud of that."
"It wasn't because of me!" Naruto muttered a touch fiercely. "It... was because in spite of me, in spite of Konoha."
They were sent there to ensure that people continued to suffer, so Tokuhara could still fill his pockets while beating down his people under his heel.
"I... I can't sit by not doing anything while people are suffering."
Kya leaned forward, "Can I ask why?"
"Huh?"
"Why do you strive so hard to do the right thing? Always helping anyone who needs a hand. Going so far out of your way with such courageous selflessness. Knowing full well it went against your path as a ninja."
The Namikaze had been getting good at seeing his physical cues on certain personal subjects to her little cousin. Namely rubbing the back of his neck, looking in no discernable direction. "I just... I never liked bullies or people treating others like crap for no reason. For nothing, they had no control over...Or just because they wanted to hurt people."
Ahh.
Now it was coming together. His treatment as Jinchurriki was part of the reason. Granted, Naruto received less hassle than the stories heard from the other Nations. The Treatment of Gaara is a glaring fact. But treating a little child like a pariah shaped his psyche into what he is now. She supposed it was better than how other Jinchurriki had turned out.
Consumed by hate and rage.
So, Naruto did not like seeing others being treated like he was. The other is this intense drive inside him. Rushing headlong into danger without a care for his well-being. Regardless of the odds against him or even being outmatched.
Admirable. And prone to give his mother gray hairs.
"You don't need to be a sage to help people," Kya pointed out, keeping the boy's options open.
"I know," Naruto nodded, his lips pursing. "But... sages here do many things and seem smart. They know who they are and what they're meant to do."
Kya let out a soft sound of understanding. "You seek wisdom."
"I'm a dummy," Naruto freely admitted. "I don't know much about anything. The world certainly doesn't work like I thought it did. I want to know better."
"Knowing you don't know is the beginning of wisdom, Naruto," Kya commended, "It is the right first step. And if you feel you need wisdom to understand your place in the world and the role you want in it, then the White Lotus can help you."
"Is that why you joined up?"
"Perhaps," Kya replied, a little uncertain herself. "When I finally reached the first stage of Sagehood, I was given the same revelations you and the others faced. Not in so much detail, of course..." She trailed off a bit distantly. They all had been rather shocked by what they saw. "As a sage, I wanted my life to be balanced. The world has been unbalanced for a long time, so it is both a journey of self-improvement and responsibility for me."
"Balance the world, and you balance yourself?" Naruto asked.
"I am still far from being a 'healthy' person, Naruto. I tried to remain disconnected from the world and everyone around me, believing that would help me. As you saw, it did not work at all. All it did was keep me rooted in my trauma," Kya said, "Enlightenment comes in many ways. I realized perhaps my path should be another. I owe the people in my life that much, at least."
It might have been a few months since facing that vampire tree. But Kya has been progressing in her healing since then. The coldness was gone, replaced by a gentle sereneness. She was only open and expressive to anyone she viewed as a true friend. But showed her real self mainly to Lyn, obviously, and a bit to Naruto as the two had gotten closer.
Outside of learning about the Namikaze, the younger blond came to the new sage when needing advice or to relax. Kya had even been helping her little cousin in meditation... Well, finding something that works for someone who is a hyper adolescent.
Results were varied...
At least he could sit still longer than Lyn.
"How about this? Before you try to jump into anything. Learn more about who you are and who you want to be."
At those words, Naruto blinked, "I already know who I am."
"You just might. But Sagehood is more than about knowledge and purpose. It is self-discovering who a person truly is within themselves." She offered a slight grin, seeing his confusion, "I know you prefer things simple. But becoming a sage is anything but." She touched her cousin's head, rubbing his locks gently. "Do this for me, and we will see your place in the world."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Kakashi, in part, would have liked the White Lotus had returned them to Konoha in the Hokage building or somewhere more private, but as it were, they were taken to the entrance of the village, already startling Izumo and Kotetsu from their post. Tsunade took a step towards them, immediately getting to business. "Has the regiment sent to the Land of Trees returned?" The Hokage asked with her authoritative tone.
"T-They have, Tsunade-sama," Izumo quickly replied, standing straight alongside his partner.
"Good," She nodded before turning to the group, consisting of Naruto and his team, Kushina, plus Kosuke and his bear companion, and finally, the dragon lady who brought them all here. "Thank you for shortening the trip,"
Ganyu smiled, folding her hands over her lap and doing a gentle bow. "It was my pleasure."
"Maiyuri said she was already working on the draft for the new regiments in the army." The Hokage continued, "I'll need to clear things up with the clan heads. No doubt things are a mess right now."
"Sounds like an uphill battle," Kushina commented.
"Oh, it is, but like it or not, they'll have to follow it. No doubt word is already spreading about the new Shogun's goals. Am I right?" Tsunade grinned over her shoulder at the chunin standing guard.
"Like wildfire, ma'am," Kotetsu said with a loud exhale. "The shinobi in the Land of Trees wasted no time spreading the word."
"Sounds like insane stuff happened there," Izumo commented, looking at the team.
"You have no idea," Karin muttered.
"I'll go ahead. You guys take a break. I think you earned it," Tsunade said with a small smile before walking into the village, leaving the group behind.
Kakashi sighed softly, "From traitors to now honor guard, funny how life works, huh?"
"Now I get why you get so lost, sensei," Sakura commented jokingly. "The road of life sure is treacherous."
At that, her mentor chuckled, "Now you're getting it."
Kushina turned to her old sitter, looking nostalgic. "I hope we'll see you again soon."
"Do not worry, my lady," Ganyu smiled, "Once our preparations are ready, I'll be coming for you and Kosuke" At the look from the two, she quickly amended with a sheepish smile, "And I'll make time for tea as well, in the meantime I'll have Lyn keeping me company."
"Why is Aunt Lyn staying behind?" Soujiro queried.
"Said something about putting the new demon hunter volunteers through their paces" Naruto shrugged. And knowing Aunty Lyn, those poor sops were in for a thorough trashing.
Ganyu gave a polite bow smiling, "We will meet again soon. Do take care." Once she vanished in a puff of smoke, the others turned and began to enter the village.
The two Chunin eye the bunch departing, "How do you think they'll handle it?" Izumo questioned with concern.
"A lot better than we would." Kotetsu quipped before resuming his work.
The Hatake could still hear the two well enough while walking away. His uncovered eye takes notice of the people around the village. Various degrees of surprise and shock bore on the faces of the civilians of the Leaf. But it was the Shinobi that drew his attention. Their expression bore a more glare to outright fury in their eyes.
Not all, as more than a few other Shinobi showed relief to see them home.
The rest did not agree. Huh, Kakashi recalled these looks once before. Directed towards his father all those years ago…
Such a horrible situation he had been caught on. He chose the lives of his teammates over his mission. But the long-term consequences outweighed the good he did. Konoha needed that mission. It would have gotten the Land of Rock on their side as an ally and provided a strong buffer zone against Iwa. But his choice had cost them dearly. Rock would come under the influence of Earth.
Konoha's efforts to stay off the then-upcoming war, or at least gather enough allies and fortify themselves into a stronger position, had all been undone by that mission.
Sakumo had chosen his morals over the mission, and the village, their ninja, would pay for it dearly.
His father could have lived with the ridicule. He could have lived with the failure... But he could not live knowing he had sentenced the village to another war. That hundreds more would die because of him.
He took his own life in hopes of recovering his honor. But all Kakashi had left off was his shame.
The mask of the Hatake, shown only to family and friends, became a mainstay of his life. His father had never worn it, feeling everyone in the village was as kin. But Kakashi could not share his face with anyone after what happened.
Perhaps now he understood how his father felt. He, too, was given a choice between honor and duty. It was Minato-sensei's ideals that had saved him. He owed it to the man to try to live up to them.
By circumstance, he had gotten far better off than what his father had gone through. Otherwise, the few glares he saw coming his way would affect him more. But now Kakashi had yet to find a reason to care. He had acted in service to the village, fighting for its soul like Minato-sensei would have wanted.
He kept his face hidden not out of shame but because it was not because he sought to hide it from the other Shinobi. They first would have to earn the right.
And now, under the new role as ninja under direct orders from the Shogun, Kakashi felt he could live with that.
Karin stayed close to Naruto, "Can feel not everyone is happy about us being back."
"They can grumble and moan about it all they want," Kushina dryly quipped, "We did what was right. Never be ashamed of that." Kuma let out a low grunt earning a pet on the head.
Sakura sighed, "Wonder how my parents will react."
"They will be happy you are home. They are your parents, after all." A few shocked eyes went to Sasuke, who said that.
"Kakashi!" The silver-haired scarecrow stopped along with the team upon his hearing his name called out by a fairly tall, fair-skinned man with dark spiky hair. Adorned in a Konoha flak jacket, long-sleeve blue shirt, and pants with sandals. His hite-ate resting slightly tilted on his head. One feature was red-rimmed sunglasses over his eyes.
"Aoba," Hatake spoke casually as the man stopped before him after jogging over. "Been a while." He could feel the deadpan behind the man's glasses.
"Been a while? I was finally relieved from outpost duty and came back yesterday. The first thing I found out is your mission went fubar. Got arrested and are now promoted to Dainin for the new Shogun Maiyuri for a newly born empire. After saving the Daimyo against an army of demons!"
"Yup, it has been an eventful few weeks."
The shades-wearing Jounin groaned before letting out a snort laugh and shook Hatake's hand, "You scared the crap out of us, you looney bastard."
"Wasn't intended to do that. But life happens." He blinked as Aoba leaned into his ear.
The Jounin whispered, "Just watch yourself. Not everyone is delighted you are back, my friend."
"Yeah, I noticed."
Aoba leaned back, respectfully bowing to Kushina, "Good to see you home, Kushina-sama." He gave a wary look to the giant bear by Kosuke.
Slight recollection glowed in the former ANBU's eyes, "Yamashiro," She said slowly, getting a nod from the man, "Huh. You grew up well, didn't you."
"Thank you," With that, Aoba left as the group returned to Kushina's home.
Kosuke watched the man go, "Sounds like half the people here are elated to see you. The rest want you to go away."
"Yeah, that's how things will be for a while," Kushina replied with a sigh as they resumed their pace. "Things have changed; for eighty years, the village functioned one way, and that was it. Now it's suddenly been turned over its head, and people have to deal with it."
"Well, I don't envy Grandma," Naruto called out, folding his arms behind his head. "She's gonna have her hands full."
"Her?" Sakura snorted, "Try Maiyuri-sama. She's the woman on a path to change the Elemental Nations completely."
"While demonic forces conspire against her," Sasuke droned out.
"I'm so sick and tired of demons..." Karin mumbled.
"Let's remember not all demons are responsible for this mayhem," Soujiro amended, "The people of Lanka are non-humans, and they have been dealt a terrible hand by those forces as well."
As they acknowledged his point, Naruto paused in his stride as his eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Oh man, that's right..." He muttered, much to the other's confusion. "And they wanted... so then maybe...!"
Sasuke's brows furrowed. "Great, he broke."
"What's wrong?" Kushina asked, confused at his sudden behavior. And she wasn't the only one.
"I-I-I just remembered something!" Naruto bit his thumb and slammed it on the ground; a summoning array appeared, and Hien's green-scaled brother Hui Zhong manifested out of the puff of smoke.
"Ahh, Naruto" The medium-sized dragon smiled as he looked at his summoner. "What can I assist you with?"
"Need you to fly me to the capital, stat!" He enthusiastically said as he jumped over the dragon's back.
"The capital?!" Karin sputtered in surprise. "We were there barely a day ago! What could you possibly-?"
"No time to explain!" Naruto shouted as Hui Zhong took flight. "Gotta talk to Maiyuri bebacklaterbyyyyyyye!"
His family, friend, and more than one onlooker on the streets just stared as Naruto and his summon became a dot in the distance as they flew toward Amotsu.
"...That was odd," Sakura called out.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Sakura exhaled a long sigh, now standing outside her house/store. She was grateful Kushina and the others would have happily stayed for moral support, but she had to see her parents alone. But by the Gods, did her heart beat so loud it felt like a drum; she patted her chest to calm it. Mustering up her courage, she went for the door.
The store bell chimed while Mebuki went through inventory in the back beside her husband, Kizashi. Before either one could speak, a voice made both freeze up. "Mom! Dad!"
In an instant, both dropped their papers, running into the shop. The two nearly skid and fall as they see their daughter looking nervously at them. "H-hi... I'm... Home..."
The rosette squeaked before being lifted into Kizashi's arms, hugging her tightly, with Mebuki joining in. "You're home," Kizashi shook with tears rolling off his cheeks. "Our baby is home," his voice was horse and shaky.
Sakura sighed in relief, having missed her parent's embrace. She held on to them for as long as they all needed. Eventually, when they let go, they still looked at her with concern as though something else might happen to her.
"Honey, close the store." Mebuki asked her husband, who went on to put on the 'Closed' sign so they might be able to continue. "What happened?" She asked, looking utterly lost. "You were being trialed at Amotsu, and everyone said you'd most likely be imprisoned for it."
Her father quickly returned. "And then we saw many ninjas leaving the village, with Tsunade-sama accompanying them. All we heard was talk about something dangerous happening in the Land of Trees."
"And you were there," Mebuki pointed out, looking quite troubled. "Ino came by to let us know. She told us your charges were lifted, and Maiyuri-hime recruited you?"
"It..." Sakura let out a long breath. "Yeah, the Daimyo was in trouble. A horde of demons wrecked the country" She walked over to the counter, giving a small jump to sit over it. "The capital had to mobilize a fighting force fast. Maiyuri-sama was desperate to get as much help as possible, so... she used her authority to withdraw the charges. With the official panicking with Akiha-sama's life on the line, nobody wanted to argue in such a critical moment."
Kizashi rubbed his eyes, "Is what Maiyuri-hime intends to do true?"
"Yup, she wishes to unify the Elemental Nations and was named Shogun by Akiha-Sama. She has so many plans she wants to accomplish."
"But what about your role in all this?" Mebuki came close with concern in her voice.
Sakura scratched the back of her head, "Me and my team are Dainin now. Royal shinobi to the Shogun. I don't know what she will have us doing yet, though."
"…Well, that's quite the promotion!" The pinkette had to admire her dad's level of optimism. Always trying to see the good out of a bad situation.
Her mother was not enthusiastic, "Do you have to stay being a kunoichi?"
"Mom..."
"You could work in the shop or do anything that isn't so dangerous. I just... I can't take it, worrying whether you will get killed or worse."
Sakura's eyes glowed with understanding. She had gotten in so many dangerous situations since graduation. "I'll admit, why I became a kunoichi was stupid." Looking back on it now, she was ashamed of herself for being such a damn fan girl. "But I'm not going to back down on this. Not after so much, I've learned and grown to be a better person." And jeez, it's only been half a year while being Genin. "I'm sorry..."
"If anything, I'm glad you are taking it seriously," Kizashi remarked, patting his daughter's head.
'Seriously' did not even begin to cover it.
She had picked up the shinobi life because it was what every kid did growing up. You looked at ninjas when young and saw them as these amazing people who fought and served the village. Making figures larger than life to the impressionable minds of little kids. Sakura had wanted to be like them, that sort of amazing person who stood up and meant something to the village.
What followed after her graduation was a terrible series of wake-up calls. Incredibly close brushes with death. Fights where her life and her friends had been on the line. Facing horrifyingly dangerous individuals who wanted to kill them.
The unbelievable aspect of the shinobi life, which she imagined in her younger days, had been washed away with all the blood.
And therein lay the crux of it. Bloodshed. So much fighting and pointless casualties. Sakura would have finished her service terms in another life and retired as much as possible. She wouldn't have been cut out for this sort of military life. So much fighting, killing, and danger.
But it wasn't just her life on the line. Had she left, she wouldn't be able to stand up with her friends, protect them and ensure they were alright.
And had she not continued, she would never have realized the depths of this ocean of blood called the shinobi system.
Looking back, it was unfair for them to have traded their youth and innocence, not even for the village's sake. Sakura knew it was too late for many of them; they weren't longer children. But... she'd be able to sleep easier knowing that she could at least work to make it so the academy wouldn't pop out graduates only to send them to mortal danger anymore.
Maiyuri-hime's goals were worthy of being followed through. She just needed to get stronger and grow to walk alongside her friends to see that vision come to pass.
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Sasuke stood quietly amongst the headstones of his fallen clan. But his gaze rested solely upon plaques where the names Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha were engraved. The Uchiha site was more private, giving the young teenager much-appreciated solitude.
"Spending my thirteenth birthday in a prison cell was an experience," Sasuke muttered absently, staring at the names of his parents. His gaze was soon downcast to the ground, "I'm sorry. I brought shame to myself and the entire Uchiha clan for my actions. My only goal should be becoming stronger and avenging you and the others."
Instead of focused determination, Sasuke's eyes showed confusion. "Instead... I... I was selfish, betraying Konoha and the beliefs our clan followed. I'm no better than... him."
When his team decided to go against Tokuhara, he should have left straight for home. They had become traitors and, therefore, should have lost his trust and friendship at that moment. But they didn't... As he was leaving Hani'ei, he felt this ache in his heart. Which only grew more painful the further away he had gotten from the others. Until it grew so unbearable he did not even realize he had turned back and gone to help his team.
The people who wormed their way into his heart. Who made him feel something more than just hatred and vengeance. As hard as he closed off everything else, they dragged it all back. Naruto, Sakura, Karin, Hatake, and the most annoying person, Naruto's mother, Kushina.
That damnable woman outright refused, giving him peace. Bulldozing into his life, showing up unannounced at his home and fixing him meals, and telling stories.
Making him feel... happy...
It was wrong. He had no right to be happy. His parents and entire clan were butchered by his brother. So many lives were taken, futures that would never be realized. What right did he have to be happy while his entire family lay dead at his feet?
Hatred should be the only emotion thriving in his heart. Hatred for the man who took all his loved ones away from him.
He could not afford distractions, such as vengeance for his clan should be everything.
Because focusing on anything other than his goals only hampered it.
Because feeling happy... made his revenge feel less important.
Being happy made him feel at peace. And peace should only come once Itachi was finally dead.
Whereas once the thought of his bastard of a brother filled his every waking moment, keeping him centered on his task, on what he took from him... now Sasuke found himself realizing sometimes he'd go for days without thinking of Itachi, without remembering his parents and kin were dead and buried.
All because of these people who refused to leave him alone. Who would not allow him to wallow in his pain?
...the people he felt he could put aside his goals for their sake.
And he had. He had defied the village and willingly went to their aid, knowing the consequence, knowing that if he did so, he'd never be allowed to pursue Itachi.
And he did it anyway. Because at that moment, Sasuke had something more important than vengeance.
This was wrong... wasn't it?
Sasuke rubbed his eyes, failing to register stray tears dripping off his cheeks. "Why... Why can't I push them away? Why does it hurt just thinking or saying that crap now?" Why did the mere thought of isolating himself bother him so much?! Vengeance was more important!
Why was he so weak opening his heart again? To feel something more than hate?
Why did he feel so unsure of everything now?
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"Are you sure this is wise, Naruto!?" Hui Zhong commented while in mid-flight.
The blond nodded, "Yup!"
"Demons are unpredictable at best. Letting them be is more logical."
"People are people. I don't care who or what they are. If they want to live in peace, who says they don't have the right not to?!"
The green-scaled dragon glanced at the young Uzumaki. His blue orbs glowed with steely determination. He was set to see this matter done and would see it through to the end. 'Heh, this boy is something special.' "Very well! Let's see this through then!"
A cheer came from the young teen as they neared the capital.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
A sigh escaped Maiyuri while reviewing several papers at her office desk. Her new office was a spacious room with several furniture items and tables with shelves on the walls. The windows of her room were open, allowing the afternoon breeze to flow through. 'Sarutobi-dono did say the paperwork was the bane of a leader's existence.' Or so she heard.
She nearly fell out of her chair at the sight of Naruto barreling through her window, "Hime!" Before he could speak again, he found himself dog-piled by several armored samurai who also reacted upon seeing a person leap through the window of a third-story room! "HEY!" The blond let out a muffled yell.
"Identify yourself!" one of the samurai demanded.
"Identi-?! Dude, don't you remember me?! There was a whole trial here and everything!"
Hui Zhong peeked through the window, deadpanning, "Perhaps this was a little too dramatic, Naruto."
The new Shogun looked to the dragon and back to her guard being detained. Maiyuri just put a hand on her temple, "This is one of my Dainin. Please release him," she mumbled dryly, waving at the Samurai to release the boy.
The blond groaned, adjusting his clothes as he got to his feet, "Seriously?! What the hell!?"
"That is my line," the pinkette quipped deadpanning. "You just leaped through a window in the capital Naruto."
"Ero-sennin does it back home."
"Well, we're not in a shinobi village right now," Maiyuri pointed out. Besides, admirable as he was, Jiraiya had traits better not copied. "There's protocol here. You could have requested to see me."
"And how long would that have taken?" He points out.
"Considering you work directly for me, not long," She replied, waving once more for the samurai on guard to leave. They bowed and left the room, closing it behind them. "Now that we're alone, what is it? It must be important for you to come from Konoha like this."
"Right, yeah" He nodded, getting on back on track. "So I was thinking, you are gonna get as many allies as you can, right."
"Preferably, there'll be enough people who will be open to allying with my empire" Maiyuri nodded, "I imagine you came because you have someone in mind?"
One more, he nodded. This time with a smile. "What do you know about the Blood Leash raid?"
She quirked at the sudden tangent, curious about where he was going with this. "I know it was a great success. Casualties were low, and we took out the Leash permanently."
"You know there were other non-Konoha people in it then?"
"Yes," She said slowly. "Individuals from an island nation into the south sea. Lead by a queen and her heirs no less" The whole situation was unbelievable, but she had lived through something similar recently. "Are you suggesting," She expressed, "those people could be allies?"
"Definitely!" He said eagerly, "I heard about what they're going through on their island. They're running out of space and food but are pretty strong. They know many things and could help you if you help them back."
Miayuri leaned back in her seat, "Space and food are things the empire could provide. But," She frowned. "I am surprised those people have not reached out to at least trade before. That at least would take care of the food shortages."
Naruto's face lost a bit of his cheer. Well, here came the hard part. "That's the thing, they don't feel safe coming to the mainland" He scratched his neck. "The island, Lanka? Their people are demons."
THAT made Maiyuri sit up straight in her chair, "Demons?"
"B-But they're not like the ones we fought!" He quickly brought up his hands. "Those were monsters; all they wanted was to kill and destroy. These are just people" That was the impression he got from Kuro, who wanted her people to have good lives. From Maikako, who did her part so they could have something to eat. From Kyoka, who fought so bravely to save them. From Kuroka, who wanted to save her sister.
From the scared, hopeless faces of horned humanoids and beings of different shapes and sizes, all huddled together, terrified in Blood Leash's cages. It had been humans who imprisoned demons that day, not demons preying upon humans.
"I know the difference between hellborn and earthborn demons," Maiyuri tried to put him at ease. "But human civilization's relationship with yokai has always been... complicated. There was a time when certain yokai were more at ease with humans. Some of our people even sought them out for their wisdom and skills. Such as the knowledgeable tengu."
The blond rubbed the back of his head, "Would it be impossible to have something like that again?" Maiyuri leaned back against her chair, thinking, "I mean, I know timing-wise, to bring this up might suck with what happened in the Land of Trees."
Putting it mildly, especially after recent demonic events.
"What do you know of Queen Kuroreimei?"
"Uh, she helped us during the invasion by Hebi-Teme and Suna. She went out of her way to save people when she didn't have to. She said she had been around since the old world. Guessing that means the Sundering thing we were shown."
Now that was interesting, people who survived that horrible time ages ago. And to still exist in this present era. Such wisdom and knowledge they had would be invaluable. "What could they offer in return for aid?" Being pragmatic may be cold sounding. But Maiyuri had to look at all angles and what could help her future empire.
Naruto perked, "Like gold? Think Kyoka said they had enough to buy two countries." Maiyuri nearly fell out of her seat again while shock glowed from Hui Zhong's eyes. "But they can't use it to do anything since people attacked them about a hundred years ago. They were isolated till a few months ago. Kuro said they couldn't remain like that anymore if they wanted to survive."
"Anything else?"
"They have a lot of magic stuff, and their fighters are no joke. Does that help any?"
Maiyuri rose from her desk, rubbing her chin, "Tell more over some tea?" The blond nodded with a smile. She glances at the green dragon, "You are more than welcome to join us, Hui Zhong-san."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
"Demon King Ravana!?" Maiyuri's loud exclaim lightly frightened some of the meeker servants who stood in the open one of the roof gardens. A few were more than a little wary enough with the human size dragon floating around the Shogun and young blond Uzumaki.
"I don't know much about that guy," Naruto admits, kneeling before the princess as he set his teacup on the table. "But he was a very powerful demon, right?"
"That barely even covers it," Hui Zhong said with a low tone. "Ravana was one of the mightiest demons in history. Through means only a few can take advantage of, he managed to trap the gods in their domain and rule the world through his legions of demons. All from his island kingdom of Lanka."
"Damn..." Naruto muttered, eyes slowly widening.
"From my knowledge on the matter," Maiyuri continued with a concerned look. "His reign was terrible for other races. The great sages had to beg Vishnu, one of the highest gods, to aid them. And so Vishnu incarnated into a young man, Rama."
"Rama," The blonde replied, his voice distant as his gaze. "I remember him when Mimir was showing us the past." Along with the few tales Maw-maw told about his clan's heritage.
So much power, so much heart and spirit in his eyes...
"And his Will is the one we inherited," The princess chuckles, "if you believe what the White Lotus say."
"You don't?"
"It's not that I don't believe, but rather it is hard to come to terms with," Maiyuri shrugged, drawing the tea to her lips once more. "Do you understand the meaning behind Rama's Will?"
"...It means we'll fight." Naruto said, "When we see something wrong happening. When someone needs help, we'll fight. We won't hesitate."
"And it might lead to our deaths," The princess said in a fit of gallows humor, "we will never waver in our beliefs. We'll go to the eye of the storm if need be."
"Heroes who bore the Will of Rama have been some of the greatest legends of this world," Hui Zhong said reverently. "Herakles, Himiko, Sigurd, Arthur, Kintoki" He listed off.
Though most of those names were unknown to them, the last one stood out. "Wait, like Sakata Kintoki?" Naruto called out with a growing smile. "The Golden Boy?"
Hui Zhong chuckled heartedly. "Indeed, the tale of Sakata Kintoki is one of the few that remain from old Japan."
"Every kid grows up hearing about him," Maiyuri said with a beaming smile. "He's one of the most popular folk tales."
"Heirs of Rama are like that," The dragon smiled, "They are the ones who inspire others, whose smiles make people feel safe."
"Safe, huh..." Naruto muttered. After so much death and suffering, all the horrible things he's seen in his short life, he'd like to make people feel hope. That he could be there and... make the bad things stop.
By the looks of Maiyuri's eyes, it was something she, too, desired. To make things better for others.
"...That is what it means to inherit his will, the responsibility he entrusted people like White Lotus," Maiyuri muttered, pausing for a moment of self-contemplation. "It was Rama who killed Ravana. He is the bane of demon-kind... why would Queen Kuroreime be comfortable being one of his Heirs?"
"After Ravana strayed from the path of dharma, it was his brother Vibhishana who ruled Lanka," Hui Zhong explained. "He was a just and wise king, someone Rama personally trusted to teach his people the path of right action... and from what I know, he was one of the casualties of the Age of Chaos."
The two pursed their lips at the mention of that horrible age.
"From what you said, Naruto" The dragon looked at his summoner. "She tries to live up to Vibhishana's legacy."
A nod came from the blond, "They will defend themselves if people attack them. But they don't want a war like those damn cult ass hats. They want to live like we do. In peace, raise their families and be happy. I think they more than earned it."
Naruto was determined to help these people. The move would be controversial no matter how one looked at it. Even if this group were peaceful, many would only see monstrous yokai and nothing more.
But was it not her goal to unite all people under one banner, regardless of race or station?
It was worth trying.
Maiyuri set her teacup down, looking Naruto in the eyes with a grin, "I'll speak with Queen Kuroreimei."
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