Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto
Co-author and Beta: Etheral-23
Chapter 51: Our Goals
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Naruto expected diplomatic meetings to be boring affairs. A lot of back and forth, using terms that went over his head, with each side effectively talking a lot but ultimately saying nothing. He grew up hearing everywhere how much of a drag and a waste of time a lot of such meetings were. Well, that is not to say they got nothing done, but rather that they took too long to agree on something that should be an easy issue. So yeah, he expected something boring... and he got something extremely tense instead.
Two giant beasts looking ready to jump at each other as they shouted was a good way to make you nervous. He'd know; that brought unpleasant memories from the Shukaku fight...
"Why you savage, flee-ridden mutt! You dare?!"
"Oh I dare! I dare calling out your hypocrisy and your authoritarian ways, you self-important overgrown lizard!"
Karin squinted beside her brother; "I honestly expect something a bit more civil than a glorified yelling session," absently she rubbed one of her ears.
Yasu laid around her neck remarked; "Dragon politics normally involve a great deal of fire."
"They are just hashing things out," Meihui quipped unbothered by the hollering sitting beside Naruto and Karin, remaining in human form. "It's been a few decades; they need to get it out of their system."
Naruto gave the dragon woman an incredulous glance; "You haven't even spoke up since this started. Uncle Genryu and Kamiko-chan have been talking the most;" Well, yelling but still.
"...Maw-maw usually eats annoying people who argue with her," Kushina dryly deadpans.
Saucer-eyed and deeply horrified were the expressions of the kids, tigers, and Gamakichi whom stared at Meihui who smiled back with razor sharp incisors instead of human teeth.
A low groan escaped Tsunade's lips; "And I thought a meeting with the nobility at the Fire Palace was noisy."
"I'll take this than dealing with highborn snobs any day," Jiraiya murmured leaning against a giant fauna.
"Shouldn't you be the voice of reason here?" Sakura asked the elder dragon
"Oh I already know how things will end here. But it wouldn't exactly look good for us if the clan chief is smacked over the head by his mother and told to behave" She mused, looking at her nails, finding the smallest imperfection in them much more interesting than this affair. "No, I save that for when we're at home"
They sweatdropped at that.
"I offered you a place in the Lotus once more!" The silver dragon addressed. "You've all seen the signs, the order must be rebuilt! Why can you not see that?!"
Naruto was pretty sure he had not even apologized in the first place for his old transgressions; maybe that was main issue here.
"We came here expecting promises of trust and autonomy, yet all I can see is a repeat of last time" Yuri growled, the great black fox nearly smacked her tail on the ground. "You, acting like you're so much better than us, that you know better, that we should expect to follow your lead because of your lineage. Ohhh we cannot argue with the dragons who once served in the court of Susano'o!" She bared her teeth. "When all I see is a fool trying to grasp at long lost glory!"
Okay, that settled it. Naruto had officially never seen uncle Genryu as mad as he did now. His eyes almost seemed to glow as his maw lips quivering with a growl that threatened to become a deafening roar.
What were they even arguing about? Didn't they want to be on the same side again? Ugh adults made things so complicated.
He wasn't the only one frustrated, as shown by the great toad elder who rubbed his wizened features, a tired sigh escaping his lips. Down below him, the white haired woman Tomoe exhaled slowly, her patience wearing thin.
"I believe" The sage's words called the gathering to attention, "we could all use a break"
A weary huff left Haruki's maw; "I think that's best." The kitsune peered down to her daughter who appeared equally exhausted.
"We all could probably use a breather to collect ourselves," Cheza declared in a tone of reason.
Genjou snorted; "I doubt much will change." With the great wolf chief gave a respectful bow to Gamamaru before turning to walk away alongside Tobe.
A low growl emanated from the dragon chief who seemed to relax, if only slightly, while his daughter sighed heavily; "I had hoped this would go more smoothly." Or at the very least be more civil.
Gamabunta let out a plume of smoke from his pipe; "Half expected some violence."
"...Of course you did," Yasaka droned glancing to a still riled Yuri who soon ran off. "This is going to be a long day."
The golden fox choose to stand and depart to some part of the woods in the high mountains, even her giant form disappeared soon enough the farther she went.
"Well I'm hungry" Naruto brought up.
"Agreed" Sakura nodded this whole affair exhausting to even witness.
Weirdly enough, Jiraiya and Kushina looked at them horrified. Like they had just said the worst possible thing.
"Ohhh you should have said so!" Shima happily hopped to them. "Come on, let granny cook you up something real nice!"
The duo of horrified adults let out a silent 'NOOOOO!' that went completely unnoticed by the others.
"Ohhh count me in!" Tamamo cheerfully said, clapping her hands next to her face. "I want to learn toad cooking!"
"I'm not sure everyone would appreciate it, my dear" Haruki underwent a similar transformation to Meihui. Her entire body glowing softly and shrinking, until she acquired the height and shape of a tall woman. She looked very similar to her daughter, the same ears, the same eyes and face structure. But she sported nine tails, and her fur and hair was a soft pink. She was dressed in a type of shawl made from fine black silk with golden accents, with a veil covering half of her head and a long piece of fabric draped over one arm. She also wore a pair of rectangular glasses that rested just below her eyes.
"Then it's settled!" The female toad hopped away, "I'll bring you all some nutritious food"
Naruto was hungry enough to eat a cow; he'd eat just a bowl of salad even if that was the only thing they brought.
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On second thought, he'd much rather prefer a salad than... this.
Inside the bowl before him was a purple sludge, it smelled like death and it was filled with bits of ground up insects. Some of them still moving.
He was relieved to see most of everyone around him was having similar reactions to his.
"It squirms" Sasuke said with dread, the tigers backing away and gagging, Ty Lee hissed threatening at the food. "Why does my food squirm?"
Kushina sweatdropped, " Shima-sama's food's gotten better... I think"
"Oh don't be a fussy eater" Her great-grandmother admonished, and proceeded to bring a spoonful of the stuff into her mouth. "It's good for you"
"And full of nutrients" Tsunade added, also not bothered by the food. "You're an adult now, do I need to spoon-feed you and make you eat your veggies?"
"What veggies?! These are bugs!"
Meihui sighed dramatically, "Once more, my eternal gratitude for your never-ending patience at raising this problem child of mine, Tsunade-chan"
While Maw-Maw was in her humanoid form, Genryu and Kamiko opted to stay in ther natural forms, probably because they wanted a larger serving of whatever the other giant toads were eating. This involved bugs of course, of the giant variety.
What was with dragons liking disgusting things?!
"Hmm!" The sound of delight coming from his cousin Tamamo and the pleasant expression on her mother's face reminded him that, yes, foxes also eat bugs...
Shima hopped with a bowl to Tomoe, who was kneeling down next to Jiraiya. "Have some, Tomoe-chan!"
"Thank you, but I am currently fasting" She politely replied, "it's part of a cleansing I'm doing"
Though her words fooled the elder toad, the others could see her cheeks were slightly puffed, her eyes squeezed a bit too hard, and a bead of sweat rolled down her head. A good liar, Tomoe was not apparently.
Hien and Yasu happily ate beside Gamakichi who eyed his human partner who looked a little green; "One bite won't kill ya."
Naruto gave the small toad a glance before peering over to Tomoe; "Uh, can we ask you a few questions now?"
"Hmm?" the white haired Hanyō had stared wide-eyed at the bowl of bugs in Jiraiya's hand before shifting towards Kushina's son; "Questions?"
"Seems only fair," Sasuke quipped trying not to focus on the insects that were supposed to be lunch; "Since there has only been mystery regarding you when you appeared at their house." He pointed to Naruto, Kushina, and Karin.
"...That is fair I suppose. I imagine my arrival had caused bit of a stir."
Karin gave a deadpan; "Little more than a bit."
"Well" The red eyed woman shifts her gaze to Kushina, "Jiraiya informed me that you were told in the end"
"And I told most of my family" The Uzumaki woman said softly. Tsunade, Saito, with Samenosuke and Lyn all shared an uneasy look. "I haven't told the kids"
"Told what?" Naruto looked at the adults in confusion. Not only were he and his friends curious by whatever this secret was, but Kakashi-sensei seemed to be just as lost as they were.
"It's a very long story, kid" Jiraiya said with a sigh. "Honestly, the kind of thing we should burden to young ones like yourselves"
"Is there a point to keeping it hidden from them?" Kya asked, but not with accusation. "What could sharing this knowledge do to harm them? It is history. Moreover, though their paths might not lead to the same destination as yours, it is possible they too will be caught by the consequences of it"
At that, Jiraiya and Tomoe had to concede. "You make a good point, Child of Wind and Waves" The white haired woman let out a deep breath before looking at the pre-teens. "You know I called myself Tsukiko's students, and there is more, far more to her than you imagine. What I can tell you might shock you, but perhaps the history of this world serves no purpose if it is not shared"
Was it really that big of a deal? Naruto shared a look with his friends. Sasuke was his usual guarded self, while Sakura and Karin looked on with concern. Only Soujiro remained his usual passive self, but he thought he saw a hint of interest in his eyes.
Honestly, Naruto didn't feel there was something that would impact him too badly, not after all he had learnt and gone through so far. For his part, it was a no-brainer, if it involved the woman who was so important to his mother, and then he really wanted to know.
"Tell us" He invited with a grin.
Tomoe smiled softly.
"Tsukiko was 200 years old, that's what you were told, right?"
"Oh here we go..." Kushina moaned, wishing she had a drink.
"Yeah?" Naruto nodded along.
"That was a lie. Tsukiko was not born to your clan two hundred years ago, rather, she returned to you around two centuries ago"
The reactions were the same, clear confusion present into their faces.
"The truth is... Tsukiko was born around three thousand years ago"
The stillness was deafening as the kids, save Tamamo who seemed aware bore immense shock as they gawked.
"Whoa..." Ty Lee expressed in amazement; "That's SUPER old."
Both her brothers groaned; "Impossible," Karin murmured.
"Not when one reaches immortality," Tomoe gently clarified; "And teacher attained that gift long ago."
"Wait" Sasuke stammered, "Immortality?"
Meihui smiled proudly; "My sweet Tsukiko reached the ascendancy of Senjutsu, where the user is bestowed the honor of everlasting life and agelessness." She gestured to her daughter's apprentice; "Tomoe was guided to the same path a few millennia ago."
"...Huh..." Was the only word to escape Naruto's mouth turning to look at the white haired woman.
"Feels like a lifetime ago when teacher found me at my lowest. Gave me a new purpose after I lost my husband."
If Sakura's eyes grew any wider Tsunade wondered if they would pop out; "I... should have stayed home."
"I... I don't understand" It was interesting to see Kakashi-sensei so lost. His mask stretched from his hanging jaw, his sole visible eye wide. "Immortality from Senjutsu?"
"The highest tiers of sage hood" Jiraiya said with reverence. "You heard the legends right? Of immortal priests and sages. At tier one, we achieve sage mode by harnessing chakra in nature inside our bodies for prolonged periods. At tier two, we reach into the spiritual and unlock powers of great mystical nature. At tier three, the final one... not many achieve it, it is a spiritual awakening"
"A very powerful awakening" Tomoe continued, "It is still lesser than full enlightenment like the Buddha, but rather through self-realization and great spiritual power sustaining us, our bodies become static, neither age nor disease can claim us, if we so desire"
They had to pause as they took that in.
"Fuck..." Sasuke muttered.
"And... and great-grandma was a sage like this?" Naruto still had trouble wrapping his head about that part.
"Indeed" Genryu said proudly finally speaking, "My older sister was born in the late Jōmon period of old Japan"
"Japan?" Karin frowned. "Where is that?"
Her question actually got a strong series of reactions from the oldest individuals present. Tomoe looked down mournfully, while uncle Genryu let out a solemn sigh and Maw-Maw Meihui closed her eyes in remembrance. There was pain there, honest pain and melancholy.
"Japan... was my home" Tomoe said with a low voice. "That is to say, it was the home of your ancestors. The originators of our culture"
Sakura leaned in; "Why are you talking like this Japan is past tense?"
"Are you certain you wish to know?" Kamiko questioned gently; "Baring the origins of Aunt Tsukiko, any further will be a great deal to learn." And part of her felt they still too young for that.
"If you don't tell us dobe over here will hound you guys till you do tell him," Sasuke droned thumbing over to his teammate.
Said teammate dryly glared back; "Just admit you're curious too smart ass." The Uchiha grunted back earning an eye roll from his friends; "We just learned grandma Tsukiko, and you, are thousands of year old immortals. Why the hell stop now?"
At that Haruki could not help but smile; "You're a fearless one."
"Please tell us," Soujiro finally spoke up, surprising most. "I, too, want to know as well."
Tomoe gazed at the children before glancing to Jiraiya who shrugged. The immortal woman blew out a heavy sigh; "Very well. But do understand this is no simple subject to fully understand. As the events I will speak of involve the entire world itself."
The leaned forward eagerly.
Tomoe had a distant look in her eyes, which she turned upwards towards the sky. "This world... used to be so much different before. Landmasses, history, so much has been lost"
"Landmasses?" Sakura repeated with uncertainty. "You mean... the continents were different?"
"They were" The sage nodded, "Gogyou-koku, the lands called the Elemental Nations, are remnants of old landmass that had been fractured, splintered, broken and fused together with others"
There was a heavy pause following her statement. What she said was... the scale alone was hard to imagine. It dwarfed the Valley of the End, one of the biggest testaments to destruction, like an elephant would dwarf an ant.
"How could something like that even happen?" Kakashi wondered, his voice low. "What could change the face of the planet like that?"
Tomoe's gaze hardened, the gesture taking some of them aback. "It started with a war... the world was plunged into chaos, such as it had not seen in eons. The gods... could not be there in our time of need, they had been tricked, banished before they could end the conflict. The world was swarmed by legions of demons and monsters, the armies of men and the other mortal races rose to fight them, but they could only hold so much against the onslaught"
She placed a hand on her chest, this time her gaze softening as she smiled we pride. "There, we the sages joined the fray. Commanded by the Guardian Deity, Seventh Avatar of Vishnu, Rama"
Naruto and his friends hear various mutters of respect and reverence at the mention of his name. From his draconic family, to Jiraiya and the toads. He had heard that name before, a great hero the old pervert had said, whose legacy inspired sages to this day.
"Before they too were forced to return to the Heavens, Lord Rama and his divine allies helped us organize to fund a great society, with the mission of bringing balance to the world. The sages of the east and south, the great wizards of the west and north, druids, shamans and priests from all the cardinal directions. Warriors and craftsmen, people from all walks of life heeded our calling. From thieves to kings"
"The White Lotus" Meihui said with warm fondness and nostalgia. "The Sage Brotherhood"
"The first and last line of defense" Fukasaku said solemnly, "In a world plunged into an Age of Chaos"
"My master Tsukiko and I, along with many other sages, joined them in their task to protect this world. We were led by Zhang Guolao, oldest of the immortals"
The perceptive eye of Hatake took note of the visages of Tomoe and the others. Their expressions showing crestfallen and mourning; "But something happened." It wasn't a question.
Haruki sighed; "The felled enemy we assumed thwarted, did not end things. The chaos continued for many, many years. So many fell in battle, great sages like this world may never see again, gave their lives to stop the many monsters that plagued our world. Our group was fractured with many dying or thought lost, Tomoe only came back a few years ago."
"Me and my master were… elsewhere" Tomoe said. "In realms only inhabited by the demon folk, making sure they weren't a threat anymore. I urged her to return to the mortal world, while I continued our task" She paused, "The world broke, and with time we ourselves did" Tomoe shook her head with remorse.
"Tsukiko continued her duty, helping the remnants of our order. But then she vanished decades ago," Shima murmured with despondence. "She held things together as best she could. But without her-"
"Everything fell apart, including the destruction of Uzu," Meihui omitted.
"What we're trying to do here today, it's the first step in mending something important" The white haired sage said passionately, "This world is in imbalance, evil and corruption are spread far and wide, and we must build the White Lotus once again. Getting the foxes and wolves at our side again... that's a start"
"I myself agree with what you said, Tomoe-sama" The kitsune Haruki said softly. "But I'm afraid Chief Yuri will need more convincing"
"She is NOT happy with Genryu-dono" Tamamo muttered, her tail swaying.
"As is Genjou" Saito added, "He has little reason to believe the old order is necessary anymore, no large problem plagues the wolves"
"Foolish" Meihui bluntly spoke. "Trouble will find them eventually, whether they like it or not"
Karin frowned with concern, "You speak as there is a threat the order must face"
"There is always a threat, my dear" The great matriarch said with a sigh. "A powerful demon on the loose, a warlord who threatens many, or even a slaver group who prey on the defenseless" She put more emphasis on the last example, knowing it resonated well with their past experiences.
"Sounds hard" Naruto commented, "What your group is meant to do"
At that, Tomoe smiled genuinely. "It wouldn't be worth it if it wasn't"
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Tobi's sandaled feet passed through Bai Shen's portal as he soon crossed the threshold completely. "Ahh," the disfigured demon sighed who followed the Uchiha and the portal closed; "Feels good being home."
The masked Uchiha uttered not a word, staring flabbergasted at the sight of a vast and colossal subterranean city carved out of the very rock. Strange blue flames gave illumination on torches and lamps, which allowed him to see the denizens of this place. Demons, as far his one eye could see, of varying sizes and shapes strolled around casually. But not alone, for there some humans as well, along also other beings he had no idea what they were, resembling humans mixed with animals.
A hand on his shoulder roused him; "Welcome to Median," Bai Shen declared with a smile; "the heart of our dominion."
"How did you hide all this?"
The demon priest chuckled; "Not easily. The only way to avoid our enemies was to go deep in the earth. So deep no light could reach. It has grown quite a bit in the past thousand years when gaining new devotes."
"Hidan was a part of this?"
"Oh he was a trusted agent, once he left the Land of Grass we found him, he was quickly enlightened" The mangled-face demon said fondly, "The parasite Zetsu was right, he was a spy in your ranks"
Tobi growled under his breath, knowing that brute had been a spy under their noses all along with an insult to his abilities. But perhaps that was the point, hardly anyone would consider a bloodthirsty loudmouth like him capable of subversion, he was anathema to a ninja's main strengths.
They walked towards the center of this citadel, a large spire that stretched as high as Amegakure's skyscrapers. Glowing crystals and various other kinds of subterranean flora upon the great cavern's caves acting like stars in the night sky. The spire was shaped from uneven rocks, but even then there were clear signs of architecture, carved in specific angles, if jagged and broken, like at one point this place had seen better days.
The gates that lead to the spire were massive, seven meters in height and five in width, guarded at each side by giant armored monstrosities easily the height of a three story building. Their red hued gazes followed Tobi, ready to squash him if need be.
But it did not come to that, Tobi met their gazes unflinchingly as Bai Shen commanded the creatures to open the gates, which they dutifully did. They were opened with loud and long cracking sounds, letting him see what lay inside.
A long and wide corridor, multiple demons and other beings, clearly of high raking stature, mingling and discussing in quiet tones. Many falling silent as Bai Shen walked with the stranger he brought with him. More torches of blue light illuminated the hall, hanging from arches and pillars that held up a crudely carved roof.
The stench of humidity filled his nose, but he ignored it.
His Sharingan was active at all times, like it always was, he couldn't allow himself to miss a potential threat. He was swimming through unknown waters after all, never know if a shark might emerge to devour him.
A lot of the demons present certainly looked like they wanted to eat him.
The end of the great hall was mostly shrouded in darkness, it was a massive hole in the ground, with a light green miasma emanating from it. His Sharingan picked up the most massive signatures he had ever felt outside of the Nine Tailed Foxed. Two of them at least as vast and powerful as three Bijuu combined.
And another one that could very much rival the sheer level of chakra the Nine Tails had... but not even the monstrous fox had inspired this much dread. No, Tobi had not felt fear the day he unleashed the monster, for he knew he could control it. But what laid in the abyss... it was something older, stronger, and driven by a malice that not even the Kyuubi in all its rage could match.
Before the abyss, there was a gathering of chairs and tables arranged in an informal manner, as gathered by the different types and styles. Sitting on opposite ends, two of the massive signatures he felt were lounging without a care.
"Who the fuck is this?" The rude remark came from a young woman. Her skin was a deathly pale (which reminded him of a certain snake) and her eyes blazed red. Her long white locks flowed until they reached the tips were touching the ground. She was dressed in a mixture of a revealing black dress with flowery accents which hugged her curves and showed off a very endowed chest, and pieces of dark plates around her legs and arms. She was looking at him like one would a disgusting bug, on her fingers she twirled a glass cup filled with a thick red liquid.
"A prospect new follower, my dear Jeanne" Bai Shen said with a wide smile.
"Ohhh yay!" This time came a much cheerful voice. "More to the party!" The words came out slurred, as if she had one too many drinks.
And indeed, Tobi saw long dark purple nails hold a large plate of sake, tilting it towards soft lips eagerly, a few drops spilling down the side of her mouth. If the previous woman's looked called into question her humanity, there was nothing about this other female that suggested she was even remotely human. She was massive, easily three meters in height. She lounged overly equally large cushions of traditional design. On her head sprouted not two, but four black and purple curled horns amidst light blue hair with pink streaks. Her skin was a mixture of purple and gray, and her eyes were red like the previous woman, only her pupils were slit like a serpent's.
Her attire was... certainly unique, a long black cloak with feathers on top, the fabric gradually becoming a lime-green as it split into three different tassels under each arm. Tobi saw what was a long black tabard between her legs, with purple clouds decorating it (which harkened to Akatsuki's uniform in his mind), but the most baffling thing was the clearly modern sleeveless sweater with a high neckline she was sporting.
The woman was as beautiful as she was monstrous. Even as she let out a happy sigh from her lips upon finishing her drink, and she smiled at him in all too sweetly way, Tobi felt more wary of her than he did of the woman who glared at him in disgust. For with this one he saw a hunger that could not be quenched, hidden behind those friendly gestures. He felt as though she might casually kill him on a whim and barely become aware she had done so.
"Ahhh, my lady Ibuki" Bai Shen said politely. "Can your father welcome our new member? I would not want to disturb him when he's in one of his... moods"
"Ahhhh, papa?" She blinked owlishly at him, making Tobi wonder how much she had drunk. "But he's always moody isn't he?" She wondered, running a long nail over her head. The other woman, Jeanne, snorted a laugh.
"Instead of questioning my daughter like I'm not here"
A voice, deep, bombing, and baritone that almost made the whole chamber shake, came from the abyss.
"You can ask me yourself"
Massive glowing serpent-like eyes of bloody crimson appeared in the darkness, multiple pairs in fact. The dread only grew within the Uchiha as one set begun to lean forward. Piercing the shadows, from it appeared the head of an utterly gigantic white scaled snake with a horn on its snout and bone-like horns above its eyes acting like brows. Ornate golden circles faintly glowed from the sides of its neck.
"I smell your terror, mortal," the white serpent spoke with patience and mocking; "As one should in the presence of Yamata no Orochi; God of Destruction." It declared as its remaining seven heads appeared from the dark.
Tobi's body was stock still, the hairs on his neck stood. He had heard the legends, the tales of the white serpent who wrought chaos and death in its path. But what stood before him was no legend, this was real. And it's power felt like a hurricane of immeasurable power.
However a glare came from the Uchiha, clenching his fists; "I do not fear you."
"Oh?" One of Yamata's head bemused.
Tobi's body remained firm as he gazed back unflinching and resolute resolve. Amusement only seemed to dance in Yamata's eyes as he begun to chuckle; "You are a strong one indeed."
"Tell me" One of the heads in the far left spoke bemused, "Do you know who I am? What I am?"
"Seldom anyone in the nations doesn't know your tale" Tobi said, his voice low. "The details change over time, and it varies from region... but they all point to you being a creature of devastation, an enemy of the gods"
That seemed to please the great serpent.
"Ahhh indeed. That my glory lived well into the new age, despite the sundering of the world, is a testament to my power"
Down below, Jeanne rolled her eyes, while Ibuki drunkenly clapped to her 'papa's power'.
"They also said you died" The masked Uchiha continued, "Slain by the Storm God, Su-"
Like lightning, one of the heads snapped at him, biting the air with such forth it created a gust that made his cloak flutter. To Tobi's credit, he only took a step back.
Nobody in his 'court' dared utter a word. Even the powerful women sobered quickly.
"...That name is not spoken here" The white snake's red eyes burned with hatred. "As you will find" His head slowly coiled back with rest. "If you are to join us, I am still unconvinced"
"If I may, great one" Bai Shen humbly stepped forward, leaning on his scythe. "He was the alien's pawn, unwittingly or not, he has insight, and has been with the False God for a long while. He knows how best to use him"
"Indeed, he was a pawn" Yamata replied sternly, "Pawns have no place as members of this circle, what do I stand to gain from adding him to our ranks?"
"What do you stand to lose?" Tobi replied in turn, making Bai Shen hiss as he was speaking out of turn.
Yamata's many eyes narrowed at him.
"I know Pain, I know how he thinks. I know what he plans, and I know how to best direct him. I've been doing it for years" The masked man explained with a wave of his arms as he paced before the great serpent. "The fact that Bai Shen sought to include me in all this is because you either cannot do it yourself, or you are not in a position to remove him from the picture entirely without some risk to yourself"
There was a pause.
"Great, you brought a smart mouth..." Jeanne said, downing the glass of red liquid.
"Perceptive" The eight headed serpent softly said, one head tilting curiously. "You saw the number of my forces, your eye lets you see the might my subordinates, and I, wield. So why do you say that?" He huffed through multiple nostrils.
"Someone of your considerable power is a force of nature, no doubt. But you do not hide here, underground, unless for any reason" Tobi crossed his arms, "Though I will admit I do not understand why, with your power, I'm sure you could conquer the Elemental Nations"
"I could DROWN these lands in blood if I so desired" Yamata no Orochi said, stating a fact rather than bragging. "But... it'd be a short-lived victory" There was a low grumble coming from his multiple necks. "Such devastation would be seen by the rest of the world; even word would reach the farther lands. When threatened, humans cower together like rats... but rats can bite back, relentless, desperate" The 'main' head reached low once more. "Do not ever underestimate the might of mortal kind united"
Tobi remained silent.
"No, we have a grander purpose than destruction. The Cult exists to build this world anew... our goal requires preparations, conditions that have not been met yet. Risking humanity's attention would be most detrimental, so we act in the shadows, sabotage them, keep them fighting each other... until we are ready" Hot breath coming from the nostrils hit Tobi. "The one you call 'Pain', he would be another obstacle, if allowed to grow out of control... Tell me, do you know what 'Authority' is?"
"Probably not the type you mean"
"Mortals have their magic, their spells, their hexes and jutsu, as do many other spirits. Gods however... we have Authority. Power manifested because it's our right, such as mine is over floods and devastation" The great serpent spoke, "The eyes your Pain wields, they are a form of Authority, born from the power stolen from this world. They command more than just elements and worldly forces, more just great mysticism... they command life and death itself"
Reflection shone in Tobi's lone eye; "His dōjutsu's Authority is what is most dangerous to your group?"
"At the moment yes," Bai Shen omitted; "Our plans are not at the right fruition for us to counter or face down that false godling."
A low growl came from some of Yamata's heads; "The Authority over so many aspects was not meant for the hands of mortals. Such power can drive the non-divine into madness. Pain does not even comprehend all the power he wields and thus is too dangerous to be left to his devices. If unchecked, he could cause irreversible disasters."
"That wouldn't help you?"
The demon priest shook his head; "Not in our long term goals. There is a broad difference between feral and designed anarchy. The former serves us no purpose."
"Papa planned this out to the letter," Ibuki spoke in attempt to sound serious, in which she failed utterly; "We've been waiting a super long time and we're almost ready!"
"Indeed," Yamata agreed with his daughter; "Long before that alien parasite invaded earth, we have been planning our reckoning."
"It sounds like victory is at hand" Tobi dubiously noted.
"There have been... setbacks" The great serpent admitted. "It pains me to admit it, but some of our pawns have grown beyond our control. Our preparations are still a few years from being complete, and for that we need to sow as much discord amongst the mortals as possible. Five years is the blink of an eye to beings such as myself, and yet in such a meager time, anything can happen. Add in the fact that old foes are returning puts actual risks to our goals. No," He fiercely said, "We must take as many measures as possible"
The masked Uchiha pondered on his words.
"And what is your goal?" Tobi asked, "Can I achieve what I desire if I help you? I was deceived once"
To his surprise, the white serpent smiled, all of his heads did. A guile, devious gesture.
"We seek to remake this world. But if you need proof... Bai Shen" He instructed the priest. "Take him to the sanctum; let him see our mission with his own eyes"
The mangled face of the demon twisted into maniac glee, before bowing and then turning to Tobi, beckoning him to follow. "Come, my child. It is time for you to be enlightened~"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Yasaka was unsure when it was that she was last here in the land of the Toads. But one aspect she never forgot was the sereneness and tranquility of these sacred mountains. Once the break had been called by Gamamaru, the kitsune wandered off alone for time to herself. Her nine tails swayed as her mind tried to focus on the events of the meetings.
As much as Yuri wanted nothing to do with the dragons. The Uzumaki clan deserved to be reunited, they all owed that much to Tsukiko at the very least. Though she'd never agree or have agreed with how Genryu has acted over the years. There had to be a compromise somewhere.
Well, that's where her thoughts should be...
Grumpily her head was stuck on a certain lout stuck inside that Uzumaki boy. She sighed, no doubt gaze the wrong impression to the lad, and felt terrible because of it. But just feeling Kurama's aura rekindled so much anger within her she could not even look at Naruto on account all she saw was that damn Bijuu.
Which wasn't fair to the human child as he no doubt felt enough grief just being Jinchurriki.
Deep breaths, Yasaka, deep breaths. That chapter of your life is over. Kurama is not part of your life anymore; he has NO presence in it whatsoever.
That's what she chanted to herself, until the unmistakable scent and aura of her former mate assaulted her senses.
It was small, miniscule even, but she snapped back in anger at it all the same. And stopped the moment she saw a regular-sized foxed who shared Kurama's features, the same eyes, same whiskers, same fur pattern, everything.
The way he looked at her, there was no mistaking it. This was a part of Kurama. It was him.
Her heart clenched with sorrow and anger.
"I told you" Her form morphed, she stood now as a regular fox before the orange Bijuu, though she lacked the size superiority she still presented a very powerful presence. "You and I were never to cross paths again"
"And yet here we are" He said in that tone that infuriated her. "How strangely the fates work"
"I don't know what deal you made with the boy to get this measure of freedom, but I swear I will personally reinforce that seal. Make it triple if I have to, and add the prayers of the Buddha to make sure not even as speck of you can come out"
"We haven't seen each other in over a century, and this is the greeting you give me?" He grunted, ears flat against his head. "No questions about how I've been doing? Not even a shred of sympathy after I was made a prisoner"
She bared her teeth at him, "Give me one reason I should give you any sympathy"
"They took my freedom!"
"You squandered it!"
"They treated me like a monster!"
"You acted like one!"
He leapt at her, standing snout to snout. "YOU KEPT ME FROM SEEING MY CHILD!"
"SHE DESERVES BETTER THAN YOU!"
The woods fell silent; the only sounds were the ragged breaths of the canines, filled with grief and anger.
"As far as Kunou is concerned, her 'father' DIED." Yasaka shuddered with pain filled fury; "You have no place in the fox clan. And you have NO PLACE with me or MY daughter."
She expected Kurama to snap back at her, but the Bijuu only gazed back with an expression she couldn't explain. Sluggishly he turned around and walked away with heavy steps before vanishing.
The golden kitsune inhaled and exhaled a deep unsteady sigh as her body shook. "Yuri was right. I should have let Akiara come in my stead." Sometimes she was just too stubborn to listen.
One lone tear grace an eye before whipping it away with a tail tip.
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Gamamaru grunted as he rested upon his seat, soon everyone returned to the meeting sight. "Are we ready to resume?"
"Though nothing will be settled;" Genjou quipped as he and fellow wolves took their place.
Ty Lee whimpered in Sakura's arms; "Is everyone going to be yelling again?"
"No" The firm voice of the white haired sage spoke, as she walked to stand before the great clan leaders. "Because now, they're going to stay silent and listen"
"Ooooooh" Meihui grinned, nudging Naruto. "Take a good look, my dear. She learnt this from my daughter"
For some reason, Naruto felt he ought to have some popcorn.
The ageless sage took a deep breath, before opening her red eyes and glared at the different parties.
"You are all acting like children" Her words echoed with authority.
Multiple eyes blinked as many were taken aback by her words.
"You sit here and argue, just for the sake of arguing. You are letting your pride get in the way of actually ACCOMPLISHING something today. Something good, and noble, but you'd rather stand by your grudges" She whirled around at the dragon chief, "You should have apologized already, and if Tsukiko were here, she would have smacked you in the head for being so stubborn"
"Trust me, I'm doing it double for her" Meihui called out.
"Tch...!" Genryu clicked his tongue, annoyed and humiliated that he was being treated like a child.
"And you" Tomoe then faced the foxes and wolves. "You would not have come here unless you actually wanted to rejoin the White Lotus" Her gaze softened ever so slightly. "Because you can see this world is unbalanced, you know there is darkness brewing, and you do not want to turn a blind eye to it... So why are you also making this so difficult"
Yuri looked away, even Genjou lowered his gaze.
Tomoe sighed, "I know we all lost so much, I know it was hard dealing with it all. But we once stood as allies and friends because we believed in what our order stood for, what it continues to stand for. Peace, harmony, knowledge, and prosperity. Even if we made mistakes born out of pain-"
Genryu's eyes showed shame.
"-we must learn to accept them and move on. There are much more important things going on, we have been called to serve once more. And we can continue our order's sacred mission once more, by helping find the lost. The Uzumaki, who hide and cower from the tragedy brought upon them" Her voice broke for a second, truly affected by the knowledge that her mentor's clan was still out there. Hurt, and in need of a place to call home once more. "Please"
More a moment there was only silence.
There was a rumble and Genryu's serpentine body moved; his head bowed. "I apologize for my actions" He softly said, "I miss my sister dearly"
Meihui's gaze softened.
"I thought someone had to keep things in order, I thought any actions I took were for the greater good. That... my word, as a descendant of those who served in Susano'o's court, could be law. Without Tsukiko to guide me, I lost my way" He looked at his old friends pleadingly. "Hate me if you wish, call me a tyrant for daring to treat you like subjects, but please, do not let the Uzumaki be victims of your grudge. You are the best trackers in the lands; you can help us find them all. So please... please help us get our family home"
A long pregnant silence engulfed the meeting, Genryu's open apology surprised Yuri and Genjou along with the others. But also Tomoe's strong words rung true, their pride was obstructing the responsibilities they had sworn to keep. They all could feel a darkness casting itself slowly over the world. But here they act negligible and precocious, ruled by emotions unbecoming of their stations as chiefs.
Yuri glanced over to the great kitsune forms of Yasaka and Hazuki, whom nodded back to her. The fox chief exhaled a drawn out huff; "I suppose we dragged this crap out long enough."
"I agree," Genjou also spoke; "We should have amended this ago. All of us were good friends once. And I have missed that on occasions." Tobe and Cheza gape in shock at their chief's words.
"Though I really need to get one last thing out," Yuri omitted staring at the silver dragon; "You can be an insufferable ass."
A low chuckled escaped Genryu's maw; "I can agree with that."
Kamiko leaned forward; "We have an accord then?"
"Yes child," the wolf chief nodded; "We will help locate the Uzumaki to restore them once more."
A collective breathe came from Kushina and the others; "Though I have a question," Cheza spoke up; "after finding these lost Uzu, where will they stay?"
"Konohagakure will always have room for the Uzumaki," Tsunade declared, though then grew in thought; "Although it might be a temporary fix."
Leaning against a tree Jiraiya grunted; "It will be only temporary, hime. We don't have much room to spare inside the village walls"
"Pardon my pessimistic words" The great wolf Tobe interjected, "But you assume we will find enough that room will be an issue"
Perhaps they were hoping too much, but the clan had been a village into themselves. If there were more survivors they didn't know about, with fortune they would still be in the triple digits at least.
"Don't you people have a large clan ground that's all empty?" Yuri asked.
Sasuke grunted with animosity. He did not like who casually she mentioned about the state of his clan grounds.
"No" Kushina said firmly, "The Uchiha grounds remain as they were, we will not disturb them. It'd be an insult"
Perhaps he should be more open minded about it; it was for a good cause. But the thought of people settling where his kin had been slaughtered still unnerved him greatly. He wasn't like Naruto, thoughtful enough to prioritize other people's wellbeing in this situation.
"We want more than to just find the clan again" Saito said with resolution in his voice. "We want to rebuild Uzushio"
One lone eye opened from Gamamaru, shock etched among him and others as they stare at the Uzu swordsman. "Well... I didn't see that coming."
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
The sanctum; that was the only title given to this largest building in Median as Tobi and Bai Shen stepped inside after going up a long flight of stone stairs. However this structure was finely crafted within and outside as while its design was unlike anything he ever seen, his gut told him it was a temple of sorts. Each and every wall of was carved and ornate with either an unknown dialect or pictures inlaid with gold. Blue flaming lamps illuminated the path as they traversed through a hall.
Glancing at the demon who bore a surreal smile, Tobi spoke up; "What is here exactly?"
"Something I cannot put into words, my son. You have see to believe."
The walls told stories in images, symbols and letters whose meaning escaped him. But some had a very clear message; War. Imagines of battle and devastation were the easiest to discern.
And at the center, there was always one figure that stood out amongst the others. Female, larger than life, carved to look radiant, divine.
"Here lies our goal" The demon priest said with the highest reverence in his voice. "Here lies... our faith"
The hall ended, and Tobi saw a red glow. Reaching a large chamber were multiple pillars with multiple carvings, all aligned in a perfect circle, long lines run over them like streams of water, they all glowed red, and they almost looked like blood made of energy.
The power coursing through them... Tobi could see ages of nature chakra flowing through them, enough to create hundreds of Tailed Beasts. The pillars' poured the gathered energy into a seal carved between them, feeding it. What could possibly need that much power for?
Bai Shen tapped his scythe against the floor twice, and Tobi got his answer.
The stone underneath the seal dissolved, it didn't retreat into a compartment in the ground through a mechanism, and it evaporated like mist.
Tobi looked down at what laid beneath, and he choked on his breath, heart thundering against his chest.
Power.
Enough to reshape the world.
Power enough to BREAK the world.
Pain, the Bijuu, the memories he had seen through Zetsu's mind... ants. All of them were ants compared to this.
His Sharingan burned, and for the first time in many years, Tobi deactivated it.
The Uchiha gasped; stumbling back as he suddenly couldn't support his own weight anymore. He had to look away, for he would go blind from staring at the sun.
Tobi found support against one of the pillars, where he gasped, taking in as much air as he could. It felt like he had been crashed by the ocean waves, suffocating him with their immensity.
"Ahhhh indeed" Bai Shen smiled all too pleased. "Such reaction is common... when witnessing the divine"
Tobi continued gasping, reaching with trembling fingers to remove his mask so he could better breathe.
"This is our goal" The demon said slowly, "We shall bring back our god, and she will remake it all"
…Tobi could believe it. After seeing the body entombed, he gazed into a being of power beyond dreams or nightmares.
"Serve us, serve her, and you will be rewarded" He muttered, his words sweet like honey.
His dream… no longer one, but a reality.
"Hearken now, my son, to the name of our goddess…"
XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX
Well this was a while ride, here we finally introduce the villains made for this story.
Jeanne here is based on Jeanne Alter from Fate. And Ibuki is Ibuki-Douji from the same series
