Chapter 4: Nezuko's Rage Part I
Nine dark illusionary bodies met in a dark cave, surrounding a ritual circle. Above the ritual circle was a big crystal ball through which this group of nine could view the events going on outside.
"So...the world has gone to war again...interesting." Said the anthropomorphic fish-like illusionary body with the mohawk.
"Conflict on a scale not seen since the Third Great Ninja War." Said the illusionary body with rather unique purple eyes.
"More to the point, we've already got The Five-Tails and The Seven-Tails." Said a turtle-like illusionary figure.
"I've already acquired The Eight-Tails." Said the illusionary figure with creepy black eyes.
"This is no time to get bragging rights, Hidan!" Shouted the illusionary figure with unique green eyes.
"Is what he said true, Kakuzu?" The illusionary figure with purple eyes asked.
Kakuzu sighed. "Yes." He answered.
"This is not ideal. At all. We need to seal The Eight-Tails into the Gedo Statue, and lay low. No doubt, The Raikage will have a fit once he realizes his Brother is missing." The illusionary figure with purple eyes answered.
The illusionary figure with a ponytail sighed, and said, "Whatever ya say."
The illusionary figures disappeared, and so did the crystal ball.
"Damn it, Lord Raikage! What the Hell did you do, now?!" Emiko shouted. Emiko had just come back to the Hidden Cloud Village and is now standing before Lord Fourth Raikage in The Raikage's office which is in a building on the top of a mountain in the Hidden Cloud Village. The building is called The Cloud Parliament.
"You dare yell at me, your Raikage? You're lucky you're a useful spy to me you brat otherwise, I'd have you hauled into the nearest jail!" Lord Fourth yelled. Lord Fourth Raikage, a dark-skinned man with blonde hair, a blonde mustache, a blonde goatee and black eyes named Zekrom, who was wearing a white haori made to fit his large muscular body without any kind of shirt underneath said haori, a pair of big black pants held up by a golden belt and a pair of white ninja sandals was also sitting at his desk in said office.
"Also, it was not his fault." Said Mabui, The Raikage's light gray-haired, black-eyed and dark-skinned right-hand-woman who was wearing a dark green high-collared dress shirt, a skirt that was the same color as her dress shirt and a pair of high-heeled sandals as was standing directly to Lord Fourth's left. "She's damn right it wasn't! It was the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone..." Lord Fourth says. "But...wait, I thought the next Tsuchikage and Kazekage hadn't been chosen yet." Emiko said. "You're right, they haven't." Mabui said. "So, instead, they sent 'Representatives'. But it was all a damned lie!" Lord Fourth yelled. "How?" Emiko asked.
"Perhaps it's best that I take it from here, Lord Fourth. The last thing the village needs is for you to have lost a blood vessel or two." Mabui said.
Lord Fourth grumbled. "...fine." Lord Fourth reluctantly replied.
"It all started back during the Chunin Exams that were being held in the Hidden Leaf Village. Under the orders of Orochimaru-who disguised himself as The Fourth Kazekage-the Hidden Sand and Hidden Sound invaded the Hidden Leaf Village on the day of the Final Exam. Earlier, the Hidden Stone said they wanted in on that action, and the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Sound agreed with the Hidden Stone helping them during the invasion. And, they did. They also brought The One-Tail's Jinchuriki to the Hidden Leaf Village, who was there as just another participant in the Exams. But, of course, The Jinchuriki's true mission was to transform into The One-Tail once the invasion started. The One-Tail came out, The Third Hokage and The Fox Sage battled Orochimaru and The Third Tsuchikage by themselves, and there was an all-out battle between Hidden Leaf ninjas, Hidden Sand ninjas, Hidden Stone ninjas and Hidden Sound ninjas. Fortunately, a Hidden Leaf Kunoichi named Izumi Uchiha stopped The One-Tail by suppressing it's power, and strengthening it's Jinchuriki's seal from a distance thanks to her Sharingan Eyes. Meanwhile, after a long fight, Lord Third Hokage and The Fox Sage killed Orochimaru and The Third Tsuchikage. Then, both Izumi, Lord Third Hokage, The Fox Sage and Izumi's student, Sasuke Uchiha, helped their allies win the rest of the battle. The enemy forces fled, and the Hidden Leaf was then left with a village in a kinda-rough shape." Mabui explained. "What about Naruto? Where was he?" Emiko asked. "Funny you asked that. He's the whole reason a Five-Kage Summit was called." Mabui replied. "What do you mean?" Emiko then asked. "The Hidden Sand apparently had somebody on the inside working undercover-a girl named Yuki Nohara." Mabui answered. "Whoa...she's a spy? But I...I worked with her when Team 7 and I brought down Akira." Emiko said. "Exactly. Naruto was what she was after all along. That was why she was put on the Hidden Leaf's Team 7." Mabui replied. "Damn..." Emiko says with a tone of disappointment in her voice. "During the invasion, Yuki kidnapped Naruto, used Danzo Shimura's little 'Foundation' to cover her escape, and now...she's presumably on her way to the Hidden Sand Village." Mabui explained further. "If not there already."
"Let me guess: this kidnapping has something to do with Naruto's status as The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." Emiko said. "Y-You know about that?" Lord Fourth asked. "It was back during the mission to capture Akira. Akira mopped the ground with pretty much all of us, so when Naruto got back up, and saw everyone on the ground in bad shape, he used The Nine-Tails' power for the first time. And then he beat Akira up so badly that Izumi was forced to tell me everything about Naruto's Jinchuriki status and how he came to be a Jinchuriki just to help her stop Naruto from outright killing Akira before we could even capture him, and bring Akira back. And, as we know, Akira was brought back alive and then he was executed after I brought him back here, and handed him off to the Lion Guard." Emiko explained. "So, in case it wasn't clear to you yet: yes, I know. I know that Naruto's The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." "Why wasn't this mentioned in the mission report you gave us that day?" Lord Fourth asked. "Well, the Hidden Leaf made all that information top-secret and we all know how coveted and sought after The Jinchuriki are, no matter who they are or what monster is inside of them. So it would be kinda stupid of me to put that information in our records, now, wouldn't it?" Emiko answered. Lord Fourth Raikage chuckled. "And that's why they call you 'The Most Moral Spy'." He remarked. Emiko chuckled. "I think you're the only one who calls me that." She replied.
"In any case, yes, that's why Yuki kidnapped Naruto." Mabui said. "Not wanting the Ninja World to come to blows over this issue, The Third Hokage called for a Five-Kage Summit." "But, again, the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone used that as a ruse to kill The Third Hokage, invade the Land of Iron, and wipe out the Samurai." Lord Fourth told her. "No doubt, the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone are usin' the Land of Iron to make settlements and military outposts. We didn't know whether or not Lady Mizukage got outta there alive until our sources close to the Mizukage's office said she's alive and well." "And now, the war's begun." Mabui said. "Everyone's either goin' Jinchuriki-huntin' or protecting their own Jinchuriki. But everyone also knows that Naruto's rescue is the key to winnin' this war." Lord Fourth also told her. "How so?" Emiko asked. "Because those that have him will either bring him back to the Hidden Leaf like we're plannin' to or they'll be keepin' him for themselves." Lord Fourth answered. "In that case, I'll be the first one to bring him back." Emiko said after a lot of thinking. "We knew you'd say that." Lord Fourth replied. "As usual, you will have little to no contact with the village unless The Raikage wants to contact you. Try to stay out of sight of any enemies and...you know, do your usual hero thing." Mabui instructed. "I suggest you go to the Hidden Leaf Village for further intel first. There are some things we don't yet know about Naruto's kidnapping and instead going directly to the Hidden Sand Village is too risky at this point. The more we know, the better." Lord Fourth added. "You can count on me, Sir!" Emiko shouted. "Good girl. That's what I like to hear." Lord Fourth said.
Emiko then turned around, and ran out of the room. The Raikage chuckled. "She reminds me of me when I was her age..." Lord Fourth mutters.
Meanwhile, at the Ichiraku Ramen Stall, Kitsune was sitting on a stool and eating a bowl of ramen that Teuchi had served her. 'Naruto's right! This place does cook good ramen.' Kitsune thought.
As she was eating, Kitsune heard a lot of construction work going on behind her. She hated the noise, but, at the same time, it reminded her that Naruto's still in the hands of the Hidden Sand. Kitsune remembers waltzing right up to Homura and Koharu, and asking them to allow her to get Naruto back, but they said no because Sarutobi-Sensei hasn't come back from the summit yet.
'So I guess that means I can use my spare time to fuck a cute guy for three days, and...shit, I don't know what else.' Kitsune thought.
Just then, Anko ran up to her. "Hey! Hey! Fox Sage!" Anko shouted. Kitsune turned around, and saw Anko. "Anko! Surprised to see ya! Does this mean Sarutobi-Sensei's back?" Kitsune asked. Anko had a sad look on her face.
"Or maybe the right question is: what the Hell went wrong?" Kitsune then said. She quickly turned back around, and finished her ramen before turning around again, standing up, and walking up to Anko.
"The Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand had chosen to send representatives instead of a new Tsuchikage and a new Kazekage. Lord Hokage and The Raikage and The Mizukage were presumably alright with this turn of events because they let the representatives sit at their table, and the proceedings began. Lord Third Hokage's terms for peace were simple: The Hidden Sand had to send Naruto back to us or the other villages had to surrender their own Jinchuriki. The Mizukage and Raikage weren't willing to hand over their Jinchuriki, the Hidden Sand's representative didn't want to hand over Naruto, and the Hidden Stone's representative said that they might lend us a Jinchuriki or two if the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Stone renegotiated the terms from peace treaty made right after the Third Great Ninja War." Anko explained. "That's not surprising to me anymore. In fact, that just reaffirms that they're sore losers, in my humble opinion." Kitsune replied. "What do you mean?" Anko asked. "When The Tsuchikage came out, and attacked us like he did, he said that he was willing to cooperate with the Hidden Sand and Hidden Sound even though The Kazekage was Orochimaru all along. That was because The Tsuchikage and, as it turns out, the rest of the Hidden Stone, wanted to get us back for their loss during the Third Great Ninja War. I told him that that just makes them sound like sore losers. And I was right. All this destruction happened just so that one old man could kill another old man. Luckily, Sarutobi-Sensei and I never gave him the chance. What else happened?" Kitsune asked. "Unfortunately, unbeknownst to us, The Hokage, The Raikage, The Mizukage and both The Mizukage's bodyguards and The Raikage's bodyguards, the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone used the Five-Kage Summit as a ruse for another collaborative invasion. Lord Third Hokage and Shikaku were killed, Mifune and Mifune's guards were killed and the Samurai were wiped out." Anko reported.
"Damn..." Kitsune says. "Sarutobi-Sensei was one of the good ones." "The Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand have just declared war on the Hidden Leaf while The Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist have declared war on the Hidden Sand. Both the Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud have offered us their protection." Anko also reported. "Well, staying here, in the village, was good while it lasted." Kitsune replied while stretching. "Actually, there's one more thing..." Anko says. Anko then handed The old Sage a letter. "Huh? What's this?" Kitsune asked. "Before Lord Third died, he said he wanted you to have that." Anko told her.
Kitsune opened the letter.
It reads:
Dear Kitsune Senju, my trusted student,
I know that you probably don't want this because you want to be free to do whatever you want, but at this point, you and I both know you now have no choice in this matter because if you are now reading this, it means I'm dead and the Hidden Leaf Village is now without a leader. As your Sensei, I want you-no, the Leaf needs you to step up. Become my successor. And lead the Hidden Leaf through whatever may come ahead.
These may be my last words.
Goodbye, Kitsune. And good luck.
Sincerely,
Hiruzen Sarutobi, The Third Hokage
"Well, that's just great. I'm no wartime leader, but I don't want to lose Naruto to the Hidden Sand, either." Kitsune said. "What are you gonna do?" Anko asked. "I'm going to become The Fifth Hokage." Kitsune answered.
After much deliberation between the elders and Kitsune, Kitsune was finally made The Fifth Hokage. After that the Feudal Lord made Kitsune's appointment as The Hokage official with a single letter.
The Next Day...
Kitsune decided to change up her outfit a bit right before her inauguration ceremony. She went to her old house (after sleeping at a boring regular hotel last night), gave it a major spring cleaning, walked up to her second-floor bedroom, took off the red kimono she's used to wearing, put on a red sexy sleeveless tunic instead and then, she walked to The Hokage's Tower, and then to The Hokage's Chamber, where she was given a white haori. Kitsune reluctantly put on because she didn't want this job even though she's doing it for Sarutobi-Sensei's sake and she thinks the white haori makes her look like the old woman she is. Then, she and a whole lot of other Hidden Leaf Jonin walked up to The Hokage's Tower's roof, where she's supposed to present herself in front of the village's entire population. Koharu walked up to her, and handed her The Hokage's hat. Kitsune put on The Hokage's hat, and everyone cheered. Kitsune waved and smiled at everyone until the ceremony was officially over.
While they were walking inside, Kitsune asked, "Can I take this big silly thing off, now?" "Can you stop acting so childish!?" Koharu shouted. "Well, I know that I don't have to have it on all the time, so-" Kitsune was interrupted because Koharu sighed loudly. "Let's just get a move on. You're going to have your portrait taken." She told Kitsune. "Oh. Great." Kitsune sarcastically said.
She walked down to The Hokage's Chamber with Koharu to get her portrait taken and then, after Kitsune's portrait was taken, Koharu said, "You can take the hat off, now."
'Finally.' Kitsune thought.
Kitsune walked to The Hokage's office, walked over to a coat rack in the room that she found, and hung the hat on one part of the rack and then took her white haori off, and hung it right next to the hat.
Kitsune was about to walk to her desk, when she spotted the portraits of all of the four Hokage on the wall to her left. She turned left, and just stood and stared at the portraits. They all looked to be in numerical order. The First Hokage's portrait was the first one in the line and next to his portrait was The Second Hokage's portrait and next to The Second Hokage's portrait was The Third Hokage's portrait and finally, next to The Third Hokage's portrait was The Fourth Hokage's portrait.
Kitsune walked up to The Third Hokage's portrait. There he was. Hiruzen Sarutobi. Her Sensei. Also known as The Third Hokage. A picture that she initially looked upon with fondness before her expression turned to anger. "To Hell with you, Sensei." She angrily muttered. She then looked at The Fourth Hokage's portrait, and went over to that portrait, too. "And that goes for you, too, my student." Kitsune then whispered.
She then turned around, and walked to her desk before sitting at said desk.
Kitsune was just about to take a bit of a breather when she sensed someone entering the room from the window on her left. Kitsune looked to her left, and saw someone she'd never thought she'd see. A tall figure dressed in a high-collared robe with a couple of red clouds on it. The figure also had light skin, jet black hair that was pulled into a low ponytail and Sharingan eyes. On his forehead was a Hidden Leaf headband that had a scratch on its metal plate.
"Oh. So you're the infamous Itachi Uchiha, huh? Well, I'm not even gonna fight ya." Kitsune said to him. "Why not? I'm a rogue ninja." Itachi said. "Yeah, yeah, but I've been keeping tabs on the Akatsuki, too. You guys only hunt down Jinchuriki and right now, someone's already gone and taken him from us in your stead." Kitsune told him. "I already know." Itachi replied. "Then why are you here?" Kitsune asked. "Right after the Massacre, Lord Third requested that I spy on the Akatsuki for the Hidden Leaf on the condition that he'd look after Sasuke." Itachi answered. "Did he, now? Why?" Kitsune then asked. Itachi didn't answer.
"Oh, I get it. You're not supposed to share secrets with a ninja you don't know." Kitsune said. "Fine. I mean, since I'm The Hokage, now, and everything, I could force you to answer me by getting the Interrogation Corps in here, but I've got other bullshit to worry about." "How can you be so nonchalant at a time like this!?" Itachi said, only slightly raising his voice. "Okay. I'm sorry. But how is that whole story about you being a spy supposed to tell me why you're here?" Kitsune asked. "I was just wondering if the Hidden Leaf would like me to keep spying on the Akatsuki. I regret that I haven't had much to report since I joined them." Itachi answered. "Hm. Okay, then. Since I can't do it anymore, I'm gonna rely on you to be my eyes and ears in the Akatsuki. But first, tell me what you already know." Kitsune told him. "The Akatsuki are after the Jinchuriki, that's true. But the reason is so that we can take the beasts from their Human prisons, and seal them into this large weapon called a 'Gedo Statue'." Itachi reported. "Gedo Statue...?" Kitsune asks. "I know it sounds hard to believe because only a-" "No, no. I believe you. Go on." Kitsune said, interrupting Itachi. "Anyway, their leader, a man called 'Pain', says that we're charging the Gedo Statue to use said weapon in the wars the other lands might wage upon each other because the Akatsuki sees itself as a ninja military for hire without any host nation. And without the Jinchuriki, the power balance of the Ninja World is disrupted, and the hidden villages will be forced to rely more heavily on the Akatsuki and less on their own ninjas. Theoretically, the weapon we possess is powerful enough to put an end to a war between lands before it even starts. In exchange, the Akatsuki gets paid for it's services." Itachi finished.
"Well, isn't that intriguing? Now, I'm not so sure if I even want Naruto back here-purely to protect him from the Akatsuki, of course." Kitsune said. "Speaking of, the war isn't ideal for the Akatsuki. Pain has told us to lay low after we finish sealing the Jinchuriki we already have." Itachi said. "Who does the Akatsuki already have?!" Kitsune shouted. "One of our members has acquired The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, a Shinobi from the Hidden Cloud Village named Killer Bee." Itachi answered. "We're planning to seal him in eight days." "So they've got The Raikage's Brother, eh? Sounds like a 'two birds with one stone' sorta thing. Thank you, Itachi. Come back with your next intel report whenever you get it." Kitsune ordered. "Yes, Lady Hokage." Itachi said before disappearing by seemingly turning into a flock of crows, all of which flew out the window.
'Now...how do I call a ninja to my office?' Kitsune thought. 'Guess I'd better start by learning their names.'
A Few Days Later...
Shikamaru was called to The Hokage's Chamber. He's never much liked being called by The Hokage like this and after the Chunin Exams, he likes it even less but she is The Hokage, after all. 'What a drag.' Shikamaru thought. He walked all the way up there to see Sasuke standing in front of The New Hokage, who was sitting on a pillow on the floor like Lord Third used to. Sasuke looked behind himself, and said, "Oh, look, Lazy McGee's already arrived." "Jeez, Sasuke, you're worse than Naruto when it comes to nicknames." Shikamaru said. "Just get over here, Shikamaru." Lady Fifth Hokage told him. Shikamaru sighed, and walked right up next to Sasuke.
"I called you two here for something very important. Promotions. Sasuke, I'm promoting you to Chunin. Congratulations. I bet your clan would be proud. Shikamaru, I'm promoting you to Chunin, too." Kitsune told them. "Really? Aw, jeez. What a drag. I didn't even do anything in the Final Exam." Shikamaru said. "You should learn to accept praise when you're given it, jerk." Sasuke told him. "You're the jerk, jerk." Shikamaru argued. Lady Fifth chuckled. "Sure, you didn't do anything during the Final Exam, but you stepped up, and fought the enemy valiantly during the invasion. You also helped others with repelling the enemy." She told him. "They destroyed Ino's parents' flower shop and Choji's Dad's Barbeque restaurant and I wasn't havin' that." Shikamaru humbly replied. "Still, you did your part. That's why you're getting promoted. Now, go home, and tell your Mom about it. I'll see you about some more missions later. Sasuke, take a break until Izumi calls for you. I have a mission in mind I think you and Izumi would be good for but first, I have a duty of my own to attend to." Lady Fifth told them.
Sasuke and Shikamaru turned around, and walked out of the room.
Izumi Uchiha sat atop a random roof in the Hidden Leaf Village, all alone and in slight disbelief that Team 7 was just a ruse all along. And now, the Hidden Sand has Naruto, who didn't even want to go with Yuki but was forced to because Yuki casted the same Jutsu as the one that Rin got killed for. Which means she now has to grapple with the fact that she might have to kill the both of them. And she doesn't know if she could handle the trauma that would come with that if she did have to kill them. She knew that Kakashi was saddened by Rin's death when that happened. And she also can't forget the consequences that would come with a dead Yuki Nohara.
Not to mention the seemingly-endless battles that are erupting elsewhere in the world...
She heard that some Hidden Leaf ninjas and some Hidden Cloud ninjas are fighting some Hidden Stone ninjas on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. Meanwhile, some Hidden Sand ninjas are attacking the Land of Water.
Izumi can't imagine the cycle of hatred that will be born from this conflict.
'I know this war is something I can't do anything about for now, but...Naruto is my...no, he is my child! And I'm tired of fighting it!' Izumi thought.
"Are ya done moping?" A familiar voice asked. Izumi looked to her left, and saw Anko sitting beside her. "I was wonderin' when you'd notice me. I've been sittin' here for...uh...five minutes, I think."
Izumi chuckled.
"You never were good at math." She replied. "Well, how could I be? I was the same kinda loud-mouthed, idiotic little shit as Naru..." Anko stops herself after seeing the sad look on Izumi's face. "...to." She continued without thinking.
Anko sighed. "I'm sorry." She said. "It's okay. You, of all people...you can say mean things about him. Even when I'm...like this. Problem is, it's just been so recent. I lost my Son, and I-" Izumi stopped herself, feeling kinda embarrassed. "So you're finally admitting it?" Anko asked. Izumi sighed. "I am. And I'm done fighting the very thought of it. Anyway, the Hidden Sand took away my Son, and part of me wants him back, but part of me also knows that I might have to kill him." She answered. Anko nodded, satisfied that she's finally admitting to wanting children, and maybe even a relationship without admitting it. But, wait...
"Why did you just say that you might have to kill him?" Anko asked. "You probably weren't with us when I was telling Lord Third and his Councillors about how and why The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki was missing, were you?" Izumi asked in reply. "Nope! I was cleanin' up the mess those Hidden Sand ninjas left behind after they retreated." Anko answered. "Oh. Actually, if I remember right, I just told 'em I couldn't stop Yuki from escaping with The Jinchuriki because Danzo and the Foundation got in the way. And I knew that neither Sasuke or I were strong enough to fight them, so we just ran. Anyway, I said I might have to kill him because Yuki put a Forbidden Individual Curse Tag on his heart, putting her in control of him and when he can or can't use his Jinchuriki Form." Izumi told her. "Isn't that the same Jutsu-" "That got Rin killed. Yeah." Izumi answered, interrupt
-ing Anko before she could finish her question. "It might be the only way to release her hold on him." "What if you take Yuki out instead? Cut out the need to take it off his heart-at least until you could take him to the Hospital." Anko said. "Yeah...that can work...but I can't do that right now-so long as he's in the Hidden Sand Village, at least." Izumi said. "Well, then, I say we slowly work our way there because it's not just us who's gunning for him." Anko replied. "Yeah...Yeah!" Izumi shouted. "Then I think we have a long-term plan in mind." Anko said.
Anko suddenly got a look on her face like she just remembered something. "Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you!" Anko shouted. "What?" Izumi asked. "The New Hokage promoted Sasuke to Chunin! That's the reason I came in the first place." Anko answered. "New...Hokage?" Izumi then asked. "Been feelin' sorry for yourself for that long, huh?" Anko asked in reply. Izumi nodded.
Anko's face got solemn all of the sudden. She then explained to Izumi everything that happened at the Five-Kage Summit and the fact that Kitsune's the New Hokage. "Master Kitsune, huh? Never thought she'd be one for grueling desk
-work-or so I've heard." Izumi replied. "Lady Fifth Hokage...that's somethin' the people are gonna have to get used to." "I know what you mean." Anko agreed. "But, hey, a woman was named The Fifth Mizukage before Kitsune ever took the hat so anything's possible, at this point." "True." Izumi also replied.
"So...where's Sasuke?" Anko asked. "Probably off training somewhere. But I know he's in worse shape than I am." Izumi answered. "How so?" Anko then asked. "Before Danzo intervened, Sasuke and I were fighting Yuki and Naruto, whom she had enslaved with the tag I mentioned before. I tried appealing to Yuki with just words, emphasizing the hypocrisy of what she's doing by telling her how Rin died. She didn't care because she also had her own reasons why she was helping the enemy, and running back to the Hidden Sand Village with Naruto in tow. Yuki got me back by revealing the whole truth about the Uchiha Massacre to Sasuke. Well, I didn't know a few of the details she told us, but that didn't matter. Sasuke was still mad at me for not telling him." Izumi answered. "And what did she tell you?" Anko questioned. She then told Anko all about what Yuki told them about the Massacre.
"And what proof did she have?" Anko asked. Izumi handed her a note. "That's Shisui's suicide note. I presume the Hidden Sand had other spies, who interrogated those involved in the Massacre-other than Itachi and maybe Danzo and the Foundation-and I don't think they did it nicely." Izumi answered. "Damn...that's fucked up. But all that over the village needing someone to blame for the Nine-Tails Incident?" Anko then asked. Izumi nodded.
"That's a Hell of a leap they made if ya ask me, but I understand why they did it." Anko said. "I understand that too, but that does not justify what they did, does it?" Izumi asked. Anko shook her head in response. "And the other villages say we're soft..." Izumi then says. Anko gave Shisui's suicide note back to Izumi, and Izumi just pockets it again, having taken it from Sasuke a little earlier.
"I'm...I'm gonna need a while to think about this." Anko said. "I'd be surprised if you didn't." Izumi replied.
Anko stood up, and, just when she was about to leave, Izumi said, "The last thing Sasuke said to me was, 'Maybe Yuki's right. Maybe Team 7 never did exist. Maybe it shouldn't have. At all.'. I tried to calmly explain to him why I couldn't tell him, but he just yelled, 'Stay away from me!' Before he ran off." "You two have some shit to work out. And if I were you, I'd work it out soon." Anko advised. She then leaped off the roof.
'But how can I?' Izumi thought.
At night, Itachi Uchiha, who was standing alone atop the walls of the Hidden Sand Village dressed in his Akatsuki uniform, was looking upon the village, rather disappointed with it as opposed to outright angry or sad or maybe even a bit of both even though that this is the same village that invaded the Hidden Leaf Village, and put his Little Brother's life in jeopardy. More to the point, the Akatsuki isn't active right now so he can do whatever he wants of his own free will-at least until this war dies down. The most important thing (to him) is the procurement of Naruto Uzumaki. He saw how angry Sasuke was while he was watching his Little Brother train before Itachi, himself, left the Hidden Leaf Village. Itachi chuckled. He thought it would be awkward to show up in the Hidden Leaf Village with Naruto.
'But I need to keep my Brother alive and happy. It sounds as though he has foregone his need for revenge against me, at least...even though I would've deserved it.' Itachi thought. He then spotted a Hidden Sand Kunoichi standing behind him with a kunai knife pointed at the back of his neck.
"Interesting. You sniffed me out even when I'd been so careful to cover my tracks." Itachi remarked. "Who are you? Why are you here?" The Kunoichi asked. "I think you know why I'm here. Naruto Uzumaki." Itachi answered. Itachi slowly spun around. The Kunoichi looked startled. She stepped around Itachi, and then stepped back. "You're-You're Clan-Killer Itachi." She said out of a sense of fear. Itachi now has a better look at her. She has long black and purple hair, purple eyes, and was wearing a Hidden Sand Chunin flak jacket overtop what Itachi presumed was a black sleeveless shirt. She also wore a black pair of pants and a black pair of ninja sandals. On her forehead was a black Hidden Sand headband.
"Calm yourself. I am not going to hurt you if you don't get in my way." Itachi told her. "Why shouldn't I?" Asked the purple-eyed Kunoichi. "You're with the Akatsuki, aren't you? You're supposed to retrieve The Jinchuriki from their villages for some sick evil purpose, right? You even said, yourself that you're here for The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." "I am here for him, but not for the reasons you're thinking." Itachi said. "Why, then?" The purple-eyed Kunoichi then asked. "To bring a quick end to this war by bringing him back to the Hidden Leaf Village." Itachi answered. The Kunoichi lowered her kunai knife. "Yeah, well, easier said than done." She replied. "Why would that be?" Itachi asked. "I heard that he's being held in our Anbu's prison. And our Anbu are not kind to their prisoners, regardless if they're actual criminals, political prisoners or prisoners of war." The purple-eyed Kunoichi whispered. "I see. Why is he there?" Itachi then asked. "I don't know." The purple-eyed Kunoichi answered. "You were awfully loose-lipped before..." Itachi remarks. "I'm just a Chunin. I'm not given access to all kinds of village secrets, y'know." The purple-eyed Kunoichi told him. "Plus, I'm tryin' my best to help you." "Why?" Itachi questioned. "Because...Because I have a Little Sister. Her name is Haruka and she's just become a Genin and she's getting her squad assignment within the week. I don't want this war-that we started, by the way-to affect her future missions. She's better off carrying out D-Rank missions than growing up too fast because she's learned the harsh realities of war or for her to die young on her first or second or third mission." The purple-eyed Kunoichi answered.
He didn't want to show it, but that answer resonated with Itachi. Despite every despicable thing he's done, there is nothing in the world Itachi won't do for his Little Brother. And given that this Kunoichi is a Chunin, Itachi can reasonably assume that she's done some bad things, too-all under orders from The Kazekage, of course.
"I don't care what happens to me-all I care about is her." The purple-eyed Kunoichi added. "What's your name?" Itachi asked. "W-Why do you want to know?" She asked in reply. Itachi realizes that she's still scared of him, but that might be because of his Sharingan. He deactivated his Sharingan. "I want to know who I'm working alongside." Itachi answered. "You mean you want my help?" The purple-eyed Kunoichi asked. "I do. I don't know this village as well as you do. I could use someone on the inside." Itachi answered. "Oh...I-I guess that makes sense." The purple-eyed Kunoichi replied. She put away her kunai knife, and then said, "I'm Kasumi." "Nice to meet you." Itachi replied. "L-Likewise." Kasumi also replied. She blushed and smiled at him. Itachi sighed, annoyed by her sudden crush on him. 'Suddenly, my afraid enemy becomes my fangirl. I wonder if Sasuke had to encounter this problem back when he was in the Academy like I did.' Itachi thought.
The both of them then turned to stare at the village below, standing side-by-side. "So...there is a whole village of ninjas in between us and Naruto." Kasumi said. "There is." Itachi replied. "Where do we start?" She asked.
Shikamaru was walking around the Hidden Leaf Village with his Chunin flak jacket on. Earlier his Mom and Asuma-Sensei had congratulated him on making Chunin, but the truth is he doesn't feel like celebrating his promotion. Not after witnessing Ino and Choji die. He also thought about how Yuki was the one who killed Ino. And how Yuki later kidnapped Naruto, and ran out of the village to speed her way back to the Hidden Sand Village. And now, there's a war going on over who does or doesn't get Naruto. 'What a drag.' Shikamaru thought.
It's nighttime. There are no clouds in the sky and now, he's all alone. He looks down at his flak jacket while walking through the streets of the village. 'Am I meant to be wearing this? Should I be a Chunin?' Shikamaru thought. He sighs.
'What was Lady Fifth thinking?' Shikamaru also thought. 'Too bad I can't throw this thing in the trash, and burn it.'
He made Chunin earlier today and he's not sure if he'll regret it or not.
Meanwhile...At Training Ground Three...
Sasuke was training up a storm, repeatedly using the Lightning Blade Jutsu on some nearby trees. Three minutes later, he was beating up a wooden combat dummy with Taijutsu. 'What's all this been for?' He thought. He kept thinking back to the legitimately-fun times he's had with Naruto and Yuki and was happy with Izumi-Sensei. But then, in an instant, all that was torn apart, a war was started over who gets Naruto, and now, Sasuke was made Chunin by The Fifth Hokage.
'Where the Hell does she get off, making me a Chunin?' Sasuke thought.
He then pulled out two kunai knives, and started hitting the dummy with it.
'All I want is to get Naruto back, and kill Yuki.' Sasuke thought.
"If you want eyes like the ones I possess, you have to kill your best friend. Only by getting the Mangekyo Sharingan will you ever have a chance of defeating me."
'Of course, I have to get that power and get revenge for my clan, too.' Sasuke thought.
"Did you hear Izumi-Sensei? The only way to remove this tag thing from me...is for me to die."
'That loser did word it awkwardly, but he drove the point home.' Sasuke thought. 'But that doesn't matter. I'm going to kill Yuki, save Naruto, end this war, kill Itachi, kill Danzo and then kill the Hidden Leaf elders, too because they agreed to order Itachi to do this whether he wanted to or not. Knowing Lord Third, he probably would've regretted been really apologetic about forcing someone like Itachi to do something as despicable as that, but, personally, I don't give a fuck about his regrets. He was called "The Negotiator" and often knew how to wiggle himself and the Hidden Leaf out of situations without much violence. He could've stopped the coup my clan was planning in an instant and yet, he chose to let the elders and Itachi do it for him. Itachi was the same age as me when he committed the Massacre, right? So he was just a kid who was made to deal with adults' problems. This leads me to only one conclusion: I'm going to get that tag out of Naruto without killing him and I am going to get the Mangekyo-but not in the way Itachi says I should.'
He then stopped and lowered his kunai knives. 'And I am going to complete my missions, but I won't let the higher-ups jerk me around like they did with Itachi.' Sasuke thought.
Sasuke raised his kunai knives again, and continued hitting the dummy.
The Next Day...
Izumi was woken up by a nightmare and a knock on the door.
She got up, got dressed in her normal outfit, quickly equipped her ninja gear, and ran over to the door. "Hey." A familiar voice said. Anko was standing right outside the door to Izumi's house, dressed in her usual outfit, too. "Hey." Izumi replied. "What are ya doin' here?" "Lady Hokage asked to see you." Anko answered. "Oh. Cool. A summons from The New Hokage." Izumi remarked, looking and feeling sad. "You okay, Izumi? You look like you didn't have a very good sleep last night." Anko commented. "You're right. I didn't. I stayed up 'til two in the morning, training in the Uchiha Training Grounds and then, I went to bed and...I had...nightmares." Izumi also replied. "Nightmares? About what?" Anko asked. "The first one was, again, about...Itachi...and then the second and final one was about me killing Naruto. But it's all fine. I think so, at least." Izumi answered. "It's not like it actually happened." "No, it didn't. Besides, somethin' tells me that you're gonna save Naruto, and you're going to do it your own way." Anko said. "Now, c'mon, The Hokage's waitin' for ya." "Alright." Izumi said. Izumi put on her Hidden Leaf headband and her ninja sandals, and then she walked out of her house, and then closed and locked her house's door, and then turned around, and walked away with Anko.
Later...In The Hokage's Office...
Izumi stood in front of The Hokage's desk, looking directly at her New Hokage, Kitsune, who seemed to be wearing a sexy red tunic as opposed to the kimono she usually wears.
"Well, hey. Long time, no see...well, kinda." Lady Fifth said. "The last time we saw each other, I was giving my after-invasion report to Lord Third." Izumi replied. "Why do you think I said, 'kinda'?" Lady Fifth asked. "Why did you ask me here, Lady Hokage?" Izumi asked in reply. "That's a shame...I was really enjoying the small talk." Lady Fifth said. "I'm sorry. I'm just...having a really bad time." Izumi told her. "No need to apologize. I perfectly understand. You lost your team, and now, your student won't talk to you, or so I've heard." Lady Fifth replied. "Part of me thinks he blames me for everything that happened during the invasion. And, in a way, he wouldn't be wrong to blame me. I should've sniffed her out sooner." Izumi said. "Same. I think that all of us are at least somewhat to blame for what happened that day. But what good is pondering on the shoulda-woulda-coulda part of that day gonna do? The best we can do is try to correct our mistakes by winning this war. Or we'll end up like the Hidden Sand-bitter and impoverished." Lady Fifth also replied. "To that end, since I've made Sasuke a Chunin, and five others to the mission both you and Sasuke are going on, I think this would be the perfect opportunity to reconcile."
"Mission? What mission?" Izumi asked. "That's right. We've received intel that the Akatsuki have captured The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki." Lady Fifth answered. "The Eight-Tails? Why aren't we going after Naruto?" Izumi then asked. "In this case, it's a gesture of good will towards the Hidden Cloud Village because The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki is The Fourth Raikage's Brother. As it is, the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist are allied with us in this war. But alliances can change quickly, and if they become our enemies, they could keep Naruto for themselves instead of handing him over to us as soon as they have him. And that would be a pretty big problem." Lady Fifth explained. "I see." Izumi replied. "Also-"
Lady Fifth was interrupted because suddenly, Emiko appeared to the right of Izumi, who was startled by her sudden use of the Teleportation Jutsu to get here. "Surprise!" Emiko shouted. Lady Fifth facepalmed and sighed.
"...she's here, too." Lady Fifth finished. "Wha-W-Why did you come out of nowhere like that?!" Izumi shouted. "She wanted to surprise you because she hasn't seen you in a long-ass time." Lady Fifth answered, looking annoyed. "Emiko..." Izumi says. "What?" Emiko asked. "I know you're young and I'm not your Sensei, but you, of all people, should know that ninjas don't like surprises! What were you thinking?!" Izumi shouted. "I...uh..." Emiko says. "...I'm sorry." "It's alright. Just remember that most, if not all, ninjas are jumpy." Izumi advised.
Emiko nodded.
"So what are you doing here?" Izumi asked. "My goal is to get Naruto back from the Hidden Sand, and bring him here. But first, I need more intel about what, exactly, happened that night. From what I was told by Lady Fifth, all you told the elders and The Third Hokage was that you couldn't get Naruto back from Yuki because that scary Danzo dude and his guys got in your way. You ran because you couldn't fight him, and that was it. But Lady Fifth says she suspects that there was more you didn't tell them." Emiko answered. Izumi sighed. "Yes. There is more. But can't this wait until after the mission?" She asked. "We're given a little over a week to complete it so there's no real rush." Lady Fifth answered. Emiko looked like she didn't know what they were talking about, but, Izumi guessed it doesn't matter more than the information she's about to share with her, which is why she's not asking about their mission.
"Lady Fifth, can you activate this place's privacy seals?" Izumi asked. Lady Fifth made one hand sign, and then, she put her hand down on her desk. "There. Already done." Lady Fifth said. "Keep in mind, most of the things I'm about to tell you are secrets more secret than Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki. But it's also full of things I didn't tell Lord Third and the elders. Which means none of what I've told you can be repeated outside this room." Izumi told Emiko. Emiko nodded.
"There were...other reasons I couldn't get Naruto. Perhaps the first of which being, back before the Final Exam or perhaps sometime before the Chunin Exams, themselves, Yuki broke into Naruto's home at night, and put a Forbidden Individual Curse Tag on him, meaning that I was no longer the only one who can control when he can or can't use his Jinchuriki Form." Izumi reported. "So that's it...the red glowing chakra aura surrounding Naruto...that was his Jinchuriki Form. I saw it when he and Yuki were facing off against Sasuke in the stadium during the invasion." Lady Fifth concluded. Izumi nodded.
"I trained him to use that power properly and I beat it into his head that he should only ask me for permission to use that power until he was able to responsibly use it by himself." Izumi added. "But I guess that doesn't matter in the face of-" "In the face of a tag that lets someone else control your actions-enslave you, essentially." Lady Fifth says for Izumi. "Is that what the Forbidden Individual Curse Tag is?" Emiko asked. "Yes." Izumi simply answered. "The Forbidden Individual Curse Tag is a Ninjutsu, Sealing Jutsu and a Curse Mark Jutsu all in one. Nobody's declared it forbidden, which is surprising to me but regardless, it's a bad, bad Jutsu that only a despicable person would use on someone else." Lady Fifth added. "Why?" Emiko then asked. "Because to use it effectively, the caster has to put it on their target's heart. In fact, if I remember right, Naruto was having chest pain problems after our first mission with you, Emiko." Izumi answered. "Now, that's quite the oversight to not include it in your mission reports, Izumi." Lady Fifth said. "We didn't think much of it at the time. We were too busy preparing for the Chunin Exams and taking on more missions in the meantime to be too worried by it." Izumi replied. "Wait, you've had other missions since we captured Akira together? And Naruto was a part of them?" Emiko questioned. "Yes. I benched him, and then I unbenched him on the condition that we undergo the Jinchuriki power training I mentioned before. Though...I guess...if I kept him benched-" "Stop that, Izumi. I told you not to ponder too much on the shoulda-woulda-couldas of this situation, remember?"" Lady Fifth reminded her. "R-Right." Izumi acknowledged. "Besides, thinking about it now, benching him would've made it easier for Yuki to get to him." "Exactly. Now, back to your story." Lady Fifth said. "Right. I confronted Yuki and Naruto, who had some help from the Hidden Sand ninjas who were participating in the Exams, and I thought it was just going to be Sasuke and I against those five. But Genma was at my side, also protecting Sasuke. Yuki told me how easily we were fooled and about the tag and then said that she only needed Naruto, and so she ran off with him. Sasuke and I ran after her, and then, we caught up to her, and we had a fight. She had Naruto fight Sasuke while I fought Yuki. I explained the absolute irony of her actions, considering that she did it to get revenge on the Hidden Leaf for Rin Nohara's death, because Rin was Yuki's Cousin and because she blamed us for the fact that she wasn't rescued after being kidnapped by the Hidden Sand, as it turns out, and had to become a Hidden Sand Kunoichi to not die in prison." Izumi continued.
"What's so ironic about that?" Emiko asked. "Remember what I told you about what happened to Rin?" Izumi asked in reply. Emiko nodded.
"The 'Forbidden Jutsu' I mentioned that day wasn't officially forbidden, like Lady Hokage said, but I digress...that 'Forbidden Jutsu' was, in fact, the Forbidden Individual Curse Tag. That was what Rin had on her heart the day she died. So considering the circumstances, wouldn't you say Naruto's situation was-and is-similar to Rin's?" Izumi asked. "But he's alive right now, right?" Emiko asked in reply. "But there's a chance that he may have to die because outside of a surgical procedure that could only be done in a Hospital, the only way to remove the tag is for someone else to strike him directly in the heart-albeit, risking his life in the process. That 'process', I guess you could call it, was what killed Rin." Lady Fifth answered. Emiko looked so angry that she was about to punch someone.
"And is that it? Is that all Yuki did?" Emiko asked. "No. Because, before Danzo arrived..." Izumi says. She then tells them everything Yuki told her and Sasuke about the Uchiha Massacre and she showed Shuisui's suicide note to both Emiko and Lady Fifth and then she pocketed it again.
"...I presume this was all kept top-secret so there could be no other evidence that proves what she says. But if Yuki was able to infiltrate the Hidden Leaf Village as a spy for the Hidden Sand Village, then, undoubtedly, the Hidden Sand had other spies planted throughout the village at the time. They could've beaten the information out of some of the others who were behind the Massacre. So I have no reason to doubt what she said, but that's just my opinion. In fact, it's the main reason Sasuke hates me right now because I knew at least parts of what was happening between the Uchiha and the village but I never really knew all too much because I tried my best to keep out of it. But that didn't matter. On my way back home, after I first met Naruto, I was kidnapped by a few of the Foundation's agents, and taken to this...weird ritual site deep within the Anbu's HeadQuarters. where they shackled me to the wall, and then...Itachi and Danzo came out of nowhere and explained their twisted reasoning for the Massacre. Danzo apparently agreed to leave only Sasuke and I alive on the condition that Itachi kill everyone else in the clan and that he'd let Danzo perform a ritual to seal the other half of The Nine-Tails' chakra into me." Izumi finished. "What?" Both Lady Fifth and Emiko asked. "That's right. I probably forgot to mention-Naruto wasn't the only one who Lord Fourth had sealed The Nine-Tails' chakra into. Itachi and Sasuke had a Sister named Satsuki and, on the night of the Nine-Tails Incident, Lord Fourth took Satsuki, and sealed one half of the Tailed Beast's chakra into Naruto and the other half of The Nine-Tails' chakra into Satsuki. Anyway, Danzo somehow got ahold of Satsuki on the night of the Massacre, and put her on an altar in the center of the ritual site before I was snatched. The deal was that Satsuki's half of The Nine-Tails' chakra into me otherwise I'd have to be killed by Itachi like all the rest. I watched the ritual since that was all I could do. But something with the ritual went wrong, and the seal came loose, and The Nine-Tails' chakra burst out, giving some harsh words to Danzo and the Foundation members doing the ritual. And then, he caused an explosion before fucking off, and heading...who the Hell knows where. I managed to break free right before the explosion, and then escape. Only Danzo, a small number of Foundation members and I escaped. The ritual failed, and Satsuki died. Satsuki would've died anyway if the ritual had succeeded because that's how it usually goes with Jinchuriki, y'know? Anyway, the fact that Satsuki died that day probably didn't matter to Danzo. She was probably just another dead Uchiha in his eyes. In fact, I think he thought that it was most important that she die considering that she had half of The Nine-Tails in her and if the clan really were thinking about attempting a coup, Satsuki could then become a powerful weapon on their side." Izumi explained at length.
"Why would The Fourth Hokage even do that? Satsuki wasn't related to him-Hell, she was with Itachi until The Fourth Hokage took her." Emiko said. "Probably because he wanted to see his Son grow up." Lady Fifth said. "Huh?" Emiko asked. "Perhaps Izumi didn't tell you on her first mission with you since Naruto was around because he doesn't even know this yet-but he will once he gets promoted-Minato Namikaze, The Fourth Hokage is Naruto's Father and Naruto's Mother is Minato's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, who was, coincidentally, The Nine
-Tails' Jinchuriki before Naruto became her successor on that dreaded night. And Minato was my subordinate on the Genin Squad I was the leader of which means that aside from Kushina, Sarutobi-Sensei, Fugaku Uchiha and his three Genin students Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara and Obito Uchiha, I knew Minato better than anyone and that's why I can say that he never did anything without a reason." Lady Fifth explained. "But why would he not be able to see Naruto grow up if he didn't take Satsuki?" Emiko asked. "I looked at the seal Minato placed on Naruto. It looked like he used the Reaper Death Seal to seal the half of The Nine-Tails that's in Naruto right now. And the Reaper Death Seal is a Forbidden Jutsu created by Minato, himself. And that Jutsu is only meant to seal something as long as the caster is okay with dying after the Jutsu had been cast. He probably took Satsuki because there'd be a small chance that both he and the two newborns would survive in the aftermath of the whole affair." Lady Fifth answered. "But he died, so..." Emiko says. "So in the end, it was a gamble that didn't really pay off." Lady Fifth finished for Emiko. "Naruto and Satsuki survived, but Minato didn't." "...yeah. But now that we have the full story, I feel like I have a little bit of closure on the matter while Sasuke hates me for not telling him everything." Izumi told everyone.
"The most important thing you've told Emiko about, Izumi, is the Forbidden Individual Curse Tag that's on Naruto's heart at the moment. Let's focus on that before anything else-or, more specifically, you, Emiko, should focus on that part. It clearly gives you more context about the current predicament we find ourselves in." Lady Fifth said. "As you know, intel is valuable in the Ninja World. How you decide to use it is up to you, and you, alone, Emiko."
Emiko looked like she was deep in thought. Only moments later, she got an idea. "I've got it! If I stealthily make my way to Naruto without having much, if any contact with the enemy-and especially Yuki, I can take Naruto back from the Hidden Sand's hands, and hand him over to you right here, in the village. This will need to be a super-duper ultra mega top secret covert op. One that I can't do by myself, unfortunately." Emiko said. "Infiltrating the Hidden Sand Village will not be easy." "Unfortunately, I can't spare anyone at the moment because almost every ninja I have at the moment is on a mission and those who aren't on missions are either guarding the village's wall or helping with the village's reconstruction efforts. Hell, I'm about to assign a mission to Izumi. A mission I've assigned to six other ninjas. They're supposed to break into a secret Akatsuki holdout, where they're keeping The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, and rescue The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki and then bring him back to the Hidden Cloud Village." Lady Fifth told her. "Wait, Lord Killer Bee is missing?" Emiko asked. "That's The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki's name?" Izumi asked. "Yes and Yes." Lady Fifth answered. "Actually, that's what Lord Bee calls himself, but his name is actually Kaito, an orphaned boy who Lord Third Raikage adopted. But that doesn't matter. I'm still gonna get Naruto, but I may provide Izumi's team with back-up from the Hidden Cloud. Lord Fourth will surely want to know where his Brother is. Lady Fifth, do you know where this Akatsuki holdout is?" Emiko then asked. "I've sent Anbu spies ahead of Izumi and her team. They've come back and said there are three possible locations in the Land of Rivers. Her and her team's job is to meet the spies at the village gates so that they could get a bit more information from them." Lady Fifth answered. "Understood, Lady Hokage." Izumi acknowledged. "Hopefully, when I give Lord Raikage this intel, a team from the Hidden Cloud will meet your team, and you can give them more information there." Emiko said. "Alright. Just tell me who aside from myself and Sasuke are going to be on this mission." Izumi told Lady Fifth. "Of course..." Lady Fifth says.
The Hidden Cloud Village got a letter from Emiko and then, a Shinobi from the Cipher Corps ran to The Raikage's office with the letter in hand after deciphering the letter.
Zekrom, meanwhile, was in The Raikage's office, sitting at The Raikage's desk, bored, annoyed and swamped by all the paperwork he's doing, he's done and the paperwork he's going to do.
'At this rate, twenty-five years will have passed once I've done this paperwork.' Zekrom thought.
Mabui, who was standing to Zekrom's left, asked, "Want me to help you, Sir?" "No. I can do this on my own just fine." Zekrom answered. He then saw a Hidden Cloud Shinobi add more to the pile.
"Ah, who am I kiddin'? I've never been good at this part of bein' The Raikage. Alright. You can help." Zekrom said. "Yes, Sir." Mabui acknowledged. The Shinobi then turned around, and walked out of the room. 'And that guy can go to Hell for givin' me more paperwork.' Zekrom thought.
A little while later, a Shinobi from the Cipher Corps ran into The Raikage's office, stopped to catch his breath, and then walked up to The Raikage's desk.
"What is it?" Zekrom asked. "A letter, M'Lord. It's from Emiko." The Cipher Corps Shinobi answered. "Gimme that!" Zekrom snapped. Zekrom took the letter, and then read it. Mabui read it from over his beefy shoulder.
"It seems like she's found Lord Bee." Mabui said. "Drats!" Zekrom shouted. "What is it, Lord Raikage?" Mabui asked. "I didn't even know that he was missing-OR THAT HE WAS TAKEN BY THE AKATSUKI! WHY HASN'T ANYONE NOTIFIED ME?!" Zekrom yelled. "Calm down, Sir. You're scaring the Shinobi in front of you." Mabui told him. "I DON'T CARE! SOMEONE'S TAKEN MY BROTHER!" Zekrom then yelled. Zekrom has serious and obvious anger management issues.
"I understand, Sir, but you're the village's leader. How will that reflect on the ninjas and the villagers who respect you?" Mabui asked. Zekrom grumbled. "Don't be so ignorant. They tolerate me, at best." He humbly said. "There we go. You've finally calmed down." Mabui said.
Zekrom took a deep breath. "Good work." He commended. "Thank you, Lord Fourth. What will your response be?" The Cipher Corps Shinobi asked. "Before I submit a response, I must see why no one's told me why Killer Bee's gone." Zekrom answered while standing up. "Why, Lord Fourth?" Mabui asked. "Because if someone's managed to take down and capture Killer Bee, that means that they're already Kage-level when it comes to pure, raw power and strength. If they can beat him, they can beat me." Zekrom answered.
Four Hours Later...At Killer Bee's Secret Training Facility Somewhere In The Land Of Lightning...
Zekrom and Mabui arrive, along with three masked members of the Lion Guard. They looked around, seeing dead bodies of Hidden Cloud ninjas strewn all over the place. "...well, that explains it." Zekrom remarked. "It does, Sir." Mabui replied. "Mabui, what do we know about the Akatsuki?" Zekrom asked. "From all the intel Master Kitsune and our own spies have gathered, the Akatsuki wear black robes with red clouds on them and they wear straw hats to hide their faces. Their only known members are Deidara of the Hidden Stone Village, Sasori of the Red Sand, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki." Mabui answered. "All of whom are listed in the Bingo Book. Orochimaru was a member of the group for a short time, but he left for unknown reasons." "Maybe because their goals don't align with each other. Orochimaru is a mad scientist who uses Forbidden Jutsu and performs torturous experiments on Humans. The Akatsuki are a group of terrorists who go around, hunting and kidnapping Jinchuriki for unknown reasons." Zekrom theorized. "That is the working theory, yes." Mabui replied. "Lion Guard, spread out. Investigate the area." Zekrom ordered. "Yes Sir!" All three Lion Guard members shouted. They then scattered while Zekrom and Mabui just stood and waited.
Fifteen minutes later, one masked Lion Guard member returned with two pieces of evidence that were shown to Zekrom.
"Sir, we've confirmed that a fight between one Akatsuki member and Lord Bee took place here. We also found these. One is a little spider made of white clay and the other is a torn piece of the Akatsuki's robe." The masked Lion Guard member reported. "Mabui...?" Zekrom asks. "Sir, from the intel our spies got from the Hidden Stone Village, only Deidara is capable of making 'art' from explosive clay." Mabui answered. "S-Should I throw the little white spider away, then, Sir?" The Lion Guard member asks, clearly scared for his life. "I don't think so. It looks inactive but if it makes you feel any better, do it." Zekrom advised. The Lion Guard member turned left, and threw the little clay spider away. He then turned back around to face Zekrom.
"Good work. Call your men back, and have someone put the torn piece of robe in the evidence room." Zekrom ordered. The Lion Guard member nodded, and then called his men back. The two other Lion Guard members returned, and sped away.
Zekrom and Mabui turned around, and started making their way back to the Hidden Cloud Village.
Five hours later, Zekrom and Mabui have returned to The Raikage's office, and now, Zekrom's writing his response letter to Emiko. 'I hate writin' letters.' Zekrom thought. He only hates it because he has big hands.
Once he was done writing, he gave the letter to Mabui, and said, "Have this sent to Emiko through the usual channels." "Yes, Lord Fourth." Mabui acknowledged.
She then read the letter. "You're going on this mission, too?" Mabui asked. Zekrom stood up. "I have no choice. This is my Brother, we're talkin' 'bout. And for The Hokage's sake, I hope she hasn't sent some wimps to deal with the Akatsuki." Zekrom answered. He then walked around his desk, and walked out of the room.
"Are you kiddin' me?" Sasuke asked. "The Hell is The Hokage thinking?!"
Sasuke is now at the former Team 7's original meeting place with Izumi and Shikamaru. Coming with them is a Genin squad that has recently been assembled. They're called Team 13. And they're being led by...
"Asami-Sensei?!" Izumi-Sensei shouted. "Hello, Izumi." The fellow Hidden Leaf Kunoichi replied. "Wait, what?" Sasuke asked. "Sasuke, this is my old Sensei, Asami Kujo. I was originally on her team back before you guys were in the Academy." Izumi-Sensei answered. "And who are these young men?" Asami asked. "Well, Asami-Sensei, this is Sasuke Uchiha, my former student who became a Chunin not too long ago and that's Shikamaru Nara, another Genin who just recently became a Chunin." Izumi-Sensei answered. "I see." Asami replied. Both Sasuke and Shikamaru were both wearing their Chunin flak jackets over their regular outfits. "Nice glasses." Shikamaru said. "Thanks." Asami also replied. "Now, can you see without 'em on? They could get broken in combat, y'know." Shikamaru said. Izumi-Sensei chuckled. "No worries. Asami-Sensei has a compartment on her flak jacket where she keeps a lot of pairs of glasses so when one does break, she can just hide, and put on another." She explained. "Wait...what do you mean by 'former student', Izumi-Sensei?" Sasuke then asked. "Perhaps I didn't warn you about this before the Exams, but when a Genin gets promoted to a Chunin, they don't have to be on a Genin squad to take missions anymore. Officially speaking, our teacher-student relationship has ended, but, of course, I'll still help you out with your training because despite what the paperwork says, I'll always be your Sensei." Izumi-Sensei also explained.
"Okay, but who are the little kids?" Shikamaru asked. "He's right. We haven't been introduced." Izumi-Sensei said.
The first Genin on the left is a boy with messy and spiky dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a blue short-sleeved jacket, a red Hidden Leaf headband that's worn like a tennis visor, a black pair of pants and a black pair of ninja sandals.
The second Genin in the middle is a shy-looking girl with shoulder-length purple hair and brown eyes. She wore a dark blue t-shirt, red pants, a pair of navy blue ninja sandals, and a navy blue Hidden Leaf headband, which was on her forehead. The single most odd thing about this girl is that she looks a lot like Yugao. She was also equipped with a small sheathed sword, which was strapped to her back.
The third Genin on the right is a short carefree-looking girl with long and straight pink and lime green hair and pink eyes. She was wearing a pink sleeveless top underneath a black hoodie which she wore openly and very loosely, blue denim shorts, a pair of pink ninja sandals and a pink Hidden Leaf headband on her forehead. She also had a little ponytail near the top of her head.
"Right...well, the one on the left is Takeshi Shinoda, the one in the middle is Sora Uzuki, and the one on the right is Nezuko Shimura. Say hello, you three." Asami told them.
"Hiya! The name's Takeshi! And I'm gonna be the best Shinobi in the world!" The boy shouted. "H-Hi." The shy girl said. "Wassup." The laidback pink-haired girl said.
"They're all kids who've just become Genin." Asami told Shikamaru, Sasuke and Izumi-Sensei.
Upon hearing the third Genin's last name, Sasuke was so angry that he thought about killing her. But taking just one good look at her had Sasuke blushing at the same time. 'What is this feeling?' Sasuke thought. 'Am I supposed to be feeling this way?'
"You're all rookies, and this is the mission the higher-ups give you?" Shikamaru asked. "I was just about to ask the same thing." Sasuke said. "Need I remind you we're in the middle of a war, here, guys?" Izumi-Sensei asked in reply. "The Hokage can't get anyone else at the moment." "So we're stuck with three Genin...great." Sasuke remarked.
"What is this mission, anyway?" Asami asked Izumi-Sensei. "Alright, everyone, listen up. The higher-ups got intel on the location of The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, who is a Shinobi from the Hidden Cloud Village named Killer Bee. He was captured by the Akatsuki sometime before the war, and we think we know where they might be keeping him." Izumi-Sensei answered. "The Akatsuki? Who are they?" Shikamaru asked. "A very dangerous organization whose members are all very powerful rogue ninjas. Not much is known about them, but what is known is that they're after The Jinchuriki. We don't know why they're after The Jinchuriki, but we know it can't be good. Our mission is to investigate any one of the Akatsuki's three holdouts in the Land of Rivers in search of Bee." Izumi-Sensei explained. "Our first step, though, is to meet with the Anbu spies at the village's gates before setting off on our mission. Those spies were sent ahead of us by The Hokage to scope out the situation there. We're meeting with them to get more intel about the situation. Furthermore, we might be getting back-up from the Hidden Cloud at some later point during the mission." "Why aren't we going after Naruto instead?" Shikamaru then asked. "The Hokage, as well as The Mizukage and The Raikage, already have people working on that. We're rescuing Bee instead because we want to maintain our good relations with the Hidden Cloud. Bee is The Raikage's Brother, after all. Besides, if we fail to do this and the Hidden Cloud actually gets Naruto, the Hidden Cloud might decide to keep Naruto for themselves and break the deal Lady Fifth made with The Mizukage and The Raikage immediately after the war started." Izumi-Sensei explained.
"Got it." Shikamaru acknowledged.
Sasuke looked at Shikamaru, and thought, 'He's probably thinkin', "what a drag".'
"What a drag. All this nonsense is boring to me." Nezuko said. "Well, at least somebody said it." Shikamaru muttered. "I'll be your squad captain for this mission so you'll do what I say when I say. Understand? Good. Get ready for a Hell of a long road trip." Izumi-Sensei said. "We meet with those spies in half an hour." "Right!" Everyone else shouted.
Nezuko and her teammates later followed Asami-Sensei to the village gates, where Captain Izumi and the two other guys were waiting. 'So...Asami-Sensei had other students before us three? That's new info.' Nezuko thought.
As soon as Team 13 arrived at the village gates, three masked ninjas dressed in gray armor and equipped with swords on their backs appeared-seemingly out of thin air. 'Cool.' Nezuko thought while smiling. Asami-Sensei stopped, turned towards Nezuko, Sora and Takeshi, and said, "You three, stay here." "Aww, man! Why?" Takeshi asked. "Because the Anbu does not like rookie Genin hearing sensitive information." Asami-Sensei answered. Takeshi pouted. "Don't worry, Takeshi. I might just tell you later." Asami-Sensei told him. She then turned back around, and walked towards the Anbu, Captain Izumi, and the two Chunin. Something told Nezuko that what Asami-Sensei said was a lie, but she's not going to knock her for it. 'Besides, Takeshi is an idiot, a loser and a blabber
-mouth.' Nezuko thought. It's true. Takeshi couldn't lie to anyone to save his life.
Nezuko remembers the numerous times when Takeshi pulled some big prank or something and someone like, say, Iruka-Sensei would ask something like, "Alright, now, who did this?" And when they suspected that it was Takeshi, the kid would go, "I didn't do it! I swear!" But everyone knows he's lying. Takeshi was infamous for playing pranks on people, and giving bad lies when someone suspects him of pulling the prank. This gets especially annoying when the kid had at least three students who saw him doing it.
Sora, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She's never lied or pulled a prank before, but she was at the top of the class when it came to everything while Takeshi lagged behind everyone else, only being good at Ninjutsu. 'I can't understand how she made it through the Academy, though, considering how shy and meek she is.' Nezuko thought. 'Then again, since I was rated second-best next to her, and people know me as someone who's quite a lazy person, I'm not in that much of a position to argue.'
"Hey, guys, which ones are the Anbu?" Takeshi whispered. "The-The masked ninjas." Sora answered. "And how would you know that?" Takeshi then asked. "You know she can't answer that, idiot. The Anbu aren't supposed to reveal their true identities to anyone. They are spies that take on the most top-secret missions and they protect The Hokage on the rare occasions when they go out on missions or protect anyone else who The Hokage thinks needs that kind of protection." Nezuko answered. "They are the ultimate spies. Even their secrets have secrets." "Oh wow. You know a Hell of a lot, Nezuko." Takeshi commented. "That's because unlike you, I actually paid attention in class." Nezuko replied. "How, though? You were always so lazy and complained about everything." Takeshi said. "The fact that I know what a drag everything is doesn't mean I don't know shit about anything else the teachers bothered to teach us, you dingus! I'd just rather not do any worksheets or anything else about the things I learned because it's a total drag." Nezuko told him.
Unbeknownst to the three Genin, Asami-Sensei was now done talking to the Anbu and the Anbu have disappeared by now. They didn't notice her presence until Asami-Sensei replied to Nezuko by saying, "They have you do all those worksheets and essays and take notes so that you memorize everything that's being taught."
The three rookies were startled. "Asami-Sensei!" Takeshi and Sora shouted. "Yeah, I know that. So what? Still doesn't change the fact that it's a total drag." Nezuko said. "...right. Now that that's finished, I want you three to follow me the rest of the way. We're ready to leave the Hidden Leaf Village." Asami-Sensei told them. "Yes Sir!" Both Takeshi and Sora shouted. "Great..." Nezuko sarcastically says while rolling her eyes. "C'mon." Asami-Sensei said.
Asami-Sensei turned around, and the three Genin of Team 13 followed their Sensei to Captain Izumi and the two Chunin.
"Alright, you three, listen up. The Anbu have told us that they have more specific locations for where the enemy is keeping The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki...now, I know this may be hard for you to hear, but it's necessary that you hear it. Some of you might die. That being said, Asami-Sensei and I will do our best to protect you, and so will Sasuke and Shikamaru. But we can only do so much. Which is why I'm warning you to be careful. Anything can happen out there so you must protect your comrades as best as you can, as well because someone very wise and knowledgeable-other than Asami-Sensei, of course-told me that those who break the Shinobi Rules are scum, that's true. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum." Captain Izumi told them. "Now, who could've told you that?" Asami-Sensei asked. "I'll tell you later. For now, we set off for the Land of Rivers." Captain Izumi ordered.
"Yes Sir!" All three Genin shouted. Captain Izumi and Asami-Sensei turned around, and the seven of them ran outside the village gates, and then, thirty meters away from the Hidden Leaf Village's gates, they turned left, and jumped into the forest to jump from tree branch to tree branch.
A few minutes later, Asami-Sensei said, "I want you three to prepare yourselves for enemy contact. There might be enemies aside from the Akatsuki out there. As you may know, fighting between each hidden village's ninjas is happening all over-especially in the Land of Fire." "Same goes for you Sasuke, Shikamaru." Captain Izumi added. "There is a war going on, after all." "Right!" The Chunin and Genin shouted.
Sasuke went over to Nezuko, and asked, "So you're a Shimura, eh?" "Yeah. Why should that matter?" Nezuko asked in reply. "No-No reason." Sasuke stuttered while blushing. "Yeah? Well, keep dreamin' on, boy, because I think you just asked me about my clan to make fun of me because Danzo is my Grandfather so I don't think I'll be talking to you anymore." Nezuko told him. Nezuko then went ahead of him. "Smooth." Shikamaru sarcastically commented before chuckling. Sasuke didn't respond.
Meanwhile, three days have passed since Naruto had heard news of Old Man Hokage's death. Now, Kitsune-Sensei is The Hokage, but that doesn't matter right now because he can't be in the village to celebrate Kitsune-Sensei's ascension to Hokage. So now, he's sitting on his uncomfortable bed in his jail cell in the boiler room of the Hidden Sand's Anbu's HeadQuarters, thinking of how best to mentally process the situation or of how to move forward. Aside from The Fourth Hokage, Old Man Hokage was the one who motivated him to aspire to be The Hokage. Without that, his life wouldn't have purpose. He wouldn't even have meaning, either. Maybe he'd end up like Mori if it weren't for Old Man Hokage.
He remembered all of what Mori told him and Shikamaru on the day she tried to kill Rock Lee in the Hidden Leaf Hospital. She said that she had a monster sealed inside of her and that she didn't have a purpose for her own life since everyone in her village left her alone and treated her like she wasn't worth anything to anyone not because of Mori, herself, but because of The One Tail having been sealed inside her. According to what Naruto had heard from the guards, Mori can't even comprehend what love is. She was left without a purpose. So she made one for herself: kill everyone on Earth until she, alone, is left standing. He remembers feeling the same way as she did since he had no parents and no one else to love or care for him. But then, Old Man Hokage came into his life. And then Iruka
-Sensei. And then Izumi-Sensei. And then Sasuke. And then he met Shikamaru, Kiba and Choji. And finally, Kitsune-Sensei.
'But we were all fooled by Yuki and her charms. I thought she cared about me, too, until I learned the real reason for why she was so weirdly affectionate towards me-she wanted the monster inside me, not me.' Naruto thought.
"Tough shit, isn't it?" A recognizable female voice asked. Naruto pulled himself out of his thoughts to look up, and see Yuki leaning against a wall...inside his cell...next to the cell's door, though. She was now wearing a Hidden Sand headband with the same kind of headwear some Hidden Sand ninjas wear and wearing a Chunin uniform that's exactly like Iruka-Sensei's except Yuki's Chunin flak jacket was brown instead of green.
"Being a Jinchuriki." She then said.
Naruto stood up, and angrily walked towards her. He then put his left hand on her throat. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now." Naruto threatened. "Hmm...well, we never did take your tag off, did we? Well...I suppose that was by design." Yuki told him. She then held up one hand sign, and Naruto got chest pain so intense that he took his hand away from Yuki's throat, and stumbled back to his uncomfortable bed.
"How are you allowed to even be here?" Naruto asked, looking at her with hate in his eyes. "Let me put it in simple terms: I am your master, and you are my slave. Also, because I am a member of the Anbu, I have more sway here than I do anywhere else in the village." Yuki answered. "Is that why you're here, then? To gloat over the fact that you have control over me?" Naruto then asked. "Did you even get your promised pay raise?"
Yuki chuckled. "Yes, I did get my pay raise. Although, I have some sad, sad news." She answered. "What is it?" Naruto asked. "It seems that The Fourth Kazekage has been killed! It seems we've been fooled and ruled by Orochimaru this entire time. In fact, The Kazekage has been dead for so long, the bugs have already gotten to his body even though he ain't even buried yet." Yuki answered. "So? What's the big deal about that? The Hidden Leaf has a New Hokage. Why can't you get a New Kazekage?" Naruto then asked. "I'm afraid you're lacking behind a bit which is perfectly understandable, seeing as you're an outsider to our lands, but that means that I'll have to explain it to you. Which I don't mind do
-ing...for a price." Yuki said. "What price?" Naruto questioned. Yuki held up one hand sign again, and Naruto writhed in pain while his chest started hurting more and more and more and more all the while Yuki was laughing.
She then finally answered with, "Your pain."
After that, Naruto's chest stopped hurting and Yuki put her hand down.
"Anyway, The Kazekage isn't a position which just anyone who's strong and is capable of protecting the village can take like the position of The Hokage, no, the position is purely hereditary, meaning that it's passed down from one family member to another. The Fourth Kazekage, for example, was Mori's Father. This means that Mori, Temari and Kankuro are all eligible for the position of Kazekage since they are all siblings which means The Fourth Kazekage is Temari and Kankuro's Father, too, but, but, none of them are strong enough, old enough or experienced enough to rule an entire village. So none of them can be chosen and then appointed just yet. But, given time, that will change. So who leads the village in The Kazekage's place? The Jonin Council. The Jonin Council has always had more power than The Kazekage, to be honest, but regardless, that is what makes them able to rule the joint in The Kazekage's place. So, I guess one can say that the village's leader is now none other than the Jonin Council's leader, who is called The Jonin Commander. And her name is Chizuru. Coincidentally, she is also the one who sabotaged the Five-Kage Summit and her bodyguards are the ones who killed The Third Hokage. Then again, it was the Hidden Stone's dastardly little idea, but we wanted in on that action because we want our war. And now, we have it." Yuki explained. "That doesn't explain why you're here." Naruto replied. "No, it doesn't, does it?" Yuki also replied. She then held up one hand sign once more, and Naruto's chest pain came right back for three minutes. Naruto writhed again all the while Yuki laughed at his suffering.
After that three minutes was up, Yuki put her hand down again. 'So she thinks my pain is funny?' Naruto thought. "Anyway, I'm here to provide you with an offer. An offer that was made to me many years ago: Join the Hidden Sand and forsake the Hidden Leaf or continue to rot down here. I've heard that no one's survived in this cell, specifically, for more than a month purely because of the heat." Yuki told him. 'Finally, an answer.' Naruto thought.
"I'd rather go through Hell than join you-if this place is turning out depraved and evil people like you!" Naruto shouted. "Now, that's a shame. Though, I suppose I could tack on a few more consequences: I'll tell the guards to give you two meals instead of three, and then, from now on, I'll come by once a day to activate your tag, and give you some entertaining amount of pain." Yuki said. Naruto didn't respond with anything but an angry glare. Yuki then got up, and walked towards the door.
"Oh...and just so you know, just so that you remember from this point forward, that tag I put on you...it's on your heart. Which means that, if I activate it for long enough, there's a very, very high chance that your heart will give out and you will die. They don't call it the Forbidden Individual Curse Tag for nothing, y'know." Yuki warned before she left the cell.
Meanwhile...
Kasumi, who turned herself invisible using a Genjutsu known as the Invisibility Jutsu, watched as Yuki walked out of Naruto's cell, closed the cell's door, and then locked the cell's door before walking away. Earlier, Kasumi had used the Transformation Jutsu to get into the Anbu's HQ, and then, after learning that only a few Anbu members are allowed to even walk to Naruto cell's door, Kasumi changed tactics, and casted the Invisibility Jutsu to sneak down there while Yuki is also walking down there.
And now, Kasumi's in a position where she can talk to Naruto because she's not done gaining intel for Itachi just yet. She looked around in case anyone else was coming, and then, she undid the Invisibility Jutsu, and walked up to Naruto's cell's door. "Uh...Naruto..." Kasumi calls. Naruto looks at her with anger in his eyes. "What are you here for? Come to get me to join you guys like Yuki did just now? Well, you can forget it!" Naruto shouted. "No, I-" "Then get out. You have no reason to even be here." Naruto said, interrupting Kasumi. He then looked like he had just realized something. "How do you know my name?" "Everyone knows it since you're this war's true objective." Kasumi answered. "Wrong. Everyone just calls me 'The Jinchuriki' because that's the only name they know me by." Naruto told her. "So, again: how do you know my name-my...actual name?"
'Poor Naruto...' Kasumi thought. 'He probably doesn't even realize...'
"I know because a...a mutual friend of ours told me." Kasumi answered. "A friend?" Naruto asked. "Yeah. I can't tell you their name because someone might be listening to us, but regardless, I'm not here to hurt you or to be mean to you. I'm not even evil like Yuki or Chizuru." Kasumi answered. "Then what do you want?" Naruto then asked. "That friend I mentioned and I are working on freeing you, but before we do that, I need a little more information. Why did you talk to Yuki like you knew her? Who is she to you? I mean, I get that she was the one who put that tag on your heart, but...how did she do it?" Kasumi asked in reply. Naruto's expression changed from angry to sad. He sighed.
"She started out as my teammate. She, Sasuke and I were put on the same Genin team with Izumi-Sensei as our Jonin Leader. We had some fun times...
and even helped each other through some of the rougher times. There were little dumb D-Rank missions where we had to do boring things like paint a villager's fence or some of the bigger, tougher missions like when our team took down Zabuza and saved the Land of Waves. And despite all the times when she confused the Hell outta me and creeped me out because I didn't know whether she wanted to kill me or kiss me, I still thought I could trust her. Especially when I confronted her about the creepy advances that told me she loved me even though I didn't reciprocate those feelings and I told her to stop and she said yes. But then...one night, she broke into my house, forced me onto my bed, and fucked me before putting me to sleep somehow. I thought it was just a dream because my stupid unwavering optimism didn't want me to actually believe that she could do something as depraved as fucking her own teammate without their consent. After that night, I felt chest pain any time I talked about certain things about her. I didn't think it was her because I honestly didn't know. And then the invasion happened. Yuki all of the sudden used this tag thing to control when I can or cannot use my Jinchuriki powers and we tried fighting against Sasuke and the Final Exam's proctor alongside Mori and her siblings and another Jonin from the Hidden Sand Village. Then, Izumi-Sensei came, and protected Sasuke. I wanted to, too, but Yuki's tag prevented me from doing that. It was then that Yuki revealed everything to us. She was a spy for the Hidden Sand, sent to the Hidden Leaf Village to search for The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and steal them when the time was right. I was unlucky enough to be The Jinchuriki she was looking for and the entire Hidden Leaf Village was unlucky enough that the Hidden Sand decided that the Final Exam was the right time to steal me away. And now, after we fought Sasuke and Izumi-Sensei while the invasion was going on and after Yuki revealed some things about the Uchiha Clan that even I didn't know, I'm here, being told to either endure imprisonment and torture, or join the Hidden Sand and forsake the Hidden Leaf. Most likely because they've abandoned me. That was the same thing she did, after all. Considering that her clan, the Nohara Clan, wanted revenge for the death of some Hidden Leaf Kunoichi named Rin, who was a Nohara and Yuki wanted to take revenge on the Hidden Leaf for abandoning her." Naruto explained.
"I think the fact that a war's been started over you says that they haven't abandoned you. Also, unlike you, Yuki's not a Jinchuriki." Kasumi said. "Then why aren't they here right now?" Naruto asked. "Because rescues take time, Naruto." Kasumi answered. "If that's true, then this heat's going to kill me before anyone can get to me." Naruto said. "Why is that?" Kasumi asked as though she didn't hear Yuki explain that earlier. "Because Yuki said that no one's survived in this cell for more than a month. Again, presumably due to the heat. Also, she said that if she activates this tag on my heart for long enough, I might very well die. So you're looking at a deadman, for all I know." Naruto answered. 'I'm lucky that he didn't ask how I know about the tag.' Kasumi thought.
"I think you're being too negative. If there's a likely chance that you'll die in here, there's also a chance that you'll be rescued, too." Kasumi told him. "The last time I was positive like that, I wound up imprisoned in a boiler room in the Hidden Sand Village." Naruto argued. "I'm not telling you to have unrealistic expectations, of course. I'm just telling you to be patient and see which way the wind blows." Kasumi clarified. "Oh." Naruto said. Kasumi chuckled because of how silly Naruto was being. "I'm Kasumi, by the way." She told him. "The name's Naruto. But you already knew that." Naruto replied. "I'll see you around sometime." Kasumi told him. "Wait!" Naruto shouted. "What is it?" Kasumi asked. "I just want to ask you one thing...why are you helping me?" Naruto asked in reply. "Well...like I said, I'm not as bad as Yuki or our Jonin Commander. Also...I have a little Sister. She's going to be placed on a Genin squad soon. And I don't want her to be involved in this war. She could die because of the war or become jaded by the concept of war, in and of itself, like some ninjas I know. I'd rather she do some of those dumb and boring D-Rank missions you mentioned than see her be blown up by an explosive tag because unlike some in the Ninja World, I know in my heart of hearts that despite being a Genin, she's still just a child...like you are. Like Mori and her siblings. And if I had my way, I'd have Academy Students wait until they're eighteen years old to be Genin. But...as it is now...if there's anything I can do to end this war, I'd do it. And right now, that means freeing you, and handing you over to the Hidden Leaf before my superiors even know you're gone." Kasumi explained. Kasumi saw the look of surprise on Naruto's young face.
"As I said, I'll see you around." Kasumi said. She then casted the Invisibility Jutsu once again, turned to her left, and walked away.
Later...
Using the Teleportation Jutsu, Kasumi appeared in a random alleyway in the Hidden Sand Village. "Itachi!" Kasumi hissed. Nobody came. "Hey! Are you here?" Kasumi hissed once again. Itachi then appeared from the shadows.
"I apologize for the delay. I had to make sure there was no one around. What do you have for me?" Itachi asked. "A problem. A pretty big one." Kasumi answered. "Enlighten me." Itachi told her. "Yuki, one of our Anbu members, was planted as a spy within the Hidden Leaf Village a long time ago, and placed onto the same Genin squad as Naruto. I'm guessing she found out he was The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki early on into her time as Naruto's teammate because at some point between the Mission to the Land of Waves-presumably-Yuki broke into his house, and raped him all so she could place a Forbidden Individual Curse Tag on his heart. He said he went to sleep sometime afterwards so he thought he was dreaming at that time and then, he started getting infrequent chest aches, presumably due to her activating and deactivating the tag." Kasumi explained. "And how have you learned of this?" Itachi then asked. "I spied on a conversation Yuki had with Naruto in his cell and I also talked to Naruto, myself." Kasumi answered. "That was risky." Itachi remarked. "I know, but I had to get the information we needed and I wanted to be sure of a few things." Kasumi replied. "Naruto said she could use the tag to control his Jinchuriki abilities." "Then it seems that the Sharingan and the Wood Style aren't the only ways to control a Tailed Beast." Itachi also remarked. "And you're right. This does present a problem." "So how do we free Naruto? Yuki could force him not to come with me if I'm caught." Kasumi said.
Their original plan was to, when the time was right, sneak into the Hidden Sand's Anbu HeadQuarters, break Naruto out, and get out of the Hidden Sand Village. They originally thought that this plan's only problem was that it'd be possible that Naruto would have learned about the Akatsuki and Itachi's affiliation with them which was solved by having only Kasumi sneak in there, and break him out while Itachi follows from the shadows. But Itachi hadn't factored the tag into his plans. But, of course...
"Every Jutsu has it's weakness and Yuki must've cast a Jutsu to place that tag on Naruto's heart. So the obvious answer to our problem is to kill the Jutsu's caster so when you break him out, the Hidden Sand will no longer have control of his actions." Itachi said.
Kasumi knows and has told Itachi that Yuki put the tag on Naruto's heart and she also knows that, if Yuki fooled the Hidden Leaf into thinking that she's a Genin, then it's likely that Yuki is close to Naruto in age. And that means she has to kill a child. But if it's for Naruto's freedom and an end to this war, then she'll kill Yuki, even if it will make her feel like she should go to Hell for it. "Agreed." Kasumi replied. "But what do we do on the small chance that they catch us before we even get to Naruto?"
Itachi looked like he was thinking about it, and then, he walked up to Kasumi, and whispered something in her ear.
Izumi's team has finally arrived at the Land of Rivers. The team checked the first one, which was at the far left end of one river, but nothing was found (Izumi and Sasuke used their Sharingan to check) and then they checked the third one, which was on the far right end of the river.
Now, they're checking the second one, which was at the halfway point between the first one and the third one. "What do you see?" Asami-Sensei asked. "I definitely see three chakra signatures, one of which is behind a prison." Izumi answered. "So that's Bee." Shikamaru said. "Who are the two other chakra signatures?" Takeshi asked. "I can't tell." Izumi answered. "Neither can I." Sasuke also answered. "Why not?" Takeshi then asked. "Because a Sharingan doesn't exactly work like a Byakugan, dumbass. They can see chakra signatures, but it might as well be like seeing only half of the puzzle pieces to a whole picture. But a Byakugan user could probably see the full picture without any missing puzzle pieces, as I said before." Nezuko answered. "Oh yeah? How would you know?" Takeshi questioned. "I had a friend who possessed the Byakugan back in the Academy. She was a Hyuga, like the other Byakugan users." Nezuko answered. 'She may have been out of line when she called him a "dumbass", but she's right. If we had a Hyuga with us, I bet we'd get a clearer picture.' Izumi thought. Takeshi pouted in response.
'How honestly childish...' Izumi thought.
"Regardless, the fact is that he's there. But there's a problem." Sasuke said. "I see it too." Izumi added. "What problem?" Asami-Sensei asked. "There's a seal on a boulder that's blocking the entryway." Sasuke answered. "A tag, to be more specific." Izumi also added. "Then let's just rip it off, and be done with it." Shikamaru said. "But doing that will trigger a Genjutsu that will make copies of ourselves appear and fight us without holding back." Izumi told him. "Then what do we do?" Takeshi asked. Both Izumi and Sasuke deactivate their Sharingan. "I don't know." Izumi answered.
"Then it's a good thing that we've arrived in time for us to rescue my Brother together." A burly male voice said from behind Izumi's team. Izumi's team all turn around, and see a big muscular dark-skinned man with short blonde hair, a blonde mustache, a blonde goatee and black eyes who was dressed in only a big black pair of pants held up by a golden belt, a white pair of ninja sandals and a large white haori (which seems like it was made to fit his large body) without any shirt underneath was heading towards Izumi's team along with three other Hidden Cloud ninjas and also...'Emiko? What the fuck?' Izumi thought.
"Great. So you're the team from the Hidden Cloud Village. What a drag." Shikamaru remarked. "Excuse me?" The big muscular man asked. "Excuse their ignorance, Lord Fourth, they might not know who you are. They're from the Hidden Leaf Village, after all...they might not have seen your face before." Said a tall Hidden Cloud Kunoichi who had light skin, shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes who was dressed in a very low-cut outfit (which showed her sizeable cleavage) with mesh armor underneath, a short skirt, red arm guards, high black ninja boots and a modified version of a Hidden Cloud flak jacket which appears to only cover her stomach. The blonde Kunoichi also seemed to be carrying some form of a shortsword that was sheathed and had a red handle and was also strapped horizontally to her waist. Hidden Cloud ninjas are known for their swords so this didn't surprise Izumi. Nor does Takeshi's blushing at the stoic blue-eyed Kunoichi. He turned away, presumably not wanting to embarrass himself by staring at her. What did surprise Izumi, however, was that Shikamaru didn't have any reaction to the blonde Kunoichi, but Nezuko did. Nezuko also turned away, presumably for the same reason Takeshi did. Then again, Nezuko did have the same reaction towards Sasuke while they were on the way here so Izumi's conclusion is that Nezuko might be bisexual.
"Oh. Right." The beefy dark-skinned man said. He then cleared his throat. "I am Zekrom, although you may address me as 'Lord Fourth', 'Lord Fourth Raikage' or 'Lord Raikage' because I'm...The Raikage." 'Why does he look embarrassed to introduce himself like that?' Izumi thought. Still, it came as a shock that The Raikage, of all people, would be on the back-up team provided by the Hidden Cloud Village. Surprisingly, though, Sasuke had no reaction. Takeshi and Nezuko turned around with shocked looks on their faces. "Did...Did I hear that right?" Takeshi asked. "Yes. I'm The Fourth Raikage." Lord Fourth answered. Of course, unlike everyone else, Izumi picked up on the obvious clues that could only lead one to conclude that he is The Raikage, from mentioning Bee as his Brother to that blonde Kunoichi calling him Lord Fourth.
"I see. I believe introductions for everyone else are in order. Since we were here first, I think my team will introduce themselves first. I'm Izumi Uchiha. This is my former Sensei, Asami Kujo." Izumi said.
"And these are my new Genin subordinates: Sora Uzuki, Takeshi Shinoda and Nezuko Shimura." Asami-Sensei said.
"I'm Shikamaru Nara." Shikamaru said.
"And I'm Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke said.
"Alright. Your turn." Izumi said.
"The blonde Kunoichi next to me is Samui. Those are her former subordinates: Omoi and Karui-both of whom became Chunin not too long ago. And the last one's Emiko, my most trusted spy-I'd prefer it if you don't mention her in your mission report." Lord Fourth told everyone.
Omoi, the Hidden Cloud Shinobi that Lord Fourth introduced, had dark skin, black eyes as well as short and spiky white hair. He had a black Hidden Cloud head
-band on his forehead, wore a gray overlong shirt with a hood, a white Hidden Cloud flak jacket, red bandage hand guards, white Hidden Cloud shin guards and a pair of black ninja sandals. He also had a sheathed longsword with a white handle strapped to his back.
Karui, the Chunin who Lord Fourth introduced to Izumi's team, had dark skin, amber-colored eyes, and had long and spiky red hair. She wore a long, short
-sleeved dress with frilly edges complete with a white Hidden Cloud flak jacket, fishnet stockings, thigh-high black ninja boots and she wore her white Hidden Cloud headband like a bandana. Like Omoi, she also has a sheathed longsword with a white handle strapped to her back.
Emiko looked the same as she did when she did when she first met Izumi, Sasuke, Yuki and Naruto. She even had the same Hidden Cloud outfit on. Though, unlike Samui, Omoi and Karui and like Lord Fourth Raikage, Emiko had no sword of any kind or any length.
Izumi, happy to see Emiko again, ran right over to her. "Emiko!" Izumi shouted joyously. "Izumi!" Emiko shouted with the same amount of joy in her tone of voice. The two of them quickly hugged each other, and then Izumi said, "Nice to see you again." "Likewise." Emiko replied. "You two know each other?" Samui asked. "Yeah...I was about to ask the same question." Asami-Sensei said. "Uh...she was the Hidden Cloud Kunoichi who helped my team capture a criminal a while back." Izumi answered. "Yeah! Her team was the one I told you about, Lord Fourth." Emiko added.
"Interesting..." Samui says. "So you're the leader of the famous Team 7?" Lord Fourth asked Izumi. "Uh...yeah. But, obviously, Sasuke and I are the only remnants of Team 7 after...the invasion..." Izumi answers, saddened by the topic of the recent invasion of the Hidden Leaf Village. "So you're the one who lost The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." Lord Fourth concluded. Sasuke scoffed. "We were fooled. So what? The fact is, we have bigger things to worry about." He said. "What was that, boy?" Lord Fourth asked threateningly. "He's out of line, Lord Fourth, but he's right. We've got an Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki to free from the Akatsuki..." Shikamaru says. "And who put him in charge?" Lord Fourth then asked. "No one. In fact, I'm the captain of this team, but a colleague of mine named Asuma said that Shikamaru has quite the strategic mind. Although, I've also heard that he's lazy and he complains about everything from some other people, but, again, he can think himself out of any situation once he puts his mind to it. He could become a very capable strategist, one day." Izumi answered. "He's just trying to keep us focused on the mission."
Lord Fourth grumbled. "I guess the little Nara kid's right." The strong Kage then said.
Izumi's team turned back around, and started looking at the spot where Bee's being held. "So? Where is the Akatsuki holding my Brother?" The Raikage asked. Shikamaru pointed at a boulder. "There. Izumi and Sasuke scoped out the place before you guys arrived. There's a little cave there that, according to Izumi, has three chakra signatures." He answered. "But, as you might've heard, we've also discovered a tag on the boulder that's booby trapped with a Genjutsu." Asami
-Sensei added. "I don't see anythin'." Omoi said. "That's because it's only visible to someone with a Dojutsu like Sasuke and I." Izumi told Omoi. "I thought that would be the case." Samui remarked.
"So...how do we get past that?" Emiko asked. "Well, as Izumi said earlier, if we just rip off that tag, we'd trigger that trap and if we make our entrance in a noisier way, we'd attract attention while triggering the trap at the same time." Shikamaru answered.
"If that's the case, I think I might have the solution. It's noisy, but it'll break that tag before the trap is even triggered." Emiko said. "As much as I'd like to be more discrete, Emiko's option is the more sound one." Lord Fourth Raikage agreed. "You? Discrete? Hmph. Hell must've froze over, Lord Raikage." Karui commented. Lord Raikage is pretty well-known for his unsubtle ways of carrying out missions back before he became The Raikage. "Make a snide comment like that again, and I'll have you clean the washrooms when we get back home." Lord Fourth threatened. Karui gulped. She had a scared look on her face. "Yes Sir. I'll shut my mouth." Karui then said.
"What, exactly, do you plan on doing?" Shikamaru asked. "I can activate my Lightning Armor and then, I can use the Thunderbolt Jutsu to break the boulder and destroy the tag." Emiko answered. "Exactly. But you'll need my help. I'm much stronger than you, don't you forget and the Thunderbolt Jutsu takes up a lot of chakra to use. But, if you and I work together and both activate our Lightning Armor before we both cast the Thunderbolt Jutsu. That way, you don't have to put as much chakra into this little plan of ours." Lord Fourth added. "Alright, then..." Emiko says. "So we-we have our way-way in, but-but what do we d-do after getting in?" Sora asked. Everyone was surprised. "She can talk! I can't believe it..." Omoi jokes. "Still, she does bring up a valid point." Asami-Sensei said. "Shikamaru...?" Izumi asks.
Shikamaru sighs. "What a drag..." He complains. "...alright. As Emiko said, her and The Raikage's method of getting in will attract attention. And the enemies we'll be facing in there will likely be strong-possibly Jonin-level threats. Which means that the Hidden Leaf Genin can't fight them without dying quickly. It'll be a drag, but the plan I've come up with is that Izumi-Sensei, Samui, Asami, Lord Fourth and Emiko will face the enemy while the Genin will run off to free Killer Bee. Sasuke and I will follow the Genin to make sure they follow the plan instead of doing something stupid like fighting the enemy by themselves." "So we're over glorified babysitters. Just great." Sasuke sarcastically commented. "Karui and Omoi, meanwhile, will wait outside and watch our backs to make sure any other enemies don't attack us from behind with reinforcements." Shikamaru continued. "What if they happen to be other enemies instead like Hidden Sand ninjas or Hidden Stone ninjas?" Karui asked. "Same deal. We're already at war with them so we shouldn't have any problems with taking them out." Shikamaru answered. "Although, I don't think it's likely that the enemies we're at war with will show up. So far, it looks like no one else knows that Killer Bee is here." "I certainly didn't." Lord Fourth said. "Which means Shikamaru is right." Samui said.
"Alright, then, but what do we do when we get out?" Emiko asked. "That's a valid question. When my Brother's freed, he'll likely want to fight his captors, too. And we can't put the Hidden Leaf's Genin in more danger than they already are." Lord Fourth also said. "Assuming that you've already defeated the two Akatsuki goons quickly, getting out in the same amount of time should be no problem." Shikamaru answered. "Alright, then. I think this plan's good." Lord Fourth remarked. "Then let's execute it. Lord Fourth, Emiko, you're up first." Izumi ordered. Lord Fourth looked like he's not used to being ordered around, but, amazingly, he doesn't question Izumi's orders. He just walks up to the front of the boulder, as does Emiko, and they both activate their Lightning Armor.
Both Emiko and The Raikage weaved together six hand signs, and then, they shouted, "Lightning-Style: Thunderbolt!" And then, they made fists with both hands, and pointed their fists at the boulder before blue lightning shot from both fists, and completely destroyed the boulder. The boulder's destruction made a very loud noise. Once that was done, both Emiko and The Raikage dispelled the Thunderbolt Jutsu.
Emiko then told Izumi's team and the other Hidden Cloud ninjas that it was safe to come to them. And so, they did. "Alright, team, let's go." Izumi told everyone. Izumi, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Samui, Lord Raikage, Emiko, Asami-Sensei, Takeshi, Sora and Nezuko rushed into the cave while Karui and Omoi stayed outside, watching for enemies.
It didn't take long for them to run into the two Akatsuki goons. All ten of them stopped before the Akatsuki goons.
One of the Akatsuki goons had blue spiky hair that looked like a shark fin, white eyes, blue-gray skin, shark-like gills, sharp teeth and he was equipped with a big blue sword which was strapped to his back. This one is clearly Kisame Hoshigaki from the Hidden Mist Village. The other one was...unknown. Sure, he wore the same black Akatsuki robe with the red cloud design on it, but he also had long black hair that was styled into a very long ponytail, a bang covering one of his uniquely-blue eyes that suggests that he's from the Yamanaka Clan, and on his forehead is a black Hidden Leaf headband with a scratch on it's metal plate that suggests that he's a rogue ninja, same with Kisame's black Hidden Mist headband.
"...funny. I expected to meet Deidara here." Lord Raikage remarked. "And we certainly expected someone from any of the hidden villages-especially the Hidden Cloud-to come 'round, looking for The Jinchuriki, but The Raikage...? Now, I don't even know if I wanna fight." Kisame remarked in reply. "Why would he be here, anyway?" The black-haired Hidden Leaf Akatsuki member asked. "THE EIGHT-TAILS' JINCHURIKI IS MY BROTHER, YOU IDIOTS!" Lord Fourth yelled. The Akatsuki members now looked shocked, as though they genuinely didn't know that.
"Shikamaru, Sasuke, go. Take the kids and follow the plan. Bee should be that way." Izumi told them, pointing to her left.
Kisame unsheathed his sword. "And how would you know that?" The shark-like Akatsuki member asked as Sasuke, Shikamaru and the Hidden Leaf Genin all turned left, and ran off. Izumi looked at Kisame, and said, "Sasuke and I scoped the place out using our Sharingan." "Interesting..." Kisame says.
"Kisame, let me go after those brats!" The black-haired Akatsuki member shouted. Samui stepped forward, and unsheathed her sword. Izumi pulled out a kunai knife, and then, Izumi, along with the others, prepared to fight.
"It looks like we won't get the chance. These guys are...powerful. Samehada can smell it." Kisame told his partner.
"Where's Itachi? He's usually by your side, right?" Izumi asked. "Unfortunately, Itachi has decided to hide away with the others while we got stuck with guard duty." Kisame answered. "Disappointing..." Izumi sarcastically says.
"Indeed." Kisame replied.
Izumi then looked at the unknown Akatsuki member. "So who are you?" Izumi asked. "No one important." The black-haired Akatsuki member answered. "Really? Because you look like a Yamanaka. I'd say that's pretty fuckin' important." Izumi replied. "I don't care. It doesn't matter so it isn't important to me. Therefore, I'm nobody important." The black-haired Akatsuki member said.
"Look, can we just skip all the introductions and just get to the fighting?" Kisame asked. "Good idea." Lord Fourth replied. Both the Akatsuki members and the ninjas charged towards each other.
Nezuko and her teammates followed Sasuke and Shikamaru to Killer Bee's cell. Everything seemed fine...at first.
Once they got to Bee's cell, they heard Bee's awful, awful rapping. It's so bad and annoying that it makes their ears wince. "Hey! HEY! KILLER BEE!" Shikamaru called. Bee had his back to them, rapping only stopping once he heard Shikamaru call his name. Killer Bee turned around to see Sasuke, Shikamaru and the three Genin standing on the other side of the cell he was in.
Killer Bee, much like The Fourth Raikage, is big, muscular and has dark skin. He was wearing sunglasses, meaning that no one could see what color his eyes were. Another thing that Bee and The Fourth Raikage have in common is their blonde hair. Both Bee and The Raikage have blonde mustaches, but Bee only has a blonde beard instead of a goatee, though. He was wearing a Hidden Leaf flak jacket with no uniform of any kind underneath, a pair of black pants, a pair of white Hidden Cloud shin guards, a pair of white Hidden Cloud handguards, a white scarf, a white Hidden Cloud headband (which was on his forehead) and a pair of black ninja sandals. He also has the kanji symbol for "iron" on his right shoulder. His shuriken holster and ninja tool pouch are gone, though. "What? What're some kids doin' here?" Bee asked. "We're Hidden Leaf ninjas and The Hokage has sent us to come and rescue you." Shikamaru answered. "Hm. And why ain't Kisame and Yushiro stoppin' ya?" Bee then asked. "Our captain and some others are holding them off." Shikamaru answered. "Wait a minute...
Yushiro? Who's Yushiro?" Nezuko asked. "This guy with the black hair. His name's Yushiro Yamanaka. He's one of the Akatsuki's lower-ranked members. And because of that, I bet he's bein' kept outta the loop. Probably doesn't even know why they need me." Bee answered. "Well, that explains the black-haired guy with the Yamanaka eyes..." Shikamaru says.
"C'mon. Time's wasting." Sasuke said. "Right. How do we break him out?" Shikamaru asked. "Only Yushiro has the key." Bee told everyone. "I-I think I c-can help." Sora said. Sora then walked up to the lock, and made one hand sign before shouting, "Dark-Style: Slash!" And then, with the wave of Sora's hand, a black energy blade cut the bars that were keeping the jail cell intact into two, and both pieces fell down to the ground. Shikamaru and the others stepped back, and Bee came out of the cell. "Thanks, kids. By the way, what's her problem? Why does she stutter a lot? And why is she really quiet when she speaks?" Bee asked. "Sora's shy as Hell." Nezuko answered. "Word is, she was bullied a lot. So she's...stopped having a social life." Takeshi added. "What I don't understand is why someone like her, who lets people walk all over her, is allowed to be a ninja." Nezuko also said. "That's enough, you two. You both have your own flaws to sort out, too." Shikamaru told them. "Good rhyme." Bee said. Shikamaru sighed and facepalmed, clearly cringing. 'Bet he'll try to suppress this memory for the rest of his life.' Nezuko thought. "And anyway, uh..." Bee says. "My name's Nezuko." Nezuko told him. "...uh, right." Bee said before clearing his throat. "Anyway, Nezuko, in my experience, you'll find that docile creatures can be most fearsome when they are protectin' somethin' precious to them." "Something...precious?" Nezuko asked. Shikamaru chuckled. "Look, maybe I'll teach you about the Will of Fire. It has everything to do with what Bee said just now." He said. "How?" Nezuko asked. "I'll tell you later." Shikamaru told her. "For now-" "For now, I gotta know your names." Killer Bee said, interrupting Shikamaru. "Right. I'm Shikamaru Nara." Shikamaru told him. "I'm Nezuko Shimura." Nezuko said. "And I've gotta warn you: don't ask me about my Grandfather." Nezuko then said while having an angry look on her face, trying to give off some killing intent. "Uh..." Takeshi says, thrown off by the "new" dark side that Nezuko's never shown to anyone in this room before.
"...and...and I'm Takeshi Shinoda, the next great Shinobi that you'll hear about in your history books!" Takeshi bragged to distract himself from what just happened.
"I-I'm Sora Uzuki." Sora said.
"And I'm Sasuke Uchiha. Now, let's get outta here before the enemy notices that you're gone." Sasuke told him.
They then run to the cave's entrance with Killer Bee only to find a disturbing scene.
Asami-Sensei was now a chakra-less corpse, The Fourth Raikage and Emiko seemed to be barely able to stand but both Izumi and Samui seemed to still be at full strength, fighting the man who they now know as Yushiro.
As if things couldn't get even worse, Kisame spotted Shikamaru's team and Bee.
"Well, well, well, it seems like your strategy's paid off, Captain." Kisame commented.
Nezuko and Takeshi got so enraged that they ran towards Kisame. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO OUR SENSEI, YOU BASTARDS!" Both Nezuko and Takeshi yelled. "Nezuko, no!" Shikamaru shouted. "Don't worry, I've got 'em!" Killer Bee shouted. Suddenly, an Octopus tentacle came out of Bee's back, grabbed both Nezuko and Takeshi, and pulled them back. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE'RE TRYING TO AVENGE OUR SENSEI!" Nezuko angrily yelled. "You'd die before you'd even get the chance to scratch him." Shikamaru said. "Just calm down, and think." "But we don't wanna be calm! We wanna get that shark freak!" Takeshi shouted. "Then maybe you'll get your chance at some later time." Shikamaru told them. "When you're older and stronger." "He's entirely right, you know. And so are the both of you because I did kill your Sensei...that is, if you're talking about the Kunoichi with the glasses..." Kisame says. "Of course we are, you idiot!" Nezuko shouted. "Anyway, you wanna know how I killed her? You see, my sword, Samehada, has the sentience of a real, actual shark which means it gets bloodthirsty and hungry when it smells a huge amount of chakra. And I can feed it by swinging it at my opponents. It won't even matter if my opponents block my strikes or dodge them, they'd still be hit and Samehada would still eat away at my opponent's chakra." Kisame explained. "So, in reality, it won't even matter how strong you get in the future. As long as I wield Samehada, you'd still lose."
"You hear that, you brats? Look at the state of Emiko and The Fourth Raikage-and even your Sensei. Do you want that to happen to you?" Sasuke asked both Nezuko and Takeshi. Both Nezuko and Takeshi calmed down, and seriously thought about his question.
Asami-Sensei is dead. There's no question about that. And Nezuko still wants to avenge Asami-Sensei, but after hearing Kisame's explanation, she's not sure if she wants to do it after all. Even still, she thinks it's mighty funny for Sasuke, of all people to be lecturing them about this when word is that Sasuke, himself, wants revenge on Itachi for killing almost everyone in the Uchiha Clan. But, after thinking about it for a bit, Nezuko decided not to ask him about it because she might hurt his feelings if she did that.
It's too bad that Takeshi isn't as considerate as she is.
"Oh yeah? And what if it was Itachi standing in that shark guy's place? I've heard that you want to avenge your clan. Would you run away instead?" Takeshi asked. 'Takeshi, you damned idiot.' Nezuko thought. "Let's just get outta here." Sasuke told them, looking really annoyed and pissed off.
Bee and the others turned around, and ran out the cave's exit while Izumi, Emiko, Samui and The Fourth Raikage stayed behind.
Izumi stopped fighting for only a moment to see if Nezuko and the others were gone. And, they are. 'Good. Now, I can focus all my attention on this guy.' Izumi thought. The black-haied Akatsuki member ran towards Izumi with a raised fist. Izumi was getting ready to fight, but Samui jumped in, and kicked him away. "Are you alright?" Samui asked. "Yeah." Izumi answered. Izumi finally saw Samui's sword. "So...what type of sword is that?" "A tanto." Samui answered. "...well, isn't that a shame? The Raikage and the 'World's Best Genin' are completely spent and it seems I won't be able to face off against The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki...which leaves me with only the two of you." Kisame said, turning towards Samui and Izumi. "I'll take care of him. You just focus on the Yamanaka man." Samui told Izumi. The black-haired Akatsuki member got back up. "Don't call me that!" The black-haired Akatsuki member shouted. "You'll have to forgive Yushiro. He doesn't like it when you mention his name...or his clan." Kisame told both Kunoichi. "So that's your name, huh? Yushiro?" Izumi asked. The black-haired Akatsuki member growled. "No it's not!" Yushiro yelled. 'Yeah, it's Yushiro, alright. Problem is, he's seemed to gaslit himself into thinking that he doesn't even have a name-or, more accurately, that his name matters.' Izumi thought.
Izumi looked at Samui, and nodded in agreement with Samui's plan.
Samui ran towards Kisame while Izumi threw a kunai knife at Yushiro. Yushiro dodges the kunai knife, and then he charges towards her, and then he attempts to punch her. Izumi quickly dodged his attack. The punch made a large crater in the ground. 'That is an extraordinary amount of strength!' Izumi thought. "ARE YOU SCARED OF ME NOW?!" Yushiro screamed. "No. Just astonished, honestly." Izumi lied.
'This guy is an absolute beast!' Izumi thought. He then casted a Fireball Jutsu at her, and Izumi quickly weaved together seven hand signs, slammed her hand on the ground in front of her, and shouted, "Earth-Style: Mud Wall!" And then, a wall made of solid rock rose up from the ground, and shielded Izumi from the jutsu.
'I clearly can't defeat this guy with the usual methods.' Izumi thought.
Izumi activated her Sharingan, and prepared to face Yushiro's next move.
Izumi foresaw him bursting through the wall with a single punch thanks to her Sharingan, so she jumped backwards, and then, soon, the wall started cracking and then it was destroyed by a single punch from the other side. The fact that Yushiro ran up to the wall without making a sound is another thing that alarmed Izumi.
'Now, it's my turn.' Izumi thought.
"Water Shuriken Jutsu!" Izumi shouted. She then threw five water shurikens at him. Yushiro dodged the water shurikens, temporarily looking away from Izumi. 'Good. He's distracted.' Izumi thought.
After Yushiro dodged the fifth water shuriken, Izumi formed a ball of chakra in her right hand, and charged towards Yushiro. By the time Yushiro could bring his attention back to the fight it was too late. Once she got within melee distance of Yushiro, Izumi pushed the ball of chakra into Yushiro's stomach, and shouted, "Rasengan!"
Yushiro was then flung backwards, and then fell down, and went unconscious. The chakra ball disappeared, and Izumi walked up to Yushiro's unconscious body. "Now, listen here, Mister. If you try to attack me or my friends again, I will do much worse to you. Do you understand?" Izumi asked. Yushiro didn't respond because he was unconscious. "Good."
"You Hidden Leaf ninjas are too soft. If I were you and had your powers, I would've killed him without mercy." Samui commented while she was fighting Kisame. "Is that really how you feel?" Izumi asked.
Izumi went six feet behind Kisame, and threw seven kunai knives and eight shurikens at him and then, she quickly weaved together eleven hand signs, and then, blue lightning channeled around Izumi's right hand, and then, she charged towards Kisame while shouting, "Chidori!" And, once she was close enough, she thrust the Chidori into Kisame's back, and struck Kisame's heart. Izumi pulled her right hand out of Kisame's back, and then, Kisame stopped swinging at Samui with the Samehada, fell down, and immediately died. Izumi then deactivated the Chidori.
Izumi witnessed Kisame die, but she'd be lying if she said that she liked it or that she was glad that he's dead. And her face showed that, too.
"I stand corrected." Samui said as she sheathed her tanto. "Though, you seem...conflicted." "Let's just say that my...experiences have taught me that killing an enemy is the last thing you should do." Izumi replied as she deactivated her Sharingan. "C'mon. Let's take The Raikage and Emiko and then get the Hell outta here before Kisame's sword gets any ideas." "Agreed." Samui also replied.
Izumi and Samui ran over to Emiko and The Raikage. Emiko started to get up while The Raikage was trying, but failing to get back up. "Are you okay?" Izumi asked. Emiko nodded. "Lord Fourth, can you walk?" Samui asked. "Do you think I'd be having such a hard time gettin' up if that were the case?" Lord Raikage asked in reply. Izumi and Emiko rolled their eyes. 'Of course he'd answer like that.' Izumi thought. Izumi was pretty sure that Emiko was thinking the same thing.
And so, Izumi and Emiko ran out of the cave while Samui carried Lord Raikage out of the cave behind Izumi and Emiko.
Once they were out of the cave, Izumi took out six kunai knives, attached explosive tags to the kunai knives, and three all six kunai knives at the rocky surface above the cave's entrance.
"What are you doing?" Nezuko asked. "Making sure the Akatsuki don't follow us." Izumi answered. Izumi made one hand sign, and the tags exploded before a bunch of boulders fell on top of the cave's entrance.
"And also...giving them a taste of their own medicine. If they can keep Bee imprisoned for a long time, they can also enjoy a little bit of imprisonment." Izumi added.
"I'd say that's reasonable." Shikamaru said. "So would I." Lord Raikage agreed. "C'mon, let's head off before anything else happens." Izumi told everyone. Everyone turned around, and ran off into the forest in front of the cave.
Izumi's team, Team 13 and The Raikage's team all stopped and camped out in an opening in a forest across a river and at least fifty kliks away from the cave they were in not too long ago just so that The Raikage and Emiko could recover from the fight they were in. Killer Bee put down the three Team 13 Genin, and made his tentacle recede into his back. 'Whoa...' Nezuko thought. "You're so cool!" Takeshi shouted. "So you're in full control of your Tailed Beast, eh?" Captain Izumi asked. "Yeah. Gyuki and I have been cool since the day I met Genbu." Bee answered. "Who?" Captain Izumi asked. "That's not a secret we're at liberty to divulge without Lord Fourth's say-so." Samui told her. "You're damn right." Lord Raikage said. Samui then had him slumped against a tree. "Thank you, Samui." "Rest up, My Lord. You'll need it..." Samui says ominously. "Wow. The Fourth Raikage must be heavy." Takeshi assumed. 'Why did she say that so ominously?' Nezuko thought.
"Uh...yeah." Nezuko then said.
They set up tents in a circular formation and later set up a campfire. Shikamaru and Omoi went to another river (which was somewhere to the west of their camp) to go fishing but just before they went off, Samui had a little talk with Omoi. Suspicious, Nezuko walked over to Captain Izumi, and asked, "What do you think they're talking about?"
Nezuko had already finished setting up her tent and Captain Izumi had also finished her tent by now. So was Sasuke and Killer Bee and Karui. Samui was in the process of setting up her tent when she went over to talk to Omoi after Shikamaru had left without him with Omoi's consent. Sora is also still in the process of setting up her tent while Takeshi was struggling with his tent and Emiko hasn't even started hers because she was sitting by the fire right now.
"I don't know." Captain Izumi answered. "I don't like it." Nezuko commented. "Neither do I." Captain Izumi agreed. They couldn't hear the conversation and Samui had pushed away anyone who tried to get close to them. Sasuke jumped down from the tree branch (which was above Captain Izumi and Nezuko) he was sitting on, went over to Nezuko's left side (Captain Izumi was standing directly to Nezuko's right) and said, "Maybe they're wanting a bit of privacy. Nothing wrong with that." "Maybe..." Captain Izumi says. "So what do we do, then?" Nezuko asked. "Ignore it...for now. I want you to go and help Takeshi. It seems like he'll be needing it." Izumi ordered. Nezuko looked to her left, and poked her head forward a bit because Sasuke was blocking her view. Takeshi was still struggling to set up his tent. Nezuko sighed with a tone of disappointment. "Yes, Captain." Nezuko acknowledged. She walked around Sasuke, turned the rest of her body left, and walked over to Takeshi while thinking, 'Kami, he's such an idiot...'
Sasuke chuckled. "What's so funny?" Captain Izumi asked. "Takeshi just...reminds me of Naruto...just a bit." Sasuke answered. Izumi looked over at Takeshi, who was now getting help from Nezuko. Shortly before the two of them started arguing for a bit. Captain Izumi chuckled. "I guess so. But, in that case, that means Nezuko's just like you." She replied. "Huh!? What do you mean!? She's more like that Shikamaru guy. Always lazy and complaining about anything and never doing any actual work." Sasuke stated. "True, true. But look at how she argues with Takeshi. Someone with little to no motivation like Shikamaru would not have put in the effort to argue with someone like Naruto like Nezuko does with Takeshi-especially when you take into consideration how much of an idiot he was. Just like Takeshi. Also...you probably haven't heard what I've heard about her." Captain Izumi answered. "Oh? And what's that?" Sasuke asked.
"Do you remember the crime that Danzo committed that led to him and the Foundation fleeing the village and becoming rogue ninjas?" Captain Izumi asked in reply. "Yeah. He and the Foundation helped the enemy kill some villagers during the invasion and when he'd discovered that the villagers' child witnessed them aiding the enemy, Danzo tried to kill the child, but the child was saved by a couple of Hidden Leaf ninjas." Sasuke answered. Captain Izumi nodded in response. "The villagers he aided the enemy in killing that day were Nezuko's parents." She told him. "Oh...I see. And she's Danzo's Granddaughter." Sasuke replied. "Exactly. Back when she was in the Academy, a few boys made fun of her and bullied her about her connection to Danzo for at least a few weeks ever since the invasion. The situation came to a boiling point when, the year before she became a Genin, she screamed at the boys about how when she becomes a ninja, she'll take revenge on Danzo for the murder of both her parents." Captain Izumi briefly explained. "That scared her bullies away and the other Academy Students were too intimidated by her to ever talk to her. But, conversely, that didn't stop the fanboys from pining after her for her affection and wanting to take her out on dates. She was a real beauty. The only person who wasn't afraid to bully her and argue with her on the daily was a girl named Miku, who was her first bully." "Why would that girl ever bully someone like Nezuko?" Sasuke asked. "Miku said that it's because Nezuko's lazy and after the invasion, she jumped on the hate bandwagon against Nezuko because everyone else hated her for being a Shimura. But rumors say that she's just jealous of Nezuko's genuine good looks." Captain Izumi answered.
"Who wouldn't be jealous of her looks?" Sasuke muttered. Sasuke then started blushing before he quickly looked away from Nezuko, who was working together with Takeshi to set up his tent. Captain Izumi chuckled because she presumably thinks that Sasuke's crush on Nezuko is funny. "I'll-I'll keep watch for tonight." Sasuke said before he jumped up onto the tree branch he was on before, and sat down. Captain Izumi then started looking at Omoi and Samui, only to find that they were gone. 'Shit!' Izumi thought. 'Where's Samui?'
Captain Izumi looked everywhere for Samui only to see that she was now guarding The Raikage. Captain Izumi sighed in relief, probably relieved that the Hidden Cloud isn't going to betray them or something like that.
Nezuko didn't like that Sasuke and Captain Izumi were talking about her Grand
-father, but she guessed she couldn't help it because their conversation about him has already ended by now and Sasuke's her superior so she guesses that she can't do anything but allow him to know more.
And then, Captain Izumi turned left, and walked over to the campfire, which was near where Emiko was still sitting. "A Ryo for your thoughts?" Captain Izumi asked. Emiko nodded as Captain Izumi sat down next to Emiko. "What do you think about the mission so far?" "It went better than I expected. Especially now that Lord Bee and Lord Raikage are okay. But we were up against some tough-as-Hell Akatsuki members. I honestly thought we weren't going to make it. I wasn't even going to be here, after all, and if I hadn't come, I wouldn't be in recovery right now...but at the same time...I don't know if Lord Raikage would've been safe if I hadn't come. The guy hasn't seen combat since the Third Great Ninja War. Because he'd been cooped up in his office for all these years I figured he'd be out of practice. It's sad to know that I was half-right. Lord Raikage was so out of practice that I think he forgot how to go all-out on those Akatsuki guys. But at the same time, he was so unbelievably strong that he could take a lot of hits without dying. That didn't stop the two of us from nearly running out of chakra, though. So I guess I'm glad that I've temporarily abandoned my mission to head to the Hidden Sand Village, and free Naruto." Emiko told her. "Oh! I forgot I was gonna ask you something before we entered that cave!" Captain Izumi shouted. "What is it?" Emiko asked. "I was gonna ask why are you here and not on your way to get Naruto back from the Hidden Sand?" Captain Izumi answered. "Well, I was but, as soon as I got to the Land of Fire's border with the Land of Rivers, I got a letter from Lord Raikage to wait for him at some town in the Land of Rivers, and then join him as we free Lord Bee. I didn't want to abandon Naruto, but these orders came from Lord Fourth so I had to follow them." Emiko told her. "I'd expect no less of a Kunoichi. I mean, who would we be if we disobey our Kage at every turn?" Captain Izumi replied. "Well, as long as the orders are right and lawful, of course." "Agreed." Emiko also replied.
After that, they silently stared at the campfire for five minutes, and then, Captain Izumi asked, "So, you said earlier that you were interrupted by The Raikage when you were on your way to Naruto, right?" "Right." Emiko answered. "Does that mean you'll continue on with this mission when you've recovered?" Captain Izumi then asked. "You're damn right, I will. But I'll get The Raikage's permission just in case since he's here, and all." Emiko answered. "Are ya talkin' about me?" Lord Raikage asked. Captain Izumi then explained the mission Emiko was on when she received his letter and then, Emiko asked him for permission to continue that mission when she's feeling better.
"Of course, I'll give you my permission to continue on with that mission! What, do ya think I'm stupid!?" Lord Raikage shouted. "Besides...The Third Hokage died tryin' to end this war before it started, endin' this war is the least I can do. The Third Hokage may have been an old and naive fool, but he was also a brave man who stuck to his code. I find that more honorable than anythin' in the world. Plus, givin' Naruto back is better than givin' my stupid, crazy and annoyin' Brother to you Hidden Leaf ninjas."
Captain Izumi, Emiko, Samui and Lord Raikage all looked at Killer Bee, who was writing in a notebook and mumbling to himself.
"Why does he do that, by the way?" Captain Izumi asked. "Lord Bee thinks of himself as a rapper and he sometimes held concerts whenever he was in the village. But he mostly stays in his private dojo somewhere in the Land of Lightning, where he trains. He also stays there for his own safety." Emiko answered. "Except he won't be trainin' there no more 'cause it was compromised by the Akatsuki. He'll need to be somewhere more private from now on." Lord Raikage interjected. "Right...I forgot about that." Emiko said. Captain Izumi chuckled. "Our village thought about doing the same thing with Naruto when he was just a baby, but The Third Hokage was against it because he wanted Naruto to have a normal childhood. It's also because unlike every other hidden village, our village has always treated our Jinchuriki like Human beings instead of weapons who should be kept hidden at all times. That was why he was allowed to be a Shinobi instead of just another regular Jinchuriki." She told them. Lord Raikage chuckled in response. "Maybe that's why you lost him in the first place." Lord Fourth Raikage said. "If that's so, The Nine-Tails would've been taken from us by any one of the hidden villages a long time ago." Captain Izumi argued. "Ya have a point, there." Lord Raikage agreed.
Nezuko knew about the hidden villages and their infrequent warring with the Hidden Leaf. In fact, the reason why Nezuko was so suspicious of Samui's talk with Omoi was that she read in a history book that the Hidden Cloud would some
-times betray their allies if they believe it serves their own village's interests.
And the Hidden Cloud is in an alliance with the Hidden Mist and the Hidden Leaf right now.
Nezuko doesn't trust this situation at all. But she knew there's nothing she could do about it, so she tolerates it.
Later, after Takeshi and Nezuko were finished setting up Takeshi's own tent, Samui had finished her own tent and got a sleeping bag for The Raikage, Sora had finished her tent, and so had Emiko. And then, both Omoi and Shikamaru came back with some fish, and then they cooked the fish for dinner.
After everyone ate their pieces of the fish, Shikamaru got to work setting his tent up, and so did Omoi, who set his tent up next to Shikamaru's. After that, Lord Raikage had recovered enough to the point where he could walk, and got in his sleeping bag, and then, everyone went into their tents, got ready for bed, went into their own sleeping bags, and went to sleep.
Nezuko later woke up to the sound of fighting. Fighting that was happening very close to where she is right. 'Shit!' She thought. 'Have the other enemies like the Hidden Sand found us?' She quickly got dressed, and then equipped her ninja gear, and then, a Hidden Cloud ninja came, and destroyed her tent with their sword. And just as that same ninja was about to kill her with that same sword. Nezuko quickly pulled out a kunai knife, blocked the attack with her kunai knife, and kicked the ninja away.
'I have to find Captain Izumi!' Nezuko thought. She ran towards where the campfire was, and saw that it was out. She also saw...something she never thought she'd have to see.
'No...Takeshi...Sora...' Nezuko thought.
Both were dead, sprawled on the ground around the campfire. Takeshi had burns all over him while Sora was cut in half.
Nezuko walked over to Sora's corpse. 'Oh, Sora...' She thought, becoming very sad. Sora's sword was gone, too. "Nezuko!" She heard someone shout.
Nezuko looked to her left, and saw Sasuke. Sasuke ran up to her, and asked, "Are you okay?" "Yeah." She answered. "I'm not bruised or injured, if that's what you're asking." "Oh, thank Kami. You seriously need to work on your sleeping habits." Sasuke said. Nezuko chuckled with a sad smile on her face. "Is that right?" She asked. "Did I sleep in again?" "Uh...yeah. It's noon now. Anyone else would be having lunch." Sasuke answered. "I guess you're right...it's just that...my friends are dead. And they were killed by Hidden Cloud ninjas." Nezuko said. Sasuke then looked at the body she was standing over. "I...I apologize." Sasuke replied. "No, you don't need to apologize to me. But those Hidden Cloud ninjas do. First my parents, then my Sensei and now...my friends?" Nezuko asked. "It's enough to make a girl like me want to set the world on fire." "They were your friends? I thought you three only met the moment you became a team." Sasuke then said.
FLASHBACK
"Oh, look, it's that girl who thought she could come and play sword with us." A male Academy student said. "I-I just wanted to l-learn-" "Shut up!" The boy shouted, interrupting the girl before kicking her. This boy and his friends had a female Academy Student with shoulder-length purple hair and brown eyes cornered in an alleyway somewhere in the Hidden Leaf Village after class. "You don't know shit and you're a girl so how can you play sword with us?" The second male Academy Student said. "I-I-" "I said, 'shut up'!" The first boy shouted, interrupting her before punching her in the face twice. "Guys, I think it's time we teach her what happens when she messes with the big boys." The third male Academy Student said. "I think that's a good idea." The first boy agreed. And so, the first boy picked the girl up by her collar, and prepared to punch her one more time when an apple came out of nowhere, and hit him in the face. "W-What was that?" The first boy asked, startled.
The first boy dropped the girl, and the three boys started looking around. A minute later, the second boy found a pink and lime green-haired girl with pink eyes who was dressed in a black t-shirt and had a gray backpack on, leaning against a nearby lamp post, and eating an apple. "There!" The second boy shouted after spotting the girl. The three boys turned to face the girl. "What're you doin' huh?!" The first boy shouted. The pink-eyed girl looked at them, and asked, "Who are you talkin' to, me?" "Yeah! You! What are you tryin' to do, mess with us?" The first boy shouted. "Man...what a drag. You're so loud." The pink-eyed girl complained. "What happened to you guys, anyway? One of you looks like shit." "That's because someone threw an apple at me!" The first boy shouted. "What, you mean like this?" The pink-eyed girl asked before throwing the apple in her hand at the first boy's head. She then got another apple. "Or do you mean like this?" She then threw that apple at the second boy's balls. It was at that point the third boy became afraid because he was starting to realize who the pink-eyed girl is. "H-Hold up. That's...That's..." The third boy says. "What's up, Kojiro?" The first boy asked. "Getting cold feet? We should beat her ass like we were about to do with that brown-eyed chick." "I-I think we should run." Kojiro said. "Why?" The first boy asked. "Because...Because...that's the girl who yelled at Mijumaru and his friends about her Grandfather six months ago! The bitch is crazy!" "Are you dead serious?" The first boy asked. "That's Nezuko Shimura?" "She...does look like Nezuko." The second boy said while slowly recovering from being hit in the balls. "Finally, you guys figured it out. I was starting to get bored." The pink-eyed girl said. "So you are Nezuko..." The boy says. 'Three, two, one...' The pink-eyed girl thought. "Kojiro was right! Run!" The first boy yelled.
The three boys then went out of the alley, and ran away.
The pink-eyed girl was walking towards the shy brown-eyed girl while she watched the boys run. "What a drag. I was so ready to throw another apple at 'em. Eh, I guess it can't be helped." Nezuko said. "Boys can be losers sometimes..."
After walking up to the purple-haired girl, Nezuko bent down, held out her hand towards the girl, and asked, "Want help?" "Uh...y-yeah." The girl answered. Nezuko then helped her get up. "H-How did-did you know?" "Despite what the other kids might think, I have a knack for sniffing out trouble. It's a drag, but not every kid is nice." Nezuko answered. "I-I know what you mean." The purple-haired girl replied. "Something tells me you're no stranger to kids like them." "N-No." The purple-haired girl said. "I-I'm not. My-My-My name is S-Sora. Sora Uzuki." "I'm Nezuko Shimura. But you probably knew that already." Nezuko replied. "Thanks to those losers." "U-Um..." Sora nervously says. "Hey, there's this restaurant that I know and love to bits. Wanna go there with me?" Nezuko offered. Sora nodded. And then, they walked out of the alleyway, and walked off to that restaurant.
Six days later, Nezuko was sitting at her desk in a rather lazy posture when a boy with spiky dark brown hair who was dressed in a black tank top which was covered by a blue short-sleeved jacket, a black pair of pants and a black pair of ninja sandals bursted into the classroom, and shouted, "Good morning, fellow Academy Students! It's Takeshi Shinoda, the next greatest Shinobi in the world!"
Everyone was either (like Nezuko) ignoring him or glaring at him. "Jeez, do you have to be this loud?" Another student asked. Like every other day, Takeshi would nervously chuckle, and then sit down at his desk. 'What a drag. Now, he'll face a lecture from...Miku.' Nezuko thought. She then glared at Miku, who was glaring at Takeshi until she noticed Nezuko's glare. "And what are you looking at me for? You're no better than him." Miku told her. The only reason Miku could lecture people like that is because, while she isn't a particularly skilled Kunoichi, she is a perfect teacher's pet and is also the class representative. "Ah, yes, because being lectured by one of the only girls in our class who sucks at being a ninja makes you better than Takeshi and I when, unlike you, we'd have a fighting chance if we went up against an enemy ninja or a bandit or a rogue ninja or any other type of criminal or whatever." Nezuko said. "As if your lazy ass can talk about being good at being a ninja." Miku argued. "Remind me again who is this years' Kunoichi of the Year and who has you beat when it comes to Taijutsu and Ninjutsu." Nezuko argued. "Alright, then, I challenge you to a spar!" Miku shouted. Nezuko was surprised. 'I didn't think she'd have it in her to challenge me to a duel like that.' Nezuko thought.
"Nah. Fight something on your own time. Fights are too much of a drag, anyway." Nezuko said. "So you aren't up to the challenge? You won't prove that you're better than me?" Miku asked, obviously trying to provoke her. "What would be the point?" Nezuko asked in reply.
Suddenly, the teacher (a male Hidden Leaf Chunin with short black hair and black eyes named Denzi Subaru) walked into the room.
"Good morning, class." The teacher said to everyone.
"Good morning, Denzi-Sensei!" The class replied.
After taking attendance, Denzi-Sensei said, "Alright, now. Today, we are going to be doing another test." 'Oh joy.' Nezuko sarcastically thought.
After The School Day Is Over...
Nezuko was leaving the Academy's grounds to walk home when, out of nowhere, Miku charged towards Nezuko from behind, and punched her in the back of the head. Nezuko swiftly turned around, and asked, "What the Hell are you doing?" "Proving whether or not you're better than me!" Miku shouted. Miku then pushed Nezuko down to the ground, got on top of her, and then started punching her numerous times. "Hey! Stop! This isn't fair!" Nezuko shouted. Then, someone suddenly came up from behind Miku, and grabbed her, and then pulled her off of Nezuko. Nezuko got back up, and saw that the one restraining Miku was none other than the class failure, Takeshi. "Let go of me!" Miku shouted. "Not until you calm down!" Takeshi shouted. Then, they heard someone else. "Hey!" That someone shouted. Nezuko looked to her left. It was Iruka-Sensei, another one of the Academy's teachers, and Nezuko's class' Ninjutsu and Taijutsu teacher.
"What's going on, here?" Iruka-Sensei asked. Nezuko explained what happened and Takeshi backed up Nezuko's side of the story because he witnessed the whole ordeal. Then, Nezuko's Aunt, Takeshi's Dad and Miku's Mom came. Takeshi let go of Miku, and Iruka-Sensei explained everything to them before everyone left.
Later...At Nezuko's Aunt's House...
Nezuko sat up in her bed in her dark, dark bedroom. She remembers that she used to do this when she was waiting to receive in-home training from her Grandfather. It was night time right now and Nezuko had already eaten her supper. Then, someone opened the door to her room, and asked, "Nezuko?"
The door to Nezuko's bedroom was to the left of her bed so when she heard someone call her name (presuming it was her Grandfather) Nezuko looked to the left, and asked, "Grandpa?"
That same someone turned on Nezuko's bedroom's light. It was actually Nezuko's Aunt, a woman with long black hair, tanned skin and black eyes named Ayano Shimura. Aunt Aya (the name that Nezuko had affectionately given her Aunt) was dressed in a white kimono with a black skirt and a pair of normal wooden sandals. "No, it's just me, dear." Aunt Aya said. Nezuko breathed a sigh of relief. "W-What's up?" Nezuko asked. "It's past your bedtime." Aunt Aya answered. Nezuko looked over at her clock, which sat on her dresser, which was next to the door to her bedroom. The clock said that it's 10:00 AM. 'So it is...' Nezuko thought.
"Oh. Sorry for worrying you. It's just-" "I know. But he isn't here anymore. You have no need to worry. You should just try to get some rest." Aunt Aya said, interrupting her Niece. From the moment Nezuko turned six years old until her Grandfather became a rogue ninja, Danzo kept Nezuko awake every night just to force her to train so that she could be a Foundation member, not a regular ninja. And thus, because of her Grandfather's strict training regimen, she knows way more Ninjutsus, Genjutsus and Taijutsus than the average Academy Student should be able to know or to learn. And when she failed to cast a single Jutsu that Danzo taught her, he would force her parents not to feed her for a week. It made Nezuko resent her Grandfather. Danzo also tortured her mentally by casting Genjutsus on her just so that she would learn the Genjutsu, itself. All this made her wonder if he ever cared about her or if he just cared about how useful she'd be to the Foundation. She heard that her Mother failed to be an effective Foundation member when Danzo was training her so he forced her Mother to give up on being in the Foundation and on becoming a ninja. That didn't stop him from forcing her to marry another member of the Shimura Clan who succeeded in becoming a Foundation member. Knowing him, Danzo probably had them bring Nezuko into the world just so that she'd make for a capable ninja and a successful Foundation member.
"Okay, Aunt Aya. Goodnight." Nezuko said. "Goodnight." Aunt Aya replied before turning off the lights and closing the door. Nezuko got into her bed, but she stayed awake, still fearing that her Grandfather might come out, and force her to go down to the basement of her family home to train or learn some complex Jutsu that would be impossible for any other Academy Student.
One Year Ago...
Nezuko was fighting practice dummies in the unusually big basement of her parents' house when Danzo came to her from the shadows. "That's enough!" Danzo told her. And then, Nezuko stopped fighting the dummies, relieved because she thought her Grandfather would finally let her go to bed. Nezuko walked up to her Grandpa, tired as all Hell and one Taijutsu away from falling unconscious.
"I need you to learn this Jutsu I am about to teach you. It is essential for the Hidden Leaf's future that you learn this Jutsu." Danzo said. He always says "it is essential for the Hidden Leaf's future" but never "it is essential for your future".
"Please, Grandfather! I just want to go to bed!" Nezuko whined. "No!" Danzo snapped. "You'll go to bed when I say you can go to bed! And if you whine like a child again, I will have your Mother spend all day tomorrow beating you relentlessly!"
After that whole (sparingly short) debacle, he taught her a B-Rank Fire Style Ninjutsu called the Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu. Surprisingly, it had only one hand sign, but it was still hard as fuck to cast which was why she spent the next three nights practicing the Jutsu until she succeeded in casting it. Danzo never complimented her when she succeeded, though.
One Year Later, The Day After Miku Beat Up Nezuko...
It was morning time and Nezuko was still awake, thinking about the time she was taught the Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu. Before she learned the Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu, the last time she had a hard time with a Ninjutsu was when Danzo taught her the Dragon Pulse Jutsu, which was an A-Rank Fire Style Ninjutsu. And the very last Ninjutsu Danzo taught her before he helped some enemy ninjas kill her parents and tried to kill her and left the village and became a rogue ninja was the Shadow Ball Jutsu, a Dark Style variant of the Lightning Ball Jutsu but unlike the Lightning Ball Jutsu, which is a C-Rank Lightning Style Ninjutsu, the Shadow Ball Jutsu is an A-Rank Ninjutsu because Shadow Style is a very difficult style to master. But she succeeded in casting it after sixty nights in the basement.
"Nezuko! Breakfast is ready!" Aunt Aya called. Nezuko got up, still dressed in the same clothes she was wearing yesterday. Despite swearing revenge on her Grandfather, he still scares her.
Later...At The Academy...
Nezuko sat down on her desk in between her two new friends, Takeshi and Sora.
She may still fear her Grandfather and miss her parents, but at least she still has two new friends to fill that empty void in her heart.
END OF FLASHBACK
"We were friends back in the Academy, genius. Takeshi saved me when I was getting beat up by my...well, I can't really call her an ally nor a comrade since she gave up on being a ninja after failing the Genin Exam...anyway, after that, this little idiot became my best friend. And Sora...these three boys were cornering her, making fun of her and were about to beat her up because she wanted to play with them. I intervened before they could actually beat her up, and those boys ran because they were scared of me. Well, I guess they had a right to be scared...I mean, I did loudly admit that I wanted my Grandpa dead. Anyway, after that, I helped Sora get back up and...ever since that day, she and I became friends. Later, I introduced these two to each other, and they became friends with each other, too. We three were the worst where academics are concerned, but if I were a teacher, I'd give us all an A Plus in friendship." Nezuko explained. "I thought that my parents would be the last thing that this world would take from me but clearly, I was wrong. Another reason their deaths hurt so much is because I thought Sora could overcome her anxiety issues and nervousness in time. And...Takeshi's biggest dream was to one day become the greatest Shinobi in the world. And I really believed that he could make that dream come true. Hell, back in the Academy, I told an enemy who was still willing to bully me-even after the invasion-that Takeshi and I were both better ninjas than her and that Takeshi could hold his own against an enemy ninja. But there he is, all cut up and dead."
"I see. Well, we can talk more about this later. For now, we need to go and help Izumi-Sensei." Sasuke told her. "What? Captain Izumi needs our help? Why?" Nezuko asked. "Because she's fighting Samui." Sasuke answered. "So the Hidden Cloud really has betrayed us..." Nezuko says. "Yeah. It isn't just Takeshi and Sora who died, either. They killed their own Raikage and Bee, as well. His Tailed Beast escaped before it could die, too, though." Sasuke confirmed. "Knew it...what about Shikamaru?" Nezuko then asked. "He's fighting Karui. I was fighting Omoi, but, luckily, I killed him before he could kill me." Sasuke answered. "I knew they'd betray us because they have betrayed us in the past, but they've always done so with their village's interests in mind. What does their village have to gain by murdering their own Kage and Jinchuriki and betraying us this time?" Nezuko questioned. "Well, Shikamaru guessed that they would blame the Hidden Leaf for the deaths of The Raikage and Killer Bee, just so that they'd have a justifiable reason for breaking off our alliance and keeping Naruto for themselves." Sasuke answered. "And honestly, I can't disagree with that assessment." "Neither can I." Nezuko replied.
'Damn it! Is there anyone in this Ninja World we can trust?!' Nezuko thought. "C'mon. Izumi-Sensei's waiting for us." Sasuke ordered. "Yes!" Nezuko acknowledged. And so, Sasuke turned around, and led Nezuko away from the corpses of her friends. Like Asami-Sensei, both Sora and Takeshi had been left behind.
While on their way to help Captain Izumi, Nezuko asked, "I saw another Hidden Cloud ninja just before I saw the corpses of Takeshi and Sora. That ninja tried to kill me before I kicked 'em away. What are other ninjas from the Hidden Cloud doing here?" "They're likely Samui's back-up." Sasuke answered. "I see..." Nezuko says.
'Well, that makes a bit of sense. Too bad we don't have a Byakugan user on our team...they could've spotted the treachery a mile away.' Nezuko thought.
"And where's Emiko? Is she fighting us, too?" Nezuko asked. "No. Izumi-Sensei said she saw Emiko leave before this entire thing started." Sasuke answered. 'So she likely doesn't know that the Hidden Cloud has betrayed us.' Nezuko thought. 'Nice.' She then sarcastically thought.
They ran and ran until they finally saw Samui and Captain Izumi. Indeed, they were fighting. Actually, to be more accurate, both are sword fighting and Captain Izumi was using Sora's sword to fight. And Captain Izumi was losing. "Izumi
-Sensei! I've brought Nezuko with me!" Sasuke shouted. "Good! You two can be my back-up!" Captain Izumi shouted. Both silently nodded, pulled out their kunai knives, and then went behind Captain Izumi, waiting for their chance to attack Samui or protect Captain Izumi.
Captain Izumi's attention turned back towards the fight. She blocked two of Samui's attacks but then, out of nowhere, Samui used her left hand to punch Captain Izumi in the stomach, and then, she cut Captain Izumi's shoulder with her sword. Nezuko ran towards Samui, and tried to kick her, but her kick was blocked, and she was pushed back.
Seeing no other way past this, Nezuko made one hand sign, and thought, 'Fire-Style: Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu!' And then, a fireball shaped like a dragon's head came out of nowhere, and then shot towards and hit Samui.
Now, Samui is all burnt up and barely able to stand. "H...How? How can you know...know a Jutsu like that?" Samui shouted. "Nezuko..." Captain Izumi says. "I'll tell you later." Nezuko said. "She's right. For now, we have to finish this battle. Speaking of which..." Sasuke says. Sasuke ran up to Samui, and knocked her unconscious with a spin kick to the head. Samui fell down, and...went unconscious. [AN: Duh.]
"Alright. Now, we run and hope that we don't get into too much shit for this." Captain Izumi told Sasuke and Nezuko. "Let's find Shikamaru, and get out of here." "Right." Both Sasuke and Nezuko say. Captain Izumi winced in pain. "Are you alright, Sensei?" Sasuke asked. "Yeah. I'm just lucky that this cut is mild. Not that this doesn't sting regardless. I'll be fine until we get to the Hidden Leaf Village." Captain Izumi answered. Sasuke accepted that answer and so, they turned around, and ran towards the edge of a river, where Shikamaru and Karui were fighting. Shikamaru seemed to be losing because he didn't have a sword of his own. Without anything needing to be said, Captain Izumi, Sasuke and Nezuko rushed over to Shikamaru's side. "Finally. Some help." Shikamaru said. "You two, go ahead and take it easy. I'll take it from here." Sasuke told Shikamaru and Captain Izumi. "Sasuke..." Captain Izumi says. Sasuke took Sora's sword from Captain Izumi, and went in between Shikamaru and Karui.
"Sasuke Uchiha...it will be interesting to see what happens when another member of the Uchiha Clan dies." Karui said.
Sasuke didn't respond. Instead, he charged towards her, and swung at her with his sword. Karui dodged or blocked all of his attacks. "You're really shitty with the sword, aren't you, Uchiha?" Karui commented. And then, Karui kicked the sword out of Sasuke's hand, and then, she kicked him down to the ground.
Karui went to step on his chest, and then, she pointed her sword at his throat. "You lose." Karui said. "Sasuke, no!" Captain Izumi shouted. Nezuko, on the other hand, acted quickly to save her teammate. Nezuko weaved together seven hand signs, and shouted, "Dark-Style: Shadow Ball!" And then, a big purple ball of energy appeared above Nezuko, and shot towards Karui and when it hit Karui, it disintegrated her, not even giving her enough time to scream. Everyone was shocked.
Nezuko was shocked as well, but she didn't want to show it. Sasuke stood up, and looked at her with a surprised look on his face. "What? Didn't Captain Izumi say we needed to get out of here?" Nezuko asked. Everyone was pulled out of what was presumably their thoughts, and they all proceeded to turn and run back to the Hidden Leaf Village, easily defeating any Hidden Cloud resistance that may show up along the way along with the few other enemies who might show up, too.
After recharging from her fight against those two Akatsuki members, Emiko said goodbye to both Izumi and Sasuke and is now jumping from tree branch to tree branch, on her way to the Land of Wind to get to the Hidden Sand Village, free Naruto, and take him back to the Hidden Leaf Village.
'I'm going to get you back, Naruto. I swear.' Emiko thought. The truth that she doesn't really want to think about is that she has a crush on Naruto, which is why she, above everyone else, wants to bring Naruto back home. Also, she heavily dislikes war. She tolerates the occasional ninja versus ninja scuffle because that is honestly something that can't be controlled but at least in a situation like that, there is only a fifty percent chance of a ninja dying. Ninjas in those situations can simply knock the enemy out if the enemy's a rogue ninja or some other kind of criminal and not simply a ninja from another village doing their damned job. However, in a war, the chance of a ninja dying bumps up to one hundred percent because every ninja will be wanting to go for the kill against one another while expecting the enemy to do the same.
'Just hang in there.' Emiko thought.
Suddenly, just as Emiko was about to reach the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind, someone kicked her while in mid-air. Emiko fell down to the ground like a bird that was knocked out of the sky.
Emiko got back up and thought, 'What was that? A Hidden Sand ninja?'
She started looking around for whoever kicked her, and then, at the top of a tree branch of a tree that was next to the one Emiko was on before she made her last jump was a sexy Kunoichi (just about as sexy as Emiko is, in fact) who was dressed in a black tank top which was worn underneath an open blue and white short-sleeved sweater with a zipper on the front, dark blue denim shorts, and black ninja sandals. This Kunoichi had a long red ponytail, light skin and blue eyes. In fact, she almost looks like Naruto except she's clearly older than him, and her hair is far straighter than Naruto's hair is. Around the Kunoichi's neck is a black Hidden Mist headband.
The Kunoichi's Hidden Mist headband surprised Emiko. 'How did a Hidden Mist Kunoichi get here?' Emiko thought. She expected the occasional Hidden Leaf or Hidden Sand ninja to be here either guarding or attacking the border of the Land of Wind and the only Hidden Cloud ninjas (aside from Emiko, herself) here (in the Land of Rivers, anyway) are Samui, Omoi, Karui, Lord Bee and The Raikage, who should be on their way home by now. Hell, only someone exceptionally strong like Emiko or The Raikage could've gotten this far and taken out the border guards stationed around here.
"Strange to see a Hidden Cloud Kunoichi here. I thought you were a Hidden Sand ninja for a second, there." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi said. "How did you get past all the ninjas on the way here?" "Funny. I was thinkin' about askin' you the same question." Emiko replied. "But I asked first. So how about you answer before I do." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi offered. "Alright." Emiko accepted. "If you really wanna know, I'll just tell you who I am: I am Emiko, the most powerful Genin in the Land of Lightning and also known as the Light of the Hidden Cloud!" "I see...well, of course, you do look like her: what with your fiery hair, your orange eyes and that white tank top that makes you look like a mechanic rather than a ninja. But that's really all for show, isn't it? So why don't you-" The Hidden Mist Kunoichi interrupted herself because Emiko casted the Spark Jutsu at her. The Hidden Mist Kunoichi dodged it by jumping off the tree branch, and landing on the ground in front of Emiko. So when the Jutsu hit the spot it was supposed to hit, all that really did instead was break the tree branch.
"Consider your identity proven-to me, at least." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi said. "I am Hiromi Uzumaki. While I may not have nicknames like you do, Thunder Girl, I can tell you two things about myself: firstly, I am The Mizukage's field spy and have been since our side won the war against Yagura's Loyalists and lastly...I am Naruto's Aunt-on his Mother's side. So, since our villages are allied with each other and the Hidden Leaf-and I'm assuming you want to free Naruto and get him back to the Hidden Leaf Village like I do, why don't we work together?" "Agreed." Emiko said. The two of them walked up to each other, and shook hands.
They then turned towards the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind, and started walking. Emiko wanted to continue jumping from tree branch to tree branch, but Hiromi advised against it. She told Emiko that it would be easier for the enemy to see them if they went up there considering that they're about to be behind enemy lines. "...also, the Land of Wind is full of deserts so it would be pointless to continue tree jumping from that point on." Hiromi added. Hiromi sounded like she had more experience than Emiko did so Emiko didn't question anything Hiromi just told her.
Mori sneaks down to the basement of the Hidden Sand's Anbu HeadQuarters using her sand. She comes down here sometimes even though she isn't allowed to because, for some reason, she's taken interest in Naruto. Yuki caved in and became a Hidden Sand Kunoichi in less than a year. So what is making him endure all this pain? Why is Naruto the one that's so loyal to the Hidden Leaf Village and resilient? From what Mori's heard, the citizens of the Hidden Leaf Village hate him as much as the Hidden Sand Village's citizens hate Mori. And whilst she wants to kill him like she wants to kill everyone else, a part of Mori admires Naruto for enduring so much pain.
Through the metal bars of Naruto's cell's door, she saw Naruto with his Hidden Leaf headband off. He was crying. Mori didn't understand why until she also saw that he was sitting on his bed with his torn headband in both his hands. Mori was about to say something, but she stopped herself for some reason. Maybe it's that he wouldn't like what she was about to say? 'What is this? When have I ever considered someone else's feelings?' Mori thought. She then thought back to the conversation she had with his Sensei, Izumi Uchiha.
QUICK FLASHBACK
"What did you see?" Mori asked. "That what everyone's been whispering is true. You're a Jinchuriki. Your village sealed a monster inside of you and then they ostracized and hated you for years and years and years and years until you grew cold to the world and became the...uh...mentally-ill person you are today." Izumi answered. "Everyone in your village and probably even then some see you as some horrifying weapon that should be destroyed rather than-" "You know nothing about me! I was beaten and raped! I've had more attempts on my life than I could ever begin to count-many of those were orchestrated by my own father! I grew up cold and alone in the desert!" Mori shouted, interrupting Izumi. "And you didn't know what purpose you had in life was, yeah, yeah, I get it." Izumi said. "You don't!" Mori shouted. She tried attacking Izumi with her sand, but Izumi quickly dodged it. "How could you possibly understand?!" "Because our village has its own Jinchuriki. And he...he was hated and feared, too. But he found his own purpose in The Hokage and when he made Genin, he became my student and then...after that...well, he sort of became like a Son to me." Izumi answered. "And...unfortunately, you scare him because he's your opponent in the Final Exam." "Good. Maybe that fear will lead to him chickening out of this rat race the Kage have set up." Mori said. "Maybe...but if you think that is likely to happen, then maybe you aren't as cold-hearted as you think you are." Izumi said.
END OF THE QUICK FLASHBACK
Mori only lashed out at her back then because she was bringing forth some very sad memories that she'd repressed for so long. The memory of Yashamaru, who taught her what love meant. Which was why it confused her when, later on, Yashamaru had tried to kill her on her Father's orders. He was someone important to her because he was her Uncle. And yet, he tried to kill her. It was from that point on that she decided that her goal would be to kill everyone and love only herself. And then, the glares, the beatings, the rapes, the later assassination attempts and the constant isolation became normalized in her mind. Which was why it was weird to her that, when she became a Genin, she was put on a team with her Brother, her Sister and some Hidden Sand Jonin named Baki. But all that is in the past, now. What's done is done. More to the point, her Father was killed by Orochimaru, and Orochimaru disguised himself as The Fourth Kazekage in his place. And Orochimaru was killed by The Hokage and Kitsune. So all was right with the world, as far as Mori was concerned.
Mori was pulled out of her thoughts when Naruto said, "Hey. What are you doing here?"
Not wanting to answer truthfully, Mori said, "Just observing a deadman." "What do you mean?" Naruto asked. "I heard that Yuki's been coming down here every day, activating that tag on your heart until you defect from the Hidden Leaf, and become a Hidden Sand ninja, or die. And every time, you've refused to join up. Why?" Mori asked. "Why be so resilient in such dire circumstances? Anyone else would've caved in, and put on a Hidden Sand headband." "Well...it's because...
I've got friends back home. Friends who care about me and believe in me. If I cave in right now, and become another village's Shinobi, all of my friends' faith in me would've gone to waste. I would've let them all down. I don't know about your ninjas or the ninjas of any other village, but...friendship, comradeship and the Will of Fire...that is what it means to be a Hidden Leaf ninja." Naruto answered. "But everyone in your village hates you like the villagers here hate me!" Mori shouted. "Not everyone. There's Iruka-Sensei, my Academy teacher, Old Man Hokage, Master Kitsune, Sasuke, and...Izumi-Sensei. Wow, would ya look at me? I almost called Izumi-Sensei 'Mom'. Then again, now that I think about it, I suppose you could say she is like a Mom to me." Naruto said.
"Because our village has its own Jinchuriki. And he...he was hated and feared, too. But he found his own purpose in The Hokage and when he made Genin, he became my student and then...after that...well, he sort of became like a Son to me."
'Weird...' Mori thought. 'Both have the same feelings about each other.' "Also, it's my dream to one day become The Hokage-and surpass all the other Hokage that came before me! But there's no way I can do that in the Hidden Sand Village, now, is there?" Naruto added. Again, Mori hasn't felt love for anyone else in a very, very long time. So seeing these two ninjas love each other as though they were family members even though they are ninjas is contradictory to her. "I...see." Mori said. She wasn't exactly being truthful because, as Mori saw it, Naruto was making two contradictory statements. He's saying all this stuff about faith and love when there are no such things when it comes to the Ninja World, right? Right? Mori's been a ninja for a long time, so only that makes sense and can ever possibly make sense. "Thank you for...enlightening me." "Uh...sure." Naruto replied.
Mori was about to leave when Naruto said something to her that (unbeknownst to her) will stick with her for the rest of her life.
"I...I've heard the other ninjas talk about you. They've talked about you the same way they talked about me back in the Hidden Leaf Village. And from what you've told me just now, the villagers treat you and talk about you the same way. Now, I've not gone through all the same pain as you have, but I don't think it matters because hatred...hatred is always the same. Almost unbearable to endure. The dark and lonely place they force you to be in. I was where you are once simply because I am a Jinchuriki. I've asked myself about why I exist, too. But then, I made friends. Friends who not only believe in me but mean a lot to me. I honestly care about them more than I care about myself. That's why I'll stop anyone who tries to hurt them. Hell, I'd kill them. They saved me from myself. They rescued me from loneliness. They were the first to accept me as who I am instead of judging me for what I hold inside of me. They're my friends. I know you can't understand that. But maybe I'll help you understand." Naruto said. "How?" Mori asked. "Well, to start off, how about we make friends? I'll be your first friend. How does that sound?" Naruto asked in reply. He had a smile on his face. The kind of smile Yashamaru used to have before she was forced to kill him.
Mori looked around, and then she used her sand to get past Naruto's cell's door without unlocking and opening it, and then she menacingly walked towards Naruto.
When she was directly in front of him, Mori threateningly said, "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you."
Naruto's expression turned to anger, and his blue eyes turned from normal blue eyes into fox-like blue eyes. "Because friends don't kill friends." Naruto answered. Mori stepped back, afraid that he was going to change into his Jinchuriki Form.
Mori then used her sand to get out of Naruto's cell without unlocking and opening the door, and then, she got back out of the Hidden Sand's Anbu's HeadQuarters the same way she came in. Naruto's Jinchuriki Form scared Mori more than anything else. She doesn't doubt that if it weren't for that tag on his heart, Naruto would use every Jutsu or ability he has in his arsenal to break out, and run back to the Hidden Leaf Village on his own. Now, she doesn't know if she should see him again or accept his outreach of friendship. Still, she wonders if she can trust him to be her friend.
Thirty meters away from the Hidden Sand Village, both Hiromi and Emiko were continuing to walk and talk. "So...you knew Kushina?" Emiko asked. "Yes. But how do you know Naruto's Mom's name?" Hiromi asked in reply. "We're both spies and our Kage uses us both for the same purpose. You, more than anyone, should know that I can't really reveal that information to you. Let's just say...I have my sources." Emiko told her. "Right. Silly me." Hiromi said while shaking her head. "But anyway, yes, I did know her." "What was she like?" Emiko then asked. "She was...a real beauty. Fiery tomboy who would hurt the boys who were mean to her. I was jealous of her because...well, I thought I was inferior to her. She had all the good looks, all the attention, and, eventually, she married The Fourth Hokage. She was also powerful because she was the second Jinchuriki of The Nine-Tails. And what was I...? Chopped liver...or so I thought." Hiromi explained. She chuckled. "It all seems so petty, now that I think about it..." "Sounds like you had it rough." Emiko commented. "We did. My Sister and I would have arguments almost...all the time, now that I think about it. And when we weren't arguing, we were either fighting side-by-side as Kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf or acting like the loving Sisters we're supposed to be. I met Minato, met his team, and both Kushina and I found this little girl named Rin Nohara to be really cute." Hiromi told her.
"And what was The Fourth Hokage like?" Emiko asked. "I didn't like him all that much. He was reckless, arrogant and cracks very passive-aggressive jokes when it wasn't really the best time. And by that, I mean he would feign respect for his enemies only as a part of a really bad strategy to beat said enemies. There were often times when I thought to myself, 'this guy is lucky to be alive'. I mean, it's either that or, 'he's lucky that strategy worked'. I would sometimes pull him aside, and ask him, 'Did you know it was going to go down like that?' And his answer would sometimes be 'yes' but often, it was a resounding 'no' and he'd also tell me that he was just winging it. That made me scared because my Sister is his Wife and I didn't want to come back to the village to see her crying because Minato died. I told him so myself, and he just didn't listen. Hell, there could've been times when he put other people's lives in danger with his recklessness. My anger towards him only grew bigger after Minato became The Fourth Hokage." Hiromi answered. "Wow. What made it so bad that you changed sides and became a Hidden Mist Kunoichi, though?" Emiko then asked. "The day Kushina became pregnant. The life of a ninja is not always the happiest life and if I had a Nephew, I'd want him far away from this Ninja World of ours. I should've known that it wasn't my place, but one day, I requested-no, more like demanded that Naruto come and live with me because I'd be a pretty bad Aunt if I sat around and did nothing while my Nephew was thrown to the wolves by The Hokage. My Sister, of course, refused and argued against it. We then argued about it three more times weeks after that had happened. Then, on the fourth time I argued about it, I accidentally threatened to take Naruto away if Kushina insisted on making him a ninja. She forced me out of her house after that, and then, she had The Hokage banish me from the village. Our relationship shattered into little tiny pieces after that. More to the point, I knew that I wouldn't get to see Naruto when he's born. So I had to make new plans. Ones that didn't involve Naruto and the Hidden Leaf Village. It started with me becoming a ninja for hire and then, somewhere along the line, I got involved with Mei's Civil War against The Fourth Mizukage. The kid had become a tyrant and everyone hated him as a result of that. I became Mei's little spy and I only did it because Mei said that if our side won the war, I'd be a fully-fledged Hidden Mist Kunoichi. You can probably guess what happened from that point on." Hiromi answered. "I heard about it. Your side won, The Fourth Mizukage somehow died, Mei became The Fifth Mizukage and...that was that, I...guess." Emiko said. "Exactly." Hiromi replied.
"And while I was out spying for Lady Mei and taking out The Fourth Mizukage's Loyalists, I heard chatter about the night of Naruto's birth. The night that is now known as The Nine-Tails Incident. The Nine-Tails came out of the blue, attacked the Hidden Leaf Village, and then...well, according to one account, The Fourth Hokage stepped in, and defeated The Nine-Tails at the cost of his own life or The Nine-Tails had been sealed into a young child. A baby, basically. The rumor was that the child was Naruto. Minato sealed The Nine-Tails inside his own Son. I was honestly unsure if Minato was trying to upset me if that rumor about The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki being Naruto was true, or if sealing The Nine-Tails into Naruto was the only thing he could think of doing. Either way, I wasn't sure what claim to believe until The Fifth Mizukage called me to her office, and showed me reports from The Fourth Mizukage's spies in the Hidden Leaf Village that said the claim that Minato put a monster inside his own Son was a hundred percent true shortly before I went on this mission. Minato had actually sealed The Nine-Tails into Naruto and both Minato and Kushina died in the process of doing so. Even more to the point, Naruto has become a ninja by now. I didn't want him to become a ninja because I knew that he would wind up in situations like this. But I guess that doesn't matter, now, because if he's anything like his Mother, Naruto would want to become a ninja of his own free will and if he's anything like his Father, Naruto might just be such a prodigy that it would be remiss if he didn't become a ninja." Hiromi explained further. "But he's also a Jinchuriki, which means that he'd be drawn into our crazy world whether either of you like it or not." Emiko said. "Good point." Hiromi agreed.
They then finally make it to the entrance of the Hidden Sand Village.
"We'll need to take out those guards soon. There's nowhere to hide." Emiko told Hiromi. "Agreed." Hiromi replied. "Most Hidden Sand ninjas know Wind Style Ninjutsus. I bet that you could take 'em." "I can. Lightning Style is Wind Style's weakness, after all." Emiko agreed.
They walked up to the village's gate guards and...
"Stop right there! Who are you?!" The first ninja shouted. "Hold on...one of 'em's a Hidden Cloud Kunoichi. And the other's a Hidden Mist Kunoichi." The second ninja told him. "They must be here for The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki!" The first ninja shouted. "...or, they could be here for The One-Tail's Jinchuriki instead!" The second ninja shouted in reply. "Quick! Sound the alarm!" The first ninja ordered.
"I don't think so, boys..." Emiko says.
Emiko weaved together three hand signs, and shouted, "Lightning-Style: Thunder Shock Jutsu!" And then, she outstretched her hands towards the two ninjas, and lightning shot out of her hands, and hit the two ninjas before they could react. The two Hidden Sand ninjas then fell down, and went unconscious.
"Huh. Well, that was easy. I wonder how the Hidden Leaf ninjas had such a hard time with them during the invasion of their hidden village." Emiko remarked as she put her hands down. "The Hidden Sand had help from the Hidden Stone, the Hidden Sound and the Hidden Leaf's Foundation." Hiromi told her. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Emiko replied. "Clearly." Hiromi said. "C'mon!"
They then ran into the village.
Once inside the Hidden Sand Village, Hiromi looked as though she just thought of something. "Shit!" Hiromi hissed. "What?" Emiko asked. "We need to hide. The other Hidden Sand ninjas are likely to find the guys you just knocked out with your Lightning Style Jutsu. They might try to raise the alarm. As I said, we'll need to hide until their guard is back down to what it was." Hiromi answered. "Good idea." Emiko said. "Let's go!"
They then ran towards a hiding place somewhere in the Hidden Sand Village.
Meanwhile...Somewhere On The Other Side Of The Hidden Sand Village...
Itachi and Kasumi were hiding inside an abandoned house that appeared to have been condemned for the longest time although, it seemed like no one's demolished it as of yet. They stayed inside this house, only going out in disguise as a Hidden Sand ninja to get some food. The two of them would often go out on these grocery trips together so that Itachi could use his Sharingan to put the store owner into a Genjutsu to convince him to give them the groceries for free just so they didn't have to waste time paying for the food with what little money they had. It was risky because it could expose them since the Genjutsu could last far longer than it needed to, but it was necessary nonetheless.
Kasumi was about to go out on one of these trips again when they heard the alarm. She instead hid inside the house where she and Itachi were staying. "What managed to set them off?" She asked. Itachi came out of the shadows behind Kasumi, and walked up to her. "It was probably because someone has managed to get past the wall guards like I did." Itachi supposed. "Which means we have another ally." Kasumi said. "Sure, but the people coming in could be different people, entirely who are not here for Naruto." Itachi replied. The two of them exchanged looks. "Get some intel. Find out what you can about this. If there is a chance that you might be right, then we may have some more help in freeing Naruto. It also gives me an idea..." Itachi then says. "Of course." Kasumi acknowledged. Kasumi walked out of the house, now intent on gaining information on just who got past the village's wall.
Danzo and his army of three dozen masked ninjas who are members of the Foundation were trudging through a forest in the Land of Fire for hours on end. "Sir, the men have been walking for seven hours. They want to know where we're going." One of the masked ninjas reported. "To one of Orochimaru's hideouts." Danzo answered. That answer inwardly surprised the masked ninja. "Really? There?" The masked ninja asked. "You've heard the intel reports from Torune. The Hidden Leaf has branded us traitors and rogue ninjas." Danzo told him. Earlier, they were temporarily taking shelter in a random town in the Land of Fire just to learn more about current events. With the help of Torune Aburame, they were able to do just that and get a little bit of intel. Which was why they were now headed to one of Orochimaru's hideouts. "It would do us no good if we went back there after the invasion." Danzo added. "In any case, Orochimaru hid numerous hideouts throughout the Five Great Nations-the continent is practically dotted by them right now. We'll head there, and think about our next steps." "Yes, Lord Danzo." The masked ninja acknowledged.
As soon as the Foundation arrived at one of Orochimaru's hideouts, they rushed in, and killed everyone in the hideout just so that the Foundation could take it over without any pushback from the local population.
Danzo toured his new home, examining it purely to assess it's usefulness.
Unsurprisingly, he liked it. He even found a large, spacious throne room with a throne across the room from the room's entrance. Danzo slightly smirked. His dreams of becoming The Hokage may have been quashed thanks to recent events, but maybe that's just what he needs.
Danzo went to sit on the throne, and he began plotting. The time for political maneuvering is over. What needs to happen now, is a hostile takeover. That would take time, though. The Foundation doesn't have the manpower it needs nor the funds to keep a facility running for a very long time. The plan now is to focus on short-term goals that need to take place to ensure that he takes over the Hidden Leaf Village-no matter what the cost.
Danzo started summoning masked ninjas, and giving them orders. The Foundation needs to gain a larger presence within the Five Great Nations. In Danzo's mind, this means going and taking over every other hideout Orochimaru ever had. If Orochimaru's men didn't surrender, and join the Foundation, they were to be killed. Danzo also sent out spies to look in on the world outside of his hideout, which turned into the Foundation's new HeadQuarters. Danzo also sent out Sai, a special agent of his to track Naruto's movements. Thanks to the alliance that the Hidden Sand already shared with the Foundation, the Foundation already knows that Naruto's got a Forbidden Individual Curse Tag placed on his heart.
Sai's job is to tell Danzo when Naruto reentered the Land of Fire so that Danzo, himself, can go out there, and kill the boy. Danzo said he wants to kill Naruto because he ceased to be useful to the Hidden Leaf after that tag was placed on him. And he knows that Naruto definitely won't be useful to the Foundation due to the fact that no one in the Foundation has the power to take control of the tag.
With Hiruzen, Minato, The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki and the Uchiha Clan out of the way, the only powerful ace the Hidden Leaf has up its sleeve is Kitsune, the current Hokage, Izumi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha. And Danzo thinks that those three won't be enough to quell another invasion force.
And if the Foundation takes The Nine-Tails out of the equation completely, taking over the Hidden Leaf Village will be easy for them. Danzo becomes The New Hokage, there will be a brutal, bloody and lethal regime change, and then, Danzo will use the Foundation to scout for new Jinchuriki, and then take said Jinchuriki. Even though they are less powerful than The Nine-Tails, Danzo thinks that either The Six-Tails' Jinchuriki or The Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki will be easier for the Foundation to target since The Six-Tails' Jinchuriki had left the Hidden Mist Village, and become a rogue ninja and The Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki belongs to and is or can be located in the Hidden Waterfall Village, a small hidden village to the northwest of the Land of Fire. History will say that The First Hokage gave The Seven-Tails to the Hidden Waterfall Village as a gesture of good faith so that the smaller villages and nations didn't feel left out. 'It seems we'll need The Seven-Tails back, Hidden Waterfall.' Danzo thought.
A day later, in the Hidden Sand Village, whoever successfully got into the Hidden Sand Village was nowhere to be found and so, they stopped the alarm, and the ninjas went back to their business. Speaking of, a Hidden Sand Shinobi who had half his face covered walked into a bar, and went to sit at a barstool in front of the counter. Behind her, two Hidden Sand Shinobi were sitting at a table, eating and talking.
"Did ya hear about the alert?" The first Shinobi asked. "Who didn't?" The second Shinobi asked in reply. "Oh. I guess you're right. Anyway, they said that two Kunoichi from the Hidden Mist Village and the Hidden Cloud Village took down Eizu and Junta at the entrance before they came in." The first Shinobi said. "Really? Who else was with them?" The second Shinobi then asked. "No one. It was just those two." The first Shinobi answered. "Wow. They must be some pretty powerful Kunoichi to get past our defenses like that and then hide out some
-where around here." The second Shinobi commented. "Agreed. Although, I think the Hidden Mist Kunoichi did all the work." The first Shinobi said. "Why do you think that?" The second Shinobi questioned. "Because those Hidden Mist ninjas have to be tough if they could win a civil war and oust The Fourth Mizukage." The first Shinobi answered. "Ohhh. That makes sense." The second Shinobi then said.
The Hidden Sand Shinobi sitting at the barstool stood up, and waltzed out of the bar before walking to an alleyway, where the Shinobi transformed into Kasumi. That Shinobi was actually Kasumi in disguise. Earlier, she'd used the Transformation Jutsu to transform into a random Hidden Sand Shinobi.
As soon as Kasumi transformed back into her original appearance, Itachi came out of the shadows. "Going in there in disguise was unnecessary." Itachi told her. "I had to. Chizuru is getting suspicious. She says that my family worries for me because I haven't seen them since before we started working together." Kasumi said. Days earlier, Kasumi explained to Itachi who Chizuru is and her role as a village leader in the absence of a Kazekage old enough to rule the village. "Whether or not they are actually worried about me-and I sincerely doubt Chizuru's words-I know that Naruto is more important simply because Haruka is so important to me." "I see." Itachi simply said. "Well, what do you have for me?" "In the bar, I heard these two Shinobi talking about a Hidden Mist Kunoichi and a Hidden Cloud Kunoichi who've taken down two village gate guards, and are currently hiding out somewhere in the village." Kasumi reported. "So it is them-Hiromi and Emiko." Itachi said, thinking out loud. "W-What? Who are you talking about?" Kasumi asked. "The two Kunoichi you mentioned, their names are Hiromi and Emiko. Hiromi is Naruto's Aunt and a lone field spy for The Mizukage. Emiko isn't related to Naruto in any way, shape or form, but she has the same job as Hiromi does-a spy except Emiko's a spy for The Raikage and Emiko's still a Genin. Emiko and Naruto met some time ago when they were capturing Akira." Itachi answered. "How do you know all this?" Kasumi then asked. "I talked with one of the Hidden Sand Shinobi who faced them-other than the two gate guards you mentioned. His description of who 'knocked him the fuck out', as he so colorfully said, matches the descriptions of both Hiromi and Emiko." Itachi answered. "Alright. If that's the case, we'll have to find 'em before the Hidden Sand does. I think they are here for the same reason as you and I." Kasumi said. "Oh, I am almost certain of that, given who they are and their relationship to Naruto." Itachi said. "Then, we request a team-up once we find them." Kasumi then said. "I think so, too." Itachi agreed.
Meanwhile...On The Other Side Of The Hidden Sand Village...
Emiko and Hiromi were in an abandoned building, hiding from the Hidden Sand ninjas who were looking for them. But, the alarm stopped. And there were less ninjas out here, looking for them. "Whew!" Emiko says, breathing a sigh of relief. "I thought they would never stop trying to find us."
Emiko was looking out a window, watching the events taking place outside and looking out for any signs of enemies coming towards the building they're now in while Hiromi sat on the floor behind Emiko, drinking what little water she had left in her water bottle. Emiko turned around, and walked up to Hiromi.
"Well, Uzumaki, what should we do next?" She asked. "Find out where they're holding Naruto." Hiromi answered as she stood up, and put her water bottle away. "That's easier said than done." Emiko replied. "The existence of The Jinchuriki have always been kept as closely-guarded village secrets. Only high-ranking Jonin, the Anbu and maybe experienced Chunin would know about 'em while the rest of the ninjas and maybe the public would see 'em as normal people if they didn't already know that they were a Jinchuriki." "I know." Hiromi said. "So what do we do?" Emiko then asked. "We sneak around and find someone to interrogate." Hiromi answered. "Well...that's a start." Emiko commented.
And so, both Hiromi and Emiko sneak around the Hidden Sand Village, searching for Hidden Sand ninjas to interrogate. But every time they thought they'd found someone, the conversation someone else had with said person that they overheard told them that the person didn't know anything about The Imprisoned Jinchuriki.
After searching for an hour with no results, Emiko and Hiromi decided to split up, and search for the person they needed to interrogate on their own and then regroup in a random alleyway an hour later.
But even that strategy yielded no results so they walked to the alley they talked about just to report what they already knew: they have nothing.
"So, what do we do now?" Emiko asked. Hiromi sighed, and went to lean against a wall. "Honestly, I don't know." She answered. "You're lucky that I happen to be here, then." A somewhat-deep male voice said. Emiko looked to her left, and Hiromi looked to her right. Out of the shadows from that direction came a man with shoulder-length black hair, black eyes who was dressed in a black robe with a red cloud pattern on it. Hiromi stood back up, and walked over to Emiko's side. "Akatsuki..." Emiko says. "Hold on...I recognize this guy from the Bingo Book. You're Itachi Uchiha, aren't you?" Hiromi asked. "Itachi Uchiha?!" Emiko asked. Emiko felt really scared because she knew how dangerous Itachi was. It was at times like this that Emiko wished she hadn't refused to carry a kunai knife or a larger weapon like a sword. "I know who both of you are, too. You're Emiko and you're Hiromi Uzumaki. It is...surprising that Naruto's Aunt would show up here, of all places. I've heard about your bad blood with Naruto's parents." Itachi said. "What can I say? I'm his Aunt and what Kushina and I went through has nothing, nothing to do with him at all." Hiromi argued. "I didn't say that it did." Itachi countered. Hiromi sighed.
"I'm guessing that you're here for Naruto because of his status as a Jinchuriki. Probably want to take him back to the Akatsuki for whatever reason." Hiromi said.
'This is why I told her that making Naruto a ninja is a bad idea.' Hiromi thought.
'I hope we don't die in this fight.' Emiko thought.
"You misunderstand. Though, I cannot say that my presence here isn't for the benefit of the Akatsuki. My...superiors in the Akatsuki told me that this war isn't suitable for the Akatsuki's bigger ambitions. I know that the Hidden Leaf's ninjas are battling the Hidden Sands ninjas at the border of the Land of Wind as we speak. I thought I'd cut the middleman out, and bring Naruto back to the Hidden Leaf Village on my own. But as soon as I got here, I realized that I didn't know this place and taking Naruto wouldn't be as easy as I thought. The ninjas here aren't as merciful as they are in places like the Hidden Leaf Village or the Hidden Waterfall Village. That is why I got some help." Itachi explained.
A woman with long black and purple hair and purple eyes who was dressed in black civilian clothes and black ninja sandals and looked to be two years older than Emiko came out of the shadows behind Itachi, and went to stand next to him. "That was where I came in." The woman said. "Emiko, Hiromi, this is Kasumi, a Hidden Sand Chunin who was guarding the village's gates and wall until she met me." Itachi told them. "We've been out spying on the Hidden Sand's ninjas for longer than you have, and with much more success." Kasumi told them. "How?" Emiko asked. "I know where to look. The two of you don't. Neither did Itachi until I met him." Kasumi answered. "She has been a great ally." Itachi said. Kasumi blushed, and said, "Thanks."
Itachi sighed.
"So what does all that have to do with us?" Emiko asked. "You're here for the same reason as we are, right? To free Naruto, and give him back to the Hidden Leaf?" Itachi asked in reply. "Uh...yeah. The Mizukage likes this war even less than the Akatsuki does." Hiromi answered. "The Raikage feels the same way." Emiko added. "So we are on the same page, then." Itachi said. "We are." Hiromi replied. "But that doesn't explain why Kasumi wants to get Naruto back to the Hidden Leaf Village." "Let's just say...it has to do with my family. If this war drags on any longer...they...will be involved. I can't have that." Kasumi told them.
'I hope she isn't lying...' Both Hiromi and Emiko thought.
"Anyway, I want the two of you to collaborate with the two of us. We already had a plan, but if we had more manpower, we could execute the plan ahead of schedule." Itachi told them, finally answering Emiko's question about what their plans have to do with Emiko, herself, and Hiromi.
Hiromi grumbled, frustrated because she has to work with an Akatsuki member and a traitorous Hidden Sand ninja who may or may not be lying.
"Alright, we'll work with you. Besides, we currently don't know where they're holding Naruto. If we knew that we'd have formed a plan of our own by now." Hiromi said. "Smart choice. Let's start by sharing the intel we already have and the plan. Kasumi..." Itachi says.
Kasumi walked up to the two of them, and said, "Our village's Anbu are holding Naruto in their HeadQuarters' boiler room, which is deep beneath the prison. We also know that Naruto has a Forbidden Individual Curse Tag placed on his heart." "We already know about the tag." Emiko said. "Izumi and The Hokage told me about it when I last visited the Hidden Leaf Village to learn more about the war we're in. Later, I met Hiromi and we joined forces once we learned we were going to the Hidden Sand Village for the same reason." "She's right." Hiromi told Kasumi. But what she isn't telling everyone is that she is considering making Naruto move to the Hidden Mist Village just so that he can live with her or moving to the Hidden Leaf Village and becoming a Hidden Leaf Kunoichi just so that she could be with Naruto. Hiromi saw Itachi's eyes widen just a bit when Emiko mentioned who Hiromi assumed was Izumi Uchiha, the Kunoichi who was reportedly dead after the Uchiha Massacre. This has always confused Hiromi because the Hidden Leaf never made the fact that Izumi survived the Massacre a secret. As soon as Hiromi saw Itachi's slightly-shocked expression, Itachi returned to being as stoic as he reportedly always was.
Kasumi sighed. "Did they tell you that Yuki put the tag on him, too?" She asked. "Yes." Emiko answered. "And I suppose that you know by now that Yuki's a Chunin and a member of our village's Anbu Black Ops." Kasumi assumed. "I didn't!" Hiromi shouted, now frowning because there was one detail Emiko forgot to mention. Itachi walked up to them, and said, "What Emiko did or didn't tell you is irrelevant. We need to focus on our plan." "Right. There's more to the plan. Because of the tag, there's a chance that Yuki might use it to make him come back to them." Kasumi added. "We don't need that." "According to what Izumi told me on our first mission together, the tag was used once before on a friend of Kakashi Hatake's. Her name was Rin Nohara. Several Hidden Mist ninjas came out of nowhere, and kidnapped her. While she was in captivity, they sealed The Three-Tails inside of her and then placed the tag on her heart. Their plan was to have the tag make The Three-Tails come out of Rin, and make it go on a rampage as soon as Rin returned to the Hidden Leaf Village. If their plan succeeded...well, let's just say that an attack on the scale of The Nine-Tails Incident would've had a precedent but the Hidden Leaf ninjas would've at least had an easier time defeating it or sealing it away since The Three-Tails is way less powerful than The Nine-Tails. Anyway, somehow, Rin became aware of their plans, and she told Kakashi to strike her in the heart since they didn't have any other way to remove the tag at the time. Obviously, both knew that would've killed her, but, again, they had no choice. Especially not with the Hidden Mist ninjas chasing them for the sole purpose of getting them closer to the Hidden Leaf Village. Kakashi absolutely refused to do that. Anyway, they instead stopped off in this clearing, and fought the Hidden Mist ninjas together. But no matter how much they fought, they knew that there was still only one other choice if they didn't want the Hidden Leaf Village destroyed by The Three-Tails. And so, Rin made the ultimate decision that saved the Hidden Leaf Village. She ran towards Kakashi, and put herself in between him and the Hidden Mist Shinobi he was going to use his Chidori on. Kakashi wanted to stop, but he couldn't...I guess you could guess what happened from that point onwards. After Rin died, Kakashi fell down, and went unconscious. For some unknown reason, all the other enemies were somehow killed after Rin died and Kakashi fell unconscious. Kakashi was brought back to the village, and so was Rin. The rest was history." Emiko explained. "Wait...you don't mean..." Hiromi says, on the verge of crying. "I'm sorry, but if that same tag is on his heart, he has to die." Emiko said in a grim tone of voice.
"That isn't our only solution to this problem." Itachi said. "What do you mean?" Emiko asked. "As we all know, Yuki is the one who put the tag on Naruto and the one who uses it to control Naruto. And to put that sort of tag on someone, you'd have to use a certain Jutsu and in my experience, every Jutsu has its weakness. In this Jutsu's case, the Jutsu's weakness is its caster. If we kill Yuki before we extract Naruto, we can take Naruto back to the Hidden Leaf Village without any other problems at all." Itachi answered. Emiko didn't like the fact that they had to kill someone as young as Yuki, but if that's the only other way, it's the only other way. And she'll be damned if she has to see Naruto die because of this Jutsu. Hiromi, on the other hand, didn't see any problem with this because she wants to get revenge on Yuki for putting Naruto in this predicament in the first place. "Alright. I will go and deal with Yuki. Is that alright by you, Itachi?" Hiromi asked. "It is. Kasumi will back you up and help you if you face any resistance. Meanwhile, Emiko and I will rescue Naruto." Itachi told them. "Sounds like a plan." Emiko said.
Three days later, Itachi's plan went into motion. First, Hiromi and Kasumi went looking for Yuki. Interestingly, they found that she was one of the Anbu guarding The One-Tail's Jinchuriki. 'Maybe I will take their Jinchuriki if Itachi's plan fails.' Hiromi thought.
They snuck into The One-Tail's Jinchuriki's House, and then, they stealthily killed every Anbu in their way just so they could get to Yuki, who was standing outside The One-Tail's Jinchuriki's bedroom. Yuki was walking around until she saw Hiromi and Kasumi standing in front of her. "So...I was right. You are a spy for the Akatsuki." Yuki said. "I...suppose you could say that." Kasumi replied. "We've been watching you, you know." Yuki also replied. "Of course we knew. Why do you think we went up close to each other, and only whispered our plans to each other?" Kasumi asked. "We still heard everything. Your plan to kill me, then free The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and then go all the way back to the Hidden Leaf Village like the war didn't even happen." Yuki said. "Don't worry. This little rescue attempt will be put down shortly." 'It may be possible that we've been made.' Hiromi thought.
"Then I suppose that you also already know that we have Itachi on our squad. And last I checked, no one has ever beaten Itachi and the only people who could beat Itachi are either already dead or too young and inexperienced to be considered a threat to him." Hiromi said. "Everyone else would just be considered an amateur." "Maybe, but that won't stop us from trying." Yuki replied. "I say we stop talking, and start fighting." Kasumi said. "Good idea." Hiromi agreed.
Both Hiromi and Kasumi pulled out kunai knives, and charged towards Yuki with their kunai knives raised. Yuki pulled out two kunai knives, and prepared to use them to defend herself. As soon as they got close enough to Yuki, both Hiromi and Kasumi started swinging at Yuki with their kunai knives. Yuki blocked their attacks to the best of her ability, but there were a few times where Yuki would get cut or hit or slashed by either Hiromi or Kasumi's kunai knife.
Meanwhile...In The Hidden Sand's Anbu's HeadQuarters...
Two Anbu guards were standing outside the door to the Anbu's prison on either side of said door, bored as any member of the Anbu can be in this situation, no matter what hidden village they're from. "Man, I wish I wasn't here, at Head
-Quarters, guarding some dumb door. This is not what I signed up for when I joined the Anbu!" The second Anbu guard said. The first Anbu guard sighed, annoyed by his partner's complaining. "Will you be quiet?" Asked the first Anbu guard. "Why? There's nothing else to do around here! Why are we guarding this door, anyway? We never used to care all too much about that place." The second Anbu guard said, referring to the Anbu's prison. "It's full of dissenters and S-Class Criminals, right?" "Yes. But for the past few weeks, it's also been holding The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." The first Anbu guard answered. The second Anbu guard was shocked. "The-The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki?! He's here?!" He shouted. "Yes. Now, shut up, and do your job." The first Anbu guard ordered. "Yes Sir." The second Anbu guard acknowledged.
But then, out of nowhere, the second Anbu guard was killed "What the-?" The first Anbu guard asks. He looked around until he was stabbed from behind. Both fell down, and died.
Then, Itachi and Emiko came out of the shadows, both of whom had a kunai knife in hand. Emiko sighed. "It's a shame." She said as she handed the kunai knife in her hand back to Itachi. Itachi put away both kunai knives. "I've never liked to kill. But in this case, I have to set my personal rules against killing aside because the Anbu are full of killers." "That's one thing that separates a ninja from a psycho
-path or a murderer; their opinion on killing." Itachi replied. "Well, then, let's just be grateful that we don't like killing. I would hate to see myself become a serial killer..." Emiko says. "Let's get inside." Itachi told her. "Of course." Emiko replied.
Emiko walked up to the steel door and used a complex Lightning Style Ninjutsu called the Disintegration Jutsu to destroy the door without making much, if any, noise. "Impressive." Itachi remarked. They walked through the doorway, and walked down the stairs. "So...Izumi's alive?" Itachi asked. "Yeah but she hates you, though." Emiko said. "Understandable." Itachi replied. "I've also heard from other Hidden Leaf ninjas that the Massacre affected her personal life. Because you were her boyfriend, she hasn't had any other relationships because...well, I guess it's because of paranoia about how they might turn out like you but, in my personal opinion, that's in-I should stop talking right now, shouldn't I?" Emiko asked. Itachi thought back to the time he told Izumi about his problems with the clan and had sex with her just a day or two before the Massacre. 'Wait, was it a day or two? I can't remember anymore. Must be because I was too busy killing everyone and traumatizing Sasuke.' Itachi thought.
"No, that's alright. I feel like she has the right to be paranoid but it is no less insane, as you were going to say." Itachi said. "Oh. Okay, then." Emiko replied. "Aside from worrying about what her next date might be like, what else has my ex been up to?" Itachi asked. "Well...she's a Jonin, now and she is-was, that is, until Naruto was taken-a Sensei to three Genin. Those three Genin were: Sasuke Uchiha, Yuki Nohara and, of course, Naruto Uzumaki." Emiko answered. "Yuki was on Naruto and Sasuke's Genin Squad?" Itachi then asked, surprised. "Yeah. That was how Yuki got close enough to Naruto to put the tag on his heart and then steal him away during the invasion." Emiko answered. "Izumi also told me that Yuki told Sasuke the truth about why the Uchiha Massacre happened in the first place. I guess it was to make them fight each other-figuratively speak
-ing-while Yuki ran away with Naruto. On top of that, this old guy named Danzo Shimura and the Foundation covered her escape. Sasuke must be very conflicted right now." "I wouldn't blame him. I used Tsukuyomi to torture him and make him hate me after the Massacre. Now, because of what Yuki did, I'm not sure if that's possible." Itachi said. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that you had to kill your whole clan to end the coup they were planning." Emiko said. "There is no need to feel sorry for me." Itachi replied.
'Sasuke, I hope you don't do something stupid.' Itachi thought.
After an hour of walking past the prison and down some more stairs, both Emiko and Itachi finally find Naruto's cell. They found Naruto laying on his bed, in really bad shape. He was now just wearing just a black shirt with the Uzumaki crest on the front of it and an orange pair of pants. His blue and orange jacket, navy blue Hidden Leaf headband and navy blue ninja sandals were all gone. So were his shuriken holster and ninja tool pouch. Naruto was shivering and breaking out into a cold sweat even though it's very, very, very hot in his cell. "Holy shit!" Emiko hissed, commenting on Naruto's state. 'So the intel reports about his poor treatment were true.' Itachi thought. "I'll...never...give up..." Naruto says. "Who is he talking to?" Emiko whispered. "That must be the delirium settling in." Itachi whispered in reply. Itachi then used a Genjutsu to incapacitate Naruto. "What are you doing?" Emiko then hissed. "Don't worry, he's just asleep. I can't have him knowing I'm here. Also, he's very sick. This just makes things easier." Itachi briefly explained. Itachi then picked Naruto's cell's door's lock, and then opened the door. "Go in." "Why me?" Emiko asked. "He trusts you more than me." Itachi answered. Emiko sighed.
Emiko rushed into the cell, got Naruto, and jogged out of the cell before Itachi closed the cell's door.
After that, they walked out of the Hidden Sand's Anbu's HeadQuarters, and then they went to the abandoned house Itachi and Kasumi were staying at. Emiko laid Naruto down on the floor. "I hope whatever he caught isn't contagious." Emiko quipped. Emiko then turned towards Itachi, who was keeping watch near a window. "So, how long is the Genjutsu going to last?" She asked. "For as long as I need it to-or as long as he's near me. If we got separated, and went further and further away from each other, the Genjutsu would break, and he might wake up." Itachi answered. So now, Itachi and Emiko are waiting for Hiromi and Kasumi to kill Yuki before they make it out of the Hidden Sand Village.
Back In The Hall Outside The One-Tail's Jinchuriki's Bedroom...
'This fight is harder than I thought it'd be.' Hiromi thought. Yuki was putting up quite a fight. She even managed to hit Kasumi three times but luckily, Kasumi is still alive and she can still fight.
'I just wish I could use an offensive mid or long-range Jutsu but that would end up damaging the house and I don't need to alert the other Hidden Sand ninjas to what we're doing here.' Hiromi also thought. 'I can't use explosives or projectiles either.'
Both Hiromi and Kasumi crossed blades with Yuki using their kunai knives. They did this three times until Hiromi got hit twice by Yuki's kunai knives. Both Hiromi and Kasumi stepped back. "Are you okay?" Kasumi asked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I can still fight." Hiromi answered. "The more important problem is ending this fight quickly."
Hiromi then got an idea. "Kasumi, can you create a distraction?" She asked. Kasumi nodded in reply. "Good." Hiromi then said. "Why do you need a distraction?" Kasumi asked. "There isn't any time to explain." Hiromi said. "Just go!"
Kasumi charged towards Yuki to continue the kunai knife fight. "Why are you doing this? How do you know that Itachi won't just take Naruto back to the Akatsuki?" Yuki asked while both she and Kasumi fought. "Because keeping Naruto here will only hurt the village in the long run. Also...I don't want my Little Sister to be embroiled in a war which both the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Stone started. She deserves to be a Genin taking on D-Rank missions instead of growing up too fast and learning the harsh realities of war if not dying as a result of said war. Also, I've come to realize that Itachi, unlike many other rogue ninjas, is truly a man of honor and integrity. Plus, he's told me that this war isn't ideal for the Akatsuki so he wants to bring a quick end to it all. So...I teamed up with him because we share the same goal." Kasumi explained. "I think your Sister would be honored to serve and sacrifice herself to protect the Hidden Sand Village." Yuki replied. "She is a child, for Kami's sake!" Kasumi argued.
Then, Hiromi joined the fight. "Excellent. I was wondering when you'd be back." Yuki said. She blocked both Kasumi and Hiromi's strikes four times until Yuki was unexpectedly stabbed in the back. She looked behind herself, and saw another Hiromi. The fight stopped, and Yuki looked at Hiromi. "...how?" Yuki then asked. "I casted the Water Clone Jutsu and then had the clone cast the Hiding In Water Jutsu. I came in just in time to get you to stand with your back to the little puddle you didn't notice. Then, the clone came out of the puddle, and stabbed you." Hiromi answered. "So that was why you asked me for the distraction..." Kasumi says. "Clever." "I...wish...I could say...that this won't...change anything...but you and I...both know that to be a...lie." Yuki said to Hiromi. The clone then pulled it's kunai knife out of Yuki's back, and Yuki fell down, and died. Hiromi then dispelled the Water Clone, and the Water Clone disappeared. Hiromi and Kasumi put their kunai knives away. "Well, that was...anticlimactic." Kasumi commented. "But it was what she deserved." Hiromi replied. "C'mon, let's rendezvous with Itachi before he thinks something's gone wrong." Kasumi told her. "Uh...right." Hiromi replied. Kasumi turned around, and ran off.
Hiromi looked down at Yuki's corpse, and muttered, "I hope you rot in Hell."
After that, Hiromi followed Kasumi out of the house. But unbeknownst to the both of them, The One-Tail's Jinchuriki was watching the entire fight. And so was one of the other Anbu whose sole purpose was to watch Itachi's group.
Three hours later, Hiromi and Kasumi finally met up with Itachi and Emiko at the house both Itachi and Kasumi had been staying at, which was the rendezvous point. Hiromi and Kasumi went inside the house to meet with Itachi and Emiko.
"Finally. You're back." Emiko said. Both groups of two walked up to each other. "How did your part of the plan go?" Itachi asked. "Yuki put up a Hell of a fight, but, long story short, we still killed her." Hiromi said with pride. "And what about Naruto?" Kasumi asked. "We extracted him with ease but...he's in pretty bad shape. He has a very high fever and has possibly been malnourished and dehydrated. All this is probably due to the toll the tag was taking on his heart and everything else they might've done to torture him." Emiko told both Hiromi and Kasumi. The four of them then looked at Naruto, who was still laying on the floor on the top-right corner of the abandoned house. "Holy shit..." Hiromi mutters. "I bet if we got him just a day or two later, he'd be dead." Emiko added. They then turned back to face each other. "We've done everything we can to stabilize his condition, but that won't be enough. He needs a Hospital." Itachi also added. "Then it's essential that we bring him back to the Hidden Leaf Village as fast as possible." Hiromi said. "Agreed." Itachi replied. Suddenly, Kasumi said, "I hear movement outside. There's possibly...six of them. Maybe more." "What? How do you know?" Hiromi asked. "It's a Kekkei Genkai similar to what the Hidden Leaf's Inuzuka Clan has. She can smell chakra and she has cat-like abilities as well as the ability to make cat-like claws protrude from her fingers. The types of Taijutsus she uses are also related to cats." Itachi answered. "So her family is the cat version of the Inuzuka Clan. Nice." Emiko quipped. "Why didn't you use these abilities when we were fighting Yuki?" Hiromi asked Kasumi. "My clan's Jutsus take up a Hell of a lot of chakra but it would take far less chakra if I had my Ninja Cat or summoned a Cat. And there was no time to use the Summoning Jutsu in that fight. Also...Cats can be really reluctant to help you unless there's something in it for them." Kasumi answered. "But even then, they might not be all that helpful." "Aren't most summoning animals unwilling to help you unless you have something that interests them?" Emiko asked. "Yes but Cats are especially transactional because they are, at their very cores, Cats." Itachi answered. "Look, the whims of summoning animals are not the main concern right now." Kasumi said. "What do we do against the forces that are coming our way?" "Maybe we should fight them...?" Emiko asks. "There are only six of them and four of us." "I know another way that will not require such bloodshed. Here's what we do..." Itachi says.
Later...
Itachi, who had Naruto in his arms, went outside with Emiko, Hiromi and Kasumi and were about to turn left, and run to the village's exit when they were surrounded by five Hidden Sand ninjas, the Three Sand Siblings, a Hidden Sand Jonin named Baki (Kasumi told them that his name was Baki just two days earlier) and...Chizuru.
"But...how?" Kasumi asked. "Yuki told us of your plan as soon as we caught wind of this little group of yours. But I'm afraid this is where it ends. The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki will be back in his cell, and you will all die. And don't worry too much about your Sister, Kasumi. She will die for a worthy cause." Chizuru told her. Kasumi struggled to contain her anger, but she calmed herself down all the same. "And what 'cause' is that?" Kasumi then asked. "What 'cause' would justify putting my Sister on the battlefield at such a young age?" "You already know the answer to that question, don't you? For crying out loud, The Kazekage told us the cause. It's for the people and to remind the Feudal Lord of the Land of Wind of our strength. You've seen the state of the village; the poverty, the lack of food or water, the low quality of living that makes villagers leave the village every day. We're fighting to protect the village meanwhile, you and your little group are only fighting for your petty selfish desires." Chizuru answered. "That was Orochimaru misleading us, though!" Kasumi argued. "Who cares?" Chizuru asked. "Surrender Naruto Uzumaki and submit yourselves for execution at once!" Baki commanded. "I'm thinkin'...'no'. I'd rather keep being alive, thank you very much." Emiko quipped. Itachi then handed Naruto over to Emiko. "You and Hiromi take Naruto. Kasumi and I will handle them." Itachi ordered. Emiko nodded, and then both Emiko and Hiromi turned left, ran, barreled past the three ninjas in the way, and kept running. Those ninjas got back up, turned around, and one of them shouted, "Hey! Get back here!" And then they chased after both Emiko and Hiromi. Itachi then casted a Fireball Jutsu at both Baki and Chizuru and both Baki and Chizuru jumped to dodge the Ninjutsu. Temari then casted a Wind Style Jutsu at Itachi, and then Kasumi got in between Itachi and Temari's Jutsu, and casted the Great Fireball Jutsu to counter Temari's Jutsu. Temari had to block the Great Fireball Jutsu with her fan. After that, Itachi said, "There's too many of them. We should run."
Kasumi nodded, and both Itachi and Kasumi turned right, and barreled past the ninjas blocking the path. The ninjas got back up, and then, the five ninjas, the Three Sand Siblings, Baki and Chizuru chased after them until Kankuro (one of the Three Sand Siblings) took out one of his puppets while running, and used it to catch both Itachi and Kasumi.
Later, both Itachi and Kasumi were taken to an alley and made to sit on the ground with their hands tied behind their back while Chizuru, Baki and the Three Sand Siblings stood on the roof overlooking the alleyway. Two Hidden Sand ninjas stood on either side of Kasumi and Itachi with their kunai knives pointed at both Kasumi and Itachi. "Well, now, that was a good run, but, ultimately, it was going to lead to failure anyways." Chizuru said. "It is anticlimactic, though, how Clan-Killer Itachi Uchiha is not only defeated so easily, but is also about to die in the most mundane way possible." "Itachi Uchiha, Kasumi Nekomata, you are sentenced to death for your crimes here today." Baki declared. "Chizuru, I think we should stop and rethink this." The One-Tail's Jinchuriki said. "Quiet, Mori." Baki told her. "On my mark...NOW!" Chizuru shouted. The ninjas on either side of Kasumi and Itachi swung at them with their kunai knives, but as soon as the blades made impact with Kasumi and Itachi, Kasumi and Itachi fell down, presumably died, and then...they disappeared as though they were just a mirage.
"What the-!?" Baki shouted. "What just happened?" Chizuru asked. "Did they use the Teleportation Jutsu?" Kankuro asked. "No, they were most definitely dead. We saw them die." Chizuru answered. "I wonder about that..." Mori mutters. Then, two more Hidden Sand ninjas appeared to the left of Chizuru using the Teleportation Jutsu. "Sir!" One of them shouted. Chizuru turned to her left, and the two ninjas walked up to her. "What is it?" Chizuru asked. "A squad has reported that they've both killed the Kunoichi from the Hidden Mist and the Hidden Cloud and caught The Jinchuriki, but then, their corpses disappeared, and so did The Jinchuriki." The first ninja reported. "A couple of gate guards have reported seeing all four of them leaving the village with The Jinchuriki in tow before they were killed." The second ninja reported. "And what of the other gate guards?" Chizuru asked. "All incapacitated." The second ninja reported. "I knew it." Mori said as she walked up to Chizuru and the ninjas from behind both ninjas. "What do you mean, Mori?" Baki asked, turning to face Mori. "Itachi used Genjutsu Clones of all four of them and Naruto to make us think we've won. As Chizuru said, Itachi's defeat was all too easy." Mori answered. "Then we were all fooled." Temari concluded. "Correct." Mori then said. "But...that's ridiculous...when were we...?" Chizuru asks. "Itachi is known for using objects, whether it's his Sharingan or that strange red ring that's reportedly on his right ring finger to put his opponents in a Genjutsu." Mori answered. Everyone gave her strange looks, thinking that she's been some unthinking monster this whole time. "Unlike what you'd like to think, I'm not some unthinking monster. I like to read intel reports in my spare time."
Baki looked to be deep in thought, thinking when they could've been under Itachi's Genjutsu until he looked like he figured it out. "That's it! Itachi didn't have his Sharingan activated, but I did see that ring of his." Baki then said. "So did I." Mori said. The others said that they saw the ring, too.
Chizuru growled. "Damn it!" She yelled. "What do we do, Commander Chizuru?" One of the Hidden Sand ninjas asked. "We need to go after them! If we lose The Jinchuriki, we have no reason to continue this war. Go!" Chizuru ordered. "Yes Commander!" The Hidden Sand ninjas all shouted. "I'm afraid that won't be happening." Mori said before using her sand to kill the two ninjas standing in front of Chizuru. "Mori! What do you think you are doing?!" Baki shouted. "Bringing an end to this war. And also making sure that a fellow Jinchuriki can see his friends once again." Mori answered. "So this is really about love, is it?" Kankuro said. Suddenly, Temari walked over to Mori's side, and turned around to face the other ninjas. "No...not you too!" Kankuro then shouted. "Temari, why!?" Chizuru asked. "Because Kasumi and Mori are right-this war can't continue on. The war will drain way more of our funds than if there was no war at all. I'd also prefer it if millions of people didn't suffer and die because of this war. Including our own." Temari answered. "Truth is, I've been against this war from the very beginning. But I was too afraid to speak up because that position is unpopular right now but now, because of Kasumi and Mori, I've decided that enough is enough!" Temari continued.
"You do realize what's going to happen as a result of insubordination, right?" Chizuru asked. "You'll be sentenced to death." Baki told them. "I fucking doubt it. We're the children of The Fourth Kazekage. You wouldn't dare." Temari said. "That old man is dead. And oh, I would." Chizuru replied. "There's something else you don't understand. If you do this, if you stand in our way right now, it's not just yourselves that will be slated for execution-Kankuro will too because he's associated with a couple of traitors. And so will I." Baki told them. Kankuro was surprised to hear this information.
"Mori, Temari, don't do this!" Kankuro shouted. "I'm sorry, Kankuro, but we can't just stand aside." Temari replied. "Fine, then, come at us with all you have! We'll do the same. It doesn't matter if you're the children of The Kazekage." Baki said. "We'd like to see you try." Mori smugly said.
In the Hokage's office in the Hidden Leaf Village, Izumi was delivering her mission report to The Fifth Hokage, who was sitting at her desk in the office. Standing beside Izumi were Sasuke, Shikamaru and Nezuko.
"...and that was what happened." Izumi said, finishing the report. "Did they really kill The Raikage and The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki?" Lady Fifth asked. "Yes, Lady Hokage. We saw it with our own eyes." Sasuke answered. "They're probably spreading lies and saying that we killed The Raikage and The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki as we speak." Shikamaru said. "I wouldn't put it past 'em. The Hidden Cloud has been known to betray its own allies if they think that it's for the benefit of their own village." Sasuke said. Lady Fifth sighed. "Is there anyone we can trust?" She then asked. "The Hidden Mist probably wo-" "That was a rhetorical question, Sasuke." Lady Fifth said, interrupting Sasuke. "Who knew that a simple mission like that could go so wrong..." "So...what do we do?" Sasuke asked. "Nothing. For now. You all did well, considering the circumstances. I think you all deserve a good break before you're all deployed to the front lines." Lady Fifth said. "Dismissed." "Yes Sir!" Izumi, Shikamaru, Sasuke and Nezuko all shouted.
All four of said ninjas then turned around, and left the room one-by-one.
Meanwhile, the war was getting more and more bloody as time went on. And other events took place, as well. The Hidden Stone Village had named Onoki's Daughter-In-Law, a brown-haired blue-eyed Kunoichi named Saki, it's Fourth Tsuchikage. Both the Hidden Sand Village and the Hidden Cloud Village still haven't named a New Raikage and Kazekage. Out in the Land of Fire, the Hidden Leaf ninjas are fighting ninjas from the Hidden Sand Village and the Hidden Stone Village and now, they're fighting Hidden Cloud ninjas, too.
Back in the Hidden Leaf Village, Izumi, Shikamaru, Sasuke and Nezuko are each minding their own business. Izumi was talking with and grieving over Asami's loss with Anko and her other friends, Shikamaru was lazily lying down on the grass in the park while staring up at the clouds, Sasuke was patrolling the streets because he's got nothing better to do and Nezuko is at Training Ground Three, training possibly harder than Naruto ever did while brooding over the deaths of Asami, Sora and Takeshi. She thought that her parents were the last people she would lose but she was clearly wrong.
Every time Nezuko hit a training dummy with her kunai knife, she just got angrier and angrier because the images of the corpses of her Sensei, her friends and her parents kept flashing through her mind. They make her want to destroy the very things that took them from her. 'I...hate them! All of them!' Nezuko thought.
Weeks passed, and Nezuko's anger never got any better.
Nezuko backflipped away from the training dummies at Training Ground Three after hitting each of them twenty-seven times with her kunai knife and then, she put away her kunai knife, and weaved together seven hand signs, and shouted, "Dark-Style: Shadow Ball!" And then a large purple energy ball formed above Nezuko, and shot towards the training dummies. The energy ball hit the training dummies, and then, Nezuko weaved together four hand signs, and shouted, "Ninja Art: Lightning Ball!" And then, several balls made of yellow lightning appeared around Nezuko, and shot towards the training dummies. The lightning balls hit the training dummies just like the shadow ball did, and then, Nezuko pulled out another kunai knife, and charged towards one of the training dummies while wielding her kunai knife in a forward stabbing position.
Suddenly, a familiar voice shouted, "That's enough!"
Then, Sasuke appeared to Nezuko's left, and stopped her by grabbing hold of the arm that was holding the kunai knife. Nezuko stopped. She tried to break free of Sasuke's grip. "Let...go!" She shouted. "What are you doing?" Sasuke asked. "What do you think I'm doing-I'm training." Nezuko answered. "At the expense of your own health? You're tired as fuck, man. You should go home, and take a rest." Sasuke told her. "But...I can't. I know I'll be reassigned and if I stop now...my team will all die again. No, I have to protect them because I couldn't protect my old team." Nezuko replied. "I said you should go take a rest, not that you should stop training forever. But there's a difference between training and unnecessarily wearing yourself out." Sasuke told her. "But...But..." Nezuko cuts herself off because her chakra is dangerously low and because she doesn't have the strength to argue anymore. Nezuko stopped squirming, and Sasuke slowly let go of her arm. Nezuko put away her kunai knife, and then turned left, and went to hug Sasuke.
Sasuke blushed as Nezuko hugged him and cried on his left shoulder. His Uchiha pride wants him to push her off of him and scold her for embarrassing him. But the empathetic part of him knows that she's grieving right now and because of that, the last thing she needs is a cold shoulder. Plus, her hug feels so...right. And he doesn't know why. So he hugs her back.
Sasuke looked around for Izumi-Sensei, wanting to tell her about his worries about Nezuko. He'd only met that girl for one mission and yet...yet, he can't help but to think of ways to help her with her grief. What her family told him about her situation isn't helping it, either. 'In fact, it only made it make more sense.' Sasuke thought. After two hours, he was going to give up on looking when he found Izumi
-Sensei talking with that snake lady from the Chunin Exams sitting across the table from each other and eating dango at this dango restaurant. Sasuke sighed. 'Good a place as any to talk about Nezuko's worsening state of mind.' He thought.
Sasuke turned to face the restaurant, and shouted, "Hey! Sensei!" The two women noticed him, and waved at him. "Can I come in and sit with you?" "Of course." Izumi-Sensei answered.
Overhead, Sasuke saw a crow fly by as he walked into the restaurant.
Sasuke then went to sit on the seat next to Izumi-Sensei's. "So, you're Sasuke Uchiha, huh?" The snake lady asked. "Yeah. What's it to you?" Sasuke answered. Izumi-Sensei chuckled. "Sasuke, this is Anko Mitarashi. She's a Special Jonin." She told him. "Yeah. I heard about her. Saw her in the Chunin Exams." Sasuke said. "Hello! I'm right here!" Anko interjected. "I'm sorry, Anko. It's just that Sasuke is disrespectful even at the best of times." Izumi-Sensei told her. "I'm sorry, okay?" Sasuke said while pouting. "Sasuke, you're a Chunin! You can't act like that anymore." Izumi-Sensei told him. "Why're you here anyway, kid? You look so down in the dumps. You haven't even ordered any dango." Anko said. "I'm here to talk to Izumi-Sensei." Sasuke answered. "About Nezuko." "Nezuko?" Anko then asked. "Nezuko Shimura. She's this new Genin that's fresh from the Academy." Sasuke briefly explained. "Oh. That Nezuko. Yeah, I heard about her. Ain't she the kid who almost got killed by Danzo after her parents died?" Anko questioned. "Danzo also just so happens to be her Grandfather." Izumi-Sensei told her. "Damn. I knew the old bastard was cold, but I never expected him to be the 'kill your family' kind of cold." Anko remarked. "We're talking about a guy who was just one of the people who ordered Itachi to wipe out our entire clan." Sasuke said. "So don't say shit to me about what you do and don't expect him to do when it comes to killing family members!" "Calm down, kid. Jeez..." Anko says.
"Should've expected that this was a sore topic..." Anko then says. "You think?" Izumi-Sensei asked. "Anyway, Nezuko graduated after the invasion happened." "But that's not all, Sensei." Sasuke said. "Oh?" Izumi-Sensei asked. "Earlier today, I caught her training herself harder than Naruto ever did. She looked to me like she was tiring herself out. Or was going to, anyway. I stopped her, and, after I gave her a little talking to, I...she...I took her home. That was where I met her Aunt. I told her Aunt that Nezuko had tired herself out training for the past week. I was surprised to see that Nezuko's Aunt wasn't all that shocked to hear that news." Sasuke explained. "Did you ask her why?" Izumi-Sensei asked. "Yeah. She told me that Danzo used to brutally train her every night in secret. He would teach her very complex Ninjutsus and tell her that the reason why she couldn't go to bed instead was that her training 'was for the good of the village'. So every school day ended up becoming 'lazy day' at the Academy for her. After I heard all of that, it made sense to me that she'd be out there every day and night for the past week, training. She probably doesn't understand the difference between training and dying of chakra exhaustion." Sasuke answered. "And how do you know this kid?" Anko asked. "He and I were on a mission with Nezuko, the two other Genin that were on Nezuko's team, Asami-Sensei, who was the leader of Nezuko's team, and Shikamaru." Izumi-Sensei answered. "We were up against the Akatsuki and...Asami died. Nezuko and just one of her teammates wanted to take revenge against the Akatsuki member who killed Asami. I convinced them not to go down that road, and just left because Izumi-Sensei told us to-thank you Izumi-Sensei." Sasuke added. "You're welcome." Izumi-Sensei replied. "Why were you up against the Akatsuki, of all people?" Anko asked. "Those guys are all dangerous S-Class Criminals." "The Hokage had intel about The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki being held by the Akatsuki in the Land of Rivers. We went there, met up with a team from the Hidden Cloud Village led by The Fourth Raikage, who was there because The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki just so happens to be The Raikage's Brother, we freed The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, Asami-Sensei died because she was a part of the group that was fighting the Akatsuki, I told Shikamaru, Sasuke and Nezuko's team to free The Jinchuriki while that group I mentioned and I engaged the Akatsuki members, we freed The Jinchuriki, took down the Akatsuki members, made our escape, and I trapped the Akatsuki in the base where they were holding The Jinchuriki." Izumi-Sensei explained. "Sounds like a mission that went well." Anko commented. "It would've-if those bastards from the Hidden Cloud hadn't betrayed us." Sasuke said. "While we were camping out in the Land of Rivers at night, the Hidden Cloud ninjas killed their own Raikage and their own Jinchuriki and tried to say that we were the ones who did it. And...that was when it happened." Izumi-Sensei added. "Two Hidden Cloud ninjas killed both of Nezuko's teammates before she woke up. Hell, I'm surprised she even survived that mess considering those kids were barely awake before those ninjas got to them." Sasuke said.
"Long story short, it sounds like she's grieving." Izumi-Sensei said. "And not in a healthy way, by the sounds of it. And it sounds like Sasuke wants to help her." "Now, why would that be?" Anko asked. "You were only together on a team for like a week, right? And you've never met before then so-" Anko interrupted herself when she saw Sasuke blushing. He also started to feel a bulge in his pants. Both women started to chuckle. "Oh, I think you're starting to understand why." Izumi-Sensei said to Anko. "Cut it out! Jeez, you're making this into something that it's not!" Sasuke shouted out of embarrassment. "Besides, it's not like I can help her on my own."
"Alright, alright. We'll figure something out between the two of us. Besides, I think I've got a pretty good idea of how to start." Izumi-Sensei told him. "Thank you. That's all I'm asking for." Sasuke said before he stood up, and left the restaurant.
Kitsune was having a very difficult time. 'Kami, Sensei.' She thought. 'Why did you have to make me, of all people, The Fifth Hokage?'
Several hours earlier, Kitsune was in the War Room in the Hokage's Tower, looking at the situation as it is. First, it was the Hidden Stone ninjas and Hidden Sand ninjas fighting the Hidden Leaf ninjas all across the Land of Fire while Hidden Cloud ninjas have been reported to have turned against the Hidden Leaf, and are now encroaching on the Land of Frost and the Land of Steam's borders to fight the Hidden Leaf ninjas in the Land of Fire. But like with the Hidden Grass ninjas, the Hidden Valley ninjas, and the Hidden Rain ninjas, the Hidden Steam and Hidden Frost ninjas can only do so much to stop the Hidden Cloud ninjas from advancing further. Evidently, the Hidden Grass, Hidden Valley and Hidden Rain have all failed in that regard otherwise there wouldn't be fighting in the northwestern and southwestern parts of the Land of Fire. To make matters worse, Kitsune had recently received a letter from the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire telling her that he gave his ninjas no permission to start fighting a war in the Land of Fire and to stop the fighting any further if the Hidden Leaf wants to continue to be supported by the Feudal Lord. Kitsune sent a letter back to the Feudal Lord saying that only the return of Naruto Uzumaki, who is The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki and a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, or the procurement of another Jinchuriki, will put an end to the conflict. The Feudal Lord sent a response to Kitsune's response saying that he has no idea what the word "Jinchuriki" meant nor the significance of "this Naruto person" and if the Hidden Leaf knows what's good for it, they should just let the Hidden Sand keep him. Kitsune privately called the Feudal Lord an idiot.
And now, she's sitting at her desk in The Hokage's office, wondering what to do about all these headaches. Something tells her that the Feudal Lord only sent those letters because he knows that, now that the Hidden Cloud has betrayed the Hidden Leaf and joined the other side, the Hidden Leaf is close to losing this war.
But then, suddenly, a letter from Itachi bearing what Kitsune hopes is good news came with this crow that landed on the windowsill to Kitsune's left in The Hokage's office changed Kitsune's mood entirely. Kitsune stood up, turned left, and walked over to the window. She took the letter from the crow, petted the crow, and then the crow turned around, and flew away.
Kitsune turned back towards her desk, and went to sit at her desk again. She opened the letter. Apparently, Itachi has, indeed, gotten Naruto from the Hidden Sand (with the help of a Kunoichi from the Hidden Cloud named Emiko and a Kunoichi from the Hidden Mist named Hiromi Uzumaki). He also said that he had help from a Hidden Sand Kunoichi named Kasumi Nekomata too, but Kasumi had other business to attend to which is why she isn't returning to the Hidden Leaf Village with him. More to the point, Yuki is dead so they didn't need to worry about the tag placed on Naruto's heart when escaping from the Hidden Sand Village. Although, that doesn't mean that the tag won't need to be removed. Kitsune had no problem with that because Naruto can get surgery to deal with the tag. 'So...Emiko joined him, eh? I'm surprised to hear that a Hidden Sand ninja helped too, but we need all the help we can get, I guess.' Kitsune thought. 'What interests me most about this letter is the mention of Kushina's Sister. I'd heard that she moved to the Hidden Mist Village, but no one could verify that for whatever reason.'
Kitsune was then pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on The Hokage's office's door. "Lady Hokage?" A Kunoichi called from the other side of the door. It was Izumi. "Come in." Kitsune called in reply as she closed the letter, and put it in a drawer under her desk. The door opened, and Izumi walked in before closing the door behind her. "Izumi! I was just about to call you up here." Kitsune said. "Well, that's...convenient. I was about to ask you about something. What do you need?" Izumi asked as she walked up to Kitsune's desk. "Nothing, at the moment. I just wanted to tell you that I have good news. Naruto's been rescued and his rescuers are on their way to the Hidden Leaf Village right now to bring him back." Kitsune answered. "Really? How do you know?" Izumi excitedly asked. A more strict leader (like, say, Danzo) might've told her, "you don't need to know that" but Kitsune has been anything but a strict leader. That doesn't mean she's lenient either, she just knows the balance between being hard and being soft (something that both Sarutobi-Sensei and Danzo never found). So instead she activates the office's privacy seals, and tells her, "Emiko just sent me a letter telling me as much. She said that she's bringing Naruto back with a Hidden Mist Kunoichi named Hiromi Uzumaki." Kitsune wasn't exactly lying, but she knew that Izumi wouldn't trust this information if she told her that it actually came from Itachi.
"Uzumaki?!" Izumi asked. "Does that mean she's-" "Yes. She's related to Naruto. Not just because they're both a part of the same clan, either. She is Naruto's Aunt and, well, obviously, Kushina's Sister." Kitsune answered, interrupting Izumi. "How come I've never heard of her before?" Izumi then asked. "Kushina and Hiromi never got along very well. I know because I was there through some of it. Like that time when I got to meet Kushina, Hiromi and Minato's Genin squad or that time when I got to see Minato become The Fourth Hokage. The last time anyone heard from her, Kushina made Minato use his status as The Hokage to kick Hiromi out of the village because the two of them disagreed over whether or not Naruto should become a ninja." Kitsune answered. "But, wait, Naruto wasn't even born at the time." Izumi said. "You're right, he wasn't, but Kushina was pregnant with him when that disagreement started. And last I've heard, some
-time after Hiromi was kicked out, she moved to the Hidden Mist Village, and became a Hidden Mist Kunoichi. Until now, though, I thought that that was just a rumor because no one could verify that story. Then again, the Hidden Mist was embroiled in a civil war at the time so it was assumed that only so much information could come out of the Hidden Mist Village. However, if she's involved with Emiko and no one's heard from Hiromi even after the civil war ended and the rebels won, that must mean she's now The Fifth Mizukage's little field spy." Kitsune explained.
"Touche." Izumi said. 'To think there is another spy like Emiko who works for The Mizukage and that said spy is Naruto's Aunt...it's just unreal...' Kitsune thought. "Well, that's great news. How will we tell the public and the other nations who brought him back to us, though? We can't just tell everyone the names of Emiko and Hiromi." Izumi said. "I'll call for another Five-Kage Summit, and deal with that later. For now, wait until I call you and Sasuke to the Hospital." Kitsune told her. "The Hospital?!" Izumi asked. "Yes. The letter also suggested that the tag will need surgery to be removed and that Naruto was tortured while he was imprisoned." Kitsune answered. "Oh...uh...that's...uh..." Izumi says. "You don't need to comment on it. Just make sure you'll be there when he gets here." Kitsune then told her. "Understood." Izumi replied. "You're dismissed." Kitsune said. "Yes Sir." Izumi acknowledged. Kitsune deactivated the privacy seals, and Izumi turned around, and left the room.
Kitsune smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the war is a step closer to it's end.
Nearly a month later, Naruto had been brought back, and immediately taken to the Hidden Leaf's Hospital. Naruto was given a Hospital bed, and taken to a room by a bunch of Medical Ninjas.
Then, Izumi and Sasuke went to Naruto's Hospital Room, and saw Emiko, Lady Fifth Hokage and a red-headed young woman with a black Hidden Mist headband on her forehead. "Ah, Izumi. Welcome." Lady Fifth said. Izumi and Sasuke walked up to his bed. "Well, well, well, we meet again, Emiko." Sasuke said. "Hey, Sasuke." Emiko replied. "How is he?" Izumi asked. "Far worse than Emiko described. He's been dehydrated and malnourished for quite some time. I imagine if they had gotten him back any later, he'd be dead. Not to mention that it looks like the tag's taken a toll on his heart. They've sedated him and they've got two IVs dripping blood and water into his veins." Lady Fifth answered. "Have they gotten the tag out?" Izumi asked. "No. And the doctors have said that the surgery necessary to take it out is beyond them and very complicated to perform." Lady Fifth answered. "It will also require the weakening of his seal because if it isn't weakened, The Nine-Tails' chakra will make it impossible for them to make an incision. I can control the seal to make it easier for them, but that won't mean shit if there isn't a doctor here who can perform the surgery without much difficulty." "I see." Izumi replied. "Poor guy." Emiko said. The red-headed Hidden Mist Kunoichi suddenly got a look on her face as though she had gotten an idea. "There might not be a Medical Ninja who can perform such a surgery here, but what about Tsunade?" The redhead asked. "Tsunade? Who's that?" Sasuke asked. "She's my former teammate, The First Hokage's Granddaughter, one of The Three Legendary Sannin-like me-and a highly talented Medical Ninja who's revolutionized the field of medicine several times over. Many Medical Ninjas far and wide owe her a debt of gratitude for the medical advancements she's made and many young Kunoichi aspire to be a Kunoichi just like her." Lady Fifth answered. "She's also my Cousin." "Wow." Sasuke remarked with a shocked look on his face. "I heard that she left the Hidden Leaf Village a long time ago. Nobody knows where she is at the moment." Emiko said. "Then I think our next goal should be to find Tsunade, and get her back to the Hidden Leaf Village so she could work on that surgery." Izumi said. "Agreed." Lady Fifth said. "We should also keep these developments from the public to minimize the chances of them getting out to the rest of the Ninja World. There's no telling what the other hidden villages might do with this information once it reaches them." "You can count on me for that, Lady Fifth." Emiko said. "You can count on me, too." The redhead Kunoichi said. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Sasuke asked the redhead. The redhead looked at Lady Fifth, who gave her a nod of approval. The redhead then looked back at Sasuke, and said, "I'm Hiromi Uzumaki, a Hidden Mist Special Jonin and The Mizukage's field spy and Naruto's Aunt-on his Mother's side." "Wait, so you're-" "Yep, she's his Aunt." Lady Fifth confirmed, interrupting Sasuke. "So you're the Aunt Lady Fifth mentioned. Nice to meet you." Izumi said. "You knew?!" Sasuke asked. "I'll tell you later." Izumi told Sasuke.
"Back to that tag, is it active?" Izumi asked. "No. It's been inactive and fortunately it's going to stay that way because I killed Yuki, the bitch who put it on him in the first place." Hiromi answered. "Finally." Sasuke muttered. "Nevertheless, that is good news. I thought the only way to remove that tag was to kill the person it was placed on, but-" "But I knew a different solution, and pitched it to my team." Emiko said, interrupting Lady Fifth. Izumi gave a stern look to Emiko. "Oh. Sorry for interruptin' you, Lady Fifth." Emiko then said. "That's alright. Just remember not to do it again." Lady Fifth told her. Emiko nodded in response.
"Hiromi, return to The Mizukage and let her know of the new developments and make sure to make sure they stay secret, okay?" Lady Fifth told her. "I'd like to stay here with Naruto, but my duty says otherwise, so...I'll be back." Hiromi said. She then left the room. "And what about me?" Emiko asked. "...there's something Izumi and I need to talk to you about in my office regarding The Raikage and The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki. Meet us there when you're done here." Lady Fifth ordered in a rather grim tone of voice. Emiko nodded in reply. "And what about me?" Sasuke asked. "Stay here. I'm giving you more time off until Naruto's fully recovered." Lady Fifth told him. "What? But...why? If Naruto's recovery depends on whether or not we find Tsunade, then I'll need-" "I'll have someone else take care of that. Besides, Naruto needs you here. You're his teammate." Lady Fifth told him. "Yes Sir." Sasuke muttered. "Good." Lady Fifth said.
After spending a bit of time with Naruto, everyone except The Fifth Hokage left the room. Three minutes later, Itachi came out of the shadows behind The Fox Sage. "I was wondering when you'd come around." Kitsune quipped. "Why would I do that? There's no mention of my contributions to Naruto's safe return." Itachi joked in a deadpan tone of voice. Kitsune chuckled.
"I heard your conversation with the others just now." Itachi said. "Do I take that to mean that you want to find Tsunade for me?" Kitsune asked. "Yes." Itachi answered. "Fine. My spy network had reported seeing her somewhere in Tanzaku Town." Kitsune said. "Tanzaku Town? The place known for it's gambling opportunities and...um...other vices?" Itachi asked. "Yes. One thing I didn't mention when I was telling them about Tsunade was that she picked up The First Hokage's gambling habit. If there is any place in the world to find my Cousin, it's a place where a lot of gamblers are." Kitsune answered. "Understood." Itachi said. "You may find it difficult to convince her to come back. She has...a Hell of a lot of bad memories when it comes to the Hidden Leaf Village. You'll understand more once you meet her." Kitsune warned. "I'll try. I'm nothing if not...persuasive." Itachi then said. "What was it you were going to tell Emiko? It seemed serious." "Just a bunch of political nonsense relating to the war. A Hidden Cloud Jonin named Samui murdered The Raikage and The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki. She then said that the Hidden Leaf committed both murders and then, suddenly, many other Hidden Cloud ninjas-including some of their Anbu-came out, and attacked Izumi's team. Two Genin on Izumi's team were killed, then, a couple of Ninjutsus were used by the ninjas on her team to incapacitate Samui and kill another Hidden Cloud ninja just so that Izumi's team could escape." Kitsune answered. "Sending Genin out to fight the Akatsuki and a team of traitors? That seems risky." Itachi remarked. "I had no choice. I couldn't spare anyone else because of the war." Kitsune replied. "Who made it back from that mission? Other than Izumi and Sasuke?" Itachi then asked. "Shikamaru Nara and another Genin who was on that team. That Genin's name was Nezuko Shimura." Kitsune answered. "Nezuko Shimura?" Itachi questioned. "Remember the crime that Danzo and his 'Foundation' buddies committed during the invasion? Nezuko was the kid he almost killed and her parents were the ninjas who he and the enemy killed." Kitsune answered.
"Never thought Danzo would cross such a line." Itachi remarked. "That's hella funny comin' from you." Kitsune replied. "That...that was different." Itachi said. "I know, I know. I'm messing with you." Kitsune then said. "I just might get you back for that." Itachi joked in a deadpan tone of voice. "Like Hell, you will." Kitsune retorted. "So...I'll need to bring back Tsunade so that Naruto will recover faster?" Itachi asked. "Yes." Kitsune answered. "I'll be off, then." Itachi said before stepping back into the shadows. "Goodbye to you too, you rude jerk." Kitsune quipped.
Later, Emiko met with Izumi and Lady Fifth Hokage in The Hokage's office. Lady Fifth was standing with her back to her desk and her arms folded. Izumi stood off to the side while Emiko was standing six feet in front of Lady Fifth.
"So? What's this all about?" Emiko asked. Lady Fifth sighed. "I'm honestly not sure where to start...but I suppose, a quick summary of the situation is the...um, place to start. Not the best place, but, the, um, place." She told her. "Now, what I'm going to share with you is something harsh so I won't blame you if you don't believe us."
After a lot of thinking, Emiko said, "Alright. I'm ready." "Okay, then. The Hidden Cloud has betrayed us." Lady Fifth told her. "Wait, what?" Emiko asked. "It happened after you left our camp to go and get Naruto." Izumi added. "Wait, that can't be-what, exactly happened?" Emiko then asked. "When we were least expecting it, Samui went and murdered The Fourth Raikage and The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki." Izumi answered. "Lord Fourth? Lord Bee? But...why?" Emiko questioned. "We honestly don't know. However, the Hidden Cloud has a history of doing this sort of thing and they did it if they thought doing so would be in their village's best interests." Izumi answered. "But...what would the village stand to gain from that?" Emiko inquired. "We aren't sure of that, either." Izumi answered. "And the others...?" Emiko asked. "They were all in on Samui's plan, too. They also had Lion Guard and regular Anbu hiding out in the trees, waiting for their chance to strike. Team 13 lost two of it's Genin in that fight but we managed to get one of them back to the village safely-physically, at least. But mentally-" "But...But, that doesn't make any sense!" Emiko shouted, interrupting Izumi. "Calm down, Emiko. We just-" "How do I know you're not lying?!" Emiko then shouted, this time interrupting Lady Fifth. "Believe me, if we meant to be duplicitous, we wouldn't be telling you these things in the first place." Lady Fifth answered. Emiko took a deep breath, and calmed down. "Fine. But what happened in the battle? How did your team make it out, Izumi?" Emiko then asked. "Sasuke killed Omoi and Nezuko killed Karui with a super complex Ninjutsu that she shouldn't have been able to know just yet." Izumi answered. "Sasuke also knocked out Samui with a single kick after Nezuko fired off another super complex Ninjutsu at Samui."
"What? That's insane!" Emiko shouted. "I'd have to agree. What Ninjutsus did she use and how did she manage to learn them?" Lady Fifth asked. "She used the Shadow Ball Jutsu on Karui and she used the Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu on Samui before she was knocked out." Izumi answered. "As to how she learned those two Ninjutsus, I, myself, didn't know until Sasuke told me about it a week or so ago. Apparently, Nezuko's Aunt had told him that, before the invasion, Danzo would spend every night training Nezuko to be a ninja ever since she was six years old. And she never slept because of that training. No one in the Shimura Clan-including Nezuko's parents-could get Danzo to stop training her so ruthlessly like that because even though he'd lost his seat on the Council of Elders by then, Danzo was still the Head of the Shimura Clan. Some have said that he was really training her so that she could become a member of the Foundation. Considering how relentlessly she was trained, there's no telling how many Ninjutsus-advanced or not-she knows." Izumi answered. "That sounds like Danzo. I mean, we are talking about the same guy who had Itachi kill nearly his entire clan-with the exception of Izumi and Sasuke." Lady Fifth remarked. "I was actually wanting to speak to you about that, Lady Hokage. But telling Emiko about the Hidden Cloud's betrayal is more important." Izumi said. "Right." Lady Fifth replied.
"Back to that topic, what happened to Shikamaru?" Emiko asked. "He's fine, too. After Samui was defeated by Sasuke and Nezuko, we escaped, and returned to the village." Izumi answered. "It seems like the Hidden Cloud was never intending to maintain our alliance after all..." Lady Fifth says. "And what of the Tailed Beast inside Lord Bee?" Emiko then asked. "It escaped from it's seal just a second before Killer Bee died. Currently, no one knows where The Eight-Tails is." Izumi answered. Emiko looked shocked and sad. 'That...how did it all go so wrong?' Emiko thought. "As I said, I'd understand it if you didn't believe us, so if you really want to discern the truth for yourself, you'll have to go back to your village, and make your own decision." Lady Fifth told her. "Did...Did Lord Fourth tell Samui to do this?" Emiko questioned. "As far as we could tell, no. It looked to us like her betrayal was as shocking to both Lord Raikage and Killer Bee as it was to us. They had surprised looks on their faces before they died." Izumi answered. "So...So it was a coup." Emiko guessed while tears started streaming down her face. "Maybe. After this whole mess, the Hidden Cloud's higher-ups have convinced its people that we killed The Raikage and Bee and its ninjas are attempting to trespass onto the Land of Fire so that they could fight our ninjas. The Hidden Frost's ninjas and Hidden Steam's ninjas are trying their best to hold off the Hidden Cloud's forces, but as it stands, they don't have the manpower to do so for very long." Lady Fifth told her. "On the plus side, the Hidden Cloud's higher-ups are in disarray, trying to decide who The Next Raikage should be." Izumi added. "How is that in any way good?" Emiko inquired. "It...might be possible to use this chaos to our advantage, and have the Hidden Cloud's forces retreat back into the Land of Lightning if we knock out and capture their platoon leaders." Izumi said, looking like she doesn't completely agree with this plan. "When I call for the Five-Kage Summit, I can negotiate with The New Raikage for the release of those commanders." Lady Fifth told her.
"You...You are all insane. I mean, you're not lying, but you're still insane all the same...I-I need to get back to the Hidden Cloud Village!" Emiko shouted.
Emiko then turned around, and zoomed out of the room. 'I'm sorry, Naruto, but I won't be here to see you fully recovered. Your insane Hokage has told me some...very disturbing things.' Emiko thought.
Back in The Hokage's office, Kitsune sighed. "Damn..." Kitsune whispers. "With respect, Lady Fifth, we both knew that telling her about this would go badly. Still, if I knew that the mission would go sideways, I would've-" Izumi was interrupted by the two village elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, suddenly walking into the room. "If you knew that telling her would go badly, then why tell her at all?" Koharu asked. The two of them then stood in front of Kitsune, who gave no response to Koharu's question. Koharu looked to her right, and saw Izumi standing there. "Get out of here if you know what's good for you, Uchiha." Koharu then told her. Izumi shot her a stern glare. "Nevermind it, Izumi. Just leave." Kitsune told her. Izumi took a deep breath, left the room, and shut the door behind her.
"Now what do I owe the pleasure? I can't imagine that both of you are here for a social call Utatane-Sensei, Mitokado-Sensei." Kitsune said. "At least you respect the both of us, Kitsune." Koharu replied. "Again, what's this about?" Kitsune asked. "We heard the entire conversation you had with that Hidden Cloud spy." Homura answered. 'I knew I should've activated the privacy seals.' Kitsune thought. "Why did you share such vital information with her? She could be on her way to report the conversation to her superiors right now." Koharu said. "Chillax. I trusted her with that information because Emiko's a good kid, a goofball, even. Just like Naruto. I doubt she'd do anything to seriously harm the Hidden Leaf Village." Kitsune answered. "Also, the Hidden Cloud's betrayal had been publicly announced by now to both our people and hers. I thought that if we omitted such information, she'd view that as more of a betrayal than what Samui did to Izumi's team." "And what if your faith in her is mistaken?" Koharu asked. "It isn't. My spy network and I had been tracking her movements over the past few years before I put someone else in charge of it. Our reports say that she's still a Genin despite her considerable skill with Lightning Style and The Raikage has never given her any serious assignments in the past. Nothing like covert takeovers of cities or smaller nations from behind the scenes, no destabilizing the smaller nations and she's never secretly supported coups on the orders of The Raikage, either." Kitsune answered. "Why?" Homura asked. "He believed she's too young and naive for that sort of spy work." Kitsune also answered. "She just simply doesn't have the will to compromise her morals and forsake herself in the process." "Then what kind of spy work has she done?" Koharu then asked. "She's taken down bandits, criminals and rogue ninjas alike via going undercover or espionage tactics. The Raikage would rather have her destabilize gangs and the criminal underworld from behind the scenes than carry out covert takeovers or destroy other cities by providing the Hidden Cloud with intel of said cities' weak points or things they could take for themselves." Kitsune answered. "So he's made her look like a hero who protects from the shadows rather than a covert operator who does what needs to be done for the sake of her village." Homura said. "Somehow, I knew you'd have something to say against that. But it's not our place to criticize how the Hidden Cloud uses her. Besides, we've got our own concerns like the return of Naruto Uzumaki." Kitsune replied.
"Yes, we've heard." Koharu said. "Do we really need him back?" Homura asked. "The boy's very unpopular." Koharu added. "Last I checked, we do not rescue comrades based on a popularity contest." Kitsune said. "He is different." Koharu argued. "Gee, I wonder why." Kitsune sarcastically said. "Are you even taking your duty as a Hokage seriously?" Homura then asked. "I do when I need to and even I know that Naruto is serious business but when you say something like, 'he is different' in relation to Naruto, it kinda makes me wonder if you two are finally going senile." Kitsune answered. "We don't know if we can trust him, damn it!" Homura shouted. "So there's the truth, laid out and bare for all to see." Kitsune said. "We've seen his charts. There are signs of torture all throughout his innards." Koharu told her. "So his medical condition is now reason enough to treat him like an enemy ninja? From the mission report Emiko gave me just now, it sounded like he wanted to come back. Like he missed his allies here, in the Hidden Leaf. And on the contrary, he probably harbors at least a little bit of ill feelings for the Hidden Sand, who, as you've said, tortured him." Kitsune argued. "How do you know that? How do you know that he's not harboring ill feelings for the Hidden Leaf, who abandoned him for weeks before rescuing him?" Homura questioned. "On top of that, there is also the fact that none of our doctors can retrieve the tag that's been placed on his heart without much difficulty." Koharu added.
After a bit of silence, Homura said, "We have to consider resealing The Nine-Tails."
Kitsune glared at Homura and Koharu. 'So that's the real-real reason they've come to me. They want me to sign Naruto's death warrant.' Kitsune thought.
"You know I can't agree to that. And you both know why." Kitsune said. "With that tag still in his heart, the enemy could try again. And at that point, he'd already be a deadman. It'd be better to just put the boy-" "I've already got a plan in mind for that." Kitsune said, interrupting Koharu. "Oh? And what might that be?" Koharu asked. "I've got a trusted spy out there, looking for Tsunade as we speak. She is the only one who could perform the surgery needed to remove the tag." Kitsune answered. "Tsunade? The Slug Queen?" Koharu then asked. "That's correct." Kitsune also answered. "And before you even ask, I've got a pretty good idea of how to find her, and relayed that information to the spy I sent."
Koharu and Homura exchanged looks. "And just how do you find her? She hasn't been heard from in years." Koharu said to Kitsune. "All you have to do is know how to smoke a gambler out of their den." Kitsune subtly hinted. Koharu and Homura exchanged looks once again. "And who is that trusted spy of yours?" Koharu asked. "I don't have to tell you that if I don't want to, now, do I? And I don't. So if that's all, you can leave." Kitsune told them. "Fine, Kitsune. We'll trust your judgment. We're giving this spy of yours three weeks to find Tsunade. Make sure they do not fail." Koharu told her. Homura and Koharu turned around, and left the room.
Kitsune sighed, finally feeling relieved. 'That was...intense.' Kitsune thought.
Kitsune turned around, and went to sit at her desk. 'Well, at least that three-week window gives me enough time to arrange a Five-Kage Summit. But where should we host one? Now that the Land of Iron is no longer a neutral territory-the east side and west side of which being controlled by both the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone respectively after Sarutobi-Sensei and Shikaku and Mifune and Mifune's bodyguards were killed by all of them and after their systematic termination of the Samurai-there is no other neutral ground for another Five-Kage Summit to take place. In hindsight, that was probably the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Sand's intention from the very start-to make sure there is no neutral ground left in the Ninja World so that no other peace negotiations could take place in good faith.' Kitsune thought. 'If that's the case...'
She then wrote letters to the offices of the other four Kage, saying that she wants to convene a Five-Kage Summit. The place where it's going to be set...? The Hokage's Tower in the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Next Day...
Sasuke went back to the Hospital to visit Naruto after a day full of training. Well, the main reason is to visit Naruto, but he also comes here to think. And today, he's thinking about Nezuko's mental state. He chuckled because usually, he wouldn't really care about a fellow Hidden Leaf ninja who isn't on the same team as his and he wouldn't care about a female Hidden Leaf ninja (especially since so many of them are his fangirls) so why does he care so much about Nezuko Shimura? She's from the same clan as the man who ordered Itachi to kill almost every Uchiha. Thanks to him (and The Third Hokage and the village's higher-ups) Sasuke and Izumi might as well be clanless ninjas.
That's what he's here to think about today.
Sasuke checked in with the receptionist at the desk, and then he walked to Naruto's Hospital room. Naruto was still comatosed in his Hospital bed. Sasuke sighs. 'Still a loser. As always.' Sasuke thought. He walked over to Naruto's bedside, and started to think about Nezuko.
'Why do I like her so much? Why do I...feel different every time I'm around her?' Sasuke thought. The first time he saw her, he thought she looked really...hot. And cute, as well. The pink definitely helped. She was also way less loser-y than Naruto but the only thing that seems to be a tiny bit of a turn-off is the fact that she acts like she's as lazy as Shikamaru who, to Sasuke, is another loser even if he is a different kind of loser (not the Naruto kind) and yet, he saw her put so much effort into her training when she was training by herself. He does under
-stand why she acts like she's a lazy bum who cares about next to nothing, though. Nowadays, at least. The fact that Danzo trained her as harshly as he did makes Sasuke hate him even more. Still, the way she was dealing with her grief yesterday wasn't good, to say the least.
'Izumi-Sensei was right.' Sasuke thought. 'She is like me.'
"So what am I to do?" Sasuke muttered. He knows he can't do anything about her right now because he's not her boss (even if he's higher in rank) and she's not his teammate. Then, Izumi-Sensei walked into the room. "Hey. So you're here, eh?" Izumi-Sensei asked. "Why wouldn't I be?" Sasuke asked in reply. Izumi-Sensei chuckled. "I guess you're right." Izumi-Sensei said. Sasuke was frustrated and sad. Sad. He's never felt sad for...anyone. Ever. Well, except for all his dead family members and his dead clansmen, but they're not just anyone. They're the other Uchiha. But at least the world still has Izumi in it. He wouldn't know what to do if Izumi-Sensei died and went to the Pure Land along with every other Uchiha. Regardless, he still feels sad for Nezuko.
"What's wrong, Sasuke? Are you worried about Naruto?" Izumi-Sensei asked. He hadn't even thought about Naruto being here. "No...Not really." Sasuke answered. "What, then?" Izumi-Sensei then asked. He didn't want to talk about it, but he knew that he couldn't keep it bottled up. Especially when he's already told her about his concerns about Nezuko. Sasuke sighed, defeated.
"Nezuko." Sasuke answered. "It's about Nezuko. I wish I could do more, but...it's complicated. Normally, I'd never even care about another ninja's well-being like this because it's not my place but...and I don't know why...I feel that she's...
different. And I think that's because whenever I'm around her, I feel...different." "What kind of 'different'? The good kind or the bad kind?" Izumi-Sensei asked. "The good kind." Sasuke answered, starting to blush. Izumi-Sensei laughed. "I see." She then said. "What are you laughing at?" Sasuke asked, now being very flustered. "Nothing." Izumi-Sensei lied. 'Whatever.' Sasuke thought. "Anyway, I do get how you feel. In fact, I just talked to The Hokage, and she's given me permission to put Nezuko on Team 7 to replace Yuki." Izumi-Sensei told him. Sasuke was shocked. "Really?" He asked. "Yeah. Now, Team 7 is just going to be you, me, Naruto and Nezuko. And because you're a Chunin, you get to act as my second-in-command on Team 7." Izumi-Sensei answered. Sasuke smiled. 'Then maybe I really can make a difference in her life, after all.' He thought. 'Thank Kami.'
"Now, I think you should get some rest. The Hokage wants us to take care of security here, in the village." Izumi-Sensei advised. "Why?" Sasuke asked. "There's another Five-Kage Summit and it's being hosted here." Izumi-Sensei answered. "Say what?" Sasuke then asked. "Really? Here? In the village?" Sasuke asked. Izumi-Sensei nodded. "Whoa..." He says. He then just remembered something. "Hey, whatever happened to relaxing until Naruto recovered?" "Lady Fifth said that she was willing to put Nezuko on our team if we did this for the village. I'm sorry." Izumi-Sensei said. "Whatever. At least it'll give me something to do." Sasuke replied. "Do you think I should pick up Nezuko tomorrow?" "Lady Fifth knew you would ask something like that..." Izumi-Sensei says. She dug into her pocket, and then she handed him a paper. "Give this to her Aunt. It'll tell her about her reassignment." "Alright." Sasuke acknowledged. Sasuke put the paper in his pocket and then, both Uchihas stayed with Naruto for a little while before leaving the Hospital room.
One week has passed since Sasuke and Izumi last visited Naruto in his Hospital room and in that time, a New Raikage and New Kazekage have been chosen and officially appointed because the Five-Kage Summit was supposed to take place next week which, to the rest of the ninja world meant that the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Sand felt a little rushed due to the fact that the Summit is going to take place next week. A Jonin named Chizuru had been chosen as The Fifth Kazekage and The Fourth Raikage's assistant, Mabui, had been named The Fifth Raikage. The Hidden Leaf and Hidden Mist (after receiving news about the Hidden Cloud's betrayal) expected Samui to become The Fifth Raikage, but, apparently, they were wrong. Kitsune liked Mabui, though, because she seemed to be more reasonable and level-headed than her predecessor.
In other news, Emiko had returned to the Hidden Cloud Village and personally opened an investigation into the Hidden Leaf's claim that the Hidden Cloud betrayed them after privately giving The New Hokage a mission report on the successful rescue of Naruto Uzumaki. Lady Fifth Raikage agreed to keep the news of Naruto's return private until The Hokage deems it necessary to reveal it to the public. Based on the scowls from Darui, Samui and Mabui's other assistants and advisors, they didn't like this decision. It was fortunate, however, that The Raikage has traditionally held more power in the village than the Council and the other higher-ups.
After conducting the first part of her investigation by using the Transformation Jutsu transform herself into a Village Councillor so that she could talk to another Village Councillor in private, she discovered the reason for those scowls: everyone in the village had been convinced by Samui that the Hidden Leaf had betrayed them by murdering The Fourth Raikage and Lord Bee. And because of such supposed aggressive action, the Hidden Cloud has chosen to switch sides, and aid the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone instead. Despite Mabui allegedly not believing a single word of this claim, she had to oblige with the wishes of the higher-ups and the villagers who want to betray the Hidden Leaf and so, currently, the Hidden Cloud's troops are fighting the Hidden Leaf's troops on the border between the Land of Steam and the Land of Fire on the orders of the higher-ups and The Fifth Raikage and from what Emiko has seen while on her way back to the Hidden Cloud Village, they're slowly progressing into the Land of Fire whereas the Hidden Leaf's troops are falling back. The Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand's original goals in this war were to keep the Hidden Leaf's ninjas fighting in the Land of Fire so that the Hidden Leaf couldn't conduct any rescue attempts because, well, they're simply too busy so, because they switched alliances, the Hidden Cloud have been fighting the Hidden Leaf with the same goal in mind.
'Good thing Itachi, Hiromi, Kasumi and I were there to rescue Naruto anyway.' Emiko thought.
After hearing that news, the next step in her investigation was to spy on the Hidden Cloud's higher-ups because something about their claims smelled a little fishy to her. Nevermind the fact that the Hidden Leaf's ninjas are generally too soft to betray an allied village because of the softness of almost every Hokage (The Second Hokage, however, was only the one who wasn't soft) they also never said who committed the act and how they murdered both The Fourth Raikage and Lord Bee.
One night, five days after she returned to the Hidden Cloud Village and three days after she was told why the higher-ups were scowling at Lady Raikage for her decision to not reveal that Naruto had been rescued and returned to the Hidden Leaf Village, Emiko started tailing Samui, who had the left side of her face, her body and her left eye wrapped in bandages due to burns that looked like they were caused by a Ninjutsu, but the Head of the Hidden Cloud's Medical Corps have never officially revealed what caused those burns so, who knows? Maybe that side of her body could've been burned by the campfire, for all Emiko knows.
But then, she remembers something that Izumi told her...
"Sasuke also knocked out Samui with a single kick after Nezuko fired off another super complex Ninjutsu at Samui."
She also remembered something else Izumi told her...
"She used the Shadow Ball Jutsu on Karui and she used the Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu on Samui before she was knocked out."
'So, those burns must've been from the Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu Nezuko hit her with before Sasuke knocked her out with a kick.' Emiko thought. 'And considering that Samui's a 26-year-old Jonin who was defeated by a 13-year-old Chunin and a 13-year-old Genin, she probably covered it up by refusing to give a cause for her burns because she was probably embarrassed by the experience. To be fair, though, I'd be pretty embarrassed under those circumstances, too.'
Emiko tailed Samui from the moment she left a random bar somewhere in the Hidden Cloud Village all the way to a spot outside of Samui's apartment unit. Samui went inside her apartment, and then Emiko used the Invisibility Jutsu (which not only makes it's caster invisible, but it also gives it's caster intangibility, meaning that the caster can successfully pass through solid surfaces) and snuck into Samui's apartment unit. This was where she saw Haru, a member of the Hidden Cloud's Anbu Black Ops, sitting on the couch in the place's living room.
"Honey, I'm home!" Samui announced while visibly cringing at those words. 'So he's her boyfriend. That's why he's here.' Emiko thought. Haru had dirty blonde hair, hazel-colored eyes and light skin and he was dressed in a civilian outfit. "Hey." Haru said while looking at Samui. "No missions today?" Samui asked. "How did you know?" Haru asked. "I'm one of the village's higher-ups, remember? How could I not know?" Samui asked in reply. She's right. In fact, Samui is The Raikage's Bodyguard, a position she's held since The Fourth Raikage gave it to her back when she first became a Jonin, and a position she will keep holding until she dies or becomes The Raikage. She was also Omoi and Karui's Jonin-Sensei. "Touche." Haru replied. Haru then gestured towards the spot next to him, inviting Samui to sit down. Samui sighed.
Samui took off her ninja boots, and put them in the closet and then, she walked into her living room, unequipped her sheathed sword, placed it against the wall next to the couch, and then she went to sit to Haru's left. Emiko went and leaned against a wall that was still inside the apartment unit's lobby. Even if Samui is a suspect in the treason case that Emiko, herself, is working on, she still respects Samui enough to not dirty the unit's floors by walking further into the house with her ninja sandals on.
"Did we really have to betray the Hidden Leaf like that?" Haru asked. Emiko was surprised. She didn't expect them to admit to it so soon, but…wait, how does Haru know? "It was not my decision. Commander Darui said it was the only way to get The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki-and we need him." Samui answered. "Be
-sides, Yugito has gone missing, and The Nine-Tails is stronger than both The Two-Tails and The Eight-Tails. On top of that, who in the Hidden Leaf Village would miss him if Naruto Uzumaki just...disappeared all of the sudden?" 'Damn, Samui! You didn't need to say it like that!' Emiko thought. Emiko knew how much Naruto's own village hates him. And the ones who do care for and believe in him are just the minority in a sea of villagers and ninjas alike who dislike Naruto, if not outright hate him. Then again, the Nine-Tails Incident is still a somewhat-recent memory. Hidden Leaf ninjas and villagers alive today have loved ones who were killed by The Nine-Tails or were directly affected by The Nine-Tails Incident if not severely injured by The Nine-Tails. Then again, Naruto is not The Nine-Tails so treating him as though he were The Fox is completely unjustified in Emiko's mind.
"That's...uh...also a good point." Haru agreed. "But, still, I don't think it's fair to take that boy away from his village. From all of Emiko's reports and the reports from our other spies, Naruto has real friends in the Hidden Leaf Village-as few in number as they may be." "You can't exactly judge us for betraying the Hidden Leaf when you were on that mission, too. I specifically assigned you to take care of that pink-haired Genin and yet, you failed, she gave me these burns, and the Hidden Leaf's team got away." Samui argued. "True, but-" "And besides, it's not about what's fair for him-I mean, who the Hell gives a fuck about him? He's a Jinchuriki. It's about what's best and what's necessary for the sake of the village." Samui argued further, interrupting Haru. 'So that's how he knows about the betrayal; he was there and he almost killed Nezuko, by the sound of it.' Emiko thought. 'And Samui is really starting to sound as cold-hearted as this Danzo guy I've heard about so much and have collected bits and pieces of intel on over the three years I've been The Raikage's spy.'
Then again, Emiko can't exactly judge Samui for saying that. Part of her wanted to take Naruto back to the Hidden Cloud Village, and keep him here all to herself because she's in love with him. But she knew that that was wrong because it'd be incredibly selfish of her to do so and taking such an action would destroy their friendship which was why she worked together with Kasumi, Hiromi and Itachi to get him back to the village. So she guesses she has a little bit of leeway to judge Samui.
"You were once targeted for assassination. I was sent to kill you. And yet, I made a different call." Haru argued, clearly becoming frustrated. He's right on that account. Emiko once read about it all sometime after she became a Genin. Back when Samui was a Chunin, she disagreed with The Fourth Raikage sometime right after the Third Great Ninja War. She believed that the Hidden Cloud should've rejected The Third Hokage's peace treaty and restarted the war because she thought that the Hidden Leaf was weak based on how the treaty was written. The Raikage disagreed because they didn't have the manpower to continue the war. After many arguments over the disagreement, Samui planned a coup to depose The Fourth Raikage and appoint herself as The Fifth Raikage. Someone talked, and her coup was quickly destroyed by the Hidden Cloud's Anbu. Haru convinced The Raikage to instead sentence her to a month in prison after he changed his mind, and decided not to kill her. After the end of that month
-long prison sentence, Samui returned to her duties as a Chunin of the Hidden Cloud and she was made The Raikage's Bodyguard by the time she was promoted to Jonin. But never again has she had freedom or free time with which to do whatever she wanted. This was a...rather extreme measure imposed upon Samui by The Raikage to make it so that she never attempted a coup again. "And I'm grateful for that." Samui told him. "I'm glad you're grateful because you should be. If I abandoned my morals that day, you would not be alive. In fact, you would not be here to get promoted to Jonin or...or to love me." Haru said. "And yet, you went along with me on that mission even when you knew that our actual mission was to kill The Raikage and his fool of a Brother, and pin it on the Hidden Leaf." Samui argued. "I went with you to protect you! I never said I agreed with what you were going to do!" Haru shouted, now standing up because he's very angry with her. Samui also stood up, and turned right to face him just to say, "Morals did not form the Hidden Cloud Village! Morals didn't protect the village and it's interests! Morals didn't stop my coup before it started! Morals have no place in the Ninja World! Isn't that right, Emiko?"
Emiko was so startled, that the Invisibility Jutsu she cast on herself had undone itself! Haru and Samui went over to the lobby just to see that Emiko was, indeed, there. Emiko ran towards the door, quickly opened it, and ran out of the door. She was chased all the way out of the apartment building, and then, a Mud Wall rose up out of nowhere, and blocked Emiko's way forward. Emiko turned around slowly. "Good job, Haru." Samui said. "How did you know?" Emiko asked Samui. "I'm a Jonin, dipshit. I'd be a pretty poor Jonin if I didn't know I was being tailed by a cowardly airhead like you." Samui answered. "I knew once I stepped out of the bar, and started walking home." "Then why didn't you stop me before you got home?" Emiko then asked. "Because I knew that Haru would be stupid enough to not only not notice you, but to ask naive questions about why we betrayed the Hidden Leaf and admit that we betrayed them in doing so, so I took that as an opportunity to teach you the way of the Ninja World. It doesn't matter whether you become a ninja with the best of intentions or not. In the end, it's all the same. You're going to have to compromise your morals, you're going to have to do what you're told whether the orders are legal or not and you're going to have to steal, kill and cheat your way to the top and break the trust of your allies in other nations. To believe otherwise is naive at best and delusional at the very worst." Samui explained. "Bullshit!" Emiko shouted. "Why is it bullshit?" Samui asked her. "Because there have been so many rogue ninjas who've told me the same thing. And if I went back on my beliefs and morals without a good reason, then I would've forsaken myself and I'd never be able to look at myself in the mirror or sleep quite right." Emiko answered. "Then tell me: how many of those rogue ninjas and criminals you've been after have you had to kill?" Samui then asked. "Like I said, I've never had to compromise my own morals without a good reason." Emiko told her. "The guys I've killed have all been very bad guys who did bad things because they liked it or they had some other goal in mind that would be bad for everyone. Yet they didn't care-like you don't care. I've also killed people who threatened my friends."
Samui glared at her and then said, "You're a hypocrite and a naive fool, then." "No, because the difference between you and I is that I kill bad people whether it's on The Raikage's orders or to protect myself or my friends or, Hell, maybe even the whole world. You've murdered The Raikage and Lord Bee all for the higher-ups' own selfish interests. Even Lady Raikage sees this and yet she does nothing about it because there are so few in the Hidden Cloud Village like Lady Fifth and I and so many in the Hidden Cloud Village who are like you and Darui." Emiko argued. "That only proves my point." Samui countered. "Maybe so, and maybe you're right, maybe the Ninja World is a bad, bad place. But that doesn't mean it can't be changed." Emiko said. "And who will change it? You?" Samui asked. "Well...you've gotta start somewhere..." Emiko answers.
"Enough of this!" Samui shouted as she pulled out a kunai knife. "Surrender now, Emiko. If you do, Lady Raikage may show you mercy." "You wouldn't really attack a comrade, would you?" Emiko asked, surprised. "Fine...you leave us no choice." Samui said. Samui then turned towards Haru, and stabbed him in the heart. "Samui...why?" Haru asked. Samui pulled the kunai knife out of his chest, and then, she turned towards Emiko, and threw the kunai knife at her. Emiko dodged it, and it instead hit the Mud Wall. "Bow down, and submit yourself to death by my hand!" Samui shouted. 'She really would attack a comrade.' Emiko thought. 'The treachery is more serious than I thought...on top of that, she probably killed Haru so that she could pin his murder on me. And due to her status, the people might actually believe her. Hell, I'm not sure how the other hidden villages would react...and also...my Naruto...maybe The Raikage could give me a job similar to what Itachi has...? It might be the only way I could keep myself busy.'
"Sorry, Samui, but I'm afraid I'm late for an appointment so...I've gotta dash!" Emiko told her before throwing a smoke pellet on the ground, and disappearing using the Teleportation Jutsu.
Surely enough, Samui had later painted her as a murderer. And now, she has an entry in the Bingo Book as an S-Class Criminal. Meaning that she's now been classified as a rogue ninja.
The Hidden Cloud's ninjas' reaction to this was...mixed. Those in the village who knew her knew she wouldn't commit murder while the Hidden Cloud ninjas who didn't know her were all too ready to condemn her and sentence her to death. And the villagers just shrugged their shoulders, and believed that Emiko was a murderer because they honestly didn't know any better.
And now, Emiko has to make plans to move out of the village without anyone noticing her. But still, she must talk with Lady Fifth Raikage before leaving.
And later that night, that was exactly what she did. Emiko snuck into The Raikage's office, and hid herself in the office's shadows which she found very difficult to do because behind The Raikage's desk was a wall made of windows which meant that her cover would've been blown if it were daytime. She snuck in while Lady Fifth was out of the office and when she came back, and sat down at The Raikage's desk...well, it didn't take long for Lady Fifth to notice her.
"Come out, Emiko. I know you're there." Lady Fifth said. "I will if you promise not to kill me or send men after me." Emiko told her. Lady Fifth sighed. "You have my word." She replied. Emiko came out, and kneeled to show respect to The Raikage.
"So I take it that you didn't kill Haru?" Lady Fifth asked. "No, M'Lady." Emiko answered. "I didn't." "I expected as much...you never were one for murder. Hell, you wouldn't rob a bank even if I told you to." Lady Fifth remarked. Other ninjas would've been offended by such a remark because it damaged their egos. Emiko, however, doesn't have an egotistical bone in her body so she instead took that comment like a badge of pride. "Still, there must've been a set of circumstances that led to Haru's death. What were they?" "The Hidden Leaf had told me that they were betrayed the last time I was in the Hidden Leaf Village. I didn't want to believe it and, for a second, I didn't because our village said the exact opposite and blamed the Hidden Leaf for Lord Fourth and Lord Bee's deaths. But then I noticed some...inconsistencies with the higher-ups' story. How were Lord Fourth and Lord Bee murdered? What was their proof that the Hidden Leaf did such a thing? So I launched my own investigation into the matter because Lord Fourth had always given me leeway to pursue these kinds of things and I have had such leeway ever since I became The Raikage's field spy. Anyway..." Emiko says. She then tells The Raikage the rest of the story. When Emiko was finished, Lady Fifth sighed again.
"I had some of my own questions regarding the Hidden Leaf's so-called 'betrayal' but I never had the time to get someone to investigate that claim. I'm glad you told me the truth of the matter and told me of Samui's treachery. But unfortunate
-ly, for appearance's sake, I must arrest you-unless you want to be on the run for the rest of your life." Lady Fifth said. "That was what I was here to ask you about." Emiko said. "Go on..." Lady Fifth says. "I was wondering if I could act as a spy for you, but only from the shadows this time. I once met with Itachi Uchiha and he told me that he made an arrangement quite like that one with The Third Hokage right after the Uchiha Massacre." Emiko told her. "You met Itachi?" Lady Fifth asked. Emiko then told her how and why she met Itachi. "...without the help of Itachi and the others, I don't think Naruto's rescue and safe return to the Hidden Leaf Village would've been possible." Emiko finished. Lady Fifth sighed for a third time. "I see." She replied. "I never expected someone like Clan-Killer Itachi to be the one who helped rescue Naruto instead of taking him back to the Akatsuki." "Itachi said that he only did it to end the war quicker because the war isn't ideal for the Akatsuki. He wouldn't say why, though. And part of me believes that that is only half the reason. I genuinely believe he is a good man. Especially after hearing what I heard from Izumi Uchiha." Emiko also told her. "What are you talking about?" Lady Fifth asked. Emiko then told her what Izumi and The Hokage told Emiko about the Uchiha planning a coup, which was the entire unfortunate reason behind why the Uchiha Massacre happened in the first place. "...the Hidden Leaf feared that if there was a civil war in the Hidden Leaf Village, the other hidden villages might use that as an opportunity to strike the Hidden Leaf when they least expected it." Emiko also finished. "Also there was another reason for the Massacre: Itachi was given a choice between saving his Brother, Sasuke, and his girlfriend, Izumi, if he massacred the rest of the clan and offered his girlfriend to Danzo's Foundation so that The Nine-Tails could be sealed into her and out of Sasuke and Itachi's little Sister." "Wait, what? But I thought Naruto was The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." Lady Fifth said. "I'm afraid I'mma gonna have to tell you everything...I'm sorry, Lady Hokage. Anyway, yes, Naruto is still The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki but so was Satsuki, Sasuke and Itachi's Little Sister. For whatever reason, The Fourth Hokage could only seal one half of The Nine-Tails into one person, and the other half into another. Satsuki had that other half sealed inside her until the night of the Uchiha Massacre. As I said, the Foundation was attempting to seal Satsuki's half of The Nine-Tails into Izumi so that Izumi could be allowed to live. But something went wrong and the ritual to cast the Jutsu failed. And so, that half of The Nine-Tails escaped, never to be seen or heard from again. That half of The Nine-Tails destroyed the Hidden Leaf's Anbu HeadQuarters during his escape. A lot of Anbu members and Foundation members died and so did Satsuki, but a few Anbu members and Foundation members survived. Danzo and Izumi survived as well, which I guess you could say is both a good and bad thing, but I digress. Only Sasuke, Izumi and Itachi survived and during the invasion, Danzo and the Foundation helped the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Stone, attempted to murder a child-only to be stopped-and then they fled the Hidden Leaf Village, and were branded rogue ninjas, as you already know." "So he traded the lives of his entire clan for his Brother and his Girlfriend all so that he could save the village from a civil war. Why didn't he object to that, though?" Lady Fifth asked. "Because they told him that if he didn't murder his whole clan and leave only Sasuke and Izumi alive, a Hidden Leaf Anbu squad would be sent out to kill the entire clan anyways and they also wouldn't leave Itachi, Sasuke or Izumi alive, either." Emiko answered. "Wow...Itachi sacrificed a Hell of a lot for the village. His family, his friends, his comrades, his freedom-" "And I'm being asked to make a similar kind of sacrifice, aren't I?" Emiko asked, interrupting Lady Raikage. Lady Fifth didn't answer.
"Because if you don't accept my request to be your Shadow Raikage, then I'll have to be arrested or flee the village. I'll have to leave my village, my family, my comrades and I won't be free to come back anymore. And for the record, I'd understand it if you rejected my offer, it's just...if I became a wanderer that's always on the run, I wouldn't have anything to do. And I can get easily bored." Emiko told her.
"...I feel sorry for you..." Lady Fifth says. "Yeah...so-" "I didn't mean it like that." Lady Fifth said, interrupting Emiko. Then, suddenly, six members of the Hidden Cloud's Anbu Black Ops appeared around Emiko using the Teleportation Jutsu and then they all pointed their swords at her. Lady Fifth Raikage then stood up. "Wait, what?" Emiko asked, slowly standing up and highly confused. "But you said-" "I lied." Lady Fifth then said, interrupting Emiko once again as she slowly turned towards her. "What I meant to say is that I feel sorry for how much of a fool you were to come to me for refuge." Lady Fifth said. "...no." Emiko whispered, on the verge of just crying. "Now, just lay down and die." Lady Fifth demanded. "Why?" Emiko asked. "As I said, this is all for appearance's sake." Lady Fifth answered. 'I knew it could go badly, but I never thought it'd go this badly' Emiko thought.
The Anbu members all try to stab Emiko, but Emiko ducked, and then she knocked them all out with punches and kicks while still crouched. She then stood up, and ran out of the room.
Half A Week Later...
Emiko was now standing on the southern coast of the Land of Lightning. She was just here to take off her Hidden Cloud headband, and throw it into the water. 'Samui was right about one thing, at least. The Ninja World's a very, very bad place.' Emiko thought. 'Might as well leave it altogether.'
Emiko then journeyed to the Hidden Grass Village, discarded all of her ninja gear, put on some new clothes, and became just another villager. From that point on, she went by the name "Mikasa" to make sure no one could find her.
One week after Emiko became a rogue ninja, it was finally time for the Five-Kage Summit and the other four Kage had finally arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village. Sasuke and Nezuko were standing on top of the village's wall, to the left of the village gates, watching the Kage walk into the village. "So there's Mei Terumi, The Fifth Mizukage, Saki, The Fourth Tsuchikage, Chizuru, The Fifth Kazekage and Mabui, The Fifth Raikage." Sasuke said. "All supposedly great leaders of their villages even though the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone started this whole war. If I were The Hokage, I'd make sure to tell The Tsuchikage and The Kazekage to call off their war dogs lest they be put down. And The Raikage..." Nezuko angrily says. "Hey, calm down. The last thing we need to do at this moment is lose our heads." Sasuke told her. "You don't understand-the Hidden Cloud killed my friends!" Nezuko shouted. "I know, but getting angry about it is doing nothing for anyone." Sasuke argued. Nezuko took a deep breath because she realized he was right.
"There we go. Now, let's continue on with our jobs." Sasuke told her. "I guess the only thing I can be happy about is that I'm on your team." Nezuko said. Suddenly, to the left of Sasuke, Izumi-Sensei (Izumi told Nezuko that she was supposed to call her that now because Izumi is Team 7's Jonin-Sensei) appeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. "Izumi-Sensei!" Both Nezuko and Sasuke shout after turning to face her. "What's up?" Izumi-Sensei asked. "Nothin' much. We're just standin' around here, looking for any signs of foul play by the other villages just like you told us to and we just saw the other Kage walk into the village." Sasuke answered. "Well. I believe you're just about to see another person walk into the village." Izumi-Sensei told them. "What do you mean, Sensei?" Sasuke asked. "I've just received word from The Hokage that Tsunade is on her way here right now." Izumi-Sensei answered. "What?!" Sasuke shouted. "Watch the road, and see for yourselves." Izumi-Sensei told them. The two of them turned back around to face forwards to see a woman with two blonde loose ponytails that were long and straight and brown eyes walking into the village. The woman also had a small purple diamond marking on her forehead. She was wearing a gray sleeveless kimono-style blouse which was held closed by a broad dark green obi, dark green pants and open-toed and strapped black sandals with high heels. Overtop the woman's kimono-style blouse was a green haori. That same woman also had boobs that were bigger than Izumi-Sensei's or Nezuko's. That made the more perverted side of Nezuko jealous of the woman.
Nezuko also saw Sasuke getting just a little bit angry. "Sasuke, are you alright?" She asked. Sasuke took a deep breath. "Yeah. Don't worry, it's-it's alright." Sasuke answered. "Who was that blonde woman in the green haori?" Nezuko asked. "That was Tsunade Senju." Izumi-Sensei answered. 'Now, I'm even more jealous.' Nezuko thought.
Nezuko can tell that Sasuke wants to go straight to Tsunade, and ask if she can get that tag out of Naruto's heart. And it sounded like Izumi-Sensei could tell, too because the next thing she said was, "Don't worry, Sasuke. I'm sure everything will be fine."
And again, Sasuke took a deep breath. "Good job calming yourself down like that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to join Asuma, and act as The Hokage's bodyguard during the proceedings." Izumi-Sensei said before disappearing using the Teleportation Jutsu.
Nezuko and Sasuke continued acting as lookouts until Ibiki walked towards them from Sasuke's left, and told Sasuke that he needed Sasuke elsewhere. Sasuke was about to oblige with his commands when a member of the Hidden Leaf's Anbu appeared behind Nezuko, and disappeared!
Nezuko and that Anbu member reappeared in a sort of basement-like lab with all sorts of weird stuff lying around. In the middle of the room was an operating table with a still-comatosed Naruto lying down on said operating table while dressed in a black t-shirt with a red swirl on the front of it and a pair of orange pants and being strapped to the operating table. To Naruto's operating table's left was another operating table. "What are you doing! Let go of me!" Nezuko shouted as the Anbu member took her hoodie and put her on the operating table next to Naruto's, and then strapped her to it. "Relax, little girl. We're just going to do a little something to make you more powerful." The Anbu member told her. Nezuko took a deep breath, and calmed down. "On who's orders?" She calmly asked. "We were requested to do this by Sasuke Uchiha." The Anbu member answered. The Anbu member then turned around, and walked to the other side of the room, where another Anbu member was waiting. 'Guess I didn't notice him before.' Nezuko thought.
"Is everything ready?" Asked the second Anbu member. "Yes." Answered the first Anbu member (the one who brought Nezuko here). "Y'know, it was awfully kind of Orochimaru to leave this lab behind for us." "Let's just hope that The Hokage doesn't find out what we're doing here." The second Anbu member replied. "Eh, who cares if she finds out? The orders came from the higher-ups. Besides, she's too busy with the Five-Kage Summit to care about what's going on down here." The first Anbu member then said. "Wanna get some ice cream before we reseal The Nine-Tails?" The second Anbu member offered. "And get fired while on duty? No way." The first Anbu member told him. The second Anbu member scoffed. "Fine." He said. "Suit yourself."
The second Anbu member then disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. The first Anbu member scoffed. "The nerve of that guy...The Nine-Tails is going to be resealed and that Naruto kid is finally going to die because of it and he's worried about ice cream?" He muttered. "If I were him, I would've stayed not only because I wouldn't get fired for doing so but also to witness Naruto's death. I want to enjoy every second of it."
Nezuko gasped. 'Naruto is going to...die?' She thought. She looked at Naruto. 'Well, well, isn't he cute? He's too cute to die.'
"Do not worry, child. He will not die."
'Who was that?' Nezuko thought. Nezuko looked around, and saw no one. "Huh." She then said.
The Five-Kage Summit has officially begun. Izumi stood next to Asuma in The Hokage's Chamber behind the chair that Kitsune, The Fifth Hokage was sitting on (which was close to this round table in the middle of the room). "This place takes me back..." Asuma mutters. "Same." Izumi whispered to Asuma. "This was the last place we saw The Third Hokage." "Oh shit!" Asuma replied. "You're right!" "Sssh!" Kitsune hissed. That reminder from The Fifth Hokage turned Izumi's focus back to the Summit. Another interesting feature is that the other four Kage (who were also sitting on chairs at this round table) also had bodyguards who stood behind their chairs.
Izumi recognized a few of the bodyguards. Chizuru's bodyguard, for instance, was just Baki. Chizuru had no second bodyguard for whatever reason. Mei, on the other hand, has two bodyguards and Izumi recognized one of them: Ao. She recognized Ao because he got an entry in the Hidden Leaf's Bingo Book after he stole a Byakugan during the Third Great Ninja War. Mabui only brought one bodyguard, too. Interestingly, that bodyguard was Samui, who was looking more half-bandaged than Danzo. Izumi also recognized Saki's bodyguard, a fifteen
-year-old Chunin-ranked Kunoichi of the Hidden Stone named Kurotsuchi, because Kurotsuchi is the Granddaughter of The Third Tsuchikage and the Daughter of The Fourth Tsuchikage, which technically makes her royalty within the confines of the Hidden Stone Village. Kurotsuchi looked as nervous and unsure of herself as the blue-haired kid with the big sword next to Ao does. And like Izumi and Asuma, all the bodyguards are standing behind the chairs their Kage are sitting on.
"Why would you have us all meet here? You know these aren't neutral grounds, right?" Mei asked. "I'd have to agree with Lady Mizukage." Saki said. "And so would I." Mabui said. "And I." Chizuru said. "Well, I have some news that I'd like to share with you all: we have Naruto Uzumaki." Kitsune told them all. "What?" Mabui asked. Every Kage except for Chizuru and Kitsune looked surprised. "Just what I said-I had a spy extract Naruto from the Hidden Sand Village. Said spy had help from a spy from the Hidden Cloud Village, a spy from the Hidden Mist Village and someone from within the Hidden Sand's own ranks. So not only do I have that spy to thank for Naruto's safe return, but I also have to thank you, Lady Mizukage and you, Lady Raikage." Kitsune explained. Chizuru slammed her fist on the table. "And what, hosting a Five-Kage Summit is your way of mocking us for losing the war!?" Chizuru shouted. "Calm down, Lady Kazekage. I assure you that I didn't have any ill intentions when I chose this place as the Summit's setting. Besides, the Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand have taken all the neutral ground there might've been in the continent. I was forced to make this choice." Kitsune told her. "The Hidden Leaf had been doing the same thing, y'know. Your alliances with the Hidden Grass, Hidden Waterfall, Hidden Rain, Hidden Frost and Hidden Steam have made it stupendously difficult for our forces to get into the Land of Fire." Saki said. "That's not a fair argument! Those alliances were made long before this war and long before I became The Hokage, as you should very well know!" Kitsune told her. "Plus, all those parties you mentioned had to act otherwise ninjas from the Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud would've come and the village would've been invaded. It'd be like the last invasion of the Hidden Leaf Village all over again. There was only so much we could do with just our own forces and help from the Hidden Mist. Truth was, we were outmatched and outmanned. But Naruto's safe return changed all of that." "Then why are we all here if you're so confident that you won the war?" Chizuru asked. "We're here to negotiate a peace." Kitsune answered.
Everyone but Kitsune, Izumi and Asuma gasped. "Are you insane!? Currently, the Hidden Leaf is so damn close to losing the war! Unless you have something that can end this war with everyone in this room leaving this room while very happy, I'm afraid I can't agree to any deal you make. And nor will the others." Saki told her. "So what could we do to make everyone happy and end this war? That is what we're all here to talk about." Kitsune replied. 'Lady Hokage is bold.' Izumi thought. "Okay, then..." Saki says.
Minutes Later...
The Five Kage were still talking until Tsunade, Sasuke and three Medical Ninjas barged into the room. "Tsunade! Well, well, it's nice to see you. I-" "Lady Hokage! Naruto's gone missing!" Tsunade shouted, interrupting Kitsune. "Izumi-Sensei! Nezuko's been kidnapped by the Anbu!" Sasuke shouted. "What?" Izumi asked. "What the Hell is going on?" Kitsune asked. She suspiciously eyed the other Kage. "Don't look at us. We're just as confused by these events as you are." Chizuru said. Kitsune could tell that Chizuru wasn't lying because all four of the Kage and their bodyguards have confused looks on their faces. Kitsune stood up, and walked up to Tsunade. "What happened?" Kitsune asked her. Tsunade was about to answer when a Chunin ran into the room. "Lady Hokage! There are reports of disturbances coming from Orochimaru's Lab!" The Chunin reported. "Orochimaru Lab?!" Tsunade asked. "He's been dead for all this time, and he still has a lab here?" "Yes. Although, last I checked, Sarutobi-Sensei forbade anyone from going in there after Orochimaru fled the village and became a rogue ninja." Kitsune answered. "I'm unsure why he didn't tear it down and build some kind of government office in it's place instead, though." "Well...you know Sarutobi-Sensei. He always was a sentimental old fool." Tsunade said. "Oh, enough with the reminiscing! We need to go find Nezuko! She could be in danger!" Sasuke shouted. "Don't talk to them like that, Sasuke!" Izumi told him. "He may have been out-of-line, but he's right, Izumi." Asuma said. Then, another Hidden Leaf ninja came in. "Sir! The Scroll of Sealing has been stolen!" The ninja reported.
"The Scroll...Naruto going missing...Nezuko's kidnapping...Orochimaru's Lab..." Kitsune mutters. She then got this look on her face like she's connected the dots. "I know what they're trying to do!" "What are they trying to do?" Sasuke asked. "They're trying to reseal The Nine-Tails without my authorization! This is bad!" Kitsune shouted. "Why is it bad?" Sasuke then asked. "Because, Sasuke, when a Tailed Beast is extracted from its Jinchuriki, and placed in another, the Tailed Beast's old host dies." Izumi explained even though it was hard for her to do so. "On top of that, they're trying to seal it into Nezuko. But here's the problem with that: only someone with large amounts of chakra could ever become a Jinchuriki. If they tried to seal it into some random ninja with an average amount of chakra, the sealing wouldn't work, the Tailed Beast would come back out, and the new host would die, too." Kitsune told him. "And Nezuko is from the same clan as Danzo." Izumi added. "Wh-What does that have to do with anything?" Sasuke questioned. "Like The Hokage said, only someone with large amounts of chakra could ever hope to become a Jinchuriki. Naruto was able to become a Jinchuriki not only because of his high chakra count, but also because he was from the Uzumaki Clan, a clan well-known for having exceptionally high amounts of chakra. The Shimura Clan, however, isn't known for their high chakra count." Izumi answered.
Kitsune turned towards the other Kage, and asked, "I'd understand it if you refused, but could we form a temporary truce? I need your help in dealing with this."
The Kage all sighed. "We would all like to, but this is a busy time for us. Send us your peace treaty by mail." Saki told her. The Kage and their bodyguards all disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. "Damn it!" Kitsune shouted. She then took a deep breath, calmed down, and said, "Let's get to Orochimaru's Lab." "Yes Sir!" All the Hidden Leaf ninjas acknowledged.
Around a few hours later, Nezuko was still strapped to the operating table when the ritual to cast what Nezuko presumed was some sort of Sealing Jutsu was starting. Two Anbu members lifted Naruto's shirt and Nezuko's top, and then, those two Anbu members disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. Then, using the Teleportation Jutsu, numerous Anbu members appeared and surrounded Nezuko and Naruto. Behind the Anbu members in front of Nezuko, an old woman and an old man came out of the shadows, and then stopped just six feet behind those Anbu members.
"Commence The Nine-Tails' resealing." The old woman ordered.
All the Anbu members surrounding Nezuko and Naruto quickly weaved together thirty-seven hand signs, and they all shouted, "Demon Art: Vulpine Sealing!" And then, a red chakra came out of Naruto's stomach, and made an upwards curve line to go into Nezuko's stomach. Both Nezuko and Naruto started screaming in pain, but then, the old woman incapacitated them with a Genjutsu.
Next thing Nezuko knew, she was in a dank hallway with dim green lights. 'Where am I?' Nezuko thought. Nezuko started walking forwards, and then she saw an open doorway to her right. An open doorway that looked like it led into a room with a warm orange light. "Kurama! What's happening to me! I'm-I'm in so much pain!" A boy's raspy voice shouted. 'Who was that?' Nezuko thought.
Nezuko turned right, and walked into the doorway. Crouching in pain to Nezuko's right was Naruto. She knew his name was Naruto because Sasuke once showed Nezuko a picture of all of the members of Team 7. "They are attempting to reseal me into another vessel." A big booming and rather scary voice answered. 'Where did that voice come from?' Nezuko thought. Nezuko looked around and then she saw a big cage twelve feet in front of her. And inside that cage...well, she couldn't believe what was inside that cage. It was The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox! The thing that everyone calls "The Nine-Tails" or "The Fox". On the cage's door there was also a little paper that had the kanji for "seal" on it, too. A paper that's slowly being peeled away all by itself.
"I'm...in pain, too. My chakra is being extracted as we speak and it...it hurts." The Nine-Tails said. "I...why? Why are they doing this?" Naruto asked. "I don't know." The Nine-Tails answered. "Well, whatever the reason is...they must've thought I failed you. If that's true, then I...I'm sorry for being such a weak Jinchuriki, Kurama." Naruto said. The Nine-Tails chuckled. "The world cannot blame you for being weak. Nor can I. You are still a child, after all." He replied. 'Is The Nine-Tails a "he"?' Nezuko thought. 'It certainly sounds that way, given how The Nine-Tails' voice sounds.'
"Hold on, how come Naruto and The Nine-Tails are here? Where is 'here'? And who is 'Kurama'?" Nezuko thought out loud. The Nine-Tails then turned his attention to Nezuko. 'Shit!' Nezuko thought. "Who are you? How can you even be here?" The Nine-Tails asked. Naruto noticed her, too.
"Perhaps I can explain."
"There's that voice again!" Nezuko shouted, thinking out loud without meaning to again. "You can hear my Father's spirit?" The Nine-Tails asked. "Is that what that voice is?" Nezuko asked in reply. Then, a tall man with pale skin, spiky pale brown hair, a braided long just hanging in front of his left ear, a pale brown short goatee, a pair of horn-like protrusions extending from either side of his forehead, strange purple eyes with six circles and what looked to be a Sharingan in the center of his forehead appeared to the left of Naruto while standing up. The guy with the Sharingan on his forehead also appeared to be wielding some kind of black staff with multiple rings at the top of it and behind him were multiple black orbs that were floating in a circular formation. Nezuko thought that the Sharingan on his forehead was strange because Danzo taught her that only an Uchiha can wield the Sharingan. The Academy taught her the same thing, too. The guy with the Sharingan on his forehead was also wearing a white full-length kimono with six black magatama around a high collar underneath which he wore a necklace which was also made up of six black magatama. The kimono was also so long that Nezuko couldn't see if the Sharingan forehead guy was wearing ninja sandals or normal sandals or not. "Father..." The Nine-Tails says. "He's...your Father?" Naruto asked. "Yes." The Nine-Tails answered. "Kami, you're such an idiot..." "Greetings. I am Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Although, I may have been dead for quite some time." The guy with the Sharingan on his forehead told everyone. "A little over a thousand years, in fact." The Nine-Tails said. "Ah. But I presume that everyone at least still knows me as 'The Sage of Six Paths', at least?" The guy with the Sharingan on his forehead then said. "Yes." The Nine-Tails answered. "The Sage of Six Paths? You mean the man who was hailed as 'The Father of Shinobi'? As in the creator of the Ninja World?" Nezuko asked, surprised. "Also yes." The Nine-Tails answered. "And as he said, his name is Hagoromo Otsutsuki. He is also responsible for the creation of all the summoning animals all throughout what you call this 'Ninja World'." [AN: I know that that's never stated in canon, but, to be fair, it's never explained exactly how the summons were created. So, to sum it up, this is simply the headcanon I had just to give an explanation and to give Hagoromo just one more achievement than just the creation of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu and Taijutsu and the creation of all nine Tailed Beasts.] "Yes. I am known for that and much more. I birthed the Tailed Beasts and let them loose upon the world, I created Ninshu, although you may now know it as Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and Taijutsu and, of course, as you said, girl, I created the Ninja World." Hagoromo confirmed. "Kami, you Humans are so dumb..." The Nine-Tails says. "Be reasonable, Kurama. These are just children." Hagoromo told him. "Why do you call him 'Kurama'?" Nezuko asked. "Because
...that's his name...idiot." Naruto answered. "Perhaps introductions are in order. Kurama is the name I gave to The Nine-Tails. In fact, I gave all the Tailed Beasts their names. Though, sadly, over the years, they have been mistreated and abused by Humans over and over and over again that no Human alive today, except for Naruto, of course, knows their names." Hagoromo said. "But...I only know...Kurama's name." Naruto said. "And, given time, you may yet learn the names of the others." Hagoromo told him. "Father...he won't, actually." Kurama said. "Why not?" Hagoromo asked. "I'm...being resealed." Kurama answered. "Ah, yes. I forgot. He's right, Naruto. I'm afraid you won't. But she, however, just might." Hagoromo said. "Who is...she...by the way?" Kurama then asked. "She is Nezuko Shimura. And she is to be your new vessel. Unfortunately, she only has average amounts of chakra which means that it very likely won't work and she, too, will die instead." Hagoromo answered. "Then...she won't...know the names...of my...Brothers...and my...Sister...either." Kurama replied. "I might die? But...I don't wanna die!" Nezuko shouted. She then started feeling the same pain that Kurama and Naruto are feeling right now. "There is another way she can survive without you being sealed inside her-for now, at least." Hagoromo told Kurama. "But you told me that she is to be my next vessel-which is impossible. In time...I may need to...escape from Naruto's seal...before I die, too." Kurama replied. "I said 'for now', Kurama. You need to be patient." Hagoromo told him. "What...What do I do, then?" Kurama questioned. "As you said, you must escape from Naruto's seal. When we're done talking, I will rip off the rest of that seal in order for you to escape. Once you've made your escape, you must make contact with your other half, and return to Foxhold Valley, you must wait to be sealed into young Nezuko." Hagoromo answered. "But you said that she has average amounts of chakra. That means I can't be sealed inside her." Kurama then replied. "The Great Fox Elder and I have a plan in mind to account for that. For now, you must trust me." Hagoromo told him. Kurama growled. "...fine. But why do you care so much about her? Why are you even planning to save her at all?" Kurama inquired. "It all has to do with The Great Fox Elder's prophecy. A prophecy that is going to be...altered by Naruto's death." Hagoromo answered. "Truth is, I planned to do this for whoever they selected as Naruto's replacement. Nezuko just so happened to be the lucky ninja who was selected."
Kurama sighed, and turned towards Nezuko. "For the record, girl, I am sorry that you and I had to meet like this. Not that you ever were going to meet me because I was stuck here, but regardless, you seem to have a kind heart beneath all your rage and laziness." Kurama said. "Speaking of...where is 'here'?" Nezuko asked. "You are in the psyche of Naruto Uzumaki as well as your own psyche. I have connected your minds for the purpose of having this conversation. And yes, as Kurama mentioned, you have a kind heart, just like Naruto, here." Hagoromo answered. "Alright...then...what about this...prophecy? You talked to...Kurama like he...he already knows it." Nezuko said. "All that will be explained to you later. For now, you must be saved. They may be done trying to complete their Jutsu at any moment, now." Hagoromo told Nezuko. Hagoromo walked over to Nezuko, and then tapped her on the shoulder. "I have granted you a little bit of the dark half of my chakra. It will save you from death, but only for a short time. You must be taken to Foxhold to be properly treated because what I did is like a bandage being applied to a fatal wound that will kill you in a certain amount of time if it's not treated."
Hagoromo then turned around, and walked over to Naruto. "As for you, Naruto, rest in peace. I'm sure your friends will miss you." He said. Naruto looked like he wanted to say, "I don't wanna die!" But he clearly didn't have the energy. "I wish you all good luck."
Hagoromo walked over to Kurama's cage, peeled off the paper that had the kanji for "seal" on it, and then, Hagoromo disappeared, the cage's doors bursted open, Kurama transformed into pure chakra, then Kurama escaped, and then, the place started to crumble, pieces of the wall and the roof started coming out of the wall and roof, Naruto started to fade in and out of reality before he was completely gone, and then, a piece of debris hit Nezuko from behind, and knocked her out.
Naruto woke up laying down on his back in what appeared to be a pink sky. He stood up, and looked around. There was no floor, roof or walls. But he can't be outside, either, because there also wasn't any wind or any cold weather or hot weather. There also wasn't any Sunlight but when he looked down at his body, he saw that there was natural light coming from...somewhere.
"Where am I? Am I...dead?" He asked. "Yes, but we hoped it'd be at least a full century before you came here, Naruto." An adult male voice said.
Naruto looked up, and saw a beautiful woman with long and straight dark red hair (that was so long it reached down to her thighs) and violet eyes standing in front of him. She wore a long green sleeveless dress over a white t-shirt and a pair of gray ninja sandals and next to her was...The Fourth Hokage?!
He couldn't believe his eyes. Naruto doesn't remember much of the things he learned at the Academy, but what he does remember is seeing pictures of four of The Hokage. So it'd be pretty strange if he didn't remember what The Fourth Hokage looked like. "Lord Fourth! It's...uh...it's an honor to meet you, Sir!" Naruto shouted. Lord Fourth chuckled. "Likewise." He replied. "Uh...right. But...wait, how do you know my name?" Naruto asked Lord Fourth. Now both the woman and Lord Fourth were chuckling. "They never did tell him, did they?" The woman asked Lord Fourth. "It is understandable. You know how many enemies I made in my life." Lord Fourth. "Wait, what? What didn't they tell me?" Naruto asked. "They didn't tell you that we are your parents." The woman answered. Naruto was surprised. "Wait, really?" He asked. "We wouldn't be here if we weren't." The woman answered. He looked at both of them. Naruto knew how much he looked like The Fourth Hokage, but he honestly thought that was just mere coincidence. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think it meant that they were related somehow. He started to cry. "For years...I've always wanted to meet you." Naruto sobbed.
Then, out of nowhere, he went up to his Dad, and punched him in the stomach only once. "Why did you seal The Nine-Tails inside your own Son?! Do you know how much I've suffered?!" Naruto yelled. "I was so alone! I had no friends! And then, I met Shikamaru and Choji and Iruka-Sensei and Kiba and Old Man Hokage and Izumi-Sensei and Kitsune-Sensei and Sasuke and Yuki but then she turned out to be a traitor and took me to the Hidden Sand Village and then...I don't even know what I'm saying anymore!" "He does have the right to be angry, y'know." Naruto's Mom said. "I know, but, listen to me, my Son. I sealed The Nine-Tails inside of you to protect the village and also...because I believed you had the potential to control it's power, and use it to save the world. But obviously, the Hidden Leaf's elders had a different idea..." Naruto's Dad says. After calming down, Naruto asked, "What do you mean?" "On the night you were born, a masked man came and attacked the village. He took out the Anbu assigned to The Third Hokage, and broke into the place where you were born. It was meant to be a secret place known to only a few people. To this day, I don't know how he knew where you'd be born and where Kushina would be. Anyway, shortly after you were born, the masked man kidnapped Kushina, and undid the seal that kept The Nine-Tails inside of her." Naruto's Dad explained. "What?" Naruto asked. "I was The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki before you, Naruto." Naruto's Mom told him. "Right. And a female Jinchuriki's seal weakens during childbirth. The masked man somehow knew that which is probably why he chose that night to strike. I encountered him and faced him in battle after he undid Kushina's seal. I defeated him, but he escaped, used the Summoning Jutsu to get The Nine-Tails just close enough to the village to attack it, and then he ordered The Nine-Tails to...well, attack. That was how the Nine-Tails Incident happened. Of course, I defeated The Nine-Tails by sealing him inside you and dying in the process of sealing him inside you, but I bet all that's ancient history by now." Naruto's Dad also explained.
"Speaking of that, Naruto, how old are you now?" Naruto's Mom asked. "Twelve." Naruto answered. "Well done on making it to twelve years old, I...guess." Naruto's Dad said. Naruto became depressed because he's dead now. There's no changing that.
"Like...Like I said, ancient history." Naruto's Dad said, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "That masked man was never seen again, though, to my knowledge." "So had I remained alive-" "You would've had the chance to defeat him once and for all, yes. Although he never told me about it, I believe the masked man had another motive for the events of that night. Bigger goals that could possibly reach beyond the scope of just the safety of the entire village...there was the possibility that the next step in his plans could bring about the end of the world. If he was willing to mess around with The Nine-Tails, that is." Naruto's Dad replied, interrupting Naruto. "I...I see. Speaking of, how could that masked guy order The Nine-Tails around anyway? I thought the Tailed Beasts couldn't really be...tamed or controlled without the use of a Sharingan or the Wood Style." Naruto said. "It's because he had a Sharingan and used it to order The Nine-Tails to attack the village. I'm sure that if he didn't have a Sharingan, The Nine-Tails would've run away and never returned to the village. And at that point, it would've taken forever to find The Nine-Tails again. The balance of power would've shifted out of the Hidden Leaf's favor and the other hidden villages would've used that to attack." Naruto's Dad answered. "The Sharingan, huh?" Naruto asked. Naruto's Dad nodded in response.
"Then it makes sense, I guess..." Naruto says. "What do you mean?" Naruto's Dad asked. "I wasn't the only one who's life was affected by the Nine-Tails Incident. The Uchiha were also-" "Ah, I see." Naruto's Dad said. "And for the record, I know all about that, Son." "We both do." Naruto's Mom interjected. "Fugaku, who was the Head of the Uchiha Clan and the Father of both Sasuke and Itachi, told us all about their planned coup and the Uchiha Massacre." Naruto's Dad said. "And he told us both about it straight after he came up here with the others like you did." "Oh." Naruto said. "And in that sense, it does make sense, but I don't think the masked man was sent by the Uchiha. If he was, he wouldn't have been wearing a mask and a hood and he would've had the Uchiha Clan symbol plastered somewhere on his clothing, which he didn't." Naruto's Dad also said. "Still, it was unfortunate how that situation escalated...regardless of how much sense the village's suspicions might've made at the time."
"There's something else that should be explained to you, too." Naruto's Mom said. "Ah, right. Thanks for reminding me, Kushina." Naruto's Dad replied. "What are you talking about?" Naruto asked. "How much do you remember about what was happening to you before you died?" Naruto's Dad asked in reply. "Well
...um...The Nine-Tails said he was being resealed into another vessel. When I asked him why, he said he didn't know. But then you said something about the Hidden Leaf's elders having a different idea when you were telling me why you sealed The Nine-Tails inside of me. From then on, I figured out that the Hidden Leaf's elders were behind the resealing. But I thought I was still in the Hidden Sand Village. If I was still in the Hidden Sand Village, then what were the Hidden Leaf's elders doing there?" Naruto explained.
Naruto's parents then filled in the rest of the blanks for him.
"Huh. So they brought me back only for the higher-ups to kill me by resealing The Nine-Tails without The Hokage's consent and approval. Sounds like Kitsune
-Sensei's going to be Hella angry with the elders once she hears about it..." Naruto says. "Why would she be angry with them? I thought she wasn't in the village." Naruto's Dad replied. "She came back about a month before the Final Exam of the Chunin Exams to train me. She's the reason I know the Summoning Jutsu. While I was imprisoned in the Hidden Sand Village, I heard that she became The Fifth Hokage." Naruto answered. "Good for Kitsune-Sensei, then. I never thought she'd become The Hokage after Lord Third died..." Naruto's Dad says. "Neither did I..." Naruto also says. "In that case, you're right. She would be mad. In fact, I gather that she is especially mad at them right now." Naruto's Dad said. "I'm also very angry with them." Naruto's Mom said. "So am I." Naruto's Dad also said. "They'll have some explaining to do when they get up here..." Naruto's Mom says. "If they come up here when they die." Naruto's Dad added. "Though, for their sake, I hope they don't."
"But, that's alright, now. There's nothing we can do about it from up here." Naruto's Dad then said. "He's right. C'mon. There's so much you have to tell us about." Naruto's Mom said with a cheerful smile. They both turned around, and started walking. "Uh...okay." Naruto said before following them.
'Now, I just wish I had taken up the Hidden Sand on their offer. Maybe things would've been different and I would've remained alive. One thing I know for sure is that they were right-the people of the Hidden Leaf really didn't care about me.' Naruto thought.
Soon, Naruto Uzumaki passed on into the Pure Land with Minato Namikaze, who was also known as The Fourth Hokage and Naruto's Mom, who was named Kushina Uzumaki. He also saw Choji, Ino and Hinata again. He was also surprised to see Mori up here, but regardless, he was glad to see her. He also met two other people he has never met personally before. One was Asura Otsutsuki, who was apparently one of Hagoromo's two Sons and the other person was Hashirama Senju, The First Hokage. Apparently, Asura and Hashirama were able to meet Naruto because both Hashirama and Naruto were Asura's reincarnations. Naruto told them that he met Hagoromo before he died and that Hagoromo never mentioned the reincarnation stuff but, obviously, that didn't matter, now. Asura's only two reincarnations are dead which means that no one could stop Sasuke, Indra's reincarnation, if he ever became evil like Indra did or like Madara Uchiha, Indra's only other reincarnation did. It made them sad but only momentarily because what could they do about it from the Pure Land? Naruto was genuinely happy up here because he was now among friends and family. Best part of all...? He would never, ever lose them again.
Back in the mortal world, in the Hidden Leaf Village, Sasuke and Izumi-Sensei and Asuma-Sensei and Tsunade and Lady Fifth Hokage are on their way to Orochimaru's Old Lab to save Nezuko and Naruto. But once they got there, they discovered that they were too late. "Nezuko!" Sasuke shouted. They also saw the elders there watching the resealing taking place."Koharu! Homura! What is going on here?!" Lady Fifth shouted. The two elders turned around to face them. "We are resealing The Nine-Tails." The female elder answered. "I never authorized this." Lady Fifth said. "We know." Said the female elder. "But we do not care. You forced our hand because you turned out to be more cowardly and indecisive than Hiruzen was!" The male elder shouted. Lady Fifth tauntingly chuckled. "Oh, you sweet-talker, you." She quipped. "Lord Homura! Lady Koharu! Something's going wrong with the resealing!" One of the Anbu members reported. "What?" The female elder asked. Both elders turned back around to continue watching the resealing. "Nezuko!" Sasuke shouted. Sasuke was about to rush in, but Izumi stopped him. "No, Sasuke! Wait!" Izumi-Sensei shouted. "Why?!" Sasuke shouted. "Just...Just watch." Izumi-Sensei answered with a sad look on her face.
Suddenly, the red chakra went back into Naruto's stomach, and then, a bright yellow chakra came out. "You have killed Naruto! I'd kill you for that if I were not severely weakened by this poor excuse of a resealing! So I will escape. But the day of your reckoning is coming. Just you wait..." The yellow Nine
-Tails chakra threatened before it flew upwards, and made a hole in the roof. "No...Not again..." Izumi-Sensei whispers. 'She must be thinking back to what happened with Satsuki...' Sasuke thought. And so, Naruto was now dead. Meanwhile Nezuko was awake, but still somewhat asleep. There was also this weird purple chakra emanating off of her that was also visible to the naked eye. Her breathing started to sound weird, too. "That's strange. The resealing failed so that girl should be dead." One of the Anbu members said. "Kill her! We have no use for her right now!" The female elder ordered. "No! She's still alive! That means she can be saved!" Lady Fifth ordered. "Nevermind her. She's unfit to be The Hokage." The female elder said. "Unfit?! How dare you!" Lady Fifth shouted. "Lady Fifth, do we have your permission to kick their asses?" Sasuke asked. "Now, you do." Lady Fifth answered. "Seize them!" The male elder ordered. The Anbu members and the elders turned around, and confronted Sasuke and the others. "Deal with the others. Lord Homura and I will fight Kitsune." The female elder ordered. "That's fine with me." Lady Fifth said. "Lady Fifth, it seems like Nezuko's alive, sure enough, but it also seems like she won't be alive for very long if we don't do something quick." Izumi-Sensei whispered to Lady Fifth. "Then we have to finish this as soon as it's started." Lady Fifth replied. "Once the fight is over, you and Tsunade will take her to the Hospital." "Gotcha." Izumi-Sensei acknowledged.
And so, the two sides charged towards each other. Asuma-Sensei and Tsunade easily knocked out at least three of the Anbu members. Both Izumi-Sensei and Sasuke activated their Sharingan, and charged towards two Anbu members. Lady Fifth tried to use the Rasengan on one of the elders, but that elder dodged the Rasengan, and then, the other elder tried to attack her from her blindspot. "Lady Fifth! Look out!" Sasuke shouted. Lady Fifth jumped to dodge the elder's attack once she heard Sasuke's warning. "Thanks, kid." Lady Fifth said to Sasuke. Lady Fifth then punched that elder in retaliation. Sasuke saw that he and Izumi-Sensei were the closest to Nezuko so, Sasuke casted the Fireball Jutsu just to get the Anbu members they were fighting out of the way. Izumi-Sensei saw what he did, and quickly went to grab Nezuko.
"I've got Nezuko!" Izumi-Sensei shouted. "Good! We're almost done, here, too!" Asuma-Sensei replied. Once all the Anbu members were defeated and incapacitated, Tsunade ran over to Izumi-Sensei, who gave Nezuko to her, and then, both Tsunade and Asuma-Sensei ran back out of the lab.
So now, it was down to the fight between Lady Fifth and the two elders.
Lady Fifth had a hard time with them at first, but that quickly changed when she entered Sage Mode. Lady Fifth's eyes became fox-like, she grew fox-like ears on the top of her head that were the same color as her hair, a red, white and black fox-like tail protruded from her butt, and her fingernails turned into medium-sized black claws. Now, every one of Lady Fifth's attacks had more strength than they did before and conversely, the elders were getting more and more beat up.
The battle was over the moment Lady Fifth broke both elders' legs, and made them kneel before her. After that, Lady Fifth deactivated Sage Mode, and her appearance returned to normal. "Whew! I haven't had to fight like that in a Hell of a long time." Lady Fifth said. "Thanks for the work-out, you two."
Angry about Naruto's death and the many other horrible things those two elders are responsible for, Sasuke ran right up to the elders and was about to use the Chidori to kill them when Izumi-Sensei stopped him. "Sasuke, no! You mustn't kill them!" She shouted. "She's right, Sasuke. They have to be tried before a criminal court before their punishment is decided." Lady Fifth told him. "But they're responsible for so much death. It would be a crime in and of itself to not kill them." Sasuke said, very clearly craving revenge. "If you do that, I'll take you down, as well." Lady Fifth said. "Why?!" Sasuke shouted. "Because that's not for you to decide!" Lady Fifth shouted in reply. "Sasuke...if Naruto ever meant anything to you...if you ever truly believed in him despite how much of a 'loser' he may have been, then ask yourself, 'What would Naruto do?'. What would he do if he were in your shoes and you were The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki who just died?" Izumi-Sensei told him. Sasuke thought about it. And, in hindsight, he didn't know Naruto very well. He didn't know Naruto for very long, either. Yet he was still a comrade. And he was committed to whatever goal he set for himself. He was kind, brave, heroic and, above all, he was a man of his word. Sasuke never thought about it before, but Naruto always did have this strange ability to make friends with whoever he met and made those same friends want to believe in him. He was the Hidden Leaf's light in the darkness of the Ninja World. The boy who could've been the face of the Hidden Leaf's military. Hell, he could have actually been The Hokage someday. But these elders chose to take all that away and for what? Why? 'Maybe some questions are better left unanswered.' Sasuke thought. He relented, and then, Lady Fifth ordered him to bind the elders' hands behind their backs, which is what Sasuke did instead because above all, Naruto never was a cold-hearted killer. He never had the stomach for it, even after he killed one of the Demon Brothers.
"Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, you are hereby under arrest for taking unnecessary actions without the authority of me, The Hokage, the murder of Naruto Uzumaki, and the theft of the Scroll of Sealing. I'll just put the both of you in jail until I can decide the date of your court martial." Lady Fifth told them. 'Lady Fifth is a badass.' Sasuke thought. The female elder smirked. "What evidence could you possibly have to make a case against us in a court martial?" The female village elder asked. Lady Fifth chuckled. "If you think you're as crafty and hardcore as Danzo, then think again. Now, let's go." She replied as she picked up the elders since they couldn't walk. "What about the Anbu? They could just escape when they wake up." Sasuke said. "I'll send some other Anbu to collect them, and arrest them as well." Lady Fifth answered. "C'mon, Sasuke. Let's go." Izumi-Sensei told him.
And so, Sasuke, Izumi-Sensei and Lady Fifth left Orochimaru's Lab with the elders in Lady Fifth's arms.
And so, Nezuko was taken to the Hospital without any other major incidents and to protect her further, Lady Fifth assigned regular ninjas instead of Anbu to guard Nezuko's Hospital room because she didn't have any trust in the Anbu anymore. How many of them were loyal to the elders and conversely, how many in the Anbu were loyal to The Hokage? Izumi thought this was the right choice. Although, because there was no one else, Lady Fifth put Tsunade on the Hidden Leaf's elder council until she could find someone else to fill that role as well as another person to take the other elder's place. She also put Tsunade in charge of the Hospital and made her the Chief of the Hidden Leaf's Medical Corps. Tsunade didn't like this decision because she hasn't gotten over her hemophobia (the fear of blood) and because being an elder and the Chief of the Hidden Leaf's Medical Corps and the Medical Director (meaning she's the boss of every doctor and Medical Ninja and nurse in the Hidden Leaf's Hospital) of the Hidden Leaf's Hospital meant she has to stay in the village and the village isn't a place she likes to revisit often because of her past. Holding all of those positions also means that she's back to being a Hidden Leaf ninja again. A Jonin-ranked ninja, even. Tsunade had reluctantly accepted those positions because, as was mentioned earlier, no one else could fill those positions (especially not the Medical Director of the Hidden Leaf's Hospital nor the Chief of the Hidden Leaf's Medical Corps because both positions had been left vacant ever since Tsunade left the village on a hiatus from being a ninja with The Third Hokage's consent) and because Lady Fifth, who was Kitsune Senju and was also Tsunade's Cousin was asking her to.
In other news, Nezuko's condition doesn't seem to be getting any better. Right now, Izumi, Lady Fifth, Tsunade and Sasuke were discussing Nezuko's condition in The Hokage's office. Lady Fifth was standing with her back to The Hokage's desk while Izumi, Sasuke and Tsunade stood in a half circle formation around Lady Fifth. "Despite all the Hospital's best efforts, Nezuko isn't getting any better. In fact, her condition is slowly, but surely deteriorating." Tsunade reported. "So what do we do?" Izumi asked. "We can't just...let her die." Sasuke said. "No, you're right, we can't." Lady Fifth agreed. All four of them started thinking of something, anything they could do about the situation. Tsunade then got this look on her face like she remembered something. "That's it!" Tsunade shouted. "What is?" Lady Fifth asked. "While we were on our way to the Hospital, Nezuko whispered something in my ear about Foxhold and...immortality. I think that may be the solution we're looking for." Tsunade answered. "Hmm...I don't know. The King-Sage put me through a Hell of a lot of training before I gained the immortality and eternal youth I have now. She would have to know how to use Sage Mode before she could ever get the powers I have now. But even then, that comes with its own set of problems-problems that are minor in scale but they could become major in the long run." Lady Fifth said. "What kind of problems?" Sasuke asked. "First off, the eternal youth thing. It will allow her to age until she reaches her early to mid 20s but there are one or two cases where those who become Fox Sages like me stopped aging at 15 or 16 years old, meaning that others will mistake them for a child when, in reality, they could be 47 years old. The second and last problem is the immortality thing. At first it feels good, great, even to know that you won't ever die or even die when you hit a really old age. But then, as you'll discover for yourself at some point after you've gained Vulpine Immortality, 'immortal' doesn't mean 'invincible' meaning that you could still get injured if someone hurts you or die if your head's chopped off or because of a more severe injury like a kunai knife being thrown at your heart. Granted, the Vulpine Immortality ability also gives you a speedy healing factor, but the severity of your injury will affect how long it will take for said healing factor to heal you and certain injuries can kill you faster than the healing factor could catch up to it if it's not treated in time. Another thing you will come to understand as time goes on is that...you may have to watch as your friends die either by being killed in battle or by old age or even sickness and in time, no one you knew when you were young will be alive. If Nezuko ever comes to fall in love, it will be a good thing and a bad thing for her because 'immortality' means that her loved one could get to be with her until he or she grows old and dies, but conversely, she can't grow old and die with him or her. This will...inevitably happen to her enough times to the point where she might become desensitized to it all and she might grow cold and distant as a result of that desensitization." Lady Fifth explained. "Personally, I wouldn't wish that curse on anybody, even if they were my worst enemy." "...but it's the only option we have, isn't it?" Sasuke asked after a bit of a long silence. "He's...He's right, Kitsune." Tsunade told her.
Lady Fifth sighed.
"Izumi, Tsunade, I want you to tell the guards and the Medical Ninjas to prepare Nezuko to be moved. It sounds like she and I are going on a trip to Foxhold Valley." Lady Fifth ordered. "Yes, Lady Fifth." Izumi acknowledged. "As you wish, Lady Hokage." Tsunade acknowledged. "Can I come along, too?" Sasuke asked. Lady Fifth sighed again. "Might as well. You can be there to just...be there for her as a friend in this trying time and also to represent what she stands to lose. Nezuko will be immortal, but everyone else-aside from me-are not immortal." Lady Fifth answered. "What about your position as The Hokage? The other ninjas won't stand for it if The Hokage's desk is going to be empty for who knows how long." Izumi said. "...Tsunade, did Shizune come with you when you came into the village?" Lady Fifth asked after another long silence. "No, but I did tell her to come at some later point in time. I heard that she's in the village right now." Tsunade answered. "Good. She can take over as The Acting Hokage until I return. Granted, I won't be in Foxhold for very long even though Nezuko and Sasuke very likely will." Lady Fifth said. "But how will they get back, then?" Izumi asked. "I'm sure The King-Sage will help them with that. I have a great relationship with the Summoning Foxes in Foxhold Valley. I'm positive they won't treat them horribly or anything." Lady Fifth answered. "Alright, then. I trust you." Izumi replied.
The four of them left the room, and started walking to the Hospital. Izumi and Tsunade went ahead to tell the ninjas that Nezuko's going to be moved and to prepare her to be moved. And so, they did just that.
Four Medical Ninjas got a stretcher from another room, and carefully placed Nezuko on it. Then, four regular ninjas surrounded said stretcher, and guarded it until Lady Fifth and Sasuke arrived. When both Lady Fifth and Sasuke arrived at Nezuko's Hospital room, Lady Fifth got a big scroll out from a sealing scroll, and then opened that big scroll, and placed it on the floor. "Alright, now, Sasuke. The Jutsu I'm going to use is called the Reverse Summoning Jutsu. You may want to activate your Sharingan and watch me as I cast it because this Jutsu is the only way in or out of Foxhold. But before we go there, I'm going to give you a chance to talk to Izumi for the last time until you return with Nezuko alive because I need to tell the other ninjas where we're going. But I can't tell anyone else-including Shikamaru or Kiba." Lady Fifth said. "Why not?" Sasuke asked. "Because we must minimize the chance of someone following us, and trying to kill Nezuko again before she gets Vulpine Immortality." Lady Fifth answered. "I...I see." Sasuke said. Lady Fifth walked over to the ninjas, and started talking with them.
Meanwhile, Sasuke walked up to Izumi, and said, "So...uh...this is goodbye for now." Sasuke said. Izumi chuckled. "What?" Sasuke asked. "It's just that...you never were good at saying goodbye. Though, I admit it can sometimes be a sad word." Izumi answered. Both struggled to think of what to say next. Then, seconds later, Izumi broke the silence with, "You're in love with Nezuko, aren't you?"
Sasuke looked shocked. He blushed and then said, "No I'm not! Who told you that? Was it...Kiba?" "No, silly. No one told me. It's just that I've seen the way you look at her. Also, last I checked, when she was training all by herself and wearing herself out because of it, you were the only one who cared. Sasuke Uchiha? Caring about anyone other than himself and anything other than getting revenge on Itachi? I'll admit, I thought that was highly out-of-character for you. I won't knock you for it, though. Companionship and true love is what makes a ninja strong, not weak." Izumi explained. "Don't tell anyone." Sasuke told her with an angry look on his face. "Don't worry, I won't." Izumi said. "Sasuke! It's time to go!" Lady Fifth called. Both Sasuke and Lady Fifth walked back over to the scroll, on the floor, and then, Sasuke activated his Sharingan before Lady Fifth weaved together five hand signs, and slammed her left hand on the scroll and then Lady Fifth shouted, "Reverse Summoning Jutsu!" Sasuke studied Lady Fifth as she casted the Jutsu before the big scroll, Lady Fifth, Sasuke, Nezuko and the stretcher she was laying on disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Izumi walked up to Tsunade, and asked, "So what do we do now?" "Make sure that this stays between us and everyone else in this room. If they blab, they will be dropped from the Ninja Program." Tsunade answered. "Yes, Lady Tsunade." Izumi acknowledged. A ninja being "dropped from the Ninja Program" means they're fired and no longer a ninja. Said ninja will have to live the rest of their days working at another job that doesn't involve so much death and destruction like a ninja's job does. Now, a ninja can go back to the Academy and become a ninja again, but that only applies if the ninja is a rookie Genin fresh out of the Academy. If they're Chunin or higher and older than a normal rookie Genin and more experienced, that option won't be available to them.
Sasuke, Lady Fifth Hokage and Nezuko (who was still lying down on that stretcher) and the big scroll appeared in a big hilly and grassy landscape with blue skies and a yellow Sun beaming down on the three of them. It was also as hot as a Summer's day. "What the-?" "Welcome to Foxhold Valley, kid. 'The place where Summer never ends'." Lady Fifth said, interrupting Sasuke. Lady Fifth then started stretching a bit. "Whew! I haven't been here since before Naruto was born! Feels kinda good to be back!" "This is Foxhold...?" Sasuke asks. "It just looks like a normal valley." "Be glad Ahri wasn't around to hear you say that. She probably would've eaten you alive." Lady Fifth told him. "Now, c'mon, we need to find Foxhold Village." "Uh...alright." Sasuke replied, looking kind of confused.
Lady Fifth picked up the big scroll that was on the ground, closed it, put it away, then Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and then both Lady Fifth and Sasuke started walking through the valley, and towards a village with many wooden houses and a big old-looking castle made of stone. On their way to the village, they saw many foxes that were big and small and had a varying amount of tails. Even their fur wasn't always the same color nor were their eyes. 'Okay, now, this is weird.' Sasuke thought.
"How did they build that village? They're just foxes who can't walk on two legs." Sasuke said. "Teamwork, my friend. Teamwork. In fact, construction workers here, especially, need more teamwork than Human construction workers because, as you said, they can't walk on two legs like we can." Lady Fifth answered. "Impressive." Sasuke commented.
Once they were in the village, Sasuke asked, "So...where do we go?" "To the castle, of course! We're going to see the King-Sage, remember?" Lady Fifth reminded him. "Oh." Sasuke said. "Alright, then. Let's go."
They walked to the castle, but they were stopped at the gate by a four-tailed guard fox with dark brown fur and black eyes that was three times taller than the average fox. The fox growled at them. "Easy, Simba. It's me. We're just here to speak with your Grandfather and your Mother." Lady Fifth said. "Grandfather?!" Sasuke asked. "We'll...talk about that later." Lady Fifth told him. The fox who was apparently named Simba smelled both Lady Fifth and Sasuke. "Ah...Kitsune. It has been a long time since Grandpa had last seen you. And you...you are of the Uchiha?" Simba asked Sasuke. "Yeah. Why does that matter?" Sasuke asked in reply. "No. Just...keep away from my Father. He really dislikes Uchihas." Simba warned. "I see." Sasuke replied. Simba then let them pass him, and they walked on into the castle with Nezuko and her stretcher in tow.
Once inside the castle, they were greeted at the door by a two-tailed and Human-sized black and white fox with brown eyes who Sasuke mistook for a skunk for a second. "Welcome to the estate of Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri, the King-Sage and Queen-Sage of Foxhold Valley." The black and white fox said in a really strange English accent. [AN: I'm trying to make him sound British.] "I am the butler-fox of this estate so you can call me 'Butler'." "Butler? That's it?" Sasuke asked. "Servant Foxes are legally required to change the names they were born with, and name themselves after what they do." Lady Fifth told him. "Does that apply to all the Ninja Foxes, too?" Sasuke asked. "I'm afraid not, Sir." Butler answered. Sasuke scoffed. 'Figures.' Sasuke thought. 'Only monarchies like these would treat those lower than them with such disrespect.' Ever since he learned why Itachi had killed his entire clan, Sasuke had come to realize that the Ninja World is wrong...just wrong. If the village was so afraid of revolution because of the other hidden villages, then it's not just the Hidden Leaf that needs to be taken out, but also all the other hidden villages, too. But he knows that Danzo and the Foundation are still a problem and so is Itachi. So he'll need to think of a way to kill them or incapacitate them long enough to imprison them
...somehow. Also, Naruto's death just reaffirms his aversion to the Ninja World and the entire idea of it. If immoral acts like the Uchiha Massacre and Naruto's death can be justified, then what else can be justified? Even what they're about to do to Nezuko right now can be seen as immoral because, in time, she will come to know loss that will be unlike anything anyone could possibly begin to under
-stand. Which will bring her more pain than Sasuke has.
"Ah, Master Kitsune! Nice to see you!" Butler shouted after sniffing both Lady Fifth and Sasuke. "Nice to see you too!" Lady Fifth replied. "Good God, it's been so long! Lord Caspian will be so very glad to see you!" Butler said. Butler then turned around, and said, "Follow me."
They followed Butler to the throne room, where two gigantic foxes sat next to each other, looking down at Butler, Sasuke, Lady Fifth and Nezuko, who was still comatosed on the stretcher. The one on the left has black, gray and orange fur, eight tails, and orange eyes. The one on the right has seven tails, white fur and blue eyes. "Lord Caspian, Lady Ahri, I bring you two guests. Master Kitsune Senju and...?" Butler asks. "I am Sasuke Uchiha. A Chunin and a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. Lady Fifth Hokage or Master Kitsune, Kitsune Senju, whatever you want to call her and I have come because we need your help, Lord Caspian." Sasuke said. "Hokage, eh? I thought you would never take on that sort of job." Lord Caspian said. 'So the black, gray and orange one is Lord Caspian.' Sasuke thought. "Yeah, well, when your Sensei, who was also your predecessor, dies and has appointed you as The Next Hokage as his dying wish, you kinda have to make a few exceptions to the opinions you once held about the job." Lady Fifth replied. "Rawr!" A booming voice roared. "What the Hell was that!?" Sasuke asked. Lady Ahri sighed. "That was my ex-Husband. Butler, go remind Kurama to keep quiet!" Lady Ahri ordered. "Y-Yes, M'Lady." Butler acknowledged. Butler bowed to both Lord Caspian, Lady Ahri and Lady Fifth before turning right, and walking away. "Sorry about that, Young Sasuke, it's just that...my ex's Jinchuriki just died. And he's being all...himself about it. We've kept him locked up downstairs ever since he returned." Lady Ahri apologized. "Why have you locked him up?" Sasuke asked. "We did that to just calm him down-for the most part. But it was also because of what he did in your world. The event you now know as The Nine-Tails Incident and also for his collaborations with a Human criminal known as Madara Uchiha." Lady Ahri answered. "Wait...no, you can't be serious...The Nine-Tailed Fox came back here?" Lady Fifth asked. "Why do you ask?" Lord Caspian asked in reply. "No reason." Lady Fifth answered. Something told Sasuke that she was lying. Lord Caspian sighed, sounding as though he's rather annoyed. 'Yeah. I'd react that way if someone I knew lied to me like that.' Sasuke thought. "What do you want Kitsune-Girl?" Lord Caspian asked. "Kitsune
-Girl? Is that seriously what they call you around here Lady Fifth?" Sasuke asked. Lady Fifth sighed. "Yes. But that's only because I first came here when I was younger than both you and Nezuko." She answered. Lady Ahri chuckled. "You always did get embarrassed whenever my Dad called you that." She commented. "I'm not embarrassed!" Lady Fifth shouted, flustered. Both giant foxes were now laughing.
"Do you see why I haven't been here since Naruto was born?" Lady Fifth asked Sasuke. Sasuke started to chuckle a bit. "It's hard not to." Sasuke answered.
Once everyone got over their laughing fits, Lord Caspian asked, "Why are you here, Kitsune-Girl?" "Oh...yeah. As Sasuke mentioned, Lord Caspian, we need your help. There is a girl on this stretcher. She's a Kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf and a Genin and her name is Nezuko Shimura...and she's on the brink of death." Lady Fifth answered. "Interesting...I smell Hagoromo's chakra on her." Lord Caspian said. "Hagoromo...?" Lady Fifth asks. "Who's Hagoromo?" Sasuke asked. "You may know him as 'The Sage of the Six Paths', the one who founded the Ninja World and is also known as 'The Father of all Ninjas'. He possessed the Rinnegan, the Sharingan and created what you know today as 'Tailed Beasts', with Kurama being just one of them." Lady Ahri answered. "But...But, that's impossible! He's just a myth!" Lady Fifth shouted. "And yet, this girl has only a fraction of the dark half of The Sage of the Six Paths' chakra. So what does that tell you?" Lord Caspian asked. "So that's the purple chakra that's coming off of her..." Sasuke says. "Exactly." Lord Caspian said. "What can we do for this girl that you can't?" Lady Ahri asked. "You can grant her Vulpine Immortality." Lady Fifth answered. Lady Ahri laughed. "You might as well arrange her funeral already." Lord Caspian told Lady Fifth. "You know the kind of training she has to go through before we can do that for her, right?" Lady Ahri said. "I was kinda hoping you could make an exception in her case. I was gonna have you grant her Vulpine Immortality because she won't die from...well..." Lady Fifth says. Lady Fifth then explained how Nezuko got in this near-death state. "So she was to be Kurama's new vessel. Yet your foolish 'councilors' failed to seal him because she has an amount of chakra that is neither too little nor too large. So your answer to this little problem of yours is to grant her immortality?" Lady Ahri asked as though it were the most ridiculous request in the world. "You, of all people, know that immortality is not a gift nor do we give it lightly." Lord Caspian said. "Please, Lord Caspian!" Sasuke shouted while bowing before the King-Sage. "I'm begging you. Please save her. She is a comrade. And I would do anything-anything to ensure her safety." "Well, well, it seems that loverboy really wants you to grant her Vulpine Immortality." Lady Fifth teased. "Please, Lord Caspian." Sasuke begged. Sasuke wouldn't normally do this because his Uchiha pride wouldn't allow him to, but this is different because it's for Nezuko. "I...I can't...lose anyone else!"
Lord Caspian then turned towards Lady Fifth, and asked, "What is his story?" "He is a survivor. As you know, The Nine-Tails attacked the Hidden Leaf Village. After the Nine-Tails Incident, everyone started blaming the Uchiha for the whole sordid affair because there are only two ways to control or tame a Tailed Beast: the Sharingan and the Wood Style. And the Uchiha has had the Sharingan ever since the clan's founding while the Wood Style died with The First Hokage. However, I don't think the Uchiha Clan were behind the Nine-Tails Incident because there was no hard evidence that proved that they were. Regardless, the Uchiha became the village's easy scapegoat, a villain they could direct the people to whenever they wanted an answer to the question of who was behind the Nine-Tails Incident. And so, the Uchiha became marginalized and had to move their compound to the outskirts of the village. They were oppressed and mistreated by the village. So, five years ago, they decided enough was enough and planned to launch a coup against the village. Someone told the village's higher-ups about the planned coup, though, and both The Third Hokage and the Uchiha's Clan Head tried and failed numerous times to resolve the conflict peacefully and so, under the cover of night and on the orders of the village's higher-ups, Itachi Uchiha-Sasuke's older Brother-went and killed every other Uchiha except for Sasuke, himself and Sasuke's Sensei, Izumi Uchiha. They then made Itachi into the horrible serial killer that wiped out his entire clan and so he left the village and became a rogue ninja." Lady Fifth told him. Lord Caspian then fixed his gaze on Sasuke, and looked at him contemplatively for a moment. He then looked at Nezuko, and then back at Sasuke.
"Father, no. You can't seriously be thinking about helping these children. You know the consequences of immortality." Lady Ahri said. "But there is no other way to save her!" Lady Fifth shouted. "How dare you speak up to me in such a manner! One more wrong move like that, and I will have my kids kill all three of you!" Lady Ahri threatened. "For your information, I'm The Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, now. And correct me if I'm wrong, but the Hidden Leaf and Foxhold Valley have been friendly with each other for a very long time. Do you really want to damage that by killing The Hokage?" Lady Fifth argued. "Alliances can easily be changed. The Ninja World is no stranger to this fact. I can have an army of a hundred giant Summoning Foxes appear right before your silly little village, and make the Nine-Tails Incident look like a bad dream." Lady Ahri countered. "CAN YOU STOP ARGUING! While you're wasting time with stupid and rather petty debates, Nezuko is dying!" Sasuke yelled.
"The boy is right." An older male voice said.
"Huh? Who was that?" Sasuke asked.
To the left of Sasuke and Lady Fifth, there was an open doorway and a fox that is the same size as Lord Caspian walked right through it to enter the room. This fox had gray and orange fur and white pupiless eyes and three tails. Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri looked to their right to see this fox entering the room. "Father..." Lord Caspian says. "Grandfather..." Lady Ahri says. "Lady Fifth, who is that?" Sasuke asked. "That is the Great Fox Elder, a fox named Mufasa. Back when Lord Caspian was a kid, Mufasa held the same position that Lord Caspian, himself, holds today. He was the first Summoning Fox and The First King-Sage of Foxhold." Lady Fifth answered. "Lord Caspian is said to be a thousand years old although Lord Mufasa was said to be nearly a million years old. He is rarely seen and some foxes around here or even on our continent revere him as The God of all Foxes. But to Lord Caspian, he's just his Father and to Lady Ahri, he's just her Grandfather. But, when Lord Caspian became King, Lord Mufasa became an elder, and would advise Lord Caspian on some things when Lady Ahri or Butler couldn't be of any help. Lord Mufasa has been through a lot. Hell, one of the first among the Hyuga Clan gave him the eyes he has now which is why there are some who call him The Byakugan Fox. He is also known as The Royal Oracle." "My Father is not all that impressive." Lord Caspian pouted. "Do not be so childish, Caspian! You're a King-Sage, now!" Lord Mufasa shouted as he walked up to them. "Act like it!" "What do you want, Father?" Lord Caspian asked. "It is about the prophecy. About Kitsune and the problem she is faced with. Naruto Uzumaki, the Child of Prophecy, has died. So new arrangements have had to be made. The Spirit of Hagoromo told me so, himself." Lord Mufasa answered. "Did he, now? Father, have you ever considered that Grandfather is getting too old to be a competent advisor?" Lady Ahri asked. "Why is this prophecy so important?" Lord Caspian asked Lord Mufasa. "Because those who hunt the Tailed Beasts will be on the move again. And I do not just mean the Akatsuki. However, I had a vision that said that the Akatsuki's plans are far worse for the fate of the world than the ninjas' fighting. Great change and revolution is needed to set things back on the right path or else this world will have no future. The only one who will be able to bring about such a revolution is that girl and that boy." Lord Mufasa answered. Sasuke smirked. 'So my revolution is predestined.' He thought. Lady Fifth, however, looked uneasy about these developments. "This girl must live on. Grant her Vulpine Immortality. I assure you, the rewards greatly outweigh the risks." Lord Mufasa told him.
Lord Caspian looked like he was thinking a lot before he said, "To Hell with it all! I am going to grant her immortality but only because Kitsune asked me to and because you, Father, asked me to." "Wait, Father! No!" Lady Ahri shouted. "I must do this!" Lord Caspian shouted. "Bring Young Nezuko to me."
Sasuke and Lady Fifth brought Nezuko over to Lord Caspian, and Lord Caspian weaved together six hand signs, and then lightly touched Nezuko's forehead with a single finger, and shouted, "Sage Art: Vulpine Immortality!" And then a beam of golden mystic healing energy came out of Lord Caspian's finger, and surged through Nezuko's body. After that, the purple chakra disappeared, and her breathing seemed to be normal. "Whew! She's fine. She's just...fine." Lady Fifth said. "Now, can I trust you two to train her to use Senjutsu here until she's ready to come back to the village? I did say you could after you granted her immortality." "Yes, Kitsune-Girl. You can leave that to us." Lord Caspian answered. "Great. Then I'm heading back to the Hidden Leaf Village. The kids will ask you how to get back once Nezuko's done training." Lady Fifth said. "You're not taking Young Sasuke with you?" Lady Ahri asked. "No, I'm not. He's her teammate and he's her friend. He needs to be here for her as a friend and as a representation of what she stands to lose because of her immortality." Lady Fifth answered. "I have a feeling we'll need him here, too." Lord Caspian said. "He did say he'd do anything to save her." "Did he, now?" Lord Mufasa asked. "Say, Young Sasuke, would you like to become a Sage along with Young Nezuko? You stand to get great power while Sage Mode is activated." "Anything to protect her while I pursue my...other goals." Sasuke answered. "Great." Lady Fifth said.
Lady Fifth opened that big scroll again, placed it down on the floor in front of her and used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to disappear.
Lord Mufasa turned around, and walked away. Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri exchanged looks before Lord Caspian looked down at Sasuke, and said, "Your training will begin as soon as she wakes up." "Right." Sasuke replied.
Kitsune reappeared in the Hidden Leaf Village, just outside The Hokage's Tower. 'Wow! I can't believe I made it!' She thought. 'I thought I'd wind up elsewhere in the Land of Fire or maybe in a village in the Land of Water...or maybe some town in the Land of Wind. Wouldn't that be one Hell of a trip back?'
She picked up the Fox Summoning Scroll off the ground, closed it, and used a sealing scroll to put it away. After that, she walked into The Hokage's Tower, and walked all the way up to the door to The Hokage's office. She knocked on said door three times. "I'm back!" She called. "Come in." A woman's voice said from the other side. Kitsune opened the door to see a woman with short jet-black hair and black eyes sitting at The Hokage's desk and doing paperwork. The woman wore what appeared to be a long bluish-black kimono which was held together by a white obi. "And do you have a mission report ready?" The woman asked while not looking up from the paperwork. "I'd say the mission was a complete success, all things considered." Kitsune answered. "Oh really?" The woman then asked. "Then why would you-" The woman interrupted herself once she stopped doing the paperwork and looked up from said paperwork to see who was standing in front of her. She was surprised. "Lady-Lady Fifth Hokage!" The woman shouted. "That's me." Kitsune said.
Kitsune walked up to the front of The Hokage's desk. "You're Shizune, I presume?" She asked. The woman stood up, saluted Kitsune and said, "Shizune Kato at your service, Sir!" "Please, calm down. I'm only The Hokage because Sarutobi-Sensei asked me to be The Hokage." Kitsune humbly told her.
'I bet Naruto would be really jealous of me if he were still alive. Then again, I never got the chance to ask him back when he was still alive.' Kitsune thought.
"I'm sorry, My Lady, it's just...we hadn't expected you to be back so soon." Shizune admitted. "Well, I don't know if anyone else has told you, but I never planned on staying there for a long time to begin with." Kitsune replied. "So, if anything, I'm just surprised that you're surprised." "You don't look surprised." Shizune said. "I tend to hide my feelings most often because...well, I just do." Kitsune told her. Kitsune is a Hokage and a ninja most days and nights but on some nights, she does sex work. Kitsune tends not to reveal her career as a whore to a lot of people (basically almost no one) because most people are turned off by it and because she wants to protect her image as a hardcore Kunoichi even if she is anything but a hardcore Kunoichi. She's still a Kunoichi, but no one really regards her as "hard" or "hardcore" because in many ways, she was and still is like Naruto and even Sarutobi-Sensei, a light in the darkness of the Ninja World. That's why she doesn't take her job as Hokage all too seriously if she doesn't have to. "How has everything been since my short little hiatus in Foxhold started?" "Well, Koharu and Homura are in jail right now. I've tried to keep Naruto's death and what went down in Orochimaru's Lab a complete secret from the villagers and the rest of the Ninja World, but someone blabbed, and now...I can't even stop the villagers from celebrating Naruto's death because it's what the villagers want and...well, you know how unpopular he's always been. The only 'downside' they see in these events is that The Nine-Tails escaped before it could die with Naruto. And undoubtedly, all of the other hidden village's spies within the Hidden Leaf Village will have noticed the celebrations and have learned of Naruto's death and The Nine-Tails' escape. We are now acting as if the other Kage already know about Naruto's death and The Nine-Tails' escape and as such, we are putting the village in lockdown and tightening security. We don't need another invasion on our hands." Shizune reported. "And the war...?" Kitsune asks. "If the other Kage have learned of Naruto's death and, more importantly, The Nine-Tails' escape, then the parameters of the war have changed. It used to be that whoever was the first to get their hands on Naruto would indeed win the war and either the Hidden Leaf remains in power or the power is taken from the Hidden Leaf, and someone else gets to control the Ninja World as a 'world superpower', as they call it." Shizune answered. "But now that Naruto's dead and The Nine-Tails is in the wind, the goal of the war is to find The Nine-Tails, and seal it inside a new Jinchuriki. If the other Kage have heard the news, they will be selecting ninjas from their own ranks to be Naruto's replacement, essentially, and then, every effort will be made by all the hidden villages to find The Nine-Tails, seal it inside an object for the time being, and bring it back to their village so that The Nine-Tails could be sealed inside that ninja I mentioned before. As for the other Jinchuriki, The Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki, Two-Tails' Jinchuriki, Three-Tails' Jinchuriki, Five-Tails' Jinchuriki and Four-Tails' Jinchuriki have all died or gone missing before the war, as everyone has come to find out and so, with the death of The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, all eyes are on The Eight-Tails, who is still in the wind, The Nine-Tails, who is also still in the wind and The Six-Tails' Jinchuriki, who is still in the wind as well." "And what of The One-Tail's Jinchuriki?" Kitsune then asked. "Unknown. She has fallen off the face of the earth, as far as our spies in the Hidden Sand Village are concerned so she could've gone missing too and the Hidden Sand had just been keeping it quiet to make sure no one goes after her." Shizune answered. "Well, that's not concerning at all..." Kitsune sarcastically says.
"What about your mission?" Shizune asked. "Like I said, it went fine. But while I was in Foxhold, I heard about...another concerning development. Summon Tsunade and Izumi to The Hokage's office. I need to talk about this with them, especially since it concerns Izumi's subordinates." Kitsune ordered. "Yes, My Lady." Shizune acknowledged.
Later, Kitsune was casually leaning against the front of The Hokage's desk with her arms folded while Shizune stood off to the side and Tsunade and Izumi walked into The Hokage's office. "Is there something you want to see us about, Lady Hokage?" Izumi asked. "Close the door. This isn't something that can be talked about in public." Kitsune said with a serious expression on her face and in a serious tone of voice. Izumi closed the door behind both herself and Tsunade and then the both of them walked up to Kitsune. Kitsune activated the privacy seals.
"So? What's this about?" Izumi asked. "My mission in Foxdale Valley." Kitsune answered. "How did it go?" Tsunade asked. Kitsune sighed because she was distraught. "It was a battle and a half to get the King-Sage and his wife to help us. They were very reluctant to help us." Kitsune answered. "Well, that's not surprising. You were asking them to give immortality to Nezuko without having her go through the proper training first." Tsunade said. "What changed their minds?" "Well, near the end of the conversation, Sasuke pleaded with them to save her, saying that he couldn't lose anyone else. I told them his story. Like, everything about the Uchiha Massacre. Didn't mention Danzo's involvement, though. Also, the Great Fox Elder came in, and also convinced them to change their minds-well, to be more accurate, he and Sasuke changed the mind of the King-Sage. Nezuko was saved, and I returned without them because I promised that I'd allow them to train Nezuko once she woke up. All of which is...good, I guess." Kitsune answered. Izumi started to frown at Kitsune. "What do you mean by 'I guess'?" She angrily asked. "Just what I needed to talk with you about. I don't know whether any of this is true or not-I mean, Tsunade and Orochimaru were the only ones who didn't believe me when I told them and Sarutobi-Sensei about the prophecy-but regardless, the Great Fox Elder said that the prophecy has been...rearranged now that Naruto has died." Kitsune answered. "What are you talking about? What prophecy?" Izumi then asked. "Lady Fifth told us about it long ago...it spoke of a child who would come to know the names of all of the Tailed Beasts and either bring about great destruction or an era of peace the likes of which the world has never seen." Tsunade told her. "Sounds very...non-specific to me." Izumi commented. "Aren't all prophecies non-specific?" Kitsune asked. "Regardless, it sounds as though Naruto was meant to be this 'Child of Prophecy', which is the child the prophecy talked about." Tsunade stated. "From what I remember about him, Naruto was a very happy and light-hearted kid. He was friendly, kind, brave and did whatever he could to protect the village. To me, he sounds like the kind of kid who would bring about that peace the prophecy talked about." Izumi remarked. "Agreed. He was everything that the elders and the more jaded ninjas in our world absolutely hated." Kitsune said. "If that's the case, then maybe that was the real reason they killed him." Tsunade replied. "But I still think it's complete bullshit." "Well, whatever you believe, it ain't comin' true now, that's for sure." Kitsune remarked. "So what were these 'arrangements' that had to be made now that Naruto's dead?" Izumi questioned. "Now, the prophecy sounds more like a prophecy of revolution or rebellion. The Great Fox Elder sounded like he has lost all hope in the Ninja World but still knows the Akatsuki to be a tangible threat. He said that Nezuko and Sasuke would be the ones to bring about this 'revolution'. Maybe that means he wants them to defeat the Akatsuki and also the hidden villages or maybe that means they'll bring about another kind of revolution. Whatever the case, I don't think any ninja or any of the Kage will stand for it. And neither can we. Especially not you, Izumi. Considering how the Uchiha were taken out." Kitsune explained. "So the 'Child of Prophecy' has turned into the 'Children of Revolution' or the 'Children of Rebellion'." Tsunade said. "Exactly." Kitsune told her.
"Wait a second, you talked about the Uchiha Massacre like there is more to it. What wasn't everyone else told about it?" Tsunade asked. Izumi and Kitsune exchanged looks, Kitsune nodded, and then Izumi looked at Tsunade, and explained everything that led up to the Uchiha Massacre-including Danzo's role in it. "...I didn't know all of the full details behind it all until Sasuke and I were told about it when we were battling Yuki during the invasion." Izumi finished. "Yuki? You mean that girl who was your subordinate?" Tsunade then asked. "Yuki was the Hidden Sand spy who kidnapped Naruto, and took him back to the Hidden Sand Village with her. Officially, the story is that Yuki went missing after the invasion." Izumi answered. "Why couldn't you stop her from taking Naruto?" Tsunade questioned. "Danzo and his subordinates from the Foundation got in the way." Izumi answered. "Why would he do that?" Tsunade inquired. "His reasoning was that it'd be better for the village if we just let the Hidden Sand take Naruto, considering how unpopular with the people he is. I say he went crazy and made a deal with the Hidden Sand just to undermine The Third Hokage so that he could be The Hokage." Izumi explained. "I'd say that doesn't sound like the Danzo I know, but he aided the enemy in killing a few Hidden Leaf ninjas, and tried to kill those ninjas' only child because that child witnessed him helping the enemy, so anything is possible when it comes to Danzo at this point. As we know, some other Hidden Leaf ninjas came and saved the child, Danzo and his Foundation subordinates were driven out of the village, and then Danzo and his subordinates were branded as rogue ninjas and now, they have their own entries in the Bingo Book." Tsunade said. "The worst part of that story is the part that most people don't know about: those ninjas he helped the enemy kill were Danzo's Daughter and his Son-In-Law and that child was his Granddaughter-Nezuko." Kitsune said. Tsunade and Izumi were surprised. "You're right, Izumi. Danzo really has gone insane." Tsunade remarked. "I always thought that was just a rumor." Izumi replied. "We had the others think it was just a rumor so that there wasn't a repeat of the Uchiha Massacre-I don't think a tragedy like that one would ever need an encore." Kitsune told her.
"Back to Yuki-was she the one who placed the tag on Naruto's heart?" Tsunade asked. "Yes." Izumi answered. "As we mentioned before, the official story is that Yuki went missing but a private mission report given to me by the spy from the Hidden Cloud Village who brought Naruto back here told me Yuki was killed by the people who helped that spy take Naruto back to the Hidden Leaf Village to prevent the possibility of the tag becoming active ever again." Kitsune added. "Still, though, there was the chance that the enemy could try again which was why we retrieved you from retirement so that the tag could be removed without Naruto dying in the process." "Obviously, that operation was fucked up by the elders but we can't do anything more than what we've already done about it." Izumi said. "So now, we've got a war, an extremely foreboding prophecy and many missing Jinchuriki along with two missing Tailed Beasts." Tsunade said. "I wonder if an apocalypse will happen in a year or two, too."
"Actually, speaking of the location of the only two remaining Tailed Beasts, I at least know where The Nine-Tails is." Kitsune said. "You do? Where is it?" Tsunade asked. "When I was speaking with the King-Sage and his wife back in Foxhold, the King-Sage's wife told me that they have The Nine-Tails locked up in their castle's dungeon just to calm him down because he was Hella angry when he returned to Foxhold and also because of the crimes he committed when he was in our world-including his role in the Nine-Tails Incident." Kitsune answered. "Returned? What do you mean by that?" Tsunade then asked. "Well, when she was telling me all this, the King-Sage's wife called The Nine-Tails her 'ex-husband' and like me, he hasn't been in Foxhold for a very long time although, in his case, he was gone for a longer amount of time. My understanding is that he hasn't been back there since Madara summoned him for the first time all those years ago. And we know that The Nine-Tails has been in our world ever since The First Hokage battled Madara, sealed The Nine-Tails inside his own wife because he thought The Nine-Tails was too dangerous to be roaming out there on its own and then gave all the Tailed Beasts-except for The One-Tail and The Nine-Tails-to the other hidden villages as a sign of good faith and to keep the balance of power between the hidden villages." Kitsune explained. "Why not The One-Tail?" Izumi asked. "Because the Hidden Sand already had The One-Tail before The First Hokage gave almost all of the Tailed Beasts away." Kitsune told her. "Huh. Attempting to break The Nine-Tails out of Foxhold's prison and bringing him back here to create another Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki will be no small task. But it'll need to be done to maintain the balance of power between the hidden villages." Izumi said. "And if the other four Kage learned of this, they'll be thinking the same thing although, in their case, they'll just want a Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki just to have it for themselves." Kitsune added.
'And I bet the spies from the other villages who are listening in on this conversation right now despite the privacy tags I've activated will be shitting themselves when they hear about this and will be scurrying off to tell their Kage once this conversation is over.' Kitsune thought.
"So that's why you wanted to keep this conversation between the three of us." Tsunade said, having put all the figurative puzzle pieces together. "Exactly. The Ninja World might already know that Naruto is dead and The Nine-Tails has flown the coop and is still missing, for all they know. The last thing we need is for all of the hidden villages to be fighting both each other and the Summoning Foxes in Foxhold Valley just to get The Nine-Tails." Kitsune told her. "So what do we do now?" Izumi asked. "We act as though The Nine-Tails is still missing and push the enemy back into their lands as well as do anything we can to maintain the alliance we have with the Hidden Mist. As far as the Ninja World is considered-the war is back on!" Kitsune answered.
"As for The Nine-Tails...?" Izumi asks. "We'll get to that one later because that one is the endgame. The more important immediate goals we have now is to find both The Eight-Tails and The Six-Tails' Jinchuriki." Kitsune answered.
"Oh, and if anyone asks, Nezuko and Sasuke are away on a training exercise and won't be back for quite some time." Kitsune told both Tsunade and Izumi. "Alright, then." Tsunade said. Kitsune stood up, and then walked over to Izumi, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know that prophecy was very foreboding, and if it is in any way true, you must make a hard choice." Kitsune told her. "What kind of hard choice?" Izumi asked. "The kind that has you stop them-by any means necessary-because if you don't, someone else will and if they fail, the whole Ninja World will come to an end and if you decide not to stop them, everyone else-including myself-will see you as an enemy and will take you down like everyone else will. It doesn't matter if you decide to fight alongside them or if you decide not to fight against or for them at all. They. Will. Need. To. Be. Stopped." Kitsune answered. "And if my trust in you ever meant anything to you-if Sarutobi-Sensei and the others who've allowed you to survive the Uchiha Massacre ever meant anything to you-you will stop them. And as The Fifth Hokage, I'll be the one to hold you to it." "Um...yes, Lady Hokage." Izumi acknowledged. "Good." Kitsune said with a smile. She then took her hand off of Izumi's shoulder, and then deactivated the privacy seals so that both Izumi and Tsunade could walk out of the room. "Now, I believe you have some things to do. Go and...do them. Yeah..." Kitsune then says as Izumi and Tsunade walked out of the room.
"Sir, you didn't tell me all those details about your mission." Shizune said. Kitsune turned towards Shizune, and said, "I've already explained why I did that. Now, you get out, too. It's time I resume my duties as The Hokage. You're Tsunade's assistant, right?" "Yes, Lady Fifth." Shizune answered. "Then go and see if she needs help with something." Kitsune ordered. "Of course, Lady Fifth." Shizune acknowledged.
Shizune then walked out of the room. 'We'll need every tool in the shed out here.' Kitsune thought while she watched Shizune walk out of the room.
After all of them were gone, Kitsune walked up to the door, and closed it behind them. Then, she turned around, walked over to The Hokage's desk, and sat at The Hokage's desk. 'Speaking of, I don't think Izumi will be an effective tool, what with all the internal turmoil she'll be going through now that she's heard that prophecy. But she needed to hear it, even if it was hard to hear.' Kitsune thought. 'Now...let's get back to my duties as The Hokage...'
Kitsune looked down at her desk, and saw an official-looking piece of paper. 'Oh? What's this?' Kitsune thought. She picked up the paper, and read it. 'A statement of neutrality from the Hidden Cloud, eh? Sounds like we were givin' it to 'em raw and now, The Raikage's got an impending civil war on her hands...maybe we can use that...'
Two days later, in the Hidden Mist Village, The Mizukage has, indeed, heard about Naruto's death and The Nine-Tails' escape. Even more to the point, just now, she's learned some new information regarding The Nine-Tails: it is in Foxhold Valley, imprisoned there within it's King-Sage's castle's dungeons.
Right now, Lady Mizukage is talking about it with Ao and Chojuro and Hiromi, who The Mizukage called to The Mizukage's office to deliver the news of Naruto's death.
"So...The Nine-Tails is in Foxhold, eh? It won't be easy to get it out of there..." Lady Fifth Mizukage, who was sitting at her desk, says. "A-Agreed, Ma'am. We-We cannot go in th-there, and just take The-The Nine-Tails." Chojuro said, obviously very nervous right now but only because he is nervous whenever he's around Lady Fifth because she's his type but isn't the kind of person to just ask someone out. Chojuro stood off to the left side of Lady Fifth. "But we can't just sit around, and do nothing. Not while we need it to give it back to the Hidden Leaf." Ao said. Ao was standing to the right of Lady Fifth.
"Why should we give anything to them!? They failed to keep my Nephew safe! I'd say that we keep it for ourselves, and leave them to rot!" Hiromi angrily shouted. Hiromi, meanwhile, was standing in front of The Mizukage's desk, angry as Hell after hearing about Naruto's death. "Calm yourself, Hiromi. It is not the Hidden Leaf's fault that they can't seem to keep their higher-ups in line. Besides, you know why we can't just keep The Nine-Tails for ourselves. We're in an alliance with them. In fact, we may have taken the Hidden Sand's place as their ally, which will prove to be beneficial after the war is over." Lady Fifth told her. "I don't know...every instinct of mine is agreeing with Hiromi. Not only can they not protect their own Jinchuriki, but, as you said, Lady Mizukage, they can't keep their higher-ups in check. First Danzo, and now their other two elders. They're lucky that Tsunade is related to the current Hokage and from the generation after The Third Hokage. However kind a man Lord Third was, he was also very unpopular with the people and the ninjas from his own generation. Maybe that's because they became too used to The Second Hokage's heavy-handed way of ruling-or so I've heard-and considered The Third Hokage's way of ruling too soft to get used to." Ao said. "The same could be said of the ninjas from The Third Hokage's generation in the other villages. In my opinion, my predecessors and the other Kage's predecessors-with the exception of the current Hokage's predecessor-spoiled them too much with their harsh policies and now, they've become old bitter brats who made the Ninja World into what it is today-ugly and war-torn." Lady Fifth replied. "Regardless, the Hidden Leaf can't be trusted with The Nine-Tails anymore." Ao argued. "Be reasonable, Ao. Just because they've lost their Jinchuriki and let things get this bad in the first place does not mean that they can't be trusted with The Nine-Tails entirely. This is the first time The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki has been captured by another hidden village as well as the first time The Nine-Tails has escaped from the Hidden Leaf Village, and returned to its original home. And it hasn't been there since before Madara used it to attack the Hidden Leaf Village and in battle against The First Hokage." Lady Fifth said. "Had this been the second or third time The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki was kidnapped or The Nine-Tails had escaped from the Hidden Leaf's clutches, I'd agree with you."
Lady Fifth then said, "After the invasion of the Hidden Leaf Village, the balance of power shifted and now that the Hidden Sand had captured The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki and is the only one who has a Jinchuriki of their own-even after Naruto was brought back to the Hidden Leaf Village-the balance of power has swayed in the Hidden Sand's favor. We need to turn that tide, and restore order to the Ninja World." "What do you suggest we do, then?" Ao asked. "Strengthen our alliance with the Hidden Leaf Village. Since we still haven't been able to find Utakata, I've rethought my decision on the matter, and have elected to have the Hidden Leaf help us." Lady Fifth answered. "We should also help them by killing those stupid elders of theirs!" Hiromi shouted. Lady Fifth smirked. "I agree." She replied. That "I agree" surprised both Ao, Chojuro and Hiromi because she is not usually one to make that kind of a decision. To put it simply, Lady Fifth is a lover, not a fighter. Just like The Fifth Hokage. "Umm...okay." Hiromi said. "Hiromi, you've expressed how angry you are about Naruto's death-in fact, you've been expressing such anger ever since you heard about it. How would you like to spearhead the mission to assassinate Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado?" Lady Fifth asked. Hiromi became very happy. 'Oh yes! Yes! Now, those stupid elders will feel the wrath of the Aunt of Naruto Uzumaki!' Hiromi thought. "I thought you would like it." Lady Fifth said. "I'll send a three-man Anbu squad to aid you in this mission. I'll handle all the finer details of the mission while you're on the way to the Hidden Leaf Village. Once you're there, wait outside the village until I tell you when and how to assassinate the two elders." "Alright." Hiromi acknowledged. The only bad thing about this plan is that she has to wait.
Meanwhile a Hidden Leaf Anbu messenger Shinobi headed to the Hidden Cloud Village and, under the cover of night, managed to sneak into The Raikage's office. The night after he arrived, Lady Fifth Raikage sat down at The Raikage's desk, and did some paperwork while the Anbu messenger watched her from his hiding place, which was to the right of Lady Fifth Raikage. Then, all of the sudden, Lady Fifth noticed him. "You don't have to hide any longer. No one else is here." She told him. 'Yes! Exactly what I wanted!' The masked ninja thought. He came out of hiding, and kneeled. "So who are you and what do you want?" Lady Fifth asked. "I can only tell you that my name is Taka. As for what I want, well, I came bearing a message from Lady Fifth Hokage." The masked ninja answered. "Alright, then. Go on..." Lady Fifth tells him. "Lady Hokage has heard about your...internal troubles." Taka said. "She has, has she? Then again, that statement of neutrality I sent out to everyone didn't exactly keep that a secret." Lady Fifth replied. She sighed. "So damn much has happened-you Hidden Leaf ninjas are partly to blame for that, but I admit that I've come to realize some...
interesting truths. About what happened concerning my predecessor and his Brother's deaths. Those truths came from Emiko, incidentally. I presume you've heard about her?" "I have." Taka answered. "Then there needs to be no lengthy explanation, at least. At least a few days before the Five-Kage Summit, news got out that Emiko had apparently murdered a member of our Anbu Black Ops." Lady Fifth said. "Strange. That doesn't sound like something she'd do..." Taka says. "That was what I thought, as well so I waited for her to come to me to explain everything. She snuck in here, just as you did, and gave me the full story. Samui framed her. I'd say that that would've been as equally ridiculous as Emiko committing murder, but after what you guys said happened to The Fourth Raikage and Lord Bee, I've just come to expect that Samui lying about Emiko murdering someone is far more likely than Emiko actually committing murder. So, back then I still had to pursue Emiko for appearance's sake. I have too few allies here and too many people who are willing to believe that she committed murder. So now, Emiko is in the wind and I'm left with one less ally." Lady Fifth replied.
"And how does this connect to the deaths of The Fourth Raikage and The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki?" Taka asked. "When she was right here, right where you are right now, Emiko told me that everything Samui told us about what happened to The Fourth Raikage and Lord Bee was a lie and that you were right-we did betray you but I wasn't the one who ordered their deaths." Lady Fifth answered. "Who, then?" Taka then asked. "The Fourth Raikage, himself?" "No. He doesn't support this war any more than I do. He'd be more of a fool than he already was if he purposely ordered his own murder and the murder of Lord Bee just to lose the only Jinchuriki we had and betray the Hidden Leaf. Emiko did tell me that it was Darui, our village's Jonin Commander and one of the ones who's supposed to have my back in a Five-Kage Summit." Lady Fifth answered. "So we weren't the only ones who were betrayed the day The Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee died..." Taka says. "Indeed not, Taka. It seems as though our higher-ups intended to paint your hidden village as the villains in this plot so that we could keep Naruto for ourselves." Lady Fifth assessed. She sighed. "And thanks to all of that, I had to betray Emiko, our most pure-hearted spy just to make myself appear loyal to the village's higher-ups. After that night, Emiko became a rogue ninja, and fled the village. We don't know where she is at the current moment, but wherever she is, I have a feeling that she's not going to trust us ninjas ever again and she won't be the same-even if we somehow manage to clear her name."
"But what has that brought me? Nothing! No loyalty and no new allies! Oh, but I did get half an ungrateful army of our own ninjas who are pissed with me because our side is losing the war and have aligned themselves with Samui, an angry Samui who's pissed at me for the same reason, and an unappreciative council who have also aligned themselves with Samui simply because I'm too 'inefficient' to be The Raikage. The only reason I'm still The Raikage is because some of the other higher-ups-including the Feudal Lord-have their faith in me. Only the other half of all of our ninjas have remained loyal to me and the villagers respect me well enough, but it's not enough!" Lady Fifth shouted, sounding frustrated. "I see. Well, this is where Lady Hokage's message comes in because she is offering the Hidden Leaf's support for the side that's loyal to you. We both know that a civil war in the Hidden Cloud Village is imminent and to The Hokage, you seem more trustworthy to lead the Hidden Cloud Village than anyone else here." Taka replied. "Alright, then, let's hear it." Lady Fifth said. "The Hokage is willing to help you to stay in power by any means necessary." Taka told her. "And what's the price?" Lady Fifth asked. "Only that you re-enter the Alliance between us and the Hidden Mist. We need both you and the Hidden Mist's support in the war." Taka answered. "Alright, alright. I understand it. I agree to those terms." Lady Fifth replied. "Good. Tell us what your side needs and we'll give it to you." Taka said. "Well, to start, we'll need more weapons. Our ninjas are not used to fighting without swords and yet Samui's side seems to have more swords than we do. We're also outmanned. I don't know what, exactly, you can do about that, but at this point, I'm all out of options. We have other ninjas that are out of the village on missions but we'll need to recall them back here to fight in the civil war. I know that Lady Fifth Hokage is busy fighting a bigger war at the moment, but if she can, I'd appreciate it if she sent some of the Hidden Leaf's own ninjas to take over those missions for them so those missions won't be left undone because of our civil war. We also need a way to protect our civilian population from the fighting because I know Samui's rebels won't care about civilian casualties if it brings me any closer to my downfall. And lastly, I'd also like it if she sent some ninjas to the village to help train our ninjas in preparation for the coming civil war." Lady Fifth also replied. "The only thing that seems to be somewhat of a tall order is the manpower problem. If you win the civil war, your military will be cut in half." Taka assessed. "Well, I don't know any other way to get the kind of manpower we need for this war. If I went and fought Samui's rebels with the loyalists I have now, we'd be squashed. Too bad Emiko isn't here anymore...I once heard that she could take on a thousand ninjas in one sitting." Lady Fifth told him. "Then maybe that's what we'll do. Take over your search for Emiko." Taka said. "And how will you Hidden Leaf ninjas do any better than our Anbu and even the Lion Guard?" Lady Fifth then asked. "Your ninjas will be stuck here thanks to the civil war; however, since we're on the verge of winning our war, we have ninjas stationed in more areas than every other hidden village. Meaning that we have a wider range with which to search for her." Taka answered. "Sounds good. If that's all, you can return to the Hidden Leaf Village. Tell Lady Hokage that I'm grateful for her support." Lady Fifth said. "Of course, Lady Raikage." Taka said before using the Teleportation Jutsu to disappear.
Saki, The current and Fourth Tsuchikage, sat on a throne right in front of a long rectangular meeting table in a meeting room in the Tsuchikage's Palace at the very back of the Hidden Stone Village. "Status report." She ordered. Sitting on three chairs on the left side and the right side of the meeting table are members of the Hidden Stone's Council, all of whom are the village's elders. All those elders are also men who were once great Shinobi in their time but obviously, that time has passed and now, they sit on the Hidden Stone's Council as a part of the village's higher-ups, a role which is just as important, if not moreso than the role of a ninja. "We are losing ground on our border with the Land of Blades and the Land of Storms." The first elder reported. The Land of Blades is the small country where the Hidden Grass Village resides and the Land of Storms is the host country of the Hidden Rain Village. "It seems that the Hidden Leaf has made a comeback now that the Hidden Cloud has relented, and retreated back to their village." "Yes, it seems that a civil war in the Hidden Cloud Village is inevitable after the Hidden Cloud's failure in advancing towards the Hidden Leaf Village." The second elder stated. "Now, how did that happen?" Saki asked. "Our intel reports say that it was thanks to the combined efforts of both the Hidden Mist's ninjas, the Hidden Steam's ninjas and the Hidden Frost's ninjas." The third elder answered. "Damn it! We've been so concerned with the Hidden Leaf, that we've neglected their ally, the Hidden Mist!" Saki shouted. "What of the Hidden Sand?" "They're having the same problems that the Hidden Cloud had except, in the Hidden Sand's case, it's far worse: as of right now, the Hidden Sand's ninjas have retreated back into the Land of Wind, but the Hidden Leaf's ninjas and the Hidden Mist's ninjas have advanced into the Land of Wind, and have chased those ninjas back to their village. Right now, the area in front of the Hidden Sand Village has become a battleground and so far, it sounds like neither side is winning the fight." The fourth elder answered. "Then they'll need reinforcements. Where are our Jinchuriki?" Saki asked. "We've searched and searched for them all over the Land of Earth, but we haven't-" Suddenly the fifth elder was interrupted by a Hidden Stone Shinobi rushing into the room, looking like he had an urgent report to make.
"Lady Fourth! There's been an emergency!" The Shinobi shouted. "Alright, then. Report!" Saki ordered. "Han and Roshi have been taken by the Akatsuki!" The Shinobi reported. He then presented a piece of an Akatsuki robe to Saki and the Council. "We've also found their bodies. It wasn't pretty. It looked like their souls were drained. It seems that their Tailed Beasts are gone, too." "Damn it!" Saki angrily shouted as she slammed her fist on the table. "If The Third Tsuchikage weren't dead and our other Kekkei Genkai users were still alive, as well, we would've had no problems driving the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Mist back out of the Land of Wind! We'll just have to make do with what we have. Send the 22nd Platoon to the Land of Wind! We'll take the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Mist by surprise by ambushing them from behind!"
"And what about The Nine-Tails?" The sixth elder asked. "The...The what? What are you talking about?" Saki asked. "There have been new developments. The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki, has died." The sixth elder reported. The sixth elder then explained how Naruto died and who brought about the death of who would've been the Hidden Leaf's strongest asset had he not died. He also told everyone that The Nine-Tails had escaped on the day of Naruto's death and that The Nine-Tails is currently locked up in Foxhold Valley. "Why didn't you tell us all this earlier?" Saki asked. "I would've if Lord Kawaki hadn't been interrupted by that youngster." The sixth elder answered. Lord Kawaki is the elder who was interrupted by that one Hidden Stone Shinobi.
"That changes things..." Saki says. "That changes everything!" The first elder shouted. "Now that the Hidden Leaf's own elders have killed their Jinchuriki, the end goal of the war has changed. Now, the only way to win this war is to get to Foxhold Valley, and free The Nine-Tails just so that we could make a Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki of our own!" "That's easier said than done, Lord Kenichi." The second elder said to the first elder. "He's right." The third elder also said. "All throughout the world, there are at least a dozen sage regions, maybe even more that we just don't know about. Foxhold is just one of these sage regions and every hidden village in the Ninja World has treated those regions with respect. The fools among us who don't or who tried to invade them for their own gain have all failed simply because they were outmanned and outmatched by the summoning animals that lived there. If we tried to invade Foxhold, like what you're suggesting, Lord Kenichi, we'd all be destroyed." "Still, for as long as The Nine-Tails is in Foxhold Valley, the invasion of Foxhold will need to happen. But there are more immediate matters we need to attend to. So that will have to be held off until the other hidden villages start to make their move on Foxhold Valley." Saki said. "So let's just focus on supporting the Hidden Sand, taking out the Hidden Mist and driving the Hidden Leaf back to the Land of Fire. Once the Hidden Leaf's ninjas are back in their village and The Nine-Tails is in our hands, we'll make a new peace treaty with the Hidden Leaf, and make 'em give us back everything they took from us during the Third Great Ninja War as well as give us enough money to compensate the families of the comrades who fell during the Third Great Ninja War." "The Hidden Leaf will want something in return for all that they're giving us." The second elder replied. "And we won't give it to 'em and if they demand that we give 'em something in return for what they're giving us, we'll have our Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki just walk on into the Hidden Leaf Village, and make said Jinchuriki transform into The Nine-Tails so that The Nine-Tails will destroy the Hidden Leaf Village on our orders." Saki said. "I like the way you think, Lady Fourth." Lord Kenichi commented. "I thought you would." Saki replied.
BOOM! BOOM! Two Hidden Leaf ninjas who were a part of a platoon of Hidden Leaf ninjas have fired off a couple of Fireball Jutsus at four Hidden Sand ninjas (among many) who are desperately defending the Hidden Sand Village right outside the Hidden Sand Village's front entrance. Those Hidden Sand ninjas all quickly died from the burn wounds they got from the Fireball Jutsus. Meanwhile, a small four-man squad of Hidden Mist ninjas would sneak past the Hidden Sand's line of defense, and actually enter the Hidden Sand Village but then, every time this happened, a squad of five Hidden Sand ninjas would come down from the roofs upon which they were watching the village streets, and quickly kill them all. After that, they would return to the roofs they were on, and continue watching the village's streets.
In The Kazekage's Palace, Chizuru was watching the village from a window behind The Kazekage's desk in The Kazekage's office. Chizuru was wearing the traditional Kazekage uniform along with The Kazekage's hat. She smirks in a very sinister way that would unnerve some people as she very faintly hears the sounds of battle coming from directly outside the village.
She then heard two knocks that were far closer than the battle. The knocks came from the door that was behind her and in front of The Kazekage's desk. Chizuru's smirk faded. "Come in." She said in an annoyed tone of voice. She turned around to face the door, and the door opened from the other side to reveal just another man in the typical Hidden Sand Jonin uniform. He had black eyes, long and spiky brown hair and he wore a black Hidden Sand headband on his forehead and also wore a white turban which had a white sheet that covered both sides of his head and the back of his head. His name is Sato and he took Chizuru's place as Leader of the Jonin Council after Chizuru became The Kazekage. His little Brother, Yura, was quickly promoted to Jonin just so that he could take Baki's place on the Jonin Council because Baki was executed by the Hidden Sand after Mori and Temari were defeated. Baki was executed because of his association with the traitors known as Mori and Temari. Temari was also executed because of her betrayal and Kankuro was executed because of his association with both Mori and Temari. Unfortunately (for Chizuru), Mori couldn't be executed because of the sand that protected her. So, Chizuru came up with another devious solution. She had Chiyo, one of the Hidden Sand's only two elders, undo the seal that was placed on Mori when she was born, and seal The One-Tail in a little black pot. Mori died because The One-Tail was extracted from her, and all was said and done. Chizuru had planned to make Kasumi kill her entire family and her entire clan (with the exception of her Little Sister, Haruka) and then herself just so that she could make Haruka into the next One-Tail's Jinchuriki but it seems as though Kasumi, Haruka, Kasumi's parents and the entire Nekomata Clan have fled from the village, and (seemingly) fallen off the face of the earth. Chizuru was annoyed because her plans for The One-Tail were stopped at what she saw as the very last moment.
"Lady Fifth, the Jonin Council is ready for you." Sato reported. Chizuru sighed because she was annoyed that the Council was annoyed that the war wasn't going the way they planned it to. Personally, Chizuru doesn't care if the Hidden Sand wins or loses this war. She just wants to see this war to it's end. "Of course they are." Chizuru replied. What absolutely frustrates her is that the Jonin Council has demanded that the Hidden Sand wins this war. She was not going to bring the war she started to a swift end just because they told her to. She has half a mind to kill the Jonin Council, leave only Sato and Yura alive and move forward with the war even though her side is losing. But Chizuru has to play nice with the Jonin Council for the moment because currently, the Jonin Council holds more power than The Kazekage and right now, she can use that to her advantage like she did when she used it to become The Kazekage.
Chizuru walked around The Kazekage's desk, and followed Sato out of the room. They then turned left, and walked down the hall and then, after passing multiple doors on either wall, they walked into a door to their left, a door which led into a big meeting room with bland gray walls which looked Chizuru and Sato's left were four big green statues, each of which were statues of the previous Kazekage who came before Chizuru. In the center of the room is a big beige
-colored round table with seven seats surrounding it for each member of the Jonin Council and The Kazekage and the room was lit by a big chandelier that was above the round table and the part of the floor under the chairs and the round table was purple. Five of the seven seats were filled by the other members of the Jonin Council. The only two empty seats were The Kazekage's seat and Sato's seat, which was next to The Kazekage's seat.
Chizuru walked over to The Kazekage's seat, and sat on it and then Sato went over to his seat, and sat down on it.
"What's the situation out there?" Chizuru asked. "Not good." Yura answered. "Not good, eh?" Chizuru then asked. "Yes." Sato answered. "The defensive line we currently have is defending the village well enough, but the enemy has the Hidden Mist at it's back and because of that, they're killing our forces at an equally-steady pace, too." Yura reported. Yura had long and spiky black hair that was a little bit shorter than Sato's, a small and spiky black goatee and black eyes. Yura's black hair also had a bang that covered his right eye and wore the typical Hidden Sand Jonin uniform as well as a white turban and a black Hidden Sand headband on his forehead and his turban had a white sheet that covered both sides of his head and the back of his head. "The fact is that both the enemy and the defensive line are too equally-balanced. Neither has the advantage over the other." Said Joseki, a Jonin member of the Jonin Council who was dressed in a traditional uniform that the Hidden Sand's military's senior members wear. Joseki also wore a white turban and had black eyes. Joseki's turban also had a white sheet that covered both sides of his head and the back of his head. "At this point, we're considering ordering a cease in hostilities until we can find something that gives us the upper hand in this battle." Sato added. "Is that right?" Chizuru asked. Nobody answered her question. "So you're all a bunch of traitorous cowards who'll give up defending the village, and run for cover as soon as shit hits the fan?" Chizuru then asked. Again, no one dared to answer her. "What a bunch of wastes of space you are...I suggest we rethink this strategy before one of you winds up like Baki." Chizuru threatened. Sato slammed his fist on the table. "But we have no other choice! If we keep fighting, our defensive line will, in time, break and the enemy will have invaded the village! Do you want that to happen?!" Sato yelled. 'Finally. Someone has some balls.' Chizuru thought. What they don't know is that, if the Hidden Sand ends up being the losing side, that is what she'd want. But now is not the time for her to cut her losses, kill everyone in this room (except for Sato and Yura) and run. She may be devilishly evil and wants war to happen simply because she loves it and has loved it ever since she studied it back when she was an Academy Student at the Hidden Sand's Ninja Academy, but now is not the time to reveal her true nature just yet.
"Oh, of course, not." Chizuru lied. "It's why we must think of something else we can do. Let's start by sharing any new intel you might have for us." "W-Well..." Says Goza, another member of the Jonin Council who had black eyes, a brown beard and mustache, the traditional uniform that every senior member of the Hidden Sand's military wore and a white turban that had a sheet that covered both sides of his head and the back of his head.
Goza told them everything his spies in the Hidden Leaf told him about Naruto's death, The Nine-Tails' escape and The Nine-Tails' current location. "Hmm...that changes the goalposts of the war. Now, we must enter Foxhold, free The Nine-Tails, seal it inside an object like we did with The One-Tail, and get our asses back here." Sato assessed. "But that does nothing for us right here and right now. Besides, that's easier said than done, Brother." Yura told Sato. "He's right, Lord Sato. At no point in history have any of the hidden villages ever disrespected the sage regions-Foxhold being just one of the sage regions. The general consensus across the Ninja World is that only the most foolish or the most selfish ninja or ninjas would try invading the sage regions and that's mostly because the summoning animals living in these sage regions outnumber and outmatch us because the fact is we're just mere, ordinary Humans and they're animals of varying sizes that are capable of using Senjutsu. If we tried going up against them without more than one powerful ninja of our own, we'd be killed and then eaten for lunch by those creatures. Especially so if we tried invading Ryuchi Cave." Chizuru explained.
'It would be fun to see them try, though.' Chizuru thought. "There's also the fact that there's only one person in the Ninja World who knows how to get in and out of Foxhold Valley. And she's The Fifth Hokage right now." Joseki added. "But that still doesn't give us an advantage against the enemy outside who are damn close to banging on our front door." Yura said. "Where are we on selecting The One-Tail's next Jinchuriki?" Chizuru asked after putting a lot of thought into the response. "The Medical Corps says that very few people have been having babies due to costs of raising them outweighing the spending money they have. Our villagers are impoverished. So, we've been looking at the next best thing-Academy Students that are either twelve or thirteen years old. At present, we only have two candidates-a thirteen-year-old girl named Sarui who's parents are immigrants from the Hidden Cloud Village and a twelve-year-old boy named Sakurai who's...not anyone significant because he's not from any of our village's clans." Sato reported. Suddenly, a Shinobi from the Cipher Corps barged into the room with a letter in hand. "Sir! Sir!" He shouted as he ran towards Chizuru. "What is this?" Chizuru asked after he finally got close enough to her to give her the scroll. "A letter from Lady Fourth Tsuchikage." The Shinobi answered. Chizuru opened the scroll, and read the letter. "What does it say?" Joseki asked Chizuru. "Is she withdrawing from the war, too?" Yura asked. "Just the opposite." Chizuru answered as she closed the scroll after she was done reading it. "This letter says Lady Fourth is sending us reinforcements from the Hidden Stone. They'll attack the enemy from the rear as soon as they get here." "Finally! Salvation!" Yura shouted while breathing a sigh of relief. "Hold on, it's a long way from the Hidden Stone Village to our village. Are you sure they're going to make it here?" Sato asked her. "Is that letter legitimate?" Joseki asked. "It sure as Hell is. It bears the Seal of the Office of The Tsuchikage and everything." Chizuru answered. "Then Yura's right-we're saved." Joseki said. "But Sato is also right because it might take them a long time to get here." Chizuru replied. "Which brings us back to the topic of The One-Tail's next Jinchuriki." Goza said. "It does, indeed, Lord Goza." Chizuru agreed.
"Lord Sato, I choose Sarui to be the next Jinchuriki of The One-Tail. Send a detachment of Anbu to 'collect' her whether or not she's at school or at home. If anyone tries to interfere with that-even if they are her own parents-they must die. And if they come around asking about her whereabouts after we've made her The One-Tail's Jinchuriki on the off chance they don't interfere and they do survive, tell them nothing. I want to keep them in the dark as much as possible." Chizuru ordered. "Yes Lady Kazekage." Sato acknowledged. Sato stood up, and walked out of the room. "Lord Joseki, prepare a training regimen for Sarui. I want her out in the defensive line as quickly as possible." Chizuru ordered. "But Sir, there won't be any time to-" "We can complete her training after we get ourselves out of this situation." Chizuru told him. "Now get moving!" "Yes, Lady Fifth!" Joseki acknowledged. Joseki then stood up, and left the room. "Goza, I want you to make contact with Lady Chiyo. She must prepare to seal The One-Tail into another child." Chizuru ordered. "Yes, Lady Kazekage!" Goza acknowledged. And so Goza stood up, and walked out of the room. "Yura, you must head to the watchtower on the northern border of the Land of Wind to watch for our reinforcements from the Hidden Stone Village. Once they're here, send me a letter to let me know and then return to the village." Chizuru ordered. "Yes Sir!" Yura acknowledged. Yura stood up, and rushed out of the room.
"As for the rest of you, this meeting is adjourned!" Chizuru declared. The other members of the Jonin Council stood up, bowed to Chizuru, and left the room.
Chizuru stayed sitting at the round table with an evil smirk on her face. 'Once they've found out my true intentions, they're going to be so pissed.' She thought while smiling.
Deep within the Hidden Sound Village, a masked member of the Foundation is reporting Naruto's death to Danzo while Danzo sat on his throne. "So, the Jinchuriki arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village, and you arrived too late to tell me about it?" Danzo asked. "I...yes, Sir. But at least The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki is dead." The Foundation member answered. "Hm. So he is. I am surprised that Koharu and Homura were bold enough to consider killing The Jinchuriki although, I admit they were never as crafty as I am. They were useful idiots who agreed with whatever I said. It's thanks to their idiocy that The Hokage and the others found out about what they were doing, and now the other half of The Nine-Tails is on the loose again." Danzo said. "However, you failed in your mission. If you fail any more missions again, I will have you killed. Is that understood?" "Yes, Lord Danzo." The Foundation member acknowledged.
"Good. Now, our focus should be on finding Sasuke and my Granddaughter. Their deaths are long overdue." Danzo told him. "But what about The Nine-Tails?" The Foundation member asked. "Our ties to the Hidden Leaf Village have been severed which means we no longer need to concern ourselves with the war. Besides, if we involve ourselves any further, the hidden villages from both sides will be on high alert and search everywhere for us. However, if we focus on our own goals, we might stay under the radar long enough to pursue bigger goals." Danzo answered. "Like what?" The Foundation member asked. "You don't need to concern yourself with that. I want you to patrol the outskirts of the village, make sure no one finds us. If someone just happens to pass by, kill them even if they are civilians. Leave no survivors." Danzo ordered. "Yes My Lord." The Foundation member said before disappearing using the Teleportation Jutsu.
"Torune." Danzo called. Then, another masked member of the Foundation appeared before Danzo using the Teleportation Jutsu, and kneeled. "I want you to assemble and lead a tracking unit to find Nezuko Shimura and Sasuke Uchiha. Once you locate them, report back to me, and I will handle the rest." Danzo then ordered. "Yes, Lord Danzo." Torune acknowledged. Torune then disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. 'Now, I just have to figure out what to do about Itachi.' Danzo thought. 'He's made himself useful by acting as our spy within the Akatsuki's ranks but, on the night of the Uchiha Massacre, he told me that if we ever attempted to harm Sasuke, he'd sell Hidden Leaf secrets to every one of the Hidden Leaf's enemies. And even if we are no longer associated with the Hidden Leaf, he can still harm us another way...no, Itachi must die. Though I cannot be the one to kill him. If I even tried, I'd...well, my subordinates do not have a chance in Hell of killing Itachi, either...we'll need outside help.'
Meanwhile...In Foxhold Village...
Nezuko woke up on a bed in what seems to be a wooden house. She was dressed in her usual pink sleeveless top and her usual blue denim shorts. "Welcome back to the Land of the Living." A familiar voice said. Nezuko looked to her right, and saw Sasuke, who was just sitting on a chair which was on the right side of the bed she was on. "Sasuke..." She says. "...where am I?" She then got up. "Some village in Foxhold Valley." Sasuke answered. "So Tsunade relayed my instructions, and...you took me here. But how?" Nezuko then asked. "It was actually Lady Hokage and I. She knew this place better than anyone else and I convinced her to come along because..." Sasuke says, interrupting himself. "Because what?" Nezuko questioned. Sasuke started to blush. "...nevermind." He told her. "So...did they grant me the immortality I needed?" Nezuko asked, ignoring Sasuke's obvious crush on her. Sasuke didn't show it, but she could tell that he was glad that the fact he's falling for her was glossed over at the moment. "How did you know about that?" He asked. "If I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me." Nezuko answered after a minute or two of silence. "Please, I've only been a ninja for, like, half a year...or maybe less and I've seen a lot of shit and let's be honest, you've only had one mission to your name, and you've seen shit in that mission, too. So tell me. I'm ready for it, no matter how ridiculous it sounds." Sasuke told her. "Well, I met The Sage of the Six Paths after he connected my psyche to Naruto's before Naruto died. There, I met Naruto and The Nine-Tails." Nezuko said. She then explained everything Hagoromo told both her and Naruto and Kurama. She also told him Kurama's name and that every other Tailed Beast has a name, too, although she has yet to know the other Tailed Beast's names. She also explained that The Nine-Tails and the other Tailed Beasts were created by Hagoromo and because of that, Hagoromo considers the Tailed Beasts his children and the Tailed Beasts see Hagoromo as their Father. And finally, she ended by saying that Hagoromo and Kurama said something about a prophecy and how it's been arranged and that, while Naruto will die and Kurama will be returning to Foxhold once he reunites with his other half, Nezuko will also go to Foxhold to receive the immortality and become Kurama's next Jinchuriki.
"So that explains the purple chakra we saw...it was a portion of the dark half of The Sage of the Six Paths' chakra." Sasuke deduced. "Why do you say that like you already guessed that The Sage gave me some of his chakra?" Nezuko asked. Sasuke told her about the entire conversation Lady Fifth and himself had with the King-Sage of Foxhold Valley, the King-Sage's wife and the Great Fox Elder before the King-Sage gave her what he called "Vulpine Immortality", which is the immortality Nezuko needed to survive the failed resealing of Kurama. "Oh." Nezuko said. "Yeah. It seems like this place is older than Lady Fifth told me it was." Sasuke replied. "Y'know, the Great Fox Elder also mentioned this prophecy. He said that prophecy once foretold that a child would one day come to either bring about an era of peace like none this world has ever seen or bring about great destruction. But now that Naruto has died, the prophecy has changed. He talked like Naruto was supposed to be this 'Child of Prophecy', as The Elder called this chosen child from the prophecy but the changes to the prophecy that were made were ones that I...kinda like. It now says that this group called 'the Akatsuki' will hunt down the Tailed Beasts for some kind of evil scheme and so will...others who are not aligned with them in any way. I think he meant the other hidden villages because the rest of the prophecy says that great change and revolution will be needed to set the world on the 'right path'. And the only way to change the world is to change the hidden villages. If we only defeated the Akatsuki, the world would remain the same-or, at least that was how the prophecy was worded." "Hold on, what do you mean by 'we'?" Nezuko then asked. "Fuck, I forgot to mention this...beautiful little part of the prophecy. Apparently, you and I are the only ones who could bring about this great change and revolution. I think that was why he convinced the King-Sage to grant you Vulpine Immortality. If we were anyone else asking for the immortality they could grant us, we'd be told to get out." Sasuke answered. "Why?" Nezuko questioned. "Because normally, we'd have to go through this special training before they'd give us permission to be granted immortality. So, Lady Fifth and I made a deal with them: after you received Vulpine Immortality and have woken up, you are going to receive the special training I mentioned before and then, we could return to the Hidden Leaf Village, and then, all would be said and done, as far as the King-Sage and his wife are concerned." Sasuke answered. "That sounds...exciting." Nezuko commented. "Where is my hoodie and my other things?"
Sasuke simply pointed to the dining table that had her headband and her ninja gear on it. Below the dining table were her ninja sandals and on the chair that was pushed into the dining table was her hoodie.
"Alright, then. How do we start with this training?" Nezuko asked. "We start by having lunch." Another voice answered. A Human-sized fox with red fur, five red tails and orange eyes walked up to the two of them, and then sat on the floor next to Sasuke. "Who are you?" Nezuko asked the fox. "I am Ifrit, the Queen-Sage's Son so that kinda makes me a Prince." The fox answered. "Queen-Sage...?" Nezuko asks. "He means the King-Sage's wife although she's also called the Queen-Sage. Apparently, before Madara Uchiha first summoned The Nine-Tails to battle The First Hokage, The Nine-Tails was the previous King-Sage and they had at least twelve fox puppies together. Although, ever since he was first summoned, he's not been back to Foxhold...until now, that is. Because he abandoned his post as King-Sage of Foxhold, the Queen-Sage was forced to divorce The Nine-Tails without The Nine-Tails' knowledge and now, she's married to the current King-Sage, a huge fox named Caspian who just so happens to be the Great Fox Elder's Son. It's all kinda fucked up in my opinion because the Great Fox Elder also happens to be the Queen-Sage's Grandfather." Sasuke explained. "That is fucked up." Nezuko replied. "I knew you'd agree. Still, that is the nature of monarchies so I don't think there is anything to be done about it, especially since their affairs are not our business unless they make it our business." Sasuke said. "That's also true." Nezuko agreed. "Ready for some lunch? Sis has already cooked everythin' and she's about to serve us." Ifrit told them. "I guess I will eat with you but I've gotta ask Sasuke one last thing: how long was I out?" Nezuko then asked. "Probably half a week if we're talking the last time I saw you awake and at full health but maybe two or three days if we're talking about the day Lady Fifth brought us here. It's hard to tell time around here because there isn't any electricity anywhere in the village." Sasuke answered. "Well at least we didn't bring any electronics with us. Time to eat." Nezuko said. "I'll have someone let Ma and Grandpa know you're awake before I join ya." Ifrit told Nezuko. 'I guess he meant the Queen-Sage and the King-Sage when he said "Ma" and "Grandpa".' Nezuko thought.
Nezuko stood up, and both herself and Sasuke walked over to the dining table, which was in the kitchen, and then, they sat down. They met Ifrit's Sister, Sarabi, who served the food after Sasuke moved Nezuko's things from the dining table and to the bed to make some room for the food before he went back over to the dining table to sit down and eat. Nezuko was repulsed to find out that they were having roasted mice for lunch, but, seeing no other options that were more appetizing to her, Nezuko caved, and ate the roasted mice.
Once Nezuko and Sasuke were done eating lunch, Ifrit came back telling them that the King-Sage and the Queen-Sage wanted to see both Nezuko and Sasuke. Both of them stood up, and then Nezuko walked over to her stuff, equipped her ninja tool pouch and her shuriken holster, put on her Hidden Leaf headband, and put on her hoodie before she put on her ninja sandals. "Are you sure you want to wear that big-ass hoodie?" Sasuke asked. "Yeah. Why?" Nezuko asked in reply. "It's gonna be very hot out there, just so you know. Lady Fifth called Foxhold Valley 'The place where Summer never ends'." Sasuke answered. "And I heard that black is a terrible color to wear in the Summer." "I don't care. Never have." Nezuko told him. Sasuke sighed. "Fine." He said. The both of them then walked over to the door, and Sasuke put on his ninja sandals before they stepped outside with Ifrit.
"Whoa..." Nezuko says while looking at the entire town of wooden houses in front of her. "Yeah, I know. Same thought I had when Lady Fifth took me to this place." Sasuke told her. "Didn't you say this was a village or somethin'?" Nezuko asked Sasuke. "It's actually called 'Foxhold Town'." Ifrit answers for Sasuke. "Uhh...yeah. That. Although, I guess you could say that this is a village." Sasuke said. "C'mon! This ain't no village! I've seen cities and towns much smaller than this! To be fair to ya, though, you live in the Hidden Leaf Village, a place that's the size of a town like this." Ifrit told him. "So we're in a place called 'Foxhold Town' which is in a place called 'Foxhold Valley'." Nezuko said. "Have I got that right?" "Hey, lady, don't look at us like that. After all, you live in a place called the 'Hidden Leaf Village', like I mentioned before and that 'village' is in a country called the 'Land of Fire'." Ifrit said. "He's got a point." Sasuke agreed. "Look, are we ready to go meet your parents?" Nezuko asked, now becoming very annoyed by Ifrit. "Alright, I guess. Gee, I was hopin' to annoy ya a li'l more." Ifrit answered.
They turned left, and followed Ifrit to this castle that was on the other side of town. While on the way there, Sasuke told Nezuko everything about Foxhold and the foxes who live here. "It's kinda nice, once ya get down to it." He remarked. "Personally, though, I'm a cat guy." "Hey, well, at least we aren't in a place like Mount Myoboku or a place like Ryuchi Cave. Frogs and snakes give me the creeps." Nezuko said. "Agreed." Sasuke replied.
Once they got to the castle, Sasuke introduced Nezuko to a guard fox named Simba who was also one of the princes of Foxhold and a Ninja Fox who's supposed to be guarding the gate to the castle. Simba allowed them to pass, and then, they walked further towards the castle's big doors. Ifrit used some sort of Jutsu to open the doors, and then, they walked inside. Once inside the castle, they were met by a great red hallway. Sasuke introduced Nezuko to a black and white fox named Butler and told her that Butler is always (and always has been) the King-Sage's butler, no matter who the King-Sage is. He also told her that Butler is one (of many) Servant Foxes and that Servant Foxes are legally required to change their birth name and name themselves after what they do. 'That's fucked up.' Nezuko thought.
Nezuko and Sasuke followed Ifrit and Butler to the throne room, where Nezuko was introduced to Lord Caspian, the current King-Sage of Foxhold and Lady Ahri, the current Queen-Sage of Foxhold. Nezuko was amazed and kind of intimidated by their size. "How are you, child?" Lord Caspian asked. "Uh...great!" Nezuko answered. Lord Caspian laughed. "Do not be so frightened, Nezuko-girl. I will not harm you." He said. "Nezuko-girl?!" Nezuko asked. "How does he know my name?" "He's the one who gave you immortality." Sasuke answered. "Oh. Uh, thank you, Lord Caspian." Nezuko respectfully said. "You're very welcome." Lord Caspian replied. "You said you have some training for her?" Sasuke asked both royal foxes. "We do." Lady Ahri said. "We're going to give her Senjutsu training." "Senjutsu...?" Nezuko asks. "She means 'Sage Jutsu'. Yes, girl, we are going to train you to become a sage, just like Kitsune-girl, or, as you may call her, Lady Fifth Hokage." Lord Caspian told her.
Nezuko became very excited. 'A sage? Just like Lady Fifth? Oh, this is going to be so cool!' Nezuko thought. "I'm glad you are excited by the idea. Now, keep in mind-we usually make Humans who want immortality go through Senjutsu training before we actually give them immortality just to see if their bodies can handle it. There is a reason you Humans live for a hundred years, after all." Lady Ahri told her. "Those who were just given Vulpine Immortality for free were often swallowed by nature energy, which is the kind of energy needed for Senjutsu and Sage Mode transformations to work. In light of this, we made a law that legally required every fox who knew the Vulpine Immortality Jutsu to make the Humans they're offering Vulpine Immortality to endure Senjutsu training before they ever perform that Jutsu on said Human." "There are many Humans who have come to us seeking immortality over the years, some of whom wanted it for not always the best of intentions. Orochimaru, for example. We decided to never perform the Jutsu on bad men like Orochimaru, so we showed him the door. He eventually got another kind of immortality as well as a kind of Sage Mode and Senjutsus from the snakes in Ryuchi Cave, but that is not our concern right now." Lord Caspian said. "So when can I start this training?" Nezuko asked. Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri exchanged looks, and then, Lady Ahri said, "There is no time like the present."
"Butler, bring us Lulu." Lord Caspian ordered. "Yes, Lord Caspian." Butler acknowledged. Butler then turned left, and walked away. "You said that I'd become a sage alongside Nezuko. Do you still intend on training me in Senjutsu?" Sasuke asked. "They did?" Nezuko asked Sasuke. "Yes, Young Nezuko, we did." Lord Caspian answered for him. "And as foxes in Foxhold, we never break our word. That is The Way of The Fox." Lady Ahri told Sasuke. "So, yes, Young Sasuke, you may join Nezuko and become a sage." "Thank you." Sasuke said as he bowed to both Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri. "As Lord Caspian said to Young Nezuko, you are very welcome." Lady Ahri replied.
Later, Butler came back to the throne room with a normal-sized fox with white fur, red eyes, and four tails. "Hey, guys. I'm Lulu, a Princess of Foxhold and a Master of Senjutsu." Lulu said. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke replied. "And I'm Nezuko Shimura." Nezuko also replied. "So you're those kids Mom and Grandpa were talkin' about, huh? The ones they made a special exception for?" Lulu asked. "Yes, Lady Lulu." Nezuko answered. "Oh, you can drop the 'Lady'." Lulu replied. "You see, Lulu heavily dislikes formalities." Butler told both Sasuke and Nezuko. "Hate is more like it, but Jeeves, here, is incapable of speaking without attempting to be the most respectful person in the room." Lulu added, referring to Butler. "You can all get better acquainted later. For now, Lulu, take them to the Training Field." Lord Caspian ordered. "Yes, Grandpa." Lulu acknowledged. "C'mon, Nezuko and Sasuke."
Nezuko and Sasuke followed Lulu back out of the castle, and then, they followed her to a forested area in the eastern outskirts of Foxhold Town. They continued walking until they reached a grassy clearing with a lot of large wolf statues, a small pond and a wooden longhouse. The longhouse was to the left of the statues and the pond was to the right of the statues. "Welcome to my humble little abode, also known as the Training Field." Lulu said. "I thought a little princess like you would live in the castle." Sasuke replied. "I do, but, I bought that longhouse
-which is officially called 'the barracks', because this is where all the Ninja Foxes come to train-back when I was like, twelve years old. It's been four years since then. Anyway, since I bought that place, I've been living there more often than I have in the castle. Officially, they'll say otherwise, but, personally, I consider that longhouse to be my main home." Lulu explained. "Four years ago...that would make you sixteen years old right now, wouldn't it?" Nezuko asked. "Yup." Lulu answered. "Sixteen?! Then aren't you a little young to be called a 'Senjutsu Master'?" Sasuke asked. "It was probably going to be made evident with time anyway, but we foxes don't live by Human society's rules-well, we don't follow the smaller, more minor rules, anyway. For instance, age doesn't dictate expertise. This is because people can sometimes find the tiniest amount of wisdom in the youngest of our society. Now, that doesn't mean that everything we teenagers say and do is right a hundred percent of the time, but I digress. Also, I never said I was an experienced Senjutsu Master. Besides, many years ago, my older Sister, Rikku, taught Kitsune the Senjutsu she knows today." Lulu explained. "Interesting." Sasuke commented.
Sasuke and Nezuko then walked up to the statues. Sasuke scoffed. "I thought for a second that these were fox statues." He remarked. "Same. What a drag..." Nezuko complains. Lulu walked up to them, and said, "Those statues are wolf statues because a very long time ago, this place used to be called Okami Seji Vale and it was run by Ninja Wolves but then, for whatever reason, we foxes came, invaded, took over and the wolves ran off somewhere else so that no more Ninja Wolves would die. After that, my Great-Grandfather-you'd probably call him the Great Fox Elder or Lord Mufasa or whatever-took over as the King of this place and renamed it 'Foxhold Valley' as a sign of our dominance over the place. The Training Field and these statues are two of the few remaining relics from the era when the wolves were in charge." 'So this place was built on colonization and the suffering of many wolves. What a drag.' Nezuko thought. "That's fucked up." Sasuke bluntly commented. "I know." Lulu agreed. "But, obviously, those were different times. Back then, Great-Grandpa was a young man and The Sage of the Six Paths was still alive."
"Nothing we can do about it now." Sasuke said. "Also true." Lulu agreed. "But enough of that ancient history, let's focus on what we came here to do." "Okay." Nezuko replied.
Lulu led them to the pond. "See this pond? It's filled with a special water made of nature energy." She told Nezuko and Sasuke. "Why do we need to know this?" Sasuke asked. "The first step in being able to perform Senjutsus is to gather nature energy to enter an empowered state called Sage Mode. While in Sage Mode, you are not only able to cast Senjutsus, you are also given enhanced strength and speed. But unlike the summoning animals, Humans cannot naturally gather nature energy until they are taught to. Which is where this exercise comes in. Senjutsu Trainees such as yourselves must use this pond-or, as it's officially known, Nature Energy Pond-as a crutch to help you gather nature energy faster and also help you get a taste of what nature energy feels like before you're ready for the next steps." Lulu answered. "What is nature energy, anyways?" Nezuko asked. "It's a form of energy-like chakra-that exists in the atmosphere and the earth. All around us, basically." Lulu answered. "And what is the difference between chakra and nature energy?" Sasuke then asked. "Chakra is the supernatural energy that exists within ourselves whereas nature energy exists all around us and when one combines the nature energy they've gathered with their own chakra, they are able to enter Sage Mode and cast Senjutsus but that's the endgame of this training. For now, let's just focus on gathering nature energy." Lulu explained.
"Enter the pool, and try sitting on it using the chakra control exercises your Senseis taught you." Lulu instructed. 'I've only gotten the basics of chakra control from Asami-Sensei because of how little time our team had for training before our mission, but this should be easy.' Nezuko thought. Sasuke brought up the issue of them having to take their clothes off for this exercise, but Lulu surprisingly already thought of that. She quickly went into the longhouse, and came back out with a boy's swimsuit and a girl's swimsuit. Nezuko and Sasuke didn't question the fact that Lulu somehow had these ready and waiting, and so, Nezuko took the girl's swimsuit and Sasuke took the boy's swimsuit, and then, they momentarily went their separate ways to change into their swimsuits and then came back to the pond. Sasuke blushed when he saw Nezuko in that swimsuit and Nezuko nearly did the same when she saw a shirtless Sasuke, but she shook her head to focus solely on this training. Sasuke walked onto the pond, and stood on it like it was no problem but Nezuko, however, fell into the pond the moment she tried to walk on it. Lulu laughed at her and Sasuke only slightly smirked, clearly not wanting to break his stoic expression. Out of pure embarrassment, Nezuko had to tell Lulu that Asami-Sensei didn't have much time to train her and her comrades because her team was put together in a rush and had to go on a mission a half a day after they were formed when Lulu asked her why she couldn't walk or stand on the water. "...she only taught me how to walk on a tree, okay!?" Nezuko finished. "Wow...that is...so very bad." Lulu said. "It's not exactly funny, y'know. There was a reason to rush things the way they did." Sasuke told Lulu in an annoyed tone of voice. "And what reason would that be?" Lulu asked. "There's a war going on. Going through the normal process with Genin like what my team went through would take too much time for them." Sasuke answered. Lulu was shocked. "Oh." She said. "Who are the...uh...'sides' in this war of yours?" Lulu obviously wasn't expecting this conversation to become this serious. "Our village-the Hidden Leaf Village-and the Hidden Mist Village are at war with the Hidden Stone Village and Hidden Sand Village." Sasuke answered after sighing. "The war started because the previous Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki was kidnapped by a Hidden Sand spy while our village was being invaded by an army from the Hidden Sand Village. Long story short, after weeks of fighting, spies from the Hidden Mist Village and Hidden Cloud Village brought The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki back to the Hidden Leaf Village probably to bring a quick end to the war but then our stupid village elders had decided to reseal The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and put The Nine-Tails in Nezuko. That effort failed somehow, The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki died, Nezuko was close to dying, and The Nine-Tails escaped from the Hidden Leaf Village only seconds before his Jinchuriki died. That was why we needed your Mom and Grandpa to give Nezuko immortality and why The Nine-Tails is locked up in your dungeon." "I see." Lulu replied. "Well, nothing we can do about that, is there?" "Not from here, no." Sasuke answered. "Then let's continue on with the training. Sasuke, sit down and meditate-it's the only way to use that pond to gather nature energy. And for the record, I don't need you to combine it with your own chakra just yet. Just gather the nature energy so that you can understand what it feels like. Think of this like learning how to use chakra for the first time. Nezuko, I think it's time you learned the more advanced version of chakra control before we move forward. You can do this by attempting to walk on the pond over and over again until you get it right. It's just as they say: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Lulu instructed. 'That was a nice way to keep the conversation from getting too gloomy and bringing our attention back to what we're doing.' Nezuko thought.
And so, after thirty-six days, Sasuke got the hang of gathering nature energy and Nezuko did, as well after struggling a bit with the advanced chakra control exercise. It was at that moment that Sasuke realized that his old Sensei was right-Nezuko is like Naruto and also like himself. To put it in his own terms, Nezuko is fifty percent a genius like Sasuke, himself, and twenty percent a loser like Naruto. Anyway, now, they are fully dressed in their original outfits and trying to gather nature energy without the help of that pond by sitting in a meditative position on the ground in front of the statues in the Training Field. For the whole time they've been here, Sasuke and Nezuko have been staying in the longhouse Lulu was living in. For some odd reason, Nezuko would somehow latch herself onto Sasuke while she was having a nightmare even though they slept on separate beds. Sasuke found this endearing, but there was no way in Hell he'd tell anyone that. His Uchiha pride wouldn't allow him to. Another thing Sasuke's Uchiha pride won't allow him to admit is that there are times when he's noticed Nezuko growing more and more beautiful every day they spend here. Sasuke can't tell whether it's an after effect of the nature energy they've been gathering or if it's because she's getting older as time goes on.
'No matter what I do, I can't escape from the fact that I love her.' Sasuke subconsciously thought. After half a day of gathering nature energy, Lulu told them to stop doing it for now and that they'll continue tomorrow. And so they did as they were told. As soon as their training ended, Lulu walked back into the longhouse, and Sasuke thought of something to ask her, wanting to test the waters to see if their relationship could progressively turn into something more.
"So...back when we were in the Hidden Leaf Village, I've heard a lot about what your Grandfather did. Is it true?" Sasuke asked, pretending like he hasn't been told about the brutal training sessions Danzo put her through before the invasion. Nezuko looked at him, and frowned.
"For the record: I'm not asking this to make fun of you about...what happened. Personally, I think the people who do make fun of you for it are ignorant jerks. The same kind of ignorant jerks who tormented Naruto all his life. But you shouldn't presume or jump to conclusions about some people, though. In time, that will make you prejudiced and you'll end up just as ignorant and shallow as everyone else." Sasuke told her. Nezuko stopped frowning at him, and then decided to look down at the ground in front of her.
She sighed, and said, "Alright, I'll tell you. Yes, it is true. I do want to take revenge, and fucking kill him for murdering my parents. That fool had no right to kill anyone other than the enemy ninjas that day. And yet he didn't, did he?" "I get it. I know you probably already know this, but I want to kill my Brother because he did something even worse-he killed my Mom, my Dad and everyone in my clan." Sasuke told her. "But after some...interesting revelations, I decided that my revenge won't just stop with Itachi." "What revelations?" Nezuko asked. Sasuke then told her everything Yuki told him about the Uchiha Massacre, the missing context that was kept secret from everyone in the village. "...so now, it won't just stop with Itachi, like I said. The Hidden Leaf's elders are next. But then, the longer I thought about it, I realized that the Hidden Leaf isn't the thing that I must destroy to prevent all this from happening again. If I just got my revenge on the Hidden Leaf and The Hokage after killing Itachi, the Ninja World would remain the same-a cold, heartless place where more and more atrocities like the Uchiha Massacre will occur without a second thought for the lives that are taken, children-whether they are innocent or they are ninjas like us-will be killed by enemy ninjas for whatever fucked up reason and The Jinchuriki will die if they are no longer deemed useful to the hidden villages they serve. Yuki may have been an enemy who was an ally in disguise, but she was right about one thing-Izumi and I would be hypocrites for calling her out for kidnapping Naruto because we serve the same hidden village that was behind the Uchiha Massacre. If we are to take any morally-correct stance without our enemies calling us out for our hypocrisy, we must destroy the Ninja World, and build a new one from scratch." Sasuke told her, now finished with telling her the truth about the Uchiha Massacre.
"Wow...that's...a lot to take in." Nezuko commented. "Are you sure you could trust that spy's word? What if she was lying to you to get you and Izumi to fight each other?" "That may have been her purpose in telling us all that, but if I didn't see Shisui's suicide note, I'd think she was lying, too." Sasuke answered. "Who's Shisui?" Nezuko asked. "Shisui Uchiha was...like a Big Brother to Itachi, I suppose. Like Itachi, he also wanted to stop the coup from happening. He had this plan to peacefully resolve the situation by using a Genjutsu on my Father and every other ninja in the clan to make them end the coup before it started. But then, the night before the Massacre, Shisui committed suicide. And so, the village thought that killing the entire clan was the only way to end it. And the Massacre was the end result" Sasuke answered. "I doubt they ever considered arresting my Father and the others who wanted the coup, and then locking them up to discourage any other Uchiha from rebelling against the village." "I...I agree. I mean, if killing them was the only way to stop the coup before it started, then why the Hell do we have jail cells?" Nezuko replied. "Exactly." Sasuke said. He then thought of something else to ask her although this time, it was a genuine question.
"What do you think about what the Great Fox Elder told me about this prophecy and the changes that were made to it?" Sasuke asked. "The thing about great change and revolution?" Nezuko asked in reply. Sasuke nodded in response. "Well...I mean, I don't know." Nezuko answered. "That is to say, I'm unsure how to feel about it. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm neither for it or against it." "That's an...unusual reaction. I haven't told anyone else about it because I know how they'd react to it. They'd say that that would be a bit extreme and that I need to relax. The most extreme reaction I'd probably get is that someone would say that if I knew what was good for me, I'd stop all this talk of revolution or else they'd report me to The Hokage." Sasuke told her. "Didn't you tell me not to assume things about people earlier?" Nezuko then asked. Sasuke chuckled. "There's a difference between just thinking what people would do or say when you do or say something and knowing what people would do or say when you do or say some
-thing. Anyway, why are you unsure about it?" Sasuke then asked. "Because while, on one hand, the Ninja World is a pretty fucked up place, there's no denying that, it's also the place where I've had good experiences. Like the day I met Sora and Takeshi and...you." Nezuko answered. Sasuke was surprised by her answer. He blushed, and looked away. Nezuko chuckled. "Without the Ninja World being the way that The First Hokage made it, I doubt I would've ever met them. Or, if I did, Sora and Takeshi probably would've been civilians living in some town that my clan and I were told to protect from bandits by some Feudal Lord or another wealthy person and you and I probably would've met on the battlefield because two Feudal Lords decided to make our clans fight each other for whatever stupid and petty reason." She added. "Okay but what, exactly has changed about that? What about the Ninja World did The First Hokage's changes actually affect? Last I remember from the history lessons we were taught about The Hokage, The First Hokage wanted to make a Ninja World where everyone would be protected and everyone would be at peace, there would be no more wars and a Ninja World where kids wouldn't have to die in battle. But, over time, the creation of the Hidden Leaf Village and the other hidden villages have kept none of The First Hokage's promises. Even worse, they never did anything to keep The First Hokage's promises and make his dream a reality. Wars are still happening, kids are still dying, the Hidden Leaf Village endangers everyone inside it the moment something big like an invasion happens to it and so do the other hidden villages. In reality, The First Hokage changed...nothing. Nothing at all." Sasuke replied. "We're also still doing missions for Feudal Lords who want us to do these missions want us to do them for some stupid or petty reason. Back when I was a Genin, one of the first missions my team and I ever got was the Demon Cat From Hell Mission, the D-Rank mission that everyone hates. And do you know who keeps giving us that mission? The Feudal Lord's wife. Why does she need us to do it when she probably has her own security detail or her own servants who can do the same thing with about as much trouble as we had?" "I see what you mean, but if that's the worst a D-Rank mission can give a rookie Genin like me, then I still don't see what's so bad about it all." Nezuko said. "As we both mentioned, back before the hidden villages were formed, kids were dying left and right because they were killed by enemy ninjas or by kids who were told to kill them by their clan's superiors. And now look at us-kids aren't dying unnecessarily anymore because they're stuck doing stupid D-Ranks until they get more experience and eventually get promoted due to said experience. By the time they make Chunin or higher, they're old and capable enough to reliably defend themselves from enemy ninjas until they die in battle or retire."
Sasuke grumbled. "I guess you're right..." He mutters. "Tell you what-let's make a bet: if I can convince you of how great the Ninja World really is despite all its blemishes, you can forget about your revolution and we'll continue being Hidden Leaf ninjas. However, if you can convince me that the cons of the Ninja World outweigh the pros, I'll join you on your quest for revolution. Deal?" Nezuko offered. "Deal." Sasuke answered.
They shook hands, stood up, and went to the longhouse to have a little bit of leisure time before helping Lulu out with the chores, doing some normal training exercises, and maybe going back to Foxhold Town to buy things like groceries.
Back in the Hidden Leaf Village, Izumi was at the top of a watchtower on the outskirts of the village, standing by a window. She was assigned by The Hokage to use this watchtower to watch for enemy movement near the village. If there was any enemy movement, she was either to contact the Anbu so that they could intercept it or intercept it herself if she could help it.
But as she was keeping watch, she couldn't help but worry for her subordinates. Especially Sasuke and the new girl. Naruto's death shocked her. She hoped he would be brought back to the Hidden Leaf Village alright, but now, she doesn't know if he should've been brought back here at all. Then there's that stuff about Sasuke and Nezuko being "The Children of Revolution". Lady Fifth essentially told Izumi that if she was loyal to the village and they intend on being revolutionaries, she is to deal with them like you would deal with any other high-profile rogue ninja: kill them. And, what with him being an Uchiha, Sasuke would be pretty fucking high profile if he ever became a rogue ninja. And if Nezuko defended him and went and joined him, her ass would be in the Bingo Book, too. And that's the last thing anyone needs. 'What do you do, Izumi?' Izumi thought. 'What do you do?'
Just then, Anko walked up to her, and stood right next to her. "Hello." She said. "What are you doing here?" Izumi asked her. "I'm here for the same reason you are." Anko answered. "The Hokage must hate you too, then, huh?" Izumi joked. Anko chuckled. "C'mon, guard duty ain't that bad." She replied. "I guess you're right. I was out in the field a little while ago, and-" "I heard about what happened to Asami-Sensei and two of her little shits. Sad, I know." Anko said, interrupting Izumi. "So you already know..." Izumi says. "Know what?" Anko asked.
Izumi walked over to a balcony, and just leaned against the railing. Anko went and joined her. "About my concerns." Izumi answered. "What concerns?" Anko asked. "Did you hear about Naruto's death and everything that went down there, too?" Izumi asked in reply. "Uh...yeah, who didn't?" Anko also asked in reply. "Then you know what I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about the children we send into battle. Like you said, two of Asami-Sensei's new Genin died along with her and then Naruto died. At twelve-going-on-thirteen years old. He was still young. Knowing the village and how the Ninja World's set up, Shikamaru might be sent out on a mission where he won't make it back, either." Izumi said. "I wouldn't stress too much about it. If these kids were that fragile, they wouldn't have made it past the Second Exam of the Chunin Exams." Anko told her. 'Is she serious right now?' Izumi thought.
"That's not my point!" Izumi shouted. "The fact that they can take a lot won't mean shit if they die on the battlefield because of a force that is stronger than they are! In my eyes, these kids shouldn't be made Genin until they're twenty years old. Eighteen, at the very least." "Then I guess we should make 'em stronger." Anko said. Izumi scowled at her, and then looked down. "Whatever. You won't get it no matter what I say, will you?" Izumi asked. "So sue me for being a thick-headed dumbass. It's your fault for talking to me about all of this." Anko said. "I'm not a therapist." "Clearly..." Izumi says.
Izumi then spotted something. 'What the fuck? What is she doing here?' She thought. "You see something?" Anko asked. "Don't worry too much about it. If you hear sounds of fighting, call the Anbu." Izumi ordered. "Whatever you say, 'Captain'." Anko teased. Izumi jumped down into the forest from the balcony, and went straight over to what looked like a Hidden Mist Kunoichi and three Hidden Mist Anbu who were jumping from tree branch to tree branch until Izumi threw a warning kunai knife at them. All of them dropped down to the ground, and they faced Izumi. "It's just as I thought-Hiromi Uzumaki!" Izumi shouted. Indeed, Hiromi Uzumaki was the Hidden Mist Kunoichi in the group of Hidden Mist ninjas. Hiromi looked the same as she did before except now she's exchanged her usual outfit for an all-black sleeveless uniform, a black mask that covered her neck and mouth, a black pair of khaki pants and her black Hidden Mist headband was on her forehead this time. "Izumi. It's good to see you." Hiromi replied. "Where's your ninja swimmer outfit? Last time I saw you, I thought you looked more like a surfer than a Kunoichi." Izumi said. "Oh this? This is just my stealth outfit." Hiromi also replied. "Alright, then...what are you doing here?" Izumi asked. "I can't answer that without the permission of The Mizukage." Hiromi answered. "And do you ask your mommy if you can go outside after dinner, too?" Izumi taunted. "Look, you can tell me why you're here right now or I will have to bring you in for trespassing."
"WAIT!" A voice yelled. Then, a masked ninja appeared. It was a member of the Anbu. The masked ninja walked up to Izumi, and said, "It's fine. Let me take it from here." "Alright..." Izumi says. Izumi stepped back, and went back to the watchtower as the masked ninja walked up to the Hidden Mist ninja squad.
Once she reappeared back on the watchtower's balcony right next to Anko, Anko asked, "What was that about?" "Nothing. Just thought I saw an old friend." Izumi answered as she went to lean on the railing.
Hiromi and the Hidden Mist Anbu squad that was sent with her are sneaking into the Hidden Leaf Village with ease with some help from a single member of the Hidden Leaf's Anbu codenamed Tora.
Tora is helping them because The Mizukage requested that he help them and also because he had a mysterious friendly connection to Naruto so he wanted to help those who could get revenge on his killers for him since Tora couldn't do it himself. After successfully infiltrating the Hidden Leaf Village, Hiromi and her Anbu friends snuck around, searching for the Hidden Leaf elders who killed Naruto. Lady Mizukage had sent them a letter a few minutes before they were intercepted by Izumi and before they met with Tora after their brief encounter with Izumi. Hiromi read it and it said to make contact with Tora before entering the Hidden Leaf Village and the letter told her the elders' names: Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. In her letter, The Mizukage said that she does know that Homura and Koharu are awaiting trial in the Hidden Leaf's jail, but she doesn't know which jail cell both elders are being held in. Hiromi has always wondered who their replacements are, but at the moment, she doesn't care. She just wants Homura and Koharu dead.
While they were walking down an alley, a Hidden Mist Anbu asked, "Hiromi, I was wondering...do you feel nostalgic walking through the Hidden Leaf Village like this?"
Hiromi thought about that question for a moment. It's no secret that she's the Sister of Kushina Uzumaki, but that "secret" never left the Hidden Mist Village due to the fact that Hiromi is a spy. So this member of the Hidden Mist's Anbu knowing that she used to live here is no surprise to Hiromi. What does surprise her is that this member of the Hidden Mist's Anbu is asking a question like that at all, considering that they're not supposed to wear their emotions on their sleeve like badges of honor. Anyways, as she walks through these streets with these Hidden Mist Anbu, she starts to remember things like the place where she had her first date, the place where one of many arguments between herself and Kushina took place, the place where she was told that Kushina was about to get married, the place where Hiromi met Minato's team, the place where she's had spars with Kushina, the places where Minato tried to calm both herself and Kushina down when they were having an argument...and the place where Kitsune-Sensei first taught her the Rasengan.
"I never thought about it." Hiromi finally answered. "I see." The first Hidden Mist Anbu member replied. "The more important question is where would we find a person who knew where, exactly, Koharu and Homura were being kept?" The second Hidden Mist Anbu member asked. The group of four stopped. "He's right." Hiromi said as she turned around to face them. Hiromi thought long and hard about it. But the third Hidden Mist Anbu member's answer seemed surprisingly simple.
"Why don't we ask the jailhouse's receptionist?" The third Hidden Mist Anbu member asked. "Good thinking. Hiromi...?" The second Hidden Mist Anbu member asks. Seeing no other method, Hiromi said, "Alright. Here's what we'll do: we corner the receptionist when they get off their shift. By that time, another person will have replaced them. After we question them, we kill them, and 'erase' every trace of them so that we won't be exposed. After that, it's just a matter of breaking into the jailhouse, killing both of the elders, and then getting out. You three will guard me while I deal with those old fucks to make sure no one interferes if we are caught. Do you understand?"
The three Hidden Mist Anbu members nodded. "Okay, then. Let's execute the plan." Hiromi told them.
Later...
A Hidden Leaf Kunoichi named Tsume Inuzuka was walking out of the jailhouse, having finished her shift as the jailhouse's substitute receptionist. 'Well, at least that's over.' Tsume thought. She was really annoyed when The Hokage ordered her to sub in for the guy who's supposed to be at the jailhouse's receptionist desk for the afternoon shift. 'Whatever happened to that guy, anyway?'
She decided she was going to take a shower after she got home. Well, that was supposed to be the case when she was suddenly captured by two unknown masked ninjas who just appeared all of the sudden thirty minutes later, and they took her to this random alley somewhere in the Hidden Leaf Village. Afterwards, they tied her hands behind her back, and made her sit down on the ground. "What are you doing? Why do you have me tied down like this?" Tsume asked.
"Shut up!" One of the masked ninjas shouted. From the looks of these masked ninjas, they appeared to be Hidden Mist Anbu Black Ops. 'What're the Hidden Mist's Anbu doing here?' Tsume thought. Then, a Kunoichi and a third masked ninja came out of the shadows in front of Tsume. The Kunoichi had the dark red hair that's only seen in an Uzumaki (which was styled into a ponytail), blue eyes and a black leather mask that covered only her neck and mouth. She also wore an all-black sleeveless leather jumpsuit, black ninja sandals, black khaki pants and on her forehead is a black Hidden Mist headband. "You're not who we expected." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi said. "Like I could give a fuck." Tsume replied. "Look, we don't really have a lot of time so I'd rather shut up and answer my damn questions if I were you." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi told her. "So you're frustrated. Nice of you to tell me so before I knock all of you out, and haul you over the Torture and Interrogation Division." Tsume said. "We're the ones doing the interrogating, here." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi told her. "In what jail cell are Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado being held in?" The Hidden Mist Anbu member next to the Hidden Mist Kunoichi asked Tsume. "I don't know." Tsume lied. "Besides, why the Hell should I tell you? Aren't there more civilized ways to ask me this? You do realize the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Mist are in an alliance, right?"
The Hidden Mist Kunoichi pulled out a kunai knife, walked up to Tsume, and pointed the kunai knife at her throat. "Please! Don't kill me! I have a Son and a Daughter!" Tsume pleaded. Under any other circumstances, she'd be saying this to put on an act so that she could trick them by having a clone be in her place so that when they actually do try something, the clone would disappear, and she'd come out of her hiding place, and say, "Surprise, bitches!" But the Hidden Mist Anbu members captured her too quickly for her to cast the Clone Jutsu. 'A Kunoichi of my caliber should've detected them from the start!' Tsume then thought. "Then tell me where those two are." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi told her. Tsume gulped, knowing that she'd be shamed forever for telling them these details out of fear...at the very least.
"Fine. I'll tell you. I don't, exactly, know where they are, but I do remember seeing their names on the clipboard at the receptionist's desk. I just subbed in for the guy who was supposed to be there." Tsume said. "So that explains her being there instead of the person who should've been there." One of the Hidden Mist Anbu members said. "The others we questioned said that a guy was supposed to be there." "How do we proceed?" The Hidden Mist Anbu member next to the Hidden Mist Kunoichi asked. "I'll tell you after we kill her." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi answered. "No-but-wait, you said you wouldn't kill me if I told you what you wanted to know!" Tsume shouted. "I lied." The Hidden Mist Kunoichi told her. "You should've thought about your Daughter and Son before you subbed in for the jailhouse's receptionist." She slowly pulled her kunai knife back, and then stabbed Tsume in the throat. Tsume fell down, and died.
Hiromi wiped the blood off of her kunai knife by swinging it after having killed the Kunoichi who subbed for the guy who was supposed to be at the receptionist's desk today. "So...?" Asks the first Hidden Mist Anbu member, who was standing right next to Hiromi. "Well, we don't need the actual guy anymore. We can look at that clipboard while we're breaking into the jailhouse." Hiromi answered. "That could put us at a bit of a disadvantage if we're caught by the Hidden Leaf ninjas." The second Hidden Mist Anbu member said. "Then we don't get caught. It's that simple." Hiromi told him. "Dispose of her body. Erase every trace of it." "Yes Sir!" All three Hidden Mist Anbu members shout as Hiromi puts her kunai knife away. The third Hidden Mist Anbu member used an Earth-Style Jutsu to make the Hidden Leaf Kunoichi's body dissolve into dust before they disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu.
At midnight, Hiromi and the three Hidden Mist Anbu members appeared outside the entrance to the jailhouse using the Teleportation Jutsu. Then, the second Hidden Mist Anbu member went up to the door, crouched, and attempted to lockpick it. "Too bad Tora couldn't come with us." The third Hidden Mist Anbu member said. "Yeah. He said that he couldn't come even though he wanted to because he had to make sure we weren't detected." The first Hidden Mist Anbu member replied. "So he left us after we successfully infiltrated the village." "Yeah, I know. All three of us were there, too." The third Hidden Mist Anbu member told him. "Can you guys shut up? I need to focus." The second Hidden Mist Anbu member said.
After a little while, the second Hidden Mist Anbu member successfully lockpicked the door. "Gotcha!" The second Hidden Mist Anbu member shouted, very proud of himself. Hiromi is now starting to wonder if all the things she's previously heard about the Hidden Mist's Anbu were all just lies that were told by the Hidden Mist's Anbu, themselves just so that the Hidden Mist's Anbu could put up a front and make themselves look tougher than they actually are. Isn't deception what a ninja thrives on, after all?
"Let's go." Hiromi told the three Hidden Mist Anbu members. The three Hidden Mist Anbu members nodded, and then, the second Hidden Mist Anbu member threw a smoke grenade into the jailhouse, and then, they heard coughing. Hiromi and the Hidden Mist Anbu members charged into the jailhouse, and then, while the room was still covered by smoke, Hiromi killed the night shift's jailhouse receptionist by throwing a kunai knife at him. After that, Hiromi went behind the receptionist's desk as soon as the smoke cleared. She searched that desk until she finally found the clipboard which recorded and listed all the criminals who were dropped off at this very jailhouse. She found Koharu and Homura's names on the list.
Mitokado H., Utatane K. Cell number: 10. Crime(s): Murder
"Great." Hiromi said. "They're both being held in the same cell." "Which cell?" The first Hidden Mist Anbu member asked. "Cell number 10." Hiromi answered. The first Hidden Mist Anbu member went behind the receptionist's desk too, and also searched the desk until he found a map. "This says that Cell 10 is in Cell Block A which is the first block we'll see once we go down those stairs." The first Hidden Mist Anbu member told everyone else, referring to the staircase which was twelve feet behind the receptionist's desk. "The Hidden Leaf's ninjas must trust each other a Hell of a lot if they're okay with putting the entrance to the rest of the jailhouse right behind the receptionist. The receptionist would be vulnerable to an attack from behind if there were any traitors in the Hidden Leaf's ranks who decided to break in for whatever reason." The second Hidden Mist Anbu member commented. "Yeah, well, now isn't the time to be focusing on any of that." Hiromi told him. Hiromi then turned to the first Hidden Mist Anbu member, and said, "Let's hope that the map you just looked at isn't out of date."
After that, Hiromi walked up to the third Hidden Mist Anbu member. "Stay and guard the stairs. We don't want the Hidden Leaf to give us any surprises should they come knocking." She ordered. "Yes Sir!" The third Hidden Mist Anbu member shouted. The third Hidden Mist Anbu member walked over to the receptionist's desk, and used the Transformation Jutsu to transform into a Hidden Leaf Shinobi. "The rest of you, with me." Hiromi ordered. The two Hidden Mist Anbu members nodded, and went downstairs with Hiromi.
The three of them ran down Cell Block A until they found Cell 10, where they found both Koharu and Homura, who noticed Hiromi and the two Hidden Mist Anbu members through their cell's bars. "Who are you?" Homura asked. "What are you Hidden Mist ninjas doing here?" Koharu asked. "Hidden Mist?!" Homura then asked. "Look at that girl's headband. And if those Anbu were our Anbu, they'd be taking her in and then throwing her in one of these cells." Koharu told him. "You're right. But that doesn't explain why they're here and why they've broken in." Homura said after getting a good look at Hiromi. "I thought the Hidden Mist had an alliance with us."
Hiromi kicked down their cell's door. "It is because of our alliance that we were sent to kill you." Hiromi told both Homura and Koharu. Hiromi then killed Homura with three shurikens. Homura fell down before he died. "We are disabled! Have you no shame!?" Koharu asked. Hiromi walked up to Koharu, and pulled out a kunai knife. "Did you feel ashamed when you killed Naruto Uzumaki?" Hiromi asked her. Hiromi then killed her with one swing of the kunai knife. "So it's done, then..." The first Hidden Mist Anbu member says. "It is." Hiromi answered. Hiromi put away her kunai knife, and then looked up.
'I've finally avenged you, Naruto.' Hiromi thought. She then looked down, pulled out a little sheet of paper and a pen, wrote a note, and placed it next to Koharu's corpse. "What are you doing?" The first Hidden Mist Anbu member asked. "Telling the Hidden Leaf that I, alone, did this." Hiromi truthfully answered. "Isn't that like...a bad idea?" The second Hidden Mist Anbu member asked. "I thought so too, but The Mizukage told me otherwise. As I just told these motherfuckers, it is because of this alliance we have with the Hidden Leaf that we are taking out these trash individuals since we know that they won't." Hiromi truthfully told them. "Ergo, since we've taken out the trash for them, the Hidden Leaf will consider this a good deed and our village-to-village alliance won't be jeopardized. Sure, Izumi and The Hokage might not agree with that, but the rest of this village's ninjas will."
"Alright, then. Can we go now?" The second Hidden Mist Anbu member asked. "Of course." Hiromi answered. Hiromi walked out of the cell, and then, she and the two Hidden Mist Anbu members walked upstairs. The third Hidden Mist Anbu member turned around to face them, and asked, "Is it done?"
Hiromi nodded.
And so, the third Hidden Mist Anbu member undid the Transformation Jutsu he casted on himself, the four of them walked over to the jailhouse's entrance, the third Hidden Mist Anbu member threw another smoke grenade just outside the jailhouse and then, as soon as the smoke grenade went off and spread smoke everywhere, Hiromi and the three Hidden Mist Anbu members went outside in the smoke, and used the Teleportation Jutsu to disappear before the smoke cleared.
Izumi was still on the top of that watchtower even though her shift's ended because she's waiting for the ninja who's supposed to take over for her when a member of the Anbu Black Ops appeared right beside her. Izumi was startled and she got into a battle-ready position. "Calm yourself, Izumi. I am an ally." The masked ninja told her. Izumi took a deep breath, and relaxed even though she wanted to pummel this guy so hard for scaring her like that. "Sorry about that. I just haven't been the same around the Anbu Black Ops since Naruto's death and the time that the Foundation kidnapped me." Izumi said. "I understand." The masked ninja replied.
"What are you here for?" Izumi asked after her position went from battle-ready to normal. "Lady Hokage has called for you." The masked ninja answered. "But I'm supposed to wait here for whoever's taking over for me. My shift ended and yet...they still aren't here." Izumi replied. "This takes precede
-nce. Besides, Asuma's been making a habit of being late recently." The masked ninja told her. "Asuma?!" Izumi then asked. "Yep." The masked ninja answered. "He's taking the night shift?!" Izumi questioned. "Yep." The masked ninja also answered. Izumi was surprised to learn this but also a little distraught by this information. "The Hidden Leaf Village is doomed..." Izumi hyperbolically says. The masked ninja slightly chuckled.
"I'll be off to see The Hokage, then." Izumi told the masked ninja. The masked ninja nodded, and then disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. Izumi sighed. 'Why didn't she assign a normal ninja to do this?' She thought. Izumi left the watchtower, went back into the village, and walked to The Hokage's Tower. Once inside The Hokage's Tower, a receptionist on the ground floor (where Izumi was) told her that Lady Fifth was waiting for her in The Hokage's office. Izumi then walked all the way upstairs to a hallway, and then she walked to the door to The Hokage's office, and knocked three times. "Lady Hokage...?" Izumi asks. "Come in." Lady Fifth called from the other side of the door. Izumi opened the door to see Lady Fifth standing in front of The Hokage's desk with her arms folded and with a serious expression on her face. Shikamaru standing to Lady Fifth's right. Izumi walked into The Hokage's office, and then closed the door behind her before walking up to the two of them.
"What's wrong?" Izumi asked. "There's been a break-in at the jailhouse." Shikamaru answered. "Both the ex-elders are dead." Lady Fifth added. "You mean Koharu and Homura?" Izumi then asked. "Yeah." Shikamaru answered. "What happened?" Izumi questioned. "Four people snuck into the jailhouse by lockpicking the door and throwing a smoke grenade into the receptionist's office, and then killing the night shift's receptionist while the room was still covered by smoke. Then, three of that group of four walked into the ex-elders' cell block, while the other stayed back to disguise himself as the receptionist at the desk." Shikamaru reported. "Once everything was said and done, the group of four escaped by throwing a smoke grenade just outside the jailhouse's door and then disappearing while the smoke still covered the area." "The investigative report concludes that both Homura and Koharu were killed by only one person because of the blows that were made to their bodies." Lady Fifth said. "Who could do this sort of thing?" Izumi inquired. "Someone who had a grudge with them over the recent murder they committed." Lady Fifth answered. Shikamaru handed a note to Izumi. "Someone you had a very recent encounter with, according to Anko-Sensei's report." Shikamaru added. Izumi opened the note, and read it.
Dear Hidden Leaf,
I took out the trash for you on the orders of The Mizukage. You might come to not like us for this-initially-but some things need to be done and with respect to you and The Hokage, you are too cowardly to take such an action against such treachery.
I hope this doesn't jeopardize the Hidden Mist's relationship with the Hidden Leaf.
Signed,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Hidden Mist Kunoichi, Hiromi Uzumaki
'So that's why she was here...' Izumi thought. "Why didn't you report her presence in the Hidden Leaf Village to me?" Lady Fifth asked her. "Because after our encounter, as Shikamaru put it, one of our Anbu came, and told me that it was alright and that he would handle it. So I told Anko nothing." Izumi answered.
'Of course she would somehow find out anyway, though.' Izumi thought. "And you didn't even consider that the Anbu member might've been working with them?" Shikamaru asked. "They could've been a Hidden Mist ninja in disguise for all we know." "Look, the Anbu are serious business. If the Anbu came to vouch for Hiromi and her team of three Hidden Mist Anbu, then that could've meant that they're here on a top-secret mission for both The Hokage and The Mizukage." Izumi said in a bit of a frustrated tone of voice. "So it wasn't a matter of whether or not I could give it a second thought, it was that I had no choice but to pay no attention to it lest I receive a scolding from Lady Fifth because I compromised a top-secret mission and possibly needlessly endangered lives because I compromised the mission."
'I wish I could scold Shikamaru for talking to me like he's my superior, but considering that my character is being called into question right now, I won't even bother.' Izumi thought.
"Knowing what I know now, I just put myself in a lose-lose situation." Izumi said. "You're not the only one who's been dragged into this mess because of what you did. Now, I have to head to the Hidden Mist Village to ask why Lady Fifth Mizukage sent assassins to my village for a state-sanctioned revenge killing." Lady Fifth told her. "And as a consequence, you're comin' with me." "So...what, are we going right now?" Izumi asked. "No." Lady Fifth answered. "I'm going to have to arrange some things first and then we're going to the Hidden Mist Village. But while I'm arranging those things, you are being pulled off duty until we're prepared to go."
Izumi sighed, and then said, "Alright." "You're dismissed." Lady Fifth told her. Izumi nodded, bowed, turned around, and left the room.
Nezuko and Sasuke continued Senjutsu training for another twenty days until they finally combined nature energy with their own chakra, and successfully entered Sage Mode. After that, they learned how much stronger they are while in Sage Mode by lifting those wolf statues and sparring with Rikku, a Human-sized fox with four tails, red fur and blue eyes. Today was their supposed last day in Foxhold Valley. And for their last day, Lady Ahri and Kurama's eldest Son, a Human-sized fox named Banzai taught them a rather unique Senjutsu aside from the Fox Punch and Fox Scratch, which are types of Taijutsu styles one can only succeed at if they had Senjutsu training and could successfully activate and deactivate Sage Mode. This Senjutsu is a Kekkei Genkai unique to Fox Sages and Summon Foxes from Foxhold Valley called Blaze Style. This type of elemental Ninjutsu chakra combines Lightning Style and Fire Style. The most basic Blaze Style Senjutsu they were taught was a C-Rank Senjutsu called "Blaze Style: Red Lightning" where the caster summons red lightning from the sky to strike the opponent from above and there were two other more advanced Blaze Style Senjutsu they both were taught called "Blaze Style: True Light" and "Blaze Style: Firebolt Jutsu". The True Light Jutsu works exactly like the False Darkness Jutsu except the lightning that comes out of the caster's mouth is red and black instead of blue. The Firebolt Jutsu has the caster make a finger gun with either hand, and shoot fire beams from their finger that look like lightning bolts at their target, almost like the Suireiha Jutsu except Suireiha has the caster shoot water balls instead of beams of fire that look like lightning bolts.
Lulu had now taught Nezuko and Sasuke everything they needed to know about Senjutsu and how to activate and deactivate Sage Mode. All she has to do now is report her success to Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri. And so, Lulu tells Nezuko and Sasuke to stay at the Training Field while she goes to tell Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri of her students' success.
And so, as Lulu walks off, Nezuko and Sasuke go to stand around in front of the longhouse, waiting for Lulu to return.
"So...it's our last day here, huh?" Sasuke said. "It is." Nezuko replied. "I wonder how the war has gone while we've been here all this time. The war could be over by now, and we won't know it until we return." Sasuke also replied. "I wonder the same thing." Nezuko then said. "Well, then, if the war has ended, then maybe you'll be one step further to being right about the Ninja World, about how some good can still come out of the Ninja World despite all of it's blemishes." Sasuke supposed. "...for the world's sake and our own, I hope I'm right about that." Nezuko told him. "What do you mean by 'and our own'?" Sasuke asked. "Let's say that you've been proven right and you've proven to me that you're right and the Ninja World really is a bad place that has cons that outweigh its pros. The Ninja World won't stand for our idea of revolution, and that includes the Hidden Leaf. We'll have to leave the Hidden Leaf Village, and go awol basically. We'll be labelled as criminals and they might hunt us down to kill us." Nezuko explained. "Revolution is messy and requires sacrifice. I, of all people, should know that based on what my clan was planning to do before they were massacred and Itachi made that same sacrifice because he didn't want to see me dead. He did everything he could to protect me. And if the Ninja World is as bad as I said it was, then we need to do everything we can to protect the world otherwise, the world will still be destroyed with or without a group like the Akatsuki." Sasuke also told her. "Besides, we've both become so powerful no one can even stand a chance of defeating or killing us." "True. The only people who could face us without any problems are people with Kekkei Genkai or any of The Jinchuriki." Nezuko agreed.
"Then it's decided; if you are proven wrong about the Ninja World, then you and I will leave the Hidden Leaf Village together." Sasuke said. "Agreed?" "Agreed." Nezuko answered.
"Such nice young folk like yourselves ought to come around more often." A new voice suddenly said. Nezuko and Sasuke looked to their left, and saw Lulu walking back into the Training Field with a great big old-looking fox with gray and orange fur, white pupiless eyes and three tails. "Who is that?" Nezuko asked. "That is the Great Fox Elder, otherwise known as Lord Mufasa or The Byakugan Fox." Sasuke answered. "The Byakugan Fox?" Nezuko then asked. "Lady Fifth Hokage told me that one of the first ancestors of the Hyuga Clan gave him both of their Byakugan for...uh...some reason, I don't know." Sasuke explained. 'So that's why he has pupiless eyes...' Nezuko thought. Lulu and Lord Mufasa walked up to both Nezuko and Sasuke. "Lulu has told my Son and my Granddaughter that you have passed your Senjutsu training." Lord Mufasa said. "We have, Lord Mufasa." Nezuko told him. "Then you are ready..." Lord Mufasa says. "For what?" Nezuko asked. "...you are ready to become Kurama's next Jinchuriki." Lord Mufasa answered. "Yeah. Wait, what?!" Lulu shouted. "Right. I forgot about that." Nezuko said. "What do you mean she'll become Dad's next Jinchuriki?" Lulu asked. "It all has to do with Hagoromo's Prophecy, Great-Granddaughter." Lord Mufasa told her. "I'm not so hot on this part of the prophecy. This puts her in more danger than necessary, in my opinion." Sasuke commented. 'So he cares about something other than himself? Hell must've frozen over...' Nezuko thought.
"I...kinda disagree too because, when I met Kurama back when I was in Naruto's psyche, I got the impression that he is...difficult to deal with." Nezuko remarked. "He is difficult, indeed. Though, I am afraid it is necessary. The Prophecy says that only a Jinchuriki with the powers of a Sage and the immortality of a Summoning Fox can stand against the might of the Akatsuki. And as it stands, Kurama is the single most powerful of all of Hagoromo's creations. So I feel that it is only natural that Kurama's power is needed to stand against the Akatsuki." Lord Mufasa said with a tone of regret in his voice. "I see." Sasuke replied. "Come with me. My Son and Granddaughter wish to see you again before you become a Jinchuriki." Lord Mufasa told them. And so, Nezuko and Sasuke followed Lord Mufasa to the castle.
And so, once they got into the castle, they were led to the throne room by Butler, and then Nezuko, Sasuke, Lord Mufasa and Lulu all stood before Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri.
"And so we meet again, Young Nezuko and Young Sasuke." Lord Caspian said. "And what am I? Chopped liver?" Lulu asked. Lord Caspian ignored her question and said, "So...you're supposed to become Kurama's Jinchuriki, eh?" "Yes, yes I am." Nezuko answered. "Good." Lady Ahri interjected. "The faster he's out of here, the better. Based on what we have heard from the foxes in your world, Kurama has become too important to you Humans for you to just leave him alone." "She's right. And it's not just her hatred of Kurama talking-the longer he stays here, the chances that we are invaded by your world's soldiers becomes more and more likely." Lord Caspian added. "Then why didn't you send him back?" Sasuke asked. "Every time we tried, he just came back. His reasoning for staying here is that the Humans will not leave him alone and if he stayed in the Ninja World, they will never leave him alone for as long as he lived." Lord Caspian answered. "As I see it, that also makes a surprising amount of logical sense." Sasuke remarked. "Ever since The First Hokage made the Ninja World what it is today, the hidden villages have always sought to utilize the power of the Tailed Beasts-or so our history books say-to maintain the balance of power hence why there's a war being waged in the Ninja World right at this very moment. It started out with Kurama's previous Jinchuriki being kidnapped by another hidden village and then, it escalated into a war for the capture or recapture of Kurama's Jinchuriki or any other Jinchuriki. Fortunately, we recaptured Kurama's previous Jinchuriki and the war was about to be over because, as I mentioned before, Kurama's previous Jinchuriki was recaptured by the Hidden Leaf Village. But then, Kurama's previous Jinchuriki was killed and Nezuko, here, was almost killed because our village's elders failed to reseal Kurama and now, he is here. And it's more than likely that the war is back on. If he stayed in our world, the hidden villages would've stopped at nothing to recapture him and seal him away." "Yes, they would've stopped at nothing
-including foolishly trying to invade Foxhold." Lord Caspian replied. "Which is another reason why he has to be resealed into Young Nezuko." Lord Mufasa added. "But, as I told you before, Lord Mufasa, I got the impression that he was difficult to deal with, to say the least, back when I met The Sage of Six Paths in Naruto's mindscape." Nezuko said to him. "And as I said to you, Young Nezuko, it is necessary." Lord Mufasa told him. Nezuko sighed, and then said, "Then let's get this over with..." "The entrance to the dungeon is down the hall to your right." Lady Ahri told her. Nezuko and Lord Mufasa turned right, and walked to the hallway. Sasuke was about to follow them, but Lord Caspian told him to stay back. "I have a question for you..." Lord Caspian tells him.
Today was a certain dark-skinned thirteen-year-old girl named Sarui's first day at the Hidden Sand's Ninja Academy. She had long and straight black hair, yellow eyes and a big smile on her face because of how excited she was for her first day at the Academy. She was dressed in a white t-shirt with black sleeves and a black collar, a red skirt, a black pair of arm warmers and a dark blue pair of ninja sandals.
The Academy's Principal wanted to hold off on starting this school year because of the battle going on outside the village. But The Kazekage made him change his mind. Sarui liked that the Principal changed his mind because she'll be damned if she has to wait to be in the Academy for her first day of her last year at the Academy. She's made some genuine friends at the Academy and if she waits any longer, she thinks she'll go insane. It's why her excitement over her first day outweighs her fear of the battle outside. Besides, it's not like she is going to be out there on the front lines, right?
She ran and ran to the Academy, and then she met Setsuna, one of her friends, on the Academy's front yard. Setsuna had light skin, blue eyes and silver hair with blue highlights. She always wore this big black hooded sweater with short sleeves (which kind of bothered Sarui because they are in a place where it's always extremely hot), black jeans, a pair of black fingerless gloves and a pair of dark blue ninja sandals. Setsuna's reasoning for wearing mostly black clothing despite the fact that it's unforgivingly hot is that she likes the color black and because of the sandstorms that occur every now and then. She also thinks she looks sexy in said clothes because both her boobs and Sarui's boobs are big and because of that, if she were less sexy and didn't have a big chest, she'd have worn a sweater with long sleeves instead. The only reason she's thinking about her sexiness and a girls' big chest is because she is quite perverted despite being a girl.
One time last year, a student straight up asked Setsuna, "Are you what they call 'gay'?" And she surprisingly and genuinely answered with, "I'm bisexual, actually."
Every twelve and thirteen-year-old student at the Academy wasn't exactly surprised by her answer, in and of itself, because this point in their lives was the point where they start hitting puberty and are genuinely curious about their own sexualities, as well. But they still are incredibly immature which is why the boys still laugh at sex jokes and the girls make fun of other girls for things like big chests or their sexualities even though they turn around, and express their disgust at the boys' constant sex jokes. What really surprised everyone about Setsuna's answer is how genuine her answer was and how quickly she answered that question, too. Anyone else would've been embarrassed or offended by that question because some kids are either nervous about it or genuinely homophobic.
It's why boys and girls alike try bullying Setsuna but she's never paid the bullying any mind. In fact, every time they've tried, she turns out to be completely oblivious which actually discourages most bullying attempts because she's too thick to get it. Sarui, on the other hand, is smart enough to understand that the others are bullying her but every time she's tried to defend Setsuna from the bullies, she'd get in trouble with the teachers because the bullies cried wolf. So instead, she didn't interfere even when the bullies would sometimes go too far with their bullying. Although, Sarui fears that one day, Setsuna might not have an easy time of it should they go way overboard with their bullying at some point in the future.
"What's up, Setsuna?" Sarui asked. "Hey, Sarui. Ready for another year at the Academy?" Setsuna asked. "You bet!" Sarui shouted. "I hope we're in the same class again..." "Why?" Setsuna then asked. "If I told you, the answer would fly right over your head." Sarui answered. "Aww! You always tell me that!" Setsuna whined. Sarui chuckled. "Let's get inside." She told her. They walked into the Academy's main (and only) entrance, which leads into this big atrium with six doors on the walls surrounding both Sarui and Setsuna, each door leading into a hallway which has more doors which lead into the classrooms and other areas for the optional classes and next to (as well as outside) the doors to each classroom are lockers which students use to put their school supplies in and next to the doors to the hallways are display cases which were put against the walls to the left and right of Sarui and Setsuna and on the wall in front of Sarui and Setsuna is a billboard where teachers and Academy Students alike put posters that advertise upcoming events like school parties or whatnot (even though fun events like those are extremely rare because the Hidden Sand feels that the kids are here to learn how to be ninjas, not have fun which Sarui thinks is fair) but right now, at the start of the year, the only thing on that board is the list of students and what classes they've been placed into. It's why many of the students are gathered around the billboard right now.
Sarui walked up to that same billboard, and looked up and down the list for their names. After a while of looking, they've finally found their names although their class looks like it's in Classroom 601. This, however, wasn't all that new to them because this is their sixth year at the Academy and every time a new year started, they were in the room that had a number that matched the year they were in. In their first year, it was Room 101, in their second year, their classroom would be Room 201, in their third year, it was Classroom 301, in their fourth year, they were placed in Classroom 401 and last year, they were placed in Room 501. Still, it was at least kind of surprising to them. Especially because every time this happens, they'd get a different teacher every time. And every teacher they've had is either lenient, underwhelmingly lazy, or frighteningly harsh and strict.
"So, are we in the same class again-yep, we're in the same class again!" Setsuna shouted once she saw their names on the list. Sarui's reaction to the list wasn't as enthusiastic as Setsuna's. Matter of fact, Sarui's expression turned from excited and happy to dreadful and distraught. "Man, we've been in the same class six years in a row! Isn't that cool, Sarui?" "Uh...yeah..." Sarui answers, feeling slightly underwhelmed. "What's the matter? Aren't ya excited?" Setsuna asked. "...eh...sort of..." Sarui says. In truth, Sarui hoped this year would be different purely because being in the same class as Setsuna is getting old for her. To her, it's like playing with a toy for years and years and then getting bored of it because you've played with it too much. Still, she likes Setsuna's company well enough, but it's different when they're together practically all the time because by this point it's almost like they're living together.
'I can't imagine what her parents go through before and after school.' Sarui thought.
"Alright! Let's go!" Setsuna shouted. "I wonder what kind of teacher we're going to get this time..." "Me too." Sarui replied unenthusiastically.
They turned to the right, and walked to the door to the Academy's sixth hallway. They didn't have to walk very far to find Classroom 601, which was through the first door on their left after walking past twelve lockers, which were on either side of them.
Once inside the classroom, Sarui and Setsuna chose to sit at the desks in the middle of the room, making it so that the two of them were sitting next to each other in every class. As always, with every other classroom, on the wall at the very front of the classroom is a big and wide dark green rectangular chalkboard.
Once the other Academy Students poured into the room and sat down, their teacher, a male Chunin by the name of Asahi, walked into the room, and then walked up to the front of the room, and stood in front of the class. Asahi had spiky black hair, brown eyes and tanned skin. He wore a typical Hidden Sand Chunin flak jacket over an otherwise casual-looking outfit. "Good morning, class." He said. "Good morning, Sensei." The students replied. "Right now, I'm Asahi but, as with all the other teachers, you're going to address me as: Asahi-Sensei. If you address me in a different manner, I will ignore you. There will be no talking in the class when I'm giving a lecture. If you misbehave, you are getting written up. If you misbehave twice more, I'll have you thrown out of class and if you engage in outright egregious misbehavior, I will have the Principal expel you and you'll have to start the school year all over again next year." Asahi-Sensei told everyone while having a serious and stoic expression on his face. "Uh-Oh. Looks like we have a strict one." Setsuna whispered. "Yeah..." Sarui whispers in reply. Asahi-Sensei looked at Sarui for some reason, and then he looked away, and said, "Now, with all that said, welcome to your sixth and final year at the Hidden Sand Village's Ninja Academy. To start off, we'll be taking a pop quiz on the history of the Hidden Sand's military." "Aww..." The class whined. "AM I GOING TO HAVE TO THROW OUT ALL OF YOU?!" Asahi-Sensei yelled, startling the whole class. "NO SIR!" The class yelled back. "Good!" Asahi-Sensei shouted. He then made one hand sign, and three worksheets suddenly appeared on the students' desks.
Once everyone had finished the quiz, Asahi-Sensei made them all disappear. "Excellent. Now, it's time for a lecture..." He says. And surely enough, he gave a lecture on their village's history and kicked out anyone who fell asleep during his lecture. 'He's nuts!' Sarui thought.
After three periods of enduring Asahi-Sensei's harsh teaching methods, it was lunchtime, and both Sarui and Setsuna decided to have lunch out in the Academy's front yard. They sat down, got out their lunches from their bentos which they got from their lockers (which were assigned to them and the other students in their class by Asahi-Sensei after today's first period) and ate while they talked about the last few hours. "Man, that guy's a slave driver!" Setsuna shouted. "I know, right?" Sarui agreed. "And to think I was excited for our sixth school year!" "I feel you but at least we will be Genin at the end of it..." Setsuna says.
Three days after Sarui's first day at the Academy, Chizuru was sitting at The Kazekage's desk in The Kazekage's office, feeling very frustrated. Standing right in front of her desk is a male Jonin with short brown hair and brown eyes named Arata. Just like almost every other Hidden Sand Jonin, he wore a white turban underneath his black Hidden Sand headband (which was worn normally) and a white sheet that covered both sides of his head and the back of his head. "Why hasn't The One-Tail been sealed yet?!" She angrily asked. "Lady Fifth, Lord Goza has made contact with Lady Chiyo, but we hadn't anticipated the amount of time she'd take to get down here. She's here now, of course." Arata answered. "Then why has she taken so long to get here?" Chizuru then asked. "Well, to put it simply, Sir, time has not been kind to her." Arata answered. "So, she's old as Hell." Chizuru said. "That is correct, Lady Fifth." Arata replied. 'It's amazing that Lord Fourth trusted her with sealing The One-Tail into Mori. He was such a fool...' Chizuru thought.
"Well, because of her lateness, I've had to tell Lord Sato to hold off on telling our Anbu to kidnap Sarui and the battle outside the village has only gotten worse." Chizuru told him. "And what of the reinforcements from the Hidden Stone?" Arata asked. "Not that I'm obliged to tell you, but I'll just tell you anyway for the sake of telling you. Lord Yura has sent word that they've arrived at the border and now, he and those Hidden Stone ninjas are on their way but it may still be a long time before they get here. I'd hoped to get Sarui on the field by the time they'd gotten here so that the Hidden Stone would have an easier time of destroying the enemy force right outside our walls, but for obvious reasons, that won't be happening." Chizuru explained.
'The situation's so bad that I'm on the verge of revealing my true nature early and escaping before the whole Hidden Sand Village is destroyed.' Chizuru thought. "So what do you want to do now?" Arata asked. "Get me Lord Sato and tell someone to assassinate Lord Ebizo." Chizuru ordered. "I want to make her aware of the consequences of being late." "Y-Yes, Lady Kazekage." Arata acknowledged. He then turned around, and ran out of the room.
Meanwhile...
Sarui was walking back home after a particularly and brutally long third day at the Academy (thanks to Asahi-Sensei). She was so close to her house, which was near the Academy when three Hidden Sand ninjas suddenly appeared, and surrounded her. "Stop right there!" One of them shouted. Sarui's parents, two ninjas who had defected to the Hidden Sand years before the war for reasons unknown to Sarui, rushed out of Sarui's House, and ran up to the three ninjas. Sarui's Dad had dark skin, long and spiky black hair, a small black mustache and black eyes. His name is Akio. He wore a Hidden Cloud Jonin uniform and a white Hidden Cloud flak jacket to give himself a daily reminder of his days as a Hidden Cloud ninja and he also wore a pair of glasses with black frames and a pair of red Hidden Cloud ninja sandals with red and white shin guards. Sarui's Mom has long and straight red hair, dark skin and yellow eyes. Her name is Chika. She wore a gray tank top, black khaki pants and a pair of black ninja sandals.
"What are you doing?!" Akio shouted. One of the Hidden Sand ninjas turned towards Akio and Chika, and pushed them back. "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" The ninja yelled. "Yes it is! We're her parents!" Akio then shouted. That ninja unexpectedly casted the Fireball Jutsu at Akio at point-blank range. Akio burned to death. "NO!" Chika screamed. The ninja then turned to Chika, and said, "If you try to stop us again, we'll kill you too."
The ninja returned to his original position, and then, all three ninjas disappeared with Sarui in tow, leaving a very distraught Chika behind.
Back in Foxhold, Nezuko and Lord Mufasa had finally gotten down to Foxhold's Castle's dungeons after walking down a long staircase. "Welcome to the dungeons, child. Many criminals have been placed here by Foxhold Town's Guardsmen on either my own orders or my Son's orders." Lord Mufasa told her, referring to the foxes in the cages on either side of them. Directly ahead of them was a hallway that featured more fox-filled cages on the left wall and right wall. "Some of them are veterans from our war against the Summoning Wolves that I'm sure Lulu has told you about." "How did you know?" Nezuko asked. "You went to the Training Field, wherein lies many wolf statues. Lulu had to have explained to you why they were wolves and not foxes. It would be confusing to you otherwise." Lord Mufasa answered. "I get it." Nezuko replied. "But why are the war vets down here?" "As with any war, lives were lost on both sides and deep, deep bonds of hatred were formed in this war. Some foxes were so far gone in their own hatred for the wolves that they tried leaving town without the King-Sage's express permission all so that they could massacre the wolves for revenge. We knew that this action would only reignite the flames of war and a fox leaving town without the King-Sage's permission was illegal anyway so the guards did what they had to do and so did my Son and I." Lord Mufasa also answered. "I get that, too. All things like wars and massacres do is make people want to kill each other even more than before. That is if they ever wanted to start a war or commit a massacre in the first place for whatever reason. Every time I think about the time my Grandfather killed my parents, I can barely control my anger but at the same time, it's the thing that's kept me going ever since my parents died." Nezuko replied. "I see. In that case, I suppose there is one positive to be seen in horrible circumstances like the one you described: they shape who we are, for better or worse. You are a prime example." Lord Mufasa also replied. "Eh, it's a drag to think about, but I guess I can see where you're comin' from." Nezuko said.
"Can we go see Kurama now?" Nezuko asked. "Oh! Right!" Lord Mufasa replied before sheepishly chuckling. "Forgive me. In my old age I have grown a weakness for speech. It is, of course, time that we got down to business..." The Great Fox Elder then says. 'He almost sounds like he's whining about me not wanting to talk anymore.' Nezuko thought.
They walked down the hall, then turned left and went down another hallway before entering an unusually large bedroom that was behind a locked door made of steel that a prison guard had to unlock for them. It looked nice and cozy even though it was a prison cell. It had bland gray walls and a bland gray roof but the bland gray floor was covered up by fancy carpets, the room was lit up by a chandelier and a fireplace, which was to the left of both Nezuko and Lord Mufasa, and to the right of the both of them was a very large and very fancy bed. Laying on top of that bed was Kurama, who was sleeping. Nezuko was intimidated by Kurama purely because of how big he was.
"Do not worry. He will not try to kill you like he has with everyone else." Lord Mufasa said. "W-Why?" Nezuko asked. "Because, as Hagoromo has told me, you two have met before in Young Naruto's psyche, which he connected with your own. Ah, that Old Sage...he had more power than he knew what to do with. But regardless, he won't kill you because it's you." Lord Mufasa answered.
Just then, Kurama woke up from his nap and raised his head up. "Who comes before me?" Kurama asked. "Do you really have to act like the big bad monster the Humans think you are?" Lord Mufasa asked in reply. "Oh. Great Lord Elder. It's just you..." Kurama replies. "And Young Nezuko." He told him. "Hm?" Kurama also replied. He then looked to the little pink-haired Human to the left of him and then sat up. "So...Dad's plan actually worked. To be honest, I didn't expect you to come back." Kurama told Nezuko. "Fate has a strange way of defying expectations." Lord Mufasa told him. "So it did have something to do with that silly old prophecy, just like Dad said..." Kurama says. "It does, indeed." Lord Mufasa confirmed. "I see. Father said that there were alterations that the two of you have made to the prophecy thanks to Naruto's death. What were those alterations?" Kurama then asked. Lord Mufasa explained those alterations to him in great detail.
"Hmmm...the Humans may not like this 'revolution'. They like us and our Jinchuriki too much." Kurama told him. "Which is exactly why it must come to fruition. They have grown too attached to their own power. Even Hagoromo could see that." Lord Mufasa replied. "Still, it smells...troublesome." Kurama said. "Does-Does that mean you won't help us?" Nezuko asked. "Oh no, just the opposite. I am all for bringing the fight to the Humans after all they had done to me and my siblings..." Kurama says. "...still, I do not agree with being sealed inside her. I know that if I am sealed and she returns to the Ninja World, they will try to use our collective power as a weapon again." "I'm sorry, Kurama, but it is necessary...but I'm sure that Young Nezuko can explain to you why it is necessary better than I could. I know that you are the most stubborn fox in the valley. So I'll just leave you two so that you can have a private conversation about it." Lord Mufasa told him. Lord Mufasa then left the room.
Nezuko cautiously approached Kurama. "You do not need to be scared of me. As I said before, you have a good heart. Therefore, I trust you. If I did not trust you...well, you would not be here to have this conversation, now, would you?" Kurama told her. But Nezuko was still afraid. Not only is he physically terrifying, but his voice was so malevolent and scary that she doesn't know how she couldn't be afraid of him. Kurama then chuckled.
"Tell me, Nezuko, how did you survive?" He asked. "I-Hagoromo gave me the dark half of his chakra, r-r-remember? For o-obvious reasons, I could not s-survive on th-that alone. S-So I went unconscious. I-I was told that the-the elders a-and the-the Anbu that w-were there were defeated by L-Lady F-Fifth Hokage and then, I-I was t-taken to the Hospital. They...they couldn't do much for me so, long story s-short, Lady Hokage and Sasuke took me here and, after a long discussion with Lady Ahri Lord-Lord Caspian, C-Caspian gave me Vulpine Immortality while...while I was still unconscious." Nezuko explained. Kurama looked surprised. "They actually gave you immortality?" Kurama then asked. Nezuko sighed. "Yeah. Sasuke made a deal with them that we'd both undergo Senjutsu training and Sage Mode training as soon as I woke up so that they could gauge whether or not I could handle immortality. Lady Ahri said that the Humans who were given immortality for free by the foxes were swallowed by nature energy." Nezuko answered. "Well, to be more accurate, that's what happens to some of them, anyway. But they are right and that is not the only thing that could happen to Humans if the Vulpine Immortality Jutsu was casted on them without a price. But let's not talk about that because the subject is rather...depressing to me." Kurama said. "Well, then, let's talk about something else." Nezuko replied, becoming progressively more comfortable around Kurama without realizing it. "Exactly what I was going to say. Anyway, I met Sasuke back when I was stuck inside Naruto. I had not expected him, of all people, to come with you and, more to the point, undergo Sage Training with you. He is an emo brat who should've gotten over the slaughter of his entire clan a long time ago. I know his Sensei got over it, after all. Or...that is what it seems like." Kurama also replied. "So why is he here?" "I don't know, to be honest. Whenever I asked him, he'd just scoff, turn away and blush. He also said that he'd take on the Senjutsu training as well if they saved me. They've told me that the normal procedure was for them to have a Human who wanted and requested them to give them immortality undergo Senjutsu training before Vulpine Immortality was given so we were given special treatment, to say the least. Although, Sasuke told me that if it weren't for Lady Fifth, Lord Mufasa and Sasuke, himself, they would've hung me out to dry. So I'm grateful to them. It's partially why..." Nezuko says. She didn't feel like going any further. "Why what?" Kurama questioned. Nezuko sighed. "Do I really have to answer that question?" Nezuko asked in reply. "I feel like having my curiosity satiated so yes, yes you do." Kurama answered. Nezuko sighed again.
"Alright...it's partially why I'm...undecided about this whole 'revolution' thing." She bluntly told him. "But the Great Lord Elder said it is destined to happen." Kurama told her. "I know, and yet, I owe the fact that I'm still alive to Lady Fifth. Without her, I wouldn't even be here and I wouldn't have known the beauty of Foxhold Valley, a place that very few Humans have ever been to or seen. Besides, despite all that's happened in my ninja career-so far-I can still see the good that the Ninja World brings, despite all the wars and conflicts raging about everywhere. For instance, without ninjas, no one would be safe from criminals or bandit attacks or criminals who use Jutsus to commit their crimes without failure. Without ninjas, there wouldn't be great heroes like The Fourth Hokage and The First Hokage and even Kakashi The Copy Ninja. Without ninjas, Team 7 would never have been able to save the Land of Waves. Without the Ninja World as it is right now, I might not have been a ninja or, if I was, I'd be used as just another pawn to fight other clans all the time." Nezuko replied. "And yet, if there was no Ninja World-well, at least not the one you know, the one that The First Hokage created-my siblings and I would be free, the Uchiha Massacre might not have ever happened and your parents would still be alive to love you today...Hell, if The First Hokage had never shaped and molded the Ninja World into what it is today, Naruto would still be alive. And so would great heroes like Kakashi Hatake and The Fourth Hokage. And even Kushina...Kami, I miss her." Kurama also replied. "And that's the other side of this conflicting-as-all-Hell argument! Both have their merits so how am I supposed to pick a side without thinking about these things?" Nezuko asked. "Tell you what, if you can convince me that the Ninja World has more 'pros' than 'cons', as you kids call it, I'll-" "Don't bother. Sasuke and I made the same kind of deal. If I can convince him that the Ninja World has more pros than cons, he'll call off his revolution; however, if he convinces me of the opposite, I'll join his little revolution." Nezuko told Kurama, interrupting him. "Hmm..." Kurama grumbles. He stares at her for a long time before smiling, and saying, "...you know what? Fuck it, I want to be sealed inside you. You...interest me." "You mean that? Really?" Nezuko then asked. Kurama simply nodded. "Then...why don't we start the sealing?" Nezuko also asked. "I cannot seal myself inside you but there is someone who can." Kurama answered.
Suddenly, Lord Mufasa came back. "Speak of The Devil..." Kurama says as he turns his attention to Lord Mufasa. Nezuko turned towards Lord Mufasa. "Lord Mufasa!" Nezuko shouted in surprise. "Hm. It seems convincing Kurama to go along with Hagoromo's plan didn't take as long as I expected it to. I thought he'd be yelling at you for answers as to why the resealing was necessary by now." Lord Mufasa assessed. "I didn't need to learn why it was necessary because I already knew. I just didn't like to be sealed and I still don't, just to be clear with you, but I've changed my mind for a different reason..." Kurama says. "And what reason would that be?" Lord Mufasa asked. "Nezuko. Something about her interests me." Kurama answered. "And it is for that same reason that I'd like to get to know her better. But I cannot do it by continuing to be locked up in this dungeon." "Very well." Lord Mufasa said. "I shall perform the Pawprint Seal." "What's the Pawprint Seal?" Nezuko asked. "It's a Sealing Senjutsu stronger than any Sealing Jutsu known to Humans. Only giant Summoning Foxes like myself or Summoning Dogs or Summoning Wolves or Summoning Cats or any summoning animal that has paws can cast this Jutsu. Although, you would need to be careful if a Summoning Elephant attempts to cast this Jutsu on you." Lord Mufasa explained. "Why?" Nezuko then asked. "For reasons that will become very clear in a second." Lord Mufasa answered. "Now, let's begin. Turn to face Kurama"
Nezuko faced Kurama and then Lord Mufasa weaved together six hand signs, and then shouted, "Sage Art: Pawprint Sealing!" And then, Lord Mufasa put his front left paw on Nezuko's back and then he put his front right paw on Kurama's left shoulder and then, three minutes after that, both their chakras became connected and after that, Lord Mufasa took his paws off of the both of them and then after that, Kurama got completely sucked into Nezuko and a fox paw print that looked like a tattoo and was colored red appeared on her back. It was done. Kurama was sealed into another Jinchuriki again. And Kurama was completely gone from the bed he was sitting on. It was almost like he's hiding inside Nezuko. "There. It's done." Lord Mufasa told Nezuko. He then took a deep breath. "I haven't used a Jutsu like that since Caspian was a child..." "So you really are that old..." Nezuko says after turning towards Lord Mufasa. "Nezuko-girl, I have been around long enough to have known Hagoromo back when he was alive." Lord Mufasa replied. Nezuko chuckled. "Well ain't that somethin'." She commented. "You'd better not make me regret this." Kurama warned. 'I won't. I promise you.' Nezuko thought. "Interesting...you already know that you can interact with me by using your thoughts." Kurama commented. 'Actually, it's just something I thought I'd test out since you're in my psyche as well as my back. I didn't know it'd actually work, though.' Nezuko thought. "Then I guess you aren't as smart as I thought you were..." Kurama says, audibly disappointed. Nezuko chuckled.
"I think you've had enough time to converse." Lord Mufasa said. "Right. So, what do I do next?" Nezuko asked the Elder. "You must spend ten more days here to train to be a Jinchuriki. Kurama's last Jinchuriki didn't have any control over Kurama. The Jinchuriki before Naruto and the Jinchuriki before her had some control over Kurama, but not full control. I want your case, as Kurama's fourth Jinchuriki, to be different." Lord Mufasa answered. "Return to the Training Field with Sasuke. I will send someone to instruct you during your Jinchuriki training." "Uh...y-yes, Lord Mufasa." Nezuko acknowledged. Lord Mufasa smiled. "Let's return to the throne room, then." He replied.
Meanwhile, in a dark underground room somewhere underneath the Hidden Sand Village, Sarui and three ninjas from the Hidden Sand's Anbu Black Ops suddenly appeared here. "W-What? Where are we? What's happening? Who-Who are you?" Sarui asked. "Don't ask questions, kid. Just roll with the punches." One of the Anbu ninjas told her. The room looked like a ritual site. It only had some kind of strange-looking table in the center of the room and torches on the walls which lit the room. Off to the side was what looked to be a black tea kettle with a white paper on it just sitting on a small round table. That white paper had the kanji word for "seal" written on it with what appeared to be a red marker or something. There were other people here, too. Other Hidden Sand ninjas. There was also an old woman with black eyes and gray hair which was tied into a bun. The lady wore a dark-colored loose-fitting outfit with a poncho-like top. The old lady was also unusually short which, under very different circumstances, would be very funny to someone like Sarui.
But these circumstances are crazy and scary.
They walked her over to the table, and stripped her naked before making her lay down on the table. They told her that if she didn't do what they said, they'd kill her parents. Sarui valued her family above all else so she did as she was told. The old lady then walked up to her, and said, "Before we move on, there are things I must explain to you." "Lady Chiyo, you can't! If you tell her, we'd have to kill her for what she knows if she were to ever defect over to the enemy's side or be kidnapped by the enemy." A Hidden Sand ninja told her. "We're already telling this child to make the ultimate sacrifice even though she's too young to make this sort of sacrifice or understand what it means! The least we can do as a 'thank you' is try to explain things to her." Lady Chiyo argued. "I-" "I am your superior, boy! You do not get to argue against me!" Lady Chiyo shouted, interrupting the Hidden Sand ninja.
"Anyway, dear girl, what's your name?" Lady Chiyo asked "Sarui." Sarui answered. "Of the Hidden Cloud, I take it?" Lady Chiyo then asked. "Yes. How do you know?" Sarui asked in reply. "I am Lady Chiyo, an elder of the Hidden Sand Village. As you can tell, I am old and because of that, I have seen a lot more than you have, dear girl. I've been through many wars and have seen many places outside the walls of this infernal village. I've advised The Kazekage when I could. I've also never seen anyone with your skin color wandering about the Hidden Sand Village." Lady Chiyo answered. "Well, if it's that obvious, then I guess I kind of asked a dumb question." Sarui replied.
Lady Chiyo's facial expression changed from normal to grim. "True but now, we must get down to the nitty-gritty of what's happening right now. The men who brought you here are from the Anbu Black Ops and they've been ordered to get you here for a pretty important reason." Lady Chiyo said. "What reason?" Sarui asked. "The Hidden Sand needs a new Jinchuriki. Sealed away in that kettle is a vile monster known as Shukaku. Shukaku is also known to many as The One-Tail or The One-Tailed Sand Spirit because he is just one of nine Tailed Beasts." Lady Chiyo answered. "What the Hell's a Jinchuriki?" Sarui then asked. "They are the Human vessels whom the Tailed Beasts are sealed inside of. Years ago, the hidden villages tried to use the Tailed Beasts for military purposes every time one was found and caught. But they soon realized that the Tailed Beasts could not be tamed or controlled by normal means so they devised another way to control the Tailed Beasts. A most terrible way to control the Tailed Beasts if there ever was one. They decided to seal the Tailed Beasts inside Human beings and in doing so, create living weapons that became known as Jinchuriki. Nowadays, The Jinchuriki are used for only two reasons: firstly, The Jinchuriki are kept in hidden villages to maintain the Ninja World's balance of power. The Tailed Beasts are powerful creatures which is why the hidden villages thought they needed them in the first place. Secondly, The Jinchuriki are war deterrents and if one hidden village wants to start a war with another, one way they could do so is if they have their Jinchuriki unleash the power of the Tailed Beast inside them to bring the enemy hidden village to the brink of destruction. If a Jinchuriki is taken away for whatever reason, the balance of power is disrupted, and the hidden village is without a heavy hitter. Thus, if a war begins and a hidden village is in trouble and a Tailed Beast's power is unleashed upon said hidden village by a Jinchuriki, the hidden village would have no way to protect itself from the enemy. And so, this terrible, terrible act becomes necessary." Lady Chiyo explained. "And I'm sorry, Sarui. I'm so very sorry. But you are about to have a heavy burden placed upon you. But if it's any consolation, you can blame The Kazekage. No. Actually, you can blame the entirety of the Ninja World."
"Alright, Lady Chiyo. You've said your peace and endangered her life so can we get on with the ritual, now?" Asked a Hidden Sand ninja. "Ugh, fine." Lady Chiyo answered, clearly upset by this whole ordeal. Lady Chiyo quickly made seventeen hand signs and then shouted, "Hidden Sand Sealing Jutsu!" And then, a beam of red chakra shot out of the black kettle, and then, it hit Sarui, and was pouring itself into her. The chakra was filling her own chakra pool and practically fighting against Sarui's own chakra. As a result, Sarui felt this burning sensation. And it kept getting hotter and hotter until she was screaming in pain. But it still kept burning her because the Jutsu wasn't completed yet.
Back inside Foxhold Castle, Nezuko and Lord Mufasa have finally made it all the way up to the throne room, where Sasuke still stood, waiting for the two of them to come back. Lord Caspian, Lady Ahri and Butler were still here, too but Lulu was gone.
Lord Caspian turned his head towards Lord Mufasa, and asked, "Is it done?" "Yes. Young Nezuko is now Kurama's Jinchuriki." Lord Mufasa answered. "Good." Lady Ahri said almost immediately after Lord Mufasa finished his answer. 'She really hates you that much?' Nezuko thought. "Yes." Kurama simply answered. "I hope you die while you're in the Human World." Lady Ahri said. "I never should've come here..." Kurama says. "You're damn right, Kurama." Lady Ahri replied. "You can actually hear him inside of Nezuko?" Sasuke asked Lady Ahri. "I wish I couldn't, but yes. Yes I can. Any summoning animal could do it and so could the other Tailed Beasts." Lady Ahri answered. "So, what did you guys do while we were down there with Kurama?" Nezuko asked. "These two offered to cast the Vulpine Immortality Jutsu on me. I declined because...well..." Sasuke says before cutting himself off and blushing. Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri chuckled. And so did Kurama. 'I'm beginning to see why he came here with The Hokage.' Kurama thought. "O-Okay..." Nezuko says, not understanding a single thing. 'Thank Kami for your obliviousness, Nezuko.' Kurama thought. 'Though, I'm sure Sasuke is thinking the same thing.' "So what happens now?" Sasuke asked. "Young Nezuko will need to stay here for another ten days so that she could learn how to control Kurama's power and maybe learn an extra Ninjutsu or two. She will also need to relearn chakra control since Kurama's own chakra will imbalanced Young Nezuko's chakra." Lord Mufasa answered. 'Thanks, Kurama.' Nezuko sarcastically thought. "Don't blame me! You Humans simply have chakra pools that are too small to contain Tailed Beast chakra!" Kurama shouted. "Is there any way to fix that?" Sasuke then asked. "Only by completing the training exercises necessary for this arrangement between herself and Kurama to work." Lord Mufasa answered. "Alright, then. To the Training Field we go, I guess." Sasuke said. "Wait, Young Sasuke. We need to get her instructor first." Lord Mufasa told him. "Right. Butler, get me Master Auron." Lord Caspian ordered. "Yes, Lord Caspian." Butler acknowledged.
Butler then left the room, and later returned with a Human-sized fox with three fiery tails, two orange eyes (the left one has a straight and downwards across it) and red fur with bits of gray and silver here and there. "Meet Master Auron, my Brother." Lord Caspian said. "He has been training Kurama's Jinchuriki ever since Kurama got his first Jinchuriki." "A ninja named Tobirama Senju was the first amongst your kind to establish the good relationship we now have with your people. Or, more specifically, the people of the Hidden Leaf Village." Lady Ahri told them. Nezuko and Sasuke exchanged surprised looks. 'The Second Hokage was here, of all places?' Nezuko thought. "And I was the one who met him...along with a diplomatic envoy from this town. Tobirama also came with his own diplomatic envoy from the Hidden Leaf Village, as well. This was all back when I was still the King-Sage of Foxhold Valley, mind you." Lord Mufasa added. "Despite his harsh demeanor and his...rather heavy-handed methods, I could see, even back then, that Tobirama was a kind soul." 'If he only knew the tyrant that The Second Hokage would grow into...the Hidden Leaf is frankly lucky a man like Hiruzen Sarutobi was chosen as his successor.' Kurama thought.
"Anyway, Tobirama introduced us to his Brother, Hashirama and his Sister-In-Law, Mito Uzumaki years after those diplomatic first meetings. Apparently, he came to us because his Brother sealed Kurama into his wife but, seeing as she was Kurama's first Jinchuriki, Mito had no way to control and tame Kurama." Lord Caspian told them. "Coincidentally, that was the day I found out that Kurama had abandoned us." Lady Ahri added. "THAT WAS NOT WHAT HAPPENED!" Kurama yelled. "Hush, Kurama. We're telling a story." Lady Ahri told him. "As I was telling you, Mito had no way to control or tame Kurama. That was where my Brother came in." Lord Caspian said. "As Caspian said, I've trained every one of Kurama's Jinchuriki, ever since Tobirama first came to us about this." Master Auron said. "You haven't trained Naruto Uzumaki." Sasuke told him. "Who?" Master Auron asked. "Kushina's Son. He became my successor after the night a certain someone used their Sharingan to control me and make me attack the Hidden Leaf Village." Kurama answered. "Oh, come on, Kurama! That story becomes more and more unbelievable every time you tell it!" Lady Ahri shouted. "The fact is, you attacked the Hidden Leaf Village and as a consequence, The Fourth Hokage and Kushina died and Young Naruto was made into your Jinchuriki!" "Why was I never told about any of this?" Master Auron then asked. "Naruto was too young to receive Jinchuriki training and we never got the chance to send him to you because recently, the Hidden Leaf's elders had killed him by attempting and then failing to unseal Kurama, and reseal him inside Young Nezuko, here." Lady Ahri explained. "Naruto was only thirteen years old when he died..." Kurama said mournfully. "I see. Why is Kurama inside her, then?" Master Auron questioned. "Kurama returned, and we locked him in the dungeons to calm him down because he was very angry when he returned and we also imprisoned him down there because of the crimes he committed while in the Human World." Lord Mufasa answered. "I have only just resealed him into Young Nezuko with greater success than the Hidden Leaf had." "Yes...I can smell that the Pawprint Sealing Jutsu was cast on that girl very recently." Master Auron replied. "I now understand why." "I only got angry because you didn't believe me when I said that someone made me attack the Hidden Leaf Village!" Kurama shouted. "We don't believe you were made to attack the Hidden Leaf Village because of who you said controlled you." Lady Ahri told Kurama. "Who did he say controlled him?" Nezuko asked. "Madara Uchiha." Lady Ahri answered. Nezuko and Sasuke were surprised. "But...that can't be...he's been dead for a Hell of a long time." Nezuko said. "Perhaps I should've said that he introduced himself as Madara on that night and he certainly sounded like Madara." Kurama added. "You should've told us that." Lord Caspian said. "Why didn't you?" "You never gave me time to tell you that. You are all too presumptuous." Kurama answered. Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri exchanged looks. 'What was that!?' Nezuko angrily thought, feeling offended. "I meant the foxes here are too presumptuous! I never meant to offend you!" Kurama apologetically replied.
'Her temper is as fiery as Kushina's was.' Kurama thought. 'Alright, then. I'll allow that.' Nezuko thought. "If it weren't for the fact that he's inside Young Nezuko, I would've smacked him upside the head!" Lady Ahri thought out loud. "Calm yourself, Ahri." Lord Mufasa told her. "In any event, yes, you are right, Young Nezuko. Madara's been dead for a long time. Which is why we couldn't believe him." Lord Caspian said. "And we still don't!" Lady Ahri shouted. 'You vindictive bitch...' Kurama angrily thought. "Alright, alright. We have our instructor. Can we go now?" Sasuke asked. "Yes. You may leave with Auron." Lord Caspian answered. "I will see you later." Lord Mufasa said before he walked across the throne room just to walk to another part of the castle. "C'mon, you two. Time waits for no one." Master Auron told both Nezuko and Sasuke.
And so, Nezuko and Sasuke followed Master Auron out of the castle.
Kitsune was in the Map Room in The Hokage's Tower, standing near a large table with a big labelled map of the entire Ninja World on it. She was looking down at the map with a look of concern on her face. Intel says that the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Mist's forces are on the brink of invading the Hidden Sand Village, but an intercepted letter from The Tsuchikage to The Kazekage says that the Hidden Stone is sending reinforcements to help the Hidden Sand beat back the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Mist.
'The Hidden Stone may not have started this war, but they're becoming a real problem.' Kitsune thought. "Lady Hokage!" A voice shouted. Kitsune looked up from the map, looked around, and then saw a Hidden Leaf Shinobi from the Cipher Corps run right up to her with a scroll in hand. The Cipher Corps Shinobi stopped right beside Kitsune. Kitsune turned to face him, and said, "What is it? I'm in the middle of planning our next move." "A letter from The Mizukage, Sir." The Cipher Corps Shinobi answered. He then handed the scroll to her. "Thank you. Return to your duties." Kitsune ordered. "Yes Sir." The Cipher Corps Shinobi acknowledged. He then turned away from Kitsune, and ran out of the room. Kitsune sighed. She looked down at the map, and thought, 'I suppose planning our next move can wait...'
Kitsune then turned left, and walked out of the Map Room and then to The Hokage's office and once she was inside The Hokage's office, Kitsune closed the door behind her, walked over to The Hokage's desk, sat down at The Hokage's desk, and opened the letter. 'Knowing her, it'll probably be a proper refusal of my request for her permission to enter the Hidden Mist Village simply because she's an absolute bitch or whatever. I don't know.' Kitsune thought.
Dear Lady Fifth Hokage,
The Deaths of your elders have me very concerned. We have conducted our own investigation regarding this matter before I sent this letter to you.
Our investigation has concluded that it was, indeed, the handiwork of Hiromi Uzumaki. But I assure you that I did not order their deaths as that would put our alliance in jeopardy. And if I were you, I would refrain from making such ridiculous accusations before conducting an investigation of your own. That being said, you do have permission to enter the Hidden Mist Village to discuss this matter further with us. We also have matters that we would like to discuss with you. Let's talk about this before the situation escalates any further. I will see you soon.
Sincerely,
Mei Terumi, The Fifth Mizukage
'Well, that was surely unexpected.' Kitsune thought as she put the letter down on her desk. 'Though, I have to admit, I need to get better at diplomacy. I did not mince my words when I accused her of ordering Hiromi to trespass into the village, and murder Koharu and Homura...then again, why would Hiromi, herself, say that Mei ordered her to take state-sanctioned revenge? Taking that note with me would be a good way to prove my case to her.'
Suddenly, Kitsune was teleported into the throne room of Foxhold Castle from The Hokage's office. Kitsune landed on her butt because the chair wasn't there anymore. She stood up, and saw that she was, in fact, in Foxhold Castle's throne room. Sitting in front of her were Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri. And sitting to the left of Kitsune was Butler.
"Well, hello, there, Lord Caspian, Lady Ahri...Butler!" Kitsune said. Butler happily barked at her. "Welcome back, Kitsune-girl." Lord Caspian replied. "Has something gone wrong with Nezuko and Sasuke's training?" Kitsune asked. "No. It is going just fine, in fact." Lady Ahri answered. "Then I assume that they're bound to return." Kitsune then said. "They are. They will stay for another ten days, though." Lady Ahri told her. "Why is that?" Kitsune then asked. "It is because just moments ago, Grandfather made Young Nezuko into Kurama's Jinchuriki after just mere moments of the girl convincing him to do it." Lady Ahri answered. Kitsune looked astonished.
"Why would he do that?" Kitsune questioned. "As you know, the immortality she now has gives you a massive chakra boost once it's given. Ergo, she can now become a Jinchuriki because she has Vulpine Immortality whereas she couldn't before because, as you said, she didn't have enough chakra to adequately contain a Tailed Beast." Lady Ahri explained. "But she is still untrained in the use of Kurama's power so we gave her over to Master Auron, who is training her in the Training Field as we speak." "Dad also said that he sealed Kurama inside her because of that prophecy he mentioned before." Lord Caspian added. "There is also a third reason, which is coincidentally why we brought you here just now." Lady Ahri also told her.
"What's that third reason?" Kitsune asked. "We've come to understand how important Kurama is to you Humans so, if he stayed in the dungeons, one of the ninjas from your world will find a way to come here, and invade the town with an army of ninjas at their back, despite how foolish the notion may seem. We foxes outmatch and outnumber you here and yet that does not matter to the Humans because getting Kurama is more important." Lady Ahri answered. "Well, of course it would be. As harsh as it may sound, keeping the Tailed Beasts and sealing them inside Human vessels is the only way we can maintain the power balance in our world. Without The Jinchuriki, we have no means of defending ourselves from enemy attacks should they send a Jinchuriki of their own to bang down our door and we have no way to combat an enemy Jinchuriki. And The Nine-Tails is the most powerful Tailed Beast of them all. Getting him, and sealing him is especially important to the hidden villages and their interests." Kitsune explained. "Then I think we would both agree that in light of that, sending Young Nezuko back to you would benefit us both since it would keep the town out of harm's way and you get to maintain the balance of power in your world." Lord Caspian said. "I'm afraid it's not as simple as that anymore." Kitsune replied. "What do you mean?" Lady Ahri asked. "Well, The Nine-Tails has been gone for so long that our own villagers and the other hidden villages know that The Nine-Tails is missing. So even if The new Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki is brought back to us, they'd still attempt to invade the town because they didn't know that you gave The Nine-Tails back to us. We have confirmed this because our villagers are celebrating The Nine-Tails' previous Jinchuriki's death and the elders that killed the previous Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki have been murdered before their trial by a Kunoichi and a detachment of Anbu from another hidden village. So now, the parameters of winning this war have changed: each hidden village must get The Nine-Tails from this place, and bring them back to their village so that they could have their own Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki or that we could get another Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." Kitsune explained. "Hmm...what if we play this to our advantage?" Lord Caspian asked in reply.
"Go on..." Kitsune tells him. "Because we know that you're The Hokage, we were going to ask that you help us by forming a defensive line of Hidden Leaf ninjas around the outskirts of town. Of course, we have our own forces to prevent invasion, but it's always better to be safe than sorry and it might be possible that the enemy might have a plan to compensate for the fact that we outmatch them. On the off chance that they don't, then it should be relatively easy for your ninjas to fend them off and then we don't have to waste manpower and Senjutsu on them. Besides, this is your war, not ours, after all." Lady Ahri interjected. "How
-ever, I think Father might have a plan in mind now that Kurama's been sealed into Young Nezuko." "Yes. As I was going to say before Ahri butted into our conversation, what if we make the enemy think that we still have Kurama locked up? That way, when they reach Kurama's former cell on the off chance that they successfully invade the town using whatever trick they have to match us, they will see that their intel is faulty, and return to your world. If everything goes as plan
-ned, the war in your world is over and peace can return to our town." Lord Caspian explained. "I like your idea. Of course, that means the secret will have to be revealed to some of our people, but the plan should still succeed all the same." Kitsune said. "We have an alliance with the Hidden Mist Village. Do I have your permission to send some of their ninjas to the outskirts of your town, too? The extra amount of ninjas guarding the town will make the enemy think that we're protecting The Nine-Tails so that we could take it for ourselves. And even if the enemy isn't convinced by our trick or is repelled by our own ninjas, it will make no difference because by the time the battle over here is over, I will tell the Ninja World that we now have a new Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. With all that being said and done, peace will return to both your town and the war will be over by the time the enemy gets back, just as you said." "You do have our permission." Lord Caspian answered. "It's settled, then. When Nezuko returns, I will send in that force of Hidden Leaf and Hidden Mist ninjas and await the results of the ensuing battle. But until then, I have a state visit to the Hidden Mist Village that I must attend to." Kitsune told them. "And what might that be about?" Lady Ahri asked. "It may or may not be about the elders that were murdered by that Kunoichi." Kitsune answered. Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri exchanged looks and then they both chuckled. "Of course." Lady Ahri replied. "You probably couldn't tell us about it even if you wanted to, could you?"
"Goodbye!" Kitsune shouted before using the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to return to The Hokage's office.
Izumi was called to The Hokage's office. 'Is this it? Now? It's only been like fifty days since I last saw Sasuke and Nezuko. I wonder if they're doing alright...' Izumi thought as she was walking to The Hokage's Tower.
Once inside The Hokage's office, Izumi saw Lady Fifth Hokage, Shizune and Tsunade standing in a circle together, just like the last time the four of them met in The Hokage's office. Izumi closed the door behind her, and joined in the circle.
"So what's this about, Lady Hokage?" Izumi asked. "We are finally ready to head to the Hidden Mist Village. As I said, as a punishment for your failing to report Hiromi's presence in the village to me, you are coming with me as my bodyguard on this state visit. Tsunade is coming too because she's an official Hidden Leaf elder and thus an advisor to The Hokage." Lady Fifth answered. "What about the others? Do you have replacements for Lady Koharu and Lord Homura yet?" Izumi then asked. "No. We're still picking out potential candidates but it's hard because there aren't a lot of old people in the Hidden Leaf Village and the elderly ninjas who are there to replace them simply won't because they refuse to retire probably because being a ninja is more important to them than who The Hokage's advisors are." Lady Fifth answered. "Shizune will take over as acting Hokage while we're gone." "I see." Izumi said. "Then maybe she can take care of the search for more elders." "Let's hope she can..." Lady Fifth says. "The Hidden Leaf is losing more and more of its strength the longer this war goes on. And I'm getting the feeling that the Hidden Mist might be experiencing the same problem-especially because of their brutal graduation exam." 'So it's finally happening.' Izumi thought. "Tsunade, Izumi, let's go. Time waits for no man." Lady Fifth ordered. "Yes, Lady Hokage." Izumi acknowledged. "Of course, Lady Hokage." Tsunade acknowledged.
The three of them left the room, and then quickly went home to pack their things before they all met at the gate, and set off for the Hidden Mist Village.
A detachment of Hidden Leaf Anbu was secretly following them to watch out for and protect Lady Fifth.
While on the road, Izumi asked, "Lady Fifth, what if Sasuke and Nezuko come back while we're still in the Hidden Mist Village?" "I think your attention is best focused on the here and now, not on them for the moment, Izumi." Lady Fifth answered. "You're a bodyguard for The Hokage, not a parent." 'Thanks a lot for that, Lady Fifth. Then again, knowing you, you probably don't have kids and even if you did, they probably all live with their Dads right now. I also know you've been a Sensei before so...how dare you!' Izumi thought. 'Still, I wonder how they're doing...'
Ten Days Later In Foxhold Valley...
Nezuko and Sasuke are preparing to leave. Today's their last day and Nezuko's already learned so much from Master Auron and it was so fun for Sasuke to watch her train.
Nezuko's learned how to use Kurama's tails as a defensive and offensive weapon, how to use Kurama's arms as grabbing or scratching weapons, how to transform into Kurama and turn back into Nezuko, she learned the Rasengan, a Jutsu and Senjutsu created by The Fourth Hokage, and two Jutsus that only a Jinchuriki can cast: the Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb and the Tailed Beast Bomb. Sasuke studied the Rasengan with his Sharingan, and actually managed to cast it when he was training by himself. 'It's amazing how much she's learned here.' Sasuke thought. Yesterday, she learned how to use the Summoning Jutsu and had entered into a summoning contract with the Summoning Foxes of Foxhold Valley and so did Sasuke.
Today, Sasuke and Nezuko were sitting on the ground in front of the longhouse in the Training Field, peacefully watching the sun rise.
"Well...today's the last day, isn't it?" Sasuke asked Nezuko. "It is..." Nezuko answers. "Then this may be the last moment of peace we have before we return to the Ninja World." Sasuke replied. "You're forgetting the fact that I have Kurama inside me." Nezuko reminded him. "As long as he's with me when we return, the Hidden Leaf will have won the war...and we'll be back to undertaking more
...relaxed missions." "I wonder if it's really that simple..." Sasuke says. Nezuko chuckled. "Oh, Sasuke...even if it isn't that simple then that just means we'll have to face whatever comes our way. Though, I guarantee that we'll be alright." She replied. Sasuke stood up. "C'mon, Nezuko. We've gotta say goodbye to the King-Sage and the Queen-Sage." He told her.
"Just what I was about to say." A recognizable male voice said.
Suddenly, Lulu and Master Auron walked up to them from Sasuke's left. Nezuko stood up.
"Are you two ready to go?" Lulu asked. Both Sasuke and Nezuko nodded.
And so, they followed Lulu and Master Auron out of the Training Field, and into Foxhold Town, where they started walking to the castle. While on their way to the castle, Sasuke noticed that something's changed about Nezuko's appearance. Nezuko now has three whisker-like marks on her cheeks. It reminded him of Naruto's whisker marks, now that he thought about it. "What is it, Sasuke?" Nezuko asked. 'Oh shit!' Sasuke thought. She noticed that he was looking at her. Sasuke blushed, and said, "Ummm...you have whisker marks on your cheeks. Is there any reason for that?"
Nezuko chuckled. "Oh, you're cute when you're flustered." She commented. "Hey! Who said anything about being flustered?!" Sasuke shouted. "Whatever you say...anyway, Master Auron told me that these whisker marks are given to all of Kurama's Jinchuriki. So I guess this is how I'm going to look until my life ends." Nezuko told him. "Well, isn't that um...cool." Sasuke remarked. "You were totally going to say, 'cute', there, weren't you?" Nezuko asked. Sasuke blushed even harder. 'I totally was! How does she know that!?' He thought.
"No I wasn't!" Sasuke shouted. Nezuko chuckled and Sasuke just looked away, and childishly pouted.
Later, they finally arrived in Foxhold Castle's throne room, where they met with Lord Caspian and Lady Ahri one last time. Lord Mufasa also came to see them off. "So I guess this is goodbye, huh?" Sasuke asked. "It is." Lady Ahri answered. "Good luck, Young Sasuke and Young Nezuko. I pray that your endeavors save the world." Lord Caspian said. "As do I." Lord Mufasa also said. "Bye, guys. I hope we see each other again under much...better circumstances. I don't say this often, but you guys are very cool to hang around with." Sasuke replied. "I agree." Nezuko said. "Goodbye."
The rest of the foxes in the room said their goodbyes before Sasuke used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to return to the Hidden Leaf Village.
Incidentally, Sasuke and Nezuko found themselves at the Hidden Leaf Village's Gates. The both of them walked up to the gate guards, and told them they're back. "Alright. Go check in with The Hokage." One of the gate guards told them. "Will do." Sasuke replied.
Sasuke looked over at The Hokage's Tower and then the Great Stone Faces, and muttered, "This is where it begins..."
Sasuke and Nezuko walked to The Hokage's Tower, and, after talking with The Hokage's secretary on the ground floor, both Sasuke and Nezuko walked up to The Hokage's office to find a random black-haired woman sitting at The Hokage's desk. Sasuke and Nezuko exchanged curious looks. "Come in." The woman called. Sasuke and Nezuko walked up to the front of The Hokage's desk, and then Sasuke said, "Sasuke Uchiha and Nezuko Shimura reporting for duty."
The woman looked at the two of them. "Oh! Welcome back." The woman said with a smile. "Uh...thank you." Sasuke replied. "Was your time in Foxhold Valley productive?" The woman asked. "Yes, but I'd hoped to discuss the finer details of my training with The Fifth Hokage. Where is she, anyway?" Nezuko asked. "On her way to the Hidden Mist Village to speak with The Mizukage. Lady Tsunade and Izumi have gone along with her because Lady Tsunade is an elder now and Izumi is, for the duration of The Hokage's mission, Lady Fifth's bodyguard. I am Shizune, Lady Tsunade's assistant and, currently, The Hokage's stand-in until she gets back. You'll have to wait until she comes back if you really want to speak with Lady Fifth." The woman answered.
"Izumi-Sensei? Why did Lady Fifth pick her, of all people, to be her bodyguard?" Sasuke asked. Shizune dropped her smile, and answered with, "You're going to have to ask Lady Fifth, herself when she gets back. For now, I need you two to stand by until I have something for the both of you to do."
Sasuke sighed. "Alright. C'mon, Nezuko. Let's, uh, go have some dango or somethin'." He told her. They turned around, and left the room.
Meanwhile...
Izumi, Lady Fifth and Tsunade have arrived at the bridge to the Hidden Mist Village. "Here we are...the Hidden Mist Village." Lady Fifth said. "Not too long ago, this place was known as the 'Blood Mist Village'." Tsunade replied. "Let's hope that it's changed since then like The Mizukage says it has." Lady Fifth also replied. 'I wonder how Nezuko and Sasuke are doing...' Izumi thought as they started to walk across the bridge.
END OF CHAPTER