Naruto: Curse of the Ryugan
A Family Affair
Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Tenjho Tenge
AUTHORS NOTE:
I've been trying to continue Dragon's Maw, but my muse won't cooperate, so I've turned my attention to Curse of the Ryugan for the time being. Here is Chapter 61, enjoy!
[ ] signifies hand signs
{ } signifies a foreign language
Last time:
…
Snow Country, Kazahana Castle
…Princess Koyuki's nightmare was over…
…
It was shortly thereafter that Koyuki's purple hexagonal necklace was revealed to be a key to a massive heat generator designed to turn the Land of Snow into the Land of Spring. For the first time in a decade, the Princess gave a true, heartfelt smile and she agreed to assume her birthright as the Daimyō of her country.
Team 17 attended the festivities of the new Daimyō's coronation and the following celebrations which lasted nearly a week. Koyuki explained to her people that the generator wasn't fully developed but with further research the Land of Spring would become a reality as her Father had promised. She also announced that her acting career would continue and went on to sign several fans' pictures with her autograph which she never did before.
Smiling in the shadows was Team Kuro who left once all was well to report to the Hokage…
…
Chapter 61
Fire Country, Konoha, Natsume Estate
While ANBU Team Kuro was in Snow Country, Hatake Kakashi was training the next generation of ANBU Brats who were all working hard to do their best. The twenty-four fourteen- to fifteen-year-old students had been arranged in various teams for testing to see who worked best together. After several weeks eight teams were finalized as Teams A through H by the one eyed Jonin. Of the teams he organized, two in particular stood out:
Team C, made up of Makihara Bob, Nagi Souichiro, and Natsume Aya.
Team F, made up of Ishiyumi Tessen*①, Mawari Madoka*②, and Takayangi Masataka.
The two teams had become fast friends and trained together at the Natsume Clan Home on weekends under the watchful eye of Hyūga Hanako.
Kakashi had organized a few things differently from Yūgao. It was a six-month course, and the days were ten hours instead of twelve. The weekend homework was a bit easier too. They were based on C-rank missions instead of B- and A-ranked. Since a war wasn't on the horizon there wasn't as much need to rush or push the kids to the breaking point.
That wasn't to say it was easy though…
Now it was the weekend, and the kids were working on their hand sign speed when they saw an opulent carriage roll into Konoha with four white horses and twenty samurai protecting it. It had the family crest of the Daimyō of Fire Country emblemized on the side.
"Masa-kun, is that the Fire Daimyō?" asked Madoka.
Masataka turned to his female teammate a said, "I doubt it. The Twelve Guardian Ninjas would be here if it was Daimyō-sama. It's probably another member of the Showa*③ family. Maybe it's Madame Shijimi*④."
Souichiro said, "Whoever it is has an army with them."
"It must be some important official business whatever the case." added Bob.
…
Hokage Tower, Tsunade's Office
The Fifth Hokage was soon entertaining the Daimyō's younger brother Ito and his eldest daughter Mitsu. They had travelled all the way from the Fire Capital because they had business with a certain Konoha ninja: Uzumaki Naruto.
Tsunade was explaining the situation as delicately as she could to the two nobles. "Chunin Uzumaki is a loyal Konoha shinobi and is out on a mission. For reasons of security, I cannot divulge the nature of his duties or their duration. All I can do is put you up in the rooms we reserve for diplomatic guests and ask you to wait patiently Showa-sama."
"This is preposterous!" fumed Ito. "The young man is a Prince! How can you have him out doing ninja dirty work?!"
The Hokage's eyebrow was twitching. "That dirty work is what keeps Fire Country safe Showa-sama. You can either wait for him to return or go back to the Fire Capital."
Mitsu said, "Let us be patient Otou-sama. This is very important to our future."
Ito sighed. "Very well, we shall wait."
…
Konoha, ANBU Entry Gates
Four days later, Team Kuro arrived back from Snow Country and were immediately ordered to see the Hokage rather than go to ANBU Headquarters. They were all a bit puzzled but reported in posthaste. Entering the Hokage's Office, ANBU Cat said, "Team Kuro reporting for duty Hokage-sama!"
"At ease Team Kuro." said the busty blonde. "After you turn in your mission reports, I need you to inform Chunin Uzumaki Naruto that he has guests waiting for him in the diplomatic guest quarters when he gets back from his mission. They are Showa Ito-sama and his daughter Showa Mitsu-sama. Ito-sama is the Fire Daimyō's younger brother and therefore Mitsu-sama is a Princess of Fire Country. Make sure to tell Naruto to dress formally and address them with the greatest of respect."
Naruto signed ["What is their reason? This seems very suspicious to me."]
Tsunade nodded. ["It is suspicious. Tread very carefully with them."]
["Understood"] he replied.
The Hokage gave a scroll to ANBU Fox and said, "Make sure that Naruto gets that as well. You are dismissed Team Kuro."
…
Diplomatic Guest Quarters
In the extravagant guest quarters Ito-sama and his daughter were staying in, the two nobles were having a discussion.
"Remember the boy is the Prince of Whirlpool and someday will sit on the throne as the Daimyō of that nation." said Ito. "There is a great deal of wealth hidden there as well as a huge vault in the Fire Capital that your idiot of an Uncle has kept locked away for the heir of Uzu."
"From what we can tell he should be simple enough for me to charm, Otou-sama." replied Mitsu. "He grew up an orphan so I have little doubt he is starving for the love and affection I can provide." She grinned. "He will be putty in my hands."
"Just remember he is to be your husband and not another fling." her Father stated. "We can't afford to make an error."
The Princess nodded. "He's only seventeen. I'll have him wrapped around my little finger in no time."
…
Natsume Estate
Naruto, Maya and Hinata made it home to their loved ones without mishap and found Teams C and F practicing outside after class. Quickly sealing away their ANBU masks, they went to check on the kids. Aya was the first to notice them and said, "Maya nee-chan, you're home!"
Maya smiled and replied, "We just got back to Konoha. You're practicing hard I see."
The group was soon having a lively conversation. Souichiro was talking with Tessen and Naruto. "Aniki, this is my new friend Ishiyumi Tessen. He's into comic books like I am. Tessen, this is the guy I was telling you about. He is THE prankster king from hell."
After talking for a while, Team 11 went in to shower off and eat. Naruto was soon looking at the contents of the scroll Tsunade had given him. It was dossiers on Showa Ito and Showa Mitsu. The blonde was perusing them and looked over Ito first. The picture showed a thin man with a long face and black hair. 'He's the second in line for the throne and is noted as a political schemer.' thought Naruto as he read.
Then the seal master saw a picture of Mitsu. She was a stunning brunette with her hair in multiple braids and brown, cat-like eyes. The notes mentioned her Mother was an actress and was the oldest of three daughters of Ito. She was his heir and a socialite in Fire Country.
Naruto frowned. "I wanted to revive Uzumaki Honoka as soon as possible if I could. I don't have time to make social calls with a pair of nobles." After explaining the situation to Maya and Hinata, they both agreed he should get a good night's rest and they would get him dressed in his formal robes in the morning…
…
Diplomatic Guest Quarters
The next morning after breakfast, Naruto was dressed in his formal red clan kimono with the white Uzumaki swirl on the sleeves and back. He was introduced to Showa Ito who seemed unusually eager to meet the blonde clan head. "Uzumaki-dono, I am so pleased to meet you at last." said the nobleman. "It is rare I get to meet a man of your caliber. Please join me for tea."
Naruto soon learned that Ito liked to talk, primarily about himself. The conversation soon turned dark though. The nobleman said, "…My brother, the Daimyō, is indecisive and relies on his advisors to make decisions for him. We need someone more resolute on the throne. As a future Daimyō yourself, wouldn't you agree?"
'I'm not falling into this trap.' thought Naruto. "I've never met Daimyō-sama, so I'm in no position to judge." he said in a guarded tone.
This went on for the better part of an hour with Showa making claims against his older brother and Naruto carefully avoiding the subject. 'This man wants to be Daimyō himself. What he is saying is borderline treason.'
"…Which brings me to the real reason for my visit." said Ito.
'Finally!' thought the blonde.
The nobleman said, "I want to introduce you to my daughter Mitsu, Naruto-dono. She is most eager to meet you."
"Why would she want to meet me?" asked Naruto in confusion.
Showa let out a laugh somewhere between a giggle and a cackle. It was like nails on a chalkboard to Naruto. It took all his willpower to not cringe.
"She wants to meet you because she sees you as a fine and powerful Prince." said Ito. "Mitsu is of marriageable age and needs a strong husband. Besides, marrying a Princess would help legitimize your claim on the throne of Uzu, would it not?"
"I suppose…" said the blonde uncertainly.
The nobleman didn't miss a beat. "Mitsu, come in here my dear. Naruto-dono, this is my precious daughter, Princess Showa Mitsu."
She came in wearing a white kimono looking dazzling as in the photo. Her brown hair was in a hime cut with multiple small braids in the back. The pair bowed to each other. She said, "Naruto-sama, it is such a pleasure. I've been eagerly waiting to meet you. The Hokage spoke so highly of you."
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mitsu-sama." replied the blonde.
They made small talk for a bit before her Father excused himself so the two younger people could enjoy lunch together…alone.
She smiled predatorily and asked, "Where did you get those tribal tattoos on your face? Are they an Uzumaki tradition? I think you look quite handsome with them."
Naruto replied, "They are birthmarks, not tattoos. Many people wonder about them."
"Well, they make you look quite masculine." she said. "I like them."
They had a ridiculously rich lunch and she said, "Konoha is such a quaint little village. I'd love to get a tour of it from you."
Naruto was looking for a way out of the situation. 'The last thing I want to do is drag this girl around the village. I have other work to do.' "Well, to be honest Mitsu-sama, there isn't much to show in Konoha except the Hokage Monument which you can see from your window. I wouldn't want to boor you."
"I'm sure it wouldn't be boring as long as I'm with you Naruto-sama." she insisted. 'I need to get him alone somewhere private. Why is he being so difficult?' "Perhaps you could show me your villa. I'd love to see your trophy room."
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "I don't have a villa. I'm a lodger."
Her jaw dropped. "But you have an enormous amount of wealth in the Fire Capital! Why would you possibly rent?"
"I have all that I require." answered the ninja. "I have no need for a villa."
…
Hashirama Lane
Against his better judgement, Naruto gave Princess Mitsu a tour around Konoha. He was sticking to the areas that were safe and unclassified. She was lively and vivacious and asked questions about everything. The blonde answered all her queries as best as he could but was bored to tears.
'I'm not getting anywhere.' thought Mitsu as she hung onto Naruto's arm. 'I've tried to lure him in, but he seems uninterested in me. What is wrong with this man? Perhaps he's not used to being around royalty and is nervous.'
The young couple returned to the Diplomatic Quarters and had a lavish dinner. The Princess tried to loosen him up with sake but found the ninja was impervious to alcohol. She also found that Naruto didn't like cigarettes or caviar either.
In the end, Naruto bid Mitsu goodnight, and she was befuddled as to what she should do. 'Usually when I smile and make eyes at a man he turns to jelly. Naruto seems so formal and rigid. What to do…?'
…
Hokage Tower, Tsunade's Office
Naruto reported to Tsunade about the situation. He summed up his report with, "Ito-sama seems to want the throne for himself, and Mitsu-sama is trying to seduce me. I really would like to avoid them both, but Ito-sama wants me to have breakfast with him in the morning."
Tsunade frowned slightly and said, "Until we figure out what their game is I'm afraid you're stuck Naruto. Just play along. Whatever Ito-sama has in mind is to his benefit. That's the way noblemen work."
…
Diplomatic Guest Quarters
The next morning, Naruto was having breakfast with Ito-sama and wishing he was somewhere else. Ito said, "So Naruto-dono, tell me what you think of my jewel Mitsu. She seems quite taken with you and would do nothing but talk about you to me last night."
Naruto wanted to groan and said, "The Princess seems quite charming."
'Charming? Most men would fall for her in an instant!' thought Ito. "She's had dozens of suitors but seems to have set her eyes upon you Naruto-dono. I'm surprised that you aren't thrilled."
"I can't see how a woman of her background would ever be happy with me." stated the blonde. "I have nothing to offer her."
Ito laughed and said, "Love moves in strange ways Naruto-dono. I only want my daughter's happiness." Then he chortled some more.
Naruto thought to himself, 'If I hear that laugh again, I'm going to throttle him."
The nobleman said, "I have a wonderful idea! Why don't you come to the Fire Capital and enjoy our hospitality? I want you and Mitsu-chan to get to know each other better in a relaxed atmosphere."
"I have duties here in Konoha Showa-sama," said the ninja. "I cannot just leave at will."
Ito smiled. "I'm sure I can make arrangements with the Hokage, Naruto-dono." 'Maybe the boy is just bound by a sense of responsibility.'
…
That evening, Naruto was once again having dinner with the Princess and wishing he was eating ramen with his fiancés. 'The things I do for duty.' he mentally groaned.
She was acting slightly tipsy and said, "So tell me about some of the exciting adventures you've had as a ninja Naruto-sama. I can't imagine the things you must have experienced!"
The blonde sighed. "I fought in a war. It's bloody, dirty and ruthless work that I doubt a lady of your qualities would want to hear about."
Her eyes widened slightly. "R-really? Have you had to kill?"
'Is she that naïve?' he wondered. "I've had to kill many times. It's not something I'm fond of talking about."
"I had no idea…" she said weakly.
There was suddenly a steel in Naruto's blue eyes that frightened her. "Tell me the real reason Ito-sama wants you to marry me, Princess." He pinned her with killing intent. "This farce has gone on long enough."
Mitsu blurted out in a fright, "Otou-sama wants access to your money in the vaults of the Fire Capital! He wants to overthrow the Daimyō with your political support!"
"…" thought the blonde.
She was panicking now. "You mustn't tell anyone I told you! It would put my life in danger!"
Naruto was silent for a few moments and said, "Tell your Father that I'm not interested in marrying you and to call this off. The last thing I need is to marry into a family of backstabbers."
"But think of what you would have to gain Naruto-sama!" said Mitsu. "Our firstborn son would be heir to the throne of both Fire Country and Whirlpool. Uzu's future would be assured. What more could you ask for?"
"Go home to the Fire Capital Mitsu-sama." growled the blonde. "Find a husband there. I won't play your games."
The Princess started, "But-"
The ninja stood up and bowed. "Goodnight Mitsu-sama. We won't be meeting again." Then he silently left.
"Oh gods…" murmured the Princess after he departed. "What will I do now…?"
…
Hokage's Office
Naruto stormed over to see Tsunade after leaving dinner with Mitsu. After he reported what was said, the Hokage replied, "I'll inform the Daimyō's Twelve Guardian Ninja of this information. Believe it or not, this kind of thing isn't uncommon in royal families."
"Nobles are out of their minds." grumbled the chunin.
Tsunade smirked. "Rulers of nations are more cutthroat than you might believe Naruto. Look at what happened in Snow Country."
The seal master sighed. "I guess you have a point Hokage-sama."
"Go on home and relax Naruto." said Tsunade. "You've had a rough couple of days."
…
Natsume Estate
It was late when Naruto got home. "I think it's safe to say I won't be dealing with Ito-sama or Mitsu-sama again." stated the blonde as he sat down on the couch between Maya and Hinata.
Maya smiled and kissed his cheek. "You look exhausted Naruto-kun. I guess you never got to fully recover from the Snow Country Mission."
Naruto nodded. "Dealing with the mess in Snow Country was less taxing mentally. It will be nice to get some real days off."
Hinata hugged him. "You need a shower mister. You smell like cigarettes and perfume."
He kissed both girls and said, "You are right Hinata-chan. I'm going to wash up."
After his shower, Naruto fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow…
…
The next morning, Naruto woke up at 5AM sharp out of habit. He'd had a peaceful night's sleep dreaming about his three hime…and ramen. The blonde smelled Hinata's wonderful cooking and quickly got up and dressed before heading to the kitchen.
He saw Natsu assisting Hinata as she cooked tamagoyaki and Japanese pancakes topped with berries. She also was making her famous cinnamon rolls among other things. The byakugan princess smiled and said, "Good morning, Naruto-kun. I hope you are hungry."
Naruto saw everyone sitting at the table eagerly awaiting breakfast. Maya beamed at him and said, "Have a seat Naruto-kun. Hinata-chan is fixing us all a feast."
"I see that." replied the blonde happily.
Hikari was there as well having returned from a mission the night before. Naruto exchanged hugs and kisses with each of his future wives before sitting down to enjoy just being with his family.
…
Later that morning, Naruto was sparring outside with Kanna while the others watched. The they all saw Ito-sama's fancy carriage and entourage leave the village and the blonde Uzumaki was relieved. "You could never have been happy if you'd gone with Showa-sama's plans Naruto-kun." said Kanna. "You did the right thing."
Naruto nodded. "While I was wasting time with them, I could have been mastering the Uzumaki fuinjutsu: Body/Spirit Reformation to revive Uzumaki Honoka-san. I hope it works."
Kanna smiled brightly. "I'm sure we can pull it off. You just need to have a little faith."
He returned her smile. "You are right Kanna-chan."
…
Soon Jiraiya dropped in to discuss the trip to Summoning Island and what it would entail. The white haired sannin saw Hikari and Kanna watching as Naruto deftly completed the Body/Spirit Reformation seal in regular ink.
"That's perfect Naruto-kun!" praised Kanna as Hikari nodded in agreement.
"Finally!" said the blonde seal master as he looked his work over. He turned to the Toad Sage and said, "It looks like we're ready on this end Jiraiya-sensei."
Jiraiya grinned. "Good work Naruto. We'll get a ship chartered as soon as we can. All we need to do is form our team. I know you want Yamanaka Ino to come along. Who else is going besides Team 11? I'm sure Kanna-chan and Hikari-chan are as excited as I am to see this seal work."
Kanna said enthusiastically, "This seal hasn't been performed in well over a century! Of course I'm excited!"
The white-haired man chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it too."
…
Hikari and Mikoto's Apartment
Uchiha Mikoto was amazed. "Are you serious? Naruto-kun has a seal that can make a new body for a lost soul? That's incredible! I must see this."
Hikari laughed. "I'm sure you can tag along but we'll have to ask."
The raven tressed young woman replied, "I still can't wrap my head around all the seals that Uzumaki Kanna-chan put in our apartment."
"She's kind of the Arashi Seal Company when Naruto-kun is unavailable." explained Hikari. "Kanna-chan says that Naruto-kun's seals are very artistic and elegant. She compared normal seals to print and Naruto's seals to calligraphy. Coming from a seal master of her caliber that's saying a lot."
Mikoto sagged. "I wish I could learn seals, but my brain isn't wired that way."
"Don't worry about it Mikoto-chan, fuinjutsu isn't for everyone." stated Hikari.
"Well, Kushina-chan always said there wasn't an Uzumaki that had their head screwed on straight." said Mikoto with a giggle. "I guess she passed it down to her son."
…
Natsume Estate
Kanna was in Naruto's room as the two seal masters discussed the advanced hiraishin seal that they were working on to get back to the Tiger Tree Village. One thing led to another and soon they were making out heatedly. Kanna hadn't ever been kissed before and Naruto was shocked at how aggressive she was.
The redhead pounced on the blonde and moaned as he kissed her neck. She pulled open his yukata and started grinding into him on pure instinct. Naruto gripped her hips and rolled over on top of her before he started pealing her clothes off.
Kanna could feel the heat getting more and more intense and let out a silent scream as he entered her for the first time. For his part, Naruto was lost in lust as he rutted mindlessly with his redheaded mate.
She bit him on instinct, and he hissed as he arched his back to penetrate her deeper. Kanna gasped and looked wildly into his fevered blue eyes with her green ones. They both went over the edge as one mere seconds later. That was the first time of many. The two lovers carried on well into the night…
…
Kanna woke up in the morning basking in the afterglow. She smiled sleepily and nuzzled her face against Naruto's chest. 'What an incredible dream.' the redhead thought as she snuggled more into her pillow. That's when she realized her pillow was very solid and gently rising and falling as Naruto breathed peacefully. Her face turned red as her hair when she realized it hadn't been a dream.
The panicking redhead felt Naruto's hand gently rubbing her back and he whispered, "Sleep Kanna-chan." She felt his heart beating and the quiet rhythm slowly lulled her back to sleep…
…
Later that morning, Maya, Hinata and Hikari were talking in the family onsen as they enjoyed a nice soak. Hikari said, "Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Kanna-chan is already a part of the family if you think about it."
Maya shrugged. "I'm surprised they held out as long as they did. She really fits in well. What do you think Hinata-chan?"
"The three of us agreed that Kanna-chan could join our family a while ago." answered Hinata. "I think she will be as happy as we are with Naruto-kun. Besides, she is a strong and loyal kunoichi and has become good friends with all of us."
"It will be interesting seeing her reaction to joining our clan." giggled Hikari. "Somehow, I really doubt either of them planned this. They both seemed kind of oblivious to their mutual attraction."
"Naruto-kun was always like that." explained Maya. "Maybe it's an Uzumaki family trait."
"Well, when we tried to express our feelings to him the first time-" started Hinata.
"-And kissed each other…" interjected Maya.
The byakugan princess put her hand on her forehead. "Yes, that was a colossal backfire…"
Hikari was laughing. "I bet Naruto-kun thought it was hot."
"He did, but he was afraid he'd lost all chances with us." explained Maya. "When we explained the true situation, he was really relieved."
…
Kanna sneaked out of Naruto's room around 9AM and dashed into her own room to take a shower and put on fresh clothes. When she emerged an hour later, she was greeted by the other girls who welcomed her to the family.
Afterwards, the redhead went to see Naruto in his fuinjutsu office. The blonde was working on a new seal. He said, "Kanna-chan, I-"
She blurted out, "Are we together Naruto-kun?"
He took her hands in his and said, "I would be very happy if you would be my wife, Kanna-chan. Would you be happy with me?"
Kanna smiled softly. "I didn't really plan for last night, but I would be honored to be your wife Naruto-kun."
He stood up and the two seal masters kissed each other deeply. When they broke for air, Naruto said, "I love you my Uzu princess."
She beamed at him and replied, "And I love you my Uzu prince."
…
Fire Capital, Showa Ito's Villa
Ito was furious. "How dare that scoundrel reject my daughter! I'll have Uzumaki's head for this!"
"Please Father, let this go." said Mitsu. "It's not worth it."
"My mind is set daughter." stated the nobleman. "We will have our revenge. My contact has information that Uzumaki is travelling to a place called Summoning Island for some unknown reason. That place will be his grave."
…
Konoha, Hokage's Tower
Jiraiya, Team Aka, Team Kuro, Uzumaki Kanna and Yamanaka Ino were set to go to Summoning Island. "We have a ship chartered in Port City, Tsunade-hime." said Jiraiya to his wife. If all goes well, we'll be returning with Uzumaki Honoka-san soon."
"We owe Honoka-san a great debt." said the Hokage. "I wish you all the best of luck."
…
POSTSCRIPT:
*①: Ishiyumi Tessen- He is in the manga only of Tenjho Tenge and is a bow user. See the Tenjho Tenge Wiki for his appearance.
*②: Mawari Madoka- She is in the manga only of Tenjho Tenge and uses a whip sword. See the Tenjho Tenge Wiki for her appearance.
*③: Showa family- To my knowledge, the Fire Daimyo isn't named in canon, so I used the OC name of Showa.
*④: Madame Shijimi- She is the canon wife of the Fire Daimyo. See Narutopedia.
Well, this is a good stopping point. Next installment we will return to Summoning Island. See you next time. Blue out. 8/21/24