Episode Nine
Suna Consulate
As the two containers smelled, the Inuzuka party approached them, in the wake of Team Eight, led by Kiba Inuzuka, who spoke first, hand raised nervously, "Umm… hey Regent."
Naruto raised a brow, glancing at Yugito, who glanced back at him with a raised brow before they both looked to Karin, who shrugged. Then, all three looked to the dog boy, Naruto speaking up, "You are aware that this is an 'informal' gathering, yes?"
Kiba nods, lowers his hand, and takes a heavy sigh. "Yeah, just, don't really know how to address you or anything." Naruto shrugged casually. "Naruto is fine. I am not here as a stand-in leader or anything."
Kiba nods, and Hinata steps forward, "It is good to see you again, Naruto."
Naruto nods to the heiress, "Hinata. I heard you spent the day in the flower fields. Did you enjoy our flora? The kits spend a lot of time there, so they'd appreciate the review."
Hinata nodded, smiling softly. "It was a beautiful sight, yes. Your daughter was very knowledgeable about them all."
Yugito smirked, looking at her foxy counterpart, who stared back, glaring at her, and the canine-like group sensed the pheromone shift between them. Naruto then turned back to Hinata, "Yeah, my warrior princess is a bit of a flower geek. Ever since she could crawl, she's been almost obsessed, and her aunts only foster that interest."
His words naturally drew the attention of a certain pale-blonde-haired Yamanaka, who visibly perked up at the mention of a flower obsession and began to make her way over discreetly.
Hana stepped forward, recalling Yakumo's words of advice, "Hello, Naruto, my name is..."
"Hana Inazuka," Naruto finished, meeting her gaze firmly. Upon her confusion, he lightly patted the kitsune at his side, "Yes. Yui here had informed me that you, and your clansmen alongside your partners, had aided my Hunter Skulk in defending the kits in the central southern region."
All the Inazuka glanced at the small fox, recalling that she had the ability to shrink, and nodded to her. Hana spoke up in dog language, "Thank you." Naruto, Yugito, Isebell, and Yui all tilted their heads to the right. Naruto spoke for them, "You speak weird."
The Inazuka sweat dropped at the simultaneous action. Karin looked away so as not to spray her drink from the hilarity of it. Hana spoke up again, "Yeah, Yui said the same thing. I suspect that our dialects are different, having evolved separately."
Naruto looks at Yui, speaking in fox canine, "What do you think? Any opinion on this?"
Yui looks up first and nods, "Just like the Coyote's, Hyena's, and wolf packs. This Dog seems – a bit simple, lacking."
Naruto snickered, Yugito and Isebell smirked, though the Inazuka only caught part of it, they felt irritated for some reason. However, Hana and Kelsi also caught the names of the mentioned animals, with the latter asking, "You have contact with the coyotes, hyenas, and wolves?"
The four Demon shinobi nod to that. Yui responds, "Coyotes are rather roguish, throwing their weight around, and second to us in sneaking. Hyenas are annoying, talk too much, and are the most numerous, yet strong and hardy."
Naruto sighs, "The wolves are more like a..." he pauses, trying to find the words in human language, as there was no direct translation. "A clan?" Hana offered. Naruto shook his head. "Super pack?" Kiba offered. Again, Naruto shook his head. "Like a collection of clans under general rules, but each has their own."
Karin came in with the save: "Federation?"
Naruto clicks his fingers, "That's the one. Their political structure is so convoluted and ancient..." It was clear he was irritated to no end about it. Yugito, Isebell, who somehow grabbed a snack under everyone's notice, and Yui all nod along. "Sounds like an interesting conversation," Kakashi appears at the side, Pakkun at his feet.
Naruto glanced over at the silver-haired jonin, whose book was out as he leaned against the wall, but instead, he looked to Pakkun, speaking in fox canine, "How about you? Can you understand us?"
Pakkun nods, responding in a dog's language that was slightly different from the Inazuka, but understandable to both sides, "Yes, though, hearing a human speak this is rather refreshing."
Naruto smirks, looks at Yui, who nods in agreement. Naruto then responds, "Well, it was necessary for our battle strategies to be effective. It took me a while to understand it."
Pakkun nods. "Your pronunciation is spot on. Almost too perfect," he chuckles at the end, earning a tired sigh from Naruto, though Yui smirks foxily, "Lady Kurama taught him in his sleep every night."
Pakkun let out a snicker, nodding repeatedly. "No wonder."
The Hamura triplets also snickered at that. If their master had trained them in their dreams, it would have turned them into nightmares. The human Inazuka caught only half of it, but from their partners' reactions, Naruto had it rough.
Kakashi, though, felt left out, as his summon was addressed before he was. He let out a tired sigh, but a bridge needed to be made so the Hokage could make her own play, so he pushed on. Noticing the redhead at Naruto's side, an Uzumaki by his guess, Kakashi asked, "Who's your friend, Naruto? Another Uzumaki perhaps?"
All the snickering canines stopped at the near-murderous glare Naruto leveled on Kakashi. Many eyes fell on that, and conversations fell silent. Naruto spoke slowly, coldly, and with no little amount of venom, "I suggest you watch your tone, Kakashi. My clanmates are my family, and I will..."
Karin's hand on his arm stopped him, and when he looked to her, she shook her head, and he sighed, stepping back, allowing her to speak for herself. "Yes, Kakashi, I take it. My name is Karin Uzumaki. Naruto's clanswoman. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Tsunade perked up from her seat among the large group. This was clearly not the same one Shikamaru had reported; it had a different description. This one stands taller than reported, has red eyes instead of black, and wears glasses. So, that must mean that the Uzumaki clan is growing here in Demon. She has to be careful here. No doubt those old coots would try to use the old treaties to force them back by law. No doubt Demon would react with all its might if threatened. Even more so as their Regent is also an Uzumaki.
Kiba grins as he pats Naruto's shoulder, "Dude, to think you have a clan all along." Naruto growls, Yugito hisses, and Karin frowns, with the male responding lowly, "Had, Kiba. We had a clan."
Kiba looked puzzled, along with the other Leaf shinobi, as Naruto's low growl grew in volume. Karin looked over at those from the Leaf, saw their confusion, and sighed heavily, mournfully muttering, "I thought you were joking, Naruto. When you said that the Leaf had forgotten us."
Yugito spoke aloud for the first time, her voice rather clipped, her eyes narrowed on the Inazuka. "No. Even Kumo knows and respects the clan that gave us the power to seal away the bijuu. The one that cost Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa a hundred thousand shinobi to wipe out."
Eyes widened at that, from the leaf teams, as Naruto fell silent, staring at the patch on Kiba's upper arm. "They even have the nerve to still wear our crest and not even know the story behind it."
Hinata, Hana, and Kelsi followed his gaze to the swirl on Kiba's shoulder and were confused. It was Kakashi who sighed, drew the confused attention, "The red swirl on our uniform is the clan crest of the Uzumaki clan. A sign of our friendship with Konohagure's sister village, Uzushiogure; home of the Uzumaki Clan."
Again, the Leaf members in the room were surprised they hadn't heard of this, nor that they had a sister village to begin with. Hinata speaks up, "Umm… why didn't we learn about…?"
"The elders, naturally, buried them in history. Classed it as unnecessary as the last Uzumaki would gain respect and they couldn't allow that, could they Naru-kun," a new voice caught Naruto's attention. The hazel-haired woman approached the group, and he smirked, "Didn't think you'd have the strength to make it, Yuku-chan."
Yakumo huffed, folded her arms, and gave a playful glare. "I have been keeping my training up to scratch, Mister Ramen. I have wanted to get in contact with you for some time, but our resources are limited."
Naruto nods, looking at Yugito. "Sis, this is the painter I told you about back in Fang."
Yugito smirks and nods, offering a hand. "Yakumo Kurama, huh? Oh, I can't wait for Lady Kurama to get here," she says. Those in the know perk up at that. The other tailed beasts grin, knowing this is going to be good. The girl in question is confused. "Lady Kurama? There's someone else with that name?"
Naruto, Yugito, Yui, and Isebell, who was dining on a fresh leg of lamb, all nodded with grins. Naruto spoke up, "You are going to freak the fuck out. It's a good thing you are good with genjutsu, or she'd be pissed."
Yet before Yakumo could respond, Hana cut in, having caught something in that introduction, "Fang? You fought in the 'Battle of Fang' we heard about?" Looking to Yugito, who nods, and then to Naruto, who grinned feral, so much so both Inazuka ladies found their cheeks heating up, as he spoke, "Oh, that was more of a Hunt than a battle," as his bloodlust grew, his more feral features became prominent: blue eyes slit, finger claws lengthened, whiskers deepened and became more pronounced, and hair became more shaggy and untamed. "Deployed the entire Hunter Skulk that time, all two hundred of them."
Kiba gawked, trying to imagine leading a pack that large. Hana and Kelsi were enamored by his animistic features, and the fact that he led such a Hunter pack into battle. Pakkun nodded his approval; it must have been great fun. Kakashi made a mental note that Naruto had two hundred of those very powerful kitsune who had cornered them. Hinata was blushing up a storm.
Yakumo raised a brow at the slight transformation, which was dispelled when Yugito bonked him, and he returned to normal.
Naruto stared at her, and she stared right back, a silent conversation, to which he nods, "I hadn't forgotten," looking back to the group, "It was a joint effort. We, the Kitsune, took on our opponents in the forests and villages," he jerked a thumb to his sister of circumstances, "The hellcats, flushed them out of the populated areas, and underground tunnels. Our other sister, Fu, took care of the sky, shutting it down and preventing messenger birds from getting out. A perfect hunting ground."
Flashback – Six Years ago – Four months post wedding
Land of Wind; Border with Fang
Naruto leads his current team of himself, Shizuka, Fu, and Yugito into the Sunagure guardhouse, a smallish log cabin like building, to find Kankuro sitting opposite a samurai-like man, who was clearly badly beaten and injured, but was being treated. Kankuro looks up at the arrivals and grins, "So, Gaara sent you guys, huh? Kinda overkill, no?"
Naruto shrugged, "We were nearby when your message reached him," gesturing over his shoulder at Yugito, "She was on vacation with us and decided to stick around, just to annoy me."
Yugito grinned. "Totally worth it too."
Shizuka glared at them both. "Not this again. We have a mission right now. So, focus."
Fu grinned, nodding rapidly, "Right! I heard we were rescuing a whole nation this time."
Kankuro nods, gesturing to the man opposite him. "This is Koi, the samurai leader of the Fang defense force. Apparently, a group of missing ninjas have teamed up and basically taken over Fang. There are four separate leaders. The Daimyo is unable to do anything as his family is being held against their will."
Naruto frowned, arms folded as he pondered this, looking at his wife, who shrugged. Shizuka looked at the samurai, asking, "Are any of your men still around? Can we expect any help?"
Koi, a young man with black hair and brown eyes, shook his head. "No. From what we've gathered, it seems that all the guards beyond the capital were likely bribed and turned sides. The ones in the manor fought against our own until the missing ninja showed up, and I was tasked with asking for help from the Leaf, but," he trailed off as Kankuro took over. "One of our patrols found him passed out on the border."
Naruto nods to that, ignoring the mention of his former home, though Yugito groaned lightly, "Traitors, huh? All for some ryo."
Fu's face was just as dark as the feline's. "We shouldn't hold back then," the Kumo shinobi nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing with the sentiment.
However, Shizuka focused them, "Remember, there are civilians who might get caught in the crossfire if we go in with jutsu blazing."
"Not if they don't know we're coming," Naruto said slowly, his gaze unfocused for a time but slowly returning as he met the eyes of his team, his feral grin growing, even his tenant acknowledging his plan of attack. Naruto nodded to the chakra construct before looking to his team seriously, "I have an idea. Taking everyone's advice, we will be able to clear the entire nation in one go. Also, test our full capabilities for future engagements."
Fu grinned, Yugito raised a brow with a tight look, though Shizuka was curious, as were Kankuro and Koi. Naruto pointed to Fu, beginning his plan, "Fu. You and your hives will lock down the sky. Any messenger hawks are to be downed. Shut down their communications."
Fu nodded with a massive grin. "No sweat. I've been meaning to work on my flying fighting," she punches and kicks playfully as she spoke.
Naruto nods, then looks at Yugito. "Kitty, call upon your clowder, and seek out civilian areas. Flush out any cowardly men into the open and eliminate them. Defend the civilians."
Yugito nods. With her stealthy, silent fighting style, it would be rather effective. Though she did ask, "Then, you?"
Naruto's feral grin returned. "My Hunter Skulk will hunt beyond the civilian centers. If you guys find a missing ninja, feel free to engage them at your own discretion. Though, if they prove too much of a handful, lead them out to the open, and we kitsune will take care of them."
Everyone nods to this. Shizuka speaks up, "What about me?"
Naruto smirks and leans forward, whispering something in her ear that even Yugito's enhanced hearing did not catch. Shizuka nods, "Fine, I'll hold you to that."
"Have I ever gone back on my promises?" Naruto says softly, smiling openly. She nods, "The only reason I am allowing this."
Naruto then looks around the room, getting serious now. "We'll start in the west and push east in one long swoop. Fu takes the lead and directs the kittens where they need to go, while we Kitsune bring up the rear. Shizuka's unit will run a sweep behind my leading Hunters. Ensure we don't miss anything. Understood?"
"Got it," Fu chirps, her wings fluttering slightly in excitement. Yugito nods with a grin, "Sounds like this is going to be fun."
Kankuro raised a brow. "Sweeping a whole nation, huh? This sounds like,"
Naruto shrugged. "We're jinchuriki. Stuff like this should be possible."
The Suna Commander just shrugged, looking at Koi. "Is this okay with you? Having them sweep your homeland like that?"
The samurai nods, "If they really take out all the enemies, then it's fine as long as they don't harm the people themselves."
Naruto nods to that, "We'll do our best, and prioritize the safety of the civilians, but those worthless guardsmen of yours..." He trails off, and the man nods grimly. Koi speaks lowly, "They chose their loyalties. Karma will bring them their just rewards."
Nodding to both men, Naruto looks at his team, "Let's go. It's time to save a nation, rescue a daimyo, and make it home for dinner with our nieces and nephews."
Land of Fang; Border with Claw
"Summoning: Full Manor!"
"Summoning: Hunter Pack!"
"Summoning: All Swarm!"
Kankuro and Koi were gobsmacked at the sight of the hundreds of tailed animals and swarms of insects that had appeared before them. Fu was the first to leave, taking flight with her swarms of various carnivorous insects: hornets, bees, soldier ants, wasps, and beetles of diverse types and sizes. There must have been millions of them, following their queen.
Yugito looked at Naruto, and they both nodded. She and her clowder vanished, leaving just the hunters standing in formation. Naruto approached the one in the lead, lowering her head to his raised hand. "Glad you are here, Yui-chan. We have a big mission today, and we hunters play a big role."
She chirps lowly, before Naruto looks over the group, speaking in fox canine, "Hunters!" They all stiffen, looking to their leaders, "Today we are hunting despicable men who hide behind the innocent. Threatening the litter of many, using force to make their way the only one. Threaten the kits of others," as expected, more than a few low growls erupt, and it was like the air itself was vibrating.
Koi was nervous. These beasts looked ready to kill. He looked at Kankuro. "Are they normally this...?"
Kankuro spoke over him, "Bloodthirsty? No. Though, foxes, and their advanced form, Kitsune, are very family-oriented. Protection of the young is one of their pillars. Mess with kids, and they will mess with you."
Koi nodded, glad that they were on their side, and looked back as Naruto looked to his wife, "Follow after us."
"Will do," Shizuka confirmed as her four six tails stood with her, nodding along with her. Naruto slipped atop Yuki, who chirped as he landed atop her leather jacket, and he pulled his large katana from his back, raising it above his head. "All Hunters," Naruto bellowed in fox slang, and they all prepared to charge, "the hunt is on!"
A loud yip precedes them as they charge after Yui, splitting into smaller groups.
Land of Fang
In the forests and on the cliff sides, the kitsune were stalking, sniffing out the troublemakers, while the cats were going through the villages rather discreetly. They were able to get the jump on more than a few of these thugs and slit throats and char bodies before long.
Elsewhere, thanks to Fu's aerial scouts, Naruto was able to find one of the bandit fortresses, led by a group of four missing ninjas, three from Mist, and one from Wind. It did not take long for the stone walls to come into view, and Naruto spoke his orders in kitsune tongue, "Blaze and daze."
His kitsune moved without further delay, splitting up into squads of four and scattering across the perimeter. They moved as one, with Yui launching the first fire blast, enhanced by her commander's wind. The explosion was the signal for the others, and additional blasts of flames erupted all over.
Before long, Yui lept into the burning fortress, landing on a bandit. Leading the others of the pack, her commander's winds protected them from the rapidly approaching arrows and a water cannon strike. The blast was directed to the floor. A kitsune fire blast ws returned, though it was enhanced by Naruto's winds. The towers erupted in flames, and the mist shinobi charged, but they were immediately cut through by his wind coated odachi.
Dropping down from Yui, Naruto whispered in kitsune, "I'll clear out the interior, cover the outside," a low yip the response. He darted in, cutting through the corridor, listening for the sound of panic or the smell of blood or hormones. The traditional smell of captives or prisoners of a sexual nature. It is more common than his younger self would even dare to think.
Finding a stairway downwards, "Bingo," Naruto whispered, his slit eyes narrowing, night vision coming into play. Darting down like a spectre, moving through the darkness, Naruto found the last missing ninja, the former Suna chunin, who was growling at a woman chained to the wall. Despite her injuries, she remained unwavering in her defiance of him. "...stupid bitch. I told you,"
The Chunin paused before glancing back, into the darkness, seeing the gleaming slit eyes. "You must be the one in command of those kitsune, huh?"
"I am," Naruto replied, still in the shadows, keeping his black katana unseen, eyes narrowing, "you better have a damn good reason for me not to gut you like a fish."
The man chuckled, trying to draw attention away from his subtle movements towards the kunai pouch. "Yet you come down here without them. Who do you think you..."
Naruto shrugged, "Oh, nothing much, just a shinobi."
"I bet. So, how much are they paying you?"
"Nothing," Naruto responded coldly, with the slightest whiff of chakra lacing his frame. "Doing this pro bono. Heard a bunch of idiots were causing trouble. Figured I would stretch my pack's legs. A free snack. Target practice. Something that I figured was too good to pass up."
The man chuckled, shaking his head. "You are either a fool, or just an..." He threw a wind-coated kunai that was deflected by the black katana, which came into view in the low light, coated in a chainsaw-like rippling wind. Naruto responded calmly, yet filled with loathing, "As a summoner of the kitsune, my senses are heightened to match theirs, so yes. I can smell exactly what you have been doing," trailing off into a growl.
The shinobi twitched in a way Naruto knew all too well; he is going to take a hostage. He had been in this situation far too many times before. A disgusting shinobi, no. This thing was no shinobi; he was scum worse than trash.
Naruto spoke so threateningly that the man froze stiff in primal fear. "Your death warrant has been signed," he stepped forward, his full frame coming into view, snarling all the while, the trapped women knew to remain silent, and the black tsuba-less odachi that became synonymous with both him and the conflict, came into view fully, "and the shinigami is now awaiting your arrival."
Things kinda just repeated like that. We spread through the country, Fu pointing me and my kitsune in the direction of each fort, camp, and outpost. I led the charge, busted out the prisoners, then we burnt the rest to ash. Yugito cleared the towns, liberating them one after another, and Fu killed any messenger bird that entered Fang's airspace. We did pass by the capital though, leaving that to the kittens to handle.
Well, you and your kitsune are too clumsy and lack our grace to handle such a delicate task. Subtlety was the name of the game there, and we purrformed flawlessly, as one would expect.
Pfft. Did you just make a cat pun? Bad taste, oh dear sister.
I have no idea what you are talking about.
Flashback end
Suna Consulate
Naruto chuckled as he sipped his beer, while Yugito glared at him playfully, smirking lightly, and swirled her white wine. Though Naruto did recall something else, "I think in the end, there were about forty-seven missing ninjas in total, all B-rank, led by an A-ranker from Kumo."
Yugito nods, "Yeah, got the bastard in his sleep. Ay was pleased that we got that cleared. Didn't rake me over the coals for taking part in a mission during my off-duty days, and tagged it to a joint operation with Suna on my record instead."
This earned a chuckle from the kitsune shinobi, who raised his glass, which she clinked with her wine rather elegantly. Naruto commented, "You totally used that kitten eye-jutsu on him, didn't you?"
"Damn straight," Yugito grinned, and he laughed even harder at that, nodding in approval.
Everyone who wasn't aware beforehand was now incredibly nervous. That way of fighting was ruthlessly effective. The Leaf was aware of the kitsune's strength, somewhat, as eight of them had effectively crippled their top shinobi, only to learn there were two hundred of them with Naruto acting as their leader.
Then, the hellcats, a force of supposed similar strength but on the smaller side, assuming the snacking cat is anything to go by. The Leaf had a brief run-in with Fu on the way in. Her control over insects was far beyond that of even the most powerful Abereme, and she is also a jinchuriki, thus her S-rank, bordering on double S-rank, makes a lot more sense. Especially if she can intercept messenger birds, meaning messages would have to be sent via shinobi messengers who would run afoul of the hunting kitsune.
The Leaf leaders took a heavy gulp.
Kiba looked at Yugito, who stared back. He tilted his head and asked, "You have a pack too, then? How many do you lead?"
Yugito just rolled her eyes, sipped her drink, and looked pointedly at Naruto, who grinned and nodded.
"You know," Yakumo spoke up, getting Naruto and Yugito's attention, "you two keep doing that. What gives? Are you guys dating or something? I thought,"
Naruto raised his hand, stopping the Kurama clan head, and spoke up, "Everyone communicates differently, Yuku-chan. That's just her way."
But it was Hana who figured it out. "The pheromone patterns. That's how felines typically communicate. None outside of felines themselves have ever decoded it with any level of accuracy," she looked wide-eyed at Naruto, who shrugged. "We foxes have a similar thing. Sure, there's a bit of disconnect between them, but seeing as I've worked with my sister so much."
"Remarkable," Hana muttered again. Shino spoke up, having been a silent sentry until now. "Most interesting. Have you perhaps," Naruto spoke up, waving off the Abereme. "No way, man. You know how many different pheromonal patterns you bug guys have. It's like trying to decode three different languages backward, blindfolded, with both hands tied behind your back."
Many chuckled at that, even Shino nodding, his shades gleaming in agreement. But Fu abruptly appeared, saying, "Oh? But you always seem to know what I ask, Naru!"
Shino stiffened at the sudden arrival of the most powerful high-queen, his new label for her. "Bug Butt, no sneaking around in here," Yugito hissed lowly, earning an owlish look from Fu. Though Naruto backed up his feline counterpart, "She is right, Fu. That also means no flying, or aqua-gliding."
Fu pouted, "Fine," looking at Shino, who was already a statue. Her wings fluttered slightly. "Fu," Naruto spoke lowly, and she straightened, her wings flat. "My bad, I'll go see if that red-haired guy wants to try some cake," and she was gone again.
Naruto and Yugito sigh, speaking in unison, "She's so high energy," earning a snort from Omoi, who glances at them both. "Kettle, meet pot."
"Yeah, talk about troublesome." A very familiar drawl, and Naruto looks over to see Shikamaru sitting with Omoi, both with a shogi board between them. Naruto mutters, "I figured you two would buddy up at some point."
Omoi just shrugged. "It wasn't that bothersome, boss. Though, I wanted to ask about the kid."
Naruto waved him off. "Off-duty."
Earning a chuckle from the white-haired young man, as he returned to his game, "Breakfast?"
"Breakfast," Naruto confirms. His party had all picked up the same thing from the two Inuzuka females. They all looked at them with raised brows, causing blushes to appear on both faces. Hana chuckles nervously. Even Kiba was looking at his fellow clan-mates strangely. His sister asks, "Well, I was wondering if maybe we could,"
"No," Yugito states with narrowed eyes, a cold glare at the dog in heat, though both Hana and Kelsi glare right back, growling lowly, the latter speaking, "Stay out of this, little cat."
"Watch your," Yugito began, but sensing Naruto's own pheromone release, she paused and stepped back with a blank face, just in time as hug-incarnate, Seiken, appeared behind the two aggressive ladies and hugged them both to near death in a heartbeat, causing them to turn an interesting shade of blue in moments. The humanoid slug spoke, "Ara-Ara, two doggies acting up. It seems that we should have a good little chat, neh?"
Kiba was going to try and save his sister and clan mate, but he caught Naruto's eye, which instinctively told him to leave it be and trust Naruto in this. Thus, he offered a subtle nod, barely noticed by anyone but Naruto, who replied in kind.
Seiken moved off, Hana and Kelsi underarm both struggled to try and break this woman's titanic grip, and the second they were a safe distance away, Naruto and Yugito let out deep relieved sighs, their shudders spotted earning raised brows from the others at their table. Huh? When did they get a table?
Kiba asked, "Dude, who was that? She's so hot," pausing upon receiving dual glares from Naruto and Yugito, the former speaking, "Kiba, her name is Seiken. She's our aunt, or more commonly known as the six-tailed beast."
Kiba paled for a moment, before he flushed a bright red. Karin was impressed. Naruto continued, "You have a better shot at wooing my sister here," gesturing to Yugito, who glared fiercely back at her brother. Naruto continued, "than landing with her. Especially if my brother catches wind of you sniffing around. He'll melt your balls off and dump your body out to sea."
Kiba re-paled, Yugito nodded in agreement. Though, it was Hinata who spoke up, "Well, Naruto-kun, can you tell us about your travels? Like, where you went, and who you met?"
Naruto chomped down on his beef, thinking about that, as he took a glass of beer presented to him by the arriving Temari, who said, "Yo, Naru, telling stories?"
"Well, Mari, they are clearly curious, like the rest of the leaf team at our awesome adventuresome travels all over the two continents," Naruto informs, and she grins, "I bet," chuckling as she sips the beer she had, "Remember the Southern Wind Plains strike?"
Naruto groaned, facepalming, "Of course, that's the one you bring up."
Yugito quirked a brow. She wasn't part of that one and hadn't seen anything regarding it. "Oh, do tell?"
Naruto glared at the woman he recognized as his sister, Yugito, but she grinned like she had caught a canary. This was caught by the Wind Mistress, who nodded. Temari began, "A group of pirate raiders were gathering on the southern coast of Wind Country. We asked Naruto and Shizuka to help us scout their numbers. I went with them to act as a guide."
Everyone nodded, and Naruto growled, "You are going through with this, huh?"
"Yes. After all," Temari's smirk was dangerous, her teal eyes gleaming with mirth, as she gestured over her shoulder where a certain bijuu was still clinging to the two Inazuka, "your hands are tied right now."
Naruto dared not even glare anymore and grunted as he returned to his food, slipping some of his meat to his summon at his feet. Temari nodded smugly before continuing, "Well, it started like this,"
Flashback – Five years ago
Land of Wind; Sunagakure
Naruto and Kankuro yawned in unison as they entered the family room within the Sabaku estate, emerging from the workshop, "Morning," they speak together only for their respective wives to glare back at them causing a flinch from them in unison, their joint response. "What?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Shizuka whispered, and Naruto felt the knife's edge in that. Kankuro was being glared into submission by his own wife. This was broken by the arrival of Gaara and Temari, who saw the scene and both sighed. Temari muttered beneath her breath, "You two..."
After breakfast was served, Gaara brought up the mission he was going to ask for help with, "Naruto, Shizuka, can I ask for your help with something rather troublesome?"
Naruto quirked a brow. Shizuka just shrugged. "If you're asking us, then it's no doubt urgent, and you want us to clean it up on our way out, right?"
Gaara remained silent, looking to his older sister, who got the message and sighed, "It's kinda out of the way." Shizuka froze, eyes narrowing on the two Suna residents. She spoke so coldly that Naruto swore he saw ice on her breath, "You are aware we are supposed to be heading home, no? We've already,"
"I know, I know!" Temari raised her hands, "it's just that, none of our shinobi have dealt with pirates all that much, and lack experience with ocean combat, so seeing as you're here."
"Pirates?" Naruto questioned, bewildered, his gaze flowing from his brother to his sister figure. "In Wind Country?"
Gaara nods, sips his coffee, "Indeed. It is perplexing, and none of our shinobi really know how to handle it."
Shizuka let out an unladylike grunt. "I see. Though, you owe us for this. I want to get back to my babies, and going out of my way for you is not something I'm looking forward to."
The Suna group all nod. Gaara speaks for the family, "You have our thanks. Temari can guide you there. Find out what they are up to, their numbers, and if you think you can take them."
"No sweat," Naruto comments, sipping his own coffee. "Could be good to call in the skulk. Get them accustomed to fighting in a desert biome."
"Wouldn't Tanuki be better…?" Kankuro proposes, earning a nod from Naruto and Gaara, the latter speaking up, "I have signed the contract, but as I rarely go on missions, I mainly just use them for messages."
"And babysitting," Temari whispered, but everyone at the table was a trained shinobi, so they all caught it, earning a chuckle from Naruto, who spoke, "I get that. Though, you should give them a chance to run wild sometimes, you know."
Gaara nods, understanding that, "Perhaps, then, if your survey…?"
"Yeah," Naruto nods, "We'll call you in if that's the case."
Land of Wind; Southern coast
A day and a half later, we found the campground, and boy, were we surprised! It was basically a fortress. Anti-shinobi netting hanging from guard posts between to and from dotted around poles, oil-slicked roofs, barbed wire everywhere.
Naruto looks over the dune, eyes slit and narrowed in the low light of the setting sun. "Yeah, that's at least ten ships, more than a few sentries on random patrol patterns. At least fifty developed chakra signatures, most low to mid-Chunin, half a dozen or so Jonin." Glancing to his side, where Temari was frowning, he adds, "I could probably smash them, but a few would likely escape. Unless you want me to lock down those ships."
His fellow Suna Jonin frowned. Temari spoke up. "Nah, I think I could handle the ships, but the number of grunts is a problem. If it were just the shinobi or just the thugs, we would go in, but that many together. Too many variables."
Shizuka nods, petting Yui, "Call in the back-up then?"
"Yeah," Temari nods, and Naruto goes through the hand signs, and a moment later the message is sent. Temari sighs, looking to Shizuka, "Sorry about this, Shizu. Dragging you into our mess like this."
"It's fine," Shizuka says with a heavy sigh. "Pirates like this are a threat that we shouldn't overlook just because we're inconvenienced by them. No doubt they'd start raiding up and down the coast and cause untold misery in the process."
It only took six hours for my brothers to arrive at our position, Gaara had flown them both over at his top speed, I think he was more eager to stretch his legs then anyone of us had seen before.
Gaara nods to the plan. Naruto makes a dozen high-powered shadow clones, and they march off with Kankuro, who is giddy at his role. The Kage speaks, "What about you, Temari? If you ride in on your fan, you can keep pace, but you will be vulnerable."
Temari shrugged, "Can't I just ride…?"
"No," Naruto, Gaara, and Shizuka reply in unison, with Naruto continuing, "The only reason Yui let you on was because I was riding too. Shizuka has a partial contract with the kitsune and is my wife. You are neither."
Gaara spoke up next, arms crossed as he looks at his big sister. "As you hold the Weasel contract, my Tanuki will not want to associate with you. They are too proud for that."
This is when Kurama appeared with a foxy grin, causing Naruto to pale, knowing she would likely doom him somehow. "Then, the solution is simple."
All eyes to look at the vixen, who had the biggest grin recorded. Naruto paled upon seeing it, "You can't be…"
"Come on, otouto. You have been practicing it," Kurama cheered, but Naruto knew she was enjoying this far too much. Oh, his payback would be swift and without mercy. The nine-tailed vixen turned back to the group at large, "My baka of a container has learned the Kitsune Transformation Technique."
Land of Wind; Pirate Fortress
Just after sundown, we struck, as all the kitsune and tanuki had pretty solid night vision, and all I had to do was boost Naruto's fire and deflect any projectiles. Due to their location, sneaking in was impossible, so we just launched an overwhelming attack with speed. Though, all had transformed their fur to a desert fox's for camouflage, similar to the tanuki. It was a sight to see.
Temari shouted, "Charge!" From riding atop a transformed six-tailed Naruto, his hunters following directly behind him, Shizuka riding Yui on his left this time, and Kurama on his right, who had wanted to take part in a raid like this.
On the other side of the group was the Tanuki, led by a smaller form of Shukaku, who, upon seeing his elder sibling, wanted in too and was leading his fellow Tanuki alongside Gaara, from his own personal summons back, in this charge, and both were loving it.
"Enemy attack!"
"Fire the first wave!"
Surely enough, arrows darkened the sky, raining down on them. "Three moons, Wind style; Great breakthrough." Temari called and swung her fan, effortlessly knocking a solid hole into the hail of weapons. Distant loud thuds were heard, and it took a second for the kitsune and tanuki to understand what those were.
Naruto roared, "Scatter!" And they did, not a moment too soon, as a massive explosion occurred in their previous position, with a heavy metal ball sinking into the sand.
More distant thuds, and the kitsune ducked and weaved, explosions all around, while Shukaku simply deflected them with his sand, angled and hovering above his pack. He was cackling up a storm, oh yes, he was totally enjoying this change of pace.
Reaching the camp, Naruto led the charge, charging his blue flames, and Temari prepared her fan, "Wind Style: Grand Break Through!"
Her wind clashed with his blue flames, and the flames of the Kyuubi, along with many of the leading kitsune and half the camp, were engulfed in flames from that one attack. Including two of the closer ships.
Landing on an unfortunate victim, shredded by his claws, Naruto glances up to see the squads of puppets, looking like Suna Jonin's cutting through the bulk of the regular thugs, like a coordinated veteran Anbu team. That can spit poison and spew flames from their hands. Whatever.
Launching flames at another gathering, Temari immediately fanned those flames, and they stood no chance. She then leaned down, tapping his side with her ninja sandals, "The ships, let's go."
Naruto darted through the chaos and flames, Temari hanging onto his Hunter Skulk jacket, as he hopped over an empty cage, landing on a crate, before leaping clear over one of Shukaku's air bullets, which tore through man and stone alike, landing gracefully on the first ship, which was burning nicely, if you ask this kitsune's humble opinion.
Leaping effortlessly over to the second ship, which needed a few extra flames here and there, Naruto ignored the indignant expression from his passenger at his breathing of flames on an already burning ship, and leaped to the third, one of those that had fired on his own during their approach to the fortress.
Landing hard in the center of the deck, the sailors, who were trying to get ready for sail, all paused upon seeing a girl riding a multi-tailed fox that was snarling at them. She glared as flames lit up in its mouth. In a single breath, its flames were fanned by her breakthrough, engulfing the front half of the ship in flames. Before they could grab their weapons, she yipped, and the fox leaped off to the next ship, setting the sails ablaze as it went.
We did the same thing to ships four through seven, but ship eight had one of the Jonin aboard, who attempted to strike the second we landed. His lightning strike met our wind wall as the opening.
"Tsk, to think some little girl and her pet fox are ruining the greatest navy this side of the Elemental Nation," the former Mist Shinobi growled, drawing his sword, water swirling around it. Temari raised a brow as they circled the central mast, matched by their opponent, speaking with no lack of faux surprise and shock. "Oh? Last I checked, Water Country had the naval power. Not some rogue who ran when things got tough."
He growled at them. Naruto growled back louder, causing the shinobi to look at the stalking kitsune he was matching as they continued their circling. He grinned, "When I kill you, girly, your pet will make a fine little addition to my collection. Bet he'll sell for a pretty penny. A fire-spitting steed? I can already smell the ryo."
Temari felt Naruto's hackles rise, and knew he took that personally, so she spoke up, "Yeah, no. I'm going to have to end this now." She smiled so sweetly, you could make preservatives from it.
A fireball from Naruto was boosted by her wind, yet he deflected it overboard with lightning-enhanced water, and countered with a water whip. Naruto leaped back, saving Temari from the fluid construct. The Jonin thrust his water sword forward, a jet of water rushing forth. Again, Naruto saved, flames blasting forward, causing an eruption of mist and steam.
Naturally, the Mist shinobi's chuckle echoed through the foggy mist. "A big mistake. We Mist shinobi live in the mist. We can't lose within it."
As he began his monologue, Naruto's ears twitched, seeming to track something through the lack of visibility. Temari noticed and took the gamble, slotting her fan into its holster on the armoured jacket-like saddle Naruto was wearing. Retrieving her smaller tessen from her equipment pouch, she channelled chakra into them, before unleashing a slice of wind in Naruto's indicated direction.
The sound of his curses caused her to grin. His snarling response: "Lucky hit."
Temari chuckled, her tone clear with amusement, "What was that about being unbeatable in the mist, again?"
"Like I said," their foe began, only for Naruto to abruptly dart aside as a sword strike narrowly missed Temari's neck. As he slides to the side of the ship's railing, a retaliatory fireball that hit nothing, the mist Jonin speaks up, "just a lucky hit."
Naruto's ears twitched again, and Temari watched and waited. But then his nose sniffed, and his head snapped left. On reflex, she sliced the wind there with both her tessen. The Jonin gasped as the first slice went across his chest, and the second through his left arm.
In stunned disbelief, he fell to his knees and muttered, "How?"
Naruto grinned, and Temari matched it. She muttered lowly, "You forgot that foxes are canines. Their hearing and sense of smell are far greater than ours."
He chuckled from his place on the floor. "No matter, my men got away. I was just stalling you after all."
True to his words, the last two ships were moving off, and Temari growled as she watched them get further and further away. That was until Naruto let out a yip, drawing her eyes to the side, where two small, tailed beast bombs skimmed across the water and smacked a ship each, exploding them both in totality.
Pieces of wood and cloth rain down all over the place, as Temari watches on in bewilderment, looking to the shoreline. Both Kurama and Shukaku look smug and satisfied. Letting out a tired sigh, shaking her head at their antics, Temari looks to Naruto, speaking lowly, "Let's get back to shore. We have to escort the rescued to safety."
Naruto nods, letting out a small soft bark as he turns back to stroll to the other side of the ship, and glances over at the semi-sunk vessels, turning slowly into wrecks, they had originally used to get across. Grinning, he crouched low, paws spread, as Temari had a bad feeling all of a sudden, speaking up hesitantly, "You aren't..."
He blurred forward, darting across the flames and cracking apart ships, collapsing supports, and breaking decks. Bouncing off falling masts, ducking beneath a flaming sail, leaping over a flaming pit, and landing on the deck that shattered after he leaped clear, flames erupting on his tail. The entire time, Temari was surprisingly having fun. She let out a scream at first, but after the second ship, she realized Naruto had this under control and simply ducked low into his fur, not to hinder him.
She trusted him after all.
Clearing the final ship, Naruto leaps over the burning docks and slides to a stop among the camp, with Shukaku and Kurama holding up burnt flags, with a seven from Kurama and a six from Shukaku. Naruto and Temari glare at them, and Kurama speaks up, shaking her head. "No flips or spins. Total letdown."
Shukaku nods. "Or explosions."
Suddenly, the last ship in the line erupted into a pyre of blue flames, earning a raised brow from the kitsune and the kunoichi. Shukaku nods, "I stand corrected. I'll give you an eight. Your timing was way off."
Naruto remained in his transformation until we got the rescued to the nearby town; he didn't want to freak out the jumpy civilians any more than they already were. The entire time, he acted as my partner in crime, and even some of the kids came to pet him during our stops. He played with them too, though refused to play fetch. I still have the painting that one of the rescued civilians painted of me sleeping on his side, beneath his tails.
Flashback End
Suna Consulate
More slack-jawed, Naruto had a fox transformation large enough that it could be ridden into battle like a war steed. A shinobi-trained, very agile, and determined combat steed. Yui chirped up, and Temari clicked her fingers, "Right, thanks Yui," looking to the group, and ignoring the death glare with practiced ease from her best male friend. As Yui and Kurama took part, she served as his second, and the hunters got firsthand experience in desert battles.
Yui chirped again, pride in her voice, and Naruto glared at her too, a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "Traitor."
"You can transform into a fox," Kiba commented, earning a look from Naruto, who raised a brow. "So can you, right?"
Kiba recoiled at that, for a moment as he began to think on it then nodded, recalling a few of his own clans more advanced techniques. "Oh yeah, it's been a while since I've needed them though."
Temari chuckled, "Good times, huh?"
Yugito chuckled at that, staring at her brother of circumstance. "Ah, I so want to..."
"Wait," Yakumo said, drawing attention to herself as she lowered her own wine glass. "That hit movie, 'The Kuno's Kitsune' sounds like,"
Temari nods with a grin, and Naruto groans. She answers, "Yeah, the whole movie was based on witness statements and a redacted report on the mission. That's why the kitsune remained nameless, and the lead actress was a blonde."
"May I see the painting? If you have it," Yakumo asks, and everyone perks up at that. Temari shrugs; she has copies as Naruto would no doubt try to burn it if he saw it again. Out from her wrist seal, another gift from her best friend, comes an A4-sized painting of a campfire with very well-detailed Temari leaning against what they all assume is Naruto's fox form, a dusty blonde-furred kitsune with black foot pads and tail tips on his six tails, curled around her protectively. You can make out her fan beside her and his jacket.
Hinata's blush seemed to be a permanent feature at this point, "Umm… even as a fox,"
"A deadly combination," Shikamaru commented, thinking about it, cutting Hinata off purposely, not wanting to let her get going. All eyes fell on the Nara, who had first-hand experience dealing with those troublesome fire-breathing monsters. "Those flames are dangerous on their own, but when added winds from a Suna wind user. Doubt much could stand against that level of firepower."
Naruto hated this, but he had to nod. "Yeah," it was evident that he hated admitting that.
Temari had never been this smug. She thoroughly enjoyed their tag-team and their unbeaten streak. "I tell you that each and every time. Yet you still grumble about it."
Naruto growled at her, "Mari, I ain't no damn steed! I am a shinobi."
"Pfft," Kiba couldn't contain his laughter. Yugito was also very amused by this fact and now had unlimited ammunition for teasing. Oh, yes, she was going to milk it.
Yakumo spoke up, "You mean?"
Temari nodded happily, "Even more so when the movie came out. We've escorted the Wind Daimyo on several occasions, kind of a celebrity status we gained in response. The Daimyo likes to show that we are under her employ on occasion. We have to schedule it with Naruto's wives, who aren't too happy with it but at the same time understand that it passively helps relations between Demon and Wind, so," she shrugged after the fact, another beer placed by a server.
Kiba's laughter died down to wheezes. "Dude, you're a steed, oh man..."
"Oi, Mutt…" Naruto's fox-like eyes narrowed on the dog-boy, who bristled at that comment. Naruto continued, "You are just a mongrel lacking any real skill or reason. I suggest you back down."
Kiba's growl was feral, and everyone knew this wasn't really the shinobi talking but rather the animals he shares traits with. Kiba spoke up through gritted teeth, "You stupid fox, anywhere, anytime."
As Kiba's growl grew louder, snarls appearing, Naruto grinned foxily for a moment before going blank-faced and turned to Yugito, who face-palmed at how stupid the dog was. Predictably, Seiken appeared at his back and grabbed him, speaking up while forcing the air from Kiba's lungs. "Ara-Ara... you doggies are so bad today."
Again, as soon as Seiken left earshot, Naruto snickered like a fox, and the others chuckled. "Damn, dogs are so stupid," he paused before looking at Pakkun, who had joined Yui in a discussion, "Not all, though."
Pakkun waved him off. "That guy was... Don't sweat it. Besides, Dogs and Foxes are similar to Dogs and cats..."
Naruto nods before sweat-dropping, "perhaps its you dogs that have an attitude problem then."
Temari, who had calmed down from her brief chuckles, spoke next, "Though, we should hit the training field soon, Naru. I want to try how my vacuum style affects the flames' dispersal patterns before our next escort mission."
Naruto sighed, hard, really damn hard, "When was that?"
"End of next month," Gaara supplied as he passed by on his way to the juice bar.
"Thanks," Naruto commented back. Temari grinned, "It's going to be so much fun!"
"Kinda like those pirates in that cove, no?" Naruto offered, grinning. Temari flushed before glaring at him, "You promised."
"It was implied, never promised," Naruto informed, and she growled at him this time. Yugito grinned, "Oh, I recall that one."
"Oh?" Temari glared at the cat. "I recall the Moon Defense."
Yugito flushed red, focusing on her food. "That was promised to never be mentioned again."
Temari nodded, "Naru did, I didn't."
"She has a point." Naruto grinned, chuckling now, and the Suna kunoichi matched it. Yugito looked to Naruto, who met her gaze with equal intensity. Temari glared now, growling, "Not fair."
"Sorry, Mari," Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "She made a good point. Can't go against it, so that one is off the table."
Yuigto looked positively smug, sipping her own wine. Temari glared, speaking lowly. "Then, what about Kalipan Ridge?"
"Ah, that one got kinda crazy, right?" Naruto states, glancing at Yugito, who nods and replies, "Not as crazy as what I had heard of the Land of Sky incident."
Temari grinned, nodding along, "First time I've seen that many angry tails in one place," earning chuckles from the two containers. Naruto shook his head, "Well, they had that Flying Fortress and dared to taunt Fu. Then Utakata showed up. Gaara, you, Shizuka, and I just got caught up in it all."
"I saw the report," Yugito chuckled, shaking her head. "I really wish I had been there."
Naruto shuddered, shaking his head repeatedly. "You really don't. That Zero-tails was a piece of work. It was strong too,"
Temari nods, "Most our attacks were absorbed. Gaara, Utakata, and I were useless."
Yugito raised a brow. "Oh? Even the airhead, huh?"
"Even him," Temari nods, and Naruto sighs, "Like I said, they really pissed off Fu. She ended up tearing the thing apart. Literally. Barehanded."
Temari nods in all seriousness, "It's why I never prod that sleeping monster."
"What about the whole 'Scourge of the Grass' moniker?" Karin asks with a glint in her eyes that none missed. She had been curious as to what her clanmate had done to her former home to warrant that title from them.
Naruto chuckled lightly at that. "Well, most wouldn't consider it all that great, but they tried to capture me and Shizuka. They weren't very good, so I ended up pranking them constantly for a full two months straight." The glint in his eyes was shared with the kitsune at his side, and many shuddered at the prospect of a focused, concentrated pranking spree by a skilled Uzumaki.
Karin's grin was damn right foxy. "Oh, that sounds like so much fun,"
Naruto nodded. "The kitsune and I made it a game, with a scoreboard and everything. Now, Grass shinobi have been ordered not to aggravate anyone connected to the kitsune," he grinned. "It was fun."
Kiba chuckled and nodded, his return a surprise for most. "Unpredictable knucklehead. Though, from the stance I saw earlier..."
Naruto nods. Yugito is surprised that this didn't come up earlier. Her brother responds, "Yeah, well, as a jinchuriki perfectly synced with my partner, some of our traits are shared. Due to, uh, my long-term exposure to my partner, you know, like my entire life, I've developed many kitsune traits." He gestures to his whisker marks, earning a nod from the Inuzuka, who recalls his foxy smell from back then too.
Naruto continued, many paying close attention. "These whiskers aren't just for show. Even more so now that I have been trained in their use."
"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asks, one of a few who had found the supposed birthmarks endearing. Naruto sighs, swirling his beer, staring down as he glances at Karin, a brief half-smile causing her to pay closer attention.
Naruto looks at the heiress who had asked, "I was born with these, additional traits because of one simple fact. The reason some have come to call me 'The Youngest Bijuu' is because for a time, both I and the Kyuubi shared a space together, seeing as my mother was the container before I was."
Many eyes widened, though Karin grew somber, understanding that his mother was the Uzumaki burdened with holding back the fox. No doubt she had died before she could raise him.
Naruto sighed, explaining further, "During my growth, my partner's influence subtly shaped it. Nothing was maligned or anything, nor was it purposely done so. Even for an Uzumaki, my chakra levels are insane. The reason for my lack of control in the early days," he fixed Kiba with a hard look, "that clone jutsu is impossible. I had to perfect my control to reliably perform substitution, and I modified the transformation into a physical one as the illusion is also forever beyond my abilities."
"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. For not..." Naruto waved Hinata off, responding airily, "We were kids. You didn't know better. Though," his voice became razor sharp, "the adults should have known. More so our teachers, but none bothered to care."
"Iruka did," Shikamaru interjected from his fourth game against Omoii, at the next table over. Naruto shook his head, explaining, "Looking back, I realized a few things. At the start, he was just like the others, overlooking me and assuming the worst. Only towards the end of our final year, he changed his tune, and only after Lord Third asked him to."
Naruto looked at the Nara, his smile was hollow and uncomfortable to look at. Naruto continuing on hauntedly. "Tell me, Shikamaru Nara, should one get a pass because they 'came around in the end'? Just because he treated me equally, as a regular child, like the rest of you during the final months of our tenure at the academy. Does that mean he deserved a pat on the back for a job well done? I hadn't even done anything to warrant the mistreatment I received from everyone, and I suffered due to it."
The gathering grew silent as a crypt at that realization. Tsunade had hoped to keep Iruka as a back-up plan, Shizune too, but it seems that she has to re-evaluate things. Man, Sensei messed up, the whole village has, and now they are getting short-ended because of it.
Yugito, for once, had no sneaky retort for her brother, just took his hand discreetly beneath the table and offered a single squeeze. He smiled briefly and silently acknowledged the support.
"I have a question." All eyes land on Sakura, who was standing at the side of the gathered Leaf group. They had been focused on the rapid pace of information that was casually mentioned between the three blondes. Naruto's voice was flat, "Oh, Haruno. You are here too."
His words caused many interesting reactions: Yugito and Karin's eyes narrowed, Temari frowned tightly, and the other tailed beasts kept a discreet eye on her. The Leaf side, however, glanced at the pinkette, curious about what she would ask her former teammate. "What do you think of us? The Konoha Ten. Team Seven. The Leaf. What is your...?"
"I am sorry, Haruno, but you really do not want me to answer that," Naruto spoke coldly, cold enough that his beer's temperature dropped to near freezing, his eyes narrowed to damn near slits, "or this will be the shortest diplomatic visit in history."
Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat, recalling those cold blue eyes during their brief encounter back in Wave. He had cut her all over, but none of it was fatal. It was clear that her knucklehead was still in there, buried deep, or he would have killed her like the other Jonin and Chunin. Swallowing hard one last time, she bowed her head, "I see. I wanted to just say I was sorry."
Many eyebrows raised at that action, but Naruto's group didn't. Yugito asked, "Do you even know what you need to apologize for?"
Sakura was lost. Sure, there were a few things she could think of, like their attack in Wave, for treating him badly during their tenure as teammates, and for blaming him for not bringing Sasuke back. Putting voice to it, but Naruto raised his hand, stopping her, as he spoke, "Haruno. I can tell you what you are about to say is the wrong thing to say right now. Instead, take your time to actually think it over and get back to us."
Sakura nods, steps away, and Karin looks at Naruto, slightly bewildered, "Is she normally that dense?"
Naruto nods. "Definitely. Then again, I can't really speak either."
"True," Yugito, Temari, Shikamaru, Yakumo, Yui, Omoi, Pakkun, and Kakashi spoke together, earning a tick mark from Naruto, who growled lowly, "Oi."
A new voice cut in, "Ah, Naruto…"
Naruto's head snapped back to find one of his oldest friends, jumping to his feet. "Oh man! Chojuro? When did you get here, my friend?"
Chojuro chuckled nervously, "About half an hour ago, I was on a mission for Moon, and they gave me a ride here."
Naruto nods, "Is the king and,"
The blue-haired swordsman shook his head, "No, they are coming in the morning. I came ahead of them."
Naruto nods, then grins, "You know, with you and Omoi here, I think we should have a swordsman spar. For old times' sake."
Chojuro smiled at that. "It has been a while since I last battled the mythical Eighth Blade of Kiri. It should be fun."
This drew even more attention, as Omoi looked up, a gleam in his eyes. As a swordsman, he had obviously heard that moniker for his boss, but someone who had witnessed it was rare. Those missions were suicide missions after all.
Naruto grinned. "Mythical, huh? Nah, more like luck and stubbornness..." he trailed off soberly, recalling his mindset back then, before his hime saved him from himself.
Abruptly, Ino appeared and hugged him, surprising everyone, none more than Naruto himself, who blinked owlishly several times. He was about to ask when her whisper reached him, "I know." He froze at that.
She slowly pulled away and stared directly into his eyes, using a clan jutsu to speak telepathically, "Naruto, this is my telepathy. I spent a long time in your head. I know what you were thinking back then, what you haven't told a soul about. What you buried deep. One of the reasons I volunteered to come as Lady Hokage's guard was to talk to you about it."
He stiffened in her hold on his upper arms, but made no move to break free, though he did mentally narrow his eyes, asking in kind, "The other reason?"
She smirks mentally, that would freak most people out, but not a jinchuriki who houses a sly fox. Ino replies through their current mental connection, "I'm wondering if we could set up an agreement regarding setting up a branch of Yamanaka flowers, or if you have flowers we could buy."
Naruto's mental image placed its hands on its hips, glared at her, and asked, "Surprisingly upfront. What gives?"
A mental shrug, before the mental flipping her hair back, with hottie attitude on full, Ino continued, "Like I said, I've been in your head. Being upfront about the fact that my clan wants to play ball shows how genuine it is, no?"
Naruto sighed aloud now and spoke up, "Thank you, Ino. Be glad for both our sakes that this is an informal event. As I doubt my wives would take your physical act all that tolerable."
Though he spoke internally, with a mental foxy grin and a peace sign. "Lunch at the shrine, I have an informal meeting with the Hyuga. Feel free to drop by with your proposal. It should be fun."
Ino would never admit how sexy that mental work at play was. None outside her clan ever took time to learn how to do that stuff, and Naruto's unpredictable nature was a breath of fresh air as the clan had strict guidelines regarding mental communications. She nodded, smiled, and walked off. She got the opening she needed, and a way in for the clan. Mission accomplished.
As for Naruto, he looks at his sword brother, "So, let's say tomorrow evening?"
Chojuro nods, a confident smile on his face. "Sure, sounds good. Still at the shrine, right?"
Naruto nods before looking at Omoi, who stands along with Karuii. "We're in too."
Naruto looks at Chojuro. "Maybe a warm-up? Mist against Kumo?"
This naturally drew the attention of Mei, who abruptly appeared before the seventh and eighth swordsmen. "Oh, sounds juicy."
Yugito appeared behind her two chunin, grinning confidently. "Just because you're my brother, doesn't mean we will go easy on you."
Naruto chuckled, making a pretty good Zabuza impression, as he pulled off the generic mist swordsmen routine. The other swordsmen appeared around them, all suddenly holding their blades in various poses.
Mei stood dead center, arms crossed, with a confident smirk displayed. Chojuro was at her right side, Hiramekarei in hand. Naruto was on her left, his pitch-black, tsuba-less, metre-long odachi on his shoulder, side-eyeing them stoically, detached from the material world at large. Her two other guards were at her back, in similar poses.
The Kumo team sweat-dropped at their antics. Mei spoke confidently. "The Mist will never lose in kenjutsu. As long as we have our eight swordsmen."
"Right!" The swordsmen confirm.
A cough from the side drew their attention to Kakashi and Yugao, the latter smiling softly at Naruto, who was surprised but kept his cool detachment. He was happy, of course. Though, he did kind of stab her and everything. He should apologise at somepoint or maybe introduce her to his Uzuki daughter. Yugao spoke up, "My name is Yugao Uzuki. I don't suppose I could join this kenjutsu fight?"
Mei was about to deny it, but Naruto spoke up, "Is Hatake your backup?"
She nods, causing Naruto to sigh. Omoi offers a soft smile, saying, "How about that clearing in the approach?"
Naruto nods. "Yeah. Probably the best place to."
Kakashi spoke up. "You just said,"
"That was before you guys joined in," Karuii says, glaring at the Leaf Team. The swordsmen all nod. "So now, we can't hold it at the shrine. So, the clearing after the final whistle?" She asks, looking to Naruto, who nods. "Yeah, sounds good."
Karin suddenly appeared at Naruto's side and whispered into his ear, "Lady Kurama just intercepted a Kage-level signature that suddenly appeared at the perimeter of the flower fields and tried to sneak towards the shrine. From the feel of it, Matatabi is still with the kids, while Kurama is heading here with the signature."
Naruto nods and takes a deep breath to calm himself after the news, before offering a soft smile to his clanswoman, "Thank you for the update."
She nods before they both look to an equally concerned Yugito, who had overheard, and they all share a nod of understanding.
Sure enough, not even five minutes later, Kurama appeared at the consulate, threw a certain toad summoner in before stepping in herself, snarling deeply. "Keep your pervert on a tighter leash, or next time I'll barbecue him alive."
The beaten and battered Toad Sage looked up to see Death Incarnate glaring down at him. His blond hair and blue eyes were frosty at best, voids at worst. "Do tell me, Toad Sage, what the fuck were you doing trying to sneak into my home?"
Tsunade sighed, pinching her nose. Damn it, Jairyia.
A/N: Firstly, I must thank TigrezzTail for that suggestion. It really helped me get through that writer's block on this one. Originally, I was going to have three flashbacks: the Battle of Black Fang, the Southern Desert Plains, and the Land of Sky incident, but I kinda ran out of space. Plus, I'm not really a huge fan of flashbacks to begin with. However, in this story, they are needed to carry forth the plot. So yeah, also, on a bit of a writers rush on this story, finished Episode X already, but I really want to get off this one for a bit and work on my others. See where things go.
2nd A/N: More backstory, two different operations in service of Suna, and plenty of commentary regarding Naruto's capabilities and mindset. With Chojuro's arrival, I want to touch on some of his time in service to the Mist, one before he met Shizuka to show his reckless behavior, which was a direct result of his banishment, and one after the wedding, his mended mindset. Then, the main event finally kicks off.
Before anyone asks how he is a Suna Jonin, if in previous chapters he was referenced as being a Kumo Jonin. His bingo book entry clearly stated that he is a Jonin with all Three, Mist, Suna, and Kumo, while also listed as a banished Leaf Genin. How does that work? You'll find out during the talks when the Hokage asks about it when Mei and Gaara mention missions Naruto has done for them.
Also, remember that Naruto is a prankster. He does have two hundred kitsune in his hunter pack, but he never stated they were all at Yui's strength. She is the leader, so she is definitely the strongest. The same applies to Isebell. The Leaf is just assuming and jumping to conclusions, and Naruto is not correcting them. Because that would be foolish.
My favorite part is the unique tag-team of Temari and Naruto. At first, I was unsure, but as I edited it, it became much more fun, making it my favorite part so far. A giant dusty-blond, six-tailed kitsune, ridden by Temari, who wields a warfan, blasting enemies apart with high-intensity, high-speed, fire blasts, displaying the forethought and poise of a shinobi and cat-like agility. Just wait until someone pulls out a bingo book for her entry. The tomfoolery and misinformation. This has become my number one favorite, just beating Choji's fight in Chapter Four. Definitely going to expand on that later.
Episode X: Leafs Misfortune compounds itself further. Tsunade is sick of it. Shizuka and Kiyota finally have a sit down and a confession halted. Naruto and Chojuro talk about their Hunter Days, an old flame is mentioned. Honoka confront her fellow Uzumaki on the thoughts she is wrestling with, and trouble has arrived again. Make it double.
Episode XI: Temari and Yugito have their own talk, and the arrival of Moon and Sound. A new mystery is settled and the Leaf are brought up to speed reagarding the 'God Tree' incident and two flower princesses meet for the first time. Until next time.
o7