So this update is coming after the timeskip so it's kind of catching up and setting a bit of foundation for our next arc of what is coming. So lots of talking. I hope you like it.
If you want early access to stories like this look me up on that patron site under Helghystories or Helghy's Stories.
Shout out to Dragonkw213. Huge amount of love for being a member of the investor tier. I really appreciate it.
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Let's get to the story
Chapter Eight
Marching Ever Forward
The village hadn't changed much in the time he had been away. He had spent much of his early time apprenticed to Orochimaru in Konoha but eventually her studies and his training took them abroad.
When he had left peace had still reigned, but since his last time at home war had broken out once again. The Five nations forgot the cost of war far too readily.
Naruto had already gotten a taste of this new conflict. He and Orochimaru had ventured further than he had ever imagined, beyond the God's Crowns, a series of dozens of giant craters whose edges formed the mountainous border of the elemental nations and the west.
Much of it had been barbaric wastelands but other places had been mesmerizing. Still they had to return when Lord Third recalled them and all others for the war. Along the way they had been set upon by all manner of foes.
Mostly bandits who were easy enough to dispatch, but once they returned to the elemental nations they had encountered shinobi of Iwa, Kumo, and Suna at different times and been slowly worn down from repeated bouts of combat.
Seeing the old walls of Konoha was a relief in more ways than one.
"Nervous about being home again?" Orochimaru asked from beside him.
He shrugged slightly. "Less that and more what comes after. Lord Third and my father have made things very clear. Now that I am of age…the clan is expected to be repopulated."
"I'm sure Kushina will be thrilled." Orochimaru joked. She laughed at the look her apprentice shot her.
Kushina might have come around to the betrothal and according to the letters the two had exchanged via his summons, she even seemed to be looking forward to it. Unfortunately he was pretty sure she would be less than pleased when the other shoe dropped.
"So much to do and we are only just coming back. I suspect we are wanted to report directly to Sensei when we arrive." Orochimaru continued the conversation.
"By the way things sound in the letters we're probably getting new assignments the moment we walk in." Naruto commented, voice devoid of emotion. He didn't mind going back on missions, bit he would like a moment to catch up with everyone that he hadn't seen, especially his mother, Kushina, and Minako.
"It will calm down. You wouldn't know, but I recall when the Second War was just starting up. The same rushed mentality was running things back then. It will take some time but it will settle into a routine."
"I don't know if that's supposed to be a good thing or not." Naruto replied.
"Hmm, maybe not. Then again we'll be able to show off for everyone, won't that be grand?" She smiled at him, sharp teeth behind perfect lips shining in the early morning light.
He couldn't help but smile back. Most people were unnerved by the beautiful woman's smile, but Naruto felt a very different set of emotions whenever such a thing was directed at him.
The woman only grinned wider when he averted his eyes with the absolute tiniest of blushes spreading on his face. He knew she enjoyed the fact that puberty played hell with his hormones. She teased him relentlessly for a rise and always got one in the end.
Luckily the teasing would wait for now as they stepped up to the pair of guards visibly accepting identification at the Gate.
Tsunade cursed herself as she worked the mystical palm jutsu over her hand without looking down at what she was doing. If she were anyone else, such a lapse would be unacceptable.
Then again she was treating her own injury. A tiny insignificant cut on her hand from a kitchen knife of all things. She had handled blades since before she could walk and now she was cutting herself on a kitchen knife.
The thought galled her. The last few years had been terribly hard, especially with Naruto and Orochimaru being away for so much of it. In fact the thought of their return and her duty to the village were the only things that had prevented her attempt at a walkabout.
The girls had also kept her tied up here in the village. Thankfully they kept her distracted most days. She needed it since she was more or less benched from both missions and the hospital at the moment.
It really had been a rough time recently.
As she felt the wound close up, she braved a look toward the mess. A trickle of blood had settled onto her cutting board and the counter beside it with the tiniest amount on the blade as well.
She couldn't look at her hand yet though. It would have more than that.
"Oh gods I wish Kushina were here right now." She mumbled.
The redhead had been helping her whenever she had an episode for the last few weeks. Tsunade had tried to be stubborn about it at first but the girl was now a twenty year old young woman and was plenty stubborn in her own right.
Hopefully she would be home soon. Tsunade didn't think she quite had it in her to clean it up this time. The last time had been easier, it wasn't blood, just paint then. A struggle, but doable. The real thing had a scent and feel to it that made it so much worse.
Luckily before she tried to knuckle down and force herself to try and wipe it up with a rag or something there was a crisp and professional knock at her door.
"Please be Jiraiya…I need to hit something." She sighed as she stepped over and called out for them to come in.
She was disappointed but at least it was a distraction of some kind.
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Hokage requires your presence in his office immediately." The young ANBU guard said with a bow.
"What for?" She asked while carefully holding the bloodied hand behind her back and trying to not think about it.
"I believe it is because Lord Naruto and Lady Orochimaru have returned." The ANBU stated.
The words were barely out of his mouth before the beauty had pushed him out of the door and left for the tower across the rooftops. He sighed and prepared to give chase when he noticed an odd red smear on his armor.
Tsunade didn't think about the fact that it was probably pretty unprofessional to use an ANBU operative like a hand towel, but phobia or not she would see her boy in immaculate condition.
Then she would try her best not to smother him in the amount of hugs she planned for him.
Hiruzen hummed happily as his secretary let his shinobi into the office. While many might consider him a manipulator, and they may have even been right in their accusation, he truly cared for all of those under his command.
The fact that some were closer to his heart than others was simply the reality of life. The two stepping into his office now were among the very top of that number.
Naruto stepped in first. The boy he had been so intent to ensure reached his full potential was a young man now. His hair had darkened to a shade only slightly lighter than his mothers and he had grown into a tall lad, taller even than Hiruzen himself now with obvious growth left in him.
The second figure to enter was the one that surprised him. Orochimaru had always been beautiful, he had long been proud of the powerful woman he considered a daughter in all but blood. Right now it was like he had stepped back in time though.
She stepped fully into the room and let the door close behind her, grinning at him all the while.
"How?" He asked in shock.
"It's experimental, Sensei and far from working properly. I'm managing the issues right now with Naruto's help but it has still been a problem." Orochimaru said as she crossed the room and settled onto the desk crossing her legs and leaning forward to look at him still grinning.
She was young again. Not as young as Naruto, perhaps closer to her late twenties or early thirties. Still it was miraculous. Impossibly so.
"Can it be taught?" He asked.
She sighed and shook her head sadly. Disappointment filled him but he supposed such a technique would be near impossible.
"It requires extensive alterations to the body. I wasn't willing to even experiment on others before trying it on myself in case it failed. The notes of those who came before me all describe how awful the deaths of the other subjects were." She stood and walked back over to Naruto before slipping behind him and sensually rubbing her hands across his shoulders and arms.
Hiruzen chuckled at that. This development he had learned about, though he had advised both to keep things to themselves until their return.
"We can discuss this more later for now, I want a report about what things were like on your return trip, and I need to tell you about our current situation." Hiruzen turned his focus from the younger Orochimaru to the task at hand.
The pair nodded and Orochimaru stepped around Naruto to resume a more proper atmosphere as both she and Naruto gave their report on the handful of enemies that they had encountered on the way back to the village.
He was less than pleased to know how quickly the other nations were deploying their common forces. Naruto and Orochimaru might have little trouble with the common enemies but not all of Hiruzen's forces were so gifted and there had already been encounters…one of which had gone very poorly.
The Hokage's thoughts turned to another of his students, Naruto's own mother. He would leave her to talk with her son about that as she had been struggling since then.
"I see, I'm glad you both are alright despite your encounters. Unfortunately I doubt it will be long before I have to send you out against the enemies of the Hidden Leaf. Iwa and Suna have entered open war and have declared upon us as well. Kumo smells blood and has declared upon us and we have had more than a dozen skirmishes throughout the border states to our north and east. Kiri has launched a small handful of their own probing incursions but they seem more interested in fighting with Kumo over sea lanes…for now." Hiruzen gave a very simple version of the current situation going on, they would get further information in time, for now he could already tell that those he had sent for were beginning to enter the building.
"Before our other guests join us, Naruto I must remind you of what I informed you of in our letters. You are not only sixteen now you are also a jonin, it is time that you did your duty for the clan and village, after certain circumstances regarding your mother the founding clan of our home relies solely on your shoulders." Hiruzen explained.
Naruto simply nodded with an unreadable look on his face. He truly was so much like Hiruzen's own teacher Tobirama at times. That would hopefully make this easier, if this war lasted as long as the last one they would need a new generation of Senju and with the family so depleted…special circumstances required special actions.
At least he had not been foolish enough to not prepare all of those involved. He could already imagine the terror Tsunade would have wreaked had she not been told of the situations and plans surrounding her son some years ago.
The same could be said for his young betrothed.
As if summoned by his thoughts both of them entered the room at the same time, storming past the poor secretary. The third member of their little group was apologizing profusely to the poor woman before hurrying to catch up.
Still, rudeness aside Hiruzen couldn't help the small smile as the trio rushed forward toward the pair standing before them.
Orochimaru shared a laugh with him as the three women seemed to ignore everything but the blond young man. They all but tackled him into an embrace, one that looked somewhat painful between the three talented kunoichi's grips. Despite that all he could do was chuckle and return the hug in an awkward group hug.
"I've missed you three." Naruto managed to get out though he was quite muffled.
Hiruzen smiled at the sight as the women all stepped back and quickly began exchanging proper greetings with Naruto and Orochimaru. Tsunade had changed little physically over the time her son was away, barring perhaps a tiredness about her eyes and a paler tone of skin. He hoped Naruto and Orochimaru could do more for her than he had personally.
Minako, the only other blonde outside of the Senjus in the room, was blossoming into a beauty. She was starkly different than Tsunade, in that she remained rather petite, but her bright and wild hair coupled with her shining eyes made her the dream of many men across the village and beyond in Naruto's absence. As far as Hiruzen knew the woman tried hard to let them down easily but simply put she had little interest in men outside of her old teammate. She had come far from the little civilian girl that he recalled assigning to a team under Jiraiya.
A jonin herself, Minako was expecting to take a team soon, and was one of the most capable shinobi within his ranks even at only twenty years of age.
Kushina was a stark contrast to her friend. She had developed much more noticeably than Minako, of which Hiruzen was diligent not to let himself think about too much. He was a happily married man after all and Kushina was considerably younger than himself. He was certain he couldn't be blamed for being a little jealous of the Senju clan heir for his betrothal as the young woman had become arguably one of the most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha.
He was sure that with Kushina's long scarlet hair that now nearly reached her knees when she left it loose, and her soft violet eyes, that she would be hounded non-stop by suitors. None even considered it though. Whether through her own blunt manner in dealing with those who seemed interested or the simple fact that she had been betrothed to the Senju clan for the literal majority of her life, Hiruzen had never seen Kushina with a single boy following after her like many did with Tsunade and Minako.
He almost chuckled about how wonderful it was that his plans were coming together. Most of them anyway. They would need the strength in the future. After all, it was clear to Hiruzen now that true peace, no matter the effort made, would simply never exist. It wasn't in human nature. The world may change. Society may change. People didn't not really.
"Ahem." The Hokage cleared his throat just as Tsunade pulled her son into another embrace as he told them about having encountered some enemy shinobi on the road home.
The group turned toward the older man with a bit of surprise. It seemed that they had forgotten where exactly it was that they all were. He would wrap this all up so that they could catch up together. Besides soon enough he would be sending Naruto, and perhaps Orochimaru out once more so this brief time together would be all but sacred to them.
"I see you all have much to catch up on and I don't want to take up your time." He said, causing them to assume a sort of resting attention. They were all his ninja after all. He wouldn't bother them about the slip up of decorum though. He honestly cared little for such things outside of more official business.
"Now, I need to properly gauge where you are at Naruto. You may have earned your jonin rank but if I am to properly deploy you for what is to come I will need a better measure of what you can do." Hiruzen explained.
"That makes sense, Lord Hokage. What did you have in mind?" Naruto asked, a business like flat expression falling into place on his features.
"Nothing especially fancy, a spar between you and these two here would likely be enough, or if it proves not to be then perhaps I can simply observe you and your teacher for a sparring session." Hiruzen said.
Orochimaru giggled and placed a hand on her student's shoulder. "That would do excellently. From what I have gleaned about Kushina and Minako's development the three of them going at it would please everyone here, if there's still time I don't mind taking care of Naruto when he's already a bit used."
Hiruzen choked on the smoke from his pipe at that while Minako stared at the older woman with little expression on her face. Kushina and Tsunade were the far more interesting of the two. The Uzumaki flicked her head back and forth between master and student rapidly before narrowing her eyes to thin slits as they settled onto the elder snake summoner.
Tsunade did much the same. She then stepped forward and swept her old friend's hand off of her son's shoulder. She clearly had a lot to discuss with her former teammate and was thankfully, for Hiruzen's sake biting her tongue until she could corner the woman in private.
Naruto thankfully cleared the air by clearing his throat and gently gripping his mother's hand to distract her.
"That will do excellently Lord Third, if that's all I think we should return to the Senju estate. It's been a long journey and I think we're going to have to have a long discussion." Naruto spoke softly but clearly bringing the attention of everyone back onto him.
"Understood. Though I fear it may be more than a simple discussion…either way, we have a few days so why don't you get settled back into the village and I will send someone to notify you of when I would like to observe your spar." Hiruzen said as he dismissed them.
The group all bowed, though Tsunade did so a bit stiffly. Kushina also kept flicking her eyes over to Orochimaru. The Hokage thought he had prepared them all for this, but he supposed he had forgotten one aspect…well he had best leave that part to Naruto and Orochimaru to handle. His job was to delegate after all.
The group filed out and was gone in an instant. He felt a bit worried about what they might get up to if the more volatile members of the group took things badly, but he was also hopeful that Naruto, Minako, and Orochimaru's more level headed temperaments would handle things for him.
As he heard the door down the hall slam shut behind Tsunade and a thin crack split across his wall from the floor to the ceiling…he began to write up orders for an extra set of Nara members in the ANBU. They'd proven incredibly useful in the past whenever Tsunade had her…spats.
He had hoped for the good feelings upon his initial return to continue. Instead now there was a certain tension. His mother hadn't stepped away from his side since she had realized how far his relationship with Orochimaru had gone. Kushina had been all but standing guard over his other side, and he could feel the searching eyes of Minako scanning over him.
Orochimaru didn't help matters either. She giggled at the heated looks that his mother and Kushina regularly sent her way, but it was Minako she was enjoying teasing the most. After all, Minako had reacted the least up to that point so it had probably seemed at first that Orochimaru was trying to strike up conversation with the only member of their little group that wasn't a bit agitated with her at the moment.
He knew her too well for that. Orochimaru was, admittedly, a sadist. Not to the point that she would want to harm him or even hurt those that they both cared for. She did enjoy her work a bit more than the usual shinobi or kunoichi though. She also enjoyed making her loved ones squirm a bit. She did it to him plenty enough.
Usually the way she picked at him was a lot more filled with innuendo and foreplay though. The thought alone made him glance back at her, catching her golden eyes and causing her to grin in her normal sultry way.
It was like the woman could read his mind sometimes. Like she knew the exact thoughts he had running through it surrounding her. Maybe her picking at Minako was just another way to play with him anyway.
"You know all of you have changed a bit, I feel like not quite as much as Naruto and I have…but then again you haven't seemed to change at all Minako." Orochimaru cooed as she walked beside the blonde.
Minako shot her a look, eyes glancing toward her shapely figure then back forward toward Tsunade and Kushina's as well. He bit his tongue for now, but he wasn't particularly pleased with how easily Orochimaru seemed to pick up on Minako's discomfort. He liked even less that she leaned into it.
"I wonder if it's just genetics or if your diet had anything to do with it. Maybe your training. I heard tell the you are among the fastest shinobi in history now." Orochimaru tailored her words to sound as if she was almost praising her. They all knew better.
"That's enough Orochimaru." Tsunade bit out.
"Oh, Tsunade, surely you won't fault me for a little fun, besides I'm just catching up. I've missed all of you. Really I have. It was just me and Naruto for the last two years. All alone." She hissed slipping around his mother and betrothed to drape herself over his neck and nuzzle her cheek against his.
Naruto blinked as he suddenly realized there was a bit more going on in the woman's head than simply taunting and riling up the other girls in his life. She might be sadistic, and she may really want to pick at the others but he knew her too well. There were other motives involved.
"Why?" He asked simply getting huff and a roll of her eyes.
"Whatever…none of you are being particularly fun. Even though he and I just got back. Really I figured you would be more hospitable, I mean you haven't even mentioned my new looks Tsunade." Orochimaru leaned off of him now and crossed her arms as if she would pout. The predatory smirk on her face ruined the image of such a thing.
By now his mother was just getting annoyed. He could tell she also picked up on Orochimaru pushing for some specific reaction or other response. Not that either he or she knew what the woman was pushing toward specifically. Still she blew out a sigh and took a breath as if forcing herself to calm down and remember it was Orochimaru, her literally oldest friend that she was talking with.
"I'm the one that helped you with the research on the technique. It's still not finished. I can tell." Tsunade said simply.
"Hmm, I wrote you letters and you wrote back. It was Naruto that helped me with my research though. Especially these last few months. I mean there were just so many things that needed tested out. A good vigorous stretch test, oh excuse me I mean stress test. He was quite gifted with that aspect of my research, I can assure you." Orochimaru acted as if she was ranting, all the while her eyes flashed with humor and something more. He really wished she would let him in on her half-baked plans before she jumped into them.
It was just like the morning he woke up to find an Orochimaru standing before him wrapped in a blanket that couldn't have been older than ten. It was a pain explaining to the innkeeper that no, she was not his daughter and no they did not need to worry about her mother that had checked into the hotel with him the night before. Orochimaru had been happy to play the silent child the entire encounter as well.
"I'm sure you made Naruto do all sorts of things during the trip." Kushina bit out jumping into the conversation.
Orochimaru practically beamed at his fiance and Naruto fought down a sigh. She was still a bit too easy to toy with for someone like Orochimaru. It couldn't be helped.
"Well, I promise you he was the most eager of volunteers from the first moment I asked for his…input. By the way, the wedding bells can practically be heard in the distance now that he is of age and back in Konoha. I'm sure you don't need to be reminded that you are quite the lucky girl. Though I imagine it will be tough for you at first, I'm free to help whenever yo-" Orochimaru began directing the taunting onto Kushina more heavily until Naruto turned and looked her in the eye.
"Stop it." He said simply with a small sigh.
Orochimaru clicked her teeth but shrugged as if to say 'what can you do'. Naruto turned to look at his mother hoping to direct the conversation away from Orochimaru's games and the awkward conversation he fully expected to have later tonight.
"Where is dad?" Naruto asked.
"He's out of the village on a mission right now. Not exactly sure what it is though, neither he or Sensei would give me a hint." Tsunade said with a shrug.
Naruto nodded. He knew things had gotten worse between them. It had only been in a single letter but he had been told that in the brief time of his trip she had seemed to find someone new. His father had likely been furious about it and made a fool of himself. A bit expected but still not great for the son caught between two parents he loved.
Even though the man in question was no longer an issue for them, having been killed in one of the early engagements of the war already, there seemed to be a bit of heat between his parents even now.
Another thing he would have to try and work through. How much his life seemed to be centered around the manipulations or emotions of others could sometimes be annoying. Then again he felt quite selfish thinking like that. Everyone had their own wishes and agendas, simply wishing that the people he cared about involved him less in the more aggravating parts of their lives made him feel dirty. As if he was ungrateful for the fact that they loved him.
"Hopefully I can see him soon. Before I start being sent on missions myself." Naruto said.
"I'm sure you will." Tsunade said simply as they finally stepped up to the gate of the Senju compound.
Orochimaru calmed down a bit as Tsunade led them into the kitchen to prepare a meal together. Kushina and Minako easily handled any trace of Tsunade's incident with the knife earlier. While the two of them had moved into the estate and become quite close with Tsunade, they had learned quite a lot about her too. Like the fact that she would want to confront her personal demons on her own time, not when they had all just reunited.
Naruto had been distracted by helping to prepare the food and Orochimaru, while viciously playful was also tactful enough to know when she needed to leave a subject be. For now anyway, there was no doubt in the woman's mind that Tsunade and her would be having words as soon as they finished eating, just as she assumed Naruto would be dragged off into the estate by Kushina and Minako.
She was a bit curious if the young women would work up the nerve tonight or if they would take some time. Her money was a bit on the latter though a tiny bit of the reason she had been prodding at them all so hard earlier was to see just what it would take for them to take that sort of thing into their own hands.
It was what she loved about her student so much after all. He did more or less what he desired, when he desired. There was always consideration for the good of Konoha and the clan and so on and so forth, but truly even at his young age Naruto was beginning to influence the world around him with even the most simple of actions.
She was fascinated by it all. Almost to the same extent as her own research.
Conversation during the meal slowly became a much more natural affair than on the walk back to the estate from the Hokage tower. She decided to dial back on the teasing and taunting. Her goals were already more or less achieved by it. It had pushed them into the right mindset just like Sensei wanted, and for once Orochimaru was of the same mindset as the manipulative old monkey and her perversion driven idiot of a teammate.
The expansion of the Senju clan was something that was very high on Konoha's priorities, especially with the possibility of producing more like Naruto within it. The pressure on her student may have been relieved a bit during the recent peace time, even more so when Tsunade had attempted pursuing a romantic relationship once again, but sadly things hadn't worked out on that front and they were of course right back at war once again.
Several plans had already been in motion concerning Naruto, some regarding the very invasive concept of pushing him into more or less supplying the majority of the kunoichi of Konoha with samples. Such a thing could have easily been seen as a threat to the sanctity of the clans of the village though and had been scrapped for a far less intrusive measure.
Simply put, Naruto Senju was to take as many romantic partners as feasible and ensure large amounts of children with them. Hiruzen had even approached Orochimaru via summons about a particularly interesting plan. One she had agreed to after considering how interesting the results might be.
On top of that, being promised to be among those that would help Naruto rebuild his clan was nice. Not that she was ever not going to do that whether the Hokage ordered it or even ordered her not to. Naruto was her student and she had a certain way with him that few others could appreciate properly.
It was certainly going to be a rather rough discussion with Tsunade in a few moments. At least she was pretty certain that the blonde wouldn't lose her cool…until she spilled the beans on what the Hokage wanted Orochimaru to really do. That would be so very exciting to see.
Though she might need to find a way to keep the woman here on premises when that happened. Whatever issues she was working on since the passing of her lover, she doubted it would really stop her if she was pissed enough at the old man.
Then again, maybe the Senju Princess would surprise her. She always had a bit of a wilder side that Orochimaru had loved growing up. Tsunade had even claimed that since her family were the 'most shinobiest of clans' then it came with a certain level of weirdness. Orochimaru still occasionally teased the woman about what she had said at the age of seven.
"So…everyone done eating?" Tsunade asked, her eyes locking onto Orochimaru's own.
She glanced down at her half eaten meal only to watch the plate be slid out from in front of her and be taken into the kitchen.
"Good, Oro, why don't you help me in the kitchen while the girls can get Naruto settled back in. He has a new room now since I had to renovate and move some things around." Tsunade said.
Naruto shot a look toward his teacher before standing and letting Kushina practically begin dragging him out of the room. If she expected any kind of comforting words from him about the 'talk' she was about to have she would have been lying to herself. Instead she laughed as she got the expected reaction from him just before he was pulled around the corner of the wall.
"You made the bed, sleep in it." He said simply referring to her purposefully riling Tsunade up.
"If I get the opportunity." Orochimaru giggled playfully, getting a groan from Kushina that she could hear down the hall and a not so faint gasp from Minako. That was surprising, she was pretty sure she had cultivated enough of a bohemian reputation so that her sexuality was known to be very fluid.
The sigh from Tsuande behind her told her that at the least she seemed to have expected such.
"You have been far too playful since you got back…and far too close to my son."
"Don't be jealous because he is calling another woman mommy now." Orochimaru said before ducking beneath a chopstick that was swiftly embedded into the wall like a senbon needle.
"It might be a bit more prone to wriggle, but I can break a snake's back just as well as anything else that has a spine." Tsunade rumbled as she stepped back in from the kitchen fully.
"Are you offering to-" Orochimaru began fully planning to make a wonderful joke about blowing backs out until Tsunade literally reached out to catch her lips between her thumb and index finger.
"No more of this clown act. You aren't Jiraiya, it's making my skin crawl to hear it."
Orochimaru tilted her head slightly causing the blonde to click her teeth in annoyance and release her lips from her grip after a moment. It actually had hurt a little so Orochimaru worked her mouth for a moment as she felt her lips throb ever so slightly. Not a terrible sensation actually.
"What shall we talk about then, I wonder, Tsunade?"
"Why? He is practically your nephew so why?" Tsunade asked.
Orochimaru rolled her eyes and actually scowled a bit. As if that label came close to the description Orochimaru would use for her relationship with Naruto.
"What answer are you looking for? The one you know I like the most, the one you already know, or the one that Naruto cares about?"
Tsunade simply narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. Orochimaru sat back down and shrugged.
"In order then, first is pretty simple. I wanted to. You know what attracts me, you know my tastes, and you know my wishes. If and when, and the when is feeling much more probably than if these days, Tsunade. When I decide to have children I want their father to be someone extraordinary and that I genuinely care for…that is a pretty short list and I would rather let it be a stranger than let's say Sensei or gods forbid Jiraiya."
Tsunade remained silent though Orochimaru could sense the slightest relaxation of her shoulders. That was good, she could tell that this was a serious answer. Very good.
"Second, you know what is required of him. Sensei prepared you, he prepared the girls, and he prepared Naruto over the last few years. I even told you when he was little and first discovered his Mokuton. He will be all but required to take multiple lovers or at the least have children with multiple women. You were even fine with that if I recall because you were certain that you would have final say on everything. Unfortunately for you I think that Naruto should probably be the one that decides that." Orochimaru felt a bit of heat rise up in her voice as she said that but quickly tamped it down.
Tsunade, for her part, seemed a bit conflicted now. She really was a good mother and wanted the best for Naruto, but it warred heavily with what was good for the Senju which was also still integral to her being. Then again, it was hard to argue if the end came down to Naruto's choice.
"So last one then, the one that Naruto cares about. I genuinely care for him, love him even and want to eventually have his children. Everyone else including you and those girls have made plans about how every bit of Naruto's life will proceed, but I wonder if you ever asked him…because I have." Orochimaru said with a hint of victory in her voice as she watched the wind leave Tsunade's sails immediately.
The truth was, no one had asked him. They had expected, and made assumptions but never or at least rarely ever asked his actual input on the future for his own life. Even the Hokage was determined to place him on a set path, but at least the old man was flexible enough to leave plenty of room for Naruto to do as he pleased within those confines just like everyone else under Hiruzen's control.
Tsunade was actually a bit worse in that regard. Not exactly controlling per se, but she had a plan for her son and it had never included him in a relationship with his own teacher.
That thought was clear enough in the blonde woman's eyes as Orochimaru studied her beautiful face.
"He was your student. To use that position to build into a relationship is morally bankrupt all on it's own. I know you have issues when it comes to making some ethical choices but you know right from wrong. Convincing the boy you were supposed to look after that the two of you should be a couple is most definitely the latter." Tsunade bit out.
Orochimaru chuckled at that.
"See, that is where your primary misconception comes in Tsunade. Why are you so certain i was the one to decide to start things? Your son is a thinking individual. One that has all the same animal driving forces that you and I do…even if he is probably better at controlling them than either of his parents could have ever hoped to be." Orochimaru felt quite smug at the glare the woman sent her with that comment.
The discussion was far from over of course. Which was fine, she had all night really. Plus the longer she could avoid the 'orders' from Sensei the better.
Kushina wasn't furious. Really she wasn't. Minako had gotten quite good at telling the difference between an aggravated Uzumaki Princess and an actually angry one. That all being said, the expression Kushina was wearing as she stared at Naruto.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Naruto asked flatly, causing Minako to sigh.
"Do I want to- yes. Obviously!" Kushina said, her voice hot with emotion.
"Maybe I should go wait with Tsunade and Orochimaru, maybe they need something." Minako said as she smiled weakly at the others.
"No. Nope you sit right there, this involves you too." Kushina demanded. Minako grimaced but sat back down.
"Kushina-" Naruto began only for the redhead to turn her eyes toward him and cause him to stop short. Minako agreed with his current choice. Best to let her get what she wanted to say off of her chest.
"You know you have obligations to me, us…right?" Kushina asked.
"Yes Kushina. I remember you being angry about them for a few years. Before I even knew what they meant too." Naruto said seriously.
"Then you can understand why I am agitated. I mean I understand that Orochimaru is beautiful and as your teacher she shouldn't have pulled your strings to start a relationship like that. That doesn't mean you should have slept with her though." Kushina lectured him.
Naruto stood up at that and crossed his arms.
"Orochimaru didn't pull my strings. She even repeatedly rebuffed my initial advances. She told me that I was just going through puberty and on the training trip she happened to be the only woman in proximity. As if I'm an animal completely at the mercy to my body's desires." Naruto said with narrowed eyes.
Minako shrank a bit in her seat. She hated being so passive in this discussion, but she always felt a bit like an interloper among these clan heirs. Even after all these years. Seeing Naruto actually frustrated was also worrisome. This conversation wasn't going to be a series of one sided lectures like she had thought.
"You're betrothed to me." Kushina bit out.
Naruto blinked at that before nodding slowly. "And encouraged by the Hokage, my parents, my teacher, and the both of you to take multiple lovers for the good of clan and village. What did you think that entailed Kushina? You openly told me yourself that you were even interested in something with another girl."
"Specifically Minako! I was always talking about Minako. Not Orochimaru." Kushina was standing now and her voice was rising in volume to match.
"So you get to pick and choose for me? Why?" He asked.
That drew her up short for a moment before she shot a glare his way. "Because I am supposed to be the one you actually marry."
"For years you didn't even want to be married, at least not to me." Naruto responded.
"Oh don't throw my actions as a little girl up in my face. You weren't supposed to just start sleeping around." Kushina argued.
"Sleeping around? I only slept with her. Even then it's because I fully intend to make her a part of the clan, just like Minako." Naruto argued before turning toward Minako causing her to grimace as he did so. She kind of wanted him to forget she was here.
"You feel the same as her?" He asked simply.
"Well…" She began slowly. Both turned to look at her causing her to sigh and just get the discomfort out of the way.
"I think you both are blowing this a little out of proportion. I mean Kushina always thought it would just be you, her, and I. Not that there would be others especially a woman old enough to be your mother." Minako explained in as calm of terms as she could while choosing to ignore the fact that currently Orochimaru appeared far too young to fit that spot any longer.
"Exactly. The three of us." Kushina said with a nod.
"You two did get the same messages from Lord Third right? Lord Hokage recommends at least four or five concubines as well as my wife." Naruto said as he shot a look back toward Kushina.
"Well, yes, but we were supposed to be married and then select the others later." Kushina argued.
"What?" Naruto asked, a bit confused.
Minako realized part of the problem then. Much of Kushina's anger was because she had rationalized this arrangement as something she could control. Unfortunately that wasn't exactly the case. After all, a noble lord's wife didn't select his concubines. Why would they select Naruto's he was in the same boat…more or less.
"We would select them after you and I were married and we had established ourselves as a family. That was the plan." Kushina continued.
"This is the first I have heard of this. Besides I might take your input into account, Kushina but who I am with is my choice and if I am going to be with someone it is most definitely going to be someone I love." Naruto actually sounded a bit impassioned as he spoke which again stalled Kushina. Not for long though as she paced the small room.
"We were supposed to be married first anyway. Then you would make Minako your official concubine and we would start our family. Then after a few years we would select the others for you." Kushina said.
"Select them for me?" He asked, a bit angry at that.
"I didn't choose to marry you, the Hokage made the choice so at least I can choose this much." Kushina hotly fired back.
"I didn't choose either. In case you forgot I was a toddler when we were betrothed. Just because of that you don't get to make other decisions for me though." Naruto replied coldly.
Both were silent for a moment before Kushina scoffed venomously. She crossed the room to stand beside Minako and glare at Naruto again.
"So if it's our choices to do what we want then i can just go and sleep with whoever I want whenever I want, right?" Kushina asked sharply.
Naruto shook his head and rolled his eyes. It seemed he was done with the conversation. Minako knew better than to let it sit at that though. She doubted Kushina would actually do something like that, but sometimes she was a bit too unexpected and she knew that the redhead would be only breaking her own heart by doing something so stupid out of anger.
"Kushina, you and I both know that the rules for men and women in this sort of thing are different. Plus the whole arrangement is so that the village can get the Senju back. That's the whole point of this catastrophe." Minako said as she reached out to grab the other girl's hand and squeeze gently.
"You and I talked about everything Minako…it wasn't supposed to go like this. I was supposed to be, he was supposed to be…" Kushina began to stammer and tears welled in her eyes as frustration stirred with disappointment and a sense of betrayal.
Naruto's posture changed and his expression softened considerably as the redhead fought down her tears to the best of her ability. As he settled down back into his seat, Minako also had an epiphany as she mulled over the choked out words Kushina had just muttered.
"It's less that he slept with Orochimaru and more the fact that the plan we made was ruined, isn't it?" Minako asked.
Kushina shrugged but it was as good as her nodding.
Minako turned her attention back toward Naruto. "It isn't so much that you slept with Orochimaru. Both of us actually normally like her quite a lot. Although she seemed particularly mean today for some reason."
"She was acting like a bitch." Kushina grumbled.
"She has some reasons. Still if it's not that then what? You think I am like my father and am just going to go whoring? I may have developed a taste for beauty, but I'm not like him." Naruto pointed out.
"We know." Minako said before shooting a glance up toward her friend. "We do know. However we had thought that there would be a certain order to things…I am only now realizing we didn't discuss any of this with you at all though."
Kushina scowled for a moment before stepping around Minako to drop back into her seat. She was not about to suggest that Naruto was in the right here. But really it was a failure to communicate that caused this issue…and the unfairness of gender dynamics.
"What was the plan besides…well marriage and family with you two first?" Naruto asked far more calm than a moment ago.
"I had a right. I'm supposed to be your wife, so I had a right to share our first time together. That and it's bullshit that all of this was decided for us." Kushian crossed her arms once again but was no longer so heated.
"I can make sure you can be with whoever you want Kushina, if you don't want to remain engaged then-" Naruto began softly only to be cut off.
"No idiot. You're the only guy for me. It's still bullshit though." Kushina bit out.
"Right. So you're more mad that I gave my virginity to Orochimaru than you are that I slept with her?" Naruto asked.
"That is a part of it sure. The rest is that I am realizing I don't have any say in this. I want to marry you. I can't actually imagine it with anyone else, plus I've been sort of onboard with the idea for over a decade now."
"What about you?" Naruto asked Minako.
Minako chuckled weakly. She wasn't sure how to respond. Truth be told she had only ever been romantically interested in two people in her life. Both of them were right here with her. She had readily agreed to Kushina's plan because it let her be a part of everything. Let her love both of the people she loved. It was a win win for her.
"I'm just happy to be part of your lives." Minako said while essentially skirting around an answer.
"Minako wants to be with both of us and she's been looking forward to our wedding night almost as much as I have. She has some really deviant fantasies too. Your dad rubbed off on her I think. Like she was telling me about this idea she had-" Kushina said as she decided to try and recover from the heightened emotions of earlier by teasing her friend.
Minako covered the girl's mouth feeling as her lips spread into a broad smile beneath her palm.
Naruto blushed ever so slightly at the thoughts of what Minako could possibly be interested in while Minako blazed nearly as red as Kushina's hair.
"Are we okay then?" Naruto asked.
Minako removed her hand from Kushina's mouth and shrugged. She was still happy. Besides while she might not be interested in Orochimaru the way that she was in Naruto and Kushina…Minako was woman enough to admit that the exotic looks and beauty of the woman was definitely something she found attractive.
"We need to work kinks out of this disaster of a relationship that we are set for." Kushina grumbled.
"I think that comes with every relationship. This one is just more complicated so that means more issues than average." Minako replied.
"Oh yes, exactly what we all need. More work." Kushina rolled her eyes before she smirked toward Naruto with a predatory grin.
"That spar is going to be rough for you." She chirped, causing the boy to laugh slightly at the words.
"I haven't been sitting around for the last few years. You two are going to need to really bring out all the stops." Naruto responded.
"Oh Minako, little Naruto has got some cockiness now. Well that just won't do." Kushina laughed.
Minako marveled at how quickly the small storm between them had blown over. It was like there wasn't any tension at all suddenly and they were straight back to bantering like they had when last Naruto was in the village.
It filled her heart with warmth. The family was back together and sooner rather than later everything Minako wanted would be a reality.
That's all folks. Next chapter is focused on action (on multiple fronts), I know this was pretty much all spent surrounding the relationship status of Naruto but it was necessary as the time for his marriage to Kushina comes up and the war looms heavy over Konoha. We also have some other big reveals coming next chapter. After all it's been some time and this time skip means that a lot has changed.
Anyway
Till Next Time