Chapter 30: Chapter 27
Uzushiogakure
"You must have had a pleasant night at Nadeshiko that you would stay even for breakfast and then some." Karin greeted Naruto as he walked into his office.
The emperor eyed her with a raised brow; she was sitting on one of the couches along with Haku and Yoshino. He looked away from her and walked behind his desk.
Once settled, he responded in a quiet tone, a small smile on his lips.
"Well, I cannot say I was displeased. What did expect of me? To just escape as if I wasn't going to see her again?"
"Well, it isn't like it would have been your first time doing something like that." Karin responded with a nonchalant shrug.
Naruto shook his head. What did this woman think of him? Shizuka was his wife, and to simply treat her as a night-stand would certainly be mistake on his part. He glanced at both Yoshino and Haku; there were a couple of things that needed to be dealt with…
He didn't need to deal with Karin's petty feelings right now.
Of course, knowing her, she wasn't going to let it go even if he kicked her out. She was going to come at him once more when they were alone. He could deal with it then–it wasn't like she was going to go away if he ignored her now.
"Not to someone who will be the mother of my child." Naruto's tone was a little sharp. "I need to speak to Yoshino…"
He glanced at Haku for a moment and then shook his head.
"Alone. Please excuse us you two…"
"Plots to kill someone, probably…" Karin commented as she stood up. "I wonder how long it will take for the Elemental Nations to realize just how cold and calculating you are. You play the role of the good Emperor quite well, but there will be a day when you will be exposed. Nothing really remains hidden forever in this world."
Naruto smiled. "Technically, that is true, but certain things remain locked away from public ears and eyes. We will hide what needs to be hidden and take actions to ensure things are hidden; It is how you create that flow of information and manage who knows."
"You mean purge all who know and ensure that those that you want to know are unable to say anything." Karin said with a slight shake of her head. "It is best you keep me out of it."
"I wasn't going to tell you anything even if you begged."
Karin did not offer a response to this; she just walked out of the office silently.
Haku didn't leave immediately. He stared at the Emperor with a hardened look on his face. "You are doing something behind my back…Why?"
"You don't have the stomach for it. Or maybe you do but will most likely offer your disapproving thoughts. We do not need them right now."
"So, you're just going to keep me out of it and let me live in ignorance? How can I do my job effectively if you are going to keep crucial things away from me?"
Naruto was silent for a couple of moments, thinking.
Yoshino ended up speaking before the Emperor could say anything. "While I am not officially the number 2 in the Empire, I still carry way more weight within. Outside of the Empire, you are the main man, within, it is me. I still do outrank you."
"Say it plainly, Yoshino. I don't think you are the kind of person who'd beat around the bush just to say something." Haku said in a hardened tone.
"I was trying to be nice."
"I don't need your kindness."
"There is no need to be that serious, Haku. You have your role, I have my role. Things are as simple as that."
"Perhaps in your view."
"What is your view of things, then, Haku?"
"Be quiet, both of you." Naruto cut in before anything else could be said. "You are in the dark over certain things because you are too kind. Another reason is that I don't want you taking part in things that will dilute that kindness. But if you want to know, I will inform you of certain things. Just so you know of what happens. Is that acceptable enough?"
"For now, yes. But we must still talk."
"I don't believe there is nothing else to say but if you want to say something, I am willing to listen. Once I am done, I will need to be informed of what is happening within the empire to get work done."
"I will brief you," Haku said before stepping out of the office.
Once he was gone, Naruto spoke. "Things have taken an interesting twist. While there are a few surprises, it certainly does make things interesting. But we cannot understate the danger that does lie with the thrill."
"Indeed." Yoshino agreed. "But, for Kurotsuchi to still be alive, I had not expected it. Her hatred for us runs deep and she has been able to navigate through this difficult phase without throwing flames. I had expected her to make some disastrous decisions because of her hatred."
"You should know by now that people can be unpredictable." Naruto said. "Then, has this attitude of hers made you think that you can change things somehow and let her live? I have already stated that I want her dead. She is a variable that will disturb things for us if we allow her existence to continue. And whoever rescued her from the jaws of death certainly did so because they have intentions meant to cloud us."
"I'm conscious of this, your Majesty."
"But?"
"I was exploring the idea of keeping her alive, but on our leash. Noroi has not been able to make any breakthrough on what happened to her, and the only person who knows this, is Kurotsuchi."
"We don't need her to be alive to know what happened to her. If we kill her, we can poke into her head and that would be the much more desirable option as nothing will be filtered through her lips."
Of course, the Emperor would be rational about this. And, even when he did allow him to do things the way he saw fit, this time, he had been given an instruction and deviation was only permitted with a reason that was acceptable. Yoshino had always been conscious of this when doing things.
Maybe this time it was his fondness of Kurotsuchi's desires and mindset that made him think twice about plotting her death. Truly, if nothing was done, she would be a problem they did not need.
"We indeed don't need her to be alive to know what happened…"
Naruto cut off Yoshino before he could finish talking. "Yoshino, I won't tolerate anything unreasonable. And I am willing to give you time to gather your thoughts to give me a reason. If Madara has indeed returned, then Yoshino, there is going to be chaos in the days to come and we don't want to have sideshows keeping us from focusing on the major threats. Madara can kill us and insects can bite us hard in ways we will be forced to take measures we don't want to take."
"I understand your Majesty." Yoshino said in a stern tone. "What I had thought of doing had also been using the Akatsuki, or more precisely, Deidara's grudge against his former village to make things happen. It would not be an impossible thing to make him attack the village and then move quickly to remove him from the picture before anyone gets hold of him. We could deal with the fallout of our past association with the Akatsuki, if anything comes out of it."
"Another option?"
"Assassination. For us, it would be simple to get close enough in Iwa to kill her. But if she is killed and no one is caught, we will be suspected of having done it."
"Not unless we cook up something within the Earth." Naruto said in thought. "Cause friction between the Earth Daimyo and Kurotsuchi. There are already troubles between them due to the Earth's pressure on Iwa. Put more fire on it and when things have become public, remove the Earth Daimyo. If Kurotsuchi is killed after the Daimyo, our hands are clean. They killed each other, and nobody looks at us with suspicion. Even if they do look at us, we will have reasons to deny anything. But of course, any loose ends must be removed."
Yoshino couldn't help but smile upon hearing those words.
Naruto had always been like this, perhaps in the past couple of years things had been toned down a little as he focused on getting stronger and allowed them to do as they pleased. Haku could not stand such moves. He was far too kind for it. But Yoshino had no problems with it–he had always been able to follow through and if such a scenario did play out, he would be pleased with it - he just didn't necessarily want to go through it because of certain interests.
"You will consider the details and how you go about it. I don't need to know, but I will be waiting to hear the details on how this will occur. Unless you can convince me otherwise on why it should not occur as I have said, I expect results. Should as we fear and Madara has returned from the dead, he will start causing problems for us."
"I will see to it, Your Majesty. Should there be deviation, I will give a proper response."
"I expect nothing less." Naruto said sternly. "Get Haku back in here."
Without saying anything else, Yoshino departed from the office.
A couple of minutes later, Haku walked back in with a rather unusual expression on his face. He sat down in front of Naruto's desk and stared at the Emperor for a couple of moments before speaking.
"I was under the impression that my other role also entailed me persuading you from doing other corrupt things."
"That has not changed."
"Then why are you doing things without telling me?"
"It is convenient at this time. There are days you will not be able to get me to move to other ideas. You know me to be reasonable and flexible but there are times I will not move from what must be done. However, I have given Yoshino an option, and should he choose to exercise it and offer me a reason, you will play your role. But for now, you have other things to worry about. Should the Kage accept the invitation, you will have too much on your plate. Worry about what we must do to have the Kages playing nice with us."
Amegakure
Konan had to hold back from lunging at Black Zetsu when he appeared before her in the tower.
The only reason she stopped herself from attacking was because he was holding Nagato's body–her partner was indeed dead. When the days numbered, she had begun to accept that she may not even see his corpse. The people in Uzushiogakure had been loud enough about his survival possibilities.
Still, seeing him on Zetsu's shoulders just rang a loud call to her head, confirming what she had feared.
Once more, she had lost another friend, and partner.
Once more, she was all alone.
Had it not been for the fact that she didn't know anything about Zetsu's abilities, she would have attacked him there and then. He was indeed the source of all challenges. Without him, there would have never been Obito coming after them and Yahiko would have been alive. Of course, those were just ifs and wishful thoughts.
The cruel reality was that she was alone in this world. Her only true family was now dead–killed by the injustice of the shinobi world. Had things been different, had shinobi not been so corrupted, their lives would have turned out differently.
Konan reined in her thoughts and stared at the person standing in front of her with an expressionless mask.
Zetsu was the first to say something nevertheless.
"That is the same look I had when you betrayed Obito and killed him. I also had to control myself from attacking all of you."
"So, you were watching."
"I am always watching." Black Zetsu responded. "With Nagato gone, you have no one. Those people in Uzushio will most likely circle in to try to take over this village. I know they have means to bring the dead to life, but it also requires sacrifices. I wonder if they will even try to bring in Nagato back to life. At this stage, he is no longer useful to them. The war is over and Uzu has formed good relationships with other Kages."
You would expect a manipulative person to come with such words to try to dilute your thinking.
Konan was no longer a child that she would be urged to think otherwise about Uzushio. Naruto was cold about what was best, logically, rather than what his emotions desired. If he believed that reviving Nagato would be of no benefit, he would not do it. It was such a move that Konan expected from the Emperor.
But, if he thought it that way and she had her reasons, he would issue the order for Nagato to be brought back to the realm of the living world. All Uzumaki had their souls tied to this world.
"I have no interest in listening to what you have to say."
Zetsu smiled.
"Unfortunate but not unexpected."
Before he could add anything else, Noroi materialized from thin air, holding a long black sword.
"I have been looking for you, Zetsu."
Zetsu did not respond to this.
"Enjoy your freedom while it lasts. And you can tell Naruto that he will soon meet his end and everything he has built will be destroyed one by one." While saying that, Black Zetsu disappeared from the view.
Konan turned to Noroi with a blank expression.
"How long have you been watching."
"Long enough." Noroi said. "Will you keep the body, or do you want us keep it?"
"Which is the safer option?"
"We can keep him."
"And what about his revival?"
"While His Majesty has yet to said anything, you must not worry about Nagato. He will return to world of the living. The benefit of having him in this world far outweighs anything and besides, he is Uzumaki."
Uzushiogakure
Kabuto could not help but smile when he stared at the Emperor, who was sitting on his throne. It was always unnerving that he could be without a presence while sitting there.
He wondered how those people dealt with it. He felt like he was dealing with something that did not exist, yet was there, staring back at him. It was no doubt that the Emperor was powerful–but he was still not yet there.
In this generation, he had no one to rival him.
No doubt, if Orochimaru had succeeded in all his experiments and had not met his end, things could have been different.
No, they would have been different.
But there was nothing now. Once you were dead, you achieved nothing. Of course, he was running with some of those dreams, but he had his own agenda as well.
The former spy knelt before the Emperor.
"I have returned, Your Majesty."
Kabuto congratulated himself for how easy it was to say those words.
Calling Naruto by his rightful style was something he was unfamiliar with. He wasn't just putting on a show. The emperor was truly worthy of being called Majesty. Of course, not to the same standards as Madara but he was still a legend to this generation.
Naruto sat up straight and stared at the former spy of the Hidden Leaf with an expressionless mask.
"With good news, I should hope."
Kabuto smiled.
"I'm certain you will not accept any bad news from me."
"That will depend on what I will define as bad news. At this stage, one does expect certain things to go the way. I'm certain you have returned with more good news, but the first thing I want to hear from you is about Kurotsuchi. Her delicate situation gives me restless nights."
Kabuto almost laughed. How could he say that? Why was he so worried about Kurotsuchi? In his eyes, the Tsuchikage was insignificant to the plans of the Uzumaki. What made her even more irrelevant was the fact that she was the minority. Iwa was completely isolated from the other Great Nations as things stood.
She could not possibly be a worrisome existence that would give the emperor sleepless nights.
Naruto had to have disturbing developments to worry about. For certain, he was now beginning to think that Madara had returned from the dead. They knew about Nagato. Zetsu would not risk trying to sneak into this village. He would never dare.
He had admitted that there were possibilities that if he ever stepped into Uzushio, he could never return. Of course, that did give Kabuto the idea that Zetsu had a spy here.
Predictably, he never confirmed it. But he hadn't denied it when asked.
"I did look at the issue and it has come to my attention that Black Zetsu had nothing to do with her revival. She also seems to have gained a new hand–which possibly has the qualities of the Shodai Hokage's cells. I do not know who gave it to her, but I have some ideas. Of course, that will require me to go out more to investigate. I didn't have much time to do so this time because there were more pressing matters…At least from my point of view."
Naruto was not pleased knowing that Kurotsuchi had something related to the Shodai Hokage.
It was like this was another Danzo issue once more.
"How dangerous is this?"
"I don't believe there is any danger to it." Kabuto said calmly. "I could be wrong, but I am almost certain. She only received the hand, which makes it less likely that you'll see her using Mokuton or anything compared to it. It is likely that this was done due to the qualities of the Shodai's cells."
"Then we have a problem with whoever did the operation to her. And, that bothers me. We could have someone who could create clones soon. When it is all just smoke, you must quickly pour water before it becomes flames. Unfortunately, we have nothing to go on currently. And we have other issues that must deal with." Naruto said before pausing. "We may require your unique set of skills."
Kabuto's smile widened slightly.
"That would be giving me some freedom. Would that be safe? I don't think certain Uzumaki will be pleased with seeing me roam around freely."
"I'm certain you are jumping in joy on the inside, so don't ask me nonsense," Naruto responded in a flat tone. "What of your other mission?"
Kabuto didn't hide his excitement. He could have been satisfied with just looking at Madara's body, but he could not lay claim to having done anything to the infamous Uchiha. Naruto was different. The emperor had his power and he was truly proud of his hard-earned prowess.
But if he could add something to it–it could add value into his worth. He was always conscious over the fact that these people could think of disposing him at any day.
Perhaps it was paranoia but thinking about it didn't kill him.
"I was able to look at the perfect specimen and managed to gather some valuable data. I am ready to do the operation at any moment now. The data I have now is sufficient to achieve the perfect result that would see you replicate the Shodai's jutsu in levels that even Yamato cannot dream…" Kabuto said.
Naruto noted Kabuto's confidence, but he wondered how things would go if the former spy planned to slip in something that would either kill him or give him an edge that could see him try to manipulate him. It would be disastrous for him to be manipulated by this insignificant insect.
A horrendous death was better than being a puppet of such a lowly human.
"How safe will this be? As far as I am concerned, Hashirama's cells are powerful enough to kill a host. Danzo had an imperfect version of this but he had to always remain on guard because the cells could take over his body."
"Danzo was just weak." Kabuto said a bit coldly. "You are not weak, and you are Uzumaki. It is said that the Uzumaki are distant cousins of the Senju. Perhaps by extension, we could say they have relations with the Uchiha as well. Nagato was able to wield the Rinnegan and use its powers but I have hypothetically concluded that any other normal person would not be able to wield both those eyes."
"Was?"
Kabuto's smile sliped for a moment when he realized he had said something that the Emperor hadn't admitted to him. Of course, he could get out of this, but the fact that he had just exposed himself by a slip was troubling.
Luckily for him, the Emperor didn't press on the matter.
"Nagato was a special case…But, it is indeed true that our blood makes some things possible for us. Then, when do you want to begin?"
"I need to go to the island to collect a couple of things. Once I have done so, I will return here. I doubt you'd want to do it at the island. Here it is secure for you and I won't be able to go anywhere until you have recovered."
"Go to the island, but just to be safe, you will work with Karin. She must understand what you are doing. If she is satisfied with what you have, then we can begin." Naruto answered.
Of course, he could always tell if Kabuto had negative intentions towards him using the Kurama's senses, and he would do so, but this ability was something he wanted to keep hidden for as long as possible. It was simple to allow people to think he could not sense their intentions, no matter how well hidden.
"She is familiar with the work, so she should catch on quickly." Kabuto responded. "May I leave?"
"You may, but know that if we come to decide that you will be better suited to gather information for us, you will be expected to do so. Once I have moved from this village, you will barred from entering unless it is deemed convenient."
Later
"You seem to be far away." Haku said as he entered Naruto's office. "That is something to say considering that you are usually lost in your thoughts."
Perhaps the difference now was that he was aware of the things around him.
Naruto glanced at Haku before staring back at the ceiling with unblinking eyes. "There are issues that make me pause to think. Kabuto returned and he had some news. There is more he is going to tell me afterward. I will decide if I should snap his neck or permit his continued existence."
Haku had never been the one to decide on who should live and who should die. It was better to try talking to people before deciding on what must be done. Naruto's usual approach at times was simply pulling the trigger. He would have considered the cons before, but there were things that could not be justified and seen by rational thinking.
Yet, Kabuto was one person that Haku was uncomfortable with.
He would not have been bothered to even think about the man had Naruto just killed him when he was caught–or at least allowed himself to be caught when he knew there was no more escape for him.
"What do you think he is going to tell you?"
"That he has been in communication with Zetsu and probably met him during his absence. No, I am certain that he at least met with him the moment he left this village. What gives me clues is the fact that he confirmed that Zetsu was not behind Kurotsuchi, but he does not know who did it. He could only come to that conclusion if he had communication with Zetsu. He did just confirm that Nagato was dead – something that he would not know unless he had a hand in it. I could also feel that he was hiding something from me."
"And, you didn't press because?"
"I'm certain he is waiting for the right moment, for himself at least. He is ready to begin the operation. Once it has happened, I may be out for a couple of days while my body recovers and adjust to the changes."
Haku frowned slightly.
"This is not exactly the best time to be taking yourself out. You have said that Madara has returned to this world. Should he decide to attack while you are unable to do anything, we will be in trouble. This village will be at risk. Not to mention, the Kage and other leaders will be coming here soon. It cannot be that they come here, and you are unable to see them because you are out of commission."
"Things will not come to that." Naruto was quick to say a bit loudly. In a subdued tone, he added. "At least I hope so."
"Since when do you hope? Hope is illogical when you have facts that say otherwise."
Naruto smiled.
"Don't be like that, Haku. The situation forces me to take this risk, if it is a risk. We are at a position where we must be willing to gamble because if we do not go that far, we will lose everything. I am also permitted to abandon logic for once, am I not?"
"You are abandoning it at the wrong time." Haku said with a slight shake of his head. "But, this has already been decided…What happens now?"
"You will be acting as Emperor while I am out of commission. No one will tell you what to do. Yoshino will support and help you if there be a need. Naori will provide you whatever you need."
"I wonder if things will go so well." Haku said in a bitter tone. "I am aware of the clan politics. Not many will be happy to hear about this and I might be sabotaged."
"You will be fine." Naruto said in a dismissive tone. "If anything happens, deal with it as you would see it fit. If it is any member of the Uzumaki troubling you, report it to Yoshino as you won't be empowered to do anything against them. Or you can speak to Karin."
"I thought you stripped her of her authority."
"I did, but that is in the empire. Within the Uzumaki Empire, she has more of a say than I do…" The Emperor smiled and asked. "Would you believe that?"
"That is irrelevant. Yoshino is the clan head but if you wanted, you could direct him to do certain things. The two of you literally wrote the current clan laws. There have to be certain loopholes that you can exploit." Haku said. "What do you want me to do?"
"Just be ready to perform a duty expected of the Emperor and I won't complain when I return to assume my duties. What was Kurotsuchi's response to our invitation?"
"Contempt." Haku hadn't wished to state it so plainly but there was no shaking it.
"But she doesn't have a choice. She will come and she will sit with us. I assume it will be then that she will start issuing her fake apologies to the other Kages. Suna and Konoha are making life difficult for her and the Earth Daimyo continues to stifle the economic life out of the village."
"A slow death, huh?"
Naruto couldn't help but smile at this.
The high and mighty were slowly falling.
Naruto wouldn't have a problem if the situation didn't change for the foreseeable future. If she remained stubborn and refused to apologize, it would only bring about Iwa's slow demise. In that situation, she would no doubt try to invade small nations close to her for her survival, but then, the empire would have a justifiable reason to murder her and then invade the Earth Country.
He was conscious over the fact that Kurotsuchi would blame him for everything, but her thoughts were irrelevant at this time–she was going to die soon anyway.
Well, unless certain conditions change.
"Innocent people will be suffering as a result, is it really worth something to celebrate?" Haku asked.
"You don't know me for my kindness, Haku. Stop trying to expect something you will not see."
"Of course, you only show kindness when it is convenient." Haku said bitterly. "I was informed Noroi brought in Nagato's body. What are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing as of now. He will only be blind if we return him now. Besides, should we succeed in defeating Madara, we will get the Rinnegan. Maybe I could wield those eyes, just to experience their power and maybe I could use them to bring back Nagato to the living."
"That is not necessary for Nagato because his soul is bound to this world. What is needed is simply to revive his body. You just want to experience the power of the Rinnegan."
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"What if you like it too much that you think it is no longer worth reviving Nagato?"
Naruto smiled. Nothing could be ruled out when it came to power. With how he thought, he could logically conclude it best for him to keep the doujutsu. Naruto was not going to go that far nevertheless. Perhaps it would be safer if he didn't even try anything.
"You bring up something interesting. But, none of that will happen. Of course, we still need to navigate through Madara before we even talk about the Rinnegan. I am confident things will work out for the best. Regardless of how powerful he can be, he is still just a man. A mere mortal, and sometimes power alone doesn't win you battles."
"You have displayed that often." Haku said with sarcasm.
"I don't only fight by muscles, but I use my head when I fight. I would certainly take needless hits in battle if I was not smart enough." Naruto said with a slight shake of his head. "Should we contact the Priestess of the Land of Demons?"
"Why?"
"I'm curious about the future. I have always been certain about tomorrow, but things have shown me that I have no such power to predict events to occur. The Priestess is said to possess unique eyes that enable her to see into the future. Her death predictions have been thus far accurate."
"We should not." Haku said. "It will only cast uncertainties. Let us navigate through this situation. Let us survive Madara and deal with whoever is plotting with Kurotsuchi, then you can be free to do as you please."
"It shall be as you say, then."
Konohagakure
Gaara had to stop to gather a couple of thoughts that were aroused by what he saw the moment he stepped into what was the Hokage's office, formally, Tsunade's office, or at least it seemed to be her former place.
The Godaime was still present but just not sitting behind her desk. Rather, she was sitting on the couch, reading a scroll while Kakashi sat behind the desk. The Jonin looked tired, but still busy at work.
Gaara could sympathize. The work was too much when it was still new. It didn't mean it got less with the days you occupied the mantle–it just became easier as you adjust to the load.
"I didn't think you were going to discharge your duties at this time." Gaara said to Tsunade before sitting in front of the Hokage's desk.
Tsunade glanced at the Kazekage with a curious gaze before staring back at the scroll she held with both hands. "There is no better time than this."
"Nothing has been solved yet…"
"That is precisely why this is the best time. It is lot better to be part of the negotiations of an alliance than just inherit it. If you are part of something, you know the hard work that happened to achieve it and you will work tirelessly to protect it."
Gaara nodded and stared at Kakashi. His eyes seemed to say he disagreed with Tsunade's thinking. Of course, it could be that the call of duty to the village was something he could not reject. If not him, who would hold the position for the foreseeable future?
Suna didn't have to worry about looking for a new Kage, not now and certainly not any time soon–not unless disaster strikes. Hopefully, nothing of such occurs.
"Then I guess I will be working with you from now on. I had a successful time working with the Fifth, and I hope we will continue to have such a relationship."
"That is my hope as well." Kakashi said. "Suna is the only other Great Nation that Konoha can truly call an ally. We have our issues with Iwagakure and the Cloud."
"We don't all get along. As long as people remain unique and of different values and opinions, we can't always get along. Of course, it doesn't mean we must fight. We must still find way to work together even when we disagree. The wars of the past have been the result of power hunger and the inability to work with others. But I believe we have agreed to go to Uzushiogakure because we want to change that."
Tsunade glanced at Gaara once more. It was possible for Suna to have a more comfortable relationship with the Empire than they currently enjoyed with the Hidden Leaf. Naruto's relationship with Temari was key to this, but still knowing Naruto, nothing was certain.
Yet, it did remain a possibility.
"I heard the Emperor was at your village."
Gaara eyed Tsunade for a second. There was something in her tone that he found curious, but he could understand her worries.
"He was, but it was for something personal. He hadn't come to discuss anything regarding the Hidden Sand."
"Surely you took the opportunity to try to get him to stand on common ground with you before the meeting with other Kages. It would be beneficial to Suna that way."
"Does it bother you that we can have better relations with the Empire than you?" Gaara's tone was flat when he asked the question.
"Maybe a little." Tsunade admitted. "You have always been our one true ally since I assumed power. I truly don't want that to change."
"It is not likely to change. We will of course grow less dependent of you, but our friendship is something that I cannot forsake. I cannot forget what you have done for us simply because there is something good out there." Gaara said with a slight shake of his head.
"How did it go then? Did he show any indication of how things might go during the meeting with other Kages? We also want to be prepared." Kakashi asked curiously.
"I would think you people would be the one to know him better by now." Gaara said before pausing for a couple of seconds. "Naruto is rational and he isn't going to change his approach to such relations simply because he is involved with my sister. It may be logical to have better relations with me but that does not mean it will transfer to Suna as well. As he has stated, becoming friends with Suna does not benefit him in any way."
"That exactly sounds like him." Jiraiya suddenly said as he appeared on the window. The Toad Sage sat there and looked outside before continuing. "He can be cold and rational. It is sometimes scary just how he can distance himself from all the emotional attachments and reason. It should be his weakness, but he is smart enough to accommodate his feelings and learn from mistakes."
"That is because he has never been highly arrogant despite his understanding of things. Certainly, he looks at things in ways we do not. But he also brings himself down to a level where he can speak for all to understand." Kakashi said in thought.
"I still find it difficult to deal with him despite my understanding of him."
"That is because he will never allow you to read him. I think he enjoys keeping that air of mystery." Jiraiya said a bit bitterly.
It was of course a sore spot for him that he could never read Naruto despite spending more than two years together.
"It is nevertheless a good opportunity that we have been presented with. Through the history of the Great Nations, there has never been a nation that has been able to make us all stop to listen. For the first time, we head into a summit knowing that it is not our voice that can change all things. Of course, if all Kages stood together, we would destroy the Empire, but we are not in that position."
"By design, of course." Jiraiya couldn't help but add.
"I have to agree with Jiraiya-sama on that note. But this does help our cause for a better shinobi world for future generations."
"Indeed." Tsunade said with a small nod. "But how do we go about that with the current challenges we face? We don't even know what message awaits us in Uzushio. Anything can change depending on how the Empire decides to treat Kumo and Stone."
"We don't know." Gaara said. "That is part of the reason I came here. I have come here so we can look at possibilities and to let you know of my position in matters relating to the Empire. I would rather not surprise you in the summit after what we have been through together."
"I hope that is not about where you take a similar stance with the Mizukage, but I am only hoping. Naruto will have problems with us, and you don't want to get involved." the words came out of Tsunade's mouth a bit more bitterly than intended.
"It is not that I don't want to get involved. You are an ally, if anything comes, I will defend you. Suna will always have the Leaf's back."
Jiraiya stared, trying to wonder where the Kazekage was going with this. He then smiled. "As long as it is reasonable and the Leaf stays within lane, you will not be picking sides."
"Sides?" Gaara asked curiously.
"For a man who preaches peace I did not think you would utter such words in such a manner, Jiraiya-sama. But then again, this points to the hypocrisy in your stance. Perhaps Naruto was right to say you have failed because of this attitude. You always put your village above all things, at times without regard about your peace. You are talking about sides when I am talking about what is right. In some sense, you are equating 'right' with picking a side of a friend. If you are wrong, you are wrong. The defenceless must not be defended, they must be shown the right way. Of course, the same stance will be put with the Emperor."
How pathetic was he that he had to be called a hypocrite by someone so young and then lectured about ideals that have carried him this far?
Jiraiya had never felt wounded–but he could not say that the Kazekage was false or being disrespectful. This has always been the way Suna operated. But, given how closely related they were to Naruto–there was a possibility of things turning nasty between them and the Empire.
Moral lines could be blurred.
As it was often the case with Shinobi.
Gaara was saying if such a moment came, he was going to tell them they were wrong and would not fight with them. But most likely would not fight with the other side as well.
"I have made mistake. We all mistakes–that is not an excuse to say I did wrong because others have made mistakes. But, in my generation, we always had to follow the village, regardless of its actions. Konoha has a past that I am not proud of but despite my ideals, I still stand for it."
"Someone in your position should not say that. The village will always take the direction of its leader. I lead Suna by my ideals and what I believe is best for it. From what I know, you had opportunity to become Hokage long ago, but you refused. The village could have followed your ideals then. Things could have been different now."
"I was never suitable for that role."
Gaara smiled.
Not out of happiness but the tiny smile just formed on his lips.
"I was just a child when I became Kazekage. Between a child and a man with war experience, loved by his village, who was suitable to become Kage? From what I have heard, Kakashi failed as a Jonin sensei for Naruto's team. Should we not say someone who couldn't lead three genins should not be anywhere near Hokage mantle."
Kakashi felt a pang in his chest and eye smiled. "I am still here, you know."
"I was just trying to make a point. That is not my reflection of you." Gaara said in a quiet yet firm tone.
"No offense taken." Kakashi said.
Later
Tsunade wanted to laugh at Jiraiya, but she felt pity for him. More than anyone, she knew his regrets, his failures and the heavy burden he carried. Maybe he still blamed himself for Minato's death. No question he had loved Minato as if he were his own child. His death had been a huge blow to the Sannin.
Still, his ideals had been something Tsunade never encouraged. It was almost laughable seeing him getting lectured by Gaara.
The Kazekage hit home mercilessly.
They were sitting together over drinks, as they usually did when they had to talk.
"You still bitter about what Gaara said?"
"A little…He could have been gentle." Jiraiya said before taking a sip of his sake. "But, that would not have been like him. It did feel like I was dealing with Naruto, minus that amused look he would give just to throw you off."
"Not that what he said was not true…" Tsunade said firmly.
Jiraiya refused to engage those firm words. In fact, he changed the subject.
"I was able to get into Ame this time around. And, it was a little easy. They have opened the village. But I sense there is something big going to happen soon."
"What makes you say that?"
"It is just a gut feeling. There is no time to be miserable and look back at past blunders. There have been strange movements from members of the Akatsuki over the past days. They are no longer to the Empire or to Amegakure. They are all S-rank shinobi both Itachi and Orochimaru are former members."
Tsunade frowned.
"What do you think will happen?"
"I don't know, hime. I don't know. There also is the Empire's worrying movements around Iwa…But more specifically, its Tsuchikage."
"You think they want to kill her?"
Jiraiya shook his head.
"Remember she disappeared during the war? Onoki accused Naruto of having done something because he had been fighting her. Naruto didn't show anything, but it seems that he had expected her dead. There is possibly someone who took her away, helped her return to full health. The Empire most likely doesn't know who, hence their movements."
"Could it be someone dangerous?"
"They likely think so. We will ask when we go to Uzushio."
"In light of what you have said, it would not be best for you to leave this village. I am taking Gai, Kakashi and Shikamaru with me. If there is danger lurking, you'll need to stay behind."
"I was afraid you might say that." Jiraiya said. "Why Shikamaru?"
"He can get along with Naruto."
Uzushio
Naruto had never allowed impatience to stir up the emotions in him, but as he sat, waiting for Kabuto and Karin to finish what they were doing, impatience and chaos ran within him.
The tapping of his fingers on the throne echoed through the hall.
The atmosphere around displayed none of the chaos going within nevertheless.
He had learned to control the emotions within that even when alone, he kept the locks on the masks.
After a couple of minutes–it had felt like hours to him–Karin emerged into the throne room with Kabuto. The tapping stopped and he miraculously managed to keep his left eye on Kabuto and the right eye on Karin, waiting for the latter to share her good news.
"You can stop turning and tossing, all is well. There will be no surprises from his side." Karin said to the Emperor with an amused look on her face as if she could sense his impatience.
"I don't complain if it is you having some fun at my expense." The Emperor said calmly. "Then we can proceed, if you have no objections…" he then paused. "I really should be careful with trusting you, though. The wife is the one who cooks poisonous food for the husband."
"If he is bad…"
"Or, just unwanted anymore and there is no other way to separate from him."
"Maybe… we don't have issues do we?" Karin smiled innocently. "Well, if you think we are all fine, you should not worry."
"That makes me uncomfortable." Naruto said. He then stood up. "I have prepared. We can move. You did everything on your side, yes?"
Karin nodded. "I just need to move the things Kabuto brought and then we can begin. I still want to supervise and see this process. I still find this kind of work interesting. And, maybe I can use it for future developments."
"I hope we are not going have issues of you kidnapping prisoners to conduct experiments on them."
"You'd burn everything to the ground." Karin responded with a blank stare. "This untrustworthy snake wants to talk to you about something he doesn't want me to know or at least wants to talk to you alone. While I finish prepping the room, you can talk to him." She added before turning away from the Emperor.
Naruto sat again once more and stared at Kabuto.
He had suspected that Kabuto would come back to him to bleed what he was hiding. Naori was listening in on the conversation. It would be good if he could kick out the man, but he decided against it. The contents of the conversation were something that eluded him but he would certainly have to make a decision that would have some consequences.
He settled in a relaxed posture, head rested on the palm of his left hand. He stared with an expressionless mask before speaking.
"Say your next words carefully but be blunt as you can be. I would not like if you wasted my time going around in cycles to say simple words."
Kabuto knew this was dangerous, but as expected, the Emperor seemed to have been waiting for him. It didn't take away the danger. It just reinforced his thought that he was dealing with a very dangerous person. And, if he was not careful, he would die a very horrible death.
No, after everything, these people could just let me suffer for the rest of his life, killing all hope of escape and freedom.
There was no other way to say things.
He would have to just say it.
"Madara…The real Madara is back from the dead. As you already know, Nagato is dead."
Predictably, things had come to this point.
It was ridiculous that after all the planning and measures taken Madara had still come from the dead. Certain things you truly could not avoid despite best laid plans. This was still something he'd have liked to avoid nevertheless. Well, over the past days, he had come to accept this to be true.
Kabuto was only confirming it. And, now they had to take steps to mitigate the problem and deal with it ruthlessly, if possible.
"We had come to realize as much when Nagato disappeared. Zetsu had always been there, lurking. Though, it never came to us that anyone would be able to get behind Nagato," Naruto said calmly.
"How have you come to know this?"
Kabuto did not hesitate to respond, even though he was saying something treasonous.
"I helped Zetsu restrain Nagato once he got behind him. And, I then helped him revive Madara."
"I see..."
Naruto paused.
"What does Zetsu know about the inner workings of this village?"
"A few things, but not things that you keep to yourself. But he knows enough to make you think he has someone in the inside." Kabuto said.
The Emperor closed his eyes for a moment.
This was dangerous.
He didn't need treacherous people close to him. Of course, whoever it was could not possibly be a shinobi of his village. It had to be someone who was a civilian. That was something Yoshino would have to solve. He was not going to bother himself with it.
This was Yoshino's village, after all.
"As long as he doesn't know the finer details…Then Madara will continue…No, begin with what Obito failed to do…"
"Yes…" Kabuto said. "You are taking this as I expected. If I had thought you would have me killed, I would have chosen to stay by Madara's side."
Kabuto was making one fundamental mistake, but Naruto was not going to correct it.
Kabuto would learn for himself through experience.
"Why did you return?"
"There are not a lot of options there. And, there is an end of things with them. I chose a path that will allow me to continue living…If we survive this, but I can make sure we do survive."
Naruto smiled. "Of course, you would say that. Your survival hinges on that after all. Once this is done, you will tell me everything so I know what I can about Madara. You must have learned a great deal of detail about both Madara and Zetsu. I want to know all of it…All of it…"
"I had no intentions of keeping it to myself. At least that was the decision I took when I decided to come here. I have no intentions of trying anything against the Empire. Of course, now I have tested what the seal does, then I know how to act based on that knowledge."
"Wilful?" Naruto asked with a smile. "That is just a technicality that can be changed at any time. We brand it on people depending on personality and character. Wilful works for you, but of course I was never going to tell you that…Not unless you tried something that would have made you uncomfortable."
It was rather skilful of the Emperor to say all that without actuallygiving him a straight answer on what the seal would actually do to him if he crossed the line.
There were clues but there was nothing concrete.
Madara's Hideout
The state of affairs were beyond what Madara had thought for the shinobi world. He'd never thought things would come to this point. The Great Nations were to always dominate, but to see the once peaceful clan of the Uzumaki dominating was ridiculous.
Mito wouldn't believe it. Neither would Hashirama. That idiot would probably laugh it off. Thinking of his former friend–it would be nice if he too was alive in this generation, just so he could have someone he could call an equal. Someone to challenge him. Someone he could dance with.
But maybe this Naruto could give him a good lap.
Just maybe.
Madara didn't have much hope for this generation.
Still, the fact that Obito had been beaten and killed was something else. To be quite honest, he had been left surprised that Naruto had planned it all at such a young age. Zetsu had done well in filling in the blanks. But he still needed to see more of this world.
It was certainly different from his time. He could not say there were no wars. There was a war weeks ago. Nothing had fundamentally changed.
There were winners and losers.
As it had always been.
"Do you have the locations of all Bijuu?"
"The Sanbi is missing. I don't know if it has a Jinchuriki or not. The Kyubi is in Naruto–at least half of it. I can find the Sanbi. I think it is somewhere around Uzushio."
The Sanbi again? He had used it to lure Obito into his trap.
And, now he would have to look for it again.
"The others?"
"The First is within the Fifth Kazekage and the second is in Kumo. We may have to act quickly because as things are happening, she will most likely be going to Uzushio–and it will be difficult if she goes there. Even for you, it would not be simple."
"Why?"
"There are barriers made precisely to counter doujutsus."
Madara could only smile.
This only made him wish he could go to Uzushio.
But, there needed to be some work done before that. And, of course he wouldn't have the time to chase after all the Jinchuriki.
"What of the group Obito had gathered? How useful can they be?"
"They are strong enough to gather the Bijuu and I have also called them to gather. It should work in our favour, but once word gets out the you are back from the dead, the other nations should stand up and try to take action. Naruto is the only one who knows about the plan as he has never told the other Kages. Well, with how things went, he probably thought things would not come to this point and he could just bury the plan along with him."
With Akatsuki members
Kisame grinned seeing the zombie duo.
Seeing these people always brought up a couple of good memories. Naturally, it was not the same without Itachi around. He'd been fond of the Uchiha since they got to know each other. He'd gone out his way. Kisame wondered if he'd go out the same way.
But, he wanted to fight the Emperor before he could do so. He would have tried that before–but the situation was never right. Besides, there was nothing to gain then. Now, there was something to gain.
"You're still alive." Kisame said to the zombie duo. "I haven't seen you in a couple of years–thought you were perhaps dead by now."
"Killed by who?" Hidan demanded.
"Thought maybe your god got tired of worthless sacrifices and decided to kill you instead." Kisame offered with a shrug. Before Hidan could explode to say something, Kisame turned to Sasori and Deidara.
"I'm surprised you two came here."
"Are we not members of the Akatsuki?"
"You made movements during the war. The Emperor was prepared to use you. Thought you had a working relationship with the man."
Sasori suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He'd always known to the Emperor Akatsuki members were nothing more than expandable tools. They were nothing and he could turn on them when it was convenient.
"That was for passing time. But, we are smart enough to see how things are going and where they will eventually end. The Empire has been building prisons. From what I hear, they are probably complete. You can't see because the place is covered by a thick mist. Or, maybe there is a barrier just like in Uzushio. We still can't tell the exact location of the village despite having flown there a couple of times to look for it." Sasori said calmly. "Regardless, those prisons are probably going to be used for us if they don't need the bounty on our heads."
"You seem to have been thinking about this for a while." Kakuzu noted.
"Nothing wrong with it."
"What does Zetsu want, hn?" Deidara asked.
The plant was the one who requested they meet.
And, there was still no sign of him.
He hadn't said much.
"Probably to give us missions to hunt down Jinchuriki." Kisame said in thought.
He already knew Madara was back. As someone who'd known about the plan, Zetsu has informed him about the changes to occur.
Uzushiogakure
Kabuto breathed a sigh of relieve as he stepped out of the operating room along with Karin.
They stepped into the crystal-like throne room locked in another space. He had never come here before and he hadn't even known that such a space existed. Karin had never said a thing about it. No one had spoken to had said anything. The Empire surely had many secrets.
No, Uzushio was just riddled with many spaces that held curious things that needed to be tested.
The tiredness he felt suddenly disappeared when three people appeared in front of him, right in the throne room. He became uncomfortable seeing them. He hadn't expected this to happen. No, Naruto had given him the impression that nothing would happen.
Certainly, the Emperor had said as much on the operation room and Karin had said there was nothing to worry about. Indeed, he had calculated things right–as Karin had confirmed. The Emperor was a rational being. He would have considered the benefits of his alliance and besides, the seal ensured that he could never betray the empire.
From what he could also tell, the Emperor had suspected something when he departed and yet still allowed him to leave without even anyone surveying things.
He must have been confident that he would come back with the truth.
If these people wanted to do something to him, he could not escape from this space. There was no way out. Perhaps the Emperor had also foreseen this turn of events.
"I heard what you said to His Majesty." Naori said in a stern tone. "Having heard it, it would be a mistake on my part to simply let you continue to live. As his Majesty's guard, I would have failed my duty."
"Is he going to be happy with you? I'm certain he didn't give you the order…" Kabuto said with confidence.
He was certain that he now had a better understanding of the man occupying the throne of the Uzumaki Empire.
The smile on the Uzumaki made Kabuto uncomfortable. The little smile he had displayed quickly vanished as he began to fear what could happen next.
"Naruto is truly a cruel person." Karin said as she stepped into the throne room. "What you decided was on the Emperor's call…Certainly, he didn't give the order for you to be killed and would like for you to continue. But he never shared these thoughts with those people. And, a little miscalculation you made was you think these people will follow along with Naruto's thoughts. He probably knew that they would have different ideas but let it be that way."
She shook her head.
"Take me away, Naoki."
"Naori, you can also leave. I'd like to have a private chat with Kabuto."
Naori merely nodded and departed along with the others.
"Don't be on guard. Nothing is going to happen to you. But I must apologize for his Majesty's deception–if you want to call it that anyway. The truth is if we want, we could kill you and his Majesty would still not he surprised it happened. He gave you his face but omitted the other side."
"Which is you…" Kabuto finished. "I was informed you are more like him in thought. What is going to happen to me?"
Yoshino smiled. "Who informed you, Kabuto? I know it was not Karin… then who did?"
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