Chapitre 28: Chapter 25 Mistakes
Guren stared at Yugao with an expressionless mask on her face. The Sound country was going to be big in the near future. The added pressure to make everything run smoothly was that Naruto was going to have a home here. She would have liked to have the place to herself but she could not complain. Besides, from what she has seen of the Emperor, he would not interfere with how she ran the village.
He did keep those boundaries, but the fact that he would be around would cause her to act with caution. What she did not expect was for him to send someone from Konoha to work for her.
She couldn't trust the woman.
The Emperor's word may be that they could trust her but she was a former ANBU and that didn't sit well with her.
Her eyes turned to Naori. The man seemed a little impatient for some reason.
"Are you sure she can be trusted?"
"I am only bringing her here on his Majesty's order."
"That does not answer the question." Guren said in a flat tone.
"I told you why I brought her. Do you need more, Guren? The Emperor says she must come here and be given a duty that is worth her skills–and that is what must be done, unless you are beginning to question his Majesty's orders."
Guren frowned. She certainly did not question the orders of the Emperor. He welcomed questions but there were those days and Naori's attitude told her this was one of those moments she just had to do what she was told.
"Fine."
"Good." Naori said. "I will return if there is any other issue. Do you perhaps have any message you want to give to his Majesty?"
"No; everything is going smoothly. I want funds to be made available as soon as possible though."
"We will talk about that." Naori said before vanishing into thin air.
The moment Naori left, Yugao stared at the woman. She knew her as Orochimaru's former subordinate but she had known that she had been working with Naruto.
"Are we going to have problems?"
"Not unless you bring them."
"I don't intend to bring any problems. If it was my wish, I would not have come here but the Emperor has ordered that I come here and he didn't even give me time to say otherwise. If you don't want me to do anything, I have no problem in just moving around this city. But when he comes for an explanation, you'll have to answer for it."
"That sounds like a threat."
Yugao shrugged. "I'm just stating it as it is."
"I will decide what you will do. I must look at my structure and see where you will fit. But since he is going to come here and seems to trust you, I can make you head of his guard at the castle we are building for him. He should not complain if I make that decision."
Yugao smiled.
"Indeed."
Uzushiogakure
When was the last time Karin had breakfast with such peace?
Yes, it was around that time when her parents had still been alive. She had never thought that she would enjoy such moments again. But here she was, eating breakfast with family. It was casual, easy going. Then again, most of her interactions were easy going, unless there were those moments he called her rough.
Haku was present, but she didn't mind his presence. He was a fresh breath compared to the other twisted people Naruto surrounded himself with.
"You should join us regularly, Haku." Karin said.
"I would be invading your moments with him. Don't you want to be alone with him while eating like this?"
"Nonsense; we can have privacy some other time. Besides, there is no better way to start a day than with the people you care about."
"And don't let that make you think you cannot start a family of your own." Naruto jumped in.
Karin glared at him.
"Just leave the poor guy alone, Naruto. We are trying to enjoy some peace, you don't have to nag him about it. He must do what pleases him. You don't care about anything–you just want to make sure that the Hyoton blood line does not die out with him."
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"Yes."
"I don't see it. I didn't just have him brought back to life for no reason." Naruto said. "But of course, I don't want him to be miserable. He must just enjoy life. Men and woman were created to be together. Nobody fills a woman more than a man."
"Don't try to pass on your love for sexual relationships to other people."
Haku smiled. "I don't think anyone can quite match his appetite." He said lightly. "But you need not worry, I won't copy what he does."
"Disappointing… who is gonna to be on my side when we visit bars at night after a hard day at work?"
"You have been fairly content in doing it on your own in your Konoha days. You don't need someone now. And I hope that going to the Sound isn't just a way for you to whore around without me looking at you. If I find out that you are doing that, there will be consequences."
"I don't like the sound of that."
"I didn't mean for you to like it." Karin said with a nonchalant shrug. "Then, how are things going with Konoha and your many wives? With the war done, there are going to be many more marriages? You are going to do this political thing to strengthen your hand and alliances. I need to know about it now so I can think about how that will affect me."
"Speaking about that." Haku started slowly. "You do need to speak to the Mizukage about that. She has said she was willing to enter into the marriage. But for her, it won't be just politics. You will be expected to fulfill your duties as a husband. From what I have seen of her, she has been looking for marriage for some time. I won't say she is desperate but it is a sensitive issue for her."
Naruto looked thoughtful for a couple of moments before nodding.
"We will make a date to arrange that. This is going to take a toll on me, though. But at least if Karin is refusing to pleasure me, I can always go somewhere."
"If you speak like that, I won't mind sleeping in a separate room from you. And I won't allow you to visit at night. You can always visit one of your women after all."
"You mustn't joke about such things."
"You mustn't say such things carelessly."
"Message received." Naruto relented. "If you are saying that, is she satisfied with our actions? She had said she was going to wait until the war to see what we would do before deciding on our future together. We are trading partners but not allies in that sense."
"There should be no issues given the direction of things."
"Make arrangements then." Naruto said. "We will first handle Nadeshiko. I have been holding it for a little longer; We must do with haste."
"I'm not going there."
"I did not expect you to go there." Naruto was quick to say. "Then there is Temari. I have missed her a bit. I haven't seen her since I rescued her from Kurotsuchi."
"You have been busy." Haku pointed out. "It is just those three only. Konoha has changed its mind, so we don't have to worry there."
"Once you have done all your marriages, I must sit with all of them and have a talk with them about boundaries. They must know that I take priority."
Naruto stared at Karin with an expressionless mask. Hadn't she done something similar when Temari had come here? Thinking of the blond, he really needed to go see her, but there were people coming here to discuss the future. Naruto hoped that things would not be so crowded in the future because there was no time to do other things or even spend time sitting on his throne with no one disturbing him.
"That sounds awfully a lot like marking your territory."
"I am going to do so. I came first."
"But they are older than you."
"Doesn't matter. I am the Empress and they are just your wives. They must know their places. Like even when you are with either, if I feel like it, I can send Naoki to fetch you and you will come."
"I'll just bribe him to say he didn't find me." Naruto said with a wave of his right hand. "I expect you to dress up and welcome our guests. They should be arriving anytime soon. And this should not be a reason to avoid taking your lessons."
"Why do I feel like I am being treated like a child?"
"Your imagination." Naruto said. "This does remind me, Haku. We must get rid of Shikamaru. I don't want him around when our people come."
"Will you conclude things with him today, then?"
"Yes." Naruto said with a nod. He then stood up after finishing eating. "Karin, I must warn you, Koyuki will bear me my first child. Of course, that will not have any consequence on the Empire. The child I will have with her will be groomed to take over the Land of Springs."
"I'm learning not to care about that–as long you don't do it in front of me. I have even long suspected that you might have a child you don't even know about."
"You have a low opinion of your husband, wife."
"You are to blame here, given your record." Haku cut in, staring at the Emperor–who stared back but said nothing.
Naruto's Office
"Your Majesty, Kabuto is in the throne room waiting for you." Naori whispered to the right ear of the Emperor.
"What does he want?"
"He would not say."
"Bring him here."
"Hai."
After a couple of minutes, Kabuto walked into the office. The place was tidy. A little unexpected given that the Emperor always had messy hair. Perhaps he just liked it like that. The man was busy at work. The bespectacled shinobi walked towards the desk and stood motionlessly.
Naruto did not glance at him–his eyes were focused on the papers on his desk.
"Speak; as you can see, there is much work to be done."
"Isn't it a little different from the work you usually do? I mean fighting, at least."
"These are duties that I must still carry out as Emperor. But that is not the reason you are here, Kabuto?" The Emperor looked up to the former spy for a second before looking down on his papers.
Kabuto didn't offer an immediate response.
He did wonder if the Emperor would even grant his wish. Still there was no harm in trying. He liked to believe that he had earned a bit of trust and the Emperor didn't seem to view him as that much of a threat–at least not with the Uzumaki branding on him.
"I want to leave the island and go do a little hunting. I don't wish to be followed during that time. I might even take a couple of weeks while away."
"How will that disappearance benefit me?"
"When I return, I'll be ready to give you Mokuton. It is necessary that I depart to look at one last piece of the puzzle that will solve the current question that I have. If I am successful, you might even be able to replicate Mokuton to the level of the Shodai Hokage. At this stage, there is no one who is capable of doing so. I want to see you break that boundary."
"You may leave, and no one will follow you."
Kabuto smiled. "Thank you."
"When you return, I want information. You can also look into how Kurotsuchi was able to simply vanish from the face of the shinobi world and then appear back with a new hand after I'd turned her original into ashes. You can do that, can't you? You and Orochimaru traveled much in the underworld, you must know a lot of what happens there."
Kabuto looked at the Emperor curiously. It was not that he hadn't heard about the curious case, but he could still look deep. The fact that the Emperor was asking him meant that he didn't have the answers. Now, that was something else, wasn't it?
His value just increased in this Empire.
"I will find what I can." Kabuto said and then turned away from the Emperor. The moment he went outside of the office, Naori appeared before him.
"I will see you out."
"Is it safe to leave the Emperor alone?"
"You need not worry about that, Kabuto. Just make sure you return alive from your adventures. We'd be willing to find your corpse and bring you back from the dead just to suck out everything inside your head then kill you again." Naori said in a cold tone.
Kabuto only smiled and did not respond.
Naruto leaned back on his chair when Shikamaru walked into his office with Haku. The Nara settled on a chair in front of the desk while the latter sat on the couches. The issue with Konoha was something, he admittedly, was not really keen to talk about. But this was a chapter he had to resolve. They could not remain stuck in the first gear.
"How is Konoha going to make amends for closing both its eyes when Uzushio was destroyed?"
Shikamaru had not expected the question but did it not surprise him.
Konoha had betrayed the whirlpools and that was something they could not run away from.
It was a sin of the past but their past nevertheless.
"I have not been empowered to talk about that." Shikamaru said. "Is that what you think happened?"
"That is what happened." Naruto said in a hardened tone. "When I was with Jiraiya, I always asked him about such things. There was no way for Kumo, Kiri, and Stone to move without Konoha knowing about it. And even if they didn't know about it, why was it that some Uzumaki chose to scatter around the Elemental Nations rather than going to Konoha?"
"Possibly because they felt that Konoha had betrayed them." Shikamaru answered. "Given the numbers, it is possible that the Leaf decided against getting involved for its own safety."
"You are the first person from the Leaf to actually admit that. No one wants to admit it. Of course, we don't hold grudges. From where I stand, Konoha made a logical decision. But given the facts, do you think it would be rational to ally ourselves with a village that once betrayed us?"
"Does this really affect what we are going to discuss?"
"Yes; I want you to understand where we stand." Naruto said. "You said there would be a new deal from the one I had made with the Sandaime Hokage. No more marriage but what replaces that?"
"To say there will be no marriage is not quite right," Shikamaru said with a smile. "The decision was that one of your children would have to marry into a clan in Konoha. The Hyuga clan was chosen. We will still need to iron things with the clan before they are allowed to engage with you on the matter."
Naruto stared at Shikamaru.
"You also want that child to live in the Hidden Leaf. The Hyuga clan would not agree to such a plan if one of them had to leave Konoha. It would mean the Byakugan is going out of their hands. For them, there is nothing more precious than the secrets of their eyes."
"You claim not to be a genius but you read between the lines quickly."
"Experience–this is something I learned from the Sandaime Hokage," Naruto said. "Both Yugao and your father must have taken my displeasure seriously…What else is there?"
"Nothing really. We would like to be allies and perhaps trade with each other."
"Trade? You would do well to trade with the Wave country. I will grant permission for that to happen. If those are your only terms, you will have an agreement. Next time you come, have the agreement at hand so we can sign it."
"You will still need to talk to the Hyuga clan."
"That is fine."
Shikamaru nodded. "You are not going to make any demands?"
"No." Naruto said. "Do you want me to make a demand about something?"
"It would make the situation a little fair and understandable. We have not been kind to you, personally. Nothing can really make up for how Konoha treated you. Nothing can be changed, but we do hope for something better in the future. Personally, I am happy that you have come this far."
"Kind words Shikamaru, but simply words they are."
"You don't believe me?"
"Whether I believe you or not is irrelevant. The fact is you are not Konoha."
Sound
This place was turning out to be a great city.
Yugao had seen the maps drawn for what these people wanted to make of this place. If anything, it could just become the capital city of the Empire. Or maybe not, but the fact that Naruto was building a castle here meant that this would be just as valuable as Uzushiogakure. This was not expansion simply in the name of expansion but expansion with plans to make something great.
This country was going to be developed in a way that would make it powerful, both in military and economically. No doubt, once the development starts picking up the pace, people would start flooding in.
Uzushio had restrictions but the recruitment here seemed a little relaxed, yet fast paced.
The tower of the leader certainly overlook everything.
From its height, it was going to be taller than the Imperial Castle.
Or maybe not.
Yugao's senses perked up when she heard footsteps behind her. She narrowed her eyes and relaxed when she saw the Emperor. At least people didn't know she was from the Leaf.
Being an ANBU meant that she had been unknown.
"Enjoying the view?"
"I'll enjoy it once everything has been built and this city is fully standing." Yugao answered.
"It's bound to spectacular sight but this will not be a village. We are in the Sound country, but this shall be named the Imperial City, because the Emperor rests here."
"That makes sense." Yugao said. "I'm surprised that you haven't decided to take Iwagakure and Kumogakure. You were in a position to make such moves. With the expansion, I would have thought you would go this route. Perhaps that was the worst case scenario of how things could have moved once you ended up winning the war."
"There was the plan to make such moves but the Kage Summit proved that such a move would result in resistance from the other Great Nations. Not to mention, we wouldn't want to absorb something that could result in our downfall. Iwagakure holds much resentment upon us and if we ended up going to that path, we'd be inviting a sickness into our midst and it would corrupt other people."
"It's amazing that you don't even bother trying to say you could not have thought of such an action."
"It's not like I fear you and you can do something about it or that you will tell Konoha about it. What we did here was make a logical choice for the Empire." Naruto responded. "What has Guren decided for you?"
"Head of your guard in the castle."
Naruto shook his head.
"I have two guards, Naori and Haku–I don't need another one. But it would not be bad to have someone guarding the place. My home here will be a little accessible since it is going to house many people who will work for the Empire. Come on, follow me."
He found Guren sitting with a large blueprint of everything to be built.
She had a tired look on her face.
"Your Majesty." she quickly stood up to greet him.
Naruto motioned for her to sit down as he walked toward her. He stopped behind her chair and placed both hands on her shoulders. She stiffened for a second before he spoke.
"Relax. You have been working a little too much for your health, Guren…" He said while massaging her shoulders.
Guren felt the tension in her body alleviate slightly. She closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling. After a couple of moments, her eyes snapped when she fully came to understand that it was the Emperor standing behind her but she did not do anything to stop what he was doing.
"There is much to do." Guren said. "And I don't have too many people I can trust to take care of things."
"Yugao is around."
"I have issues with her."
"Yugao is a valuable asset. Use her skillfully. I sent her here because I decided that she could be of use. There is much to do here and you cannot handle everything yourself. This is your country to rule but you cannot do all things. You must allow others to do some things." Naruto said before turning his eyes to the map. "Have you gathered materials for my castle?"
"No." Guren said with a slight shake of her head.
"What is the hold up?"
"We need more people to get the wood needed. And the castle is a little complex in its structure. We need to find someone proper who can build it and as things stand–we don't have anyone."
Naruto frowned slightly. This was not what he wanted to hear. He stepped away from Guren and moved closer to her desk, staring at the map. "Yugao, do you know anyone who can assist quickly?"
"Not with building but if you were doing something simple, you could ask a Mokuton user to provide basic structures. Konoha has one. But I am not too sure they will provide one…"
"I don't like the idea that someone from the Hidden Leaf will have the complete structure of my home." the Emperor said. "I am flexible, so we can do something about the complex structure. The castle can be forgotten. I need something that will be built quickly. We must change things. Provide move land, Guren. We will build a compound. It will be five buildings. There is the main building which will have a library, the throne room, two war rooms, my office, Haku's office, and Yugao's quarters along with her people. My private quarters along with Haku's private quarters. Four other buildings will surround the main building. Two will be used as guest houses for our guests. One will be used for people I will hire to handle some things for the Empire. That is simple enough, yes?"
"Yes, but it will require more land."
"You can sort out that quickly." Naruto said dismissively. "Yugao; I will send you to Konoha to get this Mokuton user."
"Didn't you say you were worried about someone knowing the structure of your home?"
"This will cut costs in building the compound and it will make things go quicker than I first thought. Besides, I can trust Konoha to keep a secret, yes?"
That was definitely not it.
He was going to have the memories sealed away once the person was done. He would not be taking any chances. Konoha had some skillful mind-readers, but he could use Fuinjutsu to lock the memories away from those people.
"While at it, can you leave your clones to gather the wood we need to build the other structures? If you can get us the building materials, I can organize people to start putting things together. We cut more costs in that way."
"Fine; I don't leave until later today. But when I leave, we leave together for the meeting with others."
Guren blinked. "I'd forgotten about that."
"Prepare yourself. I am not leaving without you. And Yugao, I will take you to Konoha and then return to you. Guren, do a mission request to Konoha. We will of course pay the right price for this service."
Konoha
Tsunade stopped what she was going and stared at Yugao with surprise. She had not been expecting to see the woman so soon–and she had returned before Shikamaru could.
Nothing had gone wrong, right?
"Tell me everything is well and the Emperor did not see any threat with our offer…" The Godaime Hokage said.
Yugao shook her head. She smiled. She was going to miss the moments when the woman lost it and slammed her fist on the desk, shattering it. Those reactions had always alerted them.
She was going to a man who did not react like a normal person.
"There is nothing wrong."
"What are you doing here? Where is Shikamaru?"
"I left him in the Whirlpools. I was sent to the Sound after we told him why I had come. I am going to be stationed there. There are still some issues around where I will be working but I will see what happens when they finish what they are doing." Yugao said before adopting a thoughtful look. "If Shikamaru has yet to return, then he must have been stuck in the Wave country."
Tsunade sighed in relief. It would have been a bad start of things if Naruto had rejected Yugao. Although she was not going to beg for an alliance, she knew that it was something that needed to be done. Naruto was a major power and his Empire would become a Major power in the near future. To avoid bloody conflicts, they needed to align their interests and work together to see a way out where they did not agree.
"What are you doing here then?"
"I have been sent for a request from the Sound." Yugao gave Tsunade the request to the Godaime Hokage.
Tsunade took the request silently and read it. Naruto would know about Yamato. He had been a shinobi of this village after all and his connection with the Sandaime had given him prime position to be privy to some details.
"How important is this?"
"It is important for the development of the Imperial City in the Sound. The Emperor wants to build things quickly. When I left, he had thousands of clones chopping down trees to make wood for the development. They want to complete things with minimal costs."
"Money problems?"
Yugao shook her head.
She would not say.
If she was going to be a Kunoichi of the Empire, she would have to do things properly.
"Yamato is available but I am not sure I should let him go. Turning down the request would not be good for future relations. This is still a mission." The Godaime said in thought.
"I have to return in a couple of hours. There is someone waiting for me outside the village to take me back to the Sound."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and thought for a couple of moments before nodding. "ANBU. Get me Yamato."
She stood up from her chair and walked toward the window. When was Jiraiya even going to return to the village? He had disappeared off to Amegakure but he had said he would make some rounds to his connections to try to get some valuable Intel.
After some minutes, Yamato appeared in the office.
"I have a mission for you, Yamato. It will be perhaps a month long mission."
Uzushiogakure
The travel to this nation had been a little quicker since he had flown here but he would have someone teleport him back to the Rain once things have ended. He could not afford to be away from home for longer periods. Konan was capable and he trusted her but Zetsu worried him the most. That thing had made it clear that it would not end things as they were. No, he was going to come back and Nagato knew he would be the first target because of the Rinnegan.
With it came the control of the Gedo Mazo.
Without control of the husk, there was no way Zetsu could try to seal the Bijuus and revive the Jubi.
Ridding the world of that person had to take priority for him.
Nagato looked ahead, the Emperor was walking alone within the forest, coming towards him. He was a little away from the village. With the barriers surrounding the village, flying over meant you could not see it, even with the Rinnegan. He had ended up getting lost.
"You could have told me you were coming in early." The Emperor said.
"I did not expect to arrive this early and I wanted to see a bit of the Elemental Nations before coming here." Nagato said calmly. "Everyone appears to be picking up the pace in Wave."
"We have had to move fast because we don't want things coming to a halt."
Nagato nodded. "One reason I came here early is because I want to talk about Zetsu. As long as he is alive, there is the danger that he will pounce. It would be meaningless for us to create foundations for peace if he is just going to topple it."
Zetsu was indeed a threat that could not be overlooked and if he was the one behind Kurotsuchi's return, then there was going to be trouble. And he had warned him that he would allow him to do what he wanted but would then crush it all.
The thought was a little scary considering that the person could be anywhere and could manipulate any person to do his bidding.
His knowledge of things happening in the shinobi world meant his danger was above all other things.
"He has somehow managed to disappear without trace. We have even stopped trying to search for him because it has been a waste of time. But if he appears we will pounce. There is something happening nevertheless. Kurotsuchi was supposed to be dead but she is very much alive and her intense hatred for me is something that complicates things for your peace."
"You should have killed her long ago when you had the chance. Killing her now will only draw the anger of other Great Nations. Right now, we should be working on creating stability. Once things are stable, we can work out things with other nations. But her hatred can be in the way of things. Hatred is dangerous and can spread quickly. If not managed, she could spread it to other people and we would soon have to fight another war. If we are unable to stop a war from happening in our current position, we have failed. You have failed."
This peace loving junkie: Naruto shook his head, yet with a smile.
Nagato and his peace were something else.
But he was indeed right. It was all the more reason they had to move quickly and make sure that Zetsu was incapacitated.
But how would they go about it?
Kurotsuchi should have also died. He made a mistake there. He has always known her personality–he had examined her after all. But still, he had her and then released her. When he thought of killing her–this happened. What had he been thinking?
Was it because he wanted her to become Tsuchikage? Did he think he could control her? Or was it perhaps he had lusted her body and then determined that she would not die without him bedding her?
Naruto laughed.
What was he thinking?
"I have made mistakes. It's ridiculous given all the preparations I made. You really cannot account for what other people will think."
"Everybody makes mistakes. That is just part of our nature. Nobody can live and die without going wrong somewhere. My experiences have taught me that nobody is perfect. I did when I went against Yahiko's wishes. He had warned me but in my pain and hatred, I fell into Obito's hands."
"I might also be making another one." Naruto said in thought.
"Sasuke?"
Naruto nodded. "Perhaps I should end him when the chance presents itself. Either way, he is one that I that will make things happen for me or ruin me."
"Why are you keeping him alive?"
"Insurance and as a man who loves his clan. I can sympathize with his wish to restore his clan. In any case, I'll have to make a decision quickly before I have more regrets. I seem to be getting things wrong these days."
"You were just not willing to change your plans on certain things."
"Perhaps but I must learn."
"That is part of being alive." Nagato said. "What is happening with the clan elders? I received a message saying they wished to speak to me after the meeting."
"Senile old fools." Naruto said in a flat tone.
"Inner problems?"
"Something like that."
"It must be solved quickly. We don't want to have a situation where there is infighting–it could cripple the Empire and everything we have fought for could fall apart. One thing I saw in the Akatsuki's early days was that unity provided a platform for a clear environment that was conducive for the same conclusions even though thoughts could differ."
"It seems that the elders do not trust my ability to lead peace. To them, I am a violent person with tendencies to go overboard. Maybe securing a second residency is another attempt to flee from them." The blond said with a slight shake of his head. "Speak to them and deal with it. I'm getting tired of them. Any more of it and I will strangle them all to death."
"I thought you couldn't act against the clan."
"They are no longer thinking about what is good for the clan but are acting on fear. I have always respected decisions I felt were reasonable and made sense. But anything irrational, I do not accept."
Guren looked around the peaceful village of Uzu with a smile on her lips. She was truly happy to be back here. The load of work that would be waiting for her when she goes back to her new home was no longer on her mind. She had spent a couple of years roaming through the rooftops at night to guard this place and chasing spies just outside of this land. It had been happy days. This village had become her hone–she still felt that it was her home and that she belonged here.
Of course what also made her happy was the thought of seeing Yukimaru once more.
"I'll admit, I miss being in this place." Guren said to Haku with a smile. "Admittedly, the work on that side has become a lot more than what I was doing here."
"Wasn't it because you enjoyed hunting down people and torturing them for information?" Haku asked with a raised eye brow.
"I still get to do that in the Sound. There are many people who come in and many who try to do some funny business. Some spies who are just looking for information are usually left in peace. But we still keep watch of things. I want to create an environment that allows for spies to come into the city. But there will be rules. If we do things that way, it allows for better exchange of information."
Haku would not say how things should work, but he wondered what Naruto would say about that. They would spend most of their time in the Sound–and it might not be safe to have spies coming in and going as they please.
Then again, he need not to worry. Naruto was surely going to put the same barrier he placed around the compound here to keep out unwanted people.
"Just be careful when you do your things. Not everyone wishes you well. And the Sound is set to become bigger than Uzushio, some people might not be happy that you are the one who gets to rule it as the Daimyo."
"You think once I'm done some people might want an Uzumaki to lead?"
"A possibility but don't worry. You have worked with the Uzumaki and they are not going to do anything to you. Unlike with the elders, everyone else is absolutely loyal to Naruto–and there will be no one going against him." Haku said confidently. "Have you thought of taking Yukimaru? You could take him and groom him to be the one to replace you."
"Wouldn't the Emperor choose who is to take over after me? But I would not mind leaving that role of politics to become an active kunoichi."
"If you give him reason, he isn't going to deny your request. You have seen how he handles things–he isn't unreasonable. The only problem would be Yukimaru's lack of power. That might be the only reason Naruto would not want him acting as Daimyo–but Feudal Lords have never been known for their strength."
"I will give it some thought." Guren said. "I need you to go to the Land of Canyons. Once we officially assume control of that country bordering the Sound and Canyons, we'll need to have a relationship with them."
"In our eyes, when we speak of the Sound, we are talking about the land from Hot water, going through the Fire border until the Canyons. But I will see to it."
Later That Day
The day had truly been a long one for Karin. She had started off at the Wave to lead a ceremony in making Tazuna the leader of the Wave country. At last the people had been more than pleased with the decision to make the old man leader of the country.
But it had it been a hassle for her. After that, she had to welcome some people who came to see Naruto about alliances and business opportunities with the Empire. The bloody bastard hadn't met with any of them and her deal with it along with Haku.
Karin glared at him when she walked into the office. She didn't mind that he seemed busy at work, and what infuriated her was that he didn't even bother looking up to her.
She thought of flying over to punch him but that would only make her vent in vain and have no effect on him.
She calmed herself and stalked toward the sofas before throwing herself down.
"That is a shock." Naruto said without looking up to Karin. "I thought you would throw a fit."
"I am going to throw it later on."
"You banking your frustrations now?"
"I must–you tricked me! I can't believe that I spent my day playing the negotiation games and playing politics. This is not what I had in mind when I agreed to marry you!"
"I didn't think you'd complain that much just after a single day of work." Naruto said with a raised brow, his eyes fully on the redhead. "Was it that bad?"
"What do you think?"
Naruto ignored this.
"I'll help you relieve the stress later." He offered with a smile.
"Hell no. I just want to have a full night sleep. And if I feel your hand touching me, I am going to bite it."
Naruto shook his head. "You can be cruel at times, wife." the Emperor said. He put the papers he was reading together and leaned back in his chair. "I'm not really going to force you to do things you don't want to do. I don't want anything going bad because you are doing it just to get it done. If you don't want to work, let me know and I will make your position powerless."
"What do you mean powerless?"
"You'll just be my wife with no real authority. Even when I'm not able to execute my duties, I'll put measures in place to ensure that Haku takes over, if he cannot do so, Yoshino will do it. That is the price you will pay for having all your duties removed from you."
Karin frowned. She did not like the idea of having no authority. "What else, are you going to take my throne away as well?"
"Yes–the throne is a symbol of power and authority. You should not sit on it if you have neither."
"You are cruel."
"To gain something, you must be willing to forfeit something. There is always a price for everything in this world. I did not give you authority just so you can walk with your chest puffed up in it while not doing anything. It is either you work for the Empire or you don't. Either way, it changes nothing because you will remain my wife."
"I'll think about it and I'm not sure the elders would agree to that."
"Their thoughts are irrelevant." Naruto said in a flat tone.
"I was wondering when you'd come to this point. I guess they pushed things a bit too far." Karin said without surprise.
Before Naruto could respond, Haku knocked at the door and entered along with Shizuka.
When Karin saw the green eyed woman, she frowned. The woman was beautiful, she had power and she had the assets.
She had nothing, just a loud mouth and the stamina to keep up with him in bed. Karin was envious seeing her.
The other people in Naruto's life were like that. Her self-esteem took a dive off a cliff with such thoughts and she wondered what would keep Naruto coming back to her.
Naruto looked at the black haired woman with a smile. He had certainly chosen well. Seeing her with Haku, thinking about personality, he thought perhaps he should have left things for Haku.
Those two could have maybe gotten along.
"Your Majesty." Shizuka bowed slightly as she greeted the Emperor.
"Formalities to the side, Shizuka." Naruto responded calmly. "But, welcome to Uzushiogakure. This is my home…" He said before turning to look at Karin. "I think you have already met, Karin, yes?"
"Yes, that was a couple of years ago, but we did not exchange any words." Shizuka said. "Hello, Karin-san."
"Shizuka-san."
Naruto raised an eye brow at the flat response from Karin.
"Come sit in front of my desk, Shizuka. Someone is a little moody today. We don't want you getting contaminated when you have just arrived."
Shizuka nodded and settled in front of the Emperor's desk. Haku sat across Karin, with a slightly amused look on his face but he received a glare from the redhead.
"You look well, I trust that your journey was pleasant."
"It was." Shizuka said before she eyed Karin.
The woman didn't seem to appreciate her presence.
That was a little disappointing. She didn't expect to get this kind of reception but there was really nothing she could do about it.
"The war is over." She said.
"Yes…I guess now we can talk about our future…Marriage plans, children, and the future of Nadeshiko."
"Aren't you jumping a couple of years with children?"
Naruto just smiled as he responded. "We can arrange for our marriage to happen in, let us say 8 to 10 days from tomorrow. We don't have really to make anything formal because discussions have already been held. You just have to prepare for the ceremony and we will come when you are ready."
"I can arrange that quickly."
Finally, she would be married.
Yet, Shizuka still didn't how this was going to go. She had been in a relationship before, but it hadn't ended that well. It was what crippled her heart. She had to make this work or she would be miserable for the rest of her life. This was not simply a political thing.
Her happiness mattered.
The future of her village mattered.
But would she be happy?
Shizuka didn't know but she could hope.
"Good." Naruto said. "What are you thinking about?"
"If I can really be happy? You are going to be part of my life once we marry. I did have hopes of love and happiness. They were crushed, and now I wonder if I can be happy. You keep telling me to open my heart for happiness, but I wonder if it will be possible."
"Only you can make it possible, Shizuka. I can try to make you happy but if you keep your heart closed, you'll never be happy. You will remain miserable. Happiness begins in your heart, and your mind-set. People will indeed make you sad, but you can move forward. Being stuck in the past keeps you from moving forward, you just become miserable."
"You say such things, but I wonder…"
"Yes, with my reputation, it is hard to believe such words from me. But you believe what you want. Only you can decide if you want to believe my words. You decide if you want my words to give you hope or not."
"What is with this conversation?" Karin asked, staring at Naruto. "This is rather unlike you, Naruto."
"Indeed." Naruto did not deny this. "But that is only according to how I deal with you. I have always tried to adapt to the person I am dealing with."
"Can't you just be normal?"
"What is to be normal, Karin?" the Emperor asked. "Haku, take Shizuka and show her a place she will rest. Let her rest for a bit and we will call her once dinner is ready."
Haku nodded and stood up.
He left the office silently with Shizuka.
Once the two were gone, Naruto faced Karin with an expressionless mask.
"Jealousy does not suit you, Karin."
"Who said I was jealous?"
"I can tell. I have studied people long enough and I think I know you by now. What are you worried about? You think you are no good and that I'm going to find happiness somewhere and only partake in you just to make babies?"
"Well, that is not beyond you, is it?"
"No, but do you think I'd do that to you?"
"I don't know."
"It is really sad to be doubted by someone you call your wife," Naruto said with a shake of his head.
"You'll get over it." Karin said with indifference. "Have you been sleeping with her as well?"
"No."
"It must be killing you."
"Yes, admittedly. Since she is so close, I might leave you tonight and knock at her door. She is a special case that I don't want to ruin. Still I think I have given it enough time."
"You're sickening. How can you talk about sleeping with another woman when I am sitting right here."
"Aren't you the one who started it?"
"Did I?"
Naruto sighed. "You've had a long day, Karin. But fine, we shall never have a discussion like this ever again. You won't ask me anything and I won't tell you anything. Is that good enough, for you?"
"I can live with it."
"But be nice, Karin. We are dealing with different people. I can't afford to have meaningless conflicts that will put strains on personal relationships. Sometimes you can hold onto things until your old age, and for you, that is going to be a long time."
The Following Day
Naruto was dressed in a crimson robe, hands folded on his back. He was standing in the throne room with both Yoshino and Naoki.
The meeting with his other leaders was about to begin any time soon.
"We are going to talk with Kumo, Iwa and I need to sort out the issue with Kiri. But to avoid going into all nations, I want to propose a summit with all the leaders to talk about the future in the Elemental Nations. It is then that we will discuss other matters personally with the different leaders. Kumo and Iwa will be forced to come here, but the others have a choice. Yet, we must try to convince them to come here."
"Do you think Konoha will come?" Yoshino asked.
"I passed the idea with Shikamaru and we still need to sign our agreements. Besides, don't you think it is time to talk about how we are all going to live with each other from now on?"
"That discussion does need to come, but I wonder if we will make any headway, things will be difficult. At least in terms of the Kages. But we should be able to tie down loose ends with everyone else except Iwagakure. It remains the only village that will trouble us."
"Isolation will not harm us, but them. If we are able to work around with the other four, Iwa becomes irrelevant. Having this meeting with all the Kage will also help us push our interests with the trains. To have more influence within the Elemental Nations and to generate enough revenue, we need the trains throughout all nations. We can't have them moving just within our empire."
"We had not budgeted for that." Yoshino pointed out.
"The mines you took, are they still producing gold?"
"Some of them. I did manage to collect some loot from bandits, but still enough."
"Doesn't matter, we just need something to make a start. We will work out something. We can make arrangements with other nations to build the trains for us and we will pay them once completed. But that means we would owe them and they can hold us for ransom. I don't want that situation." Naruto said in thought. "Another idea was getting the Daimyo to agree to pay for everything. Of course, keep the arrangement a secret and we would pay them back with taxes. It is much simpler to control Daimyo than Kage."
"The latter option makes sense. We had already made some inroads anyway. If we do this, then, we can set up things quickly." Yoshino said in thought. "Should we set up collateral in case the Daimyo decide to shift in a way we do not like?"
"Do you need to ask? But make a plan and leave it to Noroi to execute everything."
"Of course, Your Majesty." Yoshino said.
"You can leave to deliver the messages to the Kage, Naoki. By now, you must have set up the portals in all nations. Make it quick and return before the day ends. If possible, return with others so we know when we set up our things."
"Hai." Naoki said before vanishing in thin air.
Naruto and Yoshino began to walk away from the throne room.
They took the passages, heading towards the war room.
Iwagakure
The pressure from Konoha and Suna was real.
Kurotsuchi had been surprised to learn that there was such an arrangement that was made. This was truly just a way to make things miserable for them and it was going to suck the life out of this village. And not mention that the Earth Daimyo was being hard on them.
She'd entertained the thought of just plotting his death but with the Emperor standing close by, it would not end well. There was only one way of ending this trouble and it was through swallowing her pride and face humiliation. It was that or face a slow death.
Humiliation was better any day.
Kurotsuchi would not make decisions that would make this village rot and face decay. They could not grow their military strength to challenge the Empire with these kind of conditions. She needed to get a handle on things before it became difficult to even breathe.
She leaned back in her chair and stared at her father who was sitting in front of her desk. The war hadn't left them in a good position.
She was fortunate that her father had somehow survived. If not, they would have been in real trouble.
"You look stressed." Kitsuchi said.
"Grandfather left us in a mess. Kumo is not responding to the message I sent. They are likely going to get along with the Emperor and that does not bode well for us. The other three have no issues with the Emperor as well. As things stand, we will have to cede to the demands of Suna."
"Is there any other choice?"
Kurotsuchi shook her head. "No. We are backed against a corner and if the Emperor does manage to work out things with the other villages we won't have any chances of revenge. We will be forced to live with what has happened."
She could not possibly try to fight the Empire head on her own.
Iwagakure would be destroyed by the Emperor's allies.
"What would be so wrong in forgetting revenge, Kurotsuchi? It is pointless at this point and not good for this village."
"You might be willing to forget everything, father, but I will not. I will not forgive the Emperor for what he has done. But I will admit that we will have to bow our heads if we are going to survive. There is no other way of doing things."
Kitsuchi shook his head.
Perhaps this was the influence of Onoki. He could see it in her eyes, that he could not change Kurotsuchi's mind regarding the Emperor. He didn't like the man and would not forget what happened, but he was willing to let the issue be to move on to the future.
Fighting the Emperor was only going to lead to their ruin. He hoped Kurotsuchi didn't do anything that would prove to be disastrous for this village.
At least she was thinking clearly and not influenced by her hatred.
"Are you going to set up a meeting with the Kazekage?"
"Yes and we have to pay the Emperor for damages done to the Wave country. I don't know how we are going to do that with the current situation. Even if we bow our heads, it will only relieve the pressure a little but we are most likely not to get as much mission requests from the smaller nations as before. If that becomes the case, we will have to work hard for our image to get it back. Invasions will lead us to ruin. Things have changed now. We can't act against any other village without the other Great Nations taking action."
"It is perhaps for the better."
"But not for us."
Uzushiogakure
Naruto settled on his throne and then released a long breath.
Talking could be tiring.
He was not used to this kind of heavy work. He had enjoyed the small moments in his younger days when he could go all day without speaking to anyone. Hell, he could even go a month without even talking to the Bijuu inside of him. Haku would have to do more talking as he was going to start avoiding some talks.
Perhaps Karin was correct to complain about the heavy load of work. Still, it was something that could not be avoided. He had known this would come and he could not complain to anyone–he started this thing and he had to complete it.
He would eventually get used to it either way.
He opened his eyes and then rested his head on the palm of his left hand.
He was facing Nagato and Yoshino.
"I spoke to the elders. They had nothing better to say. Their fear of you is what makes them itch. At the same time, they also fear me given my actions when I took over Amegakure. Still, they would prefer me over you."
"Uzumaki politics." Naruto shook his head. "I will sit with them and solve it once and for all. We have more important issues to deal with."
"If we get rid of Zetsu we will not have reasons to worry. Everything else should move according to plan."
"We will make a plan for him." Naruto said firmly. "Will you need to be teleported to the Rain or will you move on your own?"
"I will fly. Something came up that I need to check out something along the way. Perhaps Zetsu will appear. From what we know, he doesn't have the power to best me in battle. But that doesn't mean I won't be careful."
"We won't worry much since it is you." Naruto said.
"We will talk."
Nagato turned away from the Emperor and Yoshino.
Once the Rinnegan wielder was gone, Yoshino spoke to the Emperor.
"Where has Kabuto gone to?"
"I do not know but he said he would return with something valuable and I have also sent him to look into the Kurotsuchi issues. When it comes to Intelligence gathering, he does it better than his experiments. We should either have him impart his skills on some people or have him become a spy rather than waste his talents on research."
"Would it not be risky? Kabuto is a little too smart for his own good."
"We are first to know when he misbehaves and we can just kill him with a snap of our fingers. We must make use of whatever we have. Perhaps giving him some purpose will make him settle. If not, no harm done." The Emperor said. "Obito's Sharingan is still secure, yes?"
"Yes. Along with the other Sharingans we collected."
"Whatever we do, we must consider that Madara can be revived. Things happening now have shown me that the unexpected can occur even if you take some measures to stop them. We must be ready for whatever happens tomorrow. Madara's power is something we must fear. Up until now, I had been certain he would not return, but I am not too sure now."
"Preparing does not do any harm." Yoshino said. "It would be problematic to face him. He does have the perfect Susano'o. That is something one cannot go against without some sort of special ability."
"We will deal with it. I still have the Kyubi and Sage Mode."
Waving away at Yukimaru, Guren couldn't help but smile sadly. He had been a puppet for Orochimaru. His special ability had been harvested although it killed him to do so. She had grown to love and care for him. And now, he was her child.
He has grown though. Yet still a bit fragile. His health had improved. It made her happy. She was going to miss him. With arrangements now done, she was going back to the horrors of work in the Sound. She would not have the time to come here to see him.
At least he had made friends and this was the safest place he could be.
She smiled bitterly at the thought that she was still the one who killed his mother. She eyed the silent Haku and asked.
"Aside from Yoshino and the Emperor, who else knows my secret?"
"Those in Intelligence…But this is something nobody even talks about. You can say it is old news and something that has been decided to be kept buried." Haku answered. "Why do you ask?"
"I just thought it would ruin me if someone told Yukimaru about it."
"Nobody here is going to go that far. You have already displayed your loyalty and we are loyal people. We keep our word and you will not be betrayed. Besides, you have become a valuable member of the Empire."
"All the more reasons this could be used against me."
"If you are that concerned, just tell him the truth."
"He'll hate me and it will hurt him. I don't want to face either."
Haku shook his head. "If you love him enough, you will tell him. The truth does have a nasty away of coming out at the wrong time. Whether he hates you or not is something you don't know and can only confront when it occurs. You want him to know the truth. Still, it is your decision to make."
Guren smiled. Orochimaru would have been keeping this information to himself while blackmailing her with it. Yukimaru had been taken care of since he came here. And they did not use their knowledge against her. Perhaps things could work out.
She could trust these people but she didn't know if she could tell the boy the truth. She didn't want to lose him–he meant a lot to her.
There was no one much more valuable to her than him.
"I'll think about it." Guren said in a quiet tone. "The Emperor is busy sorting out his marriages…"
"Alliances with Kirigakure and Suna have to be strengthened and there is no other way than that. Of course, Kiri is not a done deal. We still need to talk more about it. But Suna is done–at least from where I stand."
"He mentioned that at the meeting." Guren said. "How do I go about if I also want to be involved with the Emperor?"
Haku was silent for a full minute–that had shocked him. It had just come from nowhere. "Am I mistaken in understanding your words?"
"No."
Once more, Haku fell silent. "Why?"
"I have pride in myself and I love myself, maybe a little too much. I was just thinking that I wouldn't give myself to some lowly man. I wouldn't even allow that kind of man to touch me. But the Emperor is not that kind of man. He is powerful, my superior and someone I would willingly give my body."
"As you had decided with Orochimaru?"
"This is different."
"Apparently." Haku said.
What would have given Guren such an idea? How was Naruto even going to respond to this? Knowing him, he was probably expecting it and he would not be surprised if he had hinted that he was willing.
"Have you thought this through?"
"I have." Guren said with a firm nod.
"Well, since you lead the Sound, it would make sense and you don't have to worry about being closer since he is going to have a home in the Imperial City, where you live." Haku said in thought. "I will talk to him."
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