章 16: Chapter 13

Yugito almost thought that she had done something wrong when she walked into the office of the Raikage and found the man looking stern faced. He has seen better days and with the struggle against Iwagakure, his tolerance levels have been very low and his mood usually foul. And the village was preparing for war. As a Jinchuriki, and one of the most powerful in the Cloud, Yugito had already been briefed that they would end up going to war with Iwagakure – it was simply a matter if when they would go, but the battlefield had already been set.

"You wanted to see me, Raikage-sama," Yugito said. She hoped that it had nothing to do with the war. At this moment, she'd prefer the Raikage saying she had done something wrong. At least she could argue with it because she hasn't done anything wrong.

Ai nodded and continued staring at Yugito for a couple of moments. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold and stern. "I have a mission for you but first, you must know something," he said. "Naruto Uzumaki is the emperor of Uzushiogakure. He isn't as dead as everyone thought, apparently even Konoha thought he was truly dead."

Yugito stared, a bit shocked. That indifferent blond Uzumaki she had fought with Samui watching wasn't dead? Konoha had reported him dead. The whole shinobi world believed he had died. This was just ridiculous. Not only was he alive, but he was also the emperor of Uzushio? What else was a lie about him? Was he even blond? Yugito shook her head. It wasn't like she had anything personal with him anyway but still – this was shocking revelation.

"How?" She asked.

Ai shook his head. There was clear frustration in his eyes and his tone didn't betray the feeling. "Nobody knows. We don't know anything. When he came here and sparred with you, he was already the emperor – that is certain. But Konoha was fooled like everyone else…" that at least gave Ai something to smile about.

Yugito shook her head. Just unbelievable. That person had appeared before this village wearing a Konoha headband but really he was Uzumaki at heart and by blood. It was almost laughable – the situation that is. He truly knew the art of deception. But then again, he had shown that he was indeed Uzumaki with what he wore. He hadn't hidden it from anyone and proudly declared his love for his clan. But who could have thought that things would end up like this?

Well, she had been told before that she would end up fighting him – if he became an enemy. "What is my mission, Raikage-sama?"

"We still don't know anything valuable about Uzushio's military strength because they have kept a tight ship," Ai said with a deep frown on his lips.

He hadn't tried as hard as he should have tried. There was no excuse. He'd just thought, what could a village of few that had nearly seen extinction do? He has received his answer. There was indeed something happening in the Whirlpools and he had to know before deciding if he should put on hold his troubles with Onoki to crush the village. One thing was certain though, after crushing Uzushio, he would be heading straight to war with Iwagakure. He was ready for it. They had held if off for too long. Perhaps even now with Uzushio involved, Konoha would involve itself.

"But the Wave Country is deeply connected with Uzushio. Anything that goes to the island passes through the Wave. You are going to infiltrate the Wave and kidnap its leader. You won't do the deed yourself but a squad of special corps will handle it."

Yugito processed the words within seconds before asking. "You want me to act as a diversion for the real attack?"

Ai nodded his head. "Yes, that is your mission. You will receive a signal once they have captured the leader and then you can return."

"Any chance of encountering him?"

"There is the possibility," Ai said in a firm tone. "This is why I am sending you. I can't trust anyone with the mission. The Wave doesn't have shinobi to protect it and even if Uzushio reacts, it will only move to stop your attack and not the real attack."

Yugito was slightly nervous now but she didn't show it. The Raikage expected her to fight an entire village if she came across Uzu shinobi, it would not be pretty. At least he wasn't sending her alone. So it should be fine. Still, she didn't want to face Naruto – he was no weak person and fighting him would leave her with a less chance of succeeding and if she lost, he could capture her. She shook her head – she shouldn't be thinking about such things.

"How many men are you sending with me?"

"A small group of fifty. It should do enough to test things out with the Wave even. But our objective is the Wave's leader. If we get him, we have access to Uzushio," Ai said. "If you are losing, retreat. C will be offering communications from a safe distance."

"I will be careful, Raikage-sama," Yugito saluted. "When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," The Yondaime Raikage.

Uzushiogakure

Naruto was sitting on his throne, eyes staring at the letter from Kurotsuchi – it was an invitation to a 'friend.' He snorted at the thought. She was such a devious woman. She was using friend because he had used it. Even if she was his friend, she was still planning to stab him in the back when they meet where they first met. He was going to accept her invitation – he had predicted that something like this would occur the moment he returned from the dead as Uzu's emperor. Without thinking deeply about the issue, Naruto burnt the letter and closed his eyes before resting his head on the palm of his right hand.

Everything was moving together now. He was going to be fighting soon. Uzushio would have enemies and the world would be looking at him. How long has he waited for this moment to come? For this time to finally grace him? His existence would no longer be ignored and the Uzumaki would rise from the ashes to become a Great Nation – no one was going to stop it. No one was going to stand in the way. All threats and enemies would be dealt with. Whether death or locked up in a prison cell, it didn't matter, as long as they were out of the picture.

While he was thinking, Naori appeared from thin air and leaned over to his ear. Naruto didn't open his eyes as he listened to the man. "Kumogakure is moving, your Majesty. We are not sure what their target is but they are moving and led by Yugito – the Nibi's Jinchuriki."

It looked like he was going to get some workout soon. He had missed a good battle to death and he was going to get it. "Kumo has always been aggressive and the Raikage isn't subtle like Onoki."

"Do you think they are actually trying to come to us?"

Naruto shook his head slightly. He still did not open his eyes as he responded. "No," he said. "The Wave."

Naori frowned slightly. "The Akatsuki won't arrive in time to stop the attack from Kumogakure…"

"We don't need the Akatsuki now," Naruto said calmly. "We left the Wave without shinobi for this purpose – it doesn't have anyone defending it. But we will do it. How big is the force?"

"It's a small group of shinobi."

Naruto was silent for a moment as he thought about the detail Naori had given him. "They are definitely targeting the Wave. Perhaps in an attempt to draw us out as well. But this plays out better for us," he said.

"Are you thinking of capturing the Jinchuriki?"

Naruto nodded. "Go call Guren and Yoshino…" he paused, thinking for a moment. "And Summon Narihiro for me…"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Naori saluted before disappearing without a trace.

Kumogakure was making a move and Iwagakure as well. It was a perfect moment to rejoice when things fell into places. It was a pity that he would have to end up locking up Yugito in a cell, but it had to be done and it would surely invite Kumo's anger. But it couldn't be helped. Not when the village was attacking them and this was war. Yugito was a great asset to Kumo's military strength. Her absence damages them, but not so much that they would think of stopping war efforts. It was just less problems for Uzushiogakure.

He just hoped that nothing went wrong. With the likes of Zetsu lurking in the shadows, you could never know what would happen. But he would be on guard. He would not allow things to turn upside down because of a nuisance that had other plans.

When he sensed chakra signatures before him, Naruto's eyes slightly opened – his posture did not change. Naori was standing right beside him. Yes, he and Naoki were his true guards but because of their other skills, he used them for something else. Besides, he didn't need to be guarded.

"You summoned us, Your Majesty," Yoshino said. He was on his knees along with Guren and Narihiro.

"As we speak, Kumogakure is marching towards the Wave Country. This is a declaration of war from the Cloud and we shall treat them in such a manner. We are already at war. We have been at war with them since they defiled this land and laid waste to our home." Naruto's tone was of authority and there was not a trace of emotion in it.

Guren swallowed hard looking at those eyes that displayed power. He was in the mood. Those eyes of his eyes demanded nothing but respect. She wondered how Naori could be still next to him without flinching. She was always uncomfortable whenever he was like this. Yoshino seemed to sense it because the moment he arrived, he immediately went to his knees – he normally didn't do so. Naruto could laugh and tolerate many things, but he could still be a frightening person when he wanted to be. When he wanted to remind you that he was the emperor – he did it in a way that satisfied you.

"I will take the front lines to defend our interests. Yoshino, your duty is to ensure that this village is safe while I am battling the enemy. We don't know what might happen while I am away. For all we know, this could be a diversion," his eyes then went towards Guren. "You know what you have to do in the Wave, Guren."

"Hai," Guren quickly saluted.

"Narihiro, you will join me in case Yugito decides to transform into her Bijuu form. For now, I have no interest in fighting a fully transformed Jinchuriki," Naruto said in calm tone. "But you will not fight. I will do everything myself."

"Permission to speak, your Majesty," Yoshino said, looking up at Naruto.

"Are you offering a different way to dealing with this situation?" Naruto asked.

"Hai."

"Request denied," Naruto said in a stern tone. He then lifted his left hand, telling them to stand up. "Naoki brought me a message from Iwagakure; Kurotsuchi wants to see me in Tanzaku no Gai within a week."

Yoshino didn't complain about his request being rejected like that. It had happened at times. Sometimes, you didn't get everything that you wanted. "Then things are proceeding as his Majesty planned," he said with a smile.

Naruto shared the smile while nodding slowly. "I must buy Jiraiya a bottle of sake for presenting me with the opportunity. Had I not met her earlier, we wouldn't have been having this wonderful chance."

"Indeed," Yoshino said with a nod. "I will find one of our best bottles and send it to him."

Guren blinked with confusion. She didn't follow the conversation but at least the atmosphere was now light. "Am I missing something? What is going to happen with the meeting?"

"Kurotsuchi will most likely try to kill his Majesty if she sees a chance." Yoshino said calmly. "Both Kumo and Iwa have thrown their dices and they will lose this round."

Guren shook her head. She shouldn't even be surprised that these people didn't care that someone was planning to kill Naruto. He was still going to see her even knowing the risks. With what they were saying, it was likely that certain things had been manipulated for Kurotsuchi to even think of inviting him. "Are you going to kill her?"

Naruto shook his head. "It would be much simpler to do so…" he said. "But it invites a lot of anger and a swift response from Iwa. We don't want Onoki sending out all his men towards us. Kumo would certainly do the same and we would not survive such a war. We will certainly get crushed and this time they will make sure we stay dead. I am going to keep her as my prisoner."

"I wouldn't mind having her," Guren said with a smile. "She is next in line to replace her grandfather. She surely knows about the ins and outs of the Hidden Stone. We have methods to make people talk – I am sure we can get her to sing…"

"I'm quite certain you are just thinking of enjoying torturing her," Naruto said with a shake of his head.

"She will be a spoil of war and an attempt on your life is an unforgivable sin," Guren said in a firm tone – she tried and failed to hide her smile.

"You sadistic woman," Naruto stared for a moment. "We cannot forgive anyone who does attempt to assassinate me, can we? Even if we are responsible for it…"

"We cannot forgive," Narihiro said. "It isn't like she will be compelled to do anything."

"Fine then. Guren, if she does try to kill me, you can make her talk. But I want her to live and she must remain intact," Naruto said in a cold tone. "You may leave."

He straightened himself after Guren and Narihiro left. Yoshino remained behind and stared at Naruto. "I received a letter signed by both the Kazekage and the Godaime Hokage."

Naruto raised an eye brow. "And?"

"Temari-san is coming to this village for a diplomatic mission along with personal reasons."

"Are you assuming for the latter or was it in the letter as well?"

"I was assuming," Yoshino said. "Your Majesty, you are not forgetting the laws that you helped draft for the clan, are you?"

Naruto frowned. "No," he said. "The clan laws are absolute but I am still the emperor. I have some leeway because my word is law. However, when it comes to protecting our blood, there will be no compromise. But it still doesn't mean that I can't have a relationship with her."

"I am just reminding you of the limits," Yoshino said. "Temari cannot live here; even it improves diplomatic ties with the Hidden Sand."

"I know," Naruto said. "Then, where are you?"

"I have found someone but I want to get this chapter over with before anything else…" Yoshino said. "Should I engage in the diplomatic ties?"

"Just open communication lines but we are not taking any of them as allies, especially not Konoha. It would be an insult to our pain to take Konoha has a close ally once more," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "Once we have established ourselves, we can open those other lines. For now, we gain nothing from Suna or Konoha."

"Understood, your Majesty," Yoshino said.

Two Days Later, Fire Nation

Yugito watched the great bridge of Naruto from a distance with a small frown on her lips. The people who were supposed to head to the Wave had already gone in. It wasn't that difficult to enter the country since it wasn't closed to people from outside. Well, given that it was a nation that survived on business, it could not afford to have gates that were locked. Merchants were always coming in and out of the nation on a daily basis. Her reason for frowning was the lack of resistance. She wasn't disappointed – she was nervous.

There was a reason a notoriously closed village like Uzushio would keep the Wave unprotected like this. She didn't even know what would await her the moment they entered the nation. But because they had been a small group moving secretly, they had managed to avoid encountering shinobi from the Hidden Leaf or any nation. But still, they were too close for comfort. She had expected Uzu to know they were coming. But there was nothing to suggest that the village was ready to meet them.

Yugito looked down from a tree as C appeared from scouting near the bridge. She had given him the mission to check for traps and any shinobi that might be lying in wait for them the moment they start walking on the bridge.

"How is the security?" Yugito asked quietly.

"There is nothing," C said with a frown. "It's empty. There is no one nearby and there are no traps. We are certainly being invited to come in."

Yugito looked away from the Jonin and turned her eyes towards the bridge for a moment before speaking. "It is looking more likely that they have a trap waiting for us in the village."

"Likely," C said. "But I didn't sense anything. You can send someone to scout the area."

"We have already done it and there was nothing to see," Yugito said with a slight shake of her head. "There was nothing. They only saw civilians. I thought they were perhaps hiding – that is why I sent you."

At least Naruto wasn't around she didn't have to face him. If he was around, C would have sensed him. The blond had massive reserves that just could not be hidden away. Although his absence from the path increased the chances of success, it still didn't make her comfortable. There were still many questions that she had to answer and she didn't have the damn answers. She wouldn't even get an idea unless she marches forward – which was a greater risk but she would still have to take it because there was no other way around.

"It is something that is unnerving but we can't back out now…"

Yugito smiled towards C. "I didn't know we had that option," she said. "We have orders and we must follow them regardless." They could not go back and say that it was too dangerous. It would be a failure on their part and if the others learned of this, the Cloud would become a laughing stock with the rest of the Great Nations.

C nodded in agreement to those words. "You just have to be careful once you get in. If anything comes up, I will send a message for you to pull out. Don't forget that Ai-sama said we can't afford to lose you."

Yugito knew that. She was going to be careful. Being reckless wouldn't do her any good – it would cost her. "I trust you will keep your eyes and senses open," Yugito said before jumping down.

"I will…"

Yugito nodded. "Let's move out," she said while holding out a hand signal. The shinobi hidden within trees flashed around her and they began to move ahead towards the bridge.

C didn't have a good feeling about this, but he still didn't say anything. He hadn't had a good feeling about the whole mission. Whether it was wrong or right was irrelevant. But if Uzushio turns out to be the enemy, their actions would be justified. Either way, he was just a shinobi who had to follow orders of the Raikage.

He jumped onto a tree branch and checked the ear piece on his right ear. He then hid his presence smartly before settling down. The second he relaxed, his body tensed as two figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere, flanking both his sides. C could not sense anything from them. It was impossible, but he couldn't sense their chakra.

"They are suddenly moving," Naori said to Naoki.

"Indeed they are," Naoki said before smiling. "How long do you think it will take for his Majesty to finish this?"

"Depends on his mood," Naori said, eyes firmly by the bridge.

Naoki nodded to this. If the emperor wanted to enjoy the battle, he would prolong it – as long as the opponent was worth it. If not, he wouldn't waste time playing around. "Then it is going to be short. He didn't even put on his armor."

Naori nodded before. "Then let us enjoy the show," he said.

C's body was tense. There was no escaping these two. They had appeared as if they were not paying attention to him, but he could feel it – any wrong move from him and he would drop down to the ground, dead. They must have obviously been watching them since they arrived here. It also meant that the Wave was fully prepared to handle the danger.

"Do you think his Majesty will be pleased that we announced our presence to the enemy?" Naoki asked.

"Are you planning on telling him? You could always forget to tell him…" Naori said. "Or, we could just kill him." He said eyeing C.

Seeing C's tension increase, Naoki laughed. "Don't worry, we just came to keep you company. We have orders not to interfere with anything, even if that means allowing the enemy to flee."

C narrowed his eyes. "How generous of you…" he said. "You may as well just talk about what is going to happen and pretend I am not here."

Naoki laughed. "At least you have a sense of humor," he said. "We don't know what is going to happen – that is why we watching with you."

Great Naruto Bridge

Yugito's movements came to a halt when she sensed something. The men with followed her lead and halted without question; they too had sensed an overwhelming presence heading towards them. Further ahead, Yugito could see it; she could see Naruto slowly walking towards them. She frowned; he looked rather menacing. At least he wasn't wearing his armor. Perhaps he wasn't here for battle. She doubted it though. Uzushio was notoriously merciless. She was ready for him. It was undesirable, but she was ready for him. She had battled him before and she could do it again – and perhaps this time around, it won't end prematurely, she will win. No, she had to win.

"I was honestly not expecting for you to come here," Yugito said with a small smile on her lips.

"Really?" Naruto said still continuing with his movements. "You are here to attack my nation; shouldn't I step in to stop the attack from happening?"

It was only natural. Even she would be stepping up to protect anyone who is trying to attack Kumogakure. "Even so, I'd thought that perhaps you'd be occupied with other things…"

"There is nothing here," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "I am expecting someone very soon, so I'd like to finish this quickly."

"Can you be merciful and allow these people to leave here? I will be your opponent," Yugito offered, stepping forward.

"At a time like this, you should be looking to escape while they hold me back. You are much more valuable than them," Naruto said in a cold tone. Perhaps those words were a little cold and the shinobi might not think that because she was a Jinchuriki – but it was precisely because she was a Jinchuriki that made her much more valuable than a simple Jonin. Logically, his option was the best one but it wasn't likely that they were going to follow it and he wouldn't let Yugito escape his grasp, not when she was a valuable asset to Kumogakure.

"I care for their lives more so than I care for my own," Yugito said in a firm tone.

"How noble," Naruto said calmly. "Regardless, you came here prepared for anything; face up to it and we will be done soon enough."

Yugito frowned. Naruto wasn't going to do as she pleases. It was unfortunate but there was no helping the issue. She didn't have any other choice but to engage him. "If that is what you want, then so shall it be."

Yugito's senses flared up as her eyes widened slightly; Naruto had suddenly disappeared from her view and appeared behind her. The reason she hadn't moved was because he hadn't tried attacking and his eyes were not even on her – he had his back facing hers. That movement had bee

"Naturally; the emperor must always get his way in such situations," Naruto spoke in a silent tone, eyes staring at the Kumo shinobi in front of him. They had assembled a good team – it would certainly give normal people some trouble, but he was not normal. The emperor was born for war. "You can leave if you want to but if you decide to stay, know that your will most definitely die," he spoke in a low growl, a massive killing intent leaking – it was much that even Yugito felt uncomfortable.

The Nibi's Jinchuriki turned around to face her comrades, "If you want to leave, you can leave. He is also a Jinchuriki, I can handle him."

One of them shook his head. "We cannot run away from the battle," the man who stepped up said in a stern tone. This wasn't their mission but the Raikage would certainly not forgive them if they went back having abandoned Yugito. There was war coming soon with Iwagakure – Kumogakure needed her power. They could not lose her now.

Yugito understood. She would love for them to leave but she also knew that their other mission was already taking place. Yet, with everything going around, she could not afford to fall in the enemy hands. They were probably most worried about their lives. But regardless, Yugito could not allow herself to fall into enemy hands.

'This is going to be dangerous but I am not taking things easy with you," Yugito said before jumping into the air. While still airborne, she transformed into her Bijuu form and crashed into the bridge. Her massive form shook the bridge.

Naruto eyed the woman for a moment before shaking his head. He could not fight her at this place. The bridge would only get destroyed. It would be irresponsible for him to destroy this vital piece of infrastructure for the Wave Country and Uzushio. He could not allow her to go on a rampage. He held out his right hand and made some hand motions. A second later, Narihiro appeared into the bridge just behind Yugito.

"Adamantine Sealing Chakra Chains," the Uzumaki summoned the adamantine chakra chains from his body and they burst through in speed before wrapping themselves around Yugito. The Jinchuriki cursed when she felt the binds were too tight, that she couldn't move once they had gotten held of her. She tried struggling to break free, but the chains would not budge. She felt herself losing power as the chains suppressed the Nibi's chakra.

She cursed silently.

Was it that simple to deal with her? They just had to summon those damned chains and it was over with? Yugito wondered as she fell onto the ground, the chains still binding her. It was ridiculous to think that it would take just one person sneaking in from behind to subdue her. Perhaps this was what made the Uzumaki a bit more dangerous for a Jinchuriki. You certainly don't want to fight someone like them. As she struggled with her binds, Yugito glared at the man holding her down.

He merely smiled – apologetically. It made Yugito feel the urge to curse him. "I would not have preferred to end things this way, but if the place was right, his Majesty would have fought you."

Yugito had forgotten that she was on a bridge. She should have realized that he wouldn't want this bridge to be destroyed. Having transformed, she would have wasted it. But last time she faced him, he had said collateral damage could not be avoided at times.

"You seem rather kind," Yugito noted from his tone.

"So it seems," Narihiro merely said without offering his thoughts.

Naruto glanced at Yugito for a moment and then Narihiro, telling him to keep her like that. He was now going to lay waste to the people that she came with.

With Guren

The guards stationed at the leader's tower were just mere Chunin. They hadn't put up much of fight to the Kumogakure shinobi. So far, they hadn't met any other cautious situation. The Intel had been right, this was truly a civilian nation and Uzushio didn't seem to have any desire to have any desire to change it. It certainly had the potential to have its own shinobi with how its economy was growing.

"Do you think Uzushio keeps things this way just to make sure that the Wave continues to rely on it?" One of the Kumo shinobi asked as they silently moved towards the office where their target was located.

"Most probably," the other responded. "The last leader met an unfortunate incident. It also seems that there is always a change in the leaders."

"I heard that Konoha's Black Orps once apprehended the leader and tried to extract information from him. I don't know if they were successful but Uzushio didn't make noise about it. It is almost like they really don't care about the leader's…"

"But it isn't that simple."

"It never is with Uzushio. But at least Intel was right this time…" they came to a halt as they sensed Yugito's transformation. "I guess they are busy on that side. We should move ahead."

They both nodded before checking their henges for a moment. They had arrived at the door of their target. Seeing that the masks were still firm, they knocked at the door.

"Come in."

And they did walk into the office. There was an old man sitting behind the large desk within the office. What stopped them from doing anything was the chakra signature they felt hiding within the shadows. "We know you are there," one of them said with narrowed eyes.

Guren materialized from the shadows, grinning. "Well, we knew you wanted something, but to think that your target would be this one. Regardless, to get to him, you need to get through me."

"We came prepared for that, Guren-san."

Guren merely grinned. "That is what I want to hear…" she said.

Great Naruto Bridge

"Don't take your eyes off the opponent," a Kumo Jonin said to Naruto as he flashed in front of the blond, lunging forward with his right fist pushing the airwaves, heading straight towards Naruto's face.

"Didn't they teach you that at the academy, your Majesty?" Another said mockingly while his feet danced as he twisted around, a sword strike directed towards Naruto's neck.

Naruto saw both attacks coming his way; he held out both his hands, flicking a kunai on his left hand before moving it towards the incoming swing from Kumo Jonin. The wind enhanced kunai collided with the sword, stopping it in its tracks. A second later, Naruto's right hand caught the punch that was directed towards his face.

"If you are going to do a surprise attack, be silent about it," he lectured in a stern tone. "Mmhmm?" Two more shinobi blasted past him. He realized, they were going to try to free Yugito. Narihiro was occupied with holding her down to be doing any other fighting. He sighed before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

He moved so fast that he managed to catch the two before they could even touch Yugito – it was a bit too close for comfort though. The two were silently above the ground, had their right hands stretched out to get hold of Yugito. Naruto flashed between the two and grabbed both arms around the wrist.

"That was close," he said looking at Narihiro. "You should perhaps retreat to a safe place or otherwise this is going to be annoying."

Before Narihiro could respond, a lightning jutsu was launched, rushing towards his back. Without even twisting around, Naruto strengthened his grip on the wrist he held with his right and flung the shinobi behind him in a quick motion. The man could do nothing to avoid being literally shocked by the lightning wolf that hit him dead on.

Naruto lifted his left foot before slamming it on the back of the man he held. The man yelped as he brutally crashed to the cold hard concrete with his face and Naruto only increased the pressure by pumping chakra on his muscles.

Seeing the threat neutralized, Narihiro spoke responded. "Or, I could just put a barrier around me."

"That would be best," Naruto said after a second of silence. He noticed Yugito was glaring at him and looked at her with a raised eye brow. "What?"

"How can you talk so normally in a situation like this?"

Naruto merely shrugged. "Do you want me to shout?"

Yugito only hardened her glare but it did nothing to Naruto. He just continued staring at her with that raised eye brow. "What are you going to do?"

Naruto knelt to the ground, and ran his right hand across her cheek. "Such defiance, it's amusing…" he said with a smile. "I can't let them go back home. I gave them the chance they rejected it. I was thinking of just killing them all. There is new jutsu I wanted to test; I think it would work best here. Do you perhaps think I shouldn't?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Naruto smiled before standing up. "You will live. I gave them a chance to live as well and they rejected it. You also gave them the chance and they rejected it. They die." He finished in a deathly cold tone.

Naruto didn't wait to hear Yugito's response; he first brutally kicked the man below him – the kick sent the man hurling towards the water below. Naruto then took a single step forward while smiling at the thought of unleashing a jutsu he had been practicing but before he could do anything, he sensed a spike of chakra and looked up above him.

Haku landed gracefully in front of him before slamming both his hands on the concrete floor. "Hyoton: Ice Goddess' Breath!" The air went cold as snow started to materialize out of thin air. From the ground floor, a thin layer of ice spread towards the enemy lines in speed. It covered the entire bridge within seconds, starting from where Haku stood. The Kumo shinobi were frozen in place, their bodies were turned into frozen statues by extreme cold generated by the jutsu.

Haku then snapped his fingers, causing the ice on the ground to burst.

"That is some impressive work, Haku," Naruto applauded work but a second later, his expression was stern. "I don't remember inviting you here. Should I have just locked you in a prison cell?"

"Forgive me, Naruto…" Haku chose to call Naruto by his name. "They were still people and when you didn't leave with your armor, I was certain you were going to do something dangerous that would have most likely ended up destroying the bridge."

"It can be rebuilt…" he said with a shrug.

"Yet, you avoided fighting her because you didn't want to get the bridge destroyed," Haku reminded the emperor. "Is it only fine when you are the one destroying things?"

Naruto sighed but did not offer a response to Haku. He merely twisted around and started walking away. "Suppress her chakra and carry her. We go back to Uzu," he said.

"About them," Narihiro said, looking at the frozen shinobi.

"Haku will deal with it. It is his mess to clean," He said with indifference.

Meanwhile

C wasn't happy with the situation. He hadn't been wary for nothing. This had indeed turned out bad as he had felt it would and it hadn't even taken more than five minutes for everything to be done. And it hadn't been a battle. There was no fight that occurred. It wasn't even a massacre – it was just a brutal subjugation.

"Well that was rather anti-climax," Naoki said with disappointment. "We should go before his Majesty notices that we left Uzushio."

"Don't you think he has already noticed?" Naori said with a raised eye brow.

"You never know," Naoki said. And they were gone after he said those words.

C didn't linger around for too long. He knew this was no kindness – letting him leave unharmed. No, they wanted him to be a witness to their power. They wanted him to go report what they have done today. He was their witness.

Ai wasn't going to be happy though. He was going to go on a rampage after this. Uzushio was devious. They had left the Wave open for attacks because they wanted people to attack it. It had been their mistake and it had cost them dearly. He hoped that the others had succeeded. Because if not, they were going to have a serious problem.

More so then before, Kumogakure now had a reason to invade Uzushio.

Uzushio

Temari looked around the village with a curious look on her face; the buildings were tall but there was nothing taller than the red tower that stood on the other side of the village. Village leaders always sat at the tallest building, so there was no doubt that she was going there. She did wonder if Naruto lived there though. No, she shook her head. From what she received from Konoha, Naruto had his own compound. She wasn't here for him though – perhaps later. But first thing first, she had important matters to handle, representing both the interests of the Hidden Leaf and Sand.

The village seemed rather peaceful though. the air even felt fresh. Perhaps it was because this was an island. Her escort led her straight towards the tallest building in the village without any trouble. One thing she noticed was that the village was a lot bigger than she had first thought. It was still a small village but you could not mistake that it had a lot of people living within it and it didn't look poor at all. Then again, this village was led by that person.

When Temari arrived at the office of the leader, she was surprised to see the man Tsunade had talked about – she wasn't expecting to see him but Naruto. She thought since Naruto had come out of hiding, he would be acting in his role. He was the leader of the empire, wasn't he?

Yoshino smiled seeing the look on Temari's face. "Disappointed to see me?' he asked calmly, while pointing at a chair in front of desk.

Temari noticed something; the floor was one giant crest of the Uzumaki clan. She shook her head – she hadn't seen a clan that loves itself as much as the Uzumaki do. She settled quietly before looking at the eyes of Yoshino. She didn't know if she was going to like him. "I was expecting to see Naruto." She finally said.

"His Majesty," Yoshino said a bit sternly, while still smiling. "You came here for diplomatic ties with Uzushio, didn't you?"

Temari nodded. "Yes," she said.

"Then you should not be disappointed. You are talking to the right person," Yoshino said pleasantly.

Temari stared at the man curiously. According to Tsunade, this man had presented himself as the leader of Uzushio when Neji and Kakashi came to this village. Perhaps he was still the leader even though Naruto was the emperor. "It appears so," she said with a sigh.

"Yoshino Uzumaki, I am the leader of Uzushiogakure no Sato," Yoshino presented himself to Temari.

Temari blinked before following the man's example. "Temari Subaku, Jonin of the Hidden Sand but here as a representative of both the Hidden Sand and Leaf."

Yoshino studied her for a moment before speaking. "This is rather rare. It isn't so often that another village would trust someone to carry out such a mission in its behalf. You never know with shinobi. As you are with Suna, Konoha wouldn't be wrong to think you'd screw them over in an attempt to benefit your village more. Yet, the Godaime Hokage trusted you with this mission. I have to say, this must mean that you two share a very trustful relationship not seen in the shinobi world."

"Well, we have a long history and the Kages have been working together over the years since the Invasion to make the relationship better," Temari. Perhaps she could also thank Tsunade for being a willing participant in Suna's attempts to smooth things between the two villages. Had it been someone else, Konoha would have invaded Sunagakure and they would have been enemies now, but Konoha had no better ally than the Hidden Sand – likewise for her village.

"That is what makes it something to admire. Unless there is an enemy to be fought, shinobi villages rarely work together in this form. Relationships in the shinobi world are always conditional. It is never about mutual trust but about using the other for what you can gain," Yoshino said, his smile slipped for a moment before he paused. "Should we get to it?"

Temari nodded her head. "Both Konoha and Sunagakure would like to form an alliance with Uzushiogakure. Konoha is a traditional ally, and is still technically an ally of Uzushio. We want to reaffirm this relationship for a better tomorrow. Both villages have no problem with the Uzumaki and would be willing to back it incase both Kumo and Iwagakure attack."

Yoshino shook his head. "Given the current situation, that is no longer a question – those two will attack us. Is Konoha offering its services?"

Temari was a little uncomfortable with how Yoshino stared at her. those searching eyes made her think carefully about her response. Tsunade had already taken her through the history between the Leaf and Uzushio, but this does appear to be a troublesome situation, as Shikamaru would say. "Yes, but so is Sunagakure."

Yoshino smiled, it was a flat smile. "I find it curious. But you are not the person I will about this with. Perhaps if I was talking to someone from Konoha, it would do. But you are not from Konoha, you can only try to look at things from the point of view and that makes a difference." His voice didn't betray the flat smile on his lips. "Why should we make an alliance with Sunagakure?"

"We offered protection…"

Yoshino spoke before she could finish. "Protection?" He laughed. "You people seem to be under the impression that we cannot protect ourselves. I also find the notion of Konoha offering its services quite honestly baffling. They failed to do so the last time around, and we cannot possibly trust them this time again. That aside, we don't need protection." He stressed the last word in a slow tone. "What else can you offer us?"

"We were just thinking that we should be allies, the emperor of this nation still considers the Kazekage as his friends. Shouldn't they be allies if they are friends?"

"In a normal world, yes" Yoshino said with a nod of his head. "But at the moment, being allied with Suna or Konoha doesn't benefit Uzushio in any matter. For now, we will handle our issues. To be quite frank with you, until we have handled our problems, there won't be any alliances – because we don't need it and we don't want it. It will only complicate things. You can come back after we have handled our enemies."

Temari narrowed her eyes. This wasn't going anywhere. She wasn't even expecting this kind of response. She had thought things would go well since Naruto had called Gaara his friend and given their history, but this was the cold welcome she was receiving. She was shocked but she did not display it. "Is Konoha considered an enemy?"

"Who knows?" Yoshino said with a shrug. "Has the Leaf done anything against us?"

"No, not that I can think of…"

"Then there is no need to worry about anything," Yoshino said. "Uzushio will not have a problem with any village that doesn't pick up arms against us but those who do so will be crushed and those who stand in the way will also be crushed."

Temari frowned. "Suna and Konoha included?"

"Yes," Yoshino said in a hardened tone, his eyes flashing cold for a second. "If you want to speak to his Majesty, someone will escort you to the compound, if not, we will send you to your hotel."

That just signaled the end to the conversation – just like that. Temari wanted to curse the man for the way he conducted things. But she bit her tongue. Gaara wasn't going to be pleased to hear this. She was going to speak to Naruto and interrogate him so much about this. But given his personality, she doubted she would even get anything unless he was willing to speak to her. If it was an interrogation, she was unlikely to get anything. "I will see him," she said.

Yoshino smiled.

Throne Room

There was only a frown on her lips when Temari found Naruto sitting on his throne in a relaxed pose. She could not forget the kind of pain that he had caused her with his lies. She wasn't pleased with him and she really didn't know if she could move past what he did. He had allowed her to think he was truly dead when he was alive. Do you really do that to someone you love? Temari didn't think so. She wouldn't do something like to anyone. But he had done it to her and when he came; his apology hadn't been something she truly accepted because she didn't think that he truly meant it. It was likely that if the situation was upon them once more, he would repeat his performance and that troubled her.

She sighed tiredly, and shook off her thoughts before bowing slightly. "Your Majesty," she addressed him before looking up to his eyes.

Naruto had an amused look on his face. "It doesn't feel right coming from you, Temari," he said; his amusement clearly evident in the tone of his voice.

"Well, aren't you 'His Majesty?" Temari asked calmly, keeping an expressionless mask on her face.

"I am," Naruto said with a small nod of his head. "But last time I was before you, you still called me Naruto. I would be okay if you still call me as such. Nothing has changed in the way I view you, Temari." Nothing had changed, and nothing would ever change. Perhaps some circumstances might change, but he would not change so easily.

"Last time it hadn't sunk in that you were the Emperor of Uzushio and I was still mad at what you did and made me experience. The pain of losing someone you love; you don't know what that feels like. But you made me experience that even when there was a choice for you to spare me from the pain," Temari said in a firm tone.

"I see you're still mad about that," Naruto said, his eyes displaying none of his emotions. "But I didn't expect things to go so easy. Admittedly, it is a little troublesome and if I could just wipe out the memory of your pain, I would do that – it would be much simpler."

Temari scoffed. "Is that your solution? Make me forget about everything?"

Naruto stared for a long moment. Those words had come a bit harshly. It wasn't often that someone spoke to him like this. it was a bit refreshing but because the situation was serious, he resisted the urge to smile. "You still need time to think about things – I understand that and will not push you. I was at fault for making you experience the pain, after all." He paused for a moment. "How long do you intend to stay?"

"I leave tomorrow morning," Temari said.

"Why so early? You could stay for a bit and enjoy what Uzushio has to offer. I could do all that I can to make sure that you enjoy your stay here," Naruto offered with a small smile on his lips.

"I'm afraid I didn't come here for pleasure and yours right now isn't the pleasure I would enjoy," Temari said in a stern tone.

She wasn't going to budge; Naruto sighed when he realized this. This was truly a troublesome woman. Then again. Temari had always been a strong willed person with strong opinions. She certainly didn't shy away from voicing her opinions. "If you are like this, then Gaara must be very displeased with me."

Temari managed a smile – but it was a bitter smile. "He is," she said. "Had you been just Naruto Uzumaki, I am sure you would not have left Suna unscathed."

This time, Naruto didn't hide his amusement. "I had a feeling that he did debate about whether he should permit me to see you or not. Well, what has happened has already happened. I can't take it away. You didn't come here for pleasure, for what reason did you come to see me, Temari."

"I wanted to see if you standing in front of you didn't piss me off," Temari said in a stern tone. "And I wanted to ask if those words I received from Yoshino-san are the same words that you would tell me."

Naruto tilted his head to the side and stared at Temari with an expressionless look on his face – it made Temari feel uncomfortable just staring at him. A long minute of silence passed before he finally spoke. "Most probably," he ended up saying. "Will you join me for dinner tonight?"

"Probably," Temari said. "It was nice seeing you again, your Majesty." There was a small barely noticeable smile on her lips when she said those words.

Naruto shared the smile before standing up. He walked towards her in a slow pace. Once he reached her, he spoke. "Would you allow me to walk you towards your hotel?" He asked carefully.

"This is your village," Temari said with a shrug, turning away from Naruto.

The blond smiled. "You don't have to be sarcastic," he said following her. "I don't fully understand how hurt you were but liking you was not a lie. I'm not a man of many lies."

"Says the person who lied about his death and played a shinobi of Konoha while he was in fact the Emperor of Uzu," Temari said in a bitter tone.

"Well, technically, I didn't lie about my death. I did die… I just never told people that I had returned from the dead," Naruto said, smiling.

Temari's hands moved towards her fan; she had a frustrated look on her face. "If I hit you right now, would your people come after me?"

Naruto stepped away from the woman, smiling, hands held up. "You're still violent; I see…" he said. "You used to be so fun when flushing and getting some bursts of anger at my moments."

"That was before you decided to die!" Temari shouted. When caught herself from saying anything more when she noticed people staring at them. "I was sad… You annoyed me with your perverted comments, but being around you was fun."

Naruto was silent for a couple of moments before nodding his head. "It was indeed fun," he said. "And I really hope we can pick up where we left off…"

Kumogakure

C could only breathe a sigh of relief when he finally reached the village gates – he was finally home. It had truly felt like an eternal journey back to the Cloud. He hadn't been sure that Uzushio would not choose to run after him. There was that chance even though those people had chosen to let him go. You could never be sure with shinobi. Those two had seemed to be the type of people who would let you escape their sight just so they could enjoy hunting you down. The thought had made him a little restless but he was finally home – and alive along with the company he had with him.

The man with him was one of the specialized shinobi who had been tasked with trying to kidnap the leader of the Wave Country. He hadn't escaped fully intact though and had it not been for him, he would have probably died along the way. The man had his right hand missing – it was likely an end to his career as a shinobi. The arm had been ripped off from his shoulders. C had considered that even though he was in this state, it was likely that he had been let go since Uzushio had seem prepared for their assault.

They were quickly surrounded by shinobi when they reached the gates and then taken to the office of the Yondaime Raikage.

"Ai-sama," C greeted in a cautious tone. He swallowed seeing the glare from the man; This wasn't going to be a good briefing. If possible, he would rather not be the one doing it. He would certainly need a good rest after this.

Ai looked around for a moment before frowning deeply. He was only seeing two people and the other one looked utterly useless now. But he could be wrong about the usefulness. He didn't dwell on it though. "Where is Yugito, C?" The Yondaime Raikage demanded in a low and dangerous tone.

C didn't offer an immediate response – he hadn't thought of how he was going to deal with this; he couldn't even think of a better way to tell the Raikage. "She was taken my Uzushio," he ended up just saying.

"What?" Ai managed to keep calm despite the news, but it was clearly evident that he was holding himself from exploding. And knowing the man, he was going to explode soon. It was even remarkable that he had managed to keep himself from destroying something after hearing those words from C.

"Uzushio appeared ready for us… they knew we were coming…" C shook his head. "Even if they didn't know, they appeared ready for anything. There wasn't even a fight that occurred during the encounter. Yugito must have known that the Emperor was strong and she decided to transform but that was her undoing. The moment she transformed, an Uzumaki appeared out of nowhere, and restrained her with powerful chakra chains that even in her transformed state, she couldn't break free. These chains also suppressed her chakra."

Hearing about that ability, the Yondaime Raikage frowned deeply. "So it was true after all," he said in thought. "We have always known that the Uzumaki possess unusually strong chakra and these chains are unique to them. You could say it is their bloodline, but it isn't confirmed by anyone." He paused for a moment, looking a little grim. "So, are you are telling me that the Uzumaki just released those chains and it was over."

C realized what this meant. Kumogakure certainly boasted about the power of its Jinchuriki and Uzushio could make that advantage meaningless with its ability. They didn't know if the power could even hold back a Bijuu as powerful as the Gyuki but considering that Naruto was a Jinchuriki of the Kyubi, there was a chance that it would. Fighting Uzushio with Jinchurikis was a risk. They had already taken away Yugito and if Bee was taken to them, there was a chance that they would do the same.

"Yes… it wasn't a fight. The Emperor himself isn't normal. Not to mention he is also a Jinchuriki." C said and then frowned. "The Ice user we heard about. He made an appearance and used a single jutsu to freeze the men. It was apparently to stop the Emperor from using whatever jutsu he wanted to use."

Ai leaned back to his chair, looking thoughtful. He hadn't thought that this would happen. But now he had more than enough reasons to invade Uzushio. They were unlikely going to do anything to Yugito if they took her away. It wasn't a bad thing. He didn't think she would be turned against Kumogakure. So he wasn't worried about that. But she would still be needed in the war against Iwagakure. He could get her back. "Naruto himself didn't use these chains, right?'

"Yes," C said with a slight nod.

"Well hardly surprising considering that he isn't a full-blooded Uzumaki," Ai said in a stern tone. He turned towards the other. "Then?"

The shinobi shook his head. "They were waiting for us," he said in a bitter tone.

Ai was silent for a couple of moments before nodding his head. "Make sure that Iwagakure hears about this soon enough. They too have Jinchurikis, once they learn about this; they will do something to protect themselves. We don't have to worry about them turning on us because they really don't want a war with us – for now at least."

"What about Yugito?"

"Uzushio will not do anything to her. They are likely to use her as a bargaining chip," Ai said in a thoughtful tone. "Either way, this does gives us a reason to march towards Uzushio. We won't do anything until Iwagakure comes to us. We don't want to do anything that would leave us exposed to an attack from the Stone and they wouldn't want to do anything that leaves them open as well. So the best option for both nations is to move together."

Konohagakure

Naruto had no lingering emotions seeing this nation once more. He had departed and would never return as its shinobi. Then again, he had merely been playing a role when he wore the Leaf's headband. Naruto had stopped having thoughts about Konoha when the Sandaime told him about his clan and he had started dreaming about the greatness of the Uzumaki clan once he had seen Uzushiogakure. He could have left early or fooled the world a bit earlier but things would not have worked out better than this. The current environment was perfect for everything the Uzumaki clan wanted to achieve.

Naruto looked down at the Hidden Leaf for a moment from the Hokage Monument before closing his eyes. He vanished from the place along with gusts of winds. The gusts picked up just away from the Hokage Tower.

He stood still for a moment, absorbing the foul air of contempt that had once filled his life. Konoha had been a village of hate. People might say it was enjoying peace but Naruto had never seen hateful people than this. The Uzumaki were not happy about what was done to them but they didn't hold the kind of contempt the villagers of this great nation held in their hearts. There might not be wars but the people here had been loaded with the burden of hatred. Well, at least when he died, things had changed for the better. Not that he cared for it anyway.

Naruto ignored the shocked looks he received from those who saw him and the Anbu watching him closely. Perhaps they didn't want to get to close to him and force things because they didn't want to do anything that would displease him. If he wasn't pleased, he could leave without answering any of their questions. There was no obligation for him to do anything or even explain things to them. Konoha was a past and a past he had created for himself.

The emperor slowly walked towards the tower. No one spoke to him along the way. He didn't question it – he could not have had it any other way. When he arrived at the tower, he was led to a different direction from the Hokage office by an Anbu. He didn't question it – he had spent a couple of moments at the Hokage Monument. Tsunade must have used the time to gather her troops and prepare for him to make an appearance.

Naruto was led into what he could describe as a war room. He looked around the room openly for a moment before smiling. He walked over to the large rectangular table and sat down across Tsunade at the other end; Jiraiya and Shikaku were flanking both her sides. "What is the barrier for, Jiraiya?" He asked calmly.

"We don't want anything leaking," Jiraiya said in a stern tone, his face not displaying any emotion.

Naruto was truly alive. There was no doubt that it was indeed him. He had entertained the thought that it could have been an imposter, but this was reality he was seeing. Naruto was very much alive. The pain he had felt back then when he thought that the blond was dead had been for nothing. No, Naruto had indeed died, it was just on his terms; it had been his plan to fool them.

"I doubt anyone would eavesdrop, especially with Danzo out of the picture," Naruto said, still smiling. He knew that Konoha had never released the details of Danzo's death to the public. People suspected but the Leaf wasn't going to admit anything – well, it was their problem, not his.

Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, glaring at Naruto heatedly. "Why, Naruto?! Why did you do it?!" Tsunade demanded in a hardened tone, her killing intent leaking.

Naruto kept his smile, and tilted his head to the side. He didn't offer an immediate response. He turned to Jiraiya and asked a question. "When we went to Amegakure, and you found out that Nagato's death had been massively exaggerated, what did I say to you?"

Jiraiya frowned. "Something about playing dead as the best way to hide from people."

Naruto nodded. "There you have your answer," he said to Tsunade. "I was just passing by this village. I'm afraid I don't much time to sit with you. Though given this setting, you must have a lot of questions. I am willing to entertain them but I might not answer unless it is necessary. I would rather avoid unnecessary troubles along the way."

"Naruto…" Shikaku shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Your Majesty, when did you become Uzu's Emperor?"

"Since the beginning," Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I see you haven't been able to discover anything. Hiruzen had always been too cautious for his own good. Then again, he was a crafty old man who moved in ways that you wouldn't think of him."

"You are bringing up the old man, are you saying that he knew everything?" Jiraiya demanded from Naruto. It was ridiculous to think that his sensei would know about something like that and still not do anything to stop Naruto or even warn them. his sensei would never allow Naruto to leave the village – not under any circumstances. But of course this still does raise the questions of why he went far to hide everything he did with Naruto.

"I'm not saying that, or maybe I am," Naruto said with indifference.

Shikaku knew that Naruto wasn't going to bring any answers to that subject – he was just going to leave them with many questions that would just confuse things. He smiled thinking that the blond could have even brought up the Sandaime's name simply to change the line of questioning. Perhaps he did that because he wanted to control the flow of conversation. "By your response, 'from the beginning,' are you saying that you that since the reformation of the new Uzushio, you have been Emperor?"

"Most probably," Naruto said. "I've always disliked dealing with you Nara's because of your genius. Having the old man on my back was already a problem for me."

Shikaku didn't allow Naruto to lead him astray, he went right back to his line of questioning. "This likely started when you went to Uzushio with the Sandaime. I doubt he had anything to do with the rise of the Uzumaki. He probably didn't know anything until it was too late and when he realized that he couldn't do anything, he was forced to make some deals with you. Going with you to Uzushio in secret was probably a way to avoid suspicion from within and outside of the village. Given how things at Uzu ended, any appearance in the land by Konoha would ultimately raise suspicions. How accurate am I?"

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "about…" he said with a raised finger.

Tsunade shattered the table in anger at the kind of responses Naruto was giving. She tired of them. She could not stand for them anymore. What was the use of coming here if he wasn't going to answer questions about how things went? "Listen here, Naruto," she said in a hardened tone. "You took your time here in this village, playing a Konoha shinobi for years. I believe you owe us an explanation. What have we even done to you? Both Jiraiya and I have always been trying to help you. Is this how you thank us?"

Naruto sighed tiredly. "I really didn't come here for this nonsense. We have a reality that we must face and nothing you say to me will change anything I have in mind," he said in a cold tone. "Instead of getting emotional, you should be asking me about how discussions with Temari went. I know she hasn't arrived here yet."

Seeing that Tsunade was about to explode, Jiraiya started speaking. "Nagato, what are you trying to achieve with him? What do you even want, Naruto?"

"I only want the Uzumaki to reign," Naruto said in a calm tone. "Have no fears; we have nothing against the Hidden Leaf. I guess you can thank the Sandaime Hokage for that."