บท 45: Chapter 4: Prologue, Part Three
Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country.
A week had passed since the Konoha Exodus, in which four of Konoha's most prestigious clans had defected from the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Five years ago, the Village Hidden in the Leaves was considered the strongest of the shinobi villages. With the most powerful of the Jinchuuriki as a deterrent and powerful clans such as the Hyuuga and several others, it was a village that commanded respect from friend and foe alike.
Then, Sasuke Uchiha had attempted to defect to Orochimaru, but was stopped by his teammate and brought back to Konohagakure no Sato. That was followed by the tribunal which had pardoned the Uchiha and had banished the Uzumaki. Shikamaru Nara had spoken in Naruto's defense, as did his father, his two teammates' parents and Hiashi Hyuuga. The Uchiha had broken the laws, and used the Cursed Seal to combat Naruto, which meant that he had to use the Nine-Tails' power in retaliation. The law demanded that it was to be Sasuke Uchiha, not Naruto Uzumaki that should be banished.
Surprisingly enough, Anko Mitarashi, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akamichi, Hinata Hyuuga and Cell Gai spoke in Naruto's defense. But they were ignored, and Naruto was banished. When those supporting Naruto protested, Tsunade and the council threatened to strip the four clans of clan status, to which the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho responded in kind by threatening to leave Konoha, crippling it even more, should they try. Tsunade and the council had no other choice but to back down.
After both the Uzumaki and the former Hyuuga Heiress had fled Konoha, it had became known about the events following the Uchiha Retrieval Mission. In the months following that incident, things had went downhill from there.
Suna was the first to pull out of the alliance it had made with Konoha and Fire Country. Gaara had heard from Temari about how the Ino-Shika-Cho and Cell Gai had spoken in Naruto's defense and approved of their actions. If they decide to leave Konoha and settle in Suna, then they would be most welcome. Wave Country soon followed, terminating its trade agreements with Konoha and Fire Country.
Second, a scroll came from Spring Damiyo Koyuki Kazahana. Not only was Spring Country was terminating its trade agreements with Konoha, but given both Hatake and Jiraiya's intimate betrayal of Naruto, she was also pulling out of the Icha Icha movie. She also threatened both Jiraiya and Cell Seven with death should they step foot in Spring Country ever again. As Jiraiya would later find out, the Spring Damiyo would later star in a series of movies based off of Murasaki Shibiku's novels once the Empire had been established. As a bonus for Spring, she had left the Empire with a trading alliance for her homeland.
The same thing happened with the other countries where Naruto had made an impression. Treaties and alliances were pulled out, once they found out not only the circumstances of the banishment orders, but also the relationship between Naruto and the two Sannin. A betrayal orchestrated by his godparents. A betrayal by family.
In the end, Konohagakure was known as a village who banishes their heroes and rewards traitors. The Fire Lord, as well as the village itself and the two Sannin would be synonymous with the word 'hypocrite,' while Kakashi Hatake, the majority of the clans who supported the banishment order, and Sasuke Uchiha himself would be synonymous with the word 'traitor.'
Even Iwa, who hated Konoha with a passion, was shocked as to how the son of their most hated enemy was treated. Despite the Stone's long-standing policy on jinchuuriki, they would have thought that the son of the Yondaime would be better treated.
Two years passed, and despite Tsunade sending out shinobi and ANBU to search for Naruto and Hinata, nothing was heard from them. Then came the rumors from the West. A place which was war-torn since the era of the Six Paths that not even the Akatsuki would dare to travel there. The wars which had plagued the West were now over, and the lands were brought under the rule of a single ruler and his wife. The Emperor and Empress Consort.
Then, merchant houses began to appear in Spring Country, Wave Country and Wind Country and several minor countries. From what Asuma had found out from several traveling merchants while attending the Chuunin Exams with his nephew's team while in Suna, the mercantile guild was known as the Pekara Merchant House, and it had originated from the West, now known as the Unified Western Empire. Its rulers was the Emperor and his wife, the Empress Consort.
"From what I found out, the Emperor is just a kid," Asuma had said. "He was only fourteen when he killed one of the more powerful warlords and united the Western lands under his rule two years later. His wife, the Empress Consort, is a medic-nin and oversees the Imperial medic program. The Pekara merchants spoke highly of him. He is loved by the people and respected by shinobi and samurai alike. Out of everyone in the West, he is clearly the strongest."
Sasuke Uchiha wasn't impressed.
Then, one year after Asuma had given his report, Jiraiya reported that the jinchuuriki were disappearing. Yugito Nii was the first, but she had vanished around the same time Naruto had been banished. Then came the reports that Iwa had lost their jinchuuriki. And not long after that, A and Bee were overthrown by pro-Oto forces and they too disappeared. Fu from Taki had also vanished and the rogue Mist ninja Utakata and his student Hotaru were also gone.
Tsunade and Jiraiya had suspected that the Akatsuki had taken them, but in the back of their minds, they suspected that the Unified West was the main culprit, as Jiraiya had heard that the Akatsuki did not have any of them through his spy. The only Jinchuuriki left in the Elemental Countries was Gaara and he was the Kazakage of Suna. Second, the Emperor had quite the interest in Wave Country, as Konoha had found out when they tried to send a force led by Kakashi Hatake to force Tazuna and the Wave Council to reestablish relations with Konoha and to change the name of the bridge from the Great Naruto Bridge to the Great Uchiha Bridge.
Upon reaching the bridge, they arrived just in time to see the bridge detonate from the multitude of exploding tags, once again separating Wave form Fire Country. Disappointed, the Konoha shinobi returned home.
It was also known that a high-ranking official and his wife - a man dressed in black conducted inspection tours of the Pekara Merchant House branches in the East. Konoha jumped at the chance to find out the identity of the mystery ruler and his wife. Danzou Shimura had sent two squads of his elite ROOT ANBU to retrieve The Emperor and his wife. He did not take into consideration that the Man in Black would have a crack team of bodyguards consisting of shinobi and samurai guarding them. Jiraiya had came along to watch from the shadows, and watched in shock at eight warriors took apart twelve of Danzou's Elite Ne forces while the Man in Black and his wife merely sat back and watched while drinking their tea.
Much to Jiraiya's dismay, the man's face was concealed by a black Kage-style hat, while the woman's dark bangs concealed her eyes, so identification was a bust.
Danzou was furious. The Ne he had sent was the cream of the crop, and the Elite Guards - the mystery man's bodyguards - had crushed them without breaking a sweat. Jiraiya had reported to the council that the Elite Guards were - if not – even more skilled than their Tokubetsu Jounin.
Six months after that, Jiraiya had received word from his spy network that Orochimaru was seen lurking near the Fire-Wind border with Kabuto, checking out the Pekara Outpost, located about five miles inside Wind Country. There, he witnessed from the shadows both Kabuto and Orochimaru get their asses handed to them by who he managed to identify as the commander of the Man in Black's bodyguards. When Orochimaru summoned Manda, she responded by producing her own summon – a massive, seven-headed serpent which was even bigger than Manda. Orochimaru, Kabuto and Manda were forced to retreat.
It was then decided that Hatake, Yamato and Sasuke Uchiha - the latter having been taken as an apprentice to Danzou - was the best chance that Konoha had in getting the information needed from the mystery man. Jiraiya's spy network had tracked the Man in Black to Tea Country, where one of his Elite Guards was competing in a Taijutsu tournament.
By this time, the Man in Black was well-known, even to the point that a group of S-class missing ninja from Kumo and Iwa tried to kidnap him for ransom, and had also tracked him to Tea Country. And as Kakashi, Yamato and Sasuke bear witnessed, the Man in Black himself was a highly skilled fighter, as he brutally killed the S-class group of missing-nin easily. Missing ninja that could even give Konoha some serious problems.
Even more so, he killed them all without breaking a sweat.
From Kakashi and Yamato's reports, Sasuke had initiated combat first, followed by Kakashi and Yamato. Despite both Sasuke and Kakashi wielding the Sharingan and Yamato using the Mokouton, the Man in Black had brutally beaten all three men down. Kakashi had it the worst, as the Man in Black had punted him through a tree. Yamato was out of the running with a broken leg, leaving Sasuke to fight the man.
It was Sasuke himself who was privy as to who the Man in Black was.
The Man in Black was the Emperor of the Unified West.
Once Jiraiya had confirmed it, Tsunade had rescinded her orders in bringing the man in, as the last thing she wanted was a war that could easily spell disaster for Konoha.
But the council was not convinced, and there was a group of Pekara merchants in the village. Deciding to hear it from the horse's mouth, Tsunade summoned one of the merchants in for questioning.
Konoha Council Chambers
The merchant in question was a former kunoichi named Sachiko Asahina. Following the Unification War, she had left her unit at the age of twenty-seven and had signed on to the Western Empire's Intelligence Division, which ultimately led her to the East, her assignment being Fire County. Her cover was that of a kunoichi-turned-merchant working for the Pekara Merchant House's outpost on the Fire-Lightning border. But in truth, she never did retired from duty.
She also had a paltry bounty of 25 million ryo placed on her head, given her role in killing a group of bandits who had tried to raid the Pekara Merchant caravan while on the road to the Fire Capital. From what Konoha knew about her, she held a bloodline - Fire Release, allowing her to wield purple flames. Twice a week, she and her entourage of Pekara Merchants would travel to Konoha. She was also loyal to her Emperor to the point that she nearly blew her cover when she ended up arriving on the anniversary of Naruto's banishment. Fortunately, her co-workers had managed to calm her down.
So imagine her surprise while packing up the stand and preparing for the trip back to the Fire Capital she was summoned to the Hokage Tower by three members of the ANBU to face the Konoha Council. Jiraiya was also present, watching from the sidelines. The years had not been too kind on the Sannin. Once his role in Naruto's betrayal had became known, his reputation had went down the gutter. Through Damiyo Kazahana, his Icha Icha series had stopped selling throughout the Elemental Countries, the Icha Icha movie would not be made.
In his last mission, Jiraiya had narrowly survived. While investigating the Akatsuki, Jiraiya was ambushed near Amegakure by Konan and the Six Paths of Pain. Despite his Senjutsu and his Toads Summon, Jiraiya had nearly died in the encounter. Last, his Icha Icha series had lost its popularity due to a new series of romantic novels and poems emerging from the West through the Pekara Merchants by Murasaki Shibiku.
Much to Jiraiya's dismay, Murasaki's novels were a lot better than the raunchy Icha Icha series. So much so that Koyuki Kazahana had signed on to do the movies.
Tsunade looked at the former kunoichi, easily identified by her crimson flak vest and her ninjato, which was strapped to her back. Sachiko looked back at her with a bored, yet curious expression. Also present was Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha, the latter looking at her like she was a piece of meat.
The Slug Sage cleared her throat. "First off, thank you for coming to this meeting. You are not in trouble of any kind. We just have some questions we would like to ask of you."
Sachiko shrugged her shoulders. "Shoot."
"First off, what's your name?" Tsunade asked.
"Sachiko Asahina. Former Captain of the Imperial Defense Forces, Third Battalion, Seventh Division, First Squad. Now, I'm a merchant with the Pekara Merchant House," Sachiko replied.
"A merchant, yet you are armed and wear the flak vest of a ninja," Koharu pointed out.
"I wear this as a badge of honor. To remind myself that even though I am a merchant, I will always be a ninja," Sachiko replied. "The katana is for self-defense."
The shinobi could respect that, Danzou included.
An ANBU handed her the picture of the disguised Naruto in his 'Man in Black' outfit and the disguised Hinata in her cheongsam dress, a rose in her hair, but her face was away from the picture, so identification was impossible. "Can you identify the couple in the picture?" Tsunade asked.
"Of course," Sachiko replied. "That's the Emperor of the West. The woman is his wife, the Empress Consort."
Whispers and murmurs were heard throughout the council chambers.
"Do they have names?" Danzou asked.
"They do, but I am under orders not to say it. To ensure this, there is a seal on my tongue which keeps me from speaking their names. The Emperor and his wife has many enemies, and there are those in the East who wish to make a name for themselves by eliminating His Imperial Majesty and take his throne. His clan is virtually the richest out of all of the clans in the West."
That was understandable to the gathered Shinobi.
"That's not good enough," Asana Haruno snapped. "Tell us their names."
Sachiko turned to the civilian council member. "You don't like that? Tough shit. I answer to the Emperor and the Empress Consort, not you."
"How dare you!" Asana shouted, rising to her feet. "You will tell us their names right now, or else we will have you arrested!"
"Haruno...sit down," Tsunade ordered. Leave it to the hotheaded Haruno to antagonize their guest.
"But..." Asana sputtered.
"Shut up and sit down!" the Godaime bellowed, the sheer will alone made Asana collapse into her seat. Once Asana was properly humbled, Tsunade turned back to Sachiko. "I apologize for Representative Haruno's behavior."
"Apology accepted, Lady Hokage," Sachiko replied. "I take it you want to know more about The Boss?"
"The Boss?" Tsunade repeated.
"It's a nickname we have for The Emperor," Sachiko explained. "It goes back during the days of the Unification War."
"To answer your question, yes," Tsunade replied. "We would like to know more."
"He's tall. Six feet even, reddish-blond hair, blue eyes. But when he uses his bloodline, they turn to purple with a ripple-like pattern. Likes to wear black, which earned him the nickname 'The Man in Black.' I fought alongside him and his wife in the Unification War, back when he was a teenager."
"You mean..." Tsume began.
Sachiko nodded. "He unified the lands and became Emperor when he was sixteen years old. That was two years ago. Quite an amazing feat for a kid. Both he and The Lady married during the final battle at South Ichiyama."
Sasuke snorted. "Had I been in command of the Imperial forces, I would have ended the conflict much sooner, as I am an elite."
Sachiko turned to the Uchiha with an innocent smile. "I seriously doubt that. Word has spread that you and two other Jounin-level shinobi had been defeated at The Boss' hands. This after he had killed a group of S-class shinobi. So much for being an elite."
"What can you tell us about his wife?" Shibi Aburame asked, quickly defusing the situation while Kakashi ordered Sasuke to sit down.
"His wife is no slouch. She is highly skilled in Taijutsu and medical ninjitsu. She is also the founder of the Imperial Medical Corps, which produces top-notch medics for both shinobi and samurai."
In the meantime, something had clicked in Jiraiya's head. Sachiko had said that his eyes were purple...with ripples, a sign of his bloodline. Kakashi and Yamato said the same thing in their reports. He then asked her, "Your Emperor...the bloodline you described...purple eyes with ripples..."
"Yes," Sachiko confirmed. "The Emperor wields the most powerful of the dojutsu – the Rinnegan. As he is a direct descendant of the Six Paths Sage, the bloodline passed down to him, thus earning him the nickname 'Emperor of the Six Paths.'"
"I thought only the Senju and the Uchiha were descended from the Six Paths," Danzou said.
"The Six Paths adopted the ancestors who would become the Uchiha and Senju clan founders," Sachiko calmly explained. "The Six Paths had one child – a daughter, of whom the Rinnegan was passed onto. She is the true descendant of the Six Paths. Is that all? I need to get back to the outpost."
Tsunade nodded and with a small bow, Sachiko used a fire shunsin to make her exit.
Office of the Hokage
After Tsunade had dispersed the council, she was back inside her office. Also present were the two elder advisers, Councilman Shimura and Jiraiya. Shizune stood nearby, holding Tonton in her arms.
"What do you know about the Rinnegan?" Tsunade asked her former teammate.
"It's what Asahina says; the most powerful of the dojutsu," Jiraiya explained. "It allows the wielder to master each of the five elements. Only one other person had the Rinnegan, but I have lost contact with him early on."
"It can't be even more powerful than the Sharingan, can it?" Honmura asked.
"It is," Jiraiya confirmed. "Add the fact that the Emperor is not much older than the Uchiha, and the West live and breathe warfare ever since the era of the Six Paths, the Emperor could...no, is a powerful warrior. In some cases, he could be even more powerful than the first four Hokages combined."
"There's no way that a snot-nosed brat could be even more powerful than the Uchiha!" Koharu snapped.
"Still, this is something that we cannot ignore," Danzou commented. "With Konoha's reputation in the gutter, we are at its weakest since the Nine-Tails attacked us. Suna stands poised to take our position as the strongest shinobi village and the village in Spring Country is a serious threat to our standing. With the other nations supporting the Kyuubi brat, our enemies can attack us without penalty. This Man in Black, this...Emperor of the Unified West...we must reach out to him, to seek an alliance with him."
"I concur," Honmura seconded. "The Unified West, from what I have heard, has powerful warriors, both shinobi and samurai. If we can get an alliance with him, we can send advisers to the Western Empire to make sure that he has Konoha's 'best interests' at heart."
The hidden statement did not go by Jiraiya or Tsunade. What Homura had meant by 'best interests' had literally meant using the Empire's resources and manpower to rebuild Konoha's infrastructure, and if the Emperor was a weak-willed fellow, then they could make him into a puppet ruler while they controlled everything from behind the scenes.
Tsunade turned to Jiraiya. "Looks like you're going to the Western Empire, Jiraiya. Consider this an S-ranked mission of the utmost importance. But you're not going alone. I want you to take Captains Hatake and Sarutobi with you, along with Jounins Haruno, Inuzuka and Aburame as escort. Aside from yourself, Koharu and Honmura will accompany you. Find out what the Emperor's motives are, and see if the rumors of him retrieving the Jinchuuriki are true."
"If they are?" Jiraiya prodded.
"The bijuu are the property of the Senju clan, which makes the Jinchuuriki, by extension, property of the Senju and of the Leaf," Tsunade replied. "My grandfather handed over the bijuu to the other shinobi villages in order to keep the peace. If the Emperor did in fact take the Jinchuuriki, he shifted the balance of power in his favor."
"Which means that if he does become hostile, then he could unleash the power of the Jinchuuriki on the Leaf," Jiraiya finished.
"I will go as well," Danzou said. "Sasuke Uchiha and Sai will accompany me as my personal guards. Someone has to see whether or not the Empire will be a threat to the Leaf in the future. If the Emperor decided to join our side, it will prove beneficial to us in the long run."
"Fine," Tsunade snapped. "Make sure that both you and Hatake keeps a leash on the Uchiha. I will not have Konoha destroyed because that idiot cannot keep his ego in check. Who knows? The Uchiha could find himself a wife in the Unified West, which could make our claim even more stronger." Looking around for a moment, she asked, "Where is Sasuke?"
Streets of Konoha, at the same time...
Sachiko Asahina appeared before the other Pekara merchants, as they had just finished packing up their stand, securing the loads onto several horse-pulled carts.
"Everything okay, Captain?" Miko Nanakase asked. Unlike Sachiko, she was a samurai assigned to protect the Pekara merchants.
Sachiko nodded. "Yes. Everything is fine. Let's go."
As Sachiko and the Pekara caravan and their guard prepared to make their way out of Konoha, they received an unwelcome sight.
That sight was Sasuke Uchiha. He was not alone, as he was flanked by two of Danzou's ROOT ANBU.
'Wonderful," Sachiko muttered. When she had accepted the assignment to head overseas as part of the Empire's information network, Naruto had briefed the team of informants and merchants about the senior hierarchy within Konoha, as well as his former team. So she was prepared when she was brought in for questioning by the Godaime and the council.
Sasuke fell in step beside Sachiko, the ROOT ANBU following close behind. "You are a strong kunoichi, Captain Asahina," he began.
"Where I'm from, you have to be," Sachiko replied. "You either become strong or you become the victim."
"I was there, you know, when your caravan was attacked by bandits," Sasuke continued. "And I pride myself in seeing strength as well as beauty."
Sachiko, on the other hand, was fighting the urge not to gut her Emperor's former teammate.
"As you can see, I am just like you – an elite," Sasuke said. "Although the people in Konohagakure treat me more like a prince."
"Can you make this quick?" Sachiko asked. "Not to sound rude or anything, but my people have a long journey ahead of us. We need to get back to the outpost."
"Very well," Sasuke replied. "Captain Asahina, I am proposing that we unite our clans in marriage."
Sachiko stopped and turned to the Uchiha. "I am honored that you would ask me to marry you..." she replied, "but I must decline, as I am already married."
That shot Sasuke down. "Pity. What does your husband have that I don't? I am an Uchiha. An elite among elite. No matter. When you want a true shinobi for a husband, I will be waiting, Captain Asahina."
'I wouldn't hold my breath, you bastard,' Sachiko thought darkly as she and her caravan exited the village.
The next day, inside the House of Sovereigns...
Hiashi Hyuuga, Hanabi Hyuuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, Ino Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru Nara, Chouza Akamichi, Chouji Akamichi, Anko Mitarashi, and Ibiki Morino stood before the Imperial Council. Naruto and Hinata Namikaze sat at their usual heads at the table, along with Takuma Uzumaki, A and Kurama. Naruto had revealed Kurama as the Nine-Tails in human form, and had explained the circumstances in regards to the attack on Konoha.
The clan heads and their heirs had taken the news quite well. That and the Empire was also home to half-demons and hanyou, all who had sworn loyalty to the Emperor and Empress Consort. Zabuza Momichi was also present, the Mist Swordsman-turned-Demon Brigade General wishing to meet the legendary Ibiki.
Naruto and Hinata were all business, not letting their personal relationships with the Konoha refugees get in the way as the council introduced themselves to the former clan heads and their children.
"Now, I've been looking over your files along with my wife and my advisers," Naruto began, "and we have come up with your assignments. First off, in order to do your job, you are all hereby promoted to Jounin."
An aide appeared before the refugees, holding several hitai-ates on a small tray. Hiashi, Hanabi, Ibiki and both generations of the Ino-Shika-Cho each retrieved a hitai-ate.
Once the aide was gone, Naruto contined with the meeting. "Ibiki Morino...you, Anko Mitarashi and Inoichi Yamanaka are assigned to the Interrogation Division." At that moment, Zabuza stepped forward. "This is General Zabuza Momichi, commander of the Demon Brigade, and head of the Interrogation Division."
Inoichi recognized the name. "You're the 'Demon of the Mist.'"
"That I am," Zabuza replied. "But I prefer the 'Demon of Kimon.' The Chief has spoken highly of you, Yamanaka." Turning to Ibiki, he said, "Morino...So we finally meet in the flesh."
"I've heard of you as well, Momichi," Ibiki replied.
"I just wanted to say that I am a big fan of your work, and I can't wait to see you in action," Zabuza said. "Here, we are in the business of interrogation and torture. And let me tell you that here...business is good."
Hinata nudged her husband. "You think that Zabuza enjoys his job a bit too much?" she whispered.
"Can't deny the results," Naruto whispered back. Clearing his throat, Naruto continued the meeting. "Shikamaru Nara...you noticed the Suna Consulate in the city, right?"
"Yeah, I did, Chief," the slacker replied.
"Your assignment is that you are my liaison to the Suna Consulate," Naruto said. "Temari is the Suna representative here."
Shikamaru muttered 'Troublesome' under his breath, but accepted the assignment.
"Shikaku Nara, as you were the Jounin Commander, you are assigned to the Ministry of Shinobi Affairs under Okajima," Naruto said. "Despite your bad habits of being a slacker, you are also impartial and will not take no one's sides when it comes to investigating shinobi matters. Chouza and his son will accompany you. This does not mean that I will break up the Ino-Shika-Cho. Both teams will be called on to help the people."
Hinata turned to Ino. "Ino Yamanaka...your file said that you were studying to be a medic-nin, right?"
"Yes, Lady Hinata," Ino replied.
"The Imperial Medic Corps has produced top-notch medic-nins and combat medics," Hinata explained. "Matsuri of Suna was a protegee of mine, as she is now the head of Suna's medic program. If you wish, you can study under me."
Ino nodded her head in approval. "I'd be...I'd be honored, Lady Hinata," she gushed.
Hinata turned to her father. "Since it's only fair for one of my husband's clansmen to serve as an adviser, I talked it over with the others and they agreed to offer you the chance to join the adviser staff."
"I accept your offer," Hiashi said. "There is still the matter of your position within the clan."
"Hanabi can take over as head of the clan," Hinata suggested. "I will officially hand over that responsibility to her."
Hiashi nodded. "And the other Hyuuga?"
"They will serve as part of the military police force patrolling Kimon," Naruto replied. "There's something else I want to know. What were the views on the other jounin senseis?"
"They supported the Godaime and the C.R.A.," Shikaku said. "Sarutobi and his wife, Maito Gai, and Hatake."
At that moment, a shinobi working for the Intelligence Division appeared via shunshin and handed Naruto a scroll. Naruto thanked the shinobi, who disappeared and opened the scroll. Hinata leaned over to read the contents of the scroll and immediately frowned.
"Well," Naruto drawled. "That didn't take them very long."
"What is it?" Inoichi asked.
Naruto passed the scroll to a guard, who in turn passed it to Hiashi, allowing him and the other clan heads to read over his shoulders. "This has been verified?" Hiashi asked.
"Afraid so," Naruto replied. "But it was something that I was expecting once the West became known to the countries and the shinobi villages back East. Looks like I'm going to have to face my past."
"Troublesome," Shikaku said. "Senju has sent Jiraiya, Shimura, Mitokado and Utatane here, with Hatake, Sarutobi and the remnants of Cells Seven and Eight as part of their guard."
"Konoha has become desperate," Naruto said. "With my banishment, they had became a virtual pariah state along with all of Fire Country. Now, with four of their clans here, along with some of their most experienced jounin, Konoha – in the eyes of the other major villages – will no longer be seen as one of the strongest. Suna will more than likely take Konoha's spot as the strongest village."
"There's still the matter of the envoy," Sonshi continued, interlacing his fingers. "With Konoha's reputation gone, Senju had more than likely sent the envoy here to negotiate a military and political alliance."
"Second," Katsumoto added, "since the Imperial Nation is still young as is our rulers, Konoha would only leech off of us, use our resources to further their agenda. In most cases, they would transform our Emperor into a puppet ruler."
"And Danzou?" Shikaku asked.
"It takes a warhawk to know a warhawk," the elder samurai continued. "Shimura wants to investigate our military capabilities, to gauge our strength. Despite their political savvy, we have the muscle. But most important, to see whether or not we are a threat. In the event that he sees us as such, more than likely, he would, shall we say, cut the head off the snake."
"Are you sure about that?" Hiashi asked.
"If I was Shimura, I would," Sonshi replied. "What's the exact time of arrival?"
"They will arrive on Thursday night," Naruto replied. "As much as I would like to turn them away, I can't as it would violate the laws of hospitality in regards to foreign envoys."
Meanwhile, with Cell Nine...
While Naruto and the Imperial Council made plans as to how they would deal with Jiraiya and the Konoha envoy once they arrived, Tenten, Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga decided to walk around the Imperial Capital. Neji was in good spirits following the removal of the Caged Bird Seal. Aside from that fact, he could publicly pursue his relationship with Tenten without any consequence. As noon approached, the trio was strolling through the Imperial Capital's Merchant District, when Tenten stopped in her tracks in front of a store.
Once Neji and Rock Lee stopped and looked at what caused Tenten to stop, they shook their heads in resignation. Tenten had been their teammate for many years and she prided herself on being the resident weaponsmaster for Cell Gai.
Which is why the store in question which made Tenten pause was Kimon's premier weapons shop (think the Wutai weapons shop, but bigger). The sign on the side read HIMURA WEAPONS AND ACCESORIES. Resigning themselves to their proverbial fate, Neji and Rock Lee followed Tenten inside. Weapons lined the walls. Swords, staffs, various melee weapons, the works. The weapons vendor was easily identified by her khaki flak vest as a member of the Hellcats, and she looked older than Tenten. She watched with mild amusement as the woman with the buns looked at the weapons with great interest. Behind the vendor was various types of equipment and accessories.
"Need help with anything?" the vendor asked.
Tenten shook her head. "No. Just looking."
"I can see you have an eye for weapons," the vendor said.
"You have no idea," Neji said, ignoring the nasty look his girlfriend was giving him.
"You won't find no better weapons here in the West, or in the East, for that matter," the vendor said. That comment got the trio's attention.
"How did you...?" Rock Lee began.
"It's quite the hot topic here among the people here. That and it's pretty obvious that you three are not originally from here. I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Miko Himura. This is my family's weapons shop."
"I used to own a weapons shop back in Konoha," Tenten replied. "But I ended up having to sell it when I left Konoha during the Exodus." She picked up a knife and inspected it. To Tenten, it was unique, as the blade was about 24 inches long, the cutting edge of the blade being inwardly curved in shape.
"That's a favorite weapon in the Lahja Mountains north of here," Miko explained. "The Empress wields a pair. It's called a kukri knife."
"It's beautiful," Tenten said.
"The metal used in our weapons comes from the Lajha Mountains," Miko explained. "The iron in the mountains is very strong. Aside from selling weapons, we also do custom orders, as our clan are also the best swordsmiths and metal workers in the West. We carry katanas, ninjatos, tantos, dao broadswords, just damn near anything your heart desires. We also sell accessories such as storage scrolls, weights, even medical kits."
"So what are you? Shinobi or Samurai?" Neji asked.
"Samurai," Miko replied. "Recently promoted to the rank of Seiseibushi, which is the samurai equivalent of Jounin. So you came from Konoha, which meant you knew The Chief and his wife when they were growing up, right?" When the trio nodded, Miko asked, "So what were they like?"
"He wore orange," Tenten deadpanned. "A color which all but screamed 'Kill Me.' That, and he was known as the unpredictable, knuckleheaded ninja of Konoha."
"His wife is my cousin. She had a crush on him when we were in the academy. Our relationship was for lack of a better term...strained," Neji said, remembering the Chuunin Exams in which he had nearly killed Hinata out of spite, followed by Naruto beating him inside the Konoha Stadium. "Fortunately, she's not the type to hold grudges."
Tenten eyed the flak vest. "I've seen that same type of vest on several of the kunoichi and samurai."
"This identifies me as a member of the Hellcats," Miko said, noticing Yugito enter the store, while the trio of shinobi did not.
"The Hellcats?" Tenten parroted. "What's that?"
"The Hellcat Unit is an all-female unit consisting of kunoichi and onna-bugeisha under my command," Yugito explained, enjoying the fact that she had gotten the jump on the three former Konoha shinobi. "We are the best at what we do and I won't work with anyone who is up to snuff."
"You have a weapons specialist?" Tenten asked.
"Yeah. Her," Yugito replied, pointing to Miko. "But she is my samurai weapons specialist. Why? You wish to sign up?"
Tenten nodded. "I'm interested in wanting to know more."
Yugito looked at the younger woman, as if she was sizing her up. "Hmm...you show promise, and I pride myself on finding such talent. Come by the Red Lotus later on for lunch. We'll talk some more."
Tenten nodded eagerly. "Okay."
The Konoha envoy consisting of Jiraiya, the two elders, Asuma Sarutobi, Kakashi Hatake, Sai and the remnants of Cells Seven and Nine, arrived in Kimon City late Thursday night. Tsunade and the Konoha Council had made it clear, as this was an SS-class mission of the utmost importance. The Konoha envoy was to gain an audience with the Emperor of the Unified West and seek a military and political alliance with Konoha and Fire Country.
Upon arrival in the Imperial Capital, the first thing that Jiraiya and the others did was secure lodgings for their stay. The customs officer who had checked their identification had pointed them in the direction of the Red Lotus Inn, a three-story inn and restaurant who catered to tourists and dignitaries. Unknown to Jiraiya and the others was that the owner of the Red Lotus was married to a member of the Empire's Information Division, the members of the Demon Brigade watching their every move.
Once the Konoha group was settled in, they had put in the request for a guide to show them around the Imperial Capital. The Red Lotus was built around two hot springs, and the Red Lotus was famous for its springs. Only the hot springs in the Lahja Mountains surpassed those found at the Inn. Of course, it took both Asuma and Kakashi to keep Jiraiya away from peeping in the hot springs.
Meanwhile, inside the House of Sovereigns...
The Emperor and Empress of the Unified Western Empire were in a meeting with the captain of the Elite Guards, the team of shinobi and samurai assigned to protect the Emperor and Empress Consort. Benisato Minazuki was a member of the Minazuki clan. The Minazuki was known to both the shinobi and the samurai as the 'Snake Tribe,' for good reason, as the Minazuki clan were poison specialists, and claimed ancestry from the legendary 8-headed-serpent, Yamata no Orochi.
Aside from being poison specialists, the Minazuki were also skilled assassins, and were a serious thorn in Rokubungi Oda's side when he ran Kimon. Like Orochimaru, the Minazuki had snake summons, but unlike Manda, theirs had multiple heads and was much bigger, with Benisato's main summon being the seven-headed serpent known as Ageha. Their taijutsu style was also modeled around the snake (think She Quan, the same style Christie uses combined with Shang Tsung's Snake style), and was proven to be incredibly deadly. It was because of her abilities that she was known as the 'Snake Queen of Kimon.'
Benisato was as tough as she was beautiful, and was dressed in her casual attire which reminded Naruto of Tsunade's attire, save that the colors were different: a white haori with the design of Yamata no Orochi on the back, a black sleeveless kimono-style blouse which was held closed by a gray obi. Her pants are the same color as her blouse and obi. The tattoos on her shoulders and neckline were slightly visible, while her left arm had a tattoo of a snake coiled around her arm, ending at her wrist. Her hair fell down her back, ending at her waist.
As Naruto and Hinata found out, Benisato herself was the diametric opposite of Orochimaru. She had the beauty and brains to match the Snake Sannin, but not his ego nor his desire for immortality. Despite being roughly the age of the Sannin, she looked like she was in her mid twenties. She did not use an immortality jutsu like Orochimaru or a genjutsu like Tsunade, but as with the female members of the Minazuki clan, shed their skin to maintain their youthful appearance. Last, both her and the Minazuki clan were loyal to their Emperor and Empress.
Her mother, Saeko Minazuki, was the matriarch of the clan. She was offered a place on the council, but had declined, having decided to retire from the post and naming her second child, Benisato's younger brother Benjirou, as her successor. Benjirou worked in the Shinobi Affairs Division. A prodigy in her younger days, she was the only one who can beat Takuma Chiba six falls out of ten, and could give the Empress Consort a run for her money.
Benisato also had run-ins with the shinobi from Konohagakure no Sato, as she accompanied her Emperor and Empress to the East on inspections of the consulates and the Pekara Merchant Houses. While competing in a Taijutsu tournament in Tea Country, she had defeated Maito Gai, who was there with several other jounin investigating the Emperor and Empress Consort, unknowns to the both of them at the time. Among her victories against those who had wronged her Emperor and Empress was against Asuma Sarutobi, Tsume Inuzuka and Maito Gai. She also scared the crap out of Jiraiya when he tried to peek in on her, and forced both Orochimaru and Kabuto to retreat, which was a nice bonus.
"You wanted to see me?" she asked.
Naruto nodded. "Consider this a S-class assignment, Benisato. Nothing hard or fancy. I want you to act as an escort to the Konoha envoy when they arrive."
The Snake Queen frowned. "Why me?"
"Hinata and I want eyes on Jiraiya and the others," Naruto explained. "I wouldn't put it past for Jiraiya and the others to try anything funny while they are here. Since you have faced off and beaten most of them in combat, they would be less inclined to attack you."
"That, and Jiraiya has a dislike of snakes, as it reminds him of his former teammate," Hinata added.
Benisato thought about it for a moment. Then she nodded. "Okay, Chief, Lady Hinata. I'll take the assignment. Where are they now?"
"They are at the Red Lotus Inn," Hinata replied. "Try not to kill them."
"Okay. I will take my leave," Benisato said as she turned on her heel and walked out of the council chambers.
Red Lotus Inn, minutes later...
The following day, the Konoha shinobi were informed that their guide had arrived. To Jiraiya's shock and horror, he saw that their tour guide was the Snake Lady he had met back in Tea Country. Now fully clothed, she had a somewhat amused expression at seeing Jiraiya react upon seeing her again.
"AAHH! It's you!" Jiraiya shouted, pointing at the woman.
Asuma Sarutobi recognized the woman as well, as did Kakashi Hatake.
"You're the group looking for a guide around the city?" Benisato asked. "You're looking at her." She introduced herself. "Major Benisato Minazuki, commander of the Elite Guard." She turned to Jiraiya. "So you're leading this group, you old pervert?"
Kiba looked at Benisato with an odd look on his face. "You smell a lot like snakes," he confirmed.
Benisato turned to the feral jounin. The Konoha envoy watched as her serpent tattoo began to shift slightly. "Do you have a problem with that, dog breath?" she asked sweetly.
Kiba shook his head rapidly. "No. None at all."
"You know Jiraiya?" Asuma asked, changing the subject.
"Of course," Benisato replied. "The pervert tried to peek in on me one night while I was enjoying a late-night soak in the hot springs back in Tea Country a while back..."
[Flashback]
Tea Country, several months ago...
Sneaking into the women's hot springs was easy enough for Jiraiya, but he was very disappointed upon entering, as there was a single woman inside the hotsprings.
Jiraiya saw only her backside, but he could tell that she was very curvaceous, her skin an exotic shade of pale. He could tell that she had long dark hair, but it was slung over one shoulder Jiraiya also noticed that from the neck down, ending at her knees, her backside and shoulders was covered in tattoos - blue clouds and lotus blossoms...and much to Jiraiya's dismay, snakes.
'Snakes,' Jiraiya thought. 'Why did it have to be snakes?'
The woman had sensed Jiraiya's presence. "Are you lost?" she asked. "This is the womens' bath."
Quickly getting over his gaffe, Jiraiya responded. "Sorry," he said, playing the fool. "I seem to have lost my way, and..." Jiraiya stopped in mid-speech as she looked at the woman's body art. Was his mind playing tricks on him, or was the snake tattoos on her back...moving?
No, he was not going crazy. The snake tattoos are moving.
The woman stood up and turned around. Jiraiya saw that she was gorgeous; green eyes, full lips. Were it not for the fact that his life was in danger from the snake tattoos, which had now removed themselves from her body and taken a more lifelike form, he would have jumped on the woman.
But Jiraiya didn't. Realization crept across his face as he recognized her from several weeks earlier from when she had defeated both Orochimaru and his lackey near the Wind-Fire border.
"It's not very nice to try and peep in on women, you know," she said as she outstretched her hand, her snakes coiled, ready to strike, fangs dripping with venom. "It would be a shame if I took the one thing that you treasure the most...and my snakes' venom is so potent that it can make your little boys impotent."
The threat of being rendered infertile had the proper effect on Jiraiya. He turned and ran for his life.
Once the perverted Sannin was gone, the snakes reverted back to their tattoo-like forms and settled back onto the woman's body. The woman herself, began to laugh her ass off, relishing in the fact that she had scared the crap out of her Emperor's former godson.
[End Flashback]
Benisato's backstory earned Jiraiya a death glare from Sakura and Koharu. Asuma and Kakashi shook their heads. After the Konohagakure envoy introduced themselves, Danzou was looking at the woman with interest. "That is a very interesting technique you have," he commented.
"As it should," Benisato replied, raising her left hand, allowing the snake tattoo on her arm and forearm to come to life, the dark snake coiled around her arm, flicking its forked tongue out, and hissing at Jiraiya. "The Minazuki are descended from Yamata no Orochi, or so the story goes. You can say that the Minazuki and the snake are intertwined." The snake returned to its normal position and changed back into a tattoo.
"About the tour of the city..." Asuma prodded.
"Of course," Benisato replied. "Since we are closest to the hospital, we will start there. The Empress will not be there, as she will be with her husband in a series of meetings with the Council. However, Major Yamada, the Lady's second-in-command and Director Uzumaki will be present."
As expected Benisato noted the reactions of the Konoha envoy when she said 'Uzumaki.' Jiraiya's mood darkened, as did Asuma and Kakashi. Sakura looked angry, as did Kiba. Sasuke looked smug. Sai looked...well, like Sai. Danzou's frown deepened. Koharu and Honmura held their tongues in check, lest they said the wrong thing and get ejected from the country, as their guide was the commander of the Emperor and Empress Consort's bodyguards.
"Did you say...Uzumaki?" Sakura repeated.
"Yes," Benisato confirmed. "Director Karin Uzumaki. She was an understudy of the Empress Consort alongside Matsuri of Suna."
That shot Jiraiya and the others down. "Oh."
"Uzumaki, you say?" Danzou repeated. "I thought the Uzumaki clan were wiped out in the last war back in the East."
"Oh, far from it," Benisato replied. "The Uzumaki is one of the Great Imperial Clans of the West. Its clan patriarch is Takuma Uzumaki."
At that name, Jiraiya and Danzou visibly paled, as did Asuma Sarutobi. Takuma Uzumaki was the younger brother of Kushina Uzumaki, which made her Minato's brother-in-law...and more importantly, Naruto's uncle. He was known as the 'Maelstrom of Whirlpool' for his skills in fuuinjutsu and ninjitsu...as well as his fierce temper.
As Benisato led Jiraiya and the others to the hospital, the wheels in Jiraiya's head were turning. Kushina had told him once she was safe in Konoha that the Uzumaki had been decimated, that only a scant few remained following Uzushiogakure's destruction. But Kushina had been more wily that Jiraiya had given her credit for.
'So, Kushina...,' Jiraiya thought. 'You must have known that Whirlpool was going to fall and obviously you did not trust Konoha. But you were married to Minato, so your hands were tied. So you had Takuma and the surviving Uzumaki and Whirlpool shinobi flee the country. Never would have suspected that they would relocate here. Well played, Kushina. Well played indeed.'
What Jiraiya did not know was that the bodies of the Uzushiogakure shinobi that littered the ruined village were instead those of Kumo and Iwa shinobi dressed in Uzu's uniforms. Kushina had ordered her brother - the Yondaime Uzukage - to relocate the entire village to its fallback spot, located in the West. Out of sight, out of mind.
But a second thought began to creep into Jiraiya's mind. If Naruto fled to the West and found out that he had family here...and if they found out from him about Konoha's betrayal...
He pushed that thought out of his mind as Benisato led him and the others to the hospital.
The Imperial Hospital of Kimon was bigger than that of the one in Konoha. Located in a wooded section of Kimon, the hospital consisted of two buildings: the main hospital, which was a five-story building, and the smaller, three-story building which housed the hospital's intensive care unit for its more serious cases.
Karin Uzumaki, the director of the hospital, and Kokoro Yamada, the Empress Consort's No.2 in the medic program, had given the Konoha envoy a tour of the hospital. Aside from medic-ninjas who worked with the shinobi, the samurai had combat medics. The medics-in-training got the basics of medic training from The Academy, which consists of human anatomy, chakra control and studying medical texts. Upon graduation, the medics were given a eight-month training course in their respective fields.
As Sakura and the others saw, the medic-nins were proficient in techniques such as the Chakra Scapel and the Mystic Palm Jutsu, but they were also well-versed in acupuncture and shiatsu, finger and palm pressure, stretches and other massaging techniques. The combat medics, who did not use chakra, relied on the latter. What surprised Sakura and the others were that someone of them had incorporated their various elemental releases into the medical ninjitsu. The medics - shinobi and samurai - were also highly skilled in herbology, the theory of traditional herbal therapy, something that has not been seen in the East. As the Western Empire was home to many types of medicinal herbs, such herbs in the East were very rare.
When Sakura questioned as to how effective the Imperial combat medics were, Karin and Kouda had taken them to an observation room, where they watched an operation in progress. The patient was a prominent merchant working for the Pekara Merchant House, who was being operated on for a ruptured appendix, while Karin explained the procedure. First, they used shiatsu to dull the pain from his appendix. Then they used it to knock him out cold. Working quickly, they opened him up, removed the ruptured appendix and stitched him closed. The merchant would be in bed for two weeks following the operation, but would make a full recovery. The operation took less than thirty minutes. The combat medics were professional and precise.
Despite the fact that the Imperial Medic Corps was far more advanced than Konoha's own program, Sakura Haruno was highly impressed, as was Danzou and the two elders. With the tour of the hospital over, Benisato had taken back her charges. Danzou then suggested that they go and check out the school for the shinobi and samurai in training.
In the Unified West, the training school for the rising shinobi and samurai had no official name. It was simply known as 'The Academy.' The largest ones were in the major cities in the West – Kimon, Kurata Port, Shinzoku, South Ichiyama and Tears' Point. Located in the Western part of Kimon, The Academy was easily twice the size of the shinobi academy in Konoha, a compound onto itself, complete with dorms for orphaned children who were being trained as samurai and shinobi.
When Naruto and Hinata had ascended to the position of Emperor and Empress Consort, they realized that a national system of education for the next generation of samurai and shinobi was needed. The second thing that Naruto and Hinata had done after establishing the Elite Guard, was to organize a system of training schools for the shinobi and samurai. Unlike the shinobi academy in Konoha, which by their time, had been watered down - and in most cases, lacked the necessary funding as the Civilian Council had stole a sizable portion of the academy's funding - the Emperor and Empress Consort, with the full backing of the Imperial Council made sure that The Academy was a top-notch school, the faculty being only Jounin and Seiseibushi veterans who had fought in the Unification Wars.
The Academy had two headmasters, one samurai, the other a shinobi. The shinobi headmistress was Azumi Kato, a Jounin-level shinobi, while the samurai headmaster was a Seiseibushi named Ryuhaku Kojima. The pair had already been notified of the visit and was asked by Naruto and Hinata to give them a tour of the facility. The Academy's students were taught not only the basics, such as geography, reading, writing, arithmetic and science, but also taught basic hand-to-hand combat for both shinobi and samurai, as Jiraiya and the three elders found out not only did the shinobi and samurai in training attended the same classes, but that the samurai can also use chakra to reinforce their weapons to make them even more stronger.
As the students entered in their final two years in The Academy, they began to take specialized classes in regards to their fields. For those who showed interest in pursuing a medical career, they would begin taking classes in basic and advanced Medicine. Upon graduation, aside from being assigned to their cells, the rising medic nins and combat medics would spend two days out of the week at the Hospital. For those who specialized in tracking and spying, they had Sensor class for the shinobi, and Recon class for the samurai. Physical Education was also top priority, as Jiraiya and the others saw various classes in chakra control, physical strength training and endurance training.
As Headmaster Kojima and Headmistress Kato said, "The training is brutal, yes, but it makes them tough."
And the assignments...
Simply put, an S-rank mission to Konoha is like a C-rank to the Imperial shinobi and samurai. Jiraiya and Danzou wanted to see more, but Benisato refused, citing 'national security' issues. In short, The Academy's training methods were far superior to those of Konoha's own, as much as the elders and Jiraiya hated to admit, as the Empire's methods cranked out battle-worthy shinobi and samurai in half the time Konoha could. Even worse, a mid-level Imperial shinobi and samurai could easily thrash five of Konoha's jounin.
"So the young shinobi and samurai in training take classes together?" Koharu asked as they were leaving The Academy.
"Yes," Benisato replied. "As the Imperial Defense Forces are both shinobi and samurai, they train together and fight together. The Emperor and Empress believe that a warrior's strength - whether they are a shinobi or a samurai - comes from the warrior who is fighting by his side. Something that Sonshi has taught them both. 'Show respect and honor to those who fight by your side, and it will be returned a hundred fold.'"
"Sonshi?" Danzou repeated. He had heard the name before when he was younger.
"He is the Minister of Defense, and the only samurai to ever reach the rank of Kodenbushi - the Legendary Samurai," Benisato explained. "Similar to that of Konoha's Legendary Sannin."
This, Jiraiya knew, as he, Tsunade and Orochimaru had faced the wily samurai in a three-on-one battle and lost shortly after their confrontation with Hanzou the Salamander. On top of that, Sonshi had also defeated Hiruzen Sarutobi, a man known to Konoha as 'The Professor' and the 'God of Shinobi' and fought General Mifune to a draw.
"The samurai have a ranking system which is similar to the shinobi," the Snake Queen continued. "Aonisaibushi is the equivalent of Genin. Chukanbushi is the equivalent of Chuunin. And Seiseibushi is the equivalent of Jounin. Only a Seiseibushi can take on apprentices, or even a cell of Aonisaibushi."
At that moment, Sasuke decided to speak. "Mm...a shinobi will always be stronger than a samurai."
Benisato stopped and turned around. "Know this," she replied curtly. "I've fought with the samurai. They are just as tough as battle-hardened Jounin. In some cases, a samurai can be better suited for a mission rather than a shinobi, and vice versa. The Emperor himself is trained in both the ways of the Shinobi and the Samurai, a fact that you yourself can attest to that painfully."
Sasuke growled. Benisato had him there. For all his talk about being an elite, the Emperor was clearly stronger than him. Seeing the Uchiha was properly humbled for the time being, Benisato continued with the tour.
"Since today is Friday, you guys are in for a treat," Benisato said. "Even though we are at peace, the Emperor and Empress Consort wants our forces to be razor-sharp. Every Friday, we hold local tournaments here in Kimon and in other parts of the Empire. We're on our way to the Proving Grounds now to have a look."
"You guys hold local tournaments?" Kiba asked, now interested.
Benisato nodded. "Yes. It provides free entertainment for the civilians, and it also promotes healthy rivalries between samurai and shinobi. There's also the Imperial Kumite which is held in South Ichiyama every first week in July. Only the best of the best compete in the Imperial Kumite."
'Interesting,' Sasuke thought as he and the others followed Benisato.
The Proving Grounds were Kimon's answer to Konoha's Training Grounds used by their shinobi to hone in their skills. Located on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, the Proving Grounds was three times the size of Training Ground No.44, the Forest of Death. The Proving Grounds was split into four sections: Ground No.1 was the Enlightenment Grounds, in which samurai and shinobi meditated in peace with the help of the shinobi monks who maintained the grounds. Ground No.2 was the Weapons Grounds, where shinobi and samurai spar using their various weapons. Ground No.3 was the Jutsu Grounds, where the Shinobi practiced their techniques.
Of course, Sasuke tried to use the Sharingan to steal the jutsu, but found that upon activating his dojutsu, it would automatically cut off. He tried again, but with the same results. Kakashi and unknown to both the last Uchiha and Hatake, Danzou tried to do the same with his own hidden Sharingan, but with the same results as did the Uchiha and his former sensei.
Last, was Ground No.3, which was simply known as The Arena. Located in the heart of the Proving Grounds, The Arena was one large area which was clear of trees. The Arena was closed off on three sides, with a series of stands on the three sides. A lodge which served as a medical station was located beside the stands on the left-hand side. To the Konoha group, it reminded them of the Chuunin Exams Stadium in a way.
A massive letdai - a circular training platform - was placed in the middle of The Arena. An inscription was written around the letdai's edge which read 'THE BRAVE DO NOT FEAR THE GRAVE.' As the stands were already full of spectators and competitors, Benisato and the Konoha group simply stood to the side and watched as the matches commenced.
As the tournament continued, Asuma and Kakashi had to admit that the Western shinobi and samurai were incredibly tough, even tougher than their counterparts in Kumo and Iwa. Sasuke snorted as he dismissed the Western shinobi and samurai as weak and unworthy of the power they wielded. Koharu and Honmura were literally drooling, salivating as the gears in their heads had went into overdrive as they continued to watch the tournaments. It was true that the West had the muscle, but Konoha, in their eyes, had the political advantage. Even though his face said otherwise, Danzou was making plans. Plans which involve using the Empire's shinobi as fresh recruits for his ROOT ANBU.
But two of the combatants had caught Jiraiya and the others' attention once they stepped onto the letdai.
Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga.
Benisato watched as Takeshi Chiba stepped onto the letdai. "Hmm...interesting. A two-on-one match," she mused.
Jiraiya turned to Benisato. "Huh?"
The Snake Queen gestured to Takeshi, who had with a gesture of his hand, silently ordered both the Hyuuga prodigy and the Goken expert to step back, allowing him to stand in between the two former Konoha shinobi. "Takeshi Chiba, the Elite Guard's resident Taijutsu master," she explained. "Very dangerous. Very tough. Not as tough as me, though."
"So are those two," Jiraiya replied as the fight commenced. "I'm sure you know that they were once Konoha shinobi until recently."
"Word gets around," Benisato replied as she spied Sonshi, Hiashi Hyuuga, Kouda Chiba and Takuma Uzumaki seated together, talking. "In fact, it's the big talk around the Empire. The Emperor has granted the four clan heads and the Jounin that had came with them political asylum."
"Any idea as to why the Emperor would do such a thing?" Sakura asked. "Granting them asylum and risking the ire of the Leaf?"
Jiraiya shot Sakura a glance which told her to shut up. He then noticed Hiashi with the other members of the council watching the fight. 'It's confirmed that the Emperor and Empress Consort granted Hiashi and the others asylum. So if they are here, could he be here as well?' he thought as he continued to watch the fight between the two former Konoha shinobi and Takeshi Chiba.
Despite the combined effort of Neji and Rock Lee, they were no match for Takeshi, as he brought the both of them down.
Red Lotus Inn - Jiraiya's Room.
Following the tournament, Benisato had taken the Konoha group back to the Red Lotus and left for her own home. Jiraiya had ordered everyone to his room for a quick meeting in regards as to what they had seen that day.
Jiraiya, however, was disappointed at the fact that he could not meet Murasaki Shibuku.
"I can honestly say that I am very impressed with the Western shinobi and samurai," Asuma said, remembering the match between Gai's former pupils and Takeshi Chiba. "Benisato's teammate, the Taijutsu expert...he held his own against Neji and Rock Lee. That guy would've been at home with the Fire Lord's Guardian Ninja."
"Their training methods for their shinobi and samurai are very impressive," Shino said. "The most logical conclusion is that they combine classroom education and field exercises in order to produce battle-worthy shinobi."
"The Imperial Medic Corps' methods as to how they train their medic-nins..." Sakura began as she was compiling a series of reports that was to be given to Tsunade once she returned to Konoha. "Lady Tsunade may be one of the best medic-nins in the history of the Elemental Nations, but not even she could come up with the things I've seen. Whoever the Empress is...as much as I hate to say it, she could surpass Tsunade in medical knowledge."
Danzou remained silent, but Koharu and Honmura were trading notes. Danzou was troubled. The Uzumaki Clan was still alive. Takuma Uzumaki was still alive. His train of thought was interrupted when he overhead Sasuke made his opinion known to his former sensei, and to everyone in the room.
"I'm not impressed, Hatake. These...Westerners are beneath the Leaf. They are beneath me, an Elite. If given the chance, I would show them all the might of the Uchiha."
"Sasuke, remember what I taught you and Sakura," Kakashi replied. "You must look underneath the hidden meanings. You may be good, given that you trained under myself and Danzou, but not even you could face down one of the Empire's warriors. We both fought the Emperor himself and lost."
"The Emperor got lucky," Sasuke shot back. "Without that title to back him up, he is nothing compared to me."
Now Asuma was getting tired of Sasuke's shit. "Sasuke. Shut up."
Sasuke's head snapped to the Sarutobi clan head. "What did you say, Sarutobi?"
"I told you to shut up," Asuma snapped, rising to his feet, hands itching to reach for his trench knives. "Ever since the Emperor has beaten you in combat, you could not let that go. You could not accept the fact that there is someone out there who is stronger than you."
Sasuke stood up, his eyes morphing into the Magenkyou. "Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?!" he snarled, hand reaching for his chokuto.
"Someone who has been nothing but trouble for Konoha," Asuma shot back. "At least that demon brat of a teammate was more loyal than you ever were. Even though they will not tell you, since they worship the ground you walk on, but I will. All of this is not Uzumaki's fault, but yours! You tried to run to Orochimaru, but the Kyuubi brat stopped you, despite the fact that you shoved a Chidori into his chest! It was because of him we had trade and military alliances and it was because of you that we lost them all! And it's because of you that four of our strongest clans and two hundred Jounin defected from the Leaf! Because of you, our place as the strongest in the Elemental Nations is being threatened by Suna!"
"The only reason that Dobe won is because he had the power of the Nine-Tails backing him up, Sarutobi. Remember that," Sasuke reminded him.
"That's the pot calling the kettle black, since you had the power of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal, and that was not even enough for you to kill him, not to mention that my father, the Sannin, and the council had purposely stunted his growth, so who is stronger? The dead last, or the elite?" Before leaving the room, Asuma left with a parting shot. "We should have kept the Kyuubi brat and banished you instead." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Sasuke was seething as the Magenkyou began to spin. "That little..."
"Sasuke. Stand down," Danzou ordered. "Sarutobi does have a point on the matter regarding the Emperor. The Rinnegan is indeed stronger than the Sharingan, and the fact that the Emperor did not use it in the fight shows that he is indeed a powerful shinobi. This is a very dangerous game, Sasuke. Konoha's future depends on what happens tomorrow."
Jiraiya stood up. "I'll calm Asuma down. Everyone else go and get some sleep. We got a big day tomorrow."
The following morning, Jiraiya and the Konoha group were having breakfast inside the Red Lotus' restaurant. The dining area was for the most case, deserted, as it was a Saturday morning. The tension between Sasuke Uchiha and Asuma Sarutobi was still thick from the previous night, which is why both men sat on opposite sides of the table. Sasuke had not remembered how Asuma had told him that his dead last of a former teammate was worth more than him, and vowed to pay the Sarutobi clan head back for that insult.
'Shame that his little bastard of a nephew and his cell had died,' Sasuke thought darkly. 'I would have loved to place them under a genjutsu.'
The previous night, Sasuke had written off the Imperial forces as weak, and unworthy to be in his presence. But it was Koharu and Honmura who had made Sasuke think otherwise. As always, like they had done when he was a child, they stroked his ego, telling him that through this alliance, he would learn the Empire's secrets, that through the Empire, he would become even more powerful. Powerful enough to even kill Itachi and to prove to his missing teammate that he was indeed the strongest once and for all.
Sasuke liked that idea. Once he killed Itachi, not only would he beat Naruto's head into powder, but he would also crush the Emperor under his might.
Four people then entered the restaurant. The locals who were present knew who they were, and were smart enough to keep out of their way. These four highly-trained shinobi and samurai were one of the Empire's elite special forces unit, a quartet of S-ranked warriors whose bloodlines allowed them to wield the power of the elements of wind, earth, fire and lightning. This same group of fighters who had easily crushed the Akatsuki (but did not kill any of them). Only the Emperor and Empress matched them in power and skill.
They were known by several names. The Shitenno. The Four Heavenly Kings. The Four Devas.
They walked over to the table where Jiraiya and the others sat. Kiba saw them first and alerted Jiraiya and the others to their presence.
The first member was a mirror image of the Pekara merchant/Imperial spy Sachiko Asahina. In truth, she was her identical twin sister, the eldest by five minutes, save that while Sachiko had long hair, hers was cut short. Like her twin sister, she wielded the power of the flames, but while Sachiko's flames were red, hers were black. She was dressed in the standard Jounin uniform of the Imperial Defense Force - the black shozoku uniform (similar to what Hinata usually wears while working with the medics inside the hospital) over a red jounin flak vest. A ninjato was strapped to small of her back. Her hitai-ate was wrapped around her neck. Her name was Sadako Asahina, the Mistress of the Dark Flames.
The second member was also female. Unlike the other three, who were traditional shinobi, she was the product of a union between a kunoichi and a ronin samurai, which meant she was trained in both the ways of the shinobi and samurai, meaning that she was part of the samurai-ninja warrior class who embraced both styles. Hailing from the town of Shinokou, she was a member of an ancient warrior cult who worshiped the Deity Asura (similar to the Jashin cult Hidan is a part of, just not as bloodthirsty). She wore no flak vest with her clothing, which consisted of a black bustier, black pants and boots (think Princess Kitana from the movies). Dual tantos were stuck inside her boots. Her dark hair fell behind her back. Her forehead protector was wrapped around her left leg. She looked exotic, the clear gray eyes looking down on the Konoha group with disdain. She was the Protector of the Divine Winds, Kaede Kuriyama.
The third member was a bald and bearded mountain of a man, standing seven feet tall, literally a walking mountain of muscle. His armor reminded Jiraiya of Han's Steam Armor in appearance, only difference was that there was no steam. Aside from the armor, he had on a pair of black pants, but went barefoot. He was the oldest of the group, tanned, and loved a good fight. Strapped to his back was a giant broadsword the size of Zabuza's Head Chopping Cleaver. Like A, he wore his hitai-ate around his bicep. He was Kintaro Kagami, the Strongman of the Scorched Earth.
The final member of the group was the leader. For a split second, given the blond hair and the blue eyes, Jiraiya and the others thought that he was looking at Naruto. But this guy was anything but. He was wearing armor which reminded both Sakura and Sasuke of Doto Kazahana's prototype Chakra Armor, but it was red with golden trim rather than Doto's black with blue trim. It wasn't chakra armor, but rather armor belonging to his clan. Over the armor, he had on a black haori. Black pants and sandals completed the outfit. His hitai-ate was stitched onto his haori. He was Rasu, the Shogun of the Violent Lightning.
"You know, you guys stick out like a sore thumb," Rasu began. "Then again, I'm not surprised. Eastern shinobi with a death wish. Welcome to the West, tourists."
Danzou frowned. "We are not tourists," he rebuked.
"Oh, come on," Rasu replied. "Here you are, in our home, taking in the sights, seeing what the Western Empire have to offer. Face it. You guys are tourists."
Sasuke jumped to his feet, activating his Sharingan. "Now look here, you..."
He backed away as Rasu raised one hand, index and middle finger extended. "Ah-ah-ah," Rasu childed as golden lightning danced on his finger. "You really should rein in your temper, Uchiha. Otherwise, I would have to explain why I had to fry your ass to my boss."
"Sasuke, don't," Jiraiya warned. "I've heard of these four. These four are the Four Devas." He looked at Rasu. "This is the one who had defeated Itachi and his partner."
"The old man speaks the truth," Rasu confirmed. "We tagged along with The Chief and his wife on an inspection tour to the East. The Emperor gave us his blessings to test our skills against the Akatsuki...so long as we didn't kill any of them." He looked at Sasuke. "So...you're Itachi's kid brother. I've seen better. Then again, I've seen worse as well."
"How dare you speak to me like that, you commoner!" Sasuke snarled.
"Keep running your mouth, runt, and I'll do to you what I did to your brother," Rasu threatened. Upon hearing Sadako clear her throat, Rasu dispersed the lightning. "Oh. Right. You guys are to come with us. The Emperor and Empress Consort would like to have a word with you guys. We're here just to make sure that everything remains nice and civil."
"And keep your dog under control," Sadako warned Kiba. "Otherwise, I will be forced to put him down."
Hall of Sovereigns – Council Chambers.
Dressed in all black, the kage-style hat over his head, eyes closed in order to conceal his now-active Rinnegan, Naruto sat in his chair, trying to calm the emotions that were currently going through his mind. As Emperor, Naruto had the right to refuse any envoy that came before him, but he decided to see how far Konoha had come during his absence. Hinata was also present, as was Kurama. Hiashi was absent. Hinata's bangs had covered her eyes, effectively hiding them from view. The entire council was present as well.
That and whether or not he could keep his temper in check and not kill his former teammates, sensei and godfather for their betrayal the moment they entered the room. Naruto was not taking any chances, not against the Sharingan. He knew that the Rinnegan had the power to repel the Sharingan's genjutsu, but his council did not share that same ability. Which is why for the past hour, he had placed special anti-genjutsu seals on the council and activated them minutes before the Konoha group had arrived. The door opened and Naruto opened his eyes, just as the Four Devas entered the council chambers, followed by Jiraiya, Asuma Sarutobi, the three elders, and the remnants of Cells Seven and Eight.
The Four Devas stepped to the side, allowing the Konoha group to face the Emperor and Empress Consort. Jiraiya and the three elders were surprised to see A seated on the council as one of the Emperor's advisers, as they had read the reports that A, his brother and several of their supporters were killed when A was overthrown.
To Naruto, Jiraiya looked the same – a backstabbing, super pervert. Kakashi was all business, as the little orange book he usually read was not in sight. Sakura was dressed as a medic-nin, complete with Jounin vest. Sasuke, however, was sizing him up, Sharingan active, looking as arrogant as ever. Danzou was doing the same. Koharu and Honmura looked on with growing anticipation, as if they were hoping for Naruto to accept their terms for an alliance.
Akamaru was growling at Bijomaru, the wolf-dog growling back, until Kiba shushed him. Looking at Hinata, he could not shake the fact that the Empress was someone familiar...someone he knew very well. That and for some strange reason, the redheaded woman seated next to the former Raikage smelled strongly of foxes.
Naruto focused on Danzou. Aside from Koharu and Honmura, the warhawk had been in his side for the longest ever since his genin days. 'Hmm...a hidden Sharingan behind those bandages...and he's attempting to use it to try and sway the council. Good thing those anti-genjutsu seals I've designed are working.'
And indeed they were working, otherwise Naruto would have sensed the Sharingan's influence on the council members.
'What's this?' Naruto thought as he continued to glare at Danzou. 'The warhawk is not as crippled as he presents himself. A false arm underneath his robes with multiple Sharingans grafted...combined with the Mokouton of the Senju clan. I wonder how the old hag and that idiot former teammate of mine would take it if I told them that the warhawk ripped off their respective clan's bloodlines?'
Jiraiya, Koharu, Honmura and Danzou stood side by side and bowed, the other Konoha shinobi following suit. All except Sasuke, who smirked at the Imperial Council at his blatant show of disrespect...until Kakashi looked up, grabbed his former student by the back of the neck and forced him to bow as well.
Jiraiya began to speak, acting as de facto negotiator. "Lord Emperor. May your reign be a long and prosperous once. I am..."
"...Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin," Naruto began, using his chakra to mask his voice, just as he had done with Kabuto. "One of three shinobi christened with the title by former Amegakure warlord Hanzou the Salamander. Former teammates include Tsunade Senju and Orochimaru. Trained by Hiruzen Sarutobi, deceased Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure. Author of Icha Icha, and self-proclaimed 'super-pervert.'"
Jiraiya beamed. "My reputation proceeds me. I am honored."
"No, I just like to be informed of the major players in the East," Naruto replied, causing Jiraiya's expression to fall. "The movers and shakers, if you will. Information is a valuable commodity, wouldn't you agree, old man?"
"I take it that the Hyuuga and the Ino-Shika-Cho notified you about myself and of Konoha?" Jiraiya asked. "We confirmed Hiashi Hyuuga and his nephew, which means you were the one behind the offer for asylum."
"They verified what we already know," Naruto replied. "Like the fact that the shinobi accompanying you, of which I can identify from my previous...encounters with the Leaf are Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha. The one with the giant dog is Kiba Inuzuka, son of Tsume Inuzuka. The silent one with the glasses is Shino Aburame, and the pale-skinned one is Sai." He looked at the elders. "But I do not know these three. Enlighten me."
"We are the elders of Konohagakure no Sato," Danzou began. "I am Danzou Shimura."
Honmura continued the introduction. "I am Honmura Mitokado."
"And I am Koharu Utatane," Koharu finished.
"We are here on behalf the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju, the people of Konohagakure no Sato and the Lord of Fire Country," Jiraiya continued. "We have come here in good faith to speak to both you, Lord Emperor and Lady Empress."
"Go on," Hinata said, her chakra masking her voice.
"Both Konoha and Fire Country interest in the Unified West, as well as the both of you," Jiraiya began. "From what the Pekara Merchants have told us, you two were only teenagers when you decided to unify the lands. A respectable feat."
It was at that time, Sasuke decided to speak. "Hn. Two years to unify the lands. Had it been me, I would have done it in less time, seeing as how I am an Uchiha. An elite."
'Looks like his ego is still as big as Tears' Point,' Naruto thought as he cocked one eyebrow. The guards present looked amused. Jiraiya looked like he wanted to strangle the Uchiha, if Asuma did not beat him to it first.
"Claiming such a title without being capable of backing it up is very dangerous in these parts, Uchiha," Naruto countered, his eyes staring down the last Uchiha from his seat. "They don't last long here in the West. Here, we prove ourselves with actions, not words. Here, respect is not given because of what clan you're from or what bloodline you wield. It is earned. Oh, and would you deactivate your Sharingan? I would hate to have you arrested for crimes against the Unified West, such as the attempted murder of the Emperor by genjutsu."
Sasuke began to retort, but Kakashi's hand on his shoulder restrained him, as well as a glare from Jiraiya. Sasuke grunted before deactivating the Sharingan.
"You should try teaching the Uchiha some tact," Naruto noted dryly.
"I apologize for my student," Kakashi said.
"As I was saying," Jiraiya continued, "Major Minazuki was nice enough to give us a tour of the capital. And I can say on behalf of the envoy and myself, we are very impressed with the Empire's methods. There is so much that the Unified West and the Leaf can share, provide that we can sign a political and military alliance between your Empire and Konohagakure no Sato. There is so much that we can learn from one another. You could learn from the best in politics and we can trade techniques and the like. And that you would be gaining quite a valuable ally in the Leaf."
Naruto leaned back in his seat, one finger tapping the armrest of his throne, as if he was thinking about agreeing to the proposed alliance. "No."
"No?" Jiraiya repeated.
"No," Naruto repeated. "Being allied to the Leaf is not in the best interest of the Unified West. Not after what I had discovered through the Suna representatives."
"What Gaara and the Sand siblings told you is false," Kakashi explained. "Konoha is the strongest of the Shinobi villages. The Will of Fire is strong with the people. We hold many powerful shinobi within our ranks."
"So...the fact that Konohagakure rewards potential traitors and damn their potential heroes was false?" Naruto asked, watching as Kakashi and Jiraiya stiffen slightly. "That Konoha had lost every single alliance because they decided to throw in their lot with a genin who willingly defected from Konoha for the promise of power and banish a loyal shinobi for doing his job?"
"How do you know that?" Sakura demanded.
Naruto smiled. "Jiraiya's information network is not the only spy network in town. I have eyes and ears in the West as well. Spring Country also verified your actions, as did Mist. But most of what I know about Konoha and its shinobi came from one person from within my ranks. I believe you know him, as he was your former godson, Jiraiya, as well as being the former teammate for Cell Seven. Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto watched as Jiraiya shifted uncontrollably. Kakashi frowned, as did the three elders.
Sasuke looked smug. "So the dobe is still alive? Figures that you would have someone as weak as him fighting for you."
"Weak? Hardly," the Emperor replied mildly. "He is a hero in the West."
"Be careful who you insult, little man," Takuma Uzumaki warned. "The Uzumaki take care of their own." His gaze turned ice cold as he leveled it upon Jiraiya. "And you...you and the Godaime betrayed my nephew, your godson. Tsunade was his great-aunt, and chose the Leaf over blood. We believe in loyalty to one's village, but family is also important."
"Takuma, calm down," Naruto ordered. Takuma complied.
"Do you know that he is the Kyuubi reborn?" Kakashi butted in. "Did you know that he is wanted in the Bingo Book for murdering my sensei and his wife, not to mention that he is charged with treason for harming a clan heir?"
"Funny. I thought Uzumaki was a clan heir," Naruto replied. "His father was your village hero and his mother was the former princess of Whirlpool. As to the charges of treason and harming a clan heir, those charges are false, as he was banished, which means you can't charge him with treason. Second, your precious Uchiha had willingly ran off to join Orochimaru. In any case, Uzumaki was following orders."
"That demon brat is no heir," Kakashi snapped. "He is just a fox in human skin."
No one notice the vein pulsing on Kurama's head. Or the fact that her hand was balling into a fist.
"It's obvious that despite being the student of the Yellow Flash, you know jack shit about fuuinjutsu," Naruto continued. "The boy is a jinchuuriki – the jailer and warden, not the prisoner itself. And under the Unified West, he is a powerful warrior, admired and respected by friend and foe alike." He pointed to Kakashi. "'Those who abandon the mission are trash. But those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash.' Your words, according to Uzumaki. For favoring a traitor and not giving Uzumaki the proper tutelage...you, Kakashi Hatake, are lower than trash. In my eyes, you and Sasuke Uchiha are scum."
"You dare call me scum?" Sasuke snarled, activating his Sharingan. "You and your whore are nothing compared to me. You both hide behind your precious titles. I am an Elite among Elite..."
That was all that Sasuke could get out before the Emperor and Empress Consort vanished. A split-second later, the Uchiha prince felt the unmistakable touch of cold steel against his neck along with the second blade resting up against his crotch, followed by a massive dose of killer intent so potent that it even froze Jiraiya, and the others in place. Only the council, the guards present and Kurama were unaffected.
'Impossible!' Jiraiya thought as he fell to his knees. 'What...what power! They're both faster than Minato!'
"You call yourself an Elite, and yet, your Sharingan could not track our movements," Naruto deadpanned, O-katana in hand, and against Sasuke's neck. "I had hoped that our last encounter left you humbled. But now I see that it has done nothing."
"You...you have any idea who you are dealing with?!" Sasuke managed to spit out.
"Do you?" the Empress retorted, her own kukri against the Uchiha's balls. "Look at where my husband and I are. And look at you. For all your talk of being an Elite, you are nothing but a second-rate ninja hiding behind your family name and dojutsu."
"Know this, Sasuke Uchiha..." Naruto continued. "I can kill you right now. My wife can kill you right now. You are nothing but an insect that can be crushed under my heel. That, and you are really trying my patience. Keep your tongue in check...or I will remove it from your mouth."
"And I will remove what makes you a man," Hinata finished.
That caused Kiba, Kakashi, Asuma, Shino, and even the male elders to wince at Hinata's meaning. The threat properly delivered, the Emperor and Empress of the Western Empire returned to their chairs, lifting the killer intent as they did so.
"Regardless of what you may think," Jiraiya said, "you have confirmed that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is here in the Unified West. He is a missing-ninja and a S-class threat to both Konoha and to Fire Country. With all due respect, I ask that you turn him over to us so that he can be taken back to the Leaf to face our justice."
"There is also the matter of two of the clan heiresses which had abandoned Konoha and had made their way here along with their families," Kakashi continued. "Ino Yamanaka and Hanabi Hyuuga. As Sasuke is under the Konohagakure Clan Restoration Act, we demand on behalf of the Konohagakure High Council that they both be turned over to us so that they could be returned and married to Sasuke Uchiha with all haste. We also request that you hand over Tenten and Anko Mitarashi as well, for they both fall under the C.R.A."
"In regards to surrendering Uzumaki to you, the answer is no," Naruto replied, leaking out killer intent. "And in regards to Yamanaka and the Hyuuga, not to mention the other two, again, the answer is no, as I have granted them and their families political asylum, as well as citizenship within the Unified West. You, nor Konoha are in no position to make demands of myself and of my Empire."
Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "You will regret this, Lord Emperor. You will not like Konoha as your enemy."
"In any case, I seriously would not want you nor Konoha as allies either," the Emperor replied. "For your insolence, you will be sent back on the first ship back to the East. Thank whatever gods you worship that I do not send your bodies back to Konoha in six or seven pieces, along with a declaration of war on your village and on Fire Country." When it looked like Sasuke was going to retort, Naruto added, "Choose your words carefully, Uchiha. For they will be your last."
Kakashi clamped down his hand on Sasuke's mouth. "Sasuke, no. You got us into enough trouble already," he hissed. "Calm down."
"As he is your prized student, you should teach him some manners when in the presence of someone higher up than he is," Naruto replied. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Leave my sight."
Konohagakure no Sato, two weeks later.
Upon returning to Konoha, Jiraiya had dismissed Asuma Sarutobi, Sasuke Uchiha and Cell Eight, leaving himself, Kakashi, Sakura and the two elders to face both Tsunade and the Fire Lord. Danzou returned to his own compound, ignoring Jiraiya's request to remain with the others.
Inside the Hokage's Office, Tsunade Senju looked over the reports given to her by Sakura, Koharu and Honmura. Also present was the Fire Lord, who had taken quite an interest in Konoha's attempts to get the Unified West in their corner. "So their medical program uses both shinobi and samurai...very interesting."
"It also confirmed what Captain Sarutobi said about their medic-nins," Sakura said. "Their healing methods, as much as I hate to admit, far surpass those of the Leaf. And their combat medics are just as skilled, despite being samurai and not knowing any jutsu."
"Indeed," Tsunade murmured as she scanned through the report. "Acupuncture needles and shiatsu...herbology...most impressive. And to think that the Empress has created such a well-organized program for both shinobi and samurai."
"Their education and training is impressive," the Fire Damiyo said as he read Koharu and Honmura's reports. "The Empire using both shinobi and samurai in his forces. On top of that, they can produce Chuunin and Jounin in less time than we can."
Tsunade set the scroll down. "So what happened? Did the Emperor and his wife agree to an alliance with us?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "They refused to ally with us. On top of that, Sasuke's attitude and mouth did not help matters, either. He insulted both the Emperor and his wife, calling her a whore, and nearly lost his head and his balls."
Tsunade fumed. "That foolish boy! He almost started a war because of his ego!"
"The Emperor and his wife showed plenty of restraint in not killing Sasuke where he stood, let alone castrate him," Kakashi seconded. "And despite the both of them holding back most of their chakra, their power level is for lack of a better word...insane."
"The Uchiha will be reprimanded for this offense," Tsunade said. "He will be placed under house arrest and will not leave Konohagakure until I see fit."
"I second the motion," the Fire Damiyo said. "The Emperor is an unknown. And that makes him even more dangerous. Sasuke Uchiha is becoming uncontrollable, and has been ever since Uzumaki's banishment. He needs to be humbled."
"Lord Damiyo, we must treat the Uchiha with great care," Koharu said in Sasuke's defense. "As he is the last loyal Uchiha of Konoha, we need the Sharingan."
"And yet, the Emperor, from what I found out, has a bloodline similar to that of the Six Paths Sage, which makes the Sharingan obsolete," the Fire Damiyo replied curtly. "I had pardoned him the first time when he tried to defect from Konoha. I will not be as merciful should he try to defect a second time." To Jiraiya and Kakashi, he said, "Continue."
"We have confirmed not only does the Emperor has the Rinnegan, but he did reveal to us one key bit of information regarding Naruto Uzumaki," reported Kakashi.
Tsunade leaned forward in her chair. "Please tell me that the brat is dead."
Jiraiya shook his head. "No. According to the Emperor, Uzumaki is alive. From the look of things, he fought alongside the Emperor in the wars unifying the continent."
"Meaning that the brat could have learned how to control his demon," Danzou surmised, "or that he has learned how to fight more effectively from the Emperor despite our sabotaging his training at the academy and Hatake not teaching him anything other than chakra control." He turned to Tsunade. "We could have avoided this a long time ago had Sarutobi given him to me to train."
"There's more, Tsunade," Jiraiya continued. "The Uzumaki clan is not extinct. I saw Takuma Uzumaki in the West."
"Impossible. The Uzumaki is gone," Tsunade rebuffed. "I saw the reports. The Uzumaki had been wiped out."
"It looks like that Kushina was not entirely honest with us," the Toad Sage replied mildly. "My guess is that she ordered Takuma to evacuate Whirlpool, and to take as many survivors as he can. Even worse, the Uzumaki is one of the main clans in the Empire, which means that the clan has rebuilt and is more powerful than it was back in the last Shinobi War. Hell, he's part of the Emperor's staff as one of his advisers. And he knows what we had done to his nephew, not to mention the fact that you are his great-aunt."
"I can care less what Takuma thinks," Tsunade replied flatly. "Naruto killed the closest thing I had to a daughter. Kushina was his sister. He should hand Naruto over to us so we can finish what Minato had started. Better yet, he should kill the brat himself."
"So what do we do about the Kyuubi brat?" Koharu demanded. "We know that he is there in the West. We should at least try and retrieve him by using the ANBU!"
The Fire Damiyo shook his head. "No. If the Emperor finds out that we were responsible for such an action, given Uzumaki's he could declare war not only on Konoha, but he could wipe out all of Fire Country in retaliation."
"We can't sit here and do nothing!" Koharu pleaded. "If the Kyuubi brat is in the good graces of the Emperor, then he may turn his attention to us next!"
"Only if we provoke him," the Damiyo replied. "That means do not provoke in any shape, form of fashion, anyone from the West that comes here, especially those from the Pekara Merchant House. And Sasuke Uchiha is not to say anything about what has happened in the Unified West, under threat of permanent expulsion from the Shinobi Forces and his Sharingan sealed. Am I clear?"
The assembled ninja nodded, Kakashi disappearing in order to find his student and tell him of the Fire Lord's edict.
Underneath Konohagakure no Sato...
"Tsunade has reprimanded Sasuke for his actions back in the West," Koharu said as she, Danzou and Honmura walked down the corridors of Danzou's underground complex. Sai remained behind the trio. "As of this moment, the Uchiha is under house arrest and cannot leave the village."
"Tsunade knows that Sasuke falls under my jurisdiction," Danzou replied. "Only I can decide his punishment."
"Unfortunately, she has the backing of the Fire Lord," Honmura said. "Which means that his authority overrides your own."
'The Emperor and his council should have agreed to the alliance,' Danzou thought. 'Kotoamatsukami should have made sure of that. Could it be the power of the Rinnegan? On top of that, the Uzumaki clan lives...'
"The Emperor has refused to join with us," Honmura said. "So now what do we do?"
"There is no way around it," Danzou replied. "If the Empire refuses to join us, then it is a threat to the Leaf. And if the Empire decides to join our enemies...that is a risk that we cannot take. I have been planning for something like this in the event that the Empire refused to come to our side."
"Such as...?" Koharu began.
"A decapitation strike," Danzou explained. "Cut off the head of the snake, and the body dies. The Empire is only held together by the Emperor and his wife. Remove them from the equation, and the Empire will revert back into its warlike state. At the same time, we kidnap some of the Empire's top prospects and bring them back here in order to strengthen the Leaf."
"If you do this," Honmura said, "then eliminate the traitors to the leaf and their heirs. No one betrays Konoha."
"Takuma Uzumaki is also a threat," Koharu said. "He must die as well."
"Fair enough. Sai."
The ink user stepped forward and knelt before the warhawk. "Lord Danzou?"
Danzou pulled out a scroll. After several moments of scribbling, he closed it and handed it to his subordinate. "This is a S-class black-ops mission for the good of the village. You will return to Kimon with two squads of ROOT ANBU. There, two weeks from now, you will eliminate the Emperor, his whore and the Imperial Council. They are your primary targets. Your secondary targets are the four clan heads - the Hyuuga, the Ino-Shika-Cho and their heirs. Last, you are to eliminate Takuma Uzumaki."
Sai nodded. "Understood, Lord Shimura. Your will shall be done."
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