บท 26: Chapter 23 The Tall Emperor
Kakashi had only returned the day before but he was truly glad that they ended up not fighting in the war. Past experiences with war had not been pleasant. Then again, there was never anything good about war–it was just chaos, destruction and pain. Only those without emotional attachment and an obsession for chaos found peace in such situations.
Kakashi had experienced enough of it. The everyday life of a shinobi was already filled with many hardships–the current generation has grown up in a time of peace. They did not experience what he had experienced. At least they had been spared from pain.
Yet in this world, nothing was certain. It was perhaps right to say they only avoided it today. If Stone and Cloud won against the Emperor, they could try to turn on them. Even if they don't do it now, they would eventually do it. The agreement between Sand and Leaf to make things hard for The Stone would certainly not be allowed to enter the memory lanes.
They might come to their senses now simply because they want to survive, but they would return to pay back the humiliation.
It was all about surviving for another day, wasn't it?
Kakashi shook his head as he hopped through rooftops. He came to a halt when he arrived at his destination. He settled peacefully on the roof and took out his book.
A minute later, Yugao climbed up to the roof, in white pants and a purple long sleeved T-shirt. The former Anbu captain looked at her with a raised eye brow.
"I don't usually see you without your Anbu gear, it surprises me when you are casual."
Yugao shrugged nonchalantly and settled on the Jonin's right side.
"Still reading those books, I see." She commented.
"A couple of pages at a time. Jiraiya-sama hasn't been releasing anything recently," Kakashi said with clear disappointment. He then beamed up slightly. "He did say he was going to come up with a new series…I can't wait for it to be released."
Yugao shook her head.
"At least you did not pass this onto your students. Are all powerful shinobi really perverts? The Sandaime was one; Jiraiya-sama is a self-proclaimed super-pervert. And while it is not a known factor about him, Naruto does love women a little too much."
Kakashi eye smiled. "Maybe."
"Then, what do you want, sempai?"
Kakashi eyed Yugao with a hurt look. "Can't I just come to check out my former subordinate?"
Yugao stared.
Kakashi sighed deeply.
"It is about Naruto…" He shook his head. "Perhaps it would be correct to say the Emperor. He is no longer the same kid who used to be on my team. He is different now, a world known shinobi with a 'flee on sight' ranking."
"I guess to you he was once normal. Ever since the Sandaime Hokage called me into his home to talk to about him, I'd always seem him differently. He was certainly not a child. When it comes to power, he'd always been strong. I don't know if he sealed a portion of his mind about the power he had or if he just pretended. But from what the Sandaime said, he was stronger." Yugao responded in thought. "Why do you want to talk about him?" she asked.
"The Stone and Cloud have retreated but he is going to battle the Kages of both villages. What happens after that? That assumption is that he wins the battle…I am more interested in what happens in his relationship with our village."
Yugao debated on whether she should answer the question. She shook her head–there was nothing secret about what was going to happen. Besides, Kakashi did hold some interest since Naruto was the son of his former sensei. She has hidden this for long now. Most of all, he was going to succeed Tsunade as Hokage-he did have the right to know.
"The hope is that things are worked out to the point where Uzushio and Konoha enjoy a fruitful relationship. At this point, we are most interested in Uzushio, not the Empire in general."
"Why?"
"Because that is the only thing that Naruto will kill anyone to protect. His love for his village succeeds anything else in his life. Shikaku-san has concluded that much. When you look at what he has done, it has always been for his clan."
Well, Naruto's love for the Uzumaki clan had ever been questioned. He had never even hidden that himself.
"I see." Kakashi said. "It would not be bad visiting Uzushio and maybe stay there for a little while. But I do wonder if Naruto will permit it…"
Yugao eyed the Jonin.
"You are not just saying that because you want to escape from your responsibilities, are you? I know Tsunade-sama plans to hand over the mantle to you." Yugao stated in a serious tone.
The mood around Kakashi seemed to deflate the moment Yugao stopped talking.
"I'm really not ready for that."
"You're always not ready for anything." Yugao said with a shrug. "I'll be the one heading to Uzushio. I will see what happens then but I will probably take up residency there. But it will only be after the war."
"Spying on the Emperor?" Kakashi asked with a raised eye brow.
"What makes you think that?"
"Why else would you of all people go to live in Uzushio?" Kakashi asked. "If I do end up becoming Hokage, I would not approve that mission. It gives those people in Uzushio a reason to be distrustful of us when Naruto has been playing nice despite every reason to turn on us."
Yugao smiled.
"You've always been able to see what is between the lines, sensei. Either way, I'll follow orders given to me. But I will admit that I have the same thought as you do. The Emperor has been forthcoming and truthful to the agreement he made with the Sandaime Hokage. I also fear that if he discovers such a thing–he'd kill me without thinking twice but I still cannot disobey I direct order."
"We will see what happens…At least they will put me in charge. I still haven't had that full discussion with Tsunade-sama." Kakashi said.
Land of Hot Water
It was truly a shame that this country was being used as a battlefield for a war that they had nothing to with. But this was how things worked in the shinobi world–the small countries were always the victims who hosted and suffered from battles they did not fight.
Amegakure had been used constantly.
It was no wonder Hanzo had taken a firm stand against any shinobi moving through his country. Of course, there was that friendship with Danzo–but the war hawk was poisonous. Perhaps things could have been different for Nagato and his friends without Danzo sticking his nose in their business.
But then again, there was Obito to consider. That man would have done everything in his power to make sure Nagato followed him.
The terrain was lifeless. The air was hot even though they were within the land of Hot Water. Every country had its parts where the environment seemed to disagree with the name of the country. Either way, this was a good place for battle.
Naruto looked up into the tall boulders that surrounded the clearing. There was truly no tree as far as the eye could see. Gathering natural energy at such a place would be difficult. But at least he had enough chakra stored in the seals to keep him going in case the battle took longer than expected.
He was also hoping to enjoy himself.
The Iwa group stood atop of a hill on his left while the Cloud were on his right side. These people were ready–he could feel their intent. It was good. It made him feel slightly excited for battle. The past battles were completely boring. He was only doing a slaughter but here, he was going to do battle.
And he was going to have a thrill–as long as they didn't end up disappointing him.
Onoki looked down at the Emperor; he was wearing an armor, two swords sticking out on both his shoulders. He was stated to use a lightning and wind sword. And was rather good at using both. What could he not do? He was a shinobi who seemed to know all shinobi arts.
Jinchuriki often depend on the power of their Bijuu but he was a different case. What made him strong was not that he was carrying a Bijuu–it was his skills and the abnormal chakra levels.
He motioned for Roshi and Akatsuchi to follow before jumping down to the ground. The second he landed, the Cloud duo also landed besides them.
"Let us talk for a bit, shall we? I will not have any other conversations with you because once we start fighting, you will surely die…The Kages at least. And I will not accept your surrender."
Ai snorted.
"We would never surrender to you. Don't be so full of yourself to think you can actually defeat us all in this battle."
Naruto smiled as he responded. "Well, it would be embarrassing if I cannot defeat you. But unless it cannot be helped, I will not summon the Kyubi."
"Can you even control all its power?"
Naruto smiled. "Let us not get into that. We are at war and you have lost many men. Right now, their families cry out in pain. Surely, as the one who killed them, I am the one who gets blamed and hated. I think that it is unfair that I get to be blamed for your decisions."
"Enough of this!" Onoki exclaimed with impatience. "We did not come here to discuss anything with you; we came to battle."
"You need not be so impatient to meet your death, Onoki. This is your last hour in the shinobi world, you should really try to enjoy this moment and maybe reflect on your mistakes, good points."
Onoki glared: he had made mistakes. Everyone made mistakes. Perhaps starting this war had been a mistake to begin with. He had lost far much more than he had thought. He was even now facing death and it was a decision he took that led to this.
The last time things had gone so well. They had destroyed Uzushio and Konoha had looked the other way to avoid getting caught in the middle.
"We all make mistakes. You can't say you haven't made any mistakes either."
"I never said I don't make mistakes. We are flawed beings–repeating the same things we do. I have made my mistakes but the problem with you is that you never admit your mistakes. You will never say you are wrong. You still maintain that destroying Uzushio was the right decision."
Onoki shook his head.
"Perhaps if things hadn't come to this point, there would be more to talk about. It is actually when you face death that you get to think deep. But talking here will not change anything."
"Indeed."
"Then let us do this!"
Naruto didn't waste time activating Sage Mode; he would not be taking any unnecessary risks. Besides, there were two Kages, two Jinchurikis and an experienced shinobi who could very well be a Kage if things favored him. These five opponents didn't need him to take it easy on them. He needed to be serious. He could not enjoy it either if he was not being serious.
Once Sage Mode was activated, he released potent chakra that burst out like a wave of wind. It picked up some dust around him.
It only took a couple of seconds for everything to settle down.
Bee only shook his head. That was no weakling. The chakra was as potent as that of a Bijuu. Hardly surprising though– Naruto housed the Kyubi; the most powerful Bijuu in existence. He still grinned though. This was certainly going to be a blast.
"Killer Bee, the Hachibi 'n brother, the Rai' entering the stage in a combo… this is gonna be blast, yeah!"
Did that come out right?
No, there was something wrong about that. Bee adopted a thoughtful look on his face as he tried to fix his lyrics.
Ai smacked him on his right shoulder while glaring. "This is no time for your nonsense, Bee. You just felt it now – that is no normal person we are facing. I need you to be serious."
"All the more reasons we shouldn't hurry."
Ai activated his lightning cloak and disappeared in a blur without responding. He did not want to waste time just lingering around without doing anything. He certainly didn't want to give the Emperor the advantage of making the first move and be able to control the flow of battle.
The Emperor had shown it in their previous engagement that although he was no yellow flash, he was still ridiculously quick.
With his senses heightened, Naruto could feel the flow chakra within the area. He could feel the movements. It wasn't like with the Byakugan where you had the entire field of vision or the ability of the Sharingan to predict movements.
With Sage Mode, his instincts became one with his senses. He was ultimately in a true fighting mode. At times, he did think it was not fair fighting using Senjutsu.
When Ai flashed on his right side, slightly above the ground, body leaned forward with his right shoulder bulging slightly as he moved his right hand toward the Emperor's in the blink of an eye. His fist blasted the air to the sides as it moved towards the target.
Naruto swiftly dodged the punch by ducking under. He felt some wind slap onto his head, but did not think deeply about. He waved his right hand towards the Raikage's chest. Before he could connect, the man disappeared in a blur.
Ai appeared above Naruto; hands held together. As gravity started to pull him down, he raised both hands above his hand and then started slamming them down. He watched as Naruto swiftly straightened himself. The Emperor raised both his hands just above his head and then folded them–all while without looking at him.
There was a loud boom as the ground exploded when his attack collided with the Emperor's defense. The attack failed to break through as the Emperor held firmly. Ai stretched his right foot with greater flexibility and tried to kick the Emperor on the left side of his chest.
Naruto saw the kick being swung and stopped trying to defend. He pulled away, and leapt backwards slightly. When he landed on the ground, his eyes shifted around to see if anyone else had moved. Once satisfied, he took off like a bullet, rushing towards the Raikage.
Ai was a little surprised at Naruto's speed when he lunged at him. He should not have been surprised but the Emperor's speed was still something he could not quite grasp.
How did he even get so powerful?
He didn't allow his surprise to leave him rooted to the ground; he too took off, rushing to meet the Emperor head-on. His left leg crashed to the ground while his right weaved the air, moving swiftly towards the Emperor's waist. The foot collided with the Emperor's, who'd done the same movement as him. The ground burst under the weight of the kick, with lightning sparkling from the collision as he had his cloak activated.
Ai growled slightly when he realized that Naruto's strength wasn't something to scoff at. It had even felt as if he had hit a solid rock rather than a person.
Naruto sensed a spike of chakra and looked up. He saw Killer Bee flipping several times while crashing downwards. He closed his eyes and then disappeared in a burst of wind.
Even though the Emperor had disappeared in the blink of an eye, Ai still saw him and was able to follow him. The second he disappeared, Killer Bee crashed on the ground, lifting up debris. He had two swords stabbing into the ground before pulling them up as he straightened.
Naruto folded both hands in front of him when Ai suddenly appeared in front of him while he was airborne, flying backwards. The man hit him with a powerful punch that collided with his defense with brutal force that sent him rocketing backwards.
It didn't hurt as much as it would have because of Senjutsu.
While flying backwards, Naruto narrowed his eyes behind sensing movement. A wall of stone suddenly burst from the ground. Both Onoki and Akatsuchi landed atop of it with Roshi nowhere to be seen–but Naruto could still sense him. There was nothing he could do to stop himself from crashing into the wall. He was glad he had his armor when his body crashed through the wall.
The second he went through it, he saw Ai's fist sneaking through the hole he'd created when bursting through. He reacted quickly to make a haste defense. The Raikage's punch went through his hands and hit him on the chest plate, propelling him backwards.
Roshi watched as Naruto burst through the wall erected by Akatsuchi. He readied himself by holding both his hands. When the Raikage also appeared, attacking the Emperor, he did not stop but just went through hand seals believing that the man was fast enough to dodge.
"Lava Release: Scorching Rocks jutsu."
He spat out multiple rocks of lava from his mouth. With Naruto being blasted towards him, he just stood and watched but before any of the rocks could hit the Emperor, a violent force of wind suddenly pulled up around him, tearing through the ground while moving toward him.
The wind turned into a violent tornado that pulled up the rocks before hurling them into different directions. Roshi was forced to jump to his right side when the tornado moved toward him.
The tornado came to a halt after a couple of moments and then dispersed. Naruto was standing calmly, a small smile on his lips.
"It works best when you all attack in coordination. This might be a little fun, it seems." Naruto stated, eerily calm.
There was only the sound of lightning when Ai flashed in front of him, stabbing his right hand towards his chest.
"There will be no fun!"
Naruto's reaction was once more a shock to the Raikage: he jumped up in the blink of an eye, his body positioning horizontally before twisting around with his right hand held out. A Katon Rasengan formed and he tried to slam it onto the Raikage who was below him, but the man disappeared in a blur.
His jutsu ended up crashing onto the ground.
He blurred away, not wanting to be caught in the explosion.
The moment he landed on the ground, he was attacked from behind. There was a sound of swords clashing, lightning currents sparkling when Bee flashed behind the Emperor. Naruto had both his hands around him, holding his swords. The lightning sword was held horizontally around his shoulders, with the tips of two of Bee's swords pressed against its blade.
The Wind was held in the same angle as the lightning but around his waist–it too was blocking swords from Bee.
"That was fast, Yeah, but…" Bee grinned.
Roshi flashed in front of him in his lava cloak and then drove a lava punch towards his chest.
"Tsk…" He certainly could not move recklessly with Bee behind him. And if he allowed the punch to connect with him, he would certainly suffer and the man behind him would stab him with his remaining swords–it would be most unpleasant.
"Wind Bullets!" The Emperor inhaled large amounts of air and then spat out three invisible wind bullets from his mouth.
Roshi only found himself being hit by the three bullets before he could reach the Emperor. One bullet slammed onto his forehead while the others hit him on his chest. The sheer amount of force on the bullets left him seeing blurry images, feeling a bit disoriented, and he staggered to the ground, falling on one knee.
Naruto eyed to his right side: Akatsuchi was standing a distance away, holding his hands together while gathering chakra. His focus was once more turned to the man behind him after he retreated slightly.
But Ai flashed on his left side, flying in the air. The man spun around and kicked him on his right shoulder. The kick picked him from the ground, sending him flying to the sides.
While still airborne, Bee flashed behind him, cloaked in the Hachibi's chakra. He drove a punch that blasted the winds to the sides as it targeted the Emperor's back.
A single chakra chain burst from behind.
Bee's fist collided with chain but did not break through it. But the force of his punch made the Emperor rocket towards Akatsuchi like lightning.
"Golem no Jutsu!"
The moment the Raikage kicked the Emperor, Akatsuchi activated his jutsu and then lightened it to give it more speed. When the Emperor neared, the stone golem lifted its right leg and swung it towards him. There was a loud boom when the kick connected with the Emperor.
Akatsuchi watched eagerly as his golem crumbled down from the collision with the Emperor.
His hair stood up when he could not see nor sense the Emperor. His instincts kicked in and he tried to look behind, a bit fearfully.
Naruto flashed behind Akatsuchi in a blur. He was holding his wind sword with his left hand, a bit around his waist, its tip facing up a bit around the man's left shoulder. He was also swinging his lightning sword in a downward slash.
The moment he touched the ground, his sword inches away from the kill, Bee flashed between them, holding two swords above his head, crossed for defense. The lightning sword clashed with Bee's swords and failed to break through because the man encased the blades with lightning.
"Predictable." Naruto said.
"Guh!"
Akatsuchi shouted in pain when something pierced through his left shoulder, around the joint. He felt that it had just cut through the bones, leaving only flesh attaching his arm to his body.
Bee narrowed his eyes behind and saw Naruto's pointed sword. Wind, he realized. The Emperor had been calculating, and concluded someone would try to block him, either way, he would still get what he wanted. When he noticed a lightly upward movement in the sword, he reacted swiftly by hitting Akatsuchi with his right shoulder, in an attempt to push him away.
But it did not help, Naruto just expanded his sword, and it lengthened. It separated the arm from the shoulder, causing Akatsuchi to fall forward while clutching his left shoulder to try to stop the gushing blood.
Naruto leapt backwards, creating some distance between him and the two. The Raikage flashed behind him the moment he landed on the ground, but Naruto was just about expecting it.
Even though he was still not facing the Raikage, he swung his wind sword in a backward motion, causing Ai to duck under the strike.
The Raikage's eyes widened slightly when he saw Naruto's lightning sword moving towards his face. He jumped from the ground, while twisting clockwise. The swords just zipped below his head, touching his lightning cloak slightly while his body was positioned horizontally.
Naruto twisted around, channeling more chakra into his right leg. He swung it towards the man's head. There was a brutal sound that echoed when Naruto's kick collided with the Raikage's head.
Ai felt like his neck had snapped and a steel hammer had hit him on the head. He felt pain shoot through his spine and nearly bit his tongue. He was sent flying towards a large boulder and could not stop his body from crashing into it.
Boom!
Naruto landed on the ground gracefully before suddenly blurring away.
Onoki's was standing on a tall pillar of stone, observing the battle. He had neither the speed nor the physical prowess to engage someone like the Emperor–he would most definitely die soon if he tried fighting as the others. Still, it didn't look like the blond was struggling despite the best efforts of everyone.
Ai was certainly trying but Naruto was moving quickly and his reactions were swift. He frowned at the thought that Akatsuchi was already handicapped and the Raikage had just taken a huge hit. But knowing him, he was going to stand up to fight as if nothing was wrong.
The Sandaime Tsuchikage's hair stood up when he heard footsteps behind him.
He didn't need to look to tell it was the Emperor.
"Relax, I am not going to attack you." Naruto said in a measured tone. He still held both swords. He stopped by Onoki's right side and glanced down.
"This is a rather good view."
For him to speak so casually at this stage, it infuriated Onoki. He wanted to release his jutsu at that moment and turn the blond into dust but he knew, he would not hit.
He needed an opening and he was going to get one.
"You're awfully easy going for someone who is in a battle of death."
"Should I be all serious? If I am like that, I'd just kill everyone without blinking. I don't want that–it would be boring," Naruto said with a slight shake of his head. "Have you found Kurotsuchi?"
If it was not the seriousness of the Emperor's tone, Onoki would have lashed out or just cursed the blond. The tone told him the man really wanted to know.
But why?
He would have most likely killed her anyway.
"Why are you curious?"
"You have not found her. This is really troublesome." Naruto said in thought. "You obliviously think I am the danger in this world but I am not. There are those with intentions to making our world come to end. I do believe that they may be those who took your granddaughter. Well, she will return, most definitely a new person."
"Why do I have to believe any word you say?" Onoki said with narrowed eyes.
"You don't have to believe me and I don't intend for you to believe me. I just wanted to know if your granddaughter had returned already. My people are looking for her but we cannot find anything useful."
"No, doubt to finish what you started."
"If we find her in a place she should not be, we will kill her, but if she returns to the Stone, we will not do anything, lest we invite the anger of the other nations." Naruto said.
"If you really didn't take her, then who did?"
"I have one person but you know there are shadows hidden in this world. A little far more than you can imagine. You people refuse to look at real dangers and turn to weak villages to flex your muscles. If not for me, all Jinchuriki would have become targets of a sinister plot to end this world. But of course you don't know this. You probably won't even believe it. We try to understand the shape of the world and find the forces that lurk in the shadows because we know that it is such forces that are the true enemy."
The battle wasn't going smoothly. No, they were a little behind. The Emperor was still a step ahead of them. Onoki wondered how things could have been if he had tried to initiate a talk with Uzushio. Maybe things would not have come to this point.
"We may have been hasty in our decisions. But that is the natural instinct of a shinobi. Regardless, we have paid the price. I lost many men." Onoki closed his eyes. "If I lose this battle. If we lose, what will really happen to my village?"
"Nothing."
"You can tell me. You are already confident that you can win this battle. There is no harm in telling me the truth."
"Is it really that hard for you to believe that I have no intentions toward the Stone? What do you make of me?"
Onoki glanced at the Emperor before looking down. "When you keep telling yourself that someone is the enemy, it is difficult to change that mind-set."
Naruto shook his head. "A pity… you only come to say that when you are facing death. Is the threat of death really what makes a shinobi listen to reason?"
"Maybe."
"It is unfortunately that maybe that will make you die with many regrets. If I was not intent on killing you, I would let you live just so you could try to correct your wrongs and see how foolish you were. But I'm not that merciful to afford you that chance. My people were not given the peace they deserved when you destroyed them."
Onoki laughed – a bitter smile.
"I should have known that this was about what happened years ago. You say you don't hold grudges but you certainly have not forgotten."
"Not at all. You are not being killed because of what happened then only. I just need you to die to usher a new world. And of course, you need to be a stepping stone for my fame." He paused, looking down. "This is getting a little interesting and I wish we could continue it but it seems they have collected themselves…" He said before jumping down.
Bee turned toward his brother, who was walking toward him. He hadn't expected him to stay down, but that surely hurt. On the other side, the other Iwa nin had been crippled. Evidently, if even the smallest opportunity showed itself, the Emperor was not going to waste it on needless movements–he was going to do real damage.
"You okay, brother?"
"Of course I am." Ai said as he stopped by Bee. "But Iwa's efforts are disappointing."
Akatsuchi heard it and turned to face the Raikage. "We are not facing a normal person. He has been able to handle himself so far. He isn't even using his great Ninjutsu arsenal in this battle."
"It's pointless, fool." Bee said.
Ai nodded. "He isn't stupid. He isn't going to waste chakra throwing Ninjutsu around when he knows that we are going to dodge it. Ninjutsu is only good when it hits its targets but when you miss, it is just a waste of stamina and chakra. This battle has just started. Neither Jinchuriki has transformed, you think he'd waste chakra before then?"
"We should not waste time, then." Roshi added while looking toward the Emperor. "He was still able to fight me in my transformed state without even using the Kyubi's chakra."
"I thought he fled from the battle."
"It was because he had achieved his agenda. You may want to give it your all, Raikage. I have fought that man before, and by how things have gone already, you should know already. He has already landed a blow on one of us and your blow to the head you received must have damaged you."
"You received a blow yourself."
Roshi waved it off. "I heal quickly because I am a Jinchuriki… Well, as long as it is not fatal…" he responded in a measured tone. "Here he comes again. Akatsuchi, you can't weave hand signs anymore, you should step back."
Akatsuchi smiled bitterly.
"I think I know why he made sure to disable me like this." He said before creating some distance.
"Bee."
Bee grinned.
And withdrew all his swords.
Naruto landed gracefully and faced his opponents. He was not worried about Onoki, for now at least. The old man would try to attack him once he receives an opening. Admittedly, he did have fearsome Jutsu that he could not block. Onoki's Particle Style was dangerous.
If only he had the ability to use it. Maybe if he possessed the Rinnegan, then it would have been better. The Doujutsu was able to master the elements that he could not quite grasp.
He channeled chakra through both swords when he sensed movements from Bee.
He was carrying his swords in a truly strange manner.
Within a couple of seconds, a flipping Bee was upon him, slightly above the ground. The sword he held by his mouth was swung towards his head. Naruto aligned his wind sword horizontally across his chest and held his lightning sword above his head to block the swing from Bee.
There was a sound of swords clashing.
Bee swung his left leg toward the Emperor, forcing him to pull back.
Bee was upon him once more, but this time, when he arrived, he threw all his swords to the air. Naruto didn't wait for the man to pick them up. He released powerful gusts of wind from his mouth with enough force to slam the swords away from Bee and then force the man to slide backwards slightly.
The Emperor smiled.
"I clashed swords with you once, I'm not doing it again unless there is no other choice. You are fast. You'd no doubt do me harm, and not to mention your brother could attack me while I am preoccupied with you."
"That's surprising."
"Maybe if it were just the two of us," Naruto said calmly. "I wou…"
He trailed off when he saw a hand cloaked in lightning flashing through the air from behind. The palm was open, and looked to be cutting towards the side of his chest. Lightning currents burst when the hand collided with his lightning sword.
Bee drove forward while Naruto was still in the struggle with his brother. He grabbed two swords and lunged towards the Emperor but before he could reach him, the man slammed his right foot on the ground and a wall burst in front of him, blocking his path. Bee punched through the mud wall with just one punch. When he came into the view of the Emperor and his brother, the latter was above the ground, flipped backwards with his brother twisting around with a fist created.
Naruto's body was positioned upside down when he was forced to block Ai's punch by folding both swords just in front of him. The man's brutal punch sent him rocketing backwards. He slammed onto the large pillar of rock Onoki had been standing on with his back, while still upside down. He winced slightly while covered in dust created.
The dust cleared as Bee flashed in front of him, surrounded by crimson chakra. Still plastered on the rock, Naruto watched Bee get closer. He held both his swords just above his chest once more. Bee's Bijuu chakra enhanced punch collided with the blades of the swords.
Boom!
The rock shattered from the shock when the punch collided with the defense. But Naruto's swords did not break or crack.
"Hmm?" Bee wondered why Naruto was not being sent flying.
He received his answer when something grabbed his outstretched hand. A chakra chain snaked through his arm. He tried to pull away, but the force of his punch forced him to be pulled away with the Emperor.
By the time they crashed on the ground, the chain had already spread across his body.
Naruto stood up and forced Bee to so the same.
"Fuinjutsu?" Bee asked, not even panicking despite the fact that the Hachibi's chakra was being suppressed. And he could not call out more. He could not even force his limbs to move.
The chains of the Uzumaki were as strong as rumored.
"Yes," Naruto said, and put away both his swords. He formed a small orb of flames in the palm of his right hand. "I'll tell you a secret. Those chains are weak. I am only able to do this because you are human. The moment you transform, I won't be able to stop you."
"You planning to hit me with that?"
Naruto shook his head.
Bee looked curiously.
But he received his answer when his brother suddenly flashed behind the Emperor.
And Naruto jumped up into the air, flipping several times before landing behind him.
But he had left the ball of flames behind, in the face of the Raikage.
Boom!
The ball burst into a huge column of flames that had Bee sweating because he was close to it.
Ai suddenly flashed behind Naruto silently. He drove an extremely fast punch towards the back of the Emperor. Naruto could do nothing to avoid the punch. It slammed into his back with brutal force that sent him crashing into Bee and they flew together. Naruto grabbed Bee and used him as a human shield when Ai flashed above him, with a backhand chop.
But the man did not hit, he disappeared in a blur, and appeared below him before hitting him on his back once more.
This time, Naruto felt it. He grit his teeth as he was sent up into the air.
But Ai did not follow up to do more damage.
When gravity started pulling them down, Naruto positioned Bee below him.
Boom!
They crashed onto the ground with Bee heading first with his head. There was a small crater that was formed. Naruto stayed above Bee for a second before standing up while forcing Bee to stand as well.
"I see your brother is showing his true speed…" the Emperor said. "It is worrying. I'm afraid I cannot fight while holding onto you like this. While it limits your brother and everyone else, I am also at a disadvantage."
"Wh-"
Bee never got to finish as the chain started stretching around both his hands and chest. His right hand was being forced to bend backwards. Bee felt a chill down his spine while holding in a scream as pain began to shoot through his body. His right hand snapped around the elbow. There was a cringe worthy snap that was heard through the battlefield.
Both Roshi and Ai flashed around him, flanking both his sides. The latter was quicker–he waved a right backhand chop straight to the side of the Emperor's head. The former jumped up slightly, covered in lava, and waved his right leg towards Naruto.
The Emperor could only raise his right arm, coated with wind chakra to block the incoming kick from Roshi. The Raikage's attack slammed on his head, just above his ear.
Boom!
The ground below shattered the attacks hit him. Naruto cursed slightly when he felt his right arm being burnt by the lava. Ai twisted around while jumping slightly. His stretched right leg, connected with Naruto's left shoulder. The moment it did so, the chakra chains dispersed and Naruto was sent flying to the side.
Roshi dropped to all fours and started transforming into a miniature four tailed beast.
Ai turned his attention to his brother, who was on both knees, blood slowly dripping from his mouth and clutching his broken hand.
"Can you continue?"
When was the last time something like this has happened to him? Bee had always been stronger. He'd always been a step above his opponents. No one had ever made him experience such pain.
He stood up.
"It's time to reveal my mini-form, yeah. And let that fool feel the sting of the Hachibi, yeah."
"Just get to it…" Ai said sternly. "We need to end it. Those chains are not going to be a problem? Are they?"
"He said no."
"Can't take his word. I will watch out."
Meanwhile
Naruto touched the ground while still being carried by the momentum. As he slid through the ground, dust picked up. In front of him, there was another cloud of dust rushing towards him, led by a four tailed crimson beast.
"Kyubi."
"What?"
"When I call you, be ready to infuse your chakra with mine to enter that mode. Things are going to get a little serious and I need more speed. If I just take your chakra, it's not going to be enough."
"I thought you didn't need my power."
Naruto finally came to a halt. But Roshi was upon him. The miniature beast released a low growl before throwing a right hook towards his face. The Emperor blocked the attack with his left hand then threw his punch. The punch resounded in a powerful shockwave when it hit the creatures face. It stumbled back slightly but did not fall over.
"I pulled and hurled you into the air, do you think I would be able to block your punches?"
Roshi lunged at him without responding.
Naruto sensed Bee's movements. The Jinchuriki had transformed as well. It was going to seriously get dangerous. As long as the Kyubi was on stand-by, there was nothing to worry about. He didn't think he could be defeated by these opponents but anything could still happen–that was why Naori was watching from a good distance, ready to pounce if there was a need.
Roshi twisted clockwise when he was just above him. He swung his massive tails towards his face. Naruto saw it coming and ducked while stretching out both his hands.
He caught one of the tails. While his grip was firm, he did feel like he was holding onto an unbreakable material.
The Emperor took a step forward, pulling the Jinchuriki with him before straightening up. He spun around, pulling Roshi with him as they did a quick spin.
When satisfied, he hurled the Jinchuriki into the air.
Roshi slammed head onto the on-rushing Bee. They collided and fell on the ground in a heap.
"Lariat!"
Naruto didn't even have time to stop moving after hurling Roshi towards Bee because Ai had suddenly appeared in front of him, hooked him around his throat with his killer move and sent him flying towards a large boulder.
Ai landed down and stared as Naruto crashed into the boulder with his back, completely crushing it.
"Did you get him?"
Ai frowned.
It had been something that occurred in a split second but the Emperor's reactions were frighteningly ridiculous.
"He is not dead if that is what you are asking. You should be ready to attack or just fully transform, he will get up soon."
"Even after Lariat?"
"It did not fully connect." Ai said and waited for the coming Onoki to join them. "Finally decided to join in?"
"I have a plan." Onoki said. "We are only going to use more chakra and stamina if we continue with this."
Naruto coughed up a mouthful of blood, lying on his back surrounded by small rocks and dust. The pain was coursing through his body. He could not ignore it. He had his left hand grabbing his throat.
There was a deep gash on his arm as if a sword had just sliced through it. Blood was dripping out. Had he not put his hand over his chest to absorb the first contact, his chest would have been ripped open. He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed the Kyubi's chakra to run through his body to heal the damages.
After a moment, he slowly got up and started to dust himself.
He created a Kage Bunshin and it just disappeared without orders.
"This is interesting." Kyubi said.
"I will not disagree with that. The battles I have fought so far have been a little boring. But when fighting two Jinchuriki and a man who claims to be the fastest shinobi, it is bound to be interesting."
"You say it like you are not a Jinchuriki."
"Well, I hardly fight as a Jinchuriki. But once they fully transform, I won't have a choice. I am not blessed with the visual prowess of the Sharingan or the Rinnegan to be able to stand against such a battle."
Kurama snorted but he did not say anything.
It was not true. Of everyone, he knew what the blond could do best.
Naruto removed his armor seeing it useless at the moment as he was going to soon enter a state of power that would grant him his necessary defense to be able to handle these shinobi.
He would have to take out his wind sword once in that mode.
"Don't get too comfortable!"
Ai shouted, flashing down the Emperor with a drop kick. Naruto looked up for a second before leaping into the air a bit. Ai crashed into the ground, creating a crater after his kick slammed onto the ground. Naruto touched down the ground before blasting off towards the Raikage. He landed just a foot away from the man and lifted his right foot, waving it towards the man's left shoulder.
Ai blocked the kick by raising up his left hand. He slid to the side slightly before swinging his right foot towards Naruto's waist. The Emperor channeled chakra through the palm of his left hand and then caught the leg just above the ankle. The moment he did so, lightning burst, shocking the Emperor before he could manipulate it.
The Raikage disappeared in a blur. Roshi replaced him, already in motion in his beast form. A left hook hit the Emperor just below his chin. The punch sent him flying upwards. While still airborne, a six-tailed Bee jumped from behind Roshi, with his mouth closed, holding onto something. He then released a powerful blast of pale white energy that traveled nearly instantaneously.
The jutsu seemingly connected with the Emperor head-on and then exploded in the sky.
There was a sizeable cloud within the air.
A couple of seconds later, the immense power of the Kyubi tore through the battleground before a four-tailed beast started falling slowly from the cloud. The chakra started to disperse slowly, revealing Naruto's form. By the time he hit the ground on one knee, he was no longer surrounded by the Kyubi's chakra.
The ground below burst and a crimson chakra tail appeared.
Naruto was forced to jump into the air to avoid being pierced by the tail.
The second he landed, his senses picked in but he could do nothing as both Bee and Ai appeared in front of him. Both slammed punches onto his chest with so much force that there was the sound of something snapping along with a powerful shockwave that caused the ground to shatter. The Emperor took off like a bullet.
Onoki was already waiting for the blond.
"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu!"
He formed a cube, with a sphere of energy at the center. The jutsu extended towards the Emperor. Naruto was trapped within the cube before the sphere exploded in tremendous amount of force, obliterating the Emperor.
Before Onoki could even rejoice, a lightning sword pierced through his chest from behind. The sword had had gone through his heart. The old man had wide eyes, as he looked down. Blood started to drip slowly.
This could not be his end.
No, he could not die like this.
There was still much more he wanted to do. But he could not even move a muscle. His energy was deserting him. Pain was shooting through him, he ignored it all, and tried to move.
A tremendous force of electricity escaped from the sword, and shocked the Sandaime Tsuchikage.
Naruto was behind him, the sword being held by his left hand. His entire upper body was fully exposed. His right shoulder and the side of his chest were bleeding heavily, the flesh exposed with this shoulder joints clearly visible.
When he sensed movement, he pulled his sword and disappeared.
Akatsuchi caught the falling Tsuchikage in just his remaining hand.
There was no sign of life.
Onoki was dead.
He had failed.
He had failed to protect the Tsuchikage.
It had been his duty to protect the old man and he had failed.
His eyes sharpened dangerously. He could not wallow in pity now. He needed to stay strong. The Emperor was badly wounded.
Roshi, Ai and Bee surrounded him.
"How did he escape that jutsu?"
Akatsuchi smiled bitterly. "He had been waiting for him to release his jutsu. You know the Emperor can completely hide his presence. The moment the Tsuchikage entered the battle and released that jutsu, the Emperor's clone was behind him. He must have performed a replacement jutsu to replace himself with the clone."
Ai only felt disappointment that the job had not been done.
The Emperor had still taken a massive damage nevertheless.
"Bee, let us move before he regenerates."
Naruto was one knee, breathing slightly heavily. Blood was dripping on the ground, his sword stabbed inches deep in the ground. Once he calmed his breathing, he picked up his sword and sheathed it.
"I underestimated the jutsu a little." He said looking at his chest. There were some marks that were gone. He frowned slightly, hoping nothing set off the measures he put in place kick in.
When he stood up, his body started to rapidly regenerate. Within seconds, he was whole once more. His eyes were on his chest. The seals also started regenerating and filled up his chest once more. He let loose of a sigh of relief.
He clapped his hands together while breathless. His wild hair stood up. Winds began to gather around him. The wind was clearly visible around his body, his eyes gained a sharper look. He stretched his muscles for a moment before smiling.
"Perfect."
"You could have done that earlier."
"Not when confined in that structure." Naruto responded in a stern tone. "We should do some damage now. I have been damaged…"
After a moment, he darted towards his opponents. The Kumo duo were the ones attacking while what remained of the Stone stayed behind him. The Raikage was in front with Bee trailing just behind.
When a bit closer, Ai lunged towards him, diving in with his right hand stretched out. Naruto waved his right hand to the left. Gusts picked up quickly and a powerful force of wind slammed into the Raikage, sending him flying to the sides.
"Great Wind Breakthrough!"
Without even doing any seals, Naruto released even powerful gusts of wind. The wind picked up debris, as they it tore through the ground, heading towards Bee. The Jinchuriki brought three tails in front and they pierced through the ground while three more covered his face.
While everything around him was peeled off, the Jinchuriki remained rooted to the ground. When he removed the tails on his face, Naruto's right foot crashed onto it with blinding force that had him lose control of the Gyuki's chakra. There was much more force than previous attacks. The tremendous force behind the kick left him breathless, the ground shattering, and sent him flying backwards.
Before Naruto could even straighten up, Ai was already on the move.
Naruto bent his left knee slightly and jumped up. He flipped upside down. The moment he did so, Ai zipped below him.
The man twisted around while Naruto tried to land. Before the blond could land, the Raikage had already twisted around, and thrown a right punch towards his gut.
Naruto blocked the punch by meeting it with his shin.
"Wind Bullet."
Ai narrowed his eyes when he saw Naruto's hand. The blond flicked his index finger and a bullet of wind pummeled him on the chest. Ai cursed silently when he felt his oxygen leave him for a second as he was sent flying backwards.
Naruto touched down the ground gracefully but was forced to fold both hands together when Roshi flashed just above him, driving a right punch towards his face. He slid backwards slightly after the kick connected with his hands.
He then pushed Roshi back a bit before twisting around, three fingers glowing with chakra. He took a single step forward and slammed the fingers on Roshi's forehead and twisted his fingers, drawing something on him. The man released a loud pained growl before dropping to the ground.
When he did, the chakra started dispersing around him, and he then fell flat on his face.
Naruto jumped up slightly and brought his knees around his chest when Ai flashed above Roshi with his right hand stretched out. The Raikage's punch went through his legs before he locked.
Ai could only widen his eyes, unable to remove himself from Naruto's lock and with Naruto's right hand swinging. When he was able to free himself, his right arm remained with Naruto. He landed gracefully, missing his arm. He cursed silently, seething. But did not care for the pain. He was indifferent to it as he straightened up and stopped the bleeding.
Naruto threw away the Raikage's arm and turned to the transforming Bee.
The Jinchuriki didn't waste time charging a massive Bijuuduama.
The Raikage seemed to move to the side.
But close enough to step into the field in case he decided to run away.
"It isn't as big as the Kyubi's, even with just half of its power but still big enough," Naruto commented while holding his hands together. "Kyubi."
The Bijuu obliged and he became cloaked in dark orange chakra.
"We are going to deflect that but to just let it explode without a target would be a waste of power," Naruto said calmly.
He then created a clone.
Ai breathed a little when he saw Bee releasing the Bijuudama. The jutsu flashed through the air, blasting wind and land to the sides, heading towards the Emperor. He afforded himself a smile when the jutsu collided with him. That relief turned into dread a second later. His eyes widened when the jutsu suddenly changed directions, heading towards him. When he tried to flee, another orange blur flashed behind him, holding him in place. He panicked and tried to move but the clone would not let him.
There was not even enough time to struggle as the jutsu arrived.
Boom!
The Raikage became engulfed in a large explosion that picked up into the air, creating a mushroom of debris.
Naruto snapped his fingers and the chakra surrounding him dispersed, along with Sage Mode.
Naori flashed beside him.
"Yes." Naruto answered the unasked question. "Both Kage are dead. We no longer have to fight. Restrain the Gyuki. And then we will depart. Sasuke is within the country, I would rather not have him come here while we are still around."
"Yes, your Majesty."
Victory at last.
The war was over.
He had won.
Onoki had nearly turned him into dust. The Raikage had nearly ripped his chest open. But thanks to the Kyubi, he had survived. There were surely many battles to come in the near future, but this was the first. He had proved his power and there would be no one to simply challenge him without thinking twice. The Emperor looked up into the sky and adopted a content mask for a couple of seconds, before ducking under a punch from Akatsuchi.
He twisted around swiftly before leaping backwards.
Akatsuchi had a hateful look. He was still missing one arm. He simply could not forgive the Emperor for what has transpired since the war began. Many of Stone had lost their families because this man butchered them.
And now, their Tsuchikage was dead–because of him and this stupid war.
"You think you are going to get away with this? Iwagakure will never forget about this. You have killed far too many of us for it to be forgiven!"
The Emperor tilted his head to the side, with a curious look on his face.
What was wrong with shinobi?
He had been willing to let this man live but it would be a stupid decision. With how hateful he looked, he was obviously going to plot something in the future. He wasn't going to do a Nagato in Amegakure but he could at least end this miserable man before him.
"Pathetic; you are an experienced shinobi yet speak like a child. Hatred does make men think foolishly. This is a war you started. Had you killed me and my men, you would have been celebrating. But because you lost a battle you started, I have done you wrong and you want revenge. Ridiculous. Shinobi never cease to amaze me. Perhaps Madara was going somewhere with his plans. I did not kill you because I had no business with you. I killed the people I wanted to kill, but you want me to kill you and I will oblige. You have become useless as a shinobi anyway. The only thing you can now spread is hatred."
Minutes Later
Sasuke arrived at the battle scene and looked around; there were signs of battle, but there was no one around. He frowned–he had missed it. He had sensed the power that belonged to Naruto some minutes ago but it was now gone. He couldn't even tell who'd won the battle. He needed to know. He'd even thought he would be able to catch the Emperor while he was unguarded and strike him from behind.
The world would be a better place with those Kages dead and the Emperor dead. Cloud and Stone would have no more reasons to be after Uzushio. The village had no more monsters. Perhaps that was what they wanted people to believe–either way, Sasuke didn't care much about it.
The Uchiha's body froze when he felt a breeze wash over him from behind; there was someone. He hadn't sensed anything. He hadn't felt anything. He still could not sense anything. He could only tell because of the breeze. There was one person who had the ability to completely hide his chakra signature and presence.
"You're not going to strike me from behind, are you?" Sasuke asked after activating his Sharingan.
"I have not the slightest of intentions to strike down a blind man." the Emperor said in a measured tone.
He was standing behind the Uchiha, hands folded on his back, eyes narrowly opened.
Sasuke turned around to face Naruto. There was no attack coming–it made him curious.
The Emperor was not ignorant of his ill intentions toward him. The last time he had attacked. But this time, the Emperor was just standing there. Sasuke was no less hostile. So, why? Did Naruto think he could not kill him? Did he think that he was just insignificant and not a threat?
The thought made him stare with contempt.
Naruto had always looked down on him. It infuriated him. Had it been some years ago, he would have snapped but Sasuke reined in his anger and responded in a cold tone.
"I'm not blind yet. If you are still standing, then the Kages lost."
"Obviously." Naruto responded in a measured tone. "Did you come here because you wanted to shoot one of those arrows at my back, Sasuke? It seems that even in death, Itachi controls you. He led you into a path of hatred and now, part of your contempt for me."
"I'm doing what I want not because of what my brother said. It is true he warned me about you. But I see you as a threat to my dreams."
Naruto raised an eye brow, surprised–or at least feigned that much.
"Your dreams–that is interesting. But I truly do not care what you do. Of course, unless it is something against my Empire and to me, personally." The Emperor responded in a firm tone. He then paused and turned looked up. "You took long, Jiraiya. Is age starting to take effect?"
"I'm not that old!"
"Really? I'm interested in seeing how Tsunade looks like under her make-up. Her healing jutsu certainly ages her fast." Of course, he'd know that because it was the same thing for him whenever the Kyubi did amazing things its chakra. "Did you come to stop Sasuke?"
Jiraiya nodded.
"I was afraid he'd attack you. But seeing you stand here, it's safe to say the battle is over and you have won. It is not a bad outcome. Of course, depending on what you do next. If your purpose is to put both Cloud and Stone under your Empire, we would have a problem. There would be another war in the near future." The Toad Sage said in a stern tone.
"I have no such interest and if possible, I hope to never fight another war. But knowing our world, another war may happen. If I took purposeful steps that would evoke anger and more chaos, Nagato would turn on me. And the Uzumaki clan would show its displeasure. Both parties desire nothing but peace."
It was a little hard to believe that Nagato would be set on peace given what he has done. But thinking about things, it could be true. If Naruto was indeed being truthful when saying he would not be doing anything against Cloud and Stone, then there was the possibility. The Uzumaki clan had never been known for wars and fighting. Even when allied with Konoha, they never took part in wars. They always stayed secluded on their little island. Perhaps this was what made their destruction even more sickening.
Of course, Konoha had nothing to stop it either.
"I highly doubt you want peace."
"That idea is ludicrous to me. Your perfect world seems nothing more than a fantasy to me. Shinobi will fight. People will have conflicts. We can't always understand each other. At some level, we will always be selfish and there will be someone who will want destruction. What you should seek to change is the mentality of shinobi. If you cannot change it, you make it difficult for wars to occur. You create a system and alienates any nation seeking war with the other. But that is impossible as long as Kages remain closed in the bubbles of their villages. I have no care but what I have determined is that you cannot fight for stability if you only care for your village.
"And that makes you a bit of a hypocrite, Jiraiya. Maybe naïve to some level in your fantasy. You cannot say you desire peace and yet still remain confined by the love to your village. You will do anything to protect Konoha. And that is contradictory to your ideals. To desire peace in the shinobi world, is to love the shinobi world with more love than your village. If you cannot turn on your village for wrongs, you have no conviction to your ideal.
"I have fought and deceived many. My life has never been peaceful. But I have never loved the shinobi world. I have always loved my clan, my village, my people. Because of that love, I came to realize I cannot protect them without changing this world. And that is my desire. Whether I need to redraw maps and slaughter thousands to change it, then it shall be so. But I don't do this in Uzu, because there is nothing broken in Uzu. I am here because this is where things happen."
"All the more reasons, you should not live. You will not waste time causing chaos in this world." Sasuke said coldly.
"You are missing the big picture, Sasuke. And I won't explain to you what it is. You will have to figure it out on your own." Jiraiya said with a slight shake of his head. "I don't believe this rumor about there being more Rinnegan users. Nagato is the only Rinnegan wielder. But I must wonder why the expansion."
"A foothold in the Elemental Nations, if you like…" Naruto said with a wave of his right hand. "Now that war is over, I look forward to hearing more from Konoha and how it intends to please us given its past failures."
"You're not going to let that go?"
Naruto smiled.
"It would just be a fun conversation to have, don't you think?" Naruto asked before he burst into a cloud of smoke.
"Kage Bunshin? Figures…"
Uzushiogakure
Lights brightened the streets, music was being played. People had gathered just in front of the Emperor's compound. Some in small groups, drinking and laughing. Some danced, around small fires made around for warmth and light. No one was grumbling. Everyone was happy. Uzushio was celebrating an end to the war. The darkness that loomed over the heavens was being ignored in favor of celebrations.
They had won. They had stopped the enemy from reaching their land. They were now safe. The tension they had hidden during this time has been released when the horn was blown and people broke out in cheers as the Emperor returned with victory over their enemies.
Haku had never seen the village so peaceful, so overflowing with happiness. The Uzumaki were out in full force. Even those who seemed to hide from the sun were now out. He could see them around. They were the loudest and most energetic. It was a good thing to see. The war was finally over. It has been a threat to their very existence.
But now they could sleep in peace. Naruto's strength had been proved. It had been put in a fire baptism and it came out on top. Now, they could breathe freely.
The clan elders were sitting in their little group, speaking in hushed tones. Since Yoshino refused to be their puppet, they were probably plotting to have Nagato dethrone Naruto as Emperor.
They would never be comfortable with the blond but at least they would now acknowledge his strength.
The Emperor was sitting beside a small fire; surrounded by women with Yoshino just across him along with Miyuki. There was no sign of either Naoki or Naori. But knowing them, they were probably grumbling that they couldn't join the others, while having their own celebration in a corner somewhere.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself." Haku said to Naruto but he did not sit down.
"Have you come to ruin the mood?" Naruto asked.
"I was just stating an observation."
"I have every reason to enjoy myself. After years of plotting, torture and hard-working, we have finally achieved something and most of all, Uzu is now truly safe. I have to be happy in such a situation. It is only a pity that Karin isn't here." the Emperor responded.
"Weren't you just saying it is best she isn't here a moment ago?" Yoshino asked in an amused tone.
"Yoshino, you traitorous bastard. You want Haku to look at me with narrowed eyes?"
"I already know everything. It isn't like you have not made your appetite open." Haku said with a shrug. "I do recommend that you call it a night though. You had a battle today, you should rest as we do not know what happens tomorrow. And I would rather you not do anything unbecoming because you drank a little too much."
"Well, the Emperor is always the last person to arrive and the first to leave. No one will depart until you do." Yoshino said.
"I hope you are not saying that because you want me to leave just so you can gather the people and spread false stories about me."
"Of course not." Yoshino said with a smile.
"That smile of ours does make me uncomfortable. I should put a gag order on you for the rest of the night."
"That would be unpleasant."
"But completely necessary."
Haku cut in. "You are still sitting, Your Majesty. The battle was not clean today. You need rest."
Naruto looked up into the sky for a long minute. Well, he did have a couple of things to think about and he did need his rest. He would be doing some more talking these days with the war over.
He needed to be prepared mentally for it.
The Emperor stood slowly. "Please put some restraints on him, Miyuki. Yoshino can be a little mad when drunk."
She smiled.
"Isn't he always a little mad even when not drunk?"
Naruto laughed.
"I guess that is true if you get the idea of some of his thoughts. I thought I was the only one who thought he was a little twisted."
"You should not point fingers, Your Majesty. You are not different from me."
Naruto shook his head. "While I don't like to admit it: you are better than me, intellectually, at least."
He then turned to Haku. "Lead the way…"
It was a bit disappointing that after such a feast, he was leaving alone. Well, he was a married man. He had a wife. No, wives. He could simply visit them. He should have just brought Koyuki with him.
"You don't have to look so displeased. Tomorrow is still another day for celebrations. We will be holding a massive feast. Fresh meat will be brought in and you will also address the people. Maybe Karin will be back and you can drink to your heart's content. But while she is not here, I must look after your health."
The Following Day
Naruto was sitting at the rooftop of his compound along with Yoshino, Haku and Naori, observing the festivities occurring just outside of the compound. There were more people than during the last night, even the kids had been welcomed.
It was to mark to the day Uzushio officially became free from fear.
"You have finally done it, Your Majesty. Many doubted your word, but here we are. The village rejoices. Those sly old geezers are even walking amongst people now. Their fear has been erased because they now fully believe that what happened before will not happen again." Yoshino said with a smile.
The state of the village had been ridiculously pathetic when he first landed here. He had thought Konoha haunted his very being but these people had been haunted by fear in levels Naruto could not have imagined.
"I must thank your hard work in making them believers." The Emperor responded. "But the hard work begins now. We will need to do more plotting and manipulation now. The Kages must move when we suggest. Nothing should happen without us knowing. We must control this world from the shadows."
"Are we finally going to make use of that prison?" Naori asked.
"Yes…We will show it to the Kages one day. They will be free to send their most wanted criminals." Naruto eyed Haku for a moment before speaking. "You have something to say, spell it out."
"I'm just afraid of this manipulation game you are planning to play. Will it not come back to haunt the Empire? Do you want the Uzumaki to be associated with dark arts?"
Naruto smiled.
"Of course not. I would never sully the clan like that. Why do you think when Guren was recruited I made her join the Uzumaki in underground operations and then moved her to Sound?"
"You plan on housing Black Ops in the Sound…" Haku said in realization. "How big will the Sound be once you are done with it?"
"Big enough to be the capital of the Elemental Nations." Naruto said. "I have told you already, we are going to build our second home there. It will take some time because we do not have the resources."
"We can solve things quickly in terms of resources." Yoshino interjected once more. "We do need some billions nevertheless. The mines I have targeted can only take us to about 350 million ryo. The Wave has also been generating something. We can take as much as about 250 million from it. With that, we can begin with trains. We can borrow some money to start developing the Sound."
"We will leave such discussions after the celebrations and I have gotten my needed rest. But maps must be brought out because we need to start moving quietly and quickly. The work…" he trailed off when Naoki flashed on his side. "What is it?"
"We have a situation in the Waves… You must hurry there."
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