Chương 13: Foxy Mama
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by SkyCaptain502, Priapus, bebepeIe, Malcolm Tent, Mike God of Lore, Beans, Old man of the mountain, Marethyu
The Guild of Gamers: The Warlord
Chapter 13: Foxy Mama
– Kushina Uzumaki –
Being a ghost was weird.
Not something she ever thought she'd have to deal with, but if it meant she could see her daughter then she'd take any form, even a spectral one.
Hei was also weird. He was a walking middle finger to everything she knew about ninja powers. He turned into a giant wolf, could create monsters out of chakra and brought the dead back as enslaved spirits, and that was just the shit she'd learnt about in her brief time among the living once more.
"Lady Kushina, I'm going to bind you to my mask for now," Hei explained as the meeting ended, making her nod. She vaguely understood how this power worked, with him binding spirits to locations or items.
Her mind was elsewhere, even as she felt herself become one with the demon mask he had attached to his belt.
Obito.
That traitorous little bastard, he was the reason she'd died. He was the reason Konoha had been devastated by the Kyuubi. He was the reason her daughter had grown up an orphan, hated for being the jailor of that stupid fox.
A part of her wondered what had happened to prevent him from coming back to Konoha after surviving his apparent death. A much larger part of her wanted to beat him to death with her bare hands, then get Hei to bring him back as a ghost and stick him in a body as pathetic as he was so she could do it again.
She could remember him coming around for dinner, staying over when he didn't want to go home (the Uchiha household wasn't an inviting place, those gloomy bastards); Minato had treated him and the rest of his team like his own kids at times.
And this was how Obito repaid him? Was he angry that Minato wasn't fast enough to 'save' him?
As Hei left the Hokage's office, she faded and hid inside his mask, still perfectly aware of her surroundings despite her lack of eyes. She wasn't sure what to think of Hei, especially now that she was essentially his servant.
He moved through the village quickly, either unaware or uncaring of the person tailing him. The cat-masked ANBU was barely trying to hide her presence, but with Hei's unique powers, she wasn't surprised that Hei had been assigned a bodyguard. She knew all too well how willing other villages were to kidnap promising or powerful ninjas.
When word spread, she was sure the Cloud and Stone would come for him. Probably the Sand as well, since people seemed worried about them attacking Konoha despite them being 'allies'. The only reason she didn't include the Mist was because she'd heard that old goat interrogating fallen Mist ninjas about their current civil war.
Arriving at his home, she felt a moment of confusion as he entered the Hayabusa compound. Wasn't he a Nara?
"Master Hei, welcome home," one of the Hayabusa shrine maidens said, bowing deeply. She was an older woman, but her posture was utterly deferential. Was Hei the son of a Nara and a Hayabusa?
"Thanks, Asami. I won't be here for long, I just have some more monster crafting to do and don't want to deal with the other Nara. I love my clan, but they can be far too nosy," Hei said with a laugh, making her smile.
"Another pair of wolves? How did Tsume take your courtship gift?" Asami asked teasingly, making him chuckle.
Hei was dating Tsume? She was even older than Kushina. But given Asami's minor blush and posture, maybe Hei just had a thing for older women?
"Very well. It's safe to say I've secured the Inuzuka clan as allies. I don't think it'll be a wolf this time, though," Hei said, scratching his chin in thought.
"As always, the Hayabusa compound is yours. I'll tell Momiji and Kureha not to bother you while you're working," Asami promised, gasping as Hei pulled her in for a quick kiss. "My, my, you're making it hard for me not to bother you. I'm almost certainly pregnant, given your previous enthusiasm, but another attempt or three wouldn't hurt."
"Maybe later, Asami," Hei said, squeezing her hip briefly before he let go with a slight smirk. "But duty calls."
After giving her one last kiss, he headed deeper into the compound, reaching a large training room and closing the door behind him.
Manifesting, she appeared before him with a curious look.
"What's with the shrine maidens calling you master?" Kushina asked, making him chuckle and touch the katana on his back.
"Ryu Hayabusa, the last Dragon Ninja, was my sensei. He died protecting me on a mission gone wrong, and with no heirs, he chose me to take his place. I'm technically the head of the Hayabusa clan and the next head of the Nara clan," Hei explained.
Ah, suddenly, Asami's words about being pregnant made sense. They were trying to repopulate the clan.
"Anyway, that's not why we're here. Any thoughts about what kind of body you want?" Hei asked, making her pause. Another thing she'd never thought she'd have to think about.
"Can I be at least humanoid? I do like having hands," Kushina said, making him nod easily.
"Yes, my power doesn't seem to like just making plain humans, but as long as I make some adjustments, there's no reason you can't be human-adjacent," Hei explained, and she paused before smirking.
Explaining what she wanted, she saw his eyebrow rise slightly.
"You sure you don't want something less… conspicuous?" Hei asked, but her mind was made up. She knew he could order her to pick a new form, but he didn't as he got to work.
It was fascinating watching him turn chakra into flesh. The outline of her new body formed on the ground in front of him as he pumped a strange, dark-purple chakra into it.
As it formed, she looked over the body that she'd be living in for the foreseeable future. It was curvier than hers, utterly nude as she looked over the large milky breasts and wide hips. Well, she did leave most of the details up to a teenage boy…
A teenage boy who had two different forms of binding over her that she would be forced to obey. Ah, that could be a problem. Hei was apparently already very sexually active, and now he had a servant who had a body designed to be sexy.
Long red hair, darker than hers, went down to the body's waist, topped with two large fox-like ears. Yeah, maybe taking on a fox-like form wasn't smart in Konoha, but she had her reasons.
The face shared some similarities with hers, but not enough to be obvious. The new body had a more sultry appearance, leaning into the myths about Kitsune taking on human form and seducing mortal men. Unlike her blue eyes, it had a pair of intense bright green eyes that almost seemed to glow with power despite how lifeless they were currently looking. The new body was probably in its late teens to early twenties, somewhat younger than her. She would undeniably be very beautiful, but she knew the villagers would judge her for her foxy appearance.
Just like they judged Naruko for protecting them from the Kyuubi.
She was never good at subtlety, preferring to talk with her fists in most cases. That was something Obito was going to learn; Minato might have wanted to capture him and find out what caused this terrible betrayal.
She wanted to rip out his spine and beat him to death with it.
"You ready?" Hei asked, knocking her out of her dark thoughts as she nodded. Despite everything, she was being given a second chance at life, a chance to meet her daughter, and that was something she could not be more grateful for.
Hei placed the mask down on the body, focusing for a moment. Immediately, she felt herself being yanked towards the body. It was an unpleasant feeling, being sucked toward the unmoving body, and as she entered it, she sat up with a sudden gasp.
It was hard to notice when you were a ghost, but so many sensations that felt normal for a living human were missing: the cold air on her body, the scents, and even her own breathing, which was somewhat panicked as she calmed herself down.
Her new heart beating incredibly fast, she rose to her feet as she looked around the training ground with fresh eyes. Her senses felt incredible, better than she ever remembered. It didn't help that something smelt amazing, and it took her a moment to realise that it was Hei himself.
"You okay?" Hei asked. "This is new ground for me, so I need to make sure I get this right."
"I- I think so," Kushina replied, panting as she took several gulps of air to calm herself down.
"So, this wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. You aren't technically bound to the body but the mask. You don't need to wear it twenty-four-seven, but don't stray too far from it," Hei explained, making her nod. She could feel the link between her and the mask. "Any plans on what you want to call yourself?"
Right, people who knew her were still around, much older, but they might recognise her. She might be blunt and reckless, but she didn't want to make the old goat have Hei banish her because she almost caused people to realise she was back from the dead.
"Fox, if anyone asks we'll tell them I'm another of your ANBU babysitters," Kushina said, making him pause before he nodded. "I'll clear it with the old bastard, don't worry."
Hei paused before clearly deciding that the bad blood between her and the Hokage wasn't any of his business. Smart boy.
"So, when I make bodies, I can empower them in various ways. The last thing I made was a pair of giant wolves imbued with fire," Hei explained, getting her attention. "In your case, I imbued you with my Dread Jutsu, a style consisting mostly of Genjutsu that focuses on causing and weaponising fear. I don't know how you fought before, but it should help set you apart. We can use it as an excuse for why you are staying with me since I can claim I'm teaching you my style so it can be spread throughout Konoha."
She could feel something, but she was still trying to get used to having a body again.
"I mostly used Taijutsu, along with the Uzumaki Fuinjutsu," Kushina explained. "This body is weaker than my old one, I think, but it feels lighter, so I think I might be more agile. I'll get used to it; I just need to rework my taijutsu a bit," Kushina continued, making him nod.
She was active during a very violent period up until she was confirmed to be pregnant. She wasn't that rusty, but it sounded like trouble was stirring again… and she knew how Jinchuriki would get caught up in any trouble. If war happened, Naruko would both be a weapon and a target.
Throwing a few punches, she tried to get used to her new body before she paused. The way she was moving was causing some bouncing, Hei's eyes straying from eye level to the buxom breasts he'd made. The cold air had caused her tiny pink nipples to harden slightly, and Hei seemed to be enjoying the view.
Putting one arm over her chest, she moved her other between her legs, covering the tight, virgin slit topped with a small strip of dark red hair.
"Do you have anything I can wear, or am I expected to put on a show all day?" Kushina asked, giving him a slightly scolding look. She was well aware that she was alive because of him; she was going to meet her daughter thanks to his power and ideas. If he told her to move her hands aside, she wouldn't be able to defy him.
It was an unnerving feeling to know she was bound to his will, but to stay in the land of the living, she was willing to do a lot.
Hei just looked to the side as he slipped off the kimono, exposing his thin, sleeveless top and black pants beneath it.
He was in good shape, with a well-honed muscular body hidden beneath his almost Hyuuga-like kimono.
"I don't have any clothes for you, but this will have to do. You can borrow something from Asami, and I'll give you some money to go shopping later. This will have to do for now," Hei said, making her smile gratefully as she pulled the kimono on. She had a couple of things he lacked, making the fitted kimono a tight fit, which left quite a lot of her milky-white cleavage on display.
"So, what now?" Kushina asked, tightening it so it wouldn't fall off. "When can I see Naruko?"
"I have training to do and need to visit the Nara compound. As for Naruko? Kakashi asked me to continue their training while he takes care of some things, so we'll be seeing Naruko and her team later today. I'm surprised you didn't hear him, but then you glared at Lord Hokage intensely." Hei joked, making her blush. She did see Kakashi chatting with Hei, but she was a little distracted by her overwhelming rage at those two old bastards who had left Naruko to look after herself.
She didn't blame Kakashi, especially after hearing that he'd spent a lot of time protecting Naruko. He was a traumatised teen who'd lost all his team and his sensei; he'd been in no position to take in a baby.
"T-today?" Kushina asked, making him nod easily.
"I figured you wouldn't want to wait, and I need to finish them off on the tree climbing exercise anyway," Hei explained, getting a grateful smile from her.
Soon. Her heart pounded at the idea of seeing her daughter for the first time, already a teenager.
– Kakashi Hatake –
If he'd been told that Obito was alive a week ago, he might have been overjoyed to know that his long-thought-dead teammate had somehow survived.
He was not overjoyed.
Obito was probably behind the Kyuubi attack, behind Minato and Kushina's death. Why? What could possibly have happened to him to cause him to do something so horrible?
He had no idea, but he knew one thing. The one-eyed Uchiha would die.
Sure, he didn't know for certain that it was Obito, even if Jiraiya was going to start looking into it. What he knew for certain was that whoever the rogue Uchiha was, they were able to control the Kyuubi and fight Minato on an equal footing.
If that truly was Obito, then Obito had truly surpassed Kakashi in power. That meant it was time to do something he never thought he'd be willing to do. Something he never thought he'd put himself through.
"Fear not, my friend! I will help you shake off the rust; with my training plan, you'll be burning with youth before long!" Might Guy bellowed, giving him the cheesiest thumbs up he'd seen. Kakashi simply sighed and prepared himself for hell. "And perhaps you can tell me what would cause you to decide that your strength was not enough."
Might's voice was far more serious; the cheerful look in his eyes turned to steel. Kakashi gave Might an awkward smile.
"I will because I think I'm going to need your help," Kakashi admitted, putting his pride aside. He'd managed to clear it with the Hokage because, as flamboyant as Might was, no one doubted his loyalty. Might gave him a nod, the serious moment fading as he laughed again, throwing an arm around Kakashi's shoulder as he explained the utterly ridiculous training plan. He might be mad, but no one could deny that Might knew his stuff.
Obito was going to die for what he did.
– Kushina Uzumaki –
"Hei, Lady Kushina," Shikaku said, making her freeze behind her mask. "Don't look so worried, I am the Jounin Commander. I do get told these things."
Man, Shikaku was as laid back as ever. The fact that the lazy Nara had gained such a time-intensive job amused her greatly as she removed her mask.
"Shikaku, you got old," Kushina said with a smile, making him snort.
"I take it the fox ears were your idea? You always did love stirring up trouble," Shikaku sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he gave her an annoyed look. She could almost see him trying to figure out how much work her idea was going to cause him.
"You know why I did it," Kushina said remorselessly, making him snort again.
"Yeah, yeah. Heard you ripped Jiraiya and the Hokage a new asshole each," Shikaku chuckled before frowning again. "Hei, your little trick has given us some unpleasant information. Very useful information that will probably save a lot of lives, but the implications are a pain in the ass."
"You mean about the Sand?" Hei asked, making Shikaku freeze before he laughed.
"Yeah, caught onto that, did you?" Shikaku said, clearly proud.
"They asked too many questions about Gaara and the Chunin exams. If they mean us no harm, why are they bringing a mentally unstable Jinchuriki into the village? Not to mention rumours about Sand allying with this new Sound village that will also be attending," Hei sighed, rubbing the back of his head in very much the same way as his father. "They're going to attack, aren't they?"
"Almost certainly, and we have no way of knowing if the Cloud village is involved. They've always wanted our Bloodlines; you'll be a priority target when word leaks. Do you remember the spy you and Tsume captured? We've linked him to the Sound village, and he was trying to slip away with the plans for the Chunin exams. Maybe they just want to give their Genin an advantage, but I doubt it. We're looking to aid the Mist in ending their civil war before the exams so we can invite them and have at least one trustworthy ally," Shikaku explained. "But we can't cancel the exams; if they are planning an attack, then it's better we trigger it when we know it is coming. If we cancel, they'll replan and maybe even invite the Stone to join them."
Konoha wasn't in the best position right now; a part of her wondered if Minato would have been able to handle things better than Hiruzen.
"Does this change the plan for me to attend the Chunin exams?" Hei asked. Shikaku shook his head, pausing for a moment.
"No, if an attack is going to happen, then we might need you in a position to remove the Sand Jinchuriki before the attack. Do you think you'd be ready to do that?" Shikaku asked seriously, making Hei freeze for a moment.
"I'll be ready; I just need to find a way past their sand defence," Hei said, taking a breath. "I'll be ready if the time comes."
"I expected nothing less. You'll be given a team of elite genin, but train hard and prepare to fight for your life. We're going to be preparing for a betrayal; they're in for a surprise if they expect us to be unprepared," Shikaku said, a deadly smile crossing his lips. "The biggest issue is that this could kick off a new Great Ninja War if the Stone smells blood in the water, so we need to come out of this seemingly unscathed or even stronger than before. With your new powers, expect to get a lot of requests. You're one of our most valuable assets now. Do you know how your power grows?"
Hei paused, a moment of hesitation that Shikaku easily caught.
"I do; I get some insight into how to make my power grow," Hei finally admitted, as she wondered why he'd keep that to himself. "Right now, my power feels focused on my Alpha Beast form, and the method to finish this empowerment is grim."
"We're ninjas," Shikaku replied simply, making his son laugh.
"True, but ninjas aren't usually this grim. I need to devour the hearts of my foes; I did it instinctively against Kushimaru, but I need to devour more to make my power grow further," Hei finally admitted. It was a dark admittance, revealing that he'd cannibalised someone, but Shikaku simply raised an eyebrow.
"And we've been keeping you in the village," Shikaku said, making Hei nod.
"I can feel the conditions to grow stronger, and I've met the other two, but there's not much opportunity for hunting people so I can eat their hearts inside the village," Hei joked darkly, a hint of shame in his voice.
"I'll arrange something. Trust me, it's not the worst thing I've heard. You should see what the Aburame do to captured enemy ninjas," Shikaku said, his voice calm and soothing as he reassured his son he had nothing to be ashamed of. Almost as an afterthought, he turned to Kushina with a lazy smile. "Say a word of anything you heard, and you'll wish you were still dead."
His tone was downright conversational, but she knew he meant it with his entire being.
"I don't plan to; Hei thought it'd be good if I posed as an ANBU guard for the new head of the Hayabusa and the next head of the Nara clan. I'll be sticking by his side, and I know how to keep a secret. I was married to a Hokage," Kushina promised, making him nod.
She'd heard plenty of village secrets just being around Minato, all of which she took to her grave.
"I know, you aren't stupid. Just thought I'd remind you of the cost of loose lips," Shikaku agreed, giving her another very lazy smile. "Fox, right? That works. I'll inform the Hokage; he seems rather insistent that you are kept away from him for a while."
Shikaku had grown intense in his old age, casually threatening her life without even batting an eye.
"He had it coming," Kushina said, utterly unrepentant. If Hei hadn't bound her, she would have beaten the old goat half to death.
"I'm sure," Shikaku said dryly, sounding as interested in getting mixed up in that as his son was. "Hei, focus on your training for now, but I have one piece of advice. That boon of yours? Spread it to as many Kunoichi as you can before the chunin exams, especially girls who are going to be taking part, like Ino and Tenten. It could be the difference between them surviving the exams and potential invasion or them losing their lives. I realise death isn't as absolute as it was before, given our guest here, but minimising losses is always nice."
"What boon?" Kushina asked, making Hei and Shikaku share a look, Shikaku snorting.
"Sexually transmitted regeneration, along with a noticeable increase to all physical attributes," Shikaku explained, making her eyes widen at the seriousness in his voice. "Women that Hei sleeps with gain it through an injection of Hei's chakra."
"Seriously, what are you?" Kushina asked, making Hei laugh.
"Believe me, I've asked myself the same question," Hei replied. So, his dad was basically telling him to bang all the kunoichi he could? "I'll see what I can do."
"Given the mess headed our way, you might get a rather unique mission to bless all the ANBU kunoichi. Feel free to refuse if you find it uncomfortable; being the head of one clan and the heir of another comes with some benefits," Shikaku said, making Hei chuckle.
"Unique is one word for it," Hei replied. "I'm willing to spread my gift throughout the village. I'm not exactly prudish, and if war is coming, then we need every advantage we can get. You aren't worried another village might kidnap one of the girls and study them?"
"No, if it could be replicated, then Tsunade would have pulled it off by now. She's certainly desperate enough. She's been studying Mai non-stop with no real result. You're the key part; without you, it seems like it can't be repeated," Shikaku explained. "Which is why keeping you out of enemy hands will be essential."
The pair talked a little more about some techniques Hei had taught his father and brother, Shikaku explaining that he hadn't been able to teach it to any other Nara (and arranging for a later session for Hei to teach it to some of the stronger Nara) but her mind was elsewhere.
This boon sounded like a serious upgrade to survivability, the kind of thing that might have saved her life all those years ago… the kind of thing that could save Naruko's life in the coming chaos.
– Hei Nara –
Empowering our ANBU could make a difference in the coming invasion, but I have my own reasons. I get stronger for every pack member I have, so it benefits me to go along with their request.
With all that is happening, I need to take whatever scraps of power I can gather. It's also why I decided to tell Dad about the quest requirement. He'd know if I lied to him, and I'm stuck at one out of five hearts like this.
It was a risk, but one that I think will pay off because my system will be stalled until I complete that quest.
"Since you're willing to empower the ANBU, I might as well tell you about another plan that is being formed. I mentioned that we're planning on increasing our aid towards the Mist rebels, and one of the ideas that was suggested was having you empower several Kunoichi loyal to Mei Terumi, the rebel's leader, and maybe Mei herself since you can reclaim the boon later. The fact is, we need allies with the Sand turning on us," Shikaku admits, making me nod. I remember the arrogant girl who was protecting Princess Yue, Korra was it? She's supposedly very strong, and the rebels wouldn't turn down any advantage they can get.
"I'd have to go to them; they're not exactly in a position to send their best kunoichi away from the fight," I say, making him nod in agreement.
"It's a risk, but we have time to both plan it out and make the offer, if you're willing, that is," Shikaku says, but I simply nod.
"I am. If the Sand is stabbing us in the back, we need all the help we can get. Having the new Mist leader indebted to us is the logical move," I agree. It will also spread my 'territory' out much more since my pack mates count as part of it thanks to [My Pack is My Strength].
"Now, I need to go and talk to the Hokage again," Shikaku sighs, scratching his chin. "Need to prepare for some idiots to take offence at you 'making' a Kitsune."
"Sorry," I say, but he shakes his head.
"Honestly, this is for the best. If 'Fox' here gets a good reputation, it should lessen the trouble around Naruko when she starts using her Jinchuriki powers," Shikaku says. I did overhear that while Kushina was screaming at Jiraiya and the Hokage. "But it is still going to be a pain in my ass to deal with."
"You're the one who went and became one of the highest-ranking ninjas in the village," I point out, making him groan.
"I didn't even apply for the position; one day, they just called me into the office and declared I was the new Jounin Commander," Shikaku complains, making me snort. "I don't know what you're laughing at. One day, they'll do the same to you, and suddenly, you'll have to wear that stupid hat."
I pause at his words. The idea of becoming the Hokage is enticing, but it is also far in the future.
"Don't look so surprised. You're too well-connected and growing too strong; it's only a matter of time. Honestly, I'm scared Hiruzen will decide to retire and stick me in the seat just because I'm your dad," Shikaku groans. "How troublesome."
"I'm sure you'd make a great Hokage; you'd just have to cut that spiky ponytail so the hat fits," I say maliciously, getting a snort from him.
"They'd have to drag me into that office kicking and screaming; my current job is already way too much work," Shikaku replies.
Saying goodbye, I wait for a moment as I consider his 'joke'. I am very well-connected and plan to gather even more allies. The seat of Hokage isn't an impossible goal. Still, I should focus on becoming a Chunin (and surviving the exam, for that matter) first.
I'm going to be tasked with assassinating a Jinchuriki; if that isn't proof of how highly they value my talents, then I don't know what is. Everything I heard about this "Gaara" makes him sound extremely unstable and dangerous, so I'll need to get much stronger. I don't want another Kushimaru where I win by a mixture of my opponent's arrogance and dumb luck.
As for Dad's suggestion, he's right. I should make sure that anyone I care about is granted my boon before the Chunin exams. They're still in the future. I have time, but I especially need to make sure that anyone taking part is empowered. If Ino or Tenten die because I wasted time, then I'll have no one to blame but myself.
Checking the time, I shake my head as I rise.
"Kushina, I'm due to train Team Seven in just over an hour. We can do a little shopping before then to get you something more fitting. You'll be staying in the Hayabusa compound; I've had Asami prepare you a room," I explain, taking charge as Kushina's eyes widen.
I don't blame her, and I can see the gratitude in them for not making her wait before we meet Naruko. Kakashi asked me to take charge of Team Seven's training for today and potentially in the future, and I agreed since you actually learn a lot by teaching, and I still think keeping a close relationship with Team Seven is a good idea.
The Hokage thanked me for helping train them since both Naruko and Sasuki are people of great importance to the village. With my powers' often dark requirements, keeping a very good reputation is going to be essential unless I want to end up the next Orochimaru.
"What's Naruko like?" Kushina asks, making me smile.
"I don't know her that well, but she's a good kid. She's friends with Shikamaru, my little brother, and Choji, my kinda-cousin," I explain, watching her smile at the reassurance that Naruko does have friends. "She's got a rivalry going with her teammate, Sasuki, and doesn't seem to get along with her other teammate, Sakura, very well. Sakura is crushing on Sasuki and tries to show up Naruko to impress her. It's not working. She's a surprisingly quick learner as well, not one for academics but she catches on fast when you show her something, polite too, despite her troublemaker reputation."
Kushina hangs onto my every word, frowning at the mention of Sakura bullying her daughter and smiling at my praise.
"Like I said, she's a good kid, but I don't know much more myself. My entire relationship with her involved one training session and seeing her hanging around with my brother," I finish, making her nod with a warm smile. "Anything else you'll have to learn yourself. I'm sure Kakashi wouldn't mind you giving her some Taijutsu tips."
Kushina's eyes widen, excitement clear in them as she beams at me. It was the perfect excuse to spend time with Naruko, just helping out since she has to stay around me anyway.
"Thank you, Hei. I know this has been a bit of a pain for you, but I truly appreciate it," Kushina says, bowing slightly. I very carefully don't look down at the immense amount of cleavage on display as I give her the patented Nara lazy smile.
I've already considered ordering her into my bed just to give her the boon since she'll be my bodyguard, and it would benefit us both, but I also know that from her point of view, she was married to the Lord Fourth yesterday. She's very clearly not over the death of her husband, and I'm not that cruel.
"It's nothing; now, let's see if Mom has something more fitting for the shopping trip. She won't mind you borrowing something," I say with a smile, leading her upstairs.
– Sasuki Uchiha –
"Hei? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked as Hei arrived, Kakashi nowhere in sight. Behind him, a masked woman silently followed him, watching them all carefully. Given what she'd heard, she wasn't surprised that Hei had a bodyguard.
Huh, wasn't that Hei's mask? She recognised the demon mask as the one Hei usually had attached to his belt.
"Hey, all. Long story short, Kakashi has had some personal business come up and he asked me if I was willing to take over your training for today and possibly in the future as well," Hei explained, giving them a wave. "This is Fox; she's my bodyguard since there's a chance I'm a target."
"Wait, so we aren't doing D-rank missions?" Naruko asked, making Sasuki perk up in realisation.
"Ha, fuck no. I am not playing babysitter while you guys cut grass and fetch groceries. I didn't get out of those missions myself just to get dragged back in. No, I intend to actually train you, as much as I can since we are all technically Genin," Hei explained, making them all beam at him. "I thought we'd start where we left off last time. You almost had tree-walking down when we finished off, and you two were making good progress on water-walking. After that, we can try a little combat training to see what level you're all at."
Oh, this was so much better than dealing with that lazy bastard sending them to go find a missing cat again.
"So, Fox, think you can help Naruko finish off her tree walking while I give Sasuki and Sakura a hand? She was very close, so it shouldn't take long," Hei asked, making her blink. Was it alright for him to reassign an ANBU?
"No problem, I can handle that," Fox replied, taking off her mask as Sasuki watched in confusion. The woman was undeniably very attractive, but ANBU didn't take their masks off. She'd looked into ANBU since Itachi had once been a member, and Fox wasn't acting anything like the ANBU she had researched.
Not to mention the ears. Wait, was that a tail?
Maybe she wasn't ANBU then? But who was she? Sasuki had looked up all the strong ninja in the village and this new girl didn't ring any bells. After a moment, she shook her head and decided that this was one of the times that she needed to know when something wasn't her business.
"Why do you have a tail?" Naruko asked bluntly, making Fox giggle. "And ears?"
"Secret~" Fox teased, making Naruko frown. Fox looked at Naruko with an odd expression as she led her over to the trees.
"Come on you two, no slacking off," Hei said, distracting her from the pair as she gave Hei a serious nod. Despite their bad start, she really was grateful that Hei was willing to spend his time training her.
Sakura thought ahead this time, stripping down to her sports bra and shorts, knowing she was going to get wet. Sasuki went to do the same before she froze. She didn't actually wear a bra because she was frankly flat compared to most girls her age. She had some bindings but they would quickly fall apart if she got them wet.
Well, it wasn't anything that Hei hadn't seen before and this was a private training ground so she slowly stripped down herself (making Sakura gasp at her going topless). Hei's eyes flickered down to her bare chest, but he was too professional to let it throw him off.
Getting them started, she hated how Sakura was doing better at her than this. It was essential that she learn to perfect her Chakra control like Hei had so she could use his sealless jutsu. It was the closest thing she'd found to a counter to the Sharingan yet.
Watching Sakura get better and better made her frown before she shook her head, reminding herself what Hei had told her. She needed her team to excel if she wanted to get out of these D-rank missions and actually start to get stronger. They were only as strong as their weakest link, and that was Sakura right now.
Naruko's control was worse, but she had the most chakra and could hit damn hard if she actually landed a blow. Sakura was both the worst fighter and had the worst stamina. Hei's suggestion that Sakura become a medic was a good one; having a medic-nin would let them go on more dangerous missions, and for that, Sakura needed great chakra control as well.
Splashing into the water, she let out a growl of frustration as she swam back to the edge of the pool. Hei came to her side with words of advice on what she was doing wrong, distracting her from her anger. She could do this; Hei was a damn good teacher because he seemed to have a sixth sense for what his students were doing wrong.
It was a shame he wasn't just a little older because then he could have actually been their Jounin sensei. She knew Kakashi was apparently very strong, but he certainly never showed it.
"Nice work, Sakura," Sasuki reluctantly praised as Sakura demonstrated her mastery over the technique. Naruko had joined them, chatting with Fox about a variety of things, but where they were slowly succeeding, Sakura was excelling.
Sakura gave her a beaming smile, blushing slightly at the praise. Hei gave her a small smile, proud that she wasn't being such a sore loser this time. A part of her wanted him to poke her forehead again, but she wasn't sure she was mentally ready for that.
She'd watched him with Shikamaru, and he reminded her of Itachi in so many ways. But where Hei was loyal and loved his family, Itachi was a family-killing traitor. What had gone wrong?
It seemed like everything Hei did, he did for the village. She'd heard about the chakra wolves that the Inuzuka were showing off and plenty of other rumours. Even training them, he did because he believed in this 'Will of Fire'. It was no wonder he was Konoha's new rising star.
Sakura dried off before she moved forward and gave Hei a hug as she thanked him, making him smile softly as he ruffled her hair slightly. Sasuki felt her jealousy return, an ugly feeling in her chest as she heard Sakura get praised, but she pushed it down.
Hei set Sakura on some basic taijutsu forms before he turned his attention back to Sasuki and Naruko. Fox took a seat on a rock, watching as Hei helped them both.
She might not have come first, but as she stood on the water she gave Naruko a superior look, her teammate in the water again. Naruko just made a disgusted sound and splashed her, making her laugh slightly before she caught herself.
Kicking some water at the swimming Naruko, she walked over to the edge where Hei was waiting and gave him a proud smile.
"Nice work, Sasuki; I told you that you weren't far behind Sakura," Hei praised, ruffling her hair for a moment. Despite herself, she looked up at him, hoping he'd poke her forehead again. To her extremely mixed feelings, he did, giving her a soft smile as she hugged him briefly. "Fox, you can help Naruko finish this, right?"
"Of course, she's starting to get it down. You're a damn good teacher," Fox praised, making Hei smirk slightly. "I'll help her out, plus you'll be right there if she gets stuck, you know?"
"Thanks, Fox. Man, that's weird to say," Naruko mumbled, making Fox laugh loudly.
"You can just call me Kushina; just keep it to yourselves, okay?" Kushina said, making Naruko nod. "Call me Fox when I've got my mask on, but here it's fine."
There was something in Kushina's tone that she recognised: grief. Despite how happy she sounded, there was an undercurrent of hurt and anger beneath it. Sasuki gave her a knowing look, getting a surprised look in turn before Kushina smiled softly and nodded at her.
"Right, time to see what you two can do. Attack me," Hei said, taking his sleeveless vest off and placing his sword down against a rock. "Taijutsu only, for now."
She and Sakura shared a look, and despite her confidence in her fighting style, she knew she might be in trouble here. She'd heard that Hei was the rookie of the year for his year, and he'd been at this for quite a bit longer. She'd heard he beat the entirety of Team Eight by himself, and as much as it pained her to admit, Ino was good. Choji hit damn hard as well, and Shikamaru was just downright annoying to fight.
Moving so Hei was in between them, she gave Sakura a signal, and they moved in sync. Hei's back was to her, but her fears were realised when she tried to sweep his legs out from under him, watching as he sidestepped with a casual grin, grabbing the lunging Sakura by her arm and simply tossing her towards Sasuki.
Before, she might have stepped aside and left Sakura to fly away, but she made a decision. Catching Sakura, she stopped her flailing and spun her around so Sakura would land on her feet again, getting a small smile from Hei.
Moving in again, she got a lesson in humility as Hei manhandled her and Sakura. He was too damn slippery, and he kept shifting, so he'd place one of them in front of the other, making it hard to pin him down or attack him together. Hei's blows were clearly held back, but not by much as he danced between them.
As she threw a punch towards him, he blocked it with his forearm and moved in, his other hand punching her in the stomach as she gasped, unable to recover before she had been turned into a projectile.
He seemed to enjoy throwing people at their teammates, and as Sakura tried to catch her, Hei dashed forward again and set upon Sakura, who could only squeak in surprise.
Still, with every failed attack came another lesson. Hei was good, studying their form and pointing out mistakes, both large and small. Naruko joined them, and she quickly learnt that Kushina was also very good, but she was more of a brawler. Seriously, where had this woman come from?
Kushina took over teaching Naruko, since they both had similar fighting styles, leaving Hei to teach her and Sakura. The Nara Taijutsu style was very defensive, all about exploiting openings after you blocked or dodged an enemy attack, which meant he was very good at spotting openings in their styles.
As the sun started to set, Hei called their session to an end with a smile. For once, she left a training session feeling like she'd actually made some progress, no D-Rank bullshit wasting her time, even if she was sweaty and bruised from Hei's ruthless beatdowns.
He didn't hold back too much, which she appreciated. He knew her goal and how important it was to her.
Naruko suggested they go for some ramen, and to her surprise, Hei agreed, making Kushina perk up.
"Hei, can I talk to you about something in private first?" Sasuki asked, making him nod.
"Go on ahead, Ichiraku's place, right? Actually, can you go and grab Shikamaru, Ino and Choji? They should be finishing about now," Hei asked, getting a happy nod from Naruko as Hei gave them directions to the training ground Team Eight used. "What's up?"
"I- can you really give people power-ups?" Sasuki asked, making him pause. "It's just… there are rumours all over the village about you making Tsume Inuzuka stronger and doing the same with the sick Hyuuga."
"Ah, did those rumours happen to mention how I do that?" Hei said, not denying it as Sasuki's blush grew deeper.
"Y-yeah, but that's just a rumour, right? You can't give someone a power-up through s-sex," Sasuki stuttered, cursing herself for acting like an embarrassed schoolgirl.
"Actually, I can do exactly that. Essentially, I give my partners an… injection of my unique chakra, granting them my regenerative powers," Hei explained, her eyes widening. "I've awoken a new bloodline; that's the current theory anyway. Either way, it's granted me several new powers and doesn't seem to be slowing down."
Sasuki's eyes widened, suddenly wondering how many of the stories about his weird powers were true.
"I… I've thought about what you said, you know, about not being able to fight Itachi alone. When he was my age, he was already an Elite ANBU; I'm still just a Genin. Even if he hasn't kept training, getting stronger, I'm so far behind him it's not even funny," Sasuki admitted, getting a sympathetic look. "I can't do this alone. I'll just die, and the only Uchiha left to rebuild our clan would be a psychopathic mass murderer. Will you help me?"
"You realise what you're asking? I'm willing to give you my boon, as people have been calling it, but you know how I grant it," Hei pointed out, watching her face burn.
"I am. I know you said I should have more pride, which is why I'm not trying to pimp myself out. I want in on the alliance you've been building," Sasuki said, making his eyebrow raise. "The Uchiha name has fallen from grace, but it's my job to bring it back. I'll need allies for that as well, so I want to join the alliance the Nara have with the Inuzuka. Honestly, when it comes to politics, I'm laughably out of my depth, but what you said about us was right. I've done my research since; the Uchiha were isolated, with no allies or friends. Look where it got us. I won't follow my ancestor's mistakes," Sasuki swore. "And I need to repopulate my clan; there's only one person I can think of that I'd want to be the father of the next generation of Uchiha. I know full well what I'm asking, and I plan to have at least one b-baby before I go after Itachi. I won't let my clan die out; the Uchiha will not die with me."
She was well aware she could lose her life hunting Itachi, and while she would never give up her quest to avenge her clan, she had other duties to the family as well.
"You sound like you've thought about this a lot," Hei praised, giving her a soft smile. "If you are certain, yes. I will help you," Hei promised, her heart soaring as she beamed up at him. "I have a few ideas that might be able to help beyond just me giving you my boon because if we're going to be partners, you should know I always take care of my girls."
Her cheeks burnt at the certainty in his tone, but then she really was going to be one of his girls since she'd essentially just asked him to breed her. Taking a step forward, she rose onto her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips, his hand going around her waist.
"Now come on, I don't know about you, but I'm starving, and the others are waiting," Hei said, making her nod. She was half expecting him to decide to grant her his blessing right here in the middle of the training ground, not that she'd refuse him since she'd literally asked for it.
Heading towards the ramen place Naruko never shut up about, she smiled to herself, even finding herself in a good enough mood to enjoy the rambunctious meal, watching as Naruko challenged Choji to an eating contest, laughing quietly at Naruko and Choji's shock as both Hei and Kushina beat them.
— Bonus Scene — Shizune
Lady Tsunade was obsessed with the strange chakra that the Nara could grant.
It was no exaggeration to say that Tsunade had stopped doing medical research in her years away from the village, but she'd thrown herself fully into studying Hei Nara's creation, which made the utter lack of results all the more infuriating.
Personally, she was just enjoying being home and not on the run from debt collectors for once, but she knew her master too well. Tsunade had approached Hei to try and get the infusion herself (while drunk) and had gotten shut down hard, and she was furious about it. Lord Jiraiya returning seemingly exclusively to poke fun at Tsunade for failing really wasn't helping.
It was only a matter of time until she did something stupid, which meant it was time for Shizune to pre-empt her master once more. She needed to find this Hei before Tsunade caused a scene because he sounded far too well-connected for Tsunade to fly off the handle and try and get into a drunken fight with a literal genin.
Just another day in her life. She loved Tsunade; she really did, but sometimes she truly wanted to strangle her.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
DarkWolfShiro
DarkWolfShiro Author’s Note: Kushina doesn’t believe in Talk No Jutsu.
Written: 16/05/2024
I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I’ll probably write faster. I do read every review/comment, because it gives me the happy brain chemicals and motivates me to write more. My body is a machine that turns positive reviews into new chapters.
I have a Patreo n, where my supporters can vote on which fics get bonus chapters each cycle and have access to advance chapters, up to ten chapters ahead of the public release. Patreo n is also five chapters ahead and plat/diamond tier have voting rights for my Quest. Feel free to check it out.
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The Advance Chapters
Backlog: The Celestial Remnant Ch04, The Celestial Conquest Ch01, The Celestial Remnant Ch03, The Celestial Remnant Ch02, The Celestial Remnant Ch01
Diamond: The Tamer Ch14, The Supervillain Ch26, The Operative Ch06, The Occult Ch07
Plat: The Vampire Ch11, The Craftsman Ch04, The Dragon Ch04
Gold: The Gambler Ch12, Slippery Slope Ch10
Basic: Guide to Freedom Ch13
Quest: The Celestial Roulette Ch07-11
Links:
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