2,063Dawn eventually came. The Daimyo and his family were unharmed, and the casualties among the guards were minimal. It would have been much worse without the aid of Jiraiya and Kakashi. The wounded were treated, while the dead were being prepared to be buried.
An impromptu meeting came when the sun rose, the Daimyo and his advisors present with the Konoha shinobi, and Naruto sitting some ways away from the castle.
The Bijuu had his arms crossed and sat on his haunches with closed eyes. "So...basically, we don't know anything."
"Rather blunt, but apt," The Daimyo said idly. "I understand this blazing bird was a...goose that had gotten stuck in your...nose?" the daimyo repeated, both amused and confused by the explanation. Naruto just nodded in confirmation. "Is it possible you created it by accident?"
"I don't know. It seems kind of weird, I've been around a lot of animals, and they never seemed to be affected," Naruto remarked, glancing up at the sky. "Glad he showed up though. Without him, we might have never found who was controlling the Hakaju."
"Hmm? What do you mean, Naruto?" Kakashi asked curiously.
"When the bird burnt away the cloak, I sensed someone in the Hakaju. I don't mean like in the spirit or something, I mean lurking in the actual skeleton. Whoever it was left too fast for me to track or anything, somehow," Naruto explained with a hum.
"So someone is behind this creature," The Fire Daimyo said with a frown. "But why only now take control of it?"
"The one in control might not have created it, actually," Jiraiya said grimly as he leaned against the railing. "Itachi Uchiha is among the Akatsuki. It's possible that his Sharingan was able to control the Hakaju."
"That bastard, eh?" Naruto murmured, a growl in his throat, recalling his non-verbal promise to Sasuke to kill Itachi.
"You think they're still attempting to capture or kill our good Bijuu here?" The Fire Daimyo asked in surprise, glancing back up at Naruto.
"Bijuu are some of the most powerful things in the Shinobi world, my lord," Kakashi remarked, his arm in a sling for now. "But they're not invincible."
"Obviously, seeing as how I'm in this situation at all," Naruto grumbled.
"Hmm?" The Fire Daimyo glanced at the shinobi uncertainly.
"He means the fact that the old Kyuubi died and he took his place, somehow," Jiraiya filled in.
The Daimyo gave a small nod of understanding, conceding the overall point. "Created or controlled, the meaning is the same if these Akatsuki caused this attack on my home," he remarked in consideration. "Still, we are no closer to discovering the location of this creature's grave?"
Silence came.
"We're definitely overlooking something," Naruto muttered, scratching his head. "And we need to figure out what. They'll keep summoning that bastard now if we don't."
"No telling if our burning goose will show up again," Kakashi agreed. "That said, Lord Daimyo? It might be safer to move Naruto away from the palace if it is targeting him now."
"That's the part I don't like, it's targeting me now," Naruto remarked with a frown. "They might just let the thing run wild when not using it."
"He's right," Jiraiya agreed thoughtfully. "Before it was random. Now it'll go after this palace or someplace else just to lure Naruto in."
Naruto sighed. Where could this thing's grave even be? Hadn't they searched every-
Naruto stiffened.
Given he was basically a mountain, it was very noticeable.
"Something wrong, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked with a frown of confusion.
Naruto took a breath. "No, probably not. I'll be back, I need to go check something."
"Hold on, I'll come too," Jiraiya said, ready to come up.
"Pervy Sage, did you not see the cloud cover roll in on command last night?" Naruto deadpanned. "You need to stay here so somebody can protect the Daimyo. And Kakashi can't come cause, well, no offense Sensei, but I think you need a day's rest at least?"
"None taken," Kakashi waved off. "Is there a reason you're not telling us why?"
Naruto nodded mutely.
It was telling.
Kakashi, Jiraiya, and the Daimyo all shared looks. Naruto knew something now and was afraid of someone learning about it. Not them, obviously, but anyone within hearing range.
"Then I hope you find what you are looking for, Naruto," the Daimyo said with a stern nod.
Naruto returned it before moving to walk away.
The trio waited a long time until Naruto was very small on the horizon.
"My Lord?" Jiraiya asked neutrally. "I feel obligated to ask. Are you...intimidated by Naruto?"
"No more than is healthy, I suppose. I admit, it takes some getting used to, speaking to someone of that size and power," the Daimyo remarked with minor amusement. "Why do you ask?"
Jiraiya hesitated.
"Aww. I see. It's the whole granting him land, treating him like a lord, and agreeing with his idea to help the Land of Rain," the Daimyo summarized with a dry tone. "You should know, my advisors worried I didn't give him enough. Some of them thought he might need greater appeasement. And Naruto is aware of that."
"I see," Kakashi said. "So, you listen to Naruto-"
"Because age regardless, that is the most powerful being in the Land of Fire right now. And if all he asks is me to grant him a beach and to consider what he says, in echange for having his power in defending my lands, my people, and my castle?" The Fire Daimyo pointed out. "I currently feel I have the better end of the deal."
It was hard to argue that point.
Meanwhile
"Naruto has found it."
Kankuro and Temari looked up from their campsite near the edge of Wind Country, situated in a sand cave created by Gaara. "The Tanuki say that?" Kankuro asked with a frown.
Gaara nodded. "I am unsure how he knows, but I wouldn't question it. Regardless, Naruto knows where the undead beast's grave is."
Temari frowned. "Do you want to go and help?" she asked, unsure how much the village would like Gaara running off out of the blue, even if it was for this.
"Shukaku will not allow it," Gaara said with a frown. "I believe the Bijuu all wish Naruto to face this threat on his own. That said..."
The sand siblings paused as Gaara looked to the northeast, undoubtedly where Naruto was.
"He wants to see it, with his own eyes," Gaara answered.
His elder siblings shared a look at that. Gaara's demon had been acting strange ever since Naruto had become the new Kyuubi. A good kind of strange. Quieter, somber almost. It was hard to imagine, but that sand demon truly appeared to be grieving the loss of a fellow Bijuu. Which made them both uncomfortably sympathetic to the creature. More so now that it was letting Gaara sleep a lot more often.
"Go on," Temari encouraged with a nod.
"Temari!?" Kankuro called out in surprise.
"It's not like we can really stop him if he sets his mind to it," Temari said with a fond sigh. "Besides, I want to hear if Naruto is living up to all the trepidation the nations have been feeling about it."
So did Shukaku, Gaara didn't say.
'That Golden whelp better not sully my brother's reputation! He better demolish this boney bastard like a virgin!'
Shukaku, as it turned out, had a strange definition of a "civil conversation" even by Gaara's limited experience.
"Thank you. This shouldn't take long," Gaara said as he dismissed the sand cave, sending the roof away rather than letting it bury his siblings.
"Be careful, Gaara. This sounds like something even the raccoon takes mildly serious," Kankuro advised.
Gaara nodded and took to the sky on his sand.
"So...what cover story do we give now that Gaara isn't bloodthirsty?" Temari asked idly, looking to the sky in thought.
"Would it really be a stretch to say he's communing with his Bijuu or something like that?" Kankuro suggested as he picked up his puppet and hefted it on his back. "Besides, he might be back before we even have to explain anything to anyone."
"We can only hope," Temari murmured.
Meanwhile
Mei Terumi, leader of Kiri, frowned as she read the reports. Being an island nation, no matter how large, had some disadvantages. News and reports from the mainland usually took a bit more time to reach her, and information in the shinobi world was crucial.
Her only saving grace was that whatever was occurring seemed to be only affecting the Land of Fire. Still.
"A Jinchuriki becomes a Bijuu, and a skeleton giant is wreaking havoc and said Bijuu was last seen heading to their farthest northwest border," she muttered, drumming her fingers in thought.
All of this was troubling. More so than she would let show, lest others worry too. Iwa and Kumo weren't on the best terms with Konoha, but they both had two Jinchuriki to rely on if this golden Kyuubi was ever involved in a war with them.
But Kiri? Their relationship with Konoha was best labeled as "neutral" for the time being, but Kiri had neither of their Jinchuriki now. The Sanbi was still out of play and the Rokubi's container had run off. They had no luck retrieving it either.
This meant that, like it or not, Kiri was vulnerable and could even be considered the weakest of the five nations right now. Unsurprising, given the civil war had taken its toll. It still was not a designation that inspired confidence or security.
It was a situation they'd have to fix, one way or another. The easiest solution would be to retrieve the Rokubi. Even if the host was less than cooperative, the fact of just having one of the Bijuu was enough to bolster confidence in the Hidden Mist village. Which Mei needed, not just for the morale of her ninjas, but for their clients. After all, being the weakest of the five meant being the least attractive place for people to send mission requests. The trouble was, the Jinchuriki had proven very illusive and was skilled enough to slip away if confronted.
Mei rubbed her head as she stopped herself from going in circles. How did Konoha even have a full Bijuu on their side? There had been three or more generations of Jinuchikiri at this point, and the host dying never resulted in the Bijuu's power transfer. Then again, most sealing jutsu didn't require the death of the caster to pull off. Had this been the Fourth Hokage's doing, a long-term plan finally realized? She didn't know, but she was sure that some of the other villages were considering it. If it could be repeated, that changed things and made the Bijuu all the more valuable.
She could easily imagine a struggle between the villages, each trying to seal and convert the Bijuu into loyal shinobi. Such a thing would lead to devastation. Again, Kiri's one blessing was that it was further away from the rest of the Five Great Nations.
Still, there was this Kyuubi itself to consider. The reports on his behavior were...strange. Not hostile to Konoha by any means, but there was a lot of snark and colorful commentary on some people in the village. Despite talking plenty, the Kyuubi apparently didn't say much of importance. Which she was sure was deliberate. Grumpy, for lack of a better word, but very self-aware.
Those who had been sent to try and observe the situation had always fled when the Bijuu had glared at them. By the reports, he seemed to always be aware of them, just tolerating them for a time near the village. Interestingly, he tolerated none of them trying to enter the area near the beach where he was often staying. Be it by land or by sea, any tracker ninja soon felt the Ire of the Bijuu weighing on them.
Mei didn't blame them for leaving. No matter how unskilled, this was still the Ninetails, the strongest of the nine in raw power. And being able to swat aside an undead beast the size of a Bijuu like it was nothing truly put that into perspective. Nothing short of a Kage-level shinobi could approach a foe like that and expect to do more than annoy him, let alone survive.
And then there was the name.
Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki, supposedly. That was a name she knew of. Her family on her mother's side allegedly had some relations with them, but Mei was fairly sure that was just an old family story. Still, could the ruins of Uzu have some answers? Perhaps something was left unscavenged after all this time? Unlikely, but treasure was just as often to be deep in the sea as just below the sands on a beach.
Meanwhile
Yugito sighed as she sat atop the palace of the Lightning Daimyo.
Kumo had largely taken an observation status on the situation regarding the Golden Kyuubi, along with the Skeleton-Beast. That was true for everyone, really, but Kumo had it as a formal policy rather than just being antsy on their feet, nervous whenever the Bijuu was reported to so much as look in their village's general direction.
However, it did rankle and unsettle some of the older ninjas. While Iwa had more of a formal grudge against Konoha at times, Kumo had been doing all it could to get out of the Leaf's shadow, to rival them and take their spot as being recognized as the strongest of the five main Hidden Villages. They had even attempted to steal some of Konoha's "assets" in the past with no success. And they always felt somewhat confident, having the Hachibi as the second strongest of the Bijuu while the Nibi was considered perhaps to be the most cooperative with her hosts.
But now, Konoha didn't just have the Jinchuriki of the strongest Bijuu, they just flat out had the strongest Bijuu as an ally. The creature walked freely and openly around the Land of Fire. True, it kept to itself most of the time to avoid causing problems, but it routinely traveled between Konoha and a beach, and now had been seen wandering all over the Land of Fire to help deal with this undead threat.
There was something truly unnerving about the Fire Daimyo having such a being on good terms with him, enough to have the beast walk around and defend random places from an unknown monster. It wasn't staged, probably, but it was definitely a display of power and the good terms the Bijuu was on with the country at large.
Needless to say, the Lightning Daimyo was a bit unnerved by all the talk of giant monsters running around in the Land of Fire. First a new Kyuubi, somehow, and then a skeleton beast that was just as big as a Bijuu?
And now...
"A miniature moon and a giant firebird, like a phoenix?" she asked skeptically.
"That's what the forward scouts brought back," Samui informed, having given the summary to her fellow blond. "I had the same reaction."
"And what did they look like?" Yugito asked with a frown.
"Rattled," Samui answered bluntly. "I don't suppose your fiery friend has any information?"
"She's not skeptical," Yugito answered with a frown. "Her and the Hachibi have been very...quiet since this all started. If I have to assume, they can sense what's going on to some degree."
"Any idea how she feels about this new Kyuubi?" Samui asked with a hand on her hip.
"Our relationship could be called friendly, but I wouldn't go too far beyond that," Yugito answered. "That said..."
Samui tilted her head in interest.
"She says it would take all eight of the other Bijuu to defeat the original nine-tails," Yugito said grimly. "Meaning, if this new one is even half of that power..."
"You and Killer Bee might not be enough if it came to a fight," Samui said with a sigh. "I get the feeling someone will do something very stupid. I just hope it's not us."
Yugito nodded in agreement, even as her mind drifted to this new Bijuu still.
A Jinchuriki that became a Bijuu. She had transformed into Nibi many times, in full control too. But there was always a limit on what she could do. Nibi obviously didn't let her know EVERYTHING she could do in that form, and Yugito's human body could only use that form to the full extent for so long without issue.
'What is he up to?'
The thought intruded into her mind, and she knew it wasn't her, but her Bijuu thinking that.
Yes, what was the golden Kyuubi up to, she wondered?
Meanwhile
Onoki sighed as he dismissed his granddaughter, leaving just him and Akatsuchi. "Tell me, how much of that did she exaggerate?"
Akatsuchi looked at the Tsuchikage with concern and surprise.
"I know when that girl is getting worked up," Onoki said flatly, giving the large ninja a pointed look. "How much?"
"Nothing she said was exactly overstated, Lord Tsuchikage. The Jinchukriki did express reluctance to get involved and that their Bijuu had no desire to interfere with the bone-beast if it showed up," Akatsuki informed carefully. "If anything, it was what she undersold."
The Tsuchikage frowned grimly as Akatsuchi relayed his version of events. They were very much the same as Kurotsuchi's report, but his granddaughter had definitely diminished the scale of the battle. Multiple summons? A jutsu that could push back a Bijuu? The Kyuubi being trapped in a miniature moon!? That was more than just some impressive Earth Jutsu, that level of power he hadn't seen since his youth!
"Just what is going on in Rain to draw their attention though?" Onoki muttered to himself. The civil war there, true, but that had been going on for years. Why would that suddenly be of interest to the Land of Fire, when they had this monster appearing at night?
Something was up, and he didn't like it.
He also didn't like that look about Kurotsuchi. Perhaps he shouldn't have told her his theory about this Golden Kyuubi being the fourth Hokage's child. It seemed to have struck her pride in some way.
But that wasn't the issue at the moment. No one in the Land of Earth would particularly like how close to the border a battle with the Kyuubi had taken place, even if they weren't involved. And if what he thought happened had indeed happened, then Konoha had a loyal Bijuu that would not turn against them. It would explain why it hadn't been sealed away, why the Fire Daimyo trusted it to guard his palace.
All of which leads to the troubling inquiry from the Earth Daimyo. He had been subtle, or so he thought, but the man had basically asked what the chances of repeating the process with their own Jinchuriki were. And the Earth Daimyo, sadly, did not take well to subtle answers.
Killing his Jinchuriki was not something Onoki kept off the table inherently, especially if he could do something like that, to give Iwa its own loyal Bijuu. It felt a bit heavy on him to consider, but he would probably allow Kurotsuchi to do it if they could.
The trouble was, he had no idea how this had been possible. Iwa's sealing ninjas were not the height of the ninja world. Risking their Jinchuriki with so little to go on was foolish, let alone his granddaughter.
All Onoki knew was that, after decades of being known as the Fence Sitter, he knew when a status quo was growing untenable. And he knew this situation with Konoha's Bijuu would not stand. The other nations were tense and wary. Eventually, someone would act and the gods only knew how that would turn out. Another war? Or something worse, perhaps?
It was times like this that Onoki was equally wishing he had taken to retirement, but also grateful he hadn't, lest someone make a more foolish choice in this delicate situation.
End of Chapter
The Hakaju arc draws near to the close, with Naruto having figured out something important but is afriad to share lest the wrong ears hear. But with news of Naruto's battle with Pain spreading back to the other villages, it makes them all the more weary and tense.
Early viewing of chapters 29-30 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64