3,061Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. When I die, cremate me and throw my ashes in the faces of my enemies. Especially you, Kishimoto. You know what you did.
Chapter 37: Comfort Zone
Despite the implications that came with the plan to go to Uzu no Kuni, the trip began without incident. Even with the potential danger Naruto knew he and his friends were set to head into, and despite the seriousness of his reason behind their journey, he couldn't help but have an extra pep in his step.
His enthusiasm wasn't particularly infectious, however. Tenten was grateful for Shino's return to their little team, mostly because she had someone else that could help serve as a balance against Naruto's overwhelming insanity.
"Not to interrupt you whistling your way to the gallows-," Tenten said as they traveled to the coast to secure transport across the sea, "-Do we have an actual plan here? Any idea of what we're doing? Where we're aiming for once we're in Uzu?"
Naruto could feel his friend's consternation. While Shino hadn't voiced his own concerns, he knew that the Aburame would also appreciate some assurance that there was a plan, "Well, I was going to save all of that for when we actually made it onto a ship and had the chance to sit down," He knew they would have his back regardless, but he owed it to them to make sure as many t's were crossed and i's were dotted as possible, "Trust me, we're not winging this one."
The Uzumaki Clan would be none too welcoming to him, exile and abomination that he was. He wouldn't be able to walk through the front gates. They would have to sneak in, trying their best to get in and out without being discovered. From what Kakashi had told them, Nagato was seemingly away from his homeland on a sojourn of his own. There would be no better time to pull off whatever cockamamie scheme they could come up with to achieve their objective – to scour the clan records for Uzumaki Mito's notes on jinchuuriki.
It would not be safe. It would not be simple. It would not be easy.
...Which was why it was so off-putting that Naruto was so chipper. There was a very real possibility that they would all die, none more horribly than him, if things went wrong.
"It just feels good to have the crew back together, you know," Naruto said in his own defense.
"Shino was only gone for like two months," Tenten pointed out.
Naruto went silent for a moment before saying anything else, "Well... it felt longer," He eventually muttered.
Shino finally came to his friend's defense, "It's fine. Why? Because I see this as a good opportunity to catch up with each other."
Tenten rolled her eyes, "Oh, yeah. I can't think of any better way to catch up than going on an ultra-dangerous mission. And why couldn't we think this through more before leaving?"
"Because if I learned anything from dad, waiting and reacting is for losers!" Naruto exclaimed, "Take the initiative and make shit happen! Be the change that you wish to see, 'ttebayo!"
Despite invoking Minato, Naruto also ignored that his genius of a father probably would have had an entire plan, backup plan, and secondary contingency all mapped out in his head by the time he'd finished packing to leave. But there was no way his cohorts would have expected quite that much out of him. Just because Naruto and Minato were related didn't mean their brains worked the same, after all.
They were similar, yet different in many ways. The shared many physical features, eye color, hair color and texture, but Naruto looked more like his mother than his father. From recent developments, they also seemed to share similar tastes in women, favoring the headstrong and direct types.
Naruto's budding relationship with the newest member of their inner circle had piqued Tenten's interest the moment it had come to her attention. It had brought her no end of amusement to needle Tayuya about it while Naruto had been gone. Thus, it was only fair to do the same to him.
"So, we set out so fast. Did you kiss Tayuya goodbye before we left? Hmm?" She teased. Even with Naruto leading the way, she could see the tips of his ears turn red from embarrassment,
"No, I didn't kiss Tayuya goodbye!" Naruto exclaimed before speaking in a more reserved manner, "...I've never kissed Tayuya at all."
Tenten's intentions on teasing her best friend went squarely out the window at that, replaced by surprise and curiosity, "What? You haven't? Why not?" She asked, trying to properly put things together, "Wait, you two have slept with each other. I know you have. If you did that, you had to have-." Naruto glanced back with a frown and shook his head, "Really?"
Naruto winced at Tenten's incredulous tone, but he understood. She wasn't the only one confused by where the relationship stood. Naruto himself was still trying to figure it out, "It's not like I haven't tried..." He defended, "I thought I was supposed to, actually. But whenever I go to do it, she just... won't."
He didn't want to push the subject because they had only known each other for just under two months. In the grand scheme of things, they were still getting to know each other.
Tenten fought the urge to be offended for the sake of Naruto, who was ostensibly like a brother to her. Tayuya wasn't stringing Naruto along or playing hard to get. That much she had ascertained from talking to her about it already.
"Well, I don't think it's because she doesn't like you," Tenten said, trying to be encouraging.
"I wasn't thinking that way," Naruto said, smiling reassuringly, "She told me a bit about her past. It makes a lot of sense when you take that stuff into account. I can't really say anything though. It's her story."
"I get it," Tenten said, before getting back to her teasing, striking gold with her next remark, "I just can't believe out of the three of us, it's looking like Naruto got into a relationship first."
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto exclaimed amid Tenten's giggles.
Tenten explained herself, "You know. The whole jinchuuriki thing has always made it hard for you to get people to like you, girls especially. Also... you're kind of a lot," He noticeably deflated at that, unable to dispute that he could be somewhat overwhelming at times, "On the other hand, Shino has the whole stoic and mysterious thing going for him."
"-Thank you," Shino chimed in at the friendly compliment.
Naruto, meanwhile, found himself hung up on one of Tenten's remarks made in passing, "Wait, girls don't like me?"
Tenten had the grace to look sheepish at how bluntly she had handled "I mean, I know one who does... but not really," And the one girl she meant liked him wasn't Tayuya, but it wasn't her place to go into any detail on that, "Remember Temari?"
Naruto's eyes lit up at the reminder of the beautiful fan-wielding sand nomad, "Yeah, Gaara's big sister! She-!"
"-She hates you," Tenten interrupted before Naruto could convince himself otherwise, "Remember the last time we saw them? You kept hitting on her until she blew you into a dune."
He did. Even two years removed from the incident in question, he could still hear Kankuro's laughter at his expense. It still seemed like a bit of an overreaction on Temari's part to some compliments and positive attention to him though. It seemed that while persistence and tenacity were some of Naruto's key traits, it wasn't always for the best.
"And that Sakura girl from the other day. The one that works for Senju Nawaki," Tenten added, "She seemed like she'd rather have been anywhere else whenever you tried to talk to her."
Naruto had definitely noticed that, and pouted at the recent memory, "I wasn't even hitting on her," He'd just been friendly with the pink-haired girl. She had been quite pretty though.
"It's not like you're bad," Tenten said, trying to salvage her friend's ego, "You just don't have that instant charm like Minato-sama has. You tend to grow on people."
"Like a fungus," Shino added in what he saw as positive reinforcement.
"You're an acquired taste."
"Also like a fungus."
Despite Tenten and Shino's questionable if not well-meaning attempts to mollify Naruto's ego, the damage was done, "Thanks, guys..." He droned sarcastically, "If I ever need character references, I'll go straight to you two."
XxX
(Yu no Kuni – Unnamed Allied Shinobi Village)
Naruto was gone. Again. Off gallivanting around the Elemental Nations on whatever task struck his fancy. Minato held back the urge to sigh. Kushina did, however. Both of them shared similar sentiments after hearing from the recently returned Kakashi that Naruto had left a message with him to pass onto them.
They were apparently... busy at the time. Understandable really, that he didn't feel like sticking around to inform his parents directly of his intentions to head out. Still, that didn't make it any less vexing to them that he had picked up and taken off on a whim.
"So, Naruto just took Tenten and Shino... and left," Minato said, summarizing what little Kakashi had told him of Naruto's would-be adventure.
Kakashi nodded, "That's right."
"Where are they going?"
"I don't know."
"What are they doing?"
"I don't know."
Kushina narrowed her eyes at the masked shinobi's flippant attitude over her son's whereabouts, "What do you know, Kakashi?"
Anko chuckled and took the opportunity to interject, "I know that if I ever want to make easy work of Naruto, all I have to do is play a recording of you two banging," She quipped, much to Minato and Kushina's chagrin, "The poor kid had a pretty good thousand-yard stare going when we saw him sitting outside. Wonder how many times he's heard that."
Kakashi shook his head pitifully, taking the opportunity to pile on against his benefactor and the man's spouse, "His tent was always right by theirs whenever we all traveled together. It was too dangerous to give him earplugs, in case someone tried sneaking up on the camp at night."
"Judging from what I heard, I don't think earplugs would have helped him that much," Anko replied.
"Oh, it isn't always that loud, but you do have a point," Kakashi said, "Tents are just fabric, after all. Not really good for blocking noise."
"Besides, once you hear that kind of thing from your parents, you probably can't unhear it."
"I'm pretty sure Naruto can identify whatever night Kanako was conceived."
With Kushina's face as red as her hair and Minato not too far behind, the latter interrupted Kakashi and Anko's back-and-forth, "Are you two going to give me your report any time today? Or are you just going to provide running commentary on my son's possible emotional trauma?"
"I wouldn't call it trauma-," Kakashi tried for one last jab only to feel the full ire of the Yellow Flash and the Hot-Blooded Habanero. He deduced that he had pushed his luck as far as he could in that regard, "-Ahem, anyway, about the search..."
"We found two things," Anko said, "Jack and shit."
"I'd assume you went to the Sarutobi Clan?" Minato asked. When Kakashi confirmed as much, he resolved to reimburse the silver-haired shinobi the cost to gain access to their village and archives.
Kakashi continued his report, "Things weren't entirely fruitless. Sarutobi Asuma had some insight I think we may want to act on," he said, offering a sliver of hope that there was a lead to be followed, "He was front and center when the Fire Daimyo was receiving Danzo's counsel, which means he's seen how Danzo works, heard how he encourages others in power to operate. He suggested that Danzo may have a mole in our ranks."
Minato was dumbfounded. There was a spy already, before anything had officially gotten off the ground? Then again, while the physical alliance was still in its nascent stage, the idea had been around for years. If someone like Danzo had really been concerned with it, he could have set up something long before the present.
Wonderful. Minato pressed his palm to his forehead with a 'smack' and dragged his hand down his face, "Wonderful. And I'm guessing we have no clue who this would be."
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was more than only one shinobi, Minato-sama," Kakashi continued, "For all we know, it could be an entire enclave of freelancer shinobi... or even an entire clan."
As negative as such an outlook was, Kushina couldn't help but see it as a realistic possibility, "You are pretty welcoming about who you let join, honey."
Yes, because the idea was to bring all shinobi together. To espouse that as his mission statement and then exclude whole groups for anything less than concrete reasons would be talking out of both sides of his mouth. That didn't mean that clans and individuals weren't thoroughly vetted before being allowed in. That was a big portion of what Minato used Jiraiya for. His mentor traveled far and wide, using his connections to form an information network that he used to dig up pertinent details on anything and everything of note.
Minato could only imagine how livid Jiraiya would be upon learning of the possibility of someone spying on them from Danzo from within their ranks. The man took great pride in his own position as something of an information specialist. He wouldn't even have to ask Jiraiya to put in the legwork to sniff out an undercover agent. He would likely volunteer all on his own.
All they could do was try to focus on the advantages they still had at the moment. Kakashi had been discreet while in town, never letting on to anyone what his mission had been. That discretion likely extended to everywhere he and Anko had gone looking, never saying more than he needed in the open to get what they needed. Asuma had likely been the only person he had spoken to directly regarding Danzo. That meant that it was highly unlikely any spies would know that anyone was on to them.
There was still a chance they could smoke any spies out before the spies realized that they were made. If they could manage that, they could find a way to use them against Danzo before he became aware that the tables had turned.
"Kakashi," Minato started, "I'm going to need to you to take the lead on looking into things, at least until Jiraiya returns."
"Of course," Kakashi readily agreed, "I already have a few ideas of where to begin."
"And I know this doesn't need to be said, but keep things as low-key as possible.
"'Discretion' is the word of the day, Minato-sama."
With the threat of the Alpha Clan still present not too far away, it was best to delegate dealing with spies to Kakashi. He could handle it.
As much as Minato still preferred handling things himself, there were too many plates he needed to keep spinning to see to everything firsthand. The 'joy' of being in charge.
XxX
(Hi no Kuni – Uchiha Clan Headquarters)
Celebrating accomplishments in the Uchiha Clan could be different than it was for other shinobi. While there was ample pay and accolades for a job well done, much of the time, success was merely met with more responsibility, more danger. As the most powerful clan in the Elemental Nations, it was expected that the Uchiha would come out on top in most situations.
When Itachi and Sasuke were summoned by the clan head, their father, directly, they had no doubt that they would either be admonished for not performing to expectations, or they would be given another difficult task as confirmation of their use and ability.
The 'prize' was considered more of one for Sasuke. Then again, of the two of them he was the one most eager to prove himself. Itachi had long since moved beyond needing to prove anything to anyone.
Busy man that Uchiha Fugaku was, he preferred mixing business with his personal time when it came to his family. Whenever he could, mission briefings and status reports from Itachi and Sasuke were often done during meals or walks through the compound.
It was a pleasant enough day, though the season was beginning to turn. The weather was of little concern as Itachi and Sasuke recanted events revolving around their engagement with the Alpha Clan at Water Screen Cave, and the thwarted attempt to seal the Four-Tails for their own purposes.
Fugaku revealed nothing of his impression on their performance at first. He simply took in the information stoically, only letting out a hum once they were finished, "The Alpha Clan are making incursions out from their known territory. Sources say there are forces gathering, mapping out staging areas to move into new areas."
"These are dangerous days, father," Itachi said.
"Of which there seems to be a never-ending supply," Fugaku said in agreement with his eldest child. He stopped and turned to both Itachi and Sasuke, regarding them both, "The two of you did well in keeping the Alpha Clan from capturing the Four-Tails. The last thing anyone needs is another jinchuuriki running around, least of all one loyal to them. You've kept a powerful weapon out of the hands of our enemies."
Sasuke silently preened at the praise from his father. It was rare when he received kudos in the same breath as his genius brother, especially from a man as difficult to please as their father. Those moments were to be cherished.
Itachi bowed his head in humility before returning to the business at hand, "What is our next course of action?"
"The Inuzuka Clan front has grown quiet," Fugaku said, "Itachi, I would have you take your choice of unit and see to Alpha Clan advance parties. Find out when, how, and where they plan to attack. Use your forces to set a hard line in advantageous position, then call for reinforcements."
"Father, if I could offer an opinion?" Itachi asked. Fugaku stared at him for a moment before nodding his consent, "We need allies."
"We can call upon more of our affiliate clans to shoulder the burden if need be," Fugaku said, speaking in a manner that hedged his best. The truth was, if war came, the need would be certain.
"Against the Alpha Clan, I fear that relying on affiliates may prove more hinderance than help," Itachi said, "There are plenty of clans who would likely jump at the opportunity to play our sides against each other for their own benefit."
If the Alpha Clan continues to encroach south, there will be no benefit," Fugaku said, "When the Alpha Clan comes, they will not demand tribute the way we do. They will demand full submission and assimilation. It's in the best interests of our affiliates to side with us if they prefer to maintain their own autonomy and culture."
To Itachi, that was a myopic view of the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and those it had brought to heel. They were fully subordinate, but the term 'affiliates' was easier for the proud shinobi placed beneath the Uchiha to accept than 'vassals', which was the more accurate way to describe them, "Regardless of whether a clan is affiliated with us or not, would it not be more beneficial to form a pact of mutual defense with another force of similar size and strength to ours?"
Fugaku gave the measure some thought, if only to humor the, in his opinion, unrealistic aims of his otherwise brilliant progeny, "There are only two options in that regard. There are the samurai, who, given their isolationist tendencies, we would be hard-pressed to so much as get a meeting with, let alone convince them to fight alongside us."
"-And the Senju," Itachi offered, recognizing his father's biggest hang-up with the thought of reaching out for a truce.
Fugaku, true to form, quickly proved Itachi correct, "An even greater impossibility. You know this."
"Is it really so farfetched to imagine coming together to defeat an enemy that would see us both destroyed?" Itachi asked.
"That would require putting countless decades of animosity and bloodshed on pause," Fugaku said, "You're an intelligent young man, Itachi. Look past your idealism, embrace your pragmatism, and tell me the likelihood of such an occurrence."
"The Sage of Six Paths has a better chance of coming back from the dead first," Itachi replied.
It was next to impossible, Itachi realized. It was simply human nature. Ill feelings went back further than anyone could even remember. Countless fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, lovers, and more had been lost on both sides – losses that could never be forgotten and were unlikely to be forgiven.
"Meanwhile, the Senju themselves don't seem overly concerned with the threat of the Alpha Clan," Fugaku added, "Enemy plans for a seasonal offensive are still on."
At that, both Itachi and Sasuke's gazes sharpened, "Where?"
"Obito has obtained intelligence of Senju Clan taking more missions in the south – an excuse to amass forces there," Fugaku said before turning to his youngest son, "Sasuke, your next assignment will be to meet up with him in Nami no Kuni to continue his work."
"You're sending Sasuke behind enemy lines?" Itachi asked.
Sasuke hid his excitement behind a veil of nonchalance, "Hey, someone has to do it."
This wasn't just fighting some battle on the frontier. It was real shinobi work, and it could be done for once away from the watchful gaze and out of the shadow of Itachi. Anytime their father sent him on a real mission, it always seemed to be as Itachi's tagalong. While he would still be working, presumably with Obito taking the lead, it was a major chance to prove himself.
Uchiha Obito was one of the more skilled members of the Uchiha Clan. The man was a veteran of countless conflicts and one of the finest solo scouts and saboteurs in the world.
"I believe Sasuke is fully capable of what will be required on this mission. This is also an opportunity for him to learn from one of the very best," Fugaku said, giving his vote of confidence, "More importantly than anything though, it's my order."
And that was all that mattered. As the head of the Uchiha Clan, whatever Fugaku's word was, went. Itachi could disagree all he liked, all he could do was present an opinion. The decision was not his to make, "Of course, father."
"Now, have you any input on the group you would like to take for your mission?" Fugaku asked.
Itachi thought for a moment, "Is Shisui's unit available?"
"That is acceptable," Fugaku said before walking away, the new briefing now complete, "Send for them by this afternoon. I expect you both to move out on your assignments in three days."
Both Sasuke and Itachi bowed out of respect. By the time they raised their heads, Fugaku had vanished in a Shunshin, leaving the brothers behind.
Once they were alone, Sasuke smirked. The humility he had displayed in remaining silent while his elders conversed slipped away, "Now I'm finally getting the kinds of missions you get, without you."
Itachi allowed his younger brother's braggadocios remark to roll off of his back, "Are you aware of the usual nature of Obito's work?"
Sasuke did. Everyone in the Uchiha Clan did, "Important missions done deep in hostile territory, with no support, no contingencies, and no resources on standby for extraction or retrieval."
For almost twenty years, Obito had operated without teammates, vanishing behind enemy lines for weeks at a time, months even. It was rare for other members of the Uchiha Clan or any of their allies to even see him. He answered only to Fugaku, the head of the clan.
"And you think you can do that yourself?" Itachi carefully asked, "Survive that?"
"You'll see," Sasuke confidently replied, "You worry about your mission. Don't concern yourself with mine."
Surviving the kind of mission assigned to someone like Uchiha Obito, and playing a part in making it a success, was exactly the kind of thing that would finally show Sasuke's individual worth to his father.
He would prove himself Itachi's equal in clan value once and for all. He would stand alongside Itachi at the top of Uchiha Clan affairs for their generation, or he would die trying.
XxX
(Alpha Clan Headquarters)
As Yugito approached the tent of the Alpha Clan's leader, she couldn't help but notice all of the shinobi milling around, trying not to shake in their shoes. It was obvious why, as she had been able to hear A yelling admonishments at the top of his lungs from across the camp.
"-WE'RE ON THE EDGE OF THE GREATEST WAR WE'VE EVER FOUGHT, AND YOU'RE CHOOSING NOW TO FUCK UP ALL-IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENTS!? THESE ARE ESSENTIAL MISSIONS! FOR EVERY ONE OF YOUR COMRADES THAT WE LOSE MORE THAN WAS PROJECTED, YOU ARE EACH GOING TO WRITE A LETTER TO THEIR FAMILY ON HOW WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES EARMARKED FOR BATTLE BECAUSE OF YOUR FAILURE!"
From what she could make out from coming in late, someone had messed something up, big time. It had to be, if he was the one yelling at people directly about whatever it was. As the Two-Tails jinchuuriki, there weren't many shinobi in the world that Yugito would ever claim to be afraid of. A was definitely one of them, however.
As Yugito approached and the rant continued, a massive desk suddenly tore through the top of the tent and went sailing off into the sky. Her only hope was that it landed somewhere far away from anyone else. A young woman with dark skin and light grey hair done in a bun stood directly outside the tent seemed exasperated, but otherwise unaffected.
"Mabui," Yugito greeted, "A-sama seems to be in a good mood."
"Oh, the best," Mabui said, matching Yugito's sarcasm with a wry smirk, "He just found out that we missed getting Orochimaru and we didn't capture the Four-Tails."
Yugito let out a pained, sympathetic hiss, "That's two back-to-back key mission fails..." She could only pity those in charge of the two missions being in their leader's doghouse for the foreseeable future.
"Yeah..." Mabui said, "It could be worse though. The only thing he threw was a desk. At least he didn't throw any people."
'This time,' Yugito thought to herself, having seen for herself what A's temper could look like when he was displeased, "Well, we kind of need every able body we can get right now. It's not like he can put any commanders in traction right before we invade south," She said, "Speaking of which..." She trailed off, pointing to the entrance A's tent, "Got a briefing to get to."
Mabui smiled and gave her a pat on the shoulder, "Good luck. I think he's starting to run out of steam," She joked.
Fingers crossed, Yugito entered the tent to find A towering over a contrite Samui and Atsui. There was a visible crack in the former's notably cool facade, while the latter looked as if the only thing keeping him from outright bolting was the knowledge that A would chase him down and punish him for it.
Upon noticing Yugito, A all but pushed the other two aside, "Ah, Yugito," He said, calming down significantly, "Punctual. Unfortunately, I received some unfortunate news on two of our operations."
Atsui interjected, "Only one of those things was on us!" He exclaimed as Samui took a very large step away from her brother, "Darui and C were the ones who screwed up the Four-Tails mission!"
"And they'll get what you got when they get back," A said, glaring at the younger man, "Unless you'd like to be a team player and take their punishment for them?"
"No sir..." Atsui mumbled, a hangdog expression on his face.
"Then shut the hell up," A boomed, "You're being reassigned regardless."
Yugito looked over at her fellow blondes before addressing her leader, "To me, I presume?"
A nodded, "I would like you to have all the help you might need for the mission I'm sending you on. While the Senju were the biggest problem when my predecessor invaded, they had plenty of help that allowed them to weather the storm long enough to turn the tide. I will not allow that to happen again."
Yugito felt that she understood what A was getting at, "Are we to deal with the Senju Clan's allies first?"
"Our plans call for us to isolate them as best we can before forcing them to the battlefield," A said, "I want to destroy all means of support that they can call upon. I want their allies to become our brethren wherever possible, and where it isn't possible, I want their allies destroyed."
A wanted his forces to go around picking off the weaker satellite clans, daring the Senju to come and fight until they finally had no choice but to do so. A estimated however, that their wariness to openly engage his army would cause them to sit back and all but ignore their allies' plight for as long as possible. In the end, that would do nothing but drain the potential strength of the Senju, making it easier and easier to fight them as the situation progressed.
There were a few targets he needed to make sure they dealt with before anything else, however. One nut had the potential to be very tough to crack, but intelligence from his masked advisor had given him a window of opportunity that he was not about to pass up.
A handed Yugito a scroll, and gestured with his head to Samui and Atsui, "Take these two and head to the Island Turtle. There's already a force gathered there ready to carry out the assignment. You're in charge."
"Yes, A-sama," Yugito bowed. Samui and Atsui followed her lead before following her out of the tent, both eager to get away from their leader's wrath and get back into his good graces.
Yugito opened the scroll and took a quick look at the written orders, her eyes going wide when she read what was written.
Yes, she could see why this mission was important. The target of their upcoming attack had the power to make life very difficult for the backbone of their military strategy. Conversely, getting them on the side of the Alpha Clan could serve to make their already formidable force nearly unstoppable.
XxX
(With Naruto – Yu no Kuni - Hoshiwanchou)
The best place to find ships willing to transport shinobi overseas were always coastal commerce towns. Naruto and his friends were accustomed to paying sailors to take them wherever they needed to go when it was impossible for them to do so on foot. However, the risk usually wasn't as great as it was for this particular journey.
Naruto, Shino, and Tenten wandered the town, discussing their next steps. It was paramount to get things right. Contrary to what most believed, Naruto wasn't merely all brute force. He had trained underneath his father in more than just how to fight. He knew how to think and plan, it was just that his specialty was improvisation. When force to sit and think, he was more than capable of hammering out a whole plan, especially when he had a committee to help.
"There's a ton of ships passing through the strait between the mainland and Uzu no Kuni," Tenten said. She had taken point on asking around, trying to find ships willing to take them on. It usually didn't take much effort. A payoff and a few free extra hands on deck were always welcome on fishing boats and merchant vessels alike. It was especially easy when one of them could make as many of those extra hands as they wanted.
Shino hummed in thought, "I doubt there are any willing to make a quick stop so we can sneak off for an easy infiltration."
"That wouldn't work out anyway," Tenten said, "You weren't there when we went to Mizu no Kuni, Shino, but Uzu has patrols running around their island. They'd definitely check any ship headed for or leaving the island."
Naruto still felt sorry for the scare he and the others put Kaiza's crew through when the Uzumaki Clan boarded and tried to strong-arm them, "If they find us, we're cooked before we even start. If anyone onboard has Mind's Eye of the Kagura, we may as well walk ourselves on deck and wave."
If it happened again, they wouldn't be able to get away peacefully, and they definitely wouldn't be able to go through with their mission. The entire island would be on alert before they so much as got a glimpse of the shore.
"We're just going to have to jump ship once we get close," Naruto said, "Mind's Eye of the Kagura is still going to be a bitch though..." If they weren't familiar with his chakra in particular, his reserves and signature as a jinchuuriki had to be so specific that identifying him would be child's play.
"Is it that common a technique with your clan?" Shino asked, knowing that Kanako, according to Naruto, was showing signs of developing it for herself.
"Not really," Naruto replied, "But since it's the best sensor jutsu we have, anyone with it always gets sentry postings. Just one of the many reasons the Uzumaki Clan never gets attacked on home turf."
Tenten let out a groan and hit Naruto half-heartedly on the arm, "An island fortress. You just had to sneak into an island fortress."
Naruto rolled his eyes and caught a punch, dragging his best friend into a side hug to get her to stop, "You guys can still go back. I'll figure something out. I've already got a good way to deal with Mind's Eye of the Kagura; it just means we won't be able to water walk. So, break out the rebreathers and bone up on your swimming. We're going in the old-fashioned way."
He would have considered a toad to sneak them in, but saltwater didn't agree with them under the best of circumstances. Fully submerging one in sea water would probably be fatal, so that was out.
Seeing their dilemma, Tenten looked down, digging the toe of her shoe into the dirt road, "Well... we don't necessarily have to swim to sneak in."
Naruto's eyes lit up, recognizing that Tenten had something up her sleeve – likely literally, "Oh really? Share with the class, please," By now, Shino had squeezed in on Tenten's other side.
"So, you know how I tend to tinker with stuff in my free time?" Tenten asked.
Shino raised an eyebrow behind his sunglasses, "You mean your obsession with designing and engineering ninja tools?"
"It's not an obsession!" Tenten protested, only to receive a pair of dry stares from her teammates, "...Okay, fine, it's better than sex to me," She admitted.
Naruto laughed, "Pfft. How would you know? Ow!" He jumped away when Tenten flicked his nose, "Whatever. What'd you make? Can we use it for this?"
"I haven't finished working all of the bugs out yet; no offense, Shino," Shino waved off the unintentional joke and allowed Tenten to continue, "But preliminary trials have all been pretty promising!"
XxX
(Yu no Kuni – Unnamed Allied Shinobi Village)
Hatake Kakashi was a difficult man to impress, but after being gone for over a month on an information gathering and possible assassination mission, to return and see the progress their little village was making put a smile on his face. No one could see that smile, due to the ever-present mask covering his nose and mouth, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. And he had plenty of reasons to feel that way.
All over, there were businesses and residences popping up. Clans tended to build their homes clustered in their own little enclaves along the outskirts of the area as expected, while previously unaffiliated shinobi tended to set themselves up and build closer to village epicenter, mixing more with the civilian populace.
It looked, sounded, and felt like things were coming together. While he didn't expect things to stay as smooth as they were as internal conflicts would inevitably arise, at least from limited practice it proved that what they were all attempting was possible. That made all of the difficulties they had been through worth it. It made all of the hardships to come that much easier to accept ahead of time, knowing that there was a point to it all.
One of the places that had recently popped up was a small medical clinic. Most clans had their own medical staff, but for formerly freelancing shinobi and civilians, they were greatly underserved when it came to proper care. It was a great need to be filled, but Yakushi Kabuto had attempted to step in as the man to do so.
Kakashi wandered in to find Kabuto tending to busywork behind the front desk. As Kabuto was the only member of his own staff, it was just the two of them.
Kakashi rapped on the surface of the desk to get the bespectacled man's attention. Kabuto looked up with a start, "Yakushi-san. Yo," He greeted with a wave, "How are things?"
Inventory checklist in hand, Kabuto stood from his work and set the clipboard aside to converse, "As well as they can be. What brings you to my humble clinic, Hatake-san? Need any treatment?"
"Oh no, I was just making the rounds and checking in on things," Kakashi said, "It's more to get a lay of the land than anything. The village is already looking way different than it was when I left. I see you've been contributing to that."
"It's a lot harder trying to set up a practice than I thought it would be," Kabuto said with a smile, "Even with the financial assistance from Namikaze-sama, it's quite the pain to get the quality of medical supplies I'm used to here."
"I'll bet it's far easier to get what you need when you work for the Fire Daimyo," Kakashi commented.
"You said it, not me," Kabuto chuckled, "I'm just glad to have something else to do that keeps me away from the battlefield though. Shinobi work never really agreed with me."
"Hm," Kakashi let out an intrigued hum, "It's odd that you volunteered for it then."
"I'm sorry?" Kabuto replied.
Kakashi explained his meaning with a casual wave of the hand, "Oh, it's just, the trip you went on with Naruto and Tenten? That was supposed to be a spur-of-the-moment thing. Naruto meant to leave before his parents could find out and stop him. There wasn't time to get a real team together, so it makes me wonder how you wound up asking Tenten if you could go."
"I just asked if there was anything else I could do to help people who saved my life. Something to actually earn my keep around here," Kabuto explained, a frown coming to his face, "Synthesizing the vaccine for the Five Elements Virus didn't seem like enough of a trade-off for all the help they gave me after the trouble with the Guardian Ninja."
"I'd argue it was though," Kakashi insisted, "That vaccine could save lives in the future. It definitely did save Naruto already."
Kabuto shrugged, "Either way, that was how I wound up along for the ride through Mizu. I guess I just caught them at the right time."
Kakashi processed the answer before letting the topic lie, "How was that trip, by the way? I'm only asking because I had a run-in with Konan on my mission," He noticed Kabuto recognize the name, "She taunted me about attacking my cute little students. It left me a bit testy."
Kabuto shivered at the some of the memories that passed through his head, "The whole trip was somehow even more terrifying than I thought it would be. It isn't every day you watch your benefactor fight against the Rinnegan. But none of us died, and I didn't have to heal Naruto or Tenten nearly as much as I thought I would, so that was a plus."
Kakashi stood back from the counter and bowed, "In any case, I appreciate you looking out for them. I know it was probably a bit much."
At that, Kabuto brightened, "I was happy to be of use. But, uh, I don't think I'll be throwing my hat in the ring to go with them on any other adventures."
A completely understandable outlook from Kakashi's view. The particular brand of insanity that followed Naruto wasn't for everyone, "That's probably not the worst idea, especially when I'm sure you'll have plenty to keep your hands full here," He turned to leave, throwing a farewell wave over his shoulder, "Take care, Yakushi-san."
"You as well, Hatake-san."
Hands shoved into his pockets, Kakashi sauntered out of the clinic and down the street. After several blocks of nonchalant walking and making sure he wasn't being watched or followed, he let out a short, sharp whistle. A small, blue blur darted down from the rooftops and landed on his back.
Kakashi looked over to see a small brown pug clad in a blue vest poking its head over his shoulder, "I wasn't able to sniff out anything suspicious on my end," The small dog said in a gruff voice.
"It's fine. Thanks, Pakkun," Kakashi said, "I didn't really expect to find anything here anyway, even if he actually is a spy."
That Kakashi's summoned ninja hound, even the one with the best nose, couldn't find anything, it still didn't mean that Kabuto was clear of suspicion. There was almost no chance any half-decent spy would keep anything incriminating in a potentially high-traffic area like a medical clinic in the middle of a steadily growing village.
Kabuto was still a suspect, and Kakashi would keep a close eye on him even as he continued to investigate.
XxX
Training and leisure were often intertwined for Tayuya. Her primary method of fighting was through her music. Her voice and her instruments were mediums for her ninjutsu and genjutsu.
To her, training was playing the music she had developed that activated her techniques. Advancement was experimenting and putting together melodies and discovering the new reactions they caused. She loved playing music, so other than the chakra cost and physical toll, she would hardly consider it a burden.
The problem had always been that Mizu no Kuni was such a violent, stinking, tumultuous mess, it was difficult to find any time to safely play without the possibility of catching a kunai in the brain stem. She had spent much of her life alone, with no one to look out for her in vulnerable moments. That extended to her training. Even when she performed at taverns, brothels, and the like, it was rarely safe and she was always on edge, never able to actually enjoy what she was doing due to the need to look over her shoulder.
In the short time Tayuya had been a resident, she would easily say it had been the most relaxed she could ever remember being. She could go out on a sunny day, find a pleasant place to post up, and simply play. On this day, she chose to do so in the heart of the village. People seemed to like her music, to the point where passers-by would tip her. Free money just for taking the time to train? She would take it.
Tayuya was comfortable, and that was a problem. Comfort made you complacent. Complacency dulled your edge. A dulled edge increased the likelihood of death at any given moment, and that thought left Tayuya feeling irritable.
"This place is too chill," Tayuya said to herself, setting her flute to the side on the rooftop where she had been sitting, "I swear I can fucking feel myself getting soft."
She had only been there a short time. It was a real adjustment for her, and a tough one at that.
"Hey there."
Hearing a somewhat familiar voice speaking to her, Tayuya looked down from her flute and saw Kushina standing below, holding bags of groceries in her arms, "How's it going, Mama Red? Something you need?"
"That's what I was going to ask," Kushina said, "Naruto left me a note asking me to check in on you, make sure you were settling in okay."
"Fucking Golden Boy..." Tayuya muttered to herself, "He didn't have to do that. You don't have to bother."
"It's no trouble at all!" Kushina insisted, leaping up to join her, "It's kind of my job to help with that sort of thing. You're not the only one who's still getting used to all of this. Mind if I sit?"
As much as Tayuya wanted to be antisocial and push Kushina away, she figured it wouldn't serve her very well to get on the bad side of the leader's wife, "Knock yourself out."
Kushina set her groceries aside and got comfortable on the same ledge as Tayuya, "It feels weird doesn't it?" she asked, pointing to the passing crowd, "How many shinobi do you think have come through here today?"
While Tayuya wasn't much for people-watching, it was something she'd had to learn, if only to watch out for herself, "I've only been here for like an hour, but hundreds."
Kushina nodded, "There are nearly 2,000 shinobi beginning to make their homes here, split between several clans and freelancers," She said, sounding proud of the accomplishment, "Before this, they would be just as likely to meet each other as enemies on the battlefield as pass one another on the way to get lunch in a place like this. It's going to take a lot to get them to come together and trust each other. Hell, it'll be a big victory just to get everyone comfortable with living this close together."
"Sounds rough," Tayuya said. She wasn't in much of a position to commiserate. While she could recognize how monumental the task befalling Namikaze Minato and his allies was, the concept of state-building was beyond her. She was a simple kunoichi with simple desires and everyday concerns.
"I'm just saying, I get your feeling uneasy, and you're not alone in feeling that way," Kushina said, "You don't have to be alone in adjusting either."
Kushina didn't necessarily want to leave her alone either. Kakashi's talk of a spy amongst their ranks had her thinking. There was a better chance that it was a recent arrival than anyone that had been with them for some time. Tayuya was the newest, and she seemed to have Naruto's eye.
What better target for a spy to ingratiate oneself than through an emotionally vulnerable teenager close to the leader, with the power to defend them if things went bad?
It wasn't in Kushina's nature to think the worst of people, especially people her son liked; nor did she believe that Naruto was a terrible judge of character. But that didn't matter when it came to spies. It would have been sheer negligence not to vet Tayuya properly. Much like Kushina told Tayuya, these sorts of things were her job.
"So, how did you and Naruto meet?" Kushina asked, pleasantly making conversation, "I don't exactly have the full story."
Tayuya shrugged, "Golden Boy offered me a gig guiding him through Mizu. Once that was over and he'd pissed off the powers-that-be over there too much to leave me alone there, he offered me a chance to come here and check this place out."
Tayuya had no doubt that as interested as she was in seeing more of the world, if she'd gotten cold feet and remained in Mizu no Kuni, Terumi Mei and the Seigyo-ki people she belonged to would have killed her or worse within a week of him leaving. It wasn't like leaving necessarily saved them. There was always a chance that they followed them to the mainland and were just biding their time to strike.
Kushina let out an exasperated sigh, "Yeah, that sounds about right," She said, shaking her head, yet smiling fondly.
"Why the big interest?" Tayuya asked, feeling her hackles raise at being questioned out of the blue, "Is this how you treat all of Golden Boy's new friends?"
"No, just the ones who end up sitting on his face," Kushina chirped brightly, the bluntness of the response eliciting a shocked, open-mouthed expression from the vulgar musician, "So, that would be only you, as far as I know, at least."
It was a rarity for Tayuya to find herself at a loss for words. That Naruto's own mother was willing to speak so directly about her son's sex life left her momentarily speechless. Eventually, she found her audacity again, "Oh yeah? Well, what's it to you?"
Kushina simply smiled in a challenging manner and stood. Tayuya, despite measuring six inches shorter, rose to meet her, going chest-to-chest, unflinchingly, "What are your intentions with my baby?"
Tayuya scoffed, "Why do I have to have any fucking intentions? Why can't we just be having a little fun?" She asked, before attempting to needle her, "And trust me, he ain't no baby, lady."
"He'll never not be my baby," Kushina declared, her expression turning more grave, "And I don't want him getting tangled up with some girl who only sees him as a means to an end."
Tayuya grit her teeth and tightened her fists as her anger mounted. She wasn't certain how much trouble she would get into from fighting the leader's wife, but she was moments away from telling Kushina to pick an open space where they could face off properly, "What end? Huh? What are you trying to say? You think I need any-goddamn-thing from him? From you?"
Kushina shook her head, "You don't have to need anything, Tayuya. What do you want?"
Tayuya tried and failed to hold back a wince. She remembered a conversation with Naruto a few nights ago where he asked a question worded differently, but evoking the same feelings from her when she thought on it.
"I don't know what I want out of... whatever the hell I have going on with Golden Boy," Tayuya said, "I don't even know what to call it."
"'Girlfriend', maybe?" Kushina offered sardonically, "Just a suggestion if we're spitballing labels here."
Kushina expected immediate pushback after her snarky remark. That was why it was so befuddling when, of all things, Tayuya seemed to back down, "I'm not... fucking good enough... for that."
Kushina recoiled in confusion, "What do you mean?"
All the tension and aggression dissipated from Tayuya's posture, "I don't just call your kid Golden Boy because of his hair. He's crazy-talented, and he's a bright fucking soul," She said, "He might be the kindest person I've ever met who wasn't just being nice because they were a pussy," She then made an unremarkable gesture to herself, "And then there's me."
"What about you?" Kushina asked, dreading the answer.
Tayuya slowly removed the straw hat that had been covering her long, untamed, dark pink hair and looked up at Kushina solemnly, "Look at me. Listen to me. I ain't exactly a catch," She said, knowing Kushina had to have seen enough of her to have formed an opinion, "What kind of person like Golden Boy would want me when they've got the kind of picks that he's gonna have? And he will have them," Her tone was fully assured.
When the village finally got up and running properly and became a success, Minato would receive massive amounts of credit and goodwill as the man who spearheaded it all. That would trickle down to others, including Naruto. As the son of a powerful visionary, even his status as a jinchuuriki wouldn't be enough to dissuade women attracted to strength and influence from giving him a look.
And once they got a look, a good look, they would see exactly what everyone else reasonably close to Naruto saw.
They would be beautiful women, tall and elegant, not short and unrefined like Tayuya was. Women who were gentle, kind, and articulate; not vicious, angry, profane harpies like Tayuya was. Women who came from respected families or clans, not gutter rats sold into servitude and forced into an occupation she despised just to survive. Women who had plenty of resources and support, who had more going for them than whatever meager belongings they could cram into a rusty houseboat, the way Tayuya did. Women who didn't carry scars inside and out the way Tayuya did.
There was already at least one Tayuya knew of that blew her out of the water in all categories. The Hyuuga girl. The instant that timid little thing grew enough backbone to make a move on Naruto, Tayuya had no doubt she would have him wrapped around her finger, and she wouldn't have to sleep with him first to get his attention.
Meanwhile, Tayuya doubted she was proper relationship material for any decent person, let alone someone like Naruto.
"If I were you, I wouldn't want him rolling in the hay with me either," Tayuya said, a sad smile coming to her lips, "He probably won't for much longer, so you shouldn't worry. But you asked me what I want? I don't have any long-term plans or anything. I kind of just want to ride this whole thing out for as long as it lasts."
That was what life had been for Tayuya up until then anyway – ride out the good times, as fleeting as they were, for as long as they lasted. Endure the bad times when they inevitably came and lingered. Just survive.
Still, a tight feeling formed in Tayuya's chest, one that she had grown extremely accustomed to pushing down and ignoring over the course of her life. Eyes cast downward, she missed it completely when Kushina swept forward and pulled her into her arms. The next thing she knew, her head rested gently against Kushina's chest.
"Oh, honey..." Kushina whispered.
The unfamiliar warmth and comfort of the gesture was almost enough to bring forth tears that Tayuya never allowed herself to shed. She had to shut her eyes to keep them in. Tayuya imagined that a mother like Kushina often embraced her children similarly whenever they were troubled. It was an envious thought. That envy kept her from reacting caustically once she realized what was happening.
Tayuya didn't move, not to push away, nor to pull deeper. She just allowed it to happen. She could have this, she reasoned. Even if it was only for a few moments, she could be selfish and indulge in such a thing just once.
XxX
(With Naruto – Yu no Kuni – Secluded Cove Outside of Hoshiwanchou)
Tenten was brilliant.
For as self-conscious as she could be about her skills as a kunoichi in combat when compared to the monstrous individuals like Naruto, Fuu, Kakashi, or Minato who surrounded her, no one's brain worked quite like hers when it came to weaponry or ninja tools. She saw things in a way no one else could, could interact with a mere pile of scraps and find the divine inspiration to create.
Anyone who knew her and saw what she got up to when she was relaxing between missions could recognize her true talent. Just seeing how unique and diverse her array of armaments and accoutrements was, and realizing that she created most of them herself was enough to illustrate this.
There were countless times Naruto saw her sketching out some ungodly idea, then later making more refined blueprints of the same thing, before finally bringing it to life on the battlefield. She routinely did this – for fun. It was fulfilling for her. Relaxing, even. That was to say nothing of her numerous ideas that never saw the light of day.
Away from prying eyes, in fairly shallow water, Tenten proudly pulled out a storage scroll and held it up for her friends to see, "When I knew we were crossing the sea, I made sure to pack this. I didn't think I'd get to use it, but here we are."
Naruto and Shino sat in the sand, the former restless in anticipation, "I don't know about Shino, but I'm excited! Go ahead and rock my world!"
Unfurling the parchment and adding blood and chakra, a large puff of smoke concealed Tenten's creation for a moment. As the smoke blew away, it revealed a large metal tube, roughly 90 feet long, 20 feet wide. With fins, propellors, and windows, it reminded them of a metal fish.
Tenten was all smiles as she gestured to the vessel proudly, "Ta-da~!"
Naruto and Shino were dead silent at first, trying to make heads or tails of what they were looking at. A meeting of the eyes and a pair of shrugs revealed neither had made any headway in that regard. Eventually, Naruto spoke up, "Tenten, uh... what the fuck are we looking at here?"
The bun-haired kunoichi visibly deflated upon realizing her friends' confusion, "My prototype submarine."
For the second time, silence, as Naruto and Shino tried to put together what that meant without being told. Once again, they gave up, "...Yeah, because that explains what it is and all."
"I mean, it's kind of in the name, dingus," Tenten groused, "'Sub' means under, 'marine' means sea. Under the sea. It's a vehicle meant to travel underwater."
Insults aside, Naruto had to admit, the idea sounded cool and had no shortage of stealth potential, "How far under the surface?"
"I don't know."
"Well, how long can we stay under?"
"I don't know," Tenten answered twice, only to be met with an annoyed look from Naruto, "Don't look at me like that! I said I hadn't finished testing it yet! It's not like we're by deep bodies of water often enough for me to put it through any real paces."
"So, it might not work," Shino pointed out, now walking around the vehicle and looking it over, "This would essentially be a field test."
"It definitely works," Tenten said with a haughty sniff, "I just wouldn't try to take it all the way from here to Uzu no Kuni yet. We should still probably hitch a ride on a ship, then deploy this right outside of the patrol zone. But it'll still beat swimming all that way to shore."
Rebreathers and oxygen tanks would only take them so far, and they would only be good one way. They wouldn't be able to procure refills once they were on the island. With Tenten's submarine though, they could get in and out of the danger zone without having to waste all of their energy swimming underwater to avoid being seen.
"What are the chances this thing kills us?" Naruto asked.
Tenten took a moment to think of her honest assessment, "On a scale of 1 to 10? I would say 6."
A 60% chance of dying what they presumed would be a horrible, waterlogged death, far away from home with none of their loved ones having the slightest idea of what had happened to them. It was up to Naruto to make a call on how they would proceed.
"Alright, I say we run it then," Naruto said, to Tenten's surprise. Naruto simply smiled reassuringly at her, "The stuff you make usually works way better than you give it credit for. If you say the danger is 6, it's probably actually a 3 or 4 or something."
After many years together, Naruto had full faith in anything Tenten built. If she bothered to bring it to his attention, it was because she had worked hard on it and believed it would make a difference for them.
She wasn't some mad scientist eager to put her curiosities to the test, no matter the consequence. Inventing was a labor of love for her. She made things because they interested her and because she wanted to make the life dangerous lives her loved ones lived easier in whatever way she could.
"Come on," Tenten smiled beautifully, beckoning her two friends for a tour of the submarine, "Let me show you guys how it works."
Hey, everyone, I'm not dead. At least not yet.
So, that's the chapter. No action to speak of this time around, but I hope I provided a good amount of content for people to chew on and look at. Either way, Naruto is poised to go home for the first time in nearly five years. What will await him? Probably some violence. That's always a pretty good bet.
Meanwhile, the search for a spy/spies is on in the as-of-now-unnamed village. Who? What? When? Where? Why? ...and maybe how?
And, ever-encroaching Alpha Clan be damned, Senju and Uchiha still gon' do what they do; fight like cats and dogs. Sasuke's going to go learn the saboteur ropes from Obito. That can only end well for many people.
Until the next time, folks, I hope you enjoyed.
Kenchi out.