Naruto sighed as he put away the last of the gifts he received from his third sixteenth birthday party, feeling completely spent.
Despite his exhaustion, there was a smile on his face.
He first had a small reception with the jinchūriki and his teammates before dawn. They had a short party, shared a meal and cut a cake. Right after he sent the last jinchūriki away with a fond grin -- Fū had too much to chatter about, Akihiko appeared in the Crystal Caves and whisked him away to Amegakure. It had taken much coaxing to calm the alarmed Yugito Nii down, reassuring her that he was fine and had not been abducted by the Uchiha lookalike who had appeared in the underground cave with Sharingan blazing -- even if it technically was a kidnapping.
He had to sternly admonish the blood clone regarding this.
Even Naruto knew better than to grab someone without warning or explanation and bring them away without permission... Albeit this was something he learned while reading books with Kaien recently. Perhaps he should assign his blood clones with similar reading material to improve the "common sense" level among them. There were too many things that were commonplace in the lives of others that Naruto did not comprehend.
"Consent is important," Naruto reiterated for the tenth time as he allowed himself to be blindfolded and led into Akatsuki's main headquarters.
He was not sure if Akihiko truly understood the point he was trying to make, but his blindfold was burned away then -- probably Itachi's "ingenious" idea, as expected of those pyromaniacal Uchihas, and he was faced with a lavishly decorated room that was probably once the meeting hall. Nagato, Konan, Sasori, Deidara, Hidan, Itachi and Kisame had formed a ring around him -- he could sense as much even without relying on his eyes -- and tossed confetti on Naruto as his blindfold burned in the black flames of Amaterasu (it seemed Itachi's control over his Mangekyō has advanced yet again). Naruto inspected the mess of colourful paper scraps perplexedly. He has never seen such a wide assortment of paper types in the same place at the same time. The confetti was produced from a variety ranging from traditional Washi paper to fragrant banana paper. This was probably Deidara's idea -- it reeked of his lack of common sense, though Naruto was not one to talk.
Hidan seemed to itch to bring a human sacrifice to the party and said pretty disturbing things about gifting Naruto with Kakuzu's head, though Sasori was able to dissuade him with ease -- Naruto supposed he had Sasori to thank for the lack of blood and gore at this celebration.
The massive cake was blue and yellow, but otherwise quite normal in taste and smell... Kisame's craft, no doubt, considering the lack of culinary skills among the rest of the Akatsuki members. It reminded him of how Itachi's cooking was only passable when tomatoes were in the recipe. This was a mysterious wonder of the world and a special defining characteristic of an Uchiha. Back to the birthday cake, it was a three-tiered cake that would not be out of place at a wedding with his name iced on each layer by a careful hand in Nagato's handwriting (read top to bottom and written in katakana). Origami flowers decorated the centrepiece, and strange paper candles on the top layer spelt out his age. He had no idea how the candles were burning like normal wax candles when they were obviously paper, but he knew better than to ask. The fire did look suspiciously similar to Itachi's black flames... no, he had told himself that he would not question it.
Naruto withstood the chaotic festival and tolerated being paraded around the village -- it was a miracle that no spies from any other organisations (such as Konoha) discovered his presence in Amegakure that day. He was being manhandled and carried around like a doll by the members of Akatsuki in turn despite his size -- even Sasori had a turn. This was probably... Naruto did not want to think about it anymore. They then sat him at the top of Nagato's control tower, stopped the rain to set off fireworks and dumped wrapped presents at his feet as if giving offerings to an idol of some deity. At some point, the kids from the orphanage, now grown up, also came to give him stuff, and the event evolved to include all of Amegakure's citizens.
Zetsu was preoccupied with supervising Obito, so they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted.
Well, they did until Sōjirō barged in and rained on their parade.
"I'll be taking Master back with me now. His friends in Konohagakure are expecting him."
The redhead snatched Naruto out of Konan's arms and brought the blond away, giving Naruto barely enough time to sweep the assortment of gifts into his Inventory before he was dragged away with a Hiraishin.
Then, with Anko leading the charge, Naruto's entourage -- consisting of Konoha Twelve minus Sasuke plus Kaien, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Senju Tsunade, assorted jōnin, a whole brigade of ANBU agents who were off-duty, the four jōnin-senseis assigned to Konoha Twelve plus Yamato and several clan leaders who had secretly mixed into the crowd (including Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shibi) -- marched forth to do one thing that everyone (or Anko at least) thought was long overdue.
And that was crash Naruto's "birthday party", the annual Kitsune Matsuri celebrating the fall of the Kyūbi and mourning the Yondaime's sacrifice -- a festival whose main event was the fabled "Fox Hunt" that had plagued Naruto during his childhood.
The main perpetrators of the Hunts were arrested, in one fell swoop, on various charges, including the leak of village-level secrets. Only the heavens knew how much paperwork was necessary to make this possible. The retired Hokage's insomniac appearance was proof of how much had to be done to conduct such a large mass capture of criminals who had various ways to shake off the law during the previous visits they have received from ANBU forces in years prior. If these idiots put their understanding of the law to good use, they might have become renowned lawyers, but they were too stupid to do such a thing. The only right thing they did was make all of the loopholes in the supposedly infallible military law apparent, allowing the Hokage's loyal legal team (the Hokage's secretaries) to fix all of the shortcomings that could be exploited.
After raiding the extravaganza (it was amazing how much they managed to get away with illegally in the light of day), Anko took over the festival stands and the whole assembly of shinobi was put in a celebratory mood.
By the time Naruto managed to escape the slurring, grabby and heavily drunk Mitarashi Anko, it was past midnight.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
A week after Naruto's birthday, Akihiko and Tobi caught Yagura and brought him to the Gedō Mazō, where Utakata was waiting together with Konan.
Yagura was unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a fūinjutsu matrix and left to "dry" for a week while Konan and Utakata played cats cradle and folded origami cranes as they waited in another room. If Utakata was uncomfortable with the idea of his Kage dying right under his nose, he most certainly did not show it. He spent the time idly chatting with the Amegakure beauty... or not. Konan was not the most talkative person around. She was practically ignoring the jinchūriki that she babysat and, outside of providing him with food, clothing and games to play, she treated him as if he did not exist.
If she had this sort of parenting attitude, Utakata thought mildly, the kids she raised were going to end up with all sorts of mental disorders... He was bored. Bored out of his mind. He was sick of the cat's cradle by the end of the first day and wanted to shred the thousand paper cranes he folded halfway through the second. Yagura, who was getting his bijū extracted on the other side of the wall, was hardly decent company either. His exalted Mizukage-sama was sleeping, damn that guy, and Utakata was on the verge of killing himself -- or begging Konan to just take Saiken from him already.
"Hello, Ame-onee-san?" Utakata called out for the hundredth time that afternoon.
Konan finally turned to look at him, her eyelid twitching in irritation -- Utakata was secretly pleased that she was just as bothered by this arrangement as himself.
"My name is Konan," she corrected snappishly.
Her hair accessory, formerly an origami rose, was replaced by a paper crane on the first day.
Konan had taken the paper rose to refold into a crane to demonstrate to Utakata before she summarily ignored him to mind her own business. It was not as if she did not have any work to do while minding the jinchūriki. She was just his guardian during his stay at Akatsuki HQ, so there was no reason for her to entertain him. Her kindness in providing him with a way to pass the time went unnoticed by Utakata.
"Why can't I join my Mizukage- Yagura out there?" Utakata asked.
Konan's creased forehead smoothened. "It's not time yet. The bijū need to be sealed in order if we want the Jūbi to be stable. You are the sixth. You'll have to wait for two more of your friends to finish up here before it's your turn."
Utakata nodded, expressing his understanding.
"Then can you put me to sleep as you did for Yagura?" Utakata inquired, effortlessly calling his village leader by name.
"No. You need to be conscious to be able to restrain your bijū. It would be troublesome for us if the Rokubi possessed you," stated Konan.
Utakata pouted childishly, though no one other than Konan was here to see it. "Then can I go sit at Naruto's place? There's nothing to do here."
Origami paper rose from the surface of her skin to form a strange Venus flytrap creature.
"This guy lurks around. Naruto-kun has installed an alarm system so we'll know when he shows up, but we can't just magically summon you back in case of an emergency," Konan explained in short, the origami paper folding themselves into various shapes to illustrate her point.
The Venus flytrap closed on a white bird, and a red gate crumbled behind it.
"It will not just be you -- Akatsuki would also be destroyed." Konan gritted her teeth.
Utakata fell silent.
It felt like an hour later when Konan sighed.
"You're bored, right? I can teach you more folding techniques if you want. I can help you borrow a few books too."
Utakata brightened. "Ame-onee-san..." He quickly corrected himself, "Konan-san. Will you teach me how you turn yourself into paper? I want to be able to transform into bubbles too."
Konan frowned. "That's dangerous."
Utakata lamented that he could not pull off cute as well as Yagura, Fū and Naruto.
Albeit in Naruto's case, it was not so much him acting cute as it was him seducing people... Well, that was hardly something he could say about his de-facto leader, so maybe the word "charm" was better. So yes, Naruto charmed anyone he met. Whether it was the leader of the Akatsuki or the paper lady in front of him, these were all victims of Naruto's unknowing magnetism. Even bijū were susceptible to it. As for Yagura and Fū, they looked immature enough to be mistaken as children and took advantage of it. Few would believe him if Utakata recounted any of the many instances of Yagura playing up his own adorableness to get the upper hand in everyday life from bargaining to arguments. Utakata was certain that if it were up to either of the three masters of appeal, Konan would have caved immediately.
"I should ask Naruto for his transformation technique..." Utakata muttered under his breath.
It was wiser not to attempt to act cute as a man who stood at almost 1.8 metres (a bit over 5'10") tall.
If Yagura were awake, he would have told Utakata not to bother.
Utakata emanated a cool aura of unapproachability by just standing there. It was only when he got too comfortable that his quirkiness surfaced. When Utakata spoke curtly and remained aloof, he was indeed a fine specimen of the male population that could be appreciated by the ladies.
Due to this trait, Utakata appeared like a standoffish emo kid when he was younger.
He would not be able to pull off "cute" at any age due to his unique appearance.
At the very least, not in the conventional sense -- others might be attracted to that sense of gap moe.
"Once you succeed in doing the technique, you will no longer leave behind a corpse when you die. You'll dissolve into bubbles, leaving nothing behind," Konan explained. "That means that no rejuvenation-type resurrection techniques will be able to bring you back. There's also the risk of losing the cohesion of your body and scattering into the air, lost forever."
Utakata chuckled despite himself.
This lady was a really nice person.
Despite being in a criminal organisation like Akatsuki, Konan was truly pure of heart.
"I understand, but I want to learn it nonetheless," said Utakata, smiling at Konan with utmost sincerity.
"Before that," Konan said slowly, "did Naruto teach you the art of charming others?"
Utakata blinked several times before he found his voice. "I tried to copy him. Did it work?"
Konan shook her head. "Naruto naturally endears himself to people. Even if you copy his mannerism and speech, it would not work."
Utakata coughed, flushing in mortification.
Not only was he unsuccessful (despite Naruto appearing like a more suitable role model than the likes of Yagura), he was even called out for it.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Yagura opened his eyes after what felt like an eternity.
The ceiling above him was carved from a single large multicoloured crystal. The room he was situated in was round and smooth, the wall of rock embedded with crystals that glowed with fluorescence. It was a strangely designed room, but it was calming. He particularly liked the sapphires on the ceiling -- though it was melded with other crystals with colours ranging from green to indigo. The way they were mixed simply reminded him of the sight of the water's surface from the ocean floor. He also appreciated the turquoise from which most of the ornaments in the room were carved. As for the various seashells that were added to fit with the aesthetic, Yagura personally found them a bit excessive -- it would have looked better if Naruto cut down the number of those to half of what he added.
It was a tiny miracle that the iridescent nacre was not out of place when added to things like the bed's headboard, the chair backing, some objects on the dressing table and the doors to the walk-in wardrobe and the bathroom. There was a small bathtub in the brightly-lit bathroom, and what he could see of it followed the theme of the rest of his room. Yagura did not see an exit, but there was a plain white curtain right where he was expecting to see a door.
Yagura sat up and looked down at his attire. A simple yukata. It was very comfortable.
He absently wondered why he has never worn one before -- Utakata had preached the advantages of that style of clothing once. Yagura did not pay his fellow jinchūriki's long and dramatic monologue any heed back then. After all, a change of uniform for all Kiri-nin for a mere aesthetic preference was completely senseless. This was without accounting for the cumbersome fabric of yukatas and kimonos that did not favour the wearer's mobility.
Perhaps it was because the young Mizukage has never had the leisure to visit a hot spring resort.
Yagura thus resolved to wear yukatas exclusively during his retirement.
That aside, the opaque white curtains tempted him to peek at the other side.
Yagura was never one to restrain himself, so he walked over and pulled the curtains open.
He was greeted by a small lounge area.
Rather than a lounge, it was a small sitting area that had a waterbag (the liquid version of a beanbag) and a sofa with a coffee table. Beyond the small and cosy sitting area was a heavy stone door with a large palm-sized grey star sapphire in place of a doorknob. Yagura lightly touched the cool surface of the gem, and the door slid open soundlessly despite its weight.
"Good morning, San. Welcome back to the Crystal Caves, where we'll spend our retirement -- until Kyū calls us to fight in the impending war."
The polite speech was accompanied by an upbeat, cheerful tone that one more familiar with the owner of the voice may have baulked at.
"Good morning, Ni," Yagura replied to Yugito Nii, only now noticing the familiar ebb of chakra within him.
"You noticed your buddy in the seal, right? Naruto saved the bijū. Even if a lot of their chakra was stolen, the minds of our partners remain with us. There's everything you could possibly need here. We have an onsen, training facilities, a fully-stocked pantry, a high-end kitchen that I don't know how to operate and so many more things that I have yet to fully explore," explained Nii.
Even Yagura noticed that Nii was happier and less restrained now.
"Kyū said we need to know how to get to the meeting room. Follow me," the blonde waved for Yagura to follow as she briskly walked through several winding passageways.
Yagura gave up on remembering the way after the tenth turn.
They walked around for another ten minutes, and Yagura felt like he might have seen the same walls many times now.
Nii laughed sheepishly. "It appears I did not remember as well as I had thought. We can ask Kyū when the time comes."
Yagura was not opposed to that.
"Very well," he agreed.
"You cannot lose track of your room though. Your bijū should resonate with the lock and guide you back whenever you get lost," divulged Nii -- proof that she had gotten lost too many times.
"That is so," confirmed Isobu.
Yagura nodded slightly, acknowledging the bijū's words.
"Now, food!"
With Nii's battle cry, they charged into the labyrinth.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Yagura took a step into the onsen facility, a beautiful natural hot spring that was just the right temperature with smooth, flat stones in the shallower end to lie on. It was a huge pool which could accommodate fifty people, estimated Yagura, and large enough for him to swim in. The cave itself was pleasantly cool and well-ventilated, so the steamy water was not at all stifling. There was a crystal cabinet hewn into the wall with assorted flavoured milk packets for him to pick from after his dip in the onsen and a shelf with absorbent yukatas and towels for its users.
He decided to kick to enjoy his retired life, only for a necklace to attract his attention as it caught on the edge of the yukata as he was removing it.
Unlike the previous pendant, which was large and ornate, this had a teardrop-shaped jewel the size of his thumbnail. The only hint that this was similar in function to the gaudy accessory was a stylised three-tailed tortoise. It seemed to consist of kanji etched into a magenta-hued umbalite garnet, a complicated three-dimensional fūinjutsu matrix that few seal masters in existence could even begin to interpret. Yagura preferred this piece of jewellery to the previous pendant, which was exorbitantly luxurious but not at all exquisite in make.
"Hello, testing?" Yagura called out through the connection, finding it quite similar to the previous system.
Naruto's response was immediate. "Yes, San?"
Yagura, fully disrobed, began to shower while speaking across their link, "Thank you, Kyū. You saved my life and ensured my happy retirement."
On the other end, Naruto snorted. "San, remember that you're still needed in the world. You'll have to get back to work in a bit less than a year, by my estimates."
Yagura was unperturbed by the reminder. "I appreciate the holiday, then."
Naruto scratched his cheek, feeling a bit awkward.
"You brought me out of insanity, Kyū. I will never forget that favour. My life is all yours to do as you wish. Even if you send me to the battlefield to die, I will go willingly. You have prevented Kirigakure from falling into ruin. You are not just the rescuer of Yagura the Jinchūriki, who fell under an Uchiha's control, but also Kiri's saviour," Yagura ranted on, water flowing ceaselessly from the showerhead as the words he had stored away spilt unbounded. "I regret that I did not express my gratitude to you sooner. If there is anything I could do for you-"
Naruto saw fit to interrupt, "San, no... Yagura-san, that is enough. I accept your gratitude. Your word of thanks is enough. You just have to work hard to protect... your world."
"I will."
Hearing Yagura's assurance, Naruto cut the connection.
The sandy-haired ex-Mizukage was left alone with his thoughts, staring dully as clear water flowed through the gaps between the clear pebbles and disappeared from sight.
Yagura slowly turned off the tap, walked to the pool and sank into the hot spring as if weighed down by an invisible force.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he whispered, but his utterance went unheard, lost in bubbles as they rose to the surface. "Is it so hard for you to be a little bit selfish?"
As a supposedly dead Mizukage, there was little he could do, but the stubborn guy did not reveal his own thoughts for even a moment.
Naruto was such a difficult person to owe a life debt to.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
It was the duty of a world's inhabitants to protect the realm.
It was their home, after all.
Naruto told himself that while gathering the members of Team Ro.
He attempted to sound the money-obsessed missing-nin out one last time as Uchiha Akihiko, but Kakuzu really had no morals to speak of. Even Hidan, their most unlikely ally amongst the Akatsuki, had been persuaded, so why was Kakuzu so selfish? Hidan, to some extent, cared about the state of the world he lived in. He could be reasoned with -- he placed some (albeit minuscule) value on human lives and cared about the people he considered his companions. However, Kakuzu only saw worth in hard cash. He only valued wealth, deeming everything else as secondary if not a means to the goal of attaining more money. Naruto knew he could buy the allegiance of this zombie -- for what else could he call a creature that was no longer alive but not quite dead yet?
However, there was no point.
If this idiot thought that money acquired through an apocalypse was worth earning, Naruto also felt Kakuzu's life was not worth keeping.
Why would Naruto bother to buy Kakuzu's loyalty when the zombie could just as easily turn his back on them when a more lucrative opportunity presented itself? Since the current Hokage, Senju Tsunade, has turned her gaze to the organisation gathering the bijū, he would do his part as a loyal Konoha-nin and the ANBU Commander to apprehend Kakuzu. Kakuzu was a global threat who was presently running amock, unchecked by any forces. Zetsu was under his control -- both halves were reliant on and wholly trusting of Uchiha Akihiko -- and Orochimaru was now a spirit leashed to Kimimaro -- a man who had a staunch sense of righteousness. Even Zetsu's greatest sphere of influence, the Akatsuki, had fallen into Naruto's hands.
"Naruto-sama," a certain black-haired teenager called out, causing Naruto to flinch in surprise.
He wondered idly if this was what Sakura felt like whenever he walked up behind her.
Kaien was a genius who thoroughly mastered the art of stealth in the past month -- to the extent of hiding from an Uzumaki sensor's detection.
Naruto deemed it appropriate to say, "You've learned well, Kaien."
Kaien must have taken a page from his book -- this method of avoiding prying eyes was one of Naruto's favourites. There were no ANBU agents nearby, and Kaien knew this as well. The said agents have been sent to make preparations for their assassination mission. Of course, Danzō must have sent Kaien on a mission of his own -- Kaien was just taking this time to slack off. Old habits die hard, and this was a trick Naruto taught Kaien years ago to make time for himself in ROOT's stressful environment.
"But I don't think even you can get away with tailing us all the way to Takigakure," continued Naruto, gently picking up the Komainu cub rolling around on his hair and placing it in Kaien's arms.
"I am not skilled enough to do that yet. I apologise for my incompetence, Naruto-sama," Kaien replied, sounding somewhat rueful.
Naruto waved it off dismissively. "That's an inhuman feat. Even if Shiro can do it, that's due to its unique properties. Not even Senju Hashirama could have concealed himself for days on end."
"It's easy to do with your skill in fūinjutsu, Naruto-sama," Kaien reminded lightly before Naruto could shoot himself in the foot.
Naruto shrugged carelessly. "I have been notified that I can hardly be considered human."
Kaien chuckled. "Naruto-sama, I have a question."
Naruto hummed in response.
"Isn't it easy for you to eradicate all of the dangers to this world? Why are you gathering so many humans to fight the impending threat of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya when the simplest solution would be to nip the enemy's plan in the bud? You can easily eliminate Zetsu with your skills -- why haven't you done so?" Kaien inquired curiously, for once speaking plainly without attempt at politeness towards Naruto.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Three. I counted three questions."
Kaien continued to look into Naruto's azure eyes, unwavering.
Naruto scratched his cheek.
Since it was Kaien asking, there was really no harm in replying.
Naruto thus decided to answer, "Yes, I can kill everything that imperils humanity. Even then, I won't do it. The people of this world all deserve to have a stand in defending their homes. I... I can't protect them forever. If I continue to coddle the people I care for, they will be too weak to hold up against external and internal threats. As for Zetsu, he is a... measured risk. His actions may harm many, but I try to ensure that the people I've brought up will be able to repel Zetsu." He hesitated for a long moment but eventually continued to talk. "I would evaluate my success by how well Sasuke and the rest are able to protect their own world."
"Isn't this your world too?" Kaien probed.
The question was somewhat invasive, but Naruto smiled nonetheless.
He even sounded slightly wistful as he replied, "I truly wish it can be."
And yet, Naruto knew better than anyone else.
He was nothing more than an outsider.
Even if he meddled, even if the world itself was dependent on Naruto's choices, it would not change this fact.
"And it can be -- if you want to stay," said Mugetsu.
'Will that make me any less of a visitor?'
Naruto's rebuttal left no room for Mugetsu to argue.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"You are... Tsurumi Mei?"
Naruto had returned the ANBU uniform to Sōjirō at some point, and he was now in Zabuza's house in Kiri. Haku sat by his side while the host, none other than the member of the Seven Swordsmen who returned to Kirigakure through Naruto's persuasion, set a cup of tea in front of the unexpected guest. The brunette in question had simply walked in on the gathering.
The (provisional) Godaime Mizukage felt her eyelid twitch.
She would have been fine if the blondie (who she was certain was not a Kiri-nin) did not know her name, but it annoyed her when people mispronounced it -- a fortunately infrequent occurrence.
"It's Terumī Mei, kiddo," groused Mei. "And why are you visiting during a time of strife for us?"
Naruto blinked, reaching into the Inventory to retrieve a girly book of records that resembled a stylish women's purse. He tapped on an entry under a section reserved for Kiri shinobi. It read "照美メイ", which would usually be read as Terumī Mei -- just as she said.
Naruto furrowed his brow. Why, then, did he think that her name was Tsurumi Mei? Thus, he went back to rummaging through the storage seal.
He retrieved an unofficial bingo book issued by Iwagakure and a folder of official shinobi documentation provided by the Sandaime Mizukage, Yagura. He found Terumī Mei in the bingo book -- which included only the written kanji of her surname. He then leafed through the official documents, only to find the pronunciation glaringly written as "Tsurumi". It was only at this time that Naruto felt grateful for the ninja registration system of his own home village,
"Ah, that fool of a Mizukage..." Naruto paused to glance at the three loyal Kiri-nin who were watching his actions inquisitively. "I mean, that was Yagura-san's mistake. I'm sorry for getting your name wrong, Terumī-san."
Terumī Mei peered over Naruto's shoulder, reading the contents of the documentation.
She reluctantly accepted his apology -- what else could she do when their own late Kage had been the one to make the error?
Mei gritted out her words, "It's fine. Just call me Mei -- so that there will never again be such a mistake."
Naruto casually corrected the mistake in the documents with a fūinjutsu brush and tossed the items back into the Inventory. He had to admit to his initial confusion when he first encountered the woman in this lifetime. After the revelation that Yagura was only seven years older than him, he had expected Mei to be of similar age to the Yondaime Mizukage or a generation younger. One could imagine Naruto's surprise when a nine-year-old shortie with messily cropped auburn hair attending Kiri's (normal) Academy graduation exam was recorded as Terumī Mei. She had since grown into a 1.74 metres tall beauty with a curvaceous figure, now resembling the Godaime Mizukage in Naruto's memories. Currently seventeen years old, Mei was hardly as mature as her future self. Her hair was a metre shorter than he remembered it, only long enough to reach her mid-back, and her childish temper was an indication of her youth.
She was dressed in the typical clothing favoured by Kiri-nin. She wore a loose blue crop top and a short blue skirt, a quick-drying fishnet bodysuit (a Ketsusai product that offered an astonishing level of defence for the wearer that removed her need for a flak jacket's protection) covering her from neck to toe, the true extent of its coverage unknown due to the grey pinstriped arm and leg warmers that covered her arms and legs (though Naruto, as the designer, could attest that it was meant to cover the wrists and ankles). Naruto had no idea if she had been skilled in kenjutsu before, but Mei was currently the wielder of the needle sword Nuibari -- Samehada was the only one of the legendary swords lost by Kiri in this timeline. The white bandages wrapped around her neck were of wider breadth than that of other Swordsmen, a choice evidently made based on her aesthetic preferences -- resembling a scarf.
"I came to alert you to the impending threat of an apocalypse. War will be declared two months from now, and chaos will strike come October next year. Prepare your forces if you don't want to lose everything," Naruto spoke gravely.
Mei was confused but did not interrupt him nonetheless.
Naruto stood from his seat, downing the neglected tea as he turned his back on the trio of Kiri shinobi.
"One last thing," he stated, "the losses from the red moon's operation aren't as irreparable as you might think."
A play on words.
"Akai", meaning red, and "Tsuki", referring to the moon.
It could also be read as Akatsuki -- just like a certain organisation whose name meant "dawn".
The palpable dread and low spirits of the trio immediately dissipated.
"Our Mizukage-sama lives!"
Naruto heard someone squeal (he would pretend it was not Zabuza) as he disappeared in an untraceable Shunshin.
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
"My friends, why do you rot away so when a vast world awaits us?"
The owner of the voice who said such dramatic words was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, whose image has long been lost.
He was hardly a cool, collected leader to the group of forgotten former test subjects in the present -- Sasuke had forgotten to behave that way among those he considered trustworthy over the years. This was something he liked to blame on Naruto. His friend's influence was undeniable.
Suigetsu shrugged irresponsibly. "Orochimaru-sama locked us here, remember?"
"Orochimaru is gone, dumbass," grumbled Karin, reflexively punching Suigetsu's jaw -- though the attack failed to damage him as he morphed into a liquid just in time.
"Kimimaro told me to follow you, Sasuke," said Jūgo, an unspoken assurance that he would tag along attached to that simple remark.
"Does this mean we'll be joining up with my cousin?" asked Karin, dumping various items from the abandoned experiments in a basic sealing scroll.
Sasuke glanced at Karin, whose arms were not yet marred with countless bite marks -- proof of his success in keeping her away from Orochimaru.
The position of prison warden was something she earned with her own abilities.
"Did you learn medical techniques?" Sasuke asked simply.
Karin bobbed her head. "Kabuto-san made sure I learned them to heal the exiled experiments gone wrong. Moreover, there are many among the prisoners here prone to hurting themselves. I... wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but you told me to free them -- most of them have left these premises already."
Sasuke found it quite incredible -- Karin became so obedient as soon as he mentioned Naruto's name. The current Karin would never have bothered to deal with him if not for his connection with Naruto, but he was not particularly offended by that. Rather, it was impressive that his friend's name alone had so much influence. To gain allies by association... Well, it was not like he never experienced such in the previous timeline. His connection with his brother Itachi had been key to Orochimaru's pursuit, as well as the acceptance of Taka by Akatsuki.
His notoriety as a missing-nin was also thanks to Itachi's preceding reputation.
Karin used to listen to him, but that was because she liked him as a member of the opposite sex.
Her admiration for Naruto seemed to be something purer yet more significant than that.
"What they do with their lives is their own concern. I'm not their caretaker," said Sasuke, albeit contradicting himself with his next words. "Did you keep track of their locations?"
Karin giggled at him, which Sasuke tried not to be offended by -- Naruto and Sakura laughed at him so often that he might end up with chronic high blood pressure if he continued to get angry at such slights.
"I placed tracking seals on them," Karin said seriously as she pushed her glasses up, mimicking sticking a sealing tag on the air.
Sasuke nodded slowly. "You are skilled in fūinjutsu?"
Karin shook her head so quickly, he thought it might fly off. "As a level nine Uzumaki Seal Master, I can barely create the most basic variation of Kongō Fūsa. Naruto-sama is, at the very least, a level twelve Uzumaki Seal Lord -- though I personally feel like he has surpassed that and should be a Transcendent."
Question marks were almost visible above Sasuke's head.
Naruto never cared about rankings -- it was evident from how he treated his companions the same way as before even after becoming the Rengōkage. Similarly, the educational material he compiled for Sasuke to peruse did not include information about the distinction between levels in the Uzumaki numbering system. He simply stated the threshold at which a practicer of the sealing arts would universally be considered a Seal Master.
He had no idea how this standard correlated with the obscure levels Karin spoke of.
Karin was quick on the uptake.
Noting Sasuke's confusion, she promptly explained, "In the Uzumaki Seal Mastery system, levels one through three are skilled enough to be viewed as practitioners. Those below the required aptitude are apprentices, which we referred to as level zeroes. Levels four through six are relatively proficient but usually have very specific foci and skill sets. They are known as specialists. Anyone who can reach level seven is universally regarded as a seal master, though this is rare outside of the Uzumaki clan. Such experts are able to invent their own seals and draw them on the fly. The method of transferring seals from paper onto various surfaces is key to ascending to the eighth level. The ninth level is the level at which a seal master is able to crystallise all of their life's fūinjutsu techniques into chains -- the stage where one is able to manifest the Kongō Fūsa. That is where I am.
"The tenth level is where a seal master can construct three-dimensional arrays. It is incredibly complex due to the various calculations that are required to achieve such a feat, but you can technically skip the eighth and ninth levels if you base the structures on material objects -- even if that prevents you from going beyond this point. Seal masters from levels ten to twelve are also known as Uzumaki Seal Lords, and the eleventh is where simple seal chains, two-dimensional matrices and three-dimensional nets formed from Kongō Fūsa are no longer enough and seals are written spontaneously in increasingly complicated structures. The form and shape of sealing arrays are no longer bound by previous restrictions and known limitations of fūinjutsu at this point, and you can include as many branches as you want -- provided that the array remains stable. The twelfth level is beyond even that. At the twelfth level, all of the convoluted and elaborate sealing techniques have to be condensed into a unique system belonging solely to the Seal Lord -- the highest stage achievable for an Uzumaki."
Sasuke frowned. He never realised that Naruto was so skilled. He had only seen Naruto's three-dimensional seals in action once -- back when Sōjirō trapped Orochimaru in soul-binding chains during the Chūnin Exams. However, the twelfth stage seemed to describe Naruto's abilities quite well.
"I'm just curious, but what would that make of someone who specialises in destroying arrays?" Sasuke questioned.
He knew there were people who studied seal structures exclusively, with a keen insight that allows them to spot the weaknesses in every seal structure.
"Depending on their ability to construct their own seal arrays, they are usually practitioners -- with the rare specialist," said Karin. "I'm sure of it because I was told that there were many of them in the Kiri-Iwa-Kumo coalition. However, any true seal master can conceal the faults in a sealing array. Anyone who learns fūinjutsu through the rightful path can destroy all arrays that they know anyway. Those who take the lazy route and spot patterns disgust me as an individual walking the path of sealing."
Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "Then what is a Transcendent?"
"Going beyond level twelve means transcending the system. Such a peerless master can presumably interpret all forms of structures, perhaps even interpreting and altering the structure of the universe. I believe Naruto-sama is at this stage," said Karin with almost-frenetic passion.
Sasuke inadvertently took a step back.
Everyone seemed to respect Naruto a lot in this timeline.
There were just too many people calling him "Naruto-sama" for comfort.
"So there's no definite gauge of the capabilities of a Transcendent?" clarified Sasuke.
Karin gave him a weird look, reminding him once again that this girl was most definitely not fond of him as a person.
"If their skills could be categorised, levels thirteen to fifteen would exist," said Karin, her sarcasm quite harsh on Sasuke's ears.
He rubbed his ears, absently wondering when Karin's former annoyingly high-pitched fangirl voice became filled with personality.
In other words, Karin's tirade was pure speculation.
"There's been another Transcendent in the Uzumaki clan once -- he was the founder of Uzushio, our Ancestor," Karin answered Sasuke's not-yet-voiced question. "He favoured reinforcing loops in array construction, and many of the old Uzumaki swirls from that time were stylised seals."
Nope, he did not understand a thing.
Sasuke knew that he had barely scraped the surface of a seal master. Even though he managed to reach level six, he was far from level seven. He had no idea how a loop could constitute a seal chain, much less an entire array based on a swirl. He researched extensively into seal branching (trauma from Naruto's immortality incident), but continuous connecting loops were beyond his understanding.
Jūgo and Suigetsu were not even bothering to pay attention to Karin's lecture.
"Let's call ourselves Taka," said Sasuke, defeatedly.
No one was bothered by the sudden change in topic.
"Yessir!"
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Under Kitsune's command, Team Ro closed in on Takigakure.
Fū was being dragged away by the collar of her shirt by Hidan, who had abandoned Kakuzu at some point.
However, the mint-haired kunoichi was not at all perturbed by her situation.
"How are you related to Kyū?" chattered Fū, as cheerful as ever.
"Jashin... No, Naruto-sama is the god I serve. I exist to provide him with entertainment -- this war is both a means to this end and to preserve this world for his further enjoyment," said Hidan, piously holding his one free hand in prayer. "May everyone relish in pain and suffering together."
Fū's grin did not falter. "Our leader is such a great guy?"
Hidan glared at Fū, but he made no attempt to harm her.
"Naruto-sama, as he calls himself in this form, is no mere 'guy'. He is the greatest of gods, and he deserves the utmost respect you can afford, Nanabi-chan," Hidan groused.
Chōmei, who felt as if she had just been attacked without even saying anything within the seal, was a bit frustrated -- since when were the actions of a jinchūriki attributable to the bijū?
Meanwhile, Kakuzu was sitting at the meeting point he had agreed upon with Hidan after creating a sufficient diversion to distract the Taki-nin.
He was unaware that his position had been exposed and equally ignorant of the ANBU team after his life.
"Takigakure S-rank missing-nin Kakuzu," stated Kitsune. "We're here for your head."
Kakuzu looked up at the fox-masked ANBU commander who crouched on a tree diagonally across from where he sat on the stump of a fallen tree.
"Kitsune of Konohagakure, SS-rank, no bounty," identified Kakuzu, calmly looking up at the Konoha-nin.
S-rank and above shinobi had no bounties -- no one dared place a value on their heads lest the trigger-happy missing-nin decided to hunt the ones who set the bounty. Therefore, there were bingo book entries, but the actual prices on their heads were unknown except to the writer of the entry. Moreover, unofficial bingo books that listed shinobi who were loyal to another village had a chance of incurring the wrath of the respective village should the individual be slain -- not that anyone was insane enough to target someone with a reputation as horrific as Kitsune.
"Is there a reason why I am not dead yet?" Kakuzu asked, composed, as his eyes darted around to survey his surroundings.
"I have a question," said Kitsune. "What is money to you?"
"It's the only dependable indicator of worth, the universal language all shinobi understand. It's the most important resource," replied Kakuzu after a short pause.
Kitsune deftly jumped off the branch he was perched on and landed in front of the Akatsuki member.
His words were deceptively mild. "Even more so than human lives?"
Kakuzu, distracted, did not notice the danger hidden in that simple query.
"Humans are unreliable, and why would the lives of others matter to me? As long as my money still has value, it doesn't matter even if most people on this land perished," said Kakuzu callously.
He seemed to have spotted a gap in Kitsune's sphere of influence, a path through which escape was possible.
Kakuzu knew that the likelihood of success was slim, but he had always appraised his own life to be of the highest priority. If there was the faintest trace of possibility that he could live through this situation, he would gladly seize the opportunity. Even if it could have been a trap, there was a chance that it was not. He could not hesitate.
He tensed and sprang towards the opening, leaving Kitsune's reach and entering the glaring blind spot formed by the mask concealing the Konoha-nin's identity.
Sōjirō, beneath the mask of Kitsune, frowned in disappointment.
Naruto hoped to claim all members of the Akatsuki he had known.
It was a shame that Kakuzu could not be salvaged.
He flared his chakra in a specific pattern identifiable by the five hidden agents.
Hebi, Inu, Itachi and Karasu were no longer part of Team Ro -- replaced by Kaeru, Kuma, Saru and Tora. Thus, it was these four who, alongside Neko, moved swiftly to each pierce a blade into one of the missing-nin's five hearts. Kakuzu's expression sank as he never looked away from the fox-masked leader of the five skilled assassins who had taken his life.
"So this..." Kakuzu whispered as he felt the heart in his chest struggling to keep him alive despite the katana that a cat-masked woman had stabbed through it, "This is how... I fall."
"Not a shabby end at all," offered Kuma, the bear-masked young man coming into Kakuzu's line of sight as he pulled his kunai out.
Black blood stained the blade and, for the first time in his ninety-one years of life, Kakuzu found himself without fear for the end he was steadily approaching.
"You put... an end... as... shinobi. Thank..."
Kakuzu's voice trailed off and faded, his breathing ceasing at last.
"Tenacious old man," mumbled Kaeru, a frog-masked woman, as she furiously wiped her tanto.
Kuma had no such concerns, tossing the soiled kunai into a bag for later disposal.
"Is this really a success?" muttered Saru, following suit and dumping the used kunai in Kuma's rubbish bag. "Feels like it went too smoothly. Wasn't this guy an S-rank shinobi?"
Tora rolled his eyes at his monkey-masked comrade. "Are you really complaining that a mission was too easy?"
Saru scowled. "I'm worried that we got the wrong person. Even if Kitsune-taichō's presence made him stupid, it shouldn't have been so easy to kill a man who has been running rampant throughout the Elemental Continent for the past sixty years. Use your brain, tiger cub."
Kitsune used a talisman to slice Kakuzu's head off, and the rest of the corpse ignited -- burning into ashes in under ten seconds.
"Let's go. We should report our success to Hokage-sama." Kitsune turned to look at Saru after putting the head in a scroll. "I had a trap formation laid out and he ran right into it."
Kaeru's jaw dropped. "I didn't see our captain doing that! And there was only a minute between our arriving here and Kitsune-taichō jumping down to confront Kakukaku-san."
Neko chuckled at her juniors' expense. "Kitsune's plans have never fallen through, you know?"
"Neko-senpai, your kenjutsu has improved again!" Tora cheered, his eyes sparkling through the eye holes of his tiger mask.
"Kitsune-taichō is leaving without us, guys," reminded Saru, swinging onto a tree and following after their captain.
Kuma, who easily followed suit, asked, "Saru, where do you think his partner went? The reports stated that Akatsuki members travelled in pairs."
Saru scratched his head. "He probably took the Taki jinchūriki with him and ditched Kakuzu."
The astute Saru's inference was surprisingly accurate.
Kuma did not look convinced. "Huh."
ʕ•ﻌ•ʔ
Han and Roshi were the next to be captured by the Akatsuki.
They were not escorted as comfortably to the Gedō Mazō statue as their younger peers, but that might have been because they were not as cooperative.
As the Yonbi and Gobi were collected, Utakata almost jumped for joy -- turning-into-bubbles art mastered, he was even more idle than before and unimaginably bored.
Han, Roshi, Utakata and Fū died successively after having their bijū extracted, and Naruto showed up to collect the amulets.
The four awoke individually in rooms carved from semi-precious and precious gems, each in an aesthetic matching their respective bijū.
The six "dead" jinchūriki thus gathered in the meeting room to discuss their future -- Fū was good with directions, thankfully, and Utakata mapped out the cave system for the others.
"I look forward to the end of the war," admitted Roshi.
Nii glanced at the older shinobi. "The future should still be a work in progress."
Utakata quirked a smile. "That's true, but I feel an inexplicable trust towards Kyū."
Yagura nodded slowly. "You're right. I feel like, if it's him, he will definitely lead us to the future that we seek."
"I thought we were past the numbers. Come on, Naruto is Naruto!" huffed Fū. "Even if there's a day none of us is jinchūriki anymore, we're still family."
"You were the first to refer to others by the number of tails on their bijū," Utakata reminded kindly.
Fū rolled her eyes. "Sure, but that was before. We're closer now, aren't we?"
Nii chuckled despite herself.
Family, a concept she had never understood since childhood.
Now, she supposed she understood why others fought so desperately to protect it.