"What did you just say?" asked Naruto suspiciously,
Kushina gestured for him to follow her inside the apartment and he did without question despite his shock. He gave her a pointed stare once they were in earning a tired nod from her.
"I'm your new handler, Naruto. The village leaders understand that you didn't pay much attention to the orders from the previous one and did what you wanted most of the time" revealed Kushina with a frown on her face,
"I have always been loyal!" defended Naruto fiercely,
"Nobody is doubting that! But even you agree that over the years you have started doing things your own way. Yes, you have established yourself very well in Kiri but not in the way the leadership wanted" explained Kushina patiently,
"If they want it done their way, thinking themselves to be better than the men on the ground, then they can do this job themselves!" retorted Naruto bitterly,
"He never forgave us for what happened to the Spartans"
He froze on hearing Kushina reciting that accusation and one look in her sad gaze made him realize just who had told her this.
"The Uzukage said that to me. Despite everything, he still has faith in you but it's time you and they reconcile these differences for Uzu's sake if nothing else. It's why they sent me here" said Kushina honestly,
Naruto sighed as he lit up another cigarette and sat on the couch silently.
Kushina sat by his side and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder while giving him a sad smile.
"I'm truly sorry for what happened to Ino. If there is anything I can do for you..." she whispered somberly,
Some of his anger disappeared when he looked in her eyes and only now did he realize she was the same girl he had loved all those years ago. He was angry and sad, with these emotions clouding his judgement. He didn't like the way the village had placed his last friend in danger like this or the way they were using her against him.
The Uzukage knew very well that while he liked to do things his way, he would not cross a line if it meant that would reflect badly on Kushina or put her loyalty to the village in jeopardy.
"They are using you against me, Kushina" he whispered bitterly,
"I know, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can continue doing things the way you want, but there are some basic objectives where I will need your help with, irrespective of your personal feelings. You understand that, don't you?" she asked gently,
"Good ninjas follow orders" he repeated in a mocking voice, earning a scoff from her.
"They do. But good friends have each others backs"
He couldn't hide his smile or his eyes from becoming moist. Everything had happened so fast and he had to put up a facade in front of others, even with Tobirama to some extent. But the truth was that he was devastated, he blamed himself for not being there to protect Ino, for the pain she must have went through when she lost her arm, and this feeling of emptiness he felt now that she was gone.
Kushina hugged him fiercely in her warm embrace and it was then that the dam broke.
She listened as he told her about the events that had happened after he rescued her. Many of the revelations shocked her, but never once did she let go of him and continued rubbing his back and hair affectionately.
Madara's existence and his plans for him troubled her greatly, but she had faith in him and his refusal to join the man proved she was right.
She felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart brutally when he told her about Ino's pregnancy as it was a future she had always wanted with him instead.
"It'll be alright, Naruto. Someday this war will end and you can meet her and your little Spartan" said Kushina with a warm smile, trying her best to hide the heartbreak she felt within her own chest on saying those words.
But it was enough to give him hope and seeing his smile made all the pain worth it.
"Little Spartan?" he asked fondly,
"I don't care who his mother is. He's the child of our Spartan Commander and that makes him a part of our family no matter where he is" said Kushina with a proud smile,
"You seem quite sure it will be a boy" said Naruto with an amused smile of his own,
"Call it a woman's intuition" she retorted with a smirk,
"Then he'll be honored to have a Spartan Godmother"
Kushina's eyes widened in shock and she was left speechless, only able to look at him with an astonished stare and received an encouraging smile and a comforting hand on her shoulder from him.
"Why me?" she asked in a whisper,
"I trust you, Kushina. You were there with me from the beginning. You're my family and I want you to be a part of it forever. It's selfish of me but would you accept it?" he asked hopefully,
"You know how to sweet talk a girl into doing anything, bastard" replied Kushina with a faint smile, but her moist eyes and choked voice as she accepted his request were more than enough to reveal her feelings which made him immensely happy.
"Thank you, Kushina"
They both just looked at each other for a few long moments before Naruto kissed her forehead and got up from the couch.
"So, what's this mission that you want me to do?" he asked seriously,
She snapped out of her daze and immediately took out a small scroll from one of her pouches and placed it on a table in front of her earning a curious gaze from him.
"Our village needs an ace up its sleeve. We are too dependent on Konoha for our survival, there will be drastic changes made to our ninja forces once this war is over and if we survive" she began with a straight face,
"I hope they are not planning to start another Spartan program" whispered Naruto worriedly, as he couldn't imagine more young children being pushed into that kind of meat-grinder.
"No, but ever since the Spartans perished our village lacked its own special forces. Soon enough, the Uzukage is planning on establishing our own Anbu Blackops force made up from veteran shinobi and not children. Although a few child prodigies may end up being a part of it nonetheless" she answered sadly,
"I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later" acquiesced Naruto with a heavy sigh,
"And since our village does not have a tailed beast to protect itself unlike the other great villages, we are developing our own secret plan that we will bring us on parity with them soon enough" revealed Kushina with a grave nod,
"What is it?'' asked Naruto warily, as the last time Uzu had tried something like this many young children had died before their time in the most brutal way possible.
"They are creating a WMD-Weapon of Mass Destruction. The great villages will never let us get a tailed beast in order to maintain their superiority. Our village and economy is smaller so we cannot go on an aggressive campaign deep into their lands or hold them permanently in case if we miraculously penetrate deep behind their lines. As such, we need a strong deterrent against any enemy invasion into our lands" answered Kushina seriously,
"And where do I come into the picture?" questioned Naruto with a suspicious gaze,
"Your mission is to steal as much of the Biju chakra from Mei Terumi and store them inside the storage seals present inside this scroll. Each scroll full of seals should collect enough chakra for us to create 1 WMD which our scientists will weaponize. It's estimated yield would be enough to flatten nearly 50 kilometers of land to ash instantly and another 100 kilometers to be significantly devastated. If our ranged weapons program is a success, then we can also initiate a preemptive strike against our enemy into their heartland. We need to make atleast 20 of such weapons to begin with to deploy them equally across all our borders, even the one with the Land of Fire to safeguard our nation forever. Will you do it?" she asked seriously,
Naruto was silent as he thought about what he had just heard. This was possibly one of the reforms that could either reduce warfare in this world or escalate it to a whole new level. A part of his heart felt remorse as he knew he had no choice but to carry out this mission as it came from his village leader, but it would mean deceiving Mei which he wanted to avoid if possible considering how her own village had treated her and how she trusted him.
But a part of his heart knew this was necessary for Uzu's safety and independence from the Land of Fire and Konoha.
"I'll do it but don't ask me to harm or abduct the girl" warned Naruto clearly,
"Our village wants this alliance that you are trying to build between us, Kiri and Konoha. But we have to be seen as their equals instead of lessors. You have to understand that" she explained patiently,
"Fine. But this will take time as I'll need to come up with something legitimate that makes me get closer to Mei and make her use the Biju chakra" pointed Naruto,
"We understand. But give me regular reports on your progress which I shall forward to the Uzukage" said Kushina with a serious gaze.
Naruto gave a mock salute earning a scoff from her as she vanished in a flicker of wind.
He inhaled a deep puff of smoke and couldn't help but walk towards a picture of himself and Ino on a shelf. Looking at the sight of her in his arms with both of them smiling brightly reminded him of what had to be done.
(One Week Later)
Naruto was present for the Council session called for by the Mizukage himself in order to discuss about their progress and the future strategy to be implemented in this war. All clan heads, ninja organization leaders and military experts were present for the meeting.
Even his own squad was there but the Swordsmen were hanging around the rear with the exception of Mangetsu who stood nearby his father.
The Anbu Commander was pointing at the city of Osaka in the Land of Lightning, a place which Naruto had captured sometime back. Granted, half the city was destroyed in the attack but they had taken care to preserve the military buildings, food storage facilities, hospital and other important locations. Now, it had been turned into a stronghold maintained by a regular Kiri garrison and was ready to be used as a staging area for further advances into enemy territory.
"There is currently a succession crisis going on in the Daimyo's court ever since we took out the last one thanks to Naruto and his team" praised the Anbu Commander,
Naruto didn't say anything but was satisfied to receive respectful nods of acknowledgement from nearly everyone in the room. He looked back at his swordsmen and saw them grinning as well which made him smirk.
"But it won't last long, will it?" asked Gengetsu seriously, looking towards Naruto specifically.
While he had told the truth about Madara to Tobirama and Uzu's leadership via Kushina, he had kept this fact hidden from the Mizukage and the Kiri leadership. In his mission report, he had mentioned encountering a powerful shinobi with red eyes but one that he took out. Never once did he mention that it was Madara, or his plans, or what the man wanted from Naruto himself.
It was hard to predict how Kirigakure would react if they learned this truth so early, it might even make them ponder about pulling out of this war which would be the death knell for Konoha and Uzu which were under great pressure at present and needed Kiri to open up a new front against the powerful Kumogakure and its allies.
"No, Lord Second. It's why we need to make our next move now" agreed Naruto, as he stepped forward.
He went on to explain about the strategy that he and Gengetsu had agreed upon before he went on his last mission to assassinate the Daimyo. There were a few changes made to the plan recently but he took up center stage as a secret document was delivered to each clan leader and military officer.
In essence, it involved distributing Kirigakure's ninja forces into 4 legions.
The 501st, The 212th, The 99th, and the 47th legion.
Except for the 501st who would have a limited amount of shinobi only. the rest of the legions would have nearly 5000-6000 troops each.
The 47th legion would be under the strict command of the Anbu Commander and be stationed permanently inside the Mist Village for its protection. That suggestion earned firm nods from everyone including the Anbu Commander in the room as nobody wanted to leave their home defenseless.
The 212th legion would be led by Yagura Karatachi and would be stationed in Osaka. From there, they would open up an eastern front against Kumogakure and invade further into the Land of Lightning, considering Yagura had the three tails inside of him gave the legion much better chances of success against the enemy. That suggestion faced some resistance from the more important clan heads like the Kaguya and Hagoromo who were reluctant to have a much smaller sized clan leader like Yagura to be given such an important role over them. That opposition was silenced by the Mizukage instantly with the promise of having something of equal importance for the other great clan heads as well.
The 99th legion would be led by Lady Reika Kaguya and Lord Hiro Hagoromo jointly. Together they would make a secret landing on the northern shores of the Land of Lightning in the next few weeks. With most of the enemy forces focused on other fronts that should not be too difficult and from there they can open up a Northern front against Kumogakure. That was enough to satisfy the bitter clan heads and bring an end to their misgivings and opposition.
Gengetsu gave a hidden thankful nod towards Naruto which the boy returned as neither of them trusted these two clans very much. As such, they had placed most of the Kaguya and Hagoromo clan warriors alongwith those other ninjas who shared their superiority beliefs inside the 99th legion while keeping the more moderate to liberal minded fighters in the other legions. The fact that they had sent the Kaguyas and Hagoromo's to fight in the mountainous terrain of the North would make sure that their numbers would be dwindled in the fierce fighting which would serve to limit their interference in the village affairs unlike the present where they frequently tried to step out of line and oppose anything good that the Mizukage tried to do for the village but didn't benefit them.
Lastly, the 501st legion led by Naruto himself would establish a base in the South nearby the Land of Fire and Uzu's borders. If an alliance was formed between their villages, they would be linking up with armies from those two nations and pierce through the South thereby bringing an end to the Land of Lightning as they would be attacked from three fronts at the same time. The Seven Swordsmen alongside Mei would remain with this legion and as expected that point was fiercely opposed.
"Surely, you don't plan to leave our village defenseless without atleast 1 Jinchuuriki and our finest swordsmen!" opposed Lord Hiro Hagoromo with a murderous glare,
"You have an entire legion led by the capable Anbu Commander for your protection. The Mizukage himself is here, my lord. Or do you doubt the capabilities of these brave men to defend our home?" asked Naruto pointedly,
Lord Hiro saw some of the other clan heads smiling at him as he found himself receiving murderous stares from the Anbu Commander and the Mizukage himself which made him sit down and concede the point.
"Why is our village blacksmith here?" asked Lady Reika Kaguya with a frown. as she pointed at the old man standing in the corner of the room.
Naruto sighed at her constant intervention but chose not to comment on it and instead gestured to one of the Jounin who lowered a chart with a unique diagram on it as the blacksmith stepped forward.
It was the picture of a winged device with a person attached to it while holding a strange looking weapon in his hand.
Naruto was amused on seeing the curiosity in the eyes of the Kiri shinobi, if only they knew Uzu already had developed this technology years ago and had implemented it with the Spartans. He had consulted the Uzukage and considering their and Konoha's dwindled military strength, Kiri would have to do the heavy fighting against the combined might of Kumo, Suna and Iwagakure.
His village leader had agreed to share this technology with Kirigakure under Naruto's supervision but only on the condition that in return the said Namikaze would help safeguard Uzu by helping them create their new superweapon.
"Our greatest problem in this war is distance. Enemy lands are too far from us and while it keeps us safe as well, it creates havoc on our supply lines. If we are to make any significant advances into enemy territory, then we need to upgrade our technology and our military doctrine. It is therefore my intention to transform the 501st into a Para-Commando force capable of fighting on land, air and sea. These winged devices allows its users to fly by using their chakra and the device in the man's hand in the picture is called a kunai launcher that allows a user to fire nearly 100 kunai per minute."
"Before I embarked on my last mission, Lord Mizukage was kind enough to authorize this plan. Already the various legions are being established and we have started enmasse production of this winged device and the kunai launchers. While we finalize our alliance with Konoha and Uzu, the Anbu Commander shall oversee the training of the 501st. Not every shinobi can be a part of this elite force as it will require immense chakra control and great reserves or the user shall never be able to fly. As such, I have only requested 501 elite ninjas to be made a part of this group in honor of its name. Our objective will be to penetrate deep behind enemy lines, destroy bases, disrupt supply lines, assassinate key commanders, secure safe routes for our main legions to march through and much more"
By the time he was finished with the explanation, there was pin drop silence in the room. Taking advantage of that, Naruto gestured towards the Anbu Commander who gave a hidden smirk. Gengetsu smiled on seeing many clan heads blanch when a hail of kunai came through the lone window in the room and got stuck in the ceiling. Few brave ninjas quickly took action and were about to charge through the window to apprehend the attacker but were dumbfounded when they saw a Kiri Anbu flying outside in that strange device and holding a kunai launcher in his hand. He merely gave them a jovial salute before flying away much to the amazement of the remaining shinobi.
A commotion erupted inside the meeting room with each person reacting in a different manner. Some were outraged at such a display, some were excited for what this development meant for their village, some of the younger ninja instantly started requesting the Mizukage to be made a part of this elite force as barely a handful shinobi had ever managed to fly in the history of the shinobi world.
"You need to be atleast chunin level and above to be eligible. Genin are strictly not allowed. A medical team shall first check your body on the parameters that I and the leadership have set. If you qualify, then you will undergo a four week rigorous training course. I expect less than 5% to pass, but anyone can try" challenged Naruto with a smirk,
"If this is going to be such an effective force, don't you think we should atleast have more than 501 shinobi in its ranks? Make it more larger and more lethal?" questioned Lord Minase Terumi curiously,
"The logistics cost is too high, my lord. Each of that winged device and kunai launcher costs more than what a Jounin makes in a year, combined with their training and compensation costs...this is an expensive program. But I assure you, those 501 ninjas shall be the best of this village capable of undertaking any mission thrown at them. Quality over Quantity, that's what I am aiming at" explained Naruto honestly,
"We're glad you are on our side, Lord Namikaze" said Lord Yagura Karatachi with a pointed gaze directed at the mysterious blonde who had changed Kiri in ways nobody could have imagined in such a short span of time.
"This makes me actually confident of our victory. As long as we have Lord Namikaze and the Mizukage leading us in such an exemplary manner, we can win" agreed Lord Yamato Yuki with a bright smile,
Similar sentiments were echoed by almost everyone in the room save for the Kaguya and Hagoromo clan heads who just gave respectful nods of acknowledgement.
The rest of the meeting divulged into the specifics of their war strategy and what terms they were expecting to be signed between themselves and Konoha with its allies.
The discussion lasted for the entire day with many arguments and protests, by the time it was over the moon had already arrived in the sky and everybody just wanted to retire for the night.
Naruto was also about to leave when he was stopped by the Mizukage himself.
"We need to talk, son"
He narrowed his gaze suspiciously but nodded and followed after the Kiri leader towards his office.
Naruto sat in utter silence inside the Mizukage's office.
"Are you alright, son?" asked Gengetsu hesitantly,
"Fit for duty, Lord Second"
Gengetsu flinched on that crisp reply uttered without any emotion. It didn't feel as if he was interacting with a boy whom he almost considered a son but instead a shinobi bound to serve his Kage.
"I know that words alone won't be enough for the loss you have suffered because of my decision" apologized Gengetsu,
"Then don't waste them"
The Mizukage again flinched on that brutal reply and the ice cold look in the blonde's eyes. As they looked into each other's gaze, an unsaid understanding passed between them with Gengetsu giving a final but respectful nod to the blonde.
"Then I will get straight to the point" said the Mizukage with a strict tone, the warmth and friendliness disappearing from his face.
"I am appointing you as my successor"
That got the blonde's attention completely as his eyes widened in shock which was not something unexpected considering the gravity of the announcement.
"In the event of my death in this war: Naruto Namikaze, you shall succeed me as the Sandaime (Third) Mizukage"
The blonde's lips trembled and no words came out of his mouth until a few moments which was something the Mizukage allowed patiently.
"Why me?"
"Because you have the strength to do what is right for our people, even if it costs you everything" answered Gengetsu with a straight face,
"There are many who share my belief. Your son included, so I ask again...why me?" asked Naruto seriously,
"Because you are the future of this village. From the moment I met you, there was something special about you. Never in our village's history have the masses looked up to a man like they do to you. The veterans want to fight under your Command, the clan heads respect you, the common civilians believe in you, and the children consider you their hero. You're the leader our people would love to follow in the near future instead of people like me who gained power through clan politics. The other clan heads are not fit to rule as they cannot see what truly matters" explained Gengetsu with a proud smile,
"The other clan heads would not support this" said Naruto hesitantly,
In reality, he could not believe what he was hearing. His ultimate objective in Kirgakure was to set himself in the high echelons of the leadership in order to serve Uzu's interests, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined himself becoming the Kage of the Mist Village.
It was not his destiny.
Shinobi like him died nameless deaths in the shadows, never seeing the light of day.
The silent protectors.
That's what he was meant to be, that's what he chose to be.
He felt a firm but gentle hand being placed upon his shoulder and the Mizukage looking at him with a proud fatherly smile.
"You're not the man you're pretending to be. Not yet"
He felt his heart shatter into a million pieces as those words cut deep through his very soul and he fought back a sob but couldn't stop his eyes from becoming a moist.
An inferno of raging emotions flooded his chest as he couldn't help but relieve what he had been through to reach this point.
All that pain, all that death, all that suffering...
He had always lied to his superiors from Uzu about his feelings towards the Mist village. When he had arrived here, he was a broken man wanting to die in an honorable way in the service of his village. Instead, this place gave him the acceptance he had been searching for years. One that his own motherland denied him even after all his sacrifices.
These people gave him a chance which he never deserved.
He was once again among comrades, once again a respected leader of ninjas, he gained friends and the woman he loved.
His heart was torn apart as he remembered what vow he had made all those years ago.
"Family. Duty. Honor"
"I...don't...belong...here..." he whispered in a trembling voice, for it was the truth as he came as an orphan refugee in this village and made his way from there. He was not born in this village...he was not one of them.
He couldn't be and this could change everything forever.
His honor would never allow him to truly serve Uzu if he was made the Kage of this village and Gengetsu's words only brought his worst fears to life.
"You're Naruto Namikaze of the Mist"
A lone tear fell from his eyes as his entire being trembled but Gengetsu's hand over his shoulder never wavered for a second or the faith the man had in his eyes for him.
In that moment, he felt a part of his soul being freed from the chains he had been bound to for eternity.
Yet a terrible choice was once again placed before him.
A Path of Honor...
...or A Path of Duty.