Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Warning: Addressed at the bottom of chapter 2.
Beta: Cyndaquil123
We're nearing the end of the first arc. Excited?
If I make another move, there'll be no more turning back -
because everything will change, and it all will fade to black.
If I make another move, if I take another step, then it all would fall apart -
there'd be nothing of me left.
Bad Apple
I tried to comfort Izuna.
He kept crying.
I wanted to cry, too, but I couldn't.
The tears stopped coming after Mother died.
I could only place a hand on his shoulder as we watched Father bury our eldest brother.
.
. .
. . .
I entered the building slowly. The preparation building was typically used for missions that required special equipment, in addition to providing one set of standard uniform per shinobi/kunoichi. It was also the place to go to if said uniform became damaged and had to be replaced.
My eyes trailed down to the golden token I held in my hand. The Hokage's secretary had given it to me after our team left his office. Kakashi and Obito were given similar tokens, but both of theirs were a bright silver instead. I was given an order to arrive at the preparation building no later than five hundred the next morning, and Kakashi and Obito had to arrive at exactly seven hundred.
The building was cool when I entered, a welcome break from the humid spring air. The first room was large, mostly concrete, and had ropes stringed up to form some semblance of where a line should be. At the far end of the room was a counter, and a tired-looking kunoichi sat behind it, lazily reading a book. She didn't even glance up when I entered the building.
Since I was the only other person there, I bypassed the ropes and headed straight towards the kunoichi. I placed my golden token on the desk and she finally looked up at me. Her face remained unimpressed as she slowly picked up the token and examined it. After a solid thirty seconds of silence, she finally signed, Third floor—second door—left.
Then she moved her hand underneath the counter and I heard a click. A portion of the wall on my left swung open, revealing a dimly lit staircase behind it.
I gave her a charming smile as thanks before heading up the stairs.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
The room was clean, and barely looked lived in. There was a heavy smell of perfume that made my nose crinkle in distaste, and I noticed that there was a large vanity table pressed up against the wall. A gorgeous woman sat in front of it, her back turned to it so she had her full attention on me as soon as I entered the room.
Every inch of the woman oozed grace and beauty, and when she spoke, her voice came out as a cross between lustful huskiness, and gentle chimes.
"A pleasure, Hime."I was instantly smitten, and admirable of the woman. To pull off such a powerful presence—especially against someone armed to resist such things—was beyond impressive. To be honest, I even thought Madara would find the woman undeniably irresistible, her allure was that powerful. She smiled playfully at me.
I bowed to her, and smiled as warmly as I could. "My lady. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
She giggled and stood up from her seat. Her long, slender fingers beckoned for me to sit before her. "Come, Hime. We have much work to do." Obediently, I sat in front of the vanity, and relaxed as the beautiful kunoichi began to run her fingers through my hair. "You will refer to me as Kanako-nee for the remainder of the mission. I am Konohagakure's foremost negotiator, and a frequent patron of the Daimyo's court. You will be accompanying me as my attaché, for this mission."
I slowly nodded my head. "Hokage-sama mentioned the current Daimyo personally requested me."
Kanako gave me a smile that made my heart jump, and a blush rise to my cheeks. She bent down to rest her left cheek on top of my head and look at me in the mirror. She purred, "That is correct, my hime. Tezano-donno was an old and dear friend to Mito-hime."
My heart twisted at Grandmother's name.
"Tezano-donno has kept a personal interest in your progress since Mito-hime's passing. Hokage-sama thought it best to keep you away from the court for as long as possible, but with your marvelous debut in the war, he cannot dissuade Tezano-donno's interest any longer. In addition, Tezano-donno's heir, Nebu-sama, has also taken an interest in you. A positive first impression with Nebu-sama is the first step to securing continued good relations with our Daimyo."
"Of course," I demurred.
Kanako gave the top of my head a gentle kiss, and she reached over me to grab a container that smelled like apples. "Tezano-donno is reaching his end, Hime. His mind is deteriorating, and he becomes lost in the past." Kanako uncapped the container and began to rub a thick black ointment on her hands. Then she placed her delicate hands in my hair and began to run her fingers through my hair, detangling it and gently massaging it. My eyes closed at the pleasant sensation. "There is a chance, Hime, that he may mistake you from Mito-hime. Nebu-sama has requested that if that is the case, please indulge his father."
Pretend to be Grandmother?
"I understand," I murmured.
Could I? Of all the people to mimic—could I really mimic someone so sincere? So gentle? So kind? So pure?
I wasn't certain, but I would endeavor to nonetheless.
Another thought occurred to me.
"If Tezano-donno is nearing his passing, when will Nebu-sama's coronation occur?"
"In a week, actually," Kanako whispered. "We will be participating in the court every day until the coronation. Hokage-sama will join us personally during the coronation, and for the after party, then we shall take our leave."
My eyes slowly opened, a frown marring my face. "I see. This will be a delicate time for Konoha, then. Many other important noblemen and women will be attending upon Nebu-sama in hopes of garnering favor."
"Yes, exactly," Kanako agreed. "Future clients, and partners will all be there... and they will be expecting you, Hime. I will be with you as often as I can be spared, but there are certain agreements I must secure that are too delicate to risk your... inexperience to. Hokage-sama has reassured me that you are quite capable of catering to nobles on your own, though."
"I have been taught the essentials," I responded, then frowned again. "Is... Is my hair getting longer?"
Kanako giggled. "Of course, Hime. Long hair is essential for many of the currently fashionable styles at the court. You must never wear the same outfit, or hairstyle in the same week, preferably the same month."
I grabbed the apple-smelling container, examining the ointment inside. I had heard of hair-growth before of course, but such stuff was typically restricted in Konoha. Not only were the ingredients rare, but the process to make the ointment was as dangerous as a triple layered seal. Very few people had the capabilities to create it, and only small batches could be made at a time. Due to its rarity, it was ruthlessly sought after by numerous nobles, so it was typically kept in a shinobi village for safe keeping. In exchange for protection a small portion of each batch was given to the village. It usually was kept inside the ANBU, or for honeypot missions.
Given the importance of the mission, I shouldn't have felt surprised that Konoha would go so far as to use such an expensive product just to make my hair appealing to the court. Yet, surprise was certainly what I felt at that moment.
Kanako nails scratched against my scalp and I had to actively resist sighing pleasantly. Playing with my hair along with a scalp massage... it was a testament to my discipline that I hadn't melted into putty in her hands. The woman knew I was enjoying myself, too. Her sparkling green eyes danced with bemusement, and she purposely slowed her pace frequently. I actively resisted showing how relaxed I was for another ten minutes before I gave up and enjoyed the treatment. After forty-five minutes had passed, she withdrew her hands and tapped me on the shoulder.
I opened my eyes again, surprised to find that my hair fell past my waist in soft curls. Kanako wasted no time in twisting it into a heavy bun. Finished with that, she pulled lightly on my arm, urging me to stand up.
My shoulders rolled back and forth when I stood up. I couldn't resist the yawn that escaped out of me, causing Kanako to smile at me again.
"Scars are not attractive to the court," Kanako whispered. "Please take off your over-shirt, hime."
With a shrug, I did as she ordered. When I placed it over the chair, Kanako continued, "Are you comfortable with nudity?"
"Yes," I answered, then fidgeted. Madara had drawn numerous seals over my private areas, and they couldn't be repressed. If I had to be nude in front of anyone, I would likely have to take extensive steps to cover them up. I had come up with a plausible reason for the seals if anyone did see them on the off chance I had to strip on the spot. It was common knowledge that Kushina, and Mito, were fuinjutsu masters, and that Kushina was training me in fuinjutsu.
The seals Madara used were obscured, and he purposefully made them more elaborate and intricate than necessary, so that anyone looking at them wouldn't be able to discern what they were without probing.
"Good. Strip entirely, then," Kanako ordered. "I will need to examine your body for flaws. The noblewoman will want to bathe with you, and if any part of you displeases them—"
"I get it," I interrupted, then hesitated. "Ah. I have some seals on my body. If I am to bathe with those women, I will need time to cover them up."
Kanako blinked at that, her rosy lips puckering out in a small pout. "Unfortunate, but it cannot be helped. Experimenting, Hime?"
"Yes," I lied. "Grandmother mentioned how the Uzumaki Clan would use body seals in combat. I have not been successful yet, so I would like to restrict how many people are aware of my dabbling until I actually have something to be aware about."
Kanako fluttered her eyelashes and placed a dainty hand over her heart. "You have my word I will not inform anyone outside this room."
That's a pile of horseshit, I thought, making a note to place Zetsu spores on her before the session was over. It was doubtful she would tell anyone except for the Hokage. If she wasn't ANBU I would eat my shoe. ANBU understood the importance of secrecy, especially concerning fuinjutsu. The less people knew about what one of their beloved prodigies could do, the better.
Still, I would have preferred Hiruzen didn't know about the seals. He would undoubtedly ask about them in a year or so, and I would have to provide him with something.
Hopefully by that point Madara's seals would be used up, or I could find a way to suppress them—
Bah. The only way to repress powerful seals would be by creating even more powerful seals on top of them and forcing the original seals to be repressed into a second layer.
It was possible, but not probable. I would have to come up with an intricate body seal that was more powerful than the chakra storage seals Madara created. Not only did I barely have knowledge on body seals to begin with, but my fuinjutsu skills were B+ at best, and body seals were SS minimum.
I felt resentful at my upcoming task, and debated on if it would simply be easier to kill Kanako before she had a chance to tell the Hokage.
But killing an ANBU, an extremely valuable one at that, wouldn't be a cakewalk, either.
I honestly couldn't decide which task would be easier.
With reluctance, I placed all of my clothes over the chair, and Kanako turned me every which way. Her fingers brushed along my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake, and more than once I saw her eyeing the seals on my chest, plain curiosity in her eyes. It felt a little uncomfortable to be under intense scrutiny, but I refused to let it show.
Kanako gave a quiet hum. "Let's start with body waxing and get that part over with."
I winced.
"You have done well to maintain your skin care," Kanako praised me, sweeping her long black hair behind her. "Your nails, though, will require extensive work."
"Uh—"
"Your figure will work to our advantage," Kanako continued, a mischievous smile playing on her face. "We'll have you looking eighteen in no time."
"Um—"
"You know how to treat proposals?"
"Yes—"
"Good. I will need a report of everyone who fancies you."
"Of course—"
"And Hokage-sama would like me remind you that while you will certainly be propositioned, sex on this mission is highly discouraged for you."
"But not for you?"
She only smiled. "Let's start waxing, shall we?"
I glared at her.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
Two and a half painful hours later, and I was stuffed inside an elegant scarlet red yukata with an abundance of orange and black flowers stitched into it. The yukata was cut short at the knees, giving me room to run with it, and Kanako hid my leggings from me.
I had been prodded, waxed, groomed, and all sorts of horrible things to become aesthetically pleasing for the court. While she administered her torture, she gave me a brief list of every future client we would likely meet, and what was expected of me. Almost all of the names she gave me were names that were on Madara's list of allies he wanted me to acquire for our plan, which worked well in my favor. When I met with them as a Konoha representative, I would have an easy opportunity to plant the Zetsu spores on them.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
Kanako gave me a once over, her hands grazing along me wherever her eyes roamed. "Beautiful."
I look like an expensive prostitute, I thought sullenly looking at the mirror. As promised, Kanako did take advantage of my... early development.. in order to give me a significantly more mature look than what I was wholly comfortable with.
That being said, I understood the importance of appearing as attractive as possible to future clients, and our daimyo. Even if I was not one-hundred percent comfortable looking like an expensive call-girl, I wasn't uncomfortable with it, either. If any lady or man advanced towards me in a manner I disliked, I was fully capable of taking care of them.
Besides...
A shiver ran down my spine.
If such a human did advance towards me, despite knowing my (physical) age... odds were...
I would find myself another monster.
A monster who would normally be so well hidden, and so well-guarded, I wouldn't have known about him/her otherwise.
I couldn't deny their victims their right for vengeance just because I wasn't comfortable with being bait.
I smiled at Kanako for what I hoped passed as something shy. Her eyes danced and she bent down to kiss my cheek, then pull back. "We'll stick with using light make-up for you. That sunset eyeshadow looks positively dazzling on you, dear Hime."
I forced a blush, and demurely looked away.
Kanako giggled in that cute and feminine way that reminded me that she was an undeniably attractive woman. "That's the way, Hime. Be demure to most, but show a little fire otherwise they'll get bored."
"Mm-hmm."
Kanako glanced at the clock and made a pleasing noise. "Mm. Perfect timing. Let's grab your teammates and head out."
"Ah. Did they get a makeover, too?" I asked, wondering how they dealt with the waxing.
She laughed, like chimes in the wind. "Oh, pet, of sorts. Kakashi-chan and Obito-chan will be your personal guards. They have been receiving special guidance from Juar. Juar has been my personal guard since I took up my post as Konoha's negotiator for the court. He is familiar with proper etiquette and what is expected from well behaved shinobi. I trained him, you see."
I sniffed. "I doubt he would need to train them very much. I have been conditioning Obito and Kakashi for the past years. Their manners are impeccable for clientele."
Kanako's left hand drifted up and played with one of my curls. "Mmm. I've heard something along those lines... I'm curious to see how well-behaved your pets are in comparison to mine."
"I'm afraid the comparison will only shame you, my dear," I purred.
A glint entered her eyes and she laughed, only it sounded less like chimes and more—husky. It instantly reminded me of lust, and I remembered that I was dancing with a kunoichi who had probably seduced people far more stubborn than myself.
Not that she would seduce me, of course.
I was above such things.
Hopefully.
"Indulge me, then," Kanako whined playfully, that husky edge never leaving her voice. "Pet, won't you come in?"
The door to our room slid open and a grizzled man solemnly stepped in. His face had a fair amount of scars; I instantly recognized that he was aiming for the intimidation factor, rather than the aesthetically pleasing route that Kanako and I were headed in. Juar was in a standard Jounin attire that looked a little battered, and his dark brown hair had bits of silver in it.
He was also startlingly familiar.
In front of Juar were two sour-looking teenaged boys.
"How were they?" Kanako inquired.
"Awful," Juar grunted. "Neither of them were able to control their emotions when I brought up Senju-hime's likely pursuers."
Kanako let out a smug smile and chortle, and I glared at both of them. "If either of you two mess up a single meeting, I will show you the true meaning of hell."
Obito huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "How are we supposed to stand there like rocks when some forty-something-year-old pervert flirts with you?"
"You do it, or I will keep you both in my room and go out alone," I threatened. "Those mo—men wouldn't dare to actually pursue their desires, and securing their happiness ensures more profit for Konoha after the war. Did you two forget that our economy hangs on having a large, and happy clientele base? Not every client will be good, or people that we like, but that's not our place to judge."
"It's not right," Obito muttered.
"You're in the wrong business for right," Juar snapped, rapping Obito on the head. "If we can't trust you two for such an important mission, we won't take you at all."
"We'll behave," Kakashi promised quickly. "We will protect Naasica."
"Oh, I bet you will," Kanako giggled. "Ah, such innocent love—"
Both boys gave her a venomous look, and I snorted. "It's just hormones. Nothing innocent, or loving about it."
Kanako pouted at me. "Spoilsport."
I shrugged, nonplussed. "So are we leaving soon?"
"Now, actually," Kanako declared cheerfully. "We'll move at a relaxed pace. We don't want to appear rushed, and we should arrive around twenty-two hundred hours. This will give us time to prepare for our evening banquet the next day."
I gave her a weary look. "How much time do we need to prepare?"
"You and I will both be adorned in full kimonos," Kanako answered. "Thirteen layers are the current rage."
"Fan... Fantastic."
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
The jewel of the Fire Lands was Hinode (The Rising Sun). Hinode was a beautiful city. It did not reek of anything, like the other cities, but it did have a distinct ash-y scent to it. The reason for that being the giant sleeping volcano that most of the palace was built into. Many centuries ago the volcano, named Amaterasu after the Sun Goddess because of how devastating its eruptions were, would consistently erupt every few decades or so. The land around it was toxic for decades after its eruption, but once things settled down, the lands were the most fertile. People flocked to farm on the "blessed" soil.
Until Amaterasu erupted again, slaughtering thousands.
The process repeated three more times until a one day a princess from the Uzumaki clan fell in love with one of the farmers. The idea that a volcano could take away her love terrified her, and so she set about to creating one of the most powerful seals in existence.
And she sealed the volcano into a permanent slumber. The farmer rose to become an extremely wealthy lord, and bought the princess from her family to become his wife.
They were the first daimyo and lady of the Land of Fire.
Over time, the princess' descendants created a way to harness the volcano's ability to create fertile land. Through their rule, the land became extremely profitable, fertile, and strong. Amaterasu was one of the reasons why our land was considered a great powerhouse.
Our village was strong, most certainly, but what sets us apart from the other, was our ability to recover rapidly from disasters, war, or attacks. If a natural disaster struck Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure or Sunagakure—they would not be able to be self-sustained. They would have to rely on the other lands to provide for their people.
We would never have such a worry. As long as the seals on Amaterasu never failed, neither would we.
Of course that also created such an easy way to disrupt us.
Destroy the seal on Amaterasu and one would, eventually, destroy Konoha. Hell, the built-up eruption could be enough to straight-up destroy Konoha.
Not that destroying such a seal would be easy. The Uzumaki Clan took a special interest in that seal and had centuries to create layers of it, reinforce it, trap it, protect it—you name it, they've done it times a hundred.
Hinode was surrounded by a tall, thick, stone wall that was covered in Uzumaki seals. The seals used were designed to enhance the wall's durability, and strength, and automatically expelled genjutsus around it. The seals involved around anti-genjutsu were impressive, and worth a fortune.
Mostly because no one alive could replicate them. Every year the daimyo and lady would hire a supposed fuinjutsu prodigy who would examine the wall in hopes of being able to replicate the original lady's feat, but to no such avail.
I bet Madara would be able to recreate such a seal, I thought, as our party broke through the trees and landed on the paved cobblestone road that lead into the city. The walls loomed high above us, with numerous samurai stationed on them. The city glowed behind it, despite it being so late in the night.
There was a plethora of guards stationed at one of the entrance gates, and our group approached them slowly. One of the guards immediately recognized Juar and Kanako and greeted them with a jovial wave.
Kanako moved ahead, wordlessly ordering me to stay with her. I gracefully moved to walk beside her, if only slightly behind her to show deference to her seniority.
"Welcome, Kanako-sama," the guard said, stepping forward.
Kanako gave him a smile that would turn a lesser man into goo before her. "Hello, Hidazo-san. I would like to introduce you to Konoha's darling princess. Senju Naasica-hime."
The guard turned and bowed towards me. I slightly tilted my chin up in polite acknowledgement.
"The daimyo and his heir are expecting us," Kanako murmured, presenting a pile of passports out of her long, wide, sleeves. The pale blue material shined under the moonlight, glimmering softly.
The guard examined the passport quickly, then gave a curt nod. He motioned towards the door, and it swung open with a creaky bang.
Kanako sauntered gracefully through the streets of Hinode. She oozed power and grace, and peopled parted before her in awe, like a sea of mindless sheep. My right was looped through her left arm, and she pulled me along with each step. Her legs were longer than mine, so I had to walk a bit quicker than usual to match her march.
Our "guards" were only a couple steps behind us, Juar in the center and glaring stonily at any peasant that bothered to stare at us for too long. I could practically feel Obito's uncomfortable fidgeting with all the stares Kanako and I received. Kakashi, I found after a quick glance backwards, was pleasantly professional and remained impassive. I was proud of my dear friend for his composure.
The city was as beautiful as I remembered it during each of my visits. I never lingered long in the city; Madara only wanted me to spread Zetsu spores around the city before returning. The city was a dangerous place, he would tell me. Even with all of my training, my chakra was simply too massive to repress enough to not cause the Samurai to reflexively pay me close attention.
And the Samurai were everywhere in the city. The capitals were Samurai recruitment hotbeds. Even if the Daimyo's were close, or at least fond of, their hidden village, it was traditional for Samurai to guard royalty. Not to mention if a hidden village decided to go rogue against their daimyo, for whatever reason, having an army of Samurai at one's beck and call would be immeasurably useful against the chakra-dependent shinobi and kunoichi in the village.
All of the daimyo's knew the Samurai were their best defense against the villages, and as such, they spent a large sum of the city's money on keeping their city staffed with Samurai. Enough Samurai that every block there were likely to be at least three full-fledged Samurai. Each armed with the ability to sense distinctive chakra, a natural resistance to genjutsus, and some with the ability to nullify chakra in small areas. Not to mention their obsessive patriotism towards their daimyo.
Some samurai were so "devoted" towards their beloved daimyo, they would turn their eye away from some of the seedier actions in the city if it meant "purging" it of "unworthy" citizens.
Including, say, children of a geisha.
I slightly shook my head, temporarily shoving away my disgust in order to keep up the presence of a graceful, powerful, kunoichi. I knew I was likely dwarfed by the undeniably irresistible Kanako, but I still had to try. The entire ordeal was not only good experience for me, but it was integral to our future plans. I couldn't slack off, or not put forward a hundred percent.
Failure was unthinkable.
It took fifteen minutes to make it to the palace, traveling faster than a civilian, but significantly slower than a shinobi typically would.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
Marble flooring glinted in the soft glow of the lanterns that illuminated the hallway. The palace walls were painted red and gold, and adorned with a variety of portraits that had been collected over the centuries. The halls were wide—enough so that ten men could stand shoulder to shoulder and still have an abundance of room—and exuded a strong sense of wealth. The servant that met us at the gates guided us through the palace with the confidence that came with experience.
She never glanced back at us, or at the samurai that patrolled the corridors.
Kanako murmured softly in my ear, "Are you tired, Hime?"
I tilted my head up to look at her, blinking vapidly on purpose. Even as I kept my face the epitome of innocence, my scathing sarcasm shattered the illusion quickly. "Dreadfully so. Walking and thinking is far too bothersome."
She gave a light laugh. "Be sure to rest, then. Tomorrow will be terribly busy."
I resisted the urge to snort in a rather unladylike manner. Choosing instead to flutter my eyelashes and offer a polite agreement to her words.
The servant stopped before wide, rich, cherry-oak doors with beautiful a beautiful engravement of some kind of large cat. The servant turned towards us and bowed lowly. "This will be your room, honored guests. Our daimyo requests that you remain in your room until breakfast has been served."
"Of course," Kanako purred.
The servant straightened back up, her long black hair swishing in its ponytail as she did so. She turned away from us and, with quite some effort, she pushed open the heavy doors.
Kanako pulled us into the room, brushing past the servant and dismissing her in the same instant. Our first room was clearly the waiting room, as it was decorated with fine chairs and sofas, and a single large red-cherry oak table at the center. The far back wall was a glorified hole to an outrageously large white marble balcony. Long red curtains hung around the "doorway" (it really was more like a hole with glass around it), too heavy to be blown along with the breeze.
On the far right side was another large cherry oak door, which I guessed lead to a bedroom. The left side mirrored the right side perfectly.
Kanako gestured towards the left door. "That will be your room, Hime. Kakashi, and Obito, through Hime's room there is another room for you to stay in. Juar and I will be staying over there." Kanako dipped her head towards the right door. "Be up no later than seven hundred tomorrow. Breakfast will be served at ten. Goodnight, children."
Kanako bent down and kissed my cheek before sauntering away to her bedroom. Juar took the moment to make sure the front door to our room was locked before he followed after her.
The three of us exchanged glances. Then, I shrugged and headed towards my room.
It was as exorbitant as the rest of the palace. The bed was twice the size of a standard "king" sized bed. It was enough to easily fit three grown ass adults in it, and they could each spread their legs and arms apart without any bit of trouble.
The bed was canopy style, with transparent red curtains adoring it and too many pillows for any one person to actually use. There was a heavy expensive-looking desk, with paper and ink provided. There were chairs, a sofa, five large dressers...
Obito gasped. "This place is—is ridiculous. Who needs this much room?!" Then he grinned. "Oh boy, I can't wait to see where we sleep."
Kakashi snorted. "I doubt it's anything like this."
I let out a sigh, heading over towards one of the doors on the opposite side of the room. When I opened it, I found it to be an extravagant bathroom, complete with a marble bath that looked like it should actually be a small swimming pool.
Obito popped up beside me, beaming. "This is going to be great!"
I shoved him out of the bathroom. "I have unconditional first rights to the bathroom."
"Yeah, yeah," he dismissed, then rushed over towards the other door. Kakashi, meanwhile, had begun to set up various traps around the room (per protocol). Obito swung open the door, his eyes bright—
And then he made a high-pitched whine of despair.
My lips twitched into a mocking smile when I noticed their room.
It was, obviously, originally meant to be my room's closet. It was less than a quarter of the size of my room and had two standard, completely ordinary, beds inside. Obito waddled over towards one of the beds and poked at it, looking positively devastated. "It's—it's—"
"Acceptable for peasants?" I teased.
Obito's head snapped up to look at me, his eyes watering and his bottom lip quivering. "But—But—"
I rolled my eyes. "If you want to sleep in a luxury bed that bad, you can sleep with me."
Immediately his pout was gone, replaced with a sunny smile and blush. "Really? Thanks, hime!"
I chuckled. "I have more than enough room. Kakashi, want to join?"
Kakashi shrugged. "As long as I'm not beside Obito."
I stretched my shoulders, and pulled out my storage scroll that I kept underneath my kimono. I opened it up—several more, smaller, storage scrolls popped out—and I grabbed the one labeled as night. I heard the familiar pops as Kakashi and Obito pulled out their own storage scrolls (made by Kushina, and myself). I partially unrolled the scroll, revealing a chart that was labelled with different items. I pressed my thumb on one marked as pajamas, and another one marked as hygienic.
Done with that, I put the scroll away and took control of the bathroom. When I emerged in my thin orange night dress with fluffy cat slippers, both boys were already dressed in their pajamas, and waiting for their turn to use the bathroom.
While they headed in, I took the opportunity to create several clones. I summoned forth one of the smallest storage scrolls I carried with me, and released an abundance of Zetsu spores on each of the clones. The clones then left, and I crawled into the bed. I shoved off, at least, twenty pillows before I curled up under the covers and closed my eyes with a sigh.
I doubt I would be getting much sleep on the mission, so I had to take what I could, when I could. A few minutes later, and Kakashi crawled into bed on my right side (towards the balcony), while Obito flopped down on my left side (towards the door).
"Aahh," Obito sighed blissfully. "This is nice."
"It'll be nicer when you go to sleep."
"Killjoy."
I kicked him out of the bed.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
The Zetsu spores came back to me three hours before sunrise. One of the spores grew into the bed's headboard, its chakra compressed entirely. It woke me by placing a pale white hand on my forehead. My eyes shot open, and I flushed chakra throughout my system to quickly ward off any feelings of tiredness.
Kakashi and Obito were both sleeping on opposite sides of me, Obito clutching onto my arm and drooling, and Kakashi's head resting in between my neck and shoulders. It took every ounce of skill and flexibility I possessed to untangle myself from them without disturbing them in the slightest. I left a wooden clone behind for them, and motioned for the clone to follow me out onto the balcony.
I shut the door behind us, and the clone confirmed we were alone before I allowed it to draw upon more of my chakra, so it could grow a mouth to update me.
"We focused on covering the palace, instead of the typical places," it said.
"And?"
The clone shifted, uncharacteristically showing a sense of awkwardness. "We... we found a lot of assassination attempts towards the new daimyo."
I blinked.
That... actually made sense. The current daimyo would be passing shortly, and we were here for the official coronation of the new daimyo at both of their requests. If anyone wanted to prevent the upcoming daimyo from "ascending the throne", so to speak, they only had this one week to do so.
"Okay," I said out loud, drawing the word out. I thought for a moment. I couldn't remember who was supposed to be the daimyo in Naruto. For all I knew, one of the assassination attempts was meant to work and put forward someone entirely different. That being said, the current heir was someone that I was fond of. At least in a political sense.
He was purely logical, cold, calculating, and damn manipulative. He did not tolerate people catering to him, nor did he support monsters in his court. He would be a despised daimyo by many of the corrupt politicians that Madara wanted me to sway. It went without saying how much easier my mission would be if my allies despised the current daimyo, enough so that they would gladly do anything to undermine him. They would waste each other's resources and time trying to deal with the other. The daimyo would be kept distracted, and busy enough, that he wouldn't pay much attention to the Akatsuki unless it directly affected him.
The potential allies would be easy to please—simply promising to remove the new daimyo from power, or by occasionally disrupting his plan. In addition, because of the upcoming daimyo's stance on "good" and "anti-corruption", our future allies might even be more lenient to join our cause out of spite.
Even if the new daimyo proved to be bothersome for the Akatsuki, and Madara's plans, I felt confident I could assassinate him myself.
I didn't want to do that, yet, though, because I currently had no puppet to put in his place. Yet another thing I had to hunt for while in the capital. A puppet to replace the upcoming daimyo should anything unsavory occur towards us because of him.
But, one thing at a time. For the time being, I was in favor of the upcoming daimyo, and as such I did not want to see him assassinated.
Which meant I had some assassination attempts to curb.
"Any plans that will occur soon?" I inquired.
Zetsu nodded. "One at sunrise, actually. Yayau-sama, the youngest son to the current daimyo, hired an assassin. The assassin is already in the palace—he infiltrated six months ago, actually. He's been slowly eroding away the security seal on the heir's bedroom."
I whistled lowly. Grandmother had actually personally created the security seals long ago. I had read her private research notes on them, and they were SSS at the very least. The idea that someone, anyone, had been able to erode at all meant that they were an extremely capable fuinjutsu master. Only a handful of people in the world could claim that title, and three of them lived in Konoha. Another lived in Kumogakure, but she was kept in the village. The last one was a missing-nin from Kirigakure, but seemingly disappeared over a decade ago.
It was unlikely he died—fuinjutsu masters did not typically die quietly.
I scratched my cheek, as I thought about it. It still seemed unlikely that the Monake Souto would be the would-be assassin.
It's possible, I allowed, that someone of only A-Rank could have gained the skill of SSS and simply kept it hidden. Still... there are only so many fuinjutsu-skilled shinobi, and the mass majority of them are loyal to their village.
I would prefer not going in blind against the assassin. If I knew who they were, I could prepare accordingly.
"Do you know who the assassin is?" I asked.
Zetsu shook his head. "Not his real identity."
A frown tugged on my lips and I turned my back to the clone to overlook Hinode. A warm wind picked up my long—too long, this is going to take some time to get used to—hair and blew it around me. I brushed it back down with my hands. "What were his chakra capacities like? Jounin level? Chuunin?"
Zetsu cocked its head. "Average Genin."
That made me blink in surprise, and I turned my head to look at the clone inquisitively. "What?"
"We think it's because he is using a suppression seal."
My head turned back to face the city, and my eyes narrowed. I chewed on my bottom lip thoughtfully. The use of a suppression seal wasn't too surprising. The assassin was obviously skilled in fuinjutsu, so he could easily create a high-tier suppression seal. The surprise, though, was that he used it in the first place.
Sure, they were damn efficient in suppressing chakra. If anyone wanted to hide for long periods of time amongst civilians, or samurais, then a suppression seal would be a viable option. The issue with them, though, was that they worked too well. They literally closed off a majority of tenketsus around the body to prevent chakra from free-flowing. In doing that, it built up the chakra before each point—like a dam—and the suppression seal siphoned and sucked all that excess chakra into itself.
Because of all of that, however, it took at least half an hour after the removal of the suppression seal to safely unblock all of the tenketsus; as well as release the excess chakra back into the system without overloading the user's chakra network.
Essentially, by using a suppression seal, one would seriously handicap himself/herself in a fight.
The assassin had to be damn confident his cover wouldn't warrant a fight, and that his plan was near foolproof to use such a risk.
Unlucky for him that I had Zetsu spores.
I couldn't resist cackling out loud at my luck. Grabbing only my tessen, I rushed towards Debu's room, with Zetsu as my guide. The spore merged into my chakra network, so only his mouth remained, and it whispered to me underneath my collar. I took the appropriate turns, and roughed up my hair a bit. I wanted to give the impression that I was in a desperate rush to save the precious heir and his wife.
Finally, I reached his room and I distinctly felt four different chakra signatures. Three of them were clustered in a far part of the room, and another one was slowly making its way towards them.
The guards that were typically posted at the door were unconscious, but alive.
I waited until the fourth signature was nearly at his destination before I kicked the heavy door open with as much strength as I could muster (it flew off its hinges and crashed through the wall in the room).
The assassin whirled back around towards me, his eyes wide. Debu, his wife, and their mistress (who was now clinging onto the wife in fear), let out screams in terror. The assassin made a dash towards them, but without chakra to aid him, I was faster.
My left hand lashed out and I grabbed the assassin with my mokuton. I yanked him away from the lord and drew him towards me before I slammed the bunt of my tessen against his forehead, rendering him unconscious.
I then let him fall to the floor and gave a charming smile towards our future daimyo, his wife, and their mistress. "Good morning, Debu-sama, and his beloveds. I sensed a malicious chakra approaching you, so I came as quickly as I could. I apologize for my appearance, and the door."
Debu, already calm and back in control, got out of his bed. Sharp blue eyes looked me over—they were colder than I would have expected—even as he smiled warmly at me. The expression was contradictory. "Apologies are not needed, Naasica-hime. Indeed, I believe thanks are in order for saving my life."
I shook my head, the picture perfect of humility. "Oh, my lord, please. As a dedicated kunoichi to Konoha, I would never allow such harm to befall you. I need no thanks, nor ask for any. I am simply performing my duty."
"Very well," Debu said. "Let us take this man to the captain of the guard, then."
I bowed to him. "Yes, Debu-sama."
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
I returned to our bedroom, feeling utterly satisfied by the first impression I left with Debu and his ladies. I threw open the unlocked front door, unsurprised to find Kanako lounging like a lazy cat and drinking some kind of pink-colored tea. Juar stood behind her, his eyes flickering up to meet mine, while Obito and Kakashi both stopped their—arguing, I would guess—conversation and turned to look at me.
"Where have you been?" Obito demanded immediately.
"Saving Debu," I dismissed. "When will breakfast be here? I'm starved."
Kanako looked up from her tea, giving me a warm smile. "Breakfast will be arriving shortly. They typically serve it around ten, but I requested it arrive earlier."
"No special plans for breakfast?" I inquired, genuinely surprised we weren't attending some formal get-together.
"Nobles detest mornings," Kanako explained with a small laugh. "You would be hardpressed to find someone of royal, or noble blood, attend anything before lunch, or, really, brunch for them. The very idea of getting up before noon is positively terrifying for some of them."
I settled down beside Kanako, and the woman immediately began to brush my hair. "After breakfast, Juar and I will have to leave you three alone. We must meet with our contacts before the feast tonight. I trust, Hime, that you know how to preoccupy yourself and keep your teammates in line."
I smiled at her. "Of course I know how to control my guards. Do not worry, Kanako, I ensure we do not leave a poor impression on our future clients."
She patted my cheek. "Good. I will be back a little after noon so I can dress you for our feast."
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
There was a soft knock at the door. Kanako stood up from her seat on the couch in a single fluid, graceful, motion. She absently pulled back her obsidian hair and swept it over one shoulder. When she reached the door, she opened it without hesitation.
There were a handful of servants, each one pushing a cart that was covered in different treats. One cart was dedicated to holding jars filled with loose tea leaves, and another with numerous petit fours. I knew Kanako had to have been smiling at them, because each servant (save one who stood in the back and was hard to see from my position on the couch) looked utterly lovestruck.
"Please come in," she purred, standing aside.
The servants rolled in carts of food and began setting up the breakfast on the large table in between the couches. One pretty girl bowed low to us. "Pardon our intrusion, honored guests."
Obito grinned at her. And looked ready to open his mouth to respond, but a single look from Kakashi kept his mouth shut.
Guards were not supposed to talk, after all.
"As long as you do not dally," I told the servants, watching them carefully. They moved with confidence that came from experience, but there was still slight hesitation in most of their movements. They were wary, likely even afraid, of us.
Of me.
The thought amused me. They had every right to be fearful, of course. After my display on the warfront those who did not directly associate with Konoha were potential enemies. And as far as they were concerned, they were insignificant peasants. If they happened to catch my eye, or worse my ire, they would have no protection from me.
Of course I would never harm those who remain out of my way. They likely did not have anything to fear from me, but the potential would always remain there.
It was... amusing. Entertaining, actually.
It made me want to laugh at them. In my past life, I would have never thought I could intimidate someone purely from my reputation alone. Intimidate enough that one of them had trembling hands and refused to meet my gaze. Moreover, the idea of a—a—well, practically thirteen-year-old causing such a reaction was hilariously sad.
Still.
I could not fault them for being cautious. Even if their reactions were comical from my perverse mindset, they had every right to be scared.
I tilted my head up towards Kakashi and Obito and wordlessly motioned for them to sit beside me. During proper feasts or formal occasions they would have to stand behind me silently, but given that breakfast was informal I saw no reason for them to act as such.
Even if Juar remained standing stoically behind Kanako, watching everyone's movement with cold eyes.
Obito immediately sat beside me, sinking into the couch and staring longingly at the exquisite-looking and decadent food being placed around us. Kakashi however, remained standing. He crossed his arms over his chest and mimicked Juar, watching the servants with dark eyes.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
Left to our own devices, I decided to prepare for the banquet in the evening. I knew Kanako would return roughly five hours prior to the banquet in order to assist with my clothing and hair, but she left specific instructions to make sure my nails, skin, and body was presentable. She told me that after my daring rescue, I would undoubtedly be whisked away afterwards (with her) to bathe with the royals.
So, first thing was first, putting on skin-colored pastes over my seals. The pastes were akin to bandages. One peeled off the back and pressed it on the area one wished to cover. Then they took a special glue that activated the paste and rubbed the edges into the skin. The result? A seamless transition of skin that even shinobi would be hardpressed to find the error in. It would last for upwards of twenty four hours, and was painful to remove if taken off prior.
Painful as in it might take off skin with it.
Once I had covered the seals with the pastes, I returned to the living room and engaged in a game of Snaps with my friends.
"You'll both have to do your nails, too," I told them. "Neither of you have the scars or aura to be fully intimidating, so you must be aesthetically pleasing."
Obito's nose crinkled in distaste. "Do I—"
"Yes you have to," Kakashi interrupted with a sigh. "Alright... I think I can do that on my own."
"If you need help let me know," I told him seriously.
"I will need help," Obito admitted, unashamed. "I've never taken care of nails, or whatever."
"Sit beside me," I instructed him. I would work on my nails once I was done with theirs. Obito offered me his hand and I took it and set to work.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
My polish had finished drying seconds ago when there was a knock at the door. Kakashi wordlessly moved to answer the door, while I pretended not to show an interest at who was there.
The door opened fully and a young man in—in Guardian attire stood there. He couldn't have been more than a couple years older than myself, but he carried himself with an air of confidence. His dark red hair was wild, and his dark blue-grey eyes gleamed with unhidden interest when he saw me. He bowed. "Senju-hime. The current daimyo, Tezano, has requested a private audience with you."
Tezano.
A beloved friend of Grandmother's. I was to—to mimic Grandmother's appearance when he called for me. If he mistook me for Grandmother, I was to oblige that idea.
I quickly pulled my long hair up into a bun and pushed two ornamental sticks through it. "Let's go, then."
Kakashi and Obito seamlessly appeared behind me and on each side. The guardian's smile widened and he offered me his arm.
I accepted it. Guardians were high-ranking. Higher ranking than the daimyo's own children (except for his chosen heir, of course).
"My name is Rabu, hime," he said. "Uzumaki Rabu."
"I am Senju Naasica, as I'm sure you are aware of," I responded.
He gave me a wink.
Flirting, then? Is he on a honeypot for me? Makes sense, I suppose. Debu would certainly want me to have a strong tie towards his precious little kingdom. I am a monster, after all. He cannot intimidate me, so he would rather send someone to seduce me.
A little gross that it's some kind of cousin of mine, but the royals wouldn't give two shits about that. Incesteous asses.
I forced a blush and looked away. I decided to play along for a little while, at least until I reached a definite decision. I could always reject later, but to play along after rejecting him would only raise suspicion.
"S-So," I said, forcing a shy stammer in my voice, "how is Tezano-donno doing?"
"Well, my hime. That is something for you to see," Rebu said, a teasing note in his voice.
"I hope he is well, then."
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
Alone in the corridor with Tezano, I tucked my knees underneath me and sat beside his large bed. The daimyo turned his head towards me and he let out a tired cough. Dull eyes stared at me. "Mito-chan?"
A cold knife shot through my chest. I bit my bottom lip hard to keep from outwardly reacting further. I knew he might have mistaken me from Grandmother. I knew it. I knew it.
Yet I wasn't prepared.
No one had spoken about Grandmother since her death. Not Kushina. Not the hokage. Not even Jiraiya when he visited.
They didn't say her name. Didn't speak about what she had done. Her sacrifice. Part of me wanted to accuse them for forgetting about her, but I knew that wasn't right. She was not someone you forgot. It was more like—more like they didn't dare.
She was the embodiment of light, and the driving force for compassion in the village. She humbled Hashirama on a daily basis when he was alive, and brought the Uchiha to heel frequently. No one ever disagreed with her. No one ever questioned her. No one ever thought ill of her.
She was our queen. Too pure; too good for our disgusting, corrupted, little village. We all knew we didn't deserve her.
But we cherished her anyway. We loved her, even though we were unworthy. So when she passed, no one dared to speak her name.
Our queen had finally found rest, they believed. Our queen had finally found peace, they believed. Our queen had finally left us, they believed.
So they let her go. Let her find her whatever they wanted her to have found.
I didn't, though. I could never let her go. I whispered her name in quiet, lonely nights, when I felt the weight of the world pressed down upon me.
In doing so, I felt—if only for a second—her comforting embrace again.
When Tezano said her name, I felt her presence again. Not beside me, or around me, though. I felt—I felt her with me.
And it chilled me. It brought me no comfort. Instead, I felt an icy dagger dig inside of me and a keen sense of betrayal. Anguish, and pain settled into my stomach, as my mind whirled to process what those feelings meant.
Even as my mind worked, I kept up the facade. "Yes, my friend."
Tezano smiled. "Oh, Mito-chan. I have missed you. Have you heard the soft rain again?"
I took his hand, goosebumps crawling up and down my arm. "Yes. Like a gentle whisper."
"Mito-chan, I am worried for my children."
"Do not be. I will be there for them."
"Will you counsel them as you did for me?"
"Yes, my friend. Have no worries, or regrets."
He let out a raspy chuckle. "Oh, oh, oh... I found someone, Mito-chan. He reminds me of you. I call him Rabu."
I patted his hand. "Tell me more."
"He has your compassion, and talent. When I saw him, I knew I had to have him. I could never have you, Mito-chan, but I thought perhaps I could have him. He is a good boy. Please watch over him for me."
"I promise," I lied.
"He is your kin, I hope. He has the Uzumaki chakra, but he doesn't know his family. Will you teach him your ways?"
I shook my head. "He would have to return to Konoha with me, my friend. You know I cannot stay in the capital forever."
"Oh, yes, right..."
Tezano smiled again at me—at—at Grandmother. "Tell me the story of soft rain, Mito-chan."
I took a deep breath, and began to weave Grandmother's tale.
The knife inside of my heart dug further in.
And twisted.
(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง
Okay so I decided to cut if off here. I reached 65 pages and realized I can't have that many pages for one chapter. That'd be a quiet hell to edit, so gonna break it up.
Had a lot of trouble writing this. It was hard to stay focused in a dark-mindset like this story demands. Rewrote it too many times to count.
Lovely fanart by arneewenn and OCGuruJenn on deviantART. Links on profile, so please check it out!
Answer: Nagash by Mike Lee. Always.
Question: Best protagonist you have ever read / seen?
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