Eleven people sat around a large table. On the left side were five of the Daimyō's advisors. On the right side of the table were Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, two ANBU members, and Nara Shikaku respectively. At the head of the table was Hi no Kuni's daimyō.
“Our allies will continue to aid us in defending against Akatsuki,” Homura explained to the daimyō.
“I still can't believe what happened…” The first advisor, the one who wore glasses, said, “Of course, Hi no Kuni will throw all its resources towards rebuilding the village. We'll have to draw up a budget first, then seek aid from the other nations-”
“I am more concerned with selecting a new Hokage first,” one ANBU member, formally a Root member, interjected as he leaned back in his chair.
Saw that one coming… Shikaku thought as he glanced at the man with an odd mask.
“Why can't we wait for Tsunade to wake up?” The leader of Hi no Kuni questioned.
“Daimyō-sama… Tsunade is in a very deep coma. With the village in such a dangerous state, we need a leader. When we don't know when, or if, she will recover. In addition, she is responsible for what happened today,” Koharu debated.
“I had hoped to pick Jiraiya if this happened again…” The daimyō admitted behind his fan. “I always liked him… But he left us, too… Very well. Who should we select?”
Mizunoto lowered his head a bit. “I formally submit-”
“I nominate Hatake Kakashi,” Shikaku interrupted.
“Yes, I nominate him as well,” the former Root member agreed with a nod, earning a small internal sigh of relief from the Nara.
“Hohoooh, the “White Fang's” son, eh? An excellent nominee!” The old leader chirped before looking to his advisors. “Your opinions, gentlemen?”
“He's strong, capable,” the second advisor said as he looked to the third.
“Isn't he a bit too young?” The third inquired skeptically.
“I'm positive Minato was even younger when he became the fourth,” the fifth advisor piped up.
The fourth advisor hummed before questioning, “Isn't his student the “Black Fang”?”
The five sitting across the table darkened for a moment, all of them in on the secret of Danzō’s death and Ren's disappearance.
Thankfully, the daimyō was also in the loop. “Yes. He received a full pardon for his actions and is currently on a long-term mission, remember?”
Oh, thank Tsunade-sama, Mizunoto thought happily at the lie made up on the spot.
“Who was Hatake Kakashi's sensei?” The first advisor inquired.
“The Yondaime Hokage,” Homura answered.
“The Yondaime was Jiraiya's pupil. Jiraiya was the Sandaime's…” The daimyō noted aloud. “Continuing the lineage is acceptable to me. Very well. I've made my decision. Hatake Kakashi is hereby named the Rokudaime Hokage!”
Meanwhile, sitting on destroyed rubble were Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.
“There's so much I want to tell Tsunade…” Naruto complained as he stared at the ground.
“Don’t worry, I'm sure she'll wake up soon! She's a Hokage, after all… She's a strong woman,” Sakura assured her teammate despite thinking, Why am I trying to cheer him up? I'm the one who needs cheering up… Naruto.
“Hn,” Sasuke added in helpfully.
“Long time, no see, Naruto! Sakura! Sasuke!” An old man, a bridge builder, yelled as he and his grandson approached the three teens.
“I never thought I'd see you heroes again, Naruto!” The young carpenter, Inari, said as he wiped some sweat off of his face with a white towel.
“Are you…?” Sakura trailed off as she and her two teammates looked at the two males native to another country.
The three jumped up as Naruto yelled excitedly, “Inari and Tazuna! Inari… You're all grown up! And you look even older, Jii-chan!”
“Give me a break,” Tazuna grumbled.
“I'm a carpenter now. We're here to help rebuild Konoha. And I thought I'd come and say hi to you guys while I'm here,” Inari explained before giving a closed-eye grin. “You look so pretty, Sakura!”
“Oh… Really?” The Haruno blushed as she brushed back some of her pink hair. Lately, she had been parting her hair off to the side like Ren had once done. She had received compliments for her new hair style, especially from Naruto.
Tazuna bowed his head down, forcing Inari to do the same. “I'm sorry about what happened with Gatô… But thanks to you, Nami no Kuni is a prosperous nation now.”
“So now it's our turn to help you out!” The young carpenter exclaimed eagerly.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. “Inari… Thanks…”
Sakura gave a closed-eye smile as Sasuke grunted in reply.
Kakashi came meandering over and noticed the two by his students. “Huh?! Oh, you're here already?”
“Hey, Kakashi! We came as soon as we heard Konoha was in trouble!” Tazuna explained.
“I see…” The silvernette muttered as he walked over to the five.
The man from Nami no Kuni blinked once before asking, “Huh...?”
“What is it?” Kakashi inquired, “If there's anything you need, just let me know.”
“Where's Ren? I wanted to speak with him too,” the bridge builder said as Inari nodded.
“Oh…” Kakashi didn't know what to say in reply.
A pang of pain shot through Sakura’s heart at the mention of her twin. She glanced over at her former crush, Sasuke, and glared fiercely.
The Uchiha in question looked down and away from the group. Guilt was clear in his eyes as he remembered what Ren said before taking the blame for his foolish actions.
Naruto looked between everyone silently and realized no one knew what to say.
“Uh… The thing is… Ren’s… uh…” Kakashi was grasping at straws.
“Ren and I had an… altercation,” Sasuke started slowly, earning another glare from Sakura. “Now he's…”
“Ren is away from the village until he cools down,” Naruto piped up with a fake smile. “You can say hi when he gets back!”
“I'm sure Ren would love to talk to you when he gets back. Right, Sakura?” Sasuke questioned.
“Y-yeah,” the girl agreed after a pause.
“What was the trouble?” Tazuna inquired. “Some sort of overprotective brother versus lover?”
“Of course not!” Naruto laughed as green eyed narrowed venomously at the Uchiha.
The six chatted for a while longer until Tazuna and Inari were called back to work.
Naruto stopped waving to the two and lowered his hand. A solemn look was on his face as he said slowly, “I understand now… How you felt…” He looked to Sasuke, who frowned. “I know what revenge is.” His brow furrowed as he stood up straighter. “I thought I understood you, but I really didn't… No wonder nothing I said to you got through…”
“Naruto…” Sakura said softly.
“If I can't understand your pain, I can't laugh with you,” Naruto said, causing Sasuke's brow to furrow. “No wonder you wouldn't even fight me. It might hurt a lot, but I want to fight you for real this time… ‘cause I want Team 7 to laugh together again, you included!”
Black eyes widened in surprise before Sasuke frowned. “What about-”
“Ren will come back in no time at all!” The Uzumaki declared energetically. “All we have to do is wait! He said he'd come back, right?!”
The three teenagers looked to Kakashi, who hesitantly nodded in approval.
An ANBU member suddenly appeared and landed next to Kakashi. He whispered something in the man's ear before the two departed.
“What do you think that's about?” Naruto asked while staring at the place his sensei just resided.
“Probably something about security,” Sasuke guessed, not particularly caring.
Mere moments later, Kiba rushed towards Team 7 while riding on Akamaru. “There you are!”
“Kiba! What is it?” Sakura asked as she turned to face the Inuzuka.
“Listen… Just calm down and listen!” The brunette demanded even though he was the one that needed to calm down. “Tsunade's been dismissed as Hokage!”
“What?” Naruto blurted out.
“Huh?” Sakura gasped.
Sasuke quietly jolted in surprise.
“The Rokudaime Hokage is Kakashi-sensei!” The boy with red markings on his cheeks exclaimed.
“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura shouted in disbelief.
“Kakashi?” Sasuke questioned with a shocked look.
“That's not the only thing! The new Hokage has given Ren a full pardon for Danzō's execution! He's also said that from now on, Ren's on a long-term mission!”
“What?!” Sakura exclaimed, along with her two teammates.
“What the hell do you mean?!” Naruto demanded to know.
“I don't know myself!” Kiba yelled back.
“They're not willing to wait for Tsunade to recover,” Sasuke rationalized before pausing. “As for Ren, it's probably for his safety.”
“So that people won't go after him for being a nuke-nin?” Sakura inquired.
“People will go after him anyway. This way, he'll get more leniency,” Sasuke deduced.
“H-hey guys…” Kiba called while sweatdropping. He was ignored.
“Let's go find Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto suggested as he began running.
“Other way, idiot!” Sakura yelled after the blonde.
“I knew that!” The Uzumaki replied as he began to run in the right direction.
“Dobe,” Sasuke commented under his breath.
“Teme!” Naruto retorted.
Both were punched on the back of their heads by Sakura.
The three then took off towards the Hokage's tent. On their way there, they came across Sai.
“Sai! Do you where Kakashi-sensei is?!” Naruto yelled.
The pale boy blinked once. “No. Why?”
“He's been made Hokage!” The blonde replied loudly.
“Yes, I've heard,” the black-haired eighteen-year-old stated.
“He said Ren is now on a long-term mission!” The kyūbi's host continued.
“A long-term mission? Why?” Sai inquired with a furrowed brow.
“That's what we want to find out!” The blue-eyed male stated before running off once again.
Sai joined the party.
It didn't take long to find Kakashi, as the man was trying to wiggle his way out of having to get prepared for a meeting “Can't I just wear the standard Konoha uniform?”
“You're the Hokage now. Put on the cloak and hat,” Tenzō commanded with an annoyed expression.
“Yeah, but-”
“Kakashi-sensei! What mission is Ren on?!” Sakura demanded to know. Her expression commended that the silvernette tell the truth lest he want to join Tsunade in a coma.
“Well…” The new Hokage thought about making up a lie, but decided his other students also deserved to be kept somewhat up to date. “Ren requested to find an enemy before returning to Konoha. I accepted in return for being kept in the loop about his actions.”
“For how long?” Sai followed up.
“Not long. Besides, Ren said he'd ask for help if he needed it,” Kakashi waved off as he was forced to put on the cloak of the Hokage.
“Did he promise?” Sakura asked skeptically.
“Nope,” her leader answered.
The pinkenette sighed in relief.
“He still doesn't keep promises?” Sasuke questioned with a raised brow.
“I think he goes out of his way to break them,” Sai hypothesized.
“It would make sense,” Naruto agreed before turning his attention to Tenzō, who was putting on a travel pack. “Where are you going?”
“I've been summoned as Hokage to a meeting,” the sharingan-wielder explained simply. “Tenzō here is my guide.”
“Isn't it mandatory for the Hokage to have two escorts outside of the village at all times?” Sakura inquired, causing Kakashi's shoulders to sag down.
“Indeed, it is,” the mokuton user said matter-of-factly, a grin on his face.
The Rokudaime Hokage released an almost inaudible groan of defeat. He then perked up and got a devious glint in his eyes. “That's right Sakura. How would Team Seven like to accompany me to the meeting?”
The temporary taichō of Kakashi’s team gave a sharp glare to his senpai.
Said man gave a shit-eating grin before turning to his very skeptical students. “Consider it a high-rank mission. We leave in an hour. Pack enough for a week.”
“Awesome!” Naruto yelled excitedly. He proceeded to grab his teammates and ran in the direction of his temporary abode with Sasuke and Itachi.
“Senpai, I hate you,” Tenzō said rather bluntly.
“That's what you get for challenging the Hokage,” Kakashi retorted like the little shit he really was. He then paused and added in, “Also we're stopping by Uzushiogakure since Ren is somewhere in that general vicinity.”
“Why Uzushiogakure?” The brunette questioned.
“Something about seals and locating an enemy. He only sent a short message,” the new Hokage dismissed with a lazy wave. He then proceeded to pull out his new book and asked, “By the way - Samui was it? - you said Ren was seen with Akatsuki members? Let me assure you that it's a part of his mission.”
“Very well,” the blonde said with a small bow before looking back at her teammates, who nodded once.
“But what about Killer B?” Karui demanded to know.
“The Akatsuki needs the jinchūriki alive, so your sensei is most likely still alive. You said who was after him?” Kakashi asked.
“Hoshigaki Kisame,” Omoi answered.
“Ah, I see why you came to us. Tenzō, summon Itachi,” the Hatake commanded.
The mokuton user bowed respectfully before disappearing. He returned a minute later with the requested Uchiha.
“Yes, Hokage-sama?” The black-eyed young man asked with a bow.
“Please tell them about Kisame,” the man in his late twenties requested before promptly shoving his face in his porn book.
Itachi did just that, explaining all he knew about his partner from the Akatsuki. Upon being asked, he also confirmed that Ren was fulfilling his mission on getting information from the Akatsuki through infiltration.
Everything was going well in Konohagakure, all things considered.
~
“Jashin-fucking-dammit! There's nothing here about the fucking tree!” I screamed as I pulled my hair furiously.
“Why are we looking for a tree again, un?” Deidara asked absentmindedly, his nose buried in ancient scripts about explosive tags and the many different components of said tags.
“I'm need to kill it before some nondescript time in the future,” I explained for the thousandth or second, who knows time.
“That's stupid,” Hidan commented as he read up on some scrolls about more archaic religious practices.
“I don't see either of you complaining about me bringing you here,” I pointed out as I began to skim through more scrolls. I soon pushed aside the story about the demonic deer unable to be sealed and looked for more useful information. “If I was a tree, where would I hide?”
“The forest, duh,” the Jashinist replied with a roll of his purple eyes.
“Did… you just… come up with a good answer?” The bomber questioned, earning a small and confused nod from me.
“Oh, fuck yourself,” the grey-haired man snapped with a scowl.
“Joking aside, I guess I'll have to return to Hi no Kuni.” Under my breath, I grumbled, “Of fucking course. I swear that country is cursed.”
“Were will you start, un?” The blonde inquired.
“Since it kills everything around it, I'd say a large deadfall,” I answered with a shrug. I put down the scroll I held and glanced over at the two former Akatsuki members. “Did you two hear of the meeting of the five Kages?”
“What?!” The blue-eyed twenty-year-old exclaimed in shock.
“No!” The cultist yelled immediately afterward.
“Yeah. I don't know who called the meeting, but apparently someone decided it was a good to discuss the Akatsuki's movements,” I explained lazily, picking up another scroll. I gave a shit-eating grin as I looked back at the two. “Wanna crash it?”
“Fuck yeah. I've always wanted to sacrifice a Kage,” Hidan approved as Deidara shook his head.
“That's a ridiculous idea, un. We're going to be annihilated,” Deidara criticized.
“I thought that too. But the meeting is going to be held in Tetsu no Kuni. Since it's neutral, we should be able to get in no problem. If worse comes to worst, we can always infiltrate as samurai.” I gave a devious chuckle as I thought of secretly crashing the meeting. I then paused as I thought, I wonder who else will crash it. I'm willing to bet Obito- I blinked once before giving an internal chuckle. Oh, I'll have fun fucking up his plans for sure.
“That's a deranged smirk, un,” the former Iwa nin commented under his breath.
“I'm such a good influence,” the Jashinist whispered with a giddy grin.
“Sweetie, I was fucked up long before you came along,” I cooed at the grey-haired man before picking up another scroll. “But, that doesn't matter to me now. I still have fūinjutsu to rediscover.”
“I'm surprised you found this bunker considering the entire city was destroyed,” the religious nutbar I apologize all nutbars said as he looked around said bunker.
“Being a sensor helps in that regards,” I admitted with a small shrug.
“Yeah, but how far underground is this?” The purple-eyed man inquired as he looked to the ceiling of the bunker.
“Quite a ways down. I'd say a kilometer or two. Maybe two-point-five,” I replied, guesstimating quite a bit since I just dropped down into the tunnel leading to the bunker without consideration.
“Your chakra can stretch out that far?” The blonde asked, slightly surprised.
“If I concentrate, yeah,” I answered nonchalantly as I discarded the scroll I was reading. I turned my attention towards the wall of scrolls and sighed. This is going to be a long process… Well, you know what they say. When in doubt, use kage bunshins.
~
Naruto all but collapsed on the sand bar surrounding Uzushiogakure. “Why did we have to come here again?”
“Ren,” Kakashi reminded his student, motioning for the others to take a break.
“What could he possibly be doing here?” Sasuke questioned as he looked at the ruins with a raised brow.
“Looking for an enemy and possibly more information on fūinjutsu,” the silvernette replied before glancing at Tenzō, who shook his head. He frowned behind his mask, his black eye surveying what he could see of the ruins in the distance.
“Is it Akatsuki?” Sai asked with a slightly furrowed brow.
“Something he said is more dangerous,” the Hatake answered dismissively.
“Some thing?” The Haruno repeated with narrowed green eyes.
“I can't go into more detail, but that's what he's looking for,” the new Hokage stated, ending the conversation there.
The four teenagers shared glances before looking to their taichō.
Said man was looking down at an old map with a slight frown. “He's either in the underground tunnels or somewhere else entirely.”
“The underground tunnel system? Doesn't that go below the whirlpools?” Kakashi inquired as he pointed downwards.
“Yeah. There should be an entrance tunnel in this general area,” the ANBU member confirmed with a nod.
And not a moment later, the sand near the four teenagers shifted. A hatch soon appeared, along with the sputtering of male. The hatch opened, showing a poor person absolutely covered in sand.
“That you or a bunshin?” Kakashi asked as the male brushed himself off.
“Bunshin,” the amber-eyed individual answered honestly before pointing down. “Half of the tunnels are collapsed, so I came as a warning.”
“We’re just checking in,” the Rokudaime Hokage waved off.
“Before the Kage meeting?” Ren inferred with a raised brow, his eyes directed at the garb Kakashi was wearing.
“Correct as always,” the sensei praised, causing the bunshin's lips to twitch into a soft smile.
“R-Ren… When are you coming back?” Sakura interjected with a worried expression.
“Not long. I have a feeling I'll be able to return sooner rather than later,” the doppelganger lied with a reassuring smile.
The younger twin sighed in relief.
Guilt briefly punched Ren in the gut, but quickly resided.
“So why come here? This place looks like a dump,” Naruto commented as he looked around.
“This dump still holds valuable information,” the whitenette pointed out.
“On the Akatsuki?” Sasuke inquired with a furrowed brow.
“Oh, so I think there's someone manipulating Akatsuki, so I'm going to hopefully fuck them up before they try fucking the world up,” the bunshin said quickly, waving off the dumbass duckling.
“Who are they?” The duck pressed.
“I don't think Zetsu is a human…” He mumbled as amber eyes drifted away. He then straightened up as he said, “Something from the depths of hell, or something…” His eyes widened as he gained an expression of eureka. He brought his hands up to hold his head, releasing a loud groan as he did so. “Ooohhh, fuck me! How could I be so fucking stupid?!”
“What?” Naruto asked with a look of the utmost confusion.
“Fucking demon tree! I know where one of those are!” The bunshin quickly began to go down the ladder.
“Wait! Do you mean at the third training ground?!” Sai yelled after him.
“Yes, my only!” Ren replied before disappearing in a blue of color.
“Bye, Love…” The pale teenager mumbled, slightly dejected. He then perked up and turned to the rest of the team, the members of which were staring at him oddly. “Ren is going to the third Root training ground. There's a supernatural tree there.”
“I'll believe that when I see it,” Sasuke commented with a roll of his eyes.
“It exists,” Tenzō confirmed with a nod of his head. “I've seen its powers firsthand.”
“You need to start telling me about the supernatural stuff in Root,” Kakashi grumbled under his breath.
“Sometimes black-eyed mutants show up there and crawl into the small tunnels,” Sai explained rather chipperly, earning the approval of the other former Root member.
“Oh, and Bucky also shows up from time to time,” the mokuton user continued.
“Is it by the Rusty Kunai?” Kakashi inquired, earning a small shrug from his kōhai.
“It's in between there and the old Hiki compound,” the brunette stated.
Kakashi groaned. “What sadist would even make that a training ground?”
“Danzō,” Sai answered blankly, “Danzō would.”
Tenzō hummed in approval.
“This is great and all, but aren’t we supposed to be going to meeting?” Sasuke grumbled, earning a glare from Sakura.
“Silence, Sasuke,” Sakura hissed, causing Kakashi to sigh.
“Your teamwork is still lacking,” the silvernette pointed out with defeat clear in his tone.
“Yeah, Sasuke,” Naruto butted in. Even though he was happy to have Sasuke back, he was upset that he lost Ren in the process.
“Sasuke does have a point. We're going to be late at this rate,” Sai begrudgingly pointed out.
“Ren still has work to do-”
A kage bunshin suddenly appeared, cutting Kakashi off. “Ren has assigned me to go with you.”
“We'll be too far away for you to come with us,” the Hokage said as he patted his student's head.
“I can go several hundred kilometers away from my original. I'll be fine,” the doppelganger of Ren brushed off as he adjusted his backpack. “Besides, I have the feeling something interesting is going to happen at the meeting.”
“Shouldn't your real body be there then?” The former ANBU member quested as he nevertheless began to walk in the direction of Tetsu no Kuni.
The whitenette shrugged. “Meh. I need to guard my travel companions. I still need them alive for now.”
“Why?” The sharingan-wielder pressed with a narrowed black eye.
Ren became serious as he looked up slightly. “Something bad is coming. I can feel it in my bones.”
The ones listening into the conversation also became serious at the thought of a major catastrophe or something similar happening.
“But, in any case, my real body needs to go searching for that tree that kills everything around it and absorbs chakra,” the doppelganger said with a sigh of annoyance. “That tree is probably from hell itsel-” The double paused as his amber eyes widened. The Master of Hell, hellish tree, killing, chakra absorption, dead life, underground, grave, Evil's Graveyard… It all fits together!
“Did you realize where it was?” Tenzō asked with a small tilt of his head.
“No, but I know the best place to start.” Ren rubbed his hands together before creating a doppelganger that rushed back towards the heart of Uzushiogakure. “You may meet my real body sooner rather than later if my hunch is right.”
“Will he be there?” Kakashi inquired softly, hesitantly.
Ren tilted his head to the side a bit, his body moving on as his mind thought everything over. “Weeell... It's probable… Very probable. Will you act accordingly?”
“I'll do my best,” the silvernette assured his student, determination shining brightly in his one revealed eye.
A single nod was given, a smirk crawling onto the amber-eyed boy's lips. Excellent…
~
I glanced over at the bunshin that dropped down the ladder at a dangerous speed. “Sup?”
“Evil's Graveyard! Everything around there is dead! Demon tree!” The doppelganger yelled, ignoring it's obviously broken leg.
I dropped the scroll I was holding as everything fit together in my mind. “Holy shit!”
“What?” Deidara asked as he and Hidan looked on with the utmost confusion.
I gave a wide smirk as I looked over my shoulder at them. “After this, we're going back to Kidoba. I believe I have my target all figured out.”
“What about Konoha?” Hidan questioned.
“I'll send a kage bunshin there just in case. Besides, it isn't a good idea to take you two there, especially not when Konoha is going attack anything that comes near it.” I gave a sigh at the thought of the shinobi that would be up their own asses with anger and worry, ready to strike out at a moment's notice.
“Right. Pein obliterated your village,” Hidan recalled while nodding to himself.
“Wouldn't they go after you too?” Deidara asked with a raised brow.
“Nah. Everyone knows I'm actually an innocent little boy who took the blame for the big, bad Sasuke,” I replied.
Needless to say, the bomber rolled his eyes as the Jashinist snickered.
“Besides, now that Kakashi is Hokage, I'll probably have a full pardon!” I chirped happily, causing my bunshin to nod in approval. “Aren't you supposed to disappear by now?”
It shrugged before asking, “You think my hellish training will have anything to do with this little hunt?”
I gave a shrug back. “No idea, but I know I haven't been training.”
“You should get on that. Make a bunshin to train in making hellish trees or some shit,” the doppelganger of myself criticized.
I threw a senbon through the eye of the bastard, only to immediately cringe as I recalled the memory of setting a needle jammed into my brain via my eye socket. “Note to self, never do that again.”
“You always kill yourself?” The grey-haired cultist questioned as he picked up a new scroll on religious practices of the olden days.
“Depends on the level of sass they give me,” I answered honestly. I then made myself two bunshins - one that went to Konoha and the other to a barren part of Hi no Kuni to train in the making of hellish landscapes. I gave a deep sigh as my two doubles left without a word.
“What's wrong now?” The blonde inquired as he looked at a few diagrams of rather intricate explosive tags.
“I'm so going to get my ass beat by Sakura once I return to the village,” I complained, my body hurting from merely imagining the way she would make me suffer.
“Eh?” The two men looked at me in confusion.
I gave a nervous chuckle. “Well, my bunshins always act a bit… irrational... The first one will likely do something stupid at the meeting…” I sighed again. “Ah~h, I just hope I won't have to fight Tobi!”
~
The doppelganger in Konoha stretched his arms above his head as he looked at the tree no one was supposed to harm in any way, shape, or form. He gave a deep sigh as he approached the formidable opponent. He placed his hands on the ground and allowed his chakra to seep deep into the earth. His amber eyes closed as he concentrated on following the chakra of the tree.
The roots stretched down deep into the ground for the size of the tree, especially when said tree was long dead.
A sigh left Ren's lips as he reached the end of the roots. “Nothing. Well, I suppose it's to be expected…”
The wind gently danced its way through the trees, playing with the leaves as it did so. It gently ruffled Ren's hair in passing.
The teenager sighed again as he stood up. He left the training grounds and headed deep into the forest. After an hour of walking, he made it to a temple. A smile graced his lips as he walked through the two-way barrier. He hummed softly as he meandered past the workers of the temple, all of which nodded softly as he walked by. He nodded back as he made it to the guarded tree that would surely live for a millennium.
“It's been a while,” Yowane noted as she finished watering the various shrubs around the large tree.
“So it has…” He mumbled as he looked up at the woman resting against the tree. The whitenette sat down by the tree, resting as he stared into the trees surrounding him. A millennium must pass by in a blink for this forest. Surely… Surely, everything will be fine by the time I find the tree. This sense of foreboding is unbearable.
A small girl, who was sitting on the other side of the tree, began to hum a gentle tune.
Yowane joined in as she took her spot next to Miku.
Ren smiled softly as he sang the words to the song.
“When this sapling has taken root
I think I’ll be more of an adult than I am now
When it’s grown extremely tall
Will I be alive?
Will I be alive?
When it’s grown many leaves
I think the world will be changing more than it is now
When it’s become a splendid, large tree
Will my sins be forgiven?
Will they be forgiven?
Even the span of a millennium
I think to you would be a blink
Surely, surely..
I pray, to the base of this tree
For eternal peace
For eternal peace…”
The four existed in a state of people for a long moment, basking in the few days of light that made it through the leaves and branches of the large tree.
Surely, everything will go well. I'm certain no one I care about will be injured before I find the tree. That's all that matters. Amber eyes opened and scanned their surroundings. Ren's smile grew a small fraction before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
~
“By the way, I've been wondering about how you managed to break into Hōzuki Castle,” Ren said as he glanced back at Sasuke.
“Ah, I had help,” the Uchiha hesitantly answered.
“What'd he call himself?” The Haruno questioned despite already having an answer in his mind.
“Madara, Uchiha Madara,” the black-haired teen replied, warning a small hum.
“You know he manipulated your brother, right?” The sixteen-year-old asked with a raised brow.
“I just wanted Danzō dead…” Sasuke's hands clenched into fists at the thought of the man who caused his clan so much pain.
“Madara isn't who he says he is. Besides… He helped kill your clan. I think he was also a key factor in the downfall of the Uchiha,” Ren said, his amber eyes narrowing dramatically at the unseen path the Konoha shinobi were taking. He then gave a small shrug and dropped into a casual facade. “But, that's not important now. You're back, and now everyone can be happy.”
Sakura frowned, her hands curling into fists. She opened her mouth to say something, but paused when Ren's turned his head back at them, giving a genuine smile.
“Right?” He asked chipperly.
“Yes,” Sai answered before anyone else could. He ignored the small glares he received from almost everyone in the group. “I know you're coming back, and that's enough for all of us at the moment. What's really important, however, is your happiness. Are you happy?”
Sakura made a small “oh” sound before catching on. She nodded once to herself and joined in. “Yeah, Ren. I'm sure you'd be happier the sooner you finish your mission.”
“Especially since everyone is waiting for your return,” Kakashi piped up.
Ren gave a single laugh, shaking his head while he did so. “I know all about that technique. You guys can't mentally manipulate me into a rushed, half-assed job.”
Naruto looked confused. “We aren't-”
“Hush, idiot. You wouldn't understand,” the whitenette patronized as he patted the jinchūriki’s head.
“Hey!” The Uzumaki yelled angrily as he slapped the hand away from his blonde locks.
Ren gave a snicker before suddenly dropping all emotions. His face held nothing but cold, stoic annoyance. “Seriously guys. Stop pushing for my return. I'll do it when I've completed my mission.”
“We're just concerned about your safety and wellbeing,” Tenzō said as he placed his hand on Ren's shoulder.
The boy gave a dramatic sigh before nodding. “Yes, I understand. Thanks for your concern, but I don't need it.”
“Didn't you almost die three times over the past year?” Sakura asked rhetorically.
“Yeah, but now that Danzō is out of the picture, I have no reason to hold back,” the Haruno chirped, causing everyone to look at him. “What? You think a renowned assassin is that easy to take down?”
“Ren,” Kakashi chided while giving me a pointed look.
“That didn't count. I was busy being distracted by the fact you died,” the teenager argued, earning a deep sigh. “Want a demonstration?”
The others have curious expressions.
“Great!” Ren exclaimed before his emotions dropped away. He was gone in a blur of color and returned a short moment later while sheathing his tantō. A dark chuckle came from his lips before he mumbled, “Great.” He sheathed his blade, causing a ringing sound to echo throughout the air. “Great…”
At least twenty bodies fell from various locations, previously hidden away in the trees and brush. All of them were wearing masks, hannya masks to be more specific.
“Ah, they're the remnants of the Hannya Assassins from Hayashi no Kuni,” Sai realized, completely unphased like the rest of them.
“Fucking Hannyashū bastards betrayed us and tried killing our men. The one good thing Danzō did with his life is send a backup team to take care of the majority of these fools.” Ren kicked one of the bodies harshly with a disgusted expression. A smile then crawled onto his lips, his amber eyes becoming half-lidded. “But in the end, they're just enemies. And lowly enemies can easily be disposed of.”
“Love, I think you're getting a bit too in touch with your Root persona,” Sai commented, earning a glare over the shoulder from the former Root member.
The boy sighed before tilting his head back. “Fine, fine. I shall pretend to be a normal human being for now.”
Sasuke snorted once, causing Sakura to punch his arm. He silently glared as he rubbed the spot that was already starting to bruise over.
“On a more serious note, you guys go ahead while I collect these morons,” Ren commanded as he pulled out a small scroll.
“You aren't going to take an hour this time, are you?” Sai questioned with a raised brow.
“Nope!” The whitenette replied with a happy smile. “I've got to keep everyone safe!”
Sakura's eyes widened before she gave a devious grin to herself. She was mentally rubbing her hands together, happy to finally have something in which to keep her brother under control.
Naruto noticed the grin almost immediately and paled. He grabbed ahold of Sasuke and casually sidestepped until he made it to Tenzō. He promptly hid behind the mokuton user, keeping his best friend close as he watched worriedly.
Sasuke raised a brow until he saw Sakura hold her hands behind her back. He gave a small look of disbelief as Sakura turned to reveal her look of complete and utter demonic intentions. He turned his head to the jinchūriki, receiving a somber nod in reply. He then looked to Sai, who was pointedly looking anywhere but at the two Harunos. When he received a tiny nod, he glanced up at Kakashi and Tenzō.
The two nodded quietly.
“What happened between Orochimaru and now?” Sasuke hissed at the blonde.
Kakashi leaned down and whispered, “She read over multiple accounts of Danzō’s abuse of Ren and learned just what hatred meant. That hatred lead to sadism, though I have the feeling it was just buried deep in the back of her mind until she was ready to confront it.”
Yamato nodded in approval.
“Anyway,” Sai interjected as he watched Ren start to pack up the bodies, “We should get going. We'll be late if we keep going at this rate.”
“Sai is right. We can't run late to this meeting.” The brunette gave his senpai a pointed expression, causing the new Hokage to chuckle nervously.
“I'll be right there!” Ren yelled with a cheerful wave.
“Okay, Love!” Sai replied with a smile.
“Are you two dating?” Sasuke questioned as he walked with the others in the direction of Tetsu no Kuni.
“Nope,” the eighteen-year-old answered.
Sasuke stared at him silently before turning to Naruto and Sakura.
The two glanced at each other before shrugging.
“Sai isn't a good liar anymore, so I don't think they're dating,” Sakura finally said, her voice soft as she glanced at the palest member of Team Seven.
Naturally, the former Root member overheard and objected, “I can still lie.” He turned and looked at them neutrally and said, “Just like how I can still kill you with the flick of my wrist. Don't forget I worked under Danzō too.”
An awkward silence fell over the group for a long moment.
Finally, Tenzō pinched the bridge of his nose with a small groan. “Sai, that's not what the book says to do in these situations.”
The pale boy frowned as he pulled out the book on human emotions and situations. “In chapter twelve, it says that you should confront people when they talk shit about you.”
“What? No it doesn't,” the ANBU member objected as he leaned over and looked at the book. Upon seeing those words written down, he snatched away the book and mumbled, “That's not what it's supposed to say…” He flipped through the book and realized all of the hints and situations were replaced with nothing but sass and death threats.
Kakashi peaked over at the book, only to immediately deadpan.
At the same time, Tenzō and Kakashi groaned, “Ren…”
“Hue hue hue~,” said delinquent cackled as he appeared at the back of the group. “I bought it just for Sai.”
“Ren! We're trying to integrate him into normal society!” The brunette exclaimed as he threw his arms into the air.
“Yeah, and he can't be a pushover. Those books were making him a little bitch.” Ren paused before looking at Sai. “No offense.”
“Some taken,” the former Root member replied.
“Yes! Correct answer!” The whitenette exclaimed while looking at his self-declared kōhai approvingly.
“Wrong! The answer is none taken!” Yamato argued.
“Bah! What a pussy answer!” Ren yelled, earning a punch to the back of his head from Kakashi.
“Shut up. You're going to attract every enemy in a hundred kilometer radius,” Sakura scolded, causing the amber-eyed Haruno to purse his lips.
“I already do that on a regular basis,” her twin stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. He received another snack to the back of his head so hard, it nearly dispelled him. As he laid in a crater, he groaned in delight before saying, “Yeah, this is what I missed all those years…”
“You're such a weirdo,” Naruto commented.
Ren raised up a thumb in approval.
“Let's hurry up the dramatics,” the mother hen of Team Seven urged as he looked up at the positioning of the sun.
“Got it,” the whitenette chirped as he hopped up and shunshined to his taichō’s side. “I'll be quiet now.”
Sakura snorted as Sasuke gave a look of stoic disbelief.
Naruto shook his head with an amused smirk.
Kakashi thought, I'll believe it when I see it.
Tenzō? He gave a deep sigh before just walking on. He was done with Ren's shit for a long while.
Ren gave a small smile as he followed after the brunette, motioning for the others to follow suit.
After a few glances, shrugs were given and the four followed suit.
~
Tobi or not Tobi. That is the question, I thought as I used my binoculars to see into the distance. I internally sighed at the object not being his odd mask. Well, at least I won't have to deal with him for the time being. Let's just get to Kidoba…