(The day after the Battle of the Legendary Three......)
Naruto woke up with a light yawn. He lightly winced as the bright sunlight invaded his peripheral. He had to blink a few times before his eyes became adjusted to the new lighting.He looked around and saw that he was in a different hotel room that was double bedded like the last one. He saw Jiraiya's traveling bag sitting on the desk table and deduced that he was in their room.
He looked out the window and saw that it was late noon. He pushed the covers off himself and swung his legs over his bed. It was at this moment that he noticed that he was wearing a fresh set of clothing. He wondered who changed him. Hopefully they didn't see too much. He honestly wasn't in the mood for any interrogation at the moment. He hopped out of the bed and stood to stretch. He heard a few bones pop and his muscles rejected the pull, causing him to groan.
Once he got his body to loosen up, he found his travel bag and took it to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, he came out fully refreshed and walked toward the window to open it. He waited a few minutes until a black bird landed on the sill. And then, it dispersed.
Naruto closed his eyes as he received his clones memories. When he finally opened his eyes, the boy smirked and closed the window.
"Well I'll be damned." he said to no one. "Looks like granny can really deal out some damage when she's serious. She handed Orochimaru his ass on a silver platter." he chuckled.
A clone appeared beside him as he turned to it. As much as he wanted to fully review what happened and what has been happening, he had something else to do that was more important. The clone in front of him looked back at him expectantly. It was one of his more durable clones that he created. One of his special clones if you may.
"You already know what to do." Naruto said.
The clone nodded and hopped back into bed, resuming his former position on the bed. While clone went back to sleep for him, Naruto transformed into a taller, cloaked figure with a white mask. He gave his clone one last glance before phasing out of existence. He had a lot to do today and it was already late.
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Naruto stood in a wooded clearing on the far outskirts of Tanzaku Gai. He was no longer transformed and was now wearing black shinobi pants with a shirt and sandals under a hooded cloak. He wore a bandanna over his head and black finger-less gloves. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was darkening. He hummed as he bit his thumb and went through a few hand seals before slamming his hand on the ground.
Marking appeared on the ground before a cloud of smoke covered the area. When the smoke abated, a giant scroll resided in the middle of the clearing. Naruto unrolled it and lied it on the ground before he turned to stare at the treeline. Minutes later, a few clones dashed into the clearing, all henged into different people and holding large scrolls.
It took nearly an hour until all of his clones that he had sent out privy to this day reported to him and brought their earnings before dispelling. By the time it was all over, Naruto's giant scroll was nearly stuffed with other scrolls and bags. He was re-rolling and closing the scroll with another cloaked figure appeared in the clearing. He could already tell who it was based off their chakra signature and he lightly smiled as he turned to face the figure. The giant scroll beside him poofed out of existence, earning a raised eyebrow from the newcomer.
"It's done." the cloaked figure spoke.
Naruto nodded. "Thank you, Seiji." he said. "I appreciate it. Really."
Seiji smirked at this. "Yeah. Whatever, kid." he said.
"Hn." Naruto said as he crossed his arms. "So here's the deal. I've gotten in contact with Aizu and he has already prepared a place for you to stay in the Land of Waves. As I said before, we will be heading there to meet him. You also be able to meet the others and get a more detailed explanation of our operations."
"Is that fine with you?" he asked.
Seiji nodded. "That's fine." he answered in amusement. "You're a busy little guy, aren't ya?" he teased.
Naruto's eye twitched at this. "I only do what I have to do." he said before his expressions became serious. "I need to ask you something."
Seiji straightened a little at his sudden change of tone. "Go ahead." he said.
"When I first met you, I told you that the reason I didn't kill you was because of pull." Naruto stated.
Seiji's eye twitched at this statement. He was glaring at the kid under his hood. Why the boy thought he could beat him, he did not know. Sure he was skilled for someone his age, but telling someone who's had years of experience over him that he could kill them? Damn kid had some serious balls on him. He continued to entertain the boy, silently wondering if the boy could back up his claims.
"Here's the thing." Naruto continued. "I've encountered other Uzumaki and I have never felt that. Hell, even as you stand before me, I can feel your chakra beckoning me. So what I wanted to ask you was what was it?"
Seiji thought for a second before he responded. "To be honest, I don't know." he said, earning a raised eyebrow from Naruto. "I haven't encountered many Uzumaki before you. I do remember a similar feeling when I was with my parents as a child, but I thought that was just the natural bond children formed with their mother and father."
"Truthfully, the last Uzumaki I ran into was when I was 24 years old and that was a brief encounter. I do not know where he is now." he replied a bit sadly.
They were silent for a moment with both parties in deep thought.
"Hmm...." Naruto hummed before turning to Seiji. "Spread your chakra." he demanded.
"What?" Seiji said in confusion.
"Permeate the area around us with your chakra." Naruto reiterated. "I'm going to see if I can anchor my own chakra with yours and link it."
Seiji looked at him for a moment before he gave him a hesitant nod. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Naruto watched as chakra began to leak out of his body that held a unique steel blue hue. The chakra than began to spread around the area around them. Knowing he was going to have to be quick, Naruto closed his eyes as well and began to summon his chakra. Blue chakra flowed form his body onto area as well, overlapping Seiji's chakra.
With a furrowed brow, Naruto formed an unusual hand seal, locking his chakra onto Seiji's. The pull only strengthened and Naruto subconsciously moved closer Seiji. Seiji suddenly held his hand out toward Naruto on impulse. Naruto took it and what happened next shocked the both of them.
A link of some sort was made between them and a strong jolt shot through them before a sense of familiarity and understanding toward each other fell upon them. Then another jolt shot through them and suddenly images of a younger Seiji appeared before his mind. It was he was watching a flick of every thing that happened in this man's life and felt like he was experiencing it for himself. Seiji was experiencing the same thing, seeing everything that Naruto had been through and even some of the deepest secrets he held to his heart. The older Uzumaki gasped when the rush ended and all of his chakra surged back into his body.
He took a step back, tripping over nothing and falling on his ass. Naruto said nothing as his chakra jetted back into his body. He only stared at his hand with a small frown. By this time, Seiji's hood had fallen off his head, revealing stunned red head with wide eyes. The man was literally shocked into silence, staring at the boy in front of him as his mind tried to process what he had just seen.
The atmosphere was tense and Naruto refused to make eye contact with Seiji. He could already feel his eyes on him and deduced that he must have seen his memories just as he had seen his. He inwardly sighed at this and became a little irate.
When he finally turned to face Seiji, the man was still looking at him with his mouth gaped open like a fish. "I see." Naruto said thoughtfully. "So it's like some type of soul link."
Seeing that Seiji wasn't saying anything, he continued. "So would that identify as a kekkei genkai or tōta?" he asked himself with a frown. "I'm going to have to search the clan archives. The Uzumaki had so many damn secrets that it makes no sense." he said with a chuckle.
Seiji still hadn't said anything as he stared at Naruto. Naruto sighed at this and walked up to the man that was stunned to silence. He reared his fist back before giving him a right hook to face, sending the man crashing into the ground head first. It took Seiji a moment to realize what happened. When he did, his face became as red as his hair and he stood up immediately. He glared down at the boy who looked completely indifferent about the situation.
"What the hell was that?!" he yelled angrily.
"You were sitting on your ass like an idiot." Naruto deadpanned. "I wasn't going to wait all day for you to get your shit together."
Seiji growled as he grabbed Naruto by his collar. When he tried to return the favor, he ended up punching the through a log of wood. Seiji became even more furious and looked around for the boy.
"Are you done yet?" Naruto said tired from his perch from the tree. "You know, for someone older and much more seasoned than I, I expected you control your emotions much better."
Seiji glared at him before closing his eyes and calmed himself. Naruto sighed as he hopped out of the tree. Before his feet could touch the ground, he suddenly felt something collide with the left side of his face. Naruto was sent crashing into a tree, completely breaking through it. He groaned as he was finally embedded deep within a thick tree. When he finally pulled himself out, he stumbled a little before he finally was able to recollect himself. He walked back to the clearing, pulling a few pieces of wood and leaves form his persons.
"Happy now." Naruto said as he spit blood on the ground. He could already feel his left cheek bruising.
"Hm." Seiji hummed with his arms crossed.
Naruto simple chuckled. "You're an Uzumaki, alright." he said. "And pack one hell of a punch."
A small smile appeared on Seiji's face at how he simply shrugged off what happened. "Likewise." he replied before he became serious and turned to face him.
Naruto raised an eyebrow at him at his swift change of emotion. Seiji held his hand out, his eyes demanding him to meet his gaze. When their eyes met, Naruto saw nothing but respect and loyalty behind them, catching him by surprise. Hardening his stare, Naruto took his hand, that disappeared into his larger one, much to his annoyance.
"You have my loyalty and my skills at your disposal." Seiji said. "Commander Kitsune."
Naruto nodded as he shook his hand. "Thank you." he said. "And please just call me Naruto. I don't really want anyone knowing who I am."
Seiji nodded his head as he released his hand. He had seen everything so he had a better understanding than most. His amusement returned as he continued to stare down at Naruto. It was so hard to believe that this kid was doing so much and was one of the strongest people in his village. To top it of, he managed to get contact information from people in high places and was running an entire operation of business and politics a like. To think he was able to annex an entire country in only a month. The boy was truly something else.
Seiji nodded and they both disappeared from the clearing. Naruto began their journey southwest toward the southern border of the River Country to get to Nami no Kuni. They run to their destination was silent. They were shadows moving about the trees in the night. At their speed, they were able to reach the place in three hours. Seiji's expressions became staunch as they finally landed on a small dark road.
Naruto slowed their pace as he walked down the familiar dirt path. The scent of the ocean invaded his nostrils and he could see a house in the distance. As the view grew closer, he could see that most of the light were off except for the one downstairs. He could sense that the residents were still asleep.
When he finally got to the door, he gave it a few firm knocks. A few minutes later, he heard the lock on the door click and it slowly opened. Naruto pulled down the hood of his cloak, not wanting to scare the lady to death. Seeing what the boy was doing, Seiji followed since he had never been to the place before. When the door fully opened, a short woman with dark eyes opened the door.
She flicked on a light, giving the visitors a better view of what she looked like. She had long blue-colored hair and wore a short-sleeved pink shirt with the end of the sleeves and the collar being red. Paired with it, was long blue skirt and her skin was fair. Naruto could see the drowsiness in her eyes and knew that she had just woken up. She had to blink a few times before her gaze settled upon the two figures at the door.
A look of confusion graced her expressions until her eyes landed on the shorter figure. She instantly recognized those whiskered cheeks and blue eyes and gave him a light smile. She almost didn't recognize him with that bandanna and dark clothing.
"Hello, Naruto-kun." she greeted kindly.
"Hi, Tsunami-san." Naruto said before he gave her a bow. "My apologies for intruding into your home at such a late hour."
Tsunami waved her hand dismissively. "No, it's fine. I'm just glad you let me know before you came." she said. "You don't have to bow to me, Naruto-kun."
"You should get used to it, Tsunami-san." Naruto said with a small smile. "You are the daimyo's daughter, after all."
Tsunami just shook her head as her eyes landed upon the taller gentleman beside him. She knew by color of his hair that he was an Uzumaki. When their eyes met, Tsunami lightly blushed before looking away. One things she could say was that the Uzumaki sure had some good genes. Almost all of the one's she's encountered so far have been good-looking. She wondered if it was some type routine or ritual they did to make them look that good.
Catching her gaze, Naruto stepped to the side and introduced his companion. "Tsunami-san, this is Seiji. He will be staying in the Wave to help Aizu out with everything as well as search for our other scattered clansmen." he said.
"Pleased to meet you ma'am." Seiji said as he offered his hand.
"Likewise." Tsunami said. "And please, you may call me Tsunami."
"Has Aizu arrived yet?" Naruto said as he entered into the house, followed by Seiji.
"No." Tsunami answered as she shut and locked the door. "He had gotten held up in Uzu so he had to catch a later boat."
Naruto nodded as he removed his shoes at the genkan and placed them in a designated area neatly before moving on to the living room. Seiji followed suit while Tsunami excused herself to the kitchen.
"Would you gentlemen like any tea?" she asked.
"That would be greatly appreciated." Naruto said as he headed toward the open dining room.
He took a seat at the table and got comfortable. He saw Seiji looking around the place as he made his way to the table. Naruto didn't blame him. It was rather nice and had a homey feel to it. They had a pier outback and a great view of the ocean from upstairs. Seiji finally took a seat at the table and slouched. He closed his eyes and rested his arms across his chest. Naruto noticed the light bags under his eyes and knew that he was probably tired. He had been running around the Elemental Nations for several weeks now and hadn't gotten the time to truly relax. He made a mental note to give man a day or two of rest before he became fully active in their operation.
Twenty minutes later, Tsunami came out of the kitchen with a tray of tea. She set it on table and placed the yunomi in front of them before pouring tea into them. They thanked her as they reached for their cups. Naruto blew into his cup a little to try to cool before drinking it while Seiji took large sips like it was water.
"Are you guys hungry?" Tsunami asked. "I can make you something if you'd like."
Naruto gave her a small smile. "We are fine, Tsunami-san. Thank you." he replied.
Tsunami nodded and stood around for a little while before she finally took a seat at the table as well. They all sat in silence for a little while before Naruto decided to strike up a conversation.
"So how's the Old Man?" he asked Tsunami.
"Working hard as usual." Tsunami said with a hint of exasperation. "He can't sit still for life itself."
Naruto chuckled at this. "Well, he's a busy man. Productive men work around the clock." he said.
Tsunami sighed. "I reckon so." she replied.
Naruto took a drink of his tea before continuing his conversation. "And Inari's well, I presume." he said.
Tsunami seemed to brighten at the mention of his name and she nodded again. "Yep. He's doing great." she said with a smile. "When he's not working with his grandpa, he's practicing swordsmanship with Aizu."
"Who's Inari?" Seiji asked, joining the conversation.
"My son." Tsunami said as she turned to him.
"I see." Seiji stated with a nod. He hadn't missed the picture that was hanging on the wall and he assumed that that must have been the boy's father.
"So how have you been holding up, Tsunami?" Naruto asked. "I see you taking care of everyone. I want to make sure you're okay as well."
Tsunami smiled at his concern and her gaze softened. "I'm fine, Naruto-kun." she said. "It's that things have gotten even more busy since you've last been here. I didn't know that being a daimyo was that laborious."
Naruto nodded in understanding. "Yeah, leadership is no joke." he commented. "I remember when I first introduced Aizu to the job. Poor man almost blew a fuse looking at the first contract I showed him. Thank Kami he was a quick learner."
"Really? I would've thought that he had been a daimyo before, or at least worked for one." Tsunami said. "The way he handles everything is like he had been doing it for years."
"Well, that's Aizu for you." Naruto said with a smirk.
They continued to make small talk for about an hour before they heard a knock at the door. Tsunami excused herself from the table and went to answer the door. Naruto just sipped his tea, already knowing who it was. It was about time he got there. He heard Tsunami and the visitor have a small exchange before he heard footsteps enter the house. A few seconds later, Tsunami entered the room, followed by another individual.
Seiji glanced behind him to see who it was. The gentleman behind the lady of the house was a fellow red head like himself. His hair was a few shades darker than his own, being garnet in color and it stopped at his upper back. It had little life to it and some of it was pulled into a ponytail. His eyes were red and he sported a chin curtain. He was bulky and wore a dark gray yukata. He was around 5'9" in height and held an intimidating presence about himself like a chief or general. Seiji also noticed the katana he had at the side of his hip.
He watched the man remove his weapon and lean it against the wall before turning toward the table. He looked at Naruto and gave him nod in which he returned before his gaze settled upon the other red head. His eyes locked into a pair of dark gray ones and held them there. The two stared at each other for a while before they both smirked, confusing Tsunami who was becoming uncomfortable at the tense silence that was between them.
Seiji stood up and offered his hand. "Uzumaki Seiji." he introduced.
"Uzumaki Aizu." Aizu greeted, clasping his hand with Seiji's.
As he grasped his hand, a jolt went through both of their bodies and that same feeling from before swept through them. Aizu felt foreign memories invade his mind and a feeling of familiarity and mutual understanding settled upon him. When they finally let go, both of them had to blink a few times before they stared at each other.
"What...the hell...was that?" Aizu finally spoke.
Naruto simply drunk his tea. "We don't know." he spoke, catching both of their attention. "I told him that I would look through the clan archives to see if I can find something."
"Hm." Aizu hummed as he went to take a seat at the table.
Tsunami disappeared into the kitchen before coming back out with tea and another yunomi. She placed the cup in front of Aizu and filled it with hot tea. He gave her a small 'thank you' and Tsunami nodded in response before refilling Naruto's and Seiji's cups. Once she was done, she disappeared back into the kitchen with the tea and sat it back on the stove.
"So, you're the bounty hunter Naruto was telling me about." Aizu said as he sipped his tea. "I'll admit, I hadn't heard about you until he mentioned. Did some research on my own and I see you've built an interesting reputation."
"Which one?" Seiji said.
"Both of them." Aizu replied.
"Did the Old Man tell you how I almost killed him?" Naruto said with a smirk.
Seiji glared at him. "You did not. It was an even match." he replied. "Besides, had I known I was fighting Konoha's ANBU Commander, I would taken you more seriously."
"That's why you shouldn't underestimate your opponents." Naruto replied. "Even though I didn't know who you were, I didn't underestimate you for a second."
Seiji scowled at him. "I don't need you lecturing me, kid." he said. "If anything, I should be the one lecturing you."
"Truth is truth." Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he took a drink of his tea.
"How old are you?" Aizu asked out of the blue.
"41." Seiji answered. "You?"
"I'm 36." Aizu replied. "Guess I'm not the oldest one here anymore."
"You're 36?" Seiji asked a little surprised.
Aizu nodded. "Why? Did you think I was older?" he asked.
Seiji shook his head. "No. While your beard does make you look more mature, I thought you were in 20s." he answered.
"Hm." Aizu said before he smirked. "Well we weren't known as the village of longevity for nothing." he commented before he turned toward Naruto. "I mean look at Naruto. The kid's 12 and still looks like someone in their 2nd year of the Academy."
A tick marked formed on Naruto's face. "Oy!" he said.
Seiji and Aizu both laughed at this. It take them long to figure out how entertaining it was to rile the blond up. Naruto inwardly smiled as his clansmen laughed at him. He had to admit, he really felt at home whenever he came to visit. It was really refreshing.
"So, you're a samurai right?" Seiji said to Aizu. "I assume you're from the Land of Iron."
Aizu shook his head. "I'm a ronin." he replied. "I was born in a territory not far from Takigakure, though I didn't really know my parents. I was actually apprenticed by a smith and I traveled to the Land of Iron to study swordsmanship."
Aizu then patted the side of his torso. "I actually earned my marks of honor under a kenshi. I found that a lot of ku-budō in Tetsu no Kuni were a little too strict for my liking. After my master died, I went back to my place of birth and wandered for a while." he finished.
"And how did you meet Naruto?" Seiji asked curiously.
"I actually met Aizu after an infiltration mission in Takigakure." Naruto voiced. "I just happened to find him in a bar I was in."
Seiji raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on. He didn't even need to be surprised by that information. They three gentlemen continued to talk, sharing laughs and learning more about each other. The atmosphere was light and a barely noticeable smile graced Naruto's face as he listened to his kinsmen intently. Tsunami had eventually taken a seat at the table and joined the conversation although she didn't say much. After an hour and a half of becoming more familiar with each other, Naruto loudly cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention.
At the serious expression on his face, Seiji and Aizu subconsciously straightened up and so did Tsunami. They all looked at him expectantly as Naruto adjusted the bandanna on his head.
"Alright." Naruto finally spoke as he turned to Aizu. "What's going on with Uzu?"
"Reconstruction will be done by next week. Tazuna arrived there with his crew last Thursday to check on the foundation and structures of what your clones rebuilt. He also ran thorough checks on the bridge constructions." Aizu replied. "He is due back to the Wave at the end of the week."
Naruto nodded. "That's good." he replied. "And I take it that Chiba clan has already arrived here?"
"Yes. They got here a month ago." Aizu answered.
"I will be staying the night here so I would like for you to set up a meeting with their clan head." Naruto said. "I at least want to one of them to see my face since I won't coming back for a long time."
Aizu nodded. "Speaking of clan heads, I managed to get in contact with another clan two weeks ago." he informed.
"Really. What's the clan name and what are their numbers?" Naruto asked with interest.
"The Yakushi Clan." Aizu answered. "And they are about 100 strong. Mifune was the one that informed me about them."
"Wow." Naruto said as he took a drink of his tea. "That's a good bit of people. I'll be sure send Mifune a nice gift of gratitude."
The genin then turned to look at Aizu. "Tomorrow, I want to meet up with all our clansmen we have found. As soon as Uzu is finished with construction, I want everyone moved there, including the Chiba Clan after I meet with the clan head." he instructed. "Because I do not want Uzu on the map yet, the Nami no Kuni will still be our rendevous point."
"I know a few clans although I don't know where all of them are located." Seiji offered.
Naruto and Aizu turned to him.
"Really?" Aizu asked, receiving a nod from Seiji.
"There's a clan in Mizu no Kuni that have been in hiding for a while now." Seiji said before his thoughts became thoughtful. "Only problem is that they were originally from Yuki no Kuni. Since the Bloodline Purge, it don't know whether they moved back or have turned to nomadic practices."
Naruto simply nodded. "Well, you and Aizu can discuss those matters later and just send me a report like usual. I have some more important matters to discuss." he stated, earning nods from both men.
"Aizu, the reason why I want to meet with our clansmen tomorrow is because I'm going to need them to be more active in our operations." Naruto answer. "The Sandaime has been keeping a close eye on me for a minute now and I'm afraid he won't be the only one."
Aizu raised an eyebrow at this. "Why?" he asked.
Naruto sighed at this. "Certain information was revealed that wasn't supposed to. Sandaime as well as a few jonin and clan heads found out that I was in the ANBU." he said.
"You mean, they know you're the Commander?" Seiji asked.
"No." Naruto replied. "They still think we're two completely different people. However, that doesn't stop them from snooping in on my business. Not only am I suspicious in their eyes, I am considered a flight risk. I can't tell you how annoying it is to have your own men spying on you every time you go home. It's such a nuisance."
Aizu nodded his head. "I see." he said. "So we really won't be seeing you for a minute, huh?"
Naruto nodded.
"How did they find out, anyway?" Seiji asked.
"Well, the Hokage decided it was a great idea to show everyone their future so he used a time-space fuinjutsu to show it to a few of my schoolmates and their parents our future. It was poor judgment on his part." Naruto answered, feeling a need for something stronger than tea at the moment.
Seiji and Aizu blinked at this information. Aizu was the first to snap out of his stupor and speak.
"How did he get his hands on a jutsu like that?" Aizu asked.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "My best guest is he got it from the Hokage's vault. You know the Nidaime was known for experimenting with jutsu like that." he said as he rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know what possessed Mito-sama to actually teach that man anything. I know for sure it wasn't the Shinigami."
"Anyways, to keep things progressive, everyone's help is solicited." Naruto continued.
Both Seiji and Aizu nodded in understanding.
"Tsunami-san." Naruto called out, catching her attention. "I understand that filling in for your father as daimyo can be a lot of work and I want to say keep up the good work. Soon, the Wave will be receiving more traffic due to it's ports and the country will need a steady and guiding hand to maneuver through all of the attention."
"That is also the reason why I'm moving every one to Uzu." Naruto said as he turned to Aizu and Seiji. "Traffic invites unwanted visitors like spies. I don't need anyone knowing of Uzu's reemergence or our affiliation with Nami No Kuni. At least not yet. Our actions need to be subtle as possible."
Aizu nodded. "I've already given the soldiers we were able to gain from Gato their training manuals. I'll make sure they are up to part and continue to look for more shinobi to join our ranks." he said.
Naruto nodded at this as he took a drink of his tea. "So how goes the search for our scattered clansmen?" he asked.
"I haven't found anyone yet." Aizu said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hopefully, with Seiji's help, we'll be able to make more progress in our findings."
Naruto gulped down the rest of his tea before placing the cup on the floor and standing up from his seat. Everyone raised and eyebrow at him as he pushed his chair back to give him standing room.
"You guys might want to clear the table and stand back." he warned as he bit his thumb.
The others did as they were told. They couldn't even keep up with his hand movements as he rushed through a few hand seals before slamming them on the table. An array of marking spread onto the table before a giant scroll appeared in a cloud of smoke. Aizu raised an eyebrow at this. What in the hell was this kid doing with a big ass scroll like this. Naruto gave an indignant huff as he walked around the table, knowing that they couldn't see him behind this scroll.
"What is this Naruto?" Aizu asked, looking down at the kid standing beside him.
"Money." Naruto stated, earning shocked looks from Seiji and Tsunami.
"How much?" he question.
Naruto gave him a cheeky grin. "You'll have to find out and see." he replied.
Aizu rolled his eyes. "Brat." he said, earning a glare from Naruto.
"How are we supposed to get this out of here?" Seiji asked.
Naruto didn't reply as he summoned a bottle of ink and brush. "Give me your arm, Aizu." he ordered.
Aizu gave him his arm and watched as he rolled the sleeve of his yukata. He dipped his brush into the ink before he began to draw an odd looking symbol. When he finished the seal, the ink bottle and brushed poofed out of existence and the blond formed a single-handed seal, causing the seal to glow before returning to normal.
"Bite your thumb and smear blood on it." Naruto instructed.
Aizu did as he was told. Naruto went through hand seals that no one but Seiji recognized before the giant scroll on the table disappeared the way it came. Aizu blinked at this before he turned to Naruto with a raised eyebrow.
"It's a summoning seal. All you have to do is smear your blood on your seal and scroll will summon or disperse." Naruto explain before he crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, we need to work on you fūinjutsu skills. Our ancestors are rolling over in their graves right now at the fact you could not recognize what that seal was or create it yourself."
Aizu glared at him. "I can't wait to the day we actually get to fight." he said.
"I'll add you to the waiting list." Naruto chirped as Aizu scowled at him.
Naruto then turned to Tsunami and bow. "My apologies for placing your dishes on the floor. I don't mind cleaning them for you." he said.
Tsunami gave him a small smile. "It's fine, Naruto-kun." she replied as she placed her cup on the table and walked around the table to grab Naruto's cup off the floor. "I understand, honestly. And you don't have about cleaning them."
Naruto stared at her unconvinced. Seiji saw the look he was giving her and sighed as he grabbed his and Aizu's cups.
"I'll help her, Naruto." he said, catching the blond's attention.
Naruto nodded to him in appreciation before he turned to Aizu who was watching Seiji leave into the kitchen with Tsunami.
"Aizu." Naruto called out, catching the man's attention. "That money is more than enough to take care of everything that needs to be taken care of. With are several contracts that I need you to review and be informed about. I have also composed a file of several contacts I have garnished since my last visit. If you need help organizing the information and treasury, I only want Seiji and Honoka to have access to them. Anyone else is not permitted."
Aizu nodded in understanding.
"By the beginning of next year, I will be sending Tazuna to Uzushio to begin construction. I will send you a set of files of what I would like done and established. I will also be visiting Uzu to create that teleportation seal we've been discussing." Naruto said as Seiji and Tsunami walked back into the room.
"Tsunami-san, if you can, I would like two reports on what has been happening here since my last visit. The second report will be for Aizu to keep on file." Naruto said. "You don't have to rush to do it, but I would like it by tomorrow evening if you can."
Tsunami nodded. "Sure, Naruto-kun." she replied.
Aizu looked on the seal on his arm as he unrolled his sleeve. He then turned to the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearing mid-night. He cleared his throat and turned to everyone who was all looking at him.
"It's getting late." Aizu said, causing everyone to glance at the clock. "I wouldn't want to keep Tsunami any longer than I have to. I'll be heading home now."
Naruto nodded to him as he held his hand out. "Good night, Aizu." he said.
Aizu shook the boy's hand. "Good night, Naruto." he replied before turning to Seiji.
They gave each other a forearm shake before he turned to shake Tsunami's hand as well. After a final goodnight, went to put on his shoes and he left. Tsunami disappeared into the kitchen again, cutting the light off before she came back to the dining area and ushered the two visitors upstairs.
"I've already prepared two rooms for you tonight." Tsunami said as she walked up the stairs with Naruto and Seiji following behind her. "The bathroom is down the hall to the right. If you need any extra pillows and blankets, the hallway closet is not far from the bathroom."
"We appreciate your hospitality, Tsunami." Naruto said as they stopped at her room door. "If there's anything you need, never be afraid to ask."
Tsunami smiled at him and ruffled at his head. "Sure, little man." she teased.
Naruto huffed and turned away in pout while Seiji chuckled at him. Tsunami giggled at his disgruntled expression.
"Good night, Tsunami." Seiji said with a small smile.
Tsunami returned it. "Good night, Seiji." she said before shutting her door.
"First name basis, huh?" Naruto said as they walked down the hall. "You work fast."
Seiji punched him in the head, earning a small 'ow' from the boy. "Shut up." he said.
Naruto laughed as he rubbed his head. He said good night to Seiji before heading to his room. After a hot shower and a fresh set of clothes, Naruto hopped in the bed and went to sleep. He at least wanted to get a few hours in before he was back at work again.