Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Broken Branches	By : ChaCha92 Category: Naruto AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 8176 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Don't own anything in the Naruto universe. Some dude in Japan does. Make no money on my stories either.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
A light spring breeze whispers through one of the many castle courtyards, gently rustling the fruit trees in the late morning sunlight.
A mature woman strolls a meandering path bordered by rose bushes brilliantly blooming in a variety of exotic colors and dotted with small, burbling springs, enjoying the beauty surrounding her with a discerning eye. Her elegant robes of sea blues and greens float and sway slightly in the breeze as she moves. Most of her auburn hair dusted with graying highlights is fashioned into an elegant upsweep and held in place with jeweled hair ornaments. Over her left shoulder a long, thick braid cascades down as a sort of epaulet.
Following a bend in the path as it eases lower into an open area with a large fountain situated in the center. Sharp brown eyes zone in on a particular rose bush bursting with large, lavender blossoms. Leaning in for a closer look, her serene countenance turns furious before she straightens up to call out with an unladylike bellow.
“Takara! Takara! Come here at once!”
She doesn’t wait long before a young woman in her late teens appears from one of the side corridors of the surrounding structure.
She’s dressed like a typical kunoichi, wearing a long sleeve net shirt under a short sleeved, dark blue battle kimono bearing the swirling Uzumaki crest on the back. The strawberry blonde wears her curly hair in two high pigtails that merge into one, thick textured braid that runs from the base of her skull down the length of her back.
It takes her a few moments to navigate the winding, twisting path before coming to a stop before the shorter, impatiently waiting older woman.
“Yes, Noriko-sama?”
“Took you long enough to get here,” Noriko snaps.
“You had the garden designed this way and hate for us to leap to your side because you’re afraid we’ll damage your precious roses,” Takara drolly points out.
“A true ninja would manage such a simple feat much faster,” she huffs in irritation. “I want you to bring Naruto here at once,” she demands.
“What did the little troublemaker do now?” the teen sighs in annoyance.
Deigning to say a word, Noriko merely points to the rose bush. Leaning in, Takara looks at the plant more closely before straightening up with an arched brow.
“This doesn’t look like the brat’s handiwork. It’s still intact.”
Maintaining a bored countenance, Takara smirks inwardly at the other woman’s body stiffening into a rigid line, her hands clenched at her sides and her face bearing a furious expression.
“There are two blooms missing!” she snaps again in annoyance.
“Isn’t it better to clip them off to encourage more growth?” the blonde asks in feigned curiosity.
“Just go get Naruto!” Noriko snarls. “Then you can go back to the nothing you were doing before!”
Rolling her hazel eyes, Takara turns and follows the path back out of the garden just to irritate Noriko further before heading straight to the kitchens where she’s certain to find Naruto.
Minutes later she pauses in the doorway of the kage’s private kitchen. She sees the back of a middle aged woman with a small, red headed girl standing on a stool, watching the woman knead some dough on the floured tabletop.
The pair doesn’t notice Takara watching them. For the thousandth time she mentally muses at how youthful looking the older woman is despite being well into her 40’s. The only signs of her age are the graying strands dusting the dark red hair bound up in a bun, the slight matronly softening of her still fit body and the laugh lines creasing sparkling green eyes. She wears an apron over a simple tan house yukata also bearing the Uzumaki crest on the back.
The little girl is small for her five years, but as feisty as any Uzumaki. She attentively watches the older woman work, asking thousands of questions like a typical child. Her long hair is braided into a single plait and she also wears a brown house yukata bearing the Uzumaki crest that belies her true status as a member of the ruling family.
Stepping forward, Takara is halfway across the room when the pair finally notices her.
“Takara!” the little girl joyfully cries.
“Morning, Atsuko. Hey there, midget,” Takara greets the pair while waving lazily.
Jumping down from her stool, Naruto rushes over and wraps her arms around the blonde’s legs. Returning the hug Takara smiles fondly at the little girl.
“You won’t like this, but I came to fetch you on the diva’s orders.”
The little redhead releases Takara’s legs to step back and gape up at her with big, incredulous blue eyes.
“What has Naruto supposedly done now?” Atsuko sighs in exasperation, reaching for a nearby discarded towel to clean her hands.
Naruto frowns in concentration and her gaze drifts down as Takara rests a hand on her head while answering.
“Noriko-sama is upset because there are two blossoms missing from one of her prized rose bushes.”
“Oh my! The world is going to end! Two buds are missing from the diva’s garden!” Atsuko gasps comically while dramatically slapping a hand to her cheek, causing Naruto to giggle.
“Only you can get away with mocking Noriko-sama like that,” the teen crosses her arms with a grin.
“It’s the truth and Noriko can’t deny it,” she scoffs, her hand dropping to her side. “Anyway, why does she think Naruto took her precious roses?”
“I honestly don’t know…” Takara’s voice trails off as her hazel eyes drift down to a now guilty looking little girl.
“Naruto?” Atsuko questions with slight suspicion, prompting said child to hesitantly raise her gaze. “What do you know about this?”
“I took them, but I was really careful, baa-chan,” she admits before moving to the nearest refrigerator to open it and remove two blooming, lavender roses arranged in a crystal vase.
“You stuck them in my refrigerator?” she grouses in annoyance as the child brings them over and places the vase on the nearest counter.
“I wanted them nice to give them to Noriko baa-chan for lunch,” Naruto explains, looking up at her.
“Don’t call Noriko-sama that to her face or you’ll get scolded worse,” Takara reminds her. “She’s already mad about the roses.”
“I wanted to do something nice and maybe get her to smile at me,” Naruto replies sadly, her gaze dropping to the floor.
Sighing softly, Atsuko steps over and pulls her into a hug, stroking her hair.
“You should stop trying, Naruto,” she soothes. “You’ll never win Noriko over. Your mother never did before she left.”
“Kushina gave up pretty early,” Takara snorts in amusement. “Then she devoted all her free time annoying the hell out of the old crone.”
“Don’t take it personally,” Atsuko continues stroking Naruto’s hair. “Noriko has a very selfish personality. She has a hard time loving anyone besides herself.” Stooping to press a kiss to the top of her head, she pulls back and gently nudges her shoulder encouragingly toward Takara. “Now go on before the diva gets angrier over nothing.”
“Chances are good you’re gonna get another training session with Hiroto as punishment, midget,” Takara warns.
“I hate training with him,” Naruto scrunches up her nose in disgust. “He’s mean and only talks about boring stuff like duty.”
“Yeah, well, don’t let him hear you say that or he’ll make it worse,” Takara smirks. Jerking her head toward the door, she adds, “C’mon. Let’s get this over with.”
Nodding, Naruto grudgingly follows Takara out of the kitchen. Within minutes they’ve navigated back to where Noriko still fusses over the rose bush.
“I brought Naruto, Noriko-sama,” Takara announces, attracting her attention.
Pinning the little girl standing next to the teen with a cold glare, Noriko approaches to tower over her.
“Do you know about the missing roses?” she demands imperiously.
“Yes, Noriko-sama,” Naruto nods. “They’re a surprise so you can look at them while eating lunch.”
“You could’ve killed the rose bushes!” Noriko scolds.
“What are you ranting about now, Noriko?” a male voice demands in annoyance.
The trio looks off to a side path to see an older man entering the garden with Hiroto trailing right behind him. His broad, muscular frame draped in expensive red and dark blue robes stands as tall as Hiroto. His long, thinning white hair with strong traces of red is tied back into a low ponytail.
Joining the three females, his keen, pale blue eyes take in the scene before arching a red brow, his expression silently repeating his question to Noriko.
Pointing accusingly at the rose bush in question, Noriko complains, “Naruto broke off two flowers without permission, damaging the plants.”
Cocking his head slightly, he looks at Naruto.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, Raiden-jiji,” she admits, looking up at him fearfully. “I took them to surprise Noriko-sama with them for lunch.”
Raiden’s eyes shift over to the bush in question and steps over to it. He spends a few minutes leaning over and noting the freshly cut branches. Straightening up, he gives Noriko a sardonic look.
“As usual, my dear wife, you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
“I am not!” she snaps defensively. “These are my private gardens and,” she points accusingly at Naruto, “she didn’t have permission to take those flowers!” Dropping her hand she sneers at her, “She has the eyes of that thief, so it must be in her nature.”
“It’s hardly stealing when the flowers are coming right back to you as a surprise,” he drolly retorts. “You’re always clipping them and decorating your rooms with them, so why are you razing the heavens over nothing?”
“Why are you excusing her bad deeds?” Noriko irritably asks instead of answering his question.
“I do not excuse bad behavior,” Raiden coldly replies, pinning his wife with an equally frosty glare. “I appropriately punish Naruto when she has legitimately done something wrong. Getting on your bad side, which is a national sport in the castle, doesn’t qualify.” Clasping his hands behind his back, he adds, “I wish for my granddaughter to learn the appropriate lessons when necessary, but I will not have her jumping at shadows, wondering if every action she takes is wrong.”
Seeing Noriko has no further argument, he turns to Naruto.
“Do not cut, take or damage the roses in any way again or we’ll never hear the end of it, is that understood?”
“Yes, Jiji,” she nods before throwing her arms around his legs in a hug.
Chuckling, he pats her head.
“Go back to what you were doing.”
Nodding again, Naruto races out of the garden.
“You’re too soft with that brat,” Noriko snarls, whirling on Raiden.
“Not at all,” he shakes his head. “Our mistake with Kushina was our hold was too tight. The more we tried clamping down, the more she fought against us until she finally broke free.” Seeing she still doesn’t agree, he continues. “I’m giving Naruto enough breathing room to prevent her from developing a reason to abandon her duties and obligations to our clan like her mother did.”
“Naruto’s discipline has improved considerably,” Hiroto finally speaks up. “I’d go so far to say she’s at genin level in her training and understands better the meaning of clan loyalty.”
“I still think it’s a bad idea to let her apprentice under Atsuko,” Noriko sniffs haughtily. “She was responsible for feeding Kushina’s rebellious streak.”
“Never mind that Atsuko has loyally served Raiden-sama for years and put up with your cranky ass,” Takara mutters under her breath.
Noriko glares at the blonde before shifting her glare to a sniggering Hiroto.
“Agreed. You had no problem letting Atsuko nanny Naruto like Kushina because you’re as nurturing as a scorpion.”
Ignoring his wife’s affronted expression, Raiden clasps his hands behind his back again and slowly strolls around the garden.
“It doesn’t matter now. We learned from our mistakes and Naruto is turning out quite well. It won’t be long before she’s ready then we can proceed with the next stage of our plan.”
“Are you still thinking of arranging a marriage to Fugaku’s youngest?” Noriko sullenly crosses her arms.
“Not anymore,” Raiden admits. “Fugaku has grown careless. He and some of his clansmen have become more openly defiant towards Minato, attracting the wrong kind of attention when they should be carefully guarding their intentions.”
“Do you think Konoha will act against the Uchiha clan?” Hiroto asks. “They’d lose a powerful dojutsu.”
“If I were in Minato’s shoes, I’d have already ordered their annihilation,” Raiden states, stopping to silently admire a bush with fiery red blooms. “I respect Fugaku and am grateful for the aid he’s given us over the years, but he and his clansmen have grown far too arrogant and bold. I do not wish for Uzushio to get caught up in that, not when we’re on the verge of reclaiming our former glory.”
“Honestly, what other options could there be?” Noriko scoffs.
“Quite a few viable ones,” he replies, straightening up completely to face her. “We could simply ransom Naruto back to Minato for money or aid in reclaiming our lost territory. Or we can negotiate an agreement of no retaliation for her safe return.”
“Why didn’t we do that sooner?” Takara asks in curiosity.
“Because Naruto wouldn’t have been loyal enough to follow orders to kill Minato upon her return,” Hiroto smirks.
“And it’d be no less than he deserves,” Raiden comments. “He interfered far too much in our plans for Kushina.” Stepping over to admire another rose bush with yellow flowers, he continues. “There’s still the option of marrying Naruto off. With her lineage we can easily find a suitable husband while gaining a powerful ally in return.”
“I believe Onoki of Iwa has an eligible son or grandson,” Hiroto ventures helpfully. “Hard to say which since he’s so secretive.”
“That would certainly be a devastating blow to that thief Minato’s ego to have his only child married into the family of Konoha’s old war nemesis,” Noriko sniffs in amusement.
“Then there are rumors of a group calling themselves the Akatsuki,” Raiden continues casually strolling along the roses.
“Aren’t they a bunch of rogue thugs from different ninja nations?” Takara frowns.
Raiden nods.
“Rumors aren’t much more than a few vague whispers. Their ranks apparently include some very powerful nins and I suspect they’ll eventually act against the standing nations. Perhaps we can negotiate a treaty with them, sparing us from whatever plan they have in mind in exchange for loaning them Naruto and the power of the Kyuubi.”
“Sounds too risky,” Noriko arches a brow. “You can’t trust the word of thugs. They could force Naruto to use the Kyuubi against us.”
“Which is the exact reason why I don’t want to be too stringent and heavy handed with her discipline,” Raiden drolly points out. “Not only do I wish to avoid her running away like Kushina, but I don’t want to risk her losing control and having the demon turn on us.” He distractedly waves off any further comments. “These are merely options before us. I’m not rushing into anything regarding Naruto. We merely have to be patient, waiting to see what opportunities present themselves and what outside factors emerge that could influence things before making a final decision.”
Stopping his stroll, he turns to his wife.
“Now if the crisis of the roses are over, Hiroto and I have more important matters to attend to.”
Noriko glares at him as Hiroto follows him out. Taking her cue, Takara discreetly disappears, leaving the older woman alone with her precious garden.
Having just loaded the tray of rolls into the oven, Atsuko straightens up in time to see Naruto trotting into the kitchen.
Smiling warmly at the child, she comments, “If you’re back already that must mean you didn’t get punished.”
Nodding her head, the little girl climbs onto her stepping stool at the table as Atsuko joins her.
“Jiji said not to touch the roses again,” she explains.
Reaching up Atsuko fondly brushes spiky red bangs.
“Good thing he was there or Noriko would’ve punished you anyway.”
Naruto nods before a confused expression crosses her face.
“Why does baa-chan keep calling my father a thief? You and Takara said my mother chose not to come back.”
Abruptly dropping her hand away from the child, Atsuko quickly moves about the kitchen, checking the doors and windows before returning to the table.
“In a way, your father did steal your mother’s heart,” she explains in a low voice, holding the little girl’s gaze. “Until she left for Konoha, she obediently followed your grandfather’s orders, but fell in love with Minato and chose not to return.”
“But Jiji said my father wouldn’t let her come back,” Naruto states, cocking her head to the side. “He said all Konoha nins kept a close eye on her and never gave her a chance to escape.”
“I really don’t know what happened,” Atsuko reluctantly admits. “I lost contact with Kushina after she graduated from the ninja academy and became the host for the Kyuubi.” Her voice drops lower to a near whisper. “I knew something was going on when all my letters from her were opened before I got them. Either your mother chose to defy Raiden or she was held in Konoha against her will.”
“But everyone says my mother was a really good ninja,” Naruto’s frown deepens. “Couldn’t she escape? Or knocked Jiji on his butt and told him to leave her alone if she wanted to stay?”
Sighing heavily, Atsuko hugs Naruto.
“I wish I knew. I like to think she fell in love and wanted to stay. She said she loved it there in the few letters I got from her. She seemed a lot happier than when she lived with us.”
“I wish I knew her,” Naruto mumbles into the hug. “She sounds awesome.”
“She was,” Atsuko replies in a soft, sad voice. “I know she loved you with all her heart because that’s who she was.” Leaning down she presses a kiss to the top of Naruto’s head before releasing her. “We better stop talking about this or we’ll both get in trouble. Besides, we have to finish lunch for your grandparents.”
Naruto nods and eagerly helps finish things up.
Long after the darkness of night fell, a lone, shadowy figure strolls along the lengthy verandas of the castle. A dense fog rolled in earlier as day surrendered to night. Most of the castle’s inhabitants were driven indoors. Despite the full moon hanging high, visibility is poor in the eerily glowing fog.
Built along the gradually rising slope of a dormant volcano, the castle was designed mostly as a long, single story, rectangular structure. Series of interconnected rooms form the outlines of stacked squares with open-air centers filled with gardens or used as training grounds. Rising from the center of the castle is a three-story structure that serves as the private residence of the ruling family.
At the four outermost corners of the castle are defunct, three story guard towers with two positioned at the highest points of the structure toward the mountaintop and two at the lowest points towards the ocean.
Having walked from Raiden’s residence toward the lower end of the castle, the figure enters a private apartment. Removing the knitted shawl covering her head, Atsuko turns from closing the door and is surprised to see Takara sitting on her bed across the room.
“What’s wrong? You rarely seek me out privately.”
“Yeah, which sucks but it’s too risky to visit more,” Takara replies, watching the older woman hang her shawl on a nearby hook. “Raiden’s such a control freak he’s suspicious of anyone who gets too friendly with each other, even if we’re all family, and seeks separates them.”
“That’s because he knows he’s a weak leader and almost no one is completely loyal to him,” Atsuko muses.
Walking over to a chest of drawers she pulls one open to rummage through it.
“I already scouted the area outside and everyone’s inside because of the fog.”
“I figured as much since you’re sitting on my bed and not hiding in the shadows,” Atsuko absently replies, closing the drawers.
She briefly disappears into the bathroom and returns minutes later dressed in a casual cream yukata to sit on the bed opposite of Takara.
“Unlike his father, Raiden is incapable of trusting anyone who questions him. A good leader knows they can’t rule alone and should value the input of the people surrounding them, even if they’re in disagreement.” Sighing, Atsuko runs a weary hand through her bangs since her red hair is now loosely braided. “I always hated the rigid control Raiden tries having over everyone and everything since he took over as clan head. It’s impossible to maintain and you end up losing the very things you want to control.”
“That’s kinda why I stopped by tonight.” Takara’s voice drops lower as she warns, “I have to tell you what I learned today and you’re not going to like it at all.”
Atsuko arches a brow but listens in growing concern as the blonde repeats what happened in the garden after Naruto left. When finished the older woman closes her green eyes briefly in dismay.
“They’re setting out to destroy Naruto like they did Kushina. Had they left her alone, she’d still be alive, happily raising her daughter with her husband.”
“We don’t know that.”
“I know it in my heart,” Atsuko snaps.
Taking a deep breath, she sits in contemplative silence before pinning the teen with a shrewd look.
“Are you willing to join me in committing treason?”
Hazel eyes blink in confusion as the question sinks in, causing them to widen slightly before narrowing into a calculating look.
“What is cooking in that head of yours?”
“A plan to save Kushina’s daughter,” Atsuko declares determinately. “We can’t wait to see what Raiden has in mind. We’ve got to get Naruto far away from here and back with her father where she rightfully belongs. I know Kushina wouldn’t have married Minato if she didn’t love him and she wouldn’t have risked Raiden’s wrath if she didn’t want to stay in Konoha.”
“That could trigger a war that Minato’s obviously been trying to avoid or that would’ve happened years ago,” Takara points out. “Raiden isn’t going to allow Naruto to stay in Konoha like he did with Kushina and Minato is no pushover. It will get bloody.”
“Do you honestly believe that can be avoided now?” Atsuko counters. “Minato has been trying for years to at least see his daughter, but every diplomatic attempt has been ruined by Raiden. He hasn’t given up and he will eventually resort to force, especially since Naruto is the Jinchuriki for the Kyuubi.”
Atsuko pauses to sigh heavily into the silence.
“The writing has been on the wall and Whirlpool has been eroding and crumbling since Raiden took over. It’s been one bad decision after another and he’s brushed them all off believing Whirlpool was capable of weathering it all. He only sees Naruto as an easy end to his problems and doesn’t care what happens to his only granddaughter. I’d rather see her returned to the place Kushina was happiest instead of becoming another casualty of his schemes.” Pinning Takara with a pointed look, she adds, “Whether we want to admit it or not, Whirlpool is going to collapse.”
The silence stretches out between the two women sitting in thoughtful silence before Takara ventures to break it.
“It’s hard thinking things can improve when Raiden is being such a bastard to consider essentially selling Naruto to those Akatsuki scum. And he doesn’t care what Iwa would do to her in retaliation for Minato’s sins against them. As long as he profits, it doesn’t matter what price she pays.”
“I’d rather hasten Whirlpool’s fall than see that happen,” Atsuko resolutely declares.
Hazel eyes drop to the floor as Takara sits in thoughtful consideration.
“Y’know, I’m not really upset by that thought,” she finally ventures. “Especially if it means Naruto gets the freedom to live as she wishes.” Meeting determined green eyes she continues, “Maybe Raiden’s schemes might revive Whirlpool, but ‘maybes’ don’t justify sacrificing Naruto. We may lose everything, but it’d be worth it to see Kushina’s baby end up happy.” She pauses for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. “I’ll join you in treason. I can get word to Minato and clue him in on Raiden’s plans. I’m sure once he hears what the old bastard is plotting Konoha will take swift, definitive action.”
“How do you plan on doing that? You can’t exactly send a note due to the mutual hostility,” the older woman points out.
The young blonde considers the problem before answering.
“I’ll put in for a month long training session. I’ll sneak ashore to Fire and find a Leaf nin willing to deliver the message.” Noticing Atsuko’s questioning gaze she explains, “I can’t go directly to Konoha myself as the Uchiha still spy for Raiden and chances are good I’ll end up dead if I walk through their gates asking to see Minato.” Smirking, she adds, “You know ninja aren’t known to be direct except in killing.”
Shaking her head in amusement, Atsuko allows herself to smile in relief.
“I’m not going to ask how you’ll get to shore without Raiden finding out, but there is something I want you to take with you.”
Rising to her feet, she ventures to a corner opposite the bed and crouches down. Prying up a loose board, she carefully maneuvers a beautifully carved ornate box from the hole. Replacing the board, she straightens up and returns to the bed, handing it to Takara before resuming her seat.
“I’ve been toying with the idea of returning Naruto for some time, so I prepared this as proof to Minato of my insider knowledge and sincerity.” Gesturing at the box in Takara’s hands, she nods for her to open it. “I included photos of Kushina and Naruto and that storage scroll inside contains jewelry and accessories that used to be Kushina’s. They’re worth a small fortune and can be considered Nartuo’s inheritance.”
“How did you get your hands on this?” Takara asks in amazement while examining the contents of the box.
“Kushina gave them to me for safe keeping before she left,” Atsuko explains. “Once you make contact with Konoha, they’ll likely demand proof. Give them that.”
“Great idea, but what if the Leaf nin I get to make the delivery isn’t totally trustworthy and steals the jewels?” Takara questions. “Not like you’ll be there to notice.”
“Because no one does fuinjutsu like an Uzumaki,” Atsuko quips. At the blonde’s confused look she rolls her eyes. “Kushina wrote she was teaching Minato sealing. The seal I used on the scroll is specially encrypted, so only he’ll be able to open it.”
Takara gapes at the redhead before shrewdly eyeing her.
“You’re a crafty old bat.”
Atsuko gives her a withering look.
“Had to be in this clan since Raiden took over.”
“True enough,” Takara concedes. “How did you do the sealing, though? You’re not a ninja.”
“Not anymore,” Atsuko admits, giving her a sardonic look. “I’m the one who taught Kushina. The only other Uzumaki aside from myself who was expertly proficient in fuinjutsu was our distant cousin Mito who was married to the First Hokage of Konoha. After the Second Ninja war I had enough of death and wanted a simpler life, so I became the head cook. I’ve been teaching Naruto the basics, but she really doesn’t have the attention or patience for it right now.”
Takara gapes in shock.
“I didn’t know that!”
“It’s not something I advertised and few know about it,” Atsuko shrugs. “Those who know dismiss my brief ninja career as inconsequential since it didn’t bring Whirlpool great glory. Not that it bothers me. I’m happy with the choice I made, but I’ll be ecstatic to get Naruto far away from Raiden’s greed.”
“Yeah,” Takara smirks.
Pulling out a storage scroll she swiftly stores the box safely within the seal on the parchment before rolling it up and tucking it away.
“Don’t worry. We’re going to make that happen soon,” she assures the older woman.
Takara rises to her feet, cracking the door open to carefully scan outside. She’s immensely grateful the fog is heavier than before, making her departure easier to hide. Within moments she disappears into the night, leaving Atsuko alone in contemplative silence.
()
The following day Takara submits her request for training in the wilds of Uzushio, knowing it will take a few days to be approved and that it’s highly unlikely Raiden will deny her request. He prefers his ninja to continue improving their skills and strength. She spends the time waiting by preparing her gear and revising her plan.
Like the rest of the world, she’s well aware two of the legendary sannin travel all over Fire country and feels they are her best bet in getting the message to Minato. The third sannin is rumored to have gone rogue and is definitely out of consideration. Her hope is to make contact with either Jiraiya or Tsunade during her month long absence or she’ll have to get creative later and orchestrate another absence somehow.
As expected she’s approved two weeks later and soon hikes off into the deep, tropical wilds. The thick, dense growth hiding sheer cliffs and deep sinkholes make for a challenging training ground that helped make Whirlpool nins legendary.
Unlike Konoha, Uzushio doesn’t have a ninja academy, but takes a survivalist approach to training. Isolated by the sea they learn to survive against opposing ninjas by being versatile and ready for anything. After covering the basics, they literally throw young nins out into the wilds with nothing more than a kunai, giving them no choice but to survive.
Hiroto loves this method, but adds sadistic twists when training others by setting a dangerous goal of some sort, such as locating a rare plant that can only be found near the active steam vent of a volcano. He not only trained Kushina, but Takara as well.
Navigating through the jungle, Takara ironically muses on her gratitude toward her older cousin’s sadism because she would never have discovered a secret route out of Uzushio years ago.
Within a couple of days after setting out on her training trip, Takara is soon walking the soil of the Land of Fire. Having changed into civilian clothes, she heads for the nearest, largest village to get some leads on either of the two sannin. She quickly learns Tsunade is rumored to be in another village to the northwest and Jiraiya is somewhere in the southwest. Despite it going without saying that any noteworthy ninja should keep a low profile as protection from their enemies, the two sannin are the exception to that unspoken rule since no one in their right mind would want to fuck with them.
Deciding Tsunade might be the easier of the two to contact, Takara races northwest. She arrives within a few days at the rumored village. Searching every inn and gambling hall it takes another week before she strikes pay dirt when she spies a blonde matching the sannin’s last known description in a small gambling hall. Retreating to a shadowed corner she formulates a plan.
Directly approaching Tsunade and requesting a private meeting is the simplest option, but the most dangerous. Her suspicion could trigger violence. Not only could the building end up destroyed, but innocents might also get caught in the crossfire. Plus Takara isn’t delusional enough to believe she’d survive a fight with a sannin.
Her second option of subtle bribery to meet at a remote location is her best choice. Violence may still break out, but it won’t attract unwanted attention.
Having decided, Takara waits for an employee to pass close to her position before attracting their attention and requesting to speak to the manager. Within minutes she’s rewarded when a short, balding man approaches.
“Welcome to our gambling hall, miss,” the man greets with a bow. “I’m Hibiki, the proprietor and manager of this establishment. I understand you wish to speak with me?”
“Yes, and thank you for sparing a few minutes of your time,” Takara answers politely with a bow. “I have a request. I understand Tsunade of the legendary sannin is here and would like to know what she currently owes to the house.”
“Right now it’s at 5,000 ryo,” Hibiki innocently replies.
“Five thousand!?” Takara croaks while feeling faint. When Hibiki nods in confirmation she takes a deep calming breath before stating, “I’d like to settle with the house on her behalf.”
“Are you sure?” Hibiki asks, failing spectacularly to hide his skepticism.
“Yes,” she nods definitively. “I’d also like for you to present her with a bottle of your finest sake along with this note,” she explains, holding out a folded piece of paper sealed with wax.
“Certainly,” Hibiki bows after taking the note. “If you’ll please follow me, we can settle the ledger and I’ll fulfill your request personally.”
“Thank you, Hibiki-san,” Takara replies, following the man.
Silently she reasons she might as well pay the debt to help nudge Tsunade into meeting with her. It’s not like she’s got much of a future left if this plan succeeds. Once the sannin’s debt to the house is settled, Takara leaves to prepare for their meeting later.
“Shishou! How are you going to pay off your debt to the house this time?” Shizune demands of her beloved mentor.
The brunette hovers by Tsunade’s shoulder as she sits at a poker table, the only player besides the dealer.
“Give me a few hours to win a few hands and I’ll take care of it,” she waves off distractedly. “I’ve got a feeling the cards will soon start turning in my favor.”
Shizune rolls her eyes.
“You said that four hours, three slot machines, twenty dice rounds and fifteen poker hands ago.”
Laying down her hand after the bidding ends, Tsunade growls in irritation when she loses against the dealer. Turning to glare at her apprentice she doesn’t get the chance to say anything when they notice Hibiki approaching with a tray bearing a bottle of sake in his hands.
“There’s no way you’re coming to collect right now, Hibiki,” Tsunade frowns at him skeptically.
He sets the tray down on the table next to her before replying.
“You’re debt has already been settled save for the hand you just lost, my lady. However, I’ll wave that if you wish to sit back and enjoy this sake courtesy of your benefactor.”
“Benefactor?” she questions with an arched brow.
“Yes,” he answers, handing her the note. “The young lady didn’t give me her name, but she paid your debt and asked me to present my best sake as a gift and to deliver that note.”
Having finished his task, he bows and leaves the two women gaping after him.
“That’s strange,” Shizune muses thoughtfully, pressing her right fist against her chin, her elbow propped up by her left arm crossing her abdomen. “No one in their right mind would settle one of your debts.”
Tsunade scowls at her apprentice before turning her attention to the note in her hand and opening it. Gold eyes narrow as she reads.
“What’s wrong?” Shizune asks in concern, sensing the sudden tension in her mentor.
Not taking her eyes off the note, she answers her apprentice.
“It says they want to meet two hours from now in a remote canyon a few kilometers from here to share information they have regarding the Fourth Hokage’s daughter.”
“Naruto?” the young brunette questions with a gasp. “But what if it’s a trap?”
Folding the note, Tsunade doesn’t immediately answer, tapping the corner of the paper against her chin while silently contemplating it.
“There’s only one way to find out,” she states rising to her feet. Pocketing the note, she reaches for the sake bottle, adding, “The writer was nice enough to settle my debt to the house. It’s only courtesy to take this and share it with her.”
Shizune doesn’t reply as she follows her master out of the building, knowing she’d go to this meeting regardless of her objections and alone if she dared voice them.
Four hours later a royally pissed Tsunade paces the floor of the canyon, wondering if she’s been played. They arrived on time with their guard up only to find nothing but a barren landscape dotted with craggy boulders, wind damaged trees and scrubby plants.
“Maybe the directions were wrong?” Shizune wonders from where she stands nearby, watching her mistress pace restlessly.
“They’re right,” the blonde grouses.
The sun is setting and the mysterious meeting could become more dangerous under the darkness of night, adding to her simmering ire.
Before Shizune can speculate further Tsunade stops pacing. She looks in the same direction as her apprentice as they both sense another presence approaching. Within a few minutes a lithe blonde comes into view.
Smiling, the stranger waves at them.
“Good evening, ladies,” Takara greets cheerfully. “Sorry I’m late but I figured you wouldn’t think this is some sort of trap if I arrive fashionably late.”
“Two hours is fashionably late?” Tsunade growls with her arms akimbo.
“Yep,” Takara replies cheerfully. “Are you Tsunade?” she asks. When Tsunade nods, she exclaims, “Cool! It’s awesome to meet one of the legendary sannin!”
“Are you going to claim to be one of my biggest fans and ask for an autograph?” Tsunade drolly asks with an arched brow.
“Nah, maybe later,” Takara waves off. “We’ve got more important things to discuss.”
“Who are you?” Shizune asks.
“Uzumaki Takara of Uzushio,” Takara begins with a bow before leaping out of the way when a large fissure races towards her. “What the fuck!” she shouts.
She doesn’t get to say anything else since she’s forced to dodge a barrage of senbon and dive for cover behind a boulder.
“Why the fuck are you attacking?” she demands, whipping out a kunai.
Her answer is the boulder shattering into thousands of pieces as an angry sannin bears down on her with a cocked fist. Managing to roll clear, Takara barely regains her feet when a kick to the gut sends her flying across the canyon floor. She’s saved from impacting a rock wall by the wide base of a dried up tree. The wood obliterates into a splintery mess and she crumples to the ground in an awkward heap.
Feeling herself being yanked upright by her collar, dazed eyes struggle to focus on the terrifyingly fierce gaze of Tsunade.
“Any last words before I send your remains back to Whirlpool in a tiny box?” she asks sweetly.
“If you kill me,” Takara manages to croak. “You’re losing the only chance of returning Naruto safely to her father.”
“Tell me,” Tsunade demands.
“Stop trying to beat me into a coma and I will,” Takara groans in annoyance. “That’s the whole damn point of this meeting.”
Shizune’s voice drifts from behind Tsunade.
“She can’t get away from us,” she reasons. “I just checked the area and she’s alone.”
“Alright,” Tsunade grudgingly concedes. Giving the younger blonde a good shake she adds, “If you don’t have anything good to say you’re going to regret the delay in your demise.”
“There’s nothing good about what I have to share,” Takara manages a humorless, bloody smirk. “The end result will be a lot of blood and death and likely the end of Uzushio.”
Arching a brow, Tsunade releases Takara to crumple into another graceless heap.
“Get a fire going, Shizune. We’re probably camping here for the night.”
A half hour later all three women are settled around the small campfire. Tsunade sits a short distance away to Takara’s left. Shizune sits off to the younger blonde’s right.
“I was nice enough to pay off your freaking debt and you beat my ass in,” Takara grouses, struggling to bandage the bloody wound on her left arm. “The least you can do is heal the damage you caused.”
“Leaving you injured prevents you from attacking us while we chat,” Tsunade replies amicably while sipping from her sake cup.
“Probably not even that good a medic and just a quack,” Takara huffs, tying the wrap on her arm. Ignoring Tsunade’s warning growl she asks, “And what the hell was up with that huge ass debt you racked up? If you suck that much gambling maybe you should take up calligraphy instead.”
Before a fuming, twitching Tsunade decides to finish off Takara, Shizune rushes to ask, “Why did you arrange this meeting?”
“To save Naruto,” Takara replies offhandedly, tucking her medical supplies away.
“Wasn’t Uzushio ‘saving’ Naruto when they kidnapped her nearly four years ago?” Tsunade sneers derisively.
“Hiroto was repossessing lost property on Raiden’s orders,” Takara states matter of factly. “They couldn’t force Kushina back, but opted to take Naruto instead.” Holding up a hand when Tsunade opens her mouth, she adds, “Look, I don’t agree at all with what they did. I’m just explaining their way of thinking and how they view Naruto.” Dropping her hand she continues. “Just give me a chance to share the back-story so you’ll get what’s at stake and why I’m here.”
Tsunade considers it before nodding for the young blonde to continue.
“Raiden was never the savvy ruler his father was,” Takara sighs heavily. “It kinda goes without saying that he’s a selfish, egotistical prick looking to increase his own wealth and power under the flimsy guise of doing it for the good of Whirlpool. Hiroto is his number one lackey and next in line to rule.”
“Wait,” Shizune interrupts. “I thought Kushina was the heir and that’s why Naruto was kidnapped.”
“Nope,” Takara smirks. “You just got clued in to Whirlpool’s best kept secret. Not even Kushina knew Hiroto wasn’t her cousin, but her older half-brother.”
Ignoring their stunned gazes she shifts against the rock she’s leaning against to get more comfortable before continuing.
“I didn’t know until Raiden’s bitchy wife got drunk a couple of months ago and I got stuck dealing with her stuck up, heaving ass. That’s when she told me that Hiroto was Raiden’s bastard child with one of his cousins. And that’s why they let Kushina come to Konoha in the first place because if she were the sole heir, they would not have let her set one toe out of Whirlpool. So as the oldest, Hiroto is automatically next in line to rule.”
Sighing heavily she continues.
“Even though Kushina wasn’t the heir, they wanted her back because she was a useful tool. Yeah, there was the Kyuubi, but they could easily marry her into wealth and power.”
“Like the Uchiha,” Tsunade mutters darkly.
“Exactly,” Takara nods. “When they stole Naruto, Raiden reviewed old options he had cooked up for Kushina. The Uchiha are out of the running because their dissention is too well known and they’ve grown too brazen for his taste. Raiden believes it’s only a matter of time before they’re brutally put down.” Holding up a finger in emphasis, she adds, “Now for the disturbing, revised options he’s considering.”
The two older women watch the teen pause to take a long drink of water from her canteen before putting it away.
“The least offensive option is to ransom Naruto back to Minato for money or for help in reclaiming lost territory and an agreement not to retaliate for her abduction. That wouldn’t be so bad by itself, but it gets sinister since Naruto would have the added assignment of assassinating her father.”
“What?” Tsunade growls low as Shizune gasps in shock.
“Yeah, Raiden is a bit peeved at Minato interfering over the years with forcing Kushina to return and wants retaliation. But it gets better,” Takara replies with mock facetiousness. “They’re still hooked on marrying Naruto off, but to someone like the son or grandson of Onoki of Iwa.” She pauses to hold up a hand at Tsunade’s murderous expression. “Hold onto the rage for a bit longer, there’s more shit to hate.”
She drops her hand back into her lap.
“The most disturbing option is entering into a treaty with a group of rogues calling themselves the Akatsuki. No one has any definitive proof this group even exists, but there are rumors floating around and Raiden is sure they’ll eventually take on the shinobi nations. He wants to enlist them as allies in exchange to exempt Whirlpool from whatever plan they have in mind if he loans Naruto out to them.”
She blows out a harsh breath.
“After learning about all this recently, I consulted with a trusted confidant and we agreed something had to be done. She became my co-conspirator and we decided to take the risk and contact Konoha.” Pausing, she rolls her eyes and sarcastically adds, “I thought it was a good idea to contact one of the sannin to guarantee my message to Minato would get delivered. Just my luck I chose the paranoid psycho bitch.”
Before Tsunade can act on her rising murderous intent, Shizune quickly intervenes.
“Why didn’t your co-conspirator come with you? It’s more dangerous for her to stay in Uzushio. I mean, you’ve both basically turned traitor and isn’t your intention to take refuge in Konoha to escape Raiden’s notorious wrath?”
“I’m only a traitor to the bastard running Whirlpool,” Takara snaps defensively. “There’s quite a few of us who detest Raiden’s shitty behavior towards our allies, especially during the Third Shinobi World War, but we don’t dare say anything because he’ll brutally shut anyone who disagrees with him up forever. We all believe in our country, not our leader. There are still innocents there who we’re sworn to protect.”
Takara pauses to take a deep, calming breath before continuing in a calmer voice.
“My co-conspirator and I know that once Minato gets this info he’ll act and it will destroy Whirlpool. It’s only hastening the inevitable,” she shrugs. “Raiden’s inept leadership set this all up since he took over.”
She bores into Tsunade’s eyes.
“We’ll stay true to our oaths and country to the bitter end, but our oaths don’t mean shit if our leader is willing to sacrifice his own granddaughter in order to satisfy his own greed. My co-conspirator and I loved Kushina and we love Naruto. We can live with Whirlpool’s destruction if it means saving that little girl from her grandfather’s wicked machinations.”
“I’m sorry, but I find it hard to accept your motivations,” Tsunade arches a brow. “You’re willing to instigate Uzushio’s destruction just because Raiden’s being an asshole and to save Naruto?”
Takara has to fight down her rising indignation with another calming breath.
“I guess I can’t blame you for doubting me,” she finally concedes. “Kushina was like a big sister to me. We had to hide our relationship because Raiden was such a manipulative control freak over her, but she protected and took care of me.” Boring again into gold eyes she emphasizes, “I failed Kushina. I knew Hiroto was heading to Konoha and I didn’t try to warn her. I could’ve kept her up to date on their plans the whole time, but I deluded myself into thinking it was better to stay out of it. That Hiroto couldn’t do a damn thing. I was wrong.”
Tsunade and Shizune watch her gaze drift into the fire, sensing she had more to say.
“I failed Kushina, but I won’t fail her daughter,” she finally states with steely determination.
“Okay, I get it. You present a very strong case, but these could still all be lies to set up a recovery team.” At Takara’s incredulous expression Tsunade points out, “You’ve said it already that Raiden is a scheming bastard. It’s not inconceivable this could be an elaborate trap to capture or destroy the recovery team Minato will send and it’d be a great way for Uzushio to drum up allies among our enemies to strike back.”
“Fair enough,” Takara concedes again. Gingerly digging into a pouch she murmurs, “Good thing she thought of this.”
Pulling out a scroll she holds it out to Tsunade who eyes it before reaching out to take it.
“Sealed in there is a carved box my co-conspirator sent along as proof,” Takara explains. “As an act of good faith I’ll reveal who she is, but I want her involvement kept a strict secret.” When Tsunade looks up from the open scroll in her hand to arch a brow the younger blonde adds, “I’m willing to pay for my part in all this if Raiden finds out, but I don’t want her punished. She doesn’t deserve it even if she was the one who asked me to do this in the first place.”
Tsunade considers it before nodding.
“Okay, if everything goes to hell, we won’t reveal her name, even in retaliation.”
“Thanks,” Takara smiles in relief. “Her name is Atsuko and she was Kushina’s nanny and became Naruto’s nanny when Hiroto returned with her. She loved Kushina with all her heart and was devastated when she learned she died. She made sure to give all her love to Naruto and is willing to risk a war to return her to her father.” Nodding at the scroll she adds, “Atsuko sealed a box with pictures of Kushina as a child and of Naruto, plus a special encrypted scroll only Minato can open. It contains things that belonged to Kushina. That is proof of our sincerity.”
While Takara spoke, Tsunade unsealed the contents of the scroll. True to the younger blonde’s words a beautiful mahogany box appeared. After careful examination to determine it’s not a trap, Tsunade opens it and removes the photos Takara described, shuffling through images of a much younger Kushina and her look-a-like daughter.
Handing the box over to Shizune, Tsunade’s gaze locks back onto Takara.
“I believe you,” she states much to the teen’s relief. “We’ll warn Minato and give him the scroll.” Gold eyes turn cold as she adds, “But if you’re helping to set Konoha up for betrayal, I will personally hunt you down and destroy you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Takara waves it off flippantly just to annoy her. Becoming serious she emphasizes, “That goes without saying and I swear it’s not a set up. Whatever plan develops to get Naruto out of Whirlpool, I’ll help guide the retrieval team to get in without anyone knowing.”
Tsunade blinks in surprise before smirking.
“Konoha nins aren’t so landlocked they don’t know how to navigate the seas to Uzushio.”
“Not undetected,” Takara seriously emphasizes with a raised finger, causing the smirk to drop from the other blonde’s face. “Not all those whirlpools are natural. Some are traps. Others are sensors letting us know who’s on our seas. The recovery team will not make it into Uzushio without us knowing. That’s a promise.”
“And you’ve got a safer route?” Tsunade asks sardonically.
“Yep,” Takara nods cheerfully. “Uzushio was created by volcanoes that left an ancient legacy of sinkholes, underground caverns and lava tubes. Our ninja use them in their training, which is why we got so good at guerrilla warfare. Most people think the only way in and out is by sea, but years ago I discovered some of the caverns and lava tubes run all the way to the caves in the cliffs of the Land of Fire’s coasts. That’s how I snuck over here without alerting the Leaf nins on coastal patrol. I know damn well the coast has been closely watched since Naruto was taken.”
Shizune gasps in shock.
“We were open to invasion and didn’t know it!”
“Sort of,” Takara scratches her cheek. “It left us open too. When I discovered the connection years ago I intended to warn Raiden, but that was around the time Kushina decided to defect and I changed my mind. I figured if they succeeded in forcing her back she’d need an escape route, so I kept my mouth shut. Thankfully our nins focus more on surface warfare and stuck to the sinkholes and surface caves, so I’m the only one who knows about this or Raiden would’ve done something about them years ago.”
“Anyways,” she shrugs. “I can lead the recovery team through the safest, fastest route. The only problem with this idea is when. You guys can’t exactly send me a note letting me know when to meet you.”
Tsunade mulls the situation over.
“It won’t take us long to get back to Konoha and tell Minato all this, but he won’t rush out a rescue attempt that minute. He’s going to carefully plan this and keep it quiet since Uchiha Fugaku is still a huge pain in the ass.”
“Yeah,” Takara agrees. “He’s stayed in consistent, regular contact with Raiden and would rush a warning out to him if he catches on.”
Taking another moment to think, Tsunade bites her thumb and flashes through several signs before slapping one hand onto the upturned palm of the other. A small cloud of smoke dissipates before revealing a small white slug with blue markings.
“Hello, Katsuyu,” Tsunade greets the little slug.
“Good evening, Tsunade-sama,” Katsuyu softly greets back with a nod as her antenna swivels around.
It takes Tsunade a few minutes to briefly explain what’s going on to the slug.
“We need you to act as our messenger so we can coordinate with Takara when the time comes, Katsuyu,” Tsunade finishes her explanation.
“Certainly,” the little slug agrees, prompting Tsunade to gently pass her over into Takara’s open right palm.
“It’s nice to meet you, Katsuyu-san,” Takara greets the slug resting in her palm. “You’ll have to stay out of sight because there aren’t slugs that look like you in Whirlpool.”
“What do the slugs there look like?” Katsuyu asks, cocking her head.
“Dark green to blend in with the foliage.”
Katsuyu promptly changes color to a dark green.
“Like this?”
“Yes,” Takara laughs before grabbing her ribs with her left arm. “Oww!”
Returning to normal, Katsuyu turns to Tsunade.
“Why have you left her injuries untreated?”
“I thought Takara was an enemy!” Tsunade argues.
She could almost swear the little slug was arching a brow.
“You obviously are not enemies,” she succinctly replies. “What is preventing you from keeping your sworn oaths to heal?”
Tsunade looks abashed while Takara smirks and Shizune struggles to keep a straight face.
“Sorry, Katsuyu,” Tsunade mumbles while shifting closer to the teen.
Moving the hand holding the little slug to her left shoulder so it can jump on, Takara drops her arm to her side to give Tsunade more room to work.
“I like you,” Takara smiles, glancing down at her shoulder. “You’re much nicer than your summoner. We’ll get along great.”
Not daring to stop healing Takara, Tsunade growls lowly.
“If you betray Tsunade-sama’s trust, I will kill you for your betrayal, Takara-san,” Katsuyu warns.
“As it should be,” the young blonde nods in agreement. “But I don’t want to fail Naruto. I want this to succeed,” she sincerely emphasizes.
Within a few more minutes Tsunade lifts her hands.
“All done,” she tersely declares.
“That feels so much better,” Takara sighs in relief. “Now I can start heading back to Uzushio.”
“What? No ‘thank you’ for healing you?” Tsunade snaps.
“Why in the hell would I thank you when you’re the reason I ended up like that?” Takara snaps back. Jabbing a finger at the older blonde in annoyance she adds, “As gestures of good faith I paid off your gambling debt and sent you a bottle of sake. And I wasn’t even the one who attacked first! You only let me get as far as introducing myself before you tried breaking my ass into teeny little pieces!”
Tsunade only gets as far as narrowing her eyes dangerously at Takara when Katsuyu speaks up.
“You didn’t attack first?”
Looking down at her shoulder, Takara shakes her head.
“I even went so far as to deliberately show up over two hours late so it wouldn’t feel like a trap or confrontation,” she explains to the little slug. “If I wanted a battle I was making an incredibly stupid tactical mistake by giving these two time to set up their own trap,” she gestures at Tsunade and Shizune.
Katsuyu’s little antenna promptly swivels to lock onto Tsunade. Takara figures the little slug must’ve been glaring at the older woman judging by how she shrank back and struggles to hold it’s gaze.
“We aren’t at war,” the little slug scolds in soft, clipped tones. “There’s no excuse for you to forget your manners when you weren’t given a reason to. We’ll have to discuss it later when there’s more time.”
“Why are you leaving now? Why not wait until morning?” Shizune asks Takara, attempting to change the subject.
Takara tears her gaze from the amusing spectacle of seeing a legendary sannin whipped by her own summons to answer the brunette.
“I could, but it still takes time to navigate underground safely and I can’t risk returning late from my training or it’ll raise suspicions. Besides, I’m sure Atsuko is anxious to hear the outcome of our meeting.”
“Do you intend on telling Naruto about all this?” Tsunade asks.
“No,” Takara shakes her head. “Like most children she tends to speak without thinking. Plus, Raiden’s been feeding her lies for years, trying to poison her against her father. He tells her things like Minato kidnapped Kushina and held her against her will in order to gain control of Whirlpool or that Konoha forced Kushina to become the Jinchuriki for the Kyuubi, etcetera. She’s just not going to understand.”
“Damn, Raiden covered all bases, didn’t he?” Tsunade grouses irritably.
“He’s nothing if not thorough,” Takara nods, rising to her feet.
She dusts herself off as Katsuyu slips into a pocket.
“That’s why Atsuko and I are rushing to do this now. The longer we wait, the harder it’ll be to undo all the damage Raiden is causing. Naruto has a very loving heart and it would really upset her to know what’s going to happen to Whirlpool. Even though she’s been training as a ninja she still doesn’t get the bloody, vicious side yet.”
Tsunade takes a deep breath and sighs heavily.
“This just keeps getting more and more complicated.”
Grinning, Takara shrugs.
“You’re dealing with Uzushio. We have a natural affinity for making things far more complicated than they need to be.”
Tsunade and Shizune can’t help laughing as Takara waves and takes off into the darkness.
“Who would’ve thought anyone in Whirlpool would dare cross Raiden due to his reputation of brutal retribution,” Shizune muses.
Tsunade doesn’t answer, but stares into the fire for several minutes.
“Bank the fire and erase all traces of it, Shizune, we’re leaving.”
Shizune gapes in shock, but notes the look in Tsunade’s eyes before promptly carrying out her orders, knowing they’re racing to Konoha.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Broken Branches