The Mad Sage Of Uzushio, A Naruto Fan Fiction, Chapter 20: Among The Fires Of Insurrection
Chapter 20: An Invitation To A Family Reunion Among The Fires Of Insurrection
Chapter 20
An Invitation To A Family Reunion
Among The Fires Of Insurrection
As the Raikame speeds it’s way from their home planet to the Sky Lantern Flotilla, a large number of submarines surface just off the shore of Kirigakurenosato back on the home planet, the ninja village hidden in the mist. The submarines bear the symbol of the Funato Clan, and bombard the Kiri mercilessly with top mounted cannons. Numerous shinobi make their way ashore to invade an airfield where numerous air ships bearing the crest of Kiri are tethered and docked. They kill any shinobi that gets in their way, and steal every one of the airships tethered to the ground there. As the air ships clear Kiri airspace, the submarines cease fire and submerge, disappearing from whence they came, and leaving Kiri to sort out the mess and tend to the wounded and the dead.
Meanwhile, a lone burly teenage monk with long unkept blonde hair, and a pair of black shades, arrives at the front gate of Konoha. The monk wears sleeveless white robes barely befitting a practitioner of shugendo, a form of mountain based asceticism, but with bare feet, and with the bottoms covered in a thick coating of mud.
The monk approaches the gate, then stops and pauses for a moment. Then he backs away and starts to walk away from the gate, only to stop to pause again before turning back to head into Konoha again. But the monk stops and hesitates again, then turns around, and repeats this process a number of times, seemingly deliberating with himself as to whether or not he wants to ultimately arrive at his destination. Eventually the monk gets frustrated with himself, and wonders off of the path leading into the gate of Konoha, and perches himself in a tree just off the road, while still in sight of the gate, but with his back turned to it.
The lone monk holds his empty hand out in front of himself, then a flash of purple lightening materializes a stainless steel transverse flute into his empty hand, then he begins to play for several hours, as the guards at the gate watch on, and listen with increasing curiosity, as well as concern. Eventually, one lone kunoichi of Konoha ventures over to the monk’s perch from behind him, and hails the monk with a compliment, startling him. The kunoichi is a teenage girl with mid length unkept black hair and red eyes, wearing the flack jacket vest of a chunin of konoha, a mid level shinobi, just above a genin, and just below a jonin.
Kunoichi:
That’s quite some playing… Are you some sort of traveling musician?… Or a monk?… Or both?…
The monk stops his playing abruptly when he’s startled, then disappears in a flash of purple lightening, only to reappear on another nearby tree in another flash of purple lightening.
Kunoichi:
Uh… Sumimasen!… I didn’t mean to startle you… Are you okay?… You seem rather… jittery…
Monk:
Sumimasen… kawaii kunoichi… I’m not very used to dealing with… people… especially female people… I spend most of my time in the wilderness… practicing shugendo… among other things… I was actually getting caught up in my music to distract my self on purpose… I was inviting a shock… I can hardly complain when such a lovely kunoichi of Konoha such as yourself… takes me up on the invitation…
Kunoichi:
You really think… that I’m… kawaii?… Did you say… lovely?…
Monk:
Why yes… I’m no expert on such things… But I have seen other women… and you’re certainly among the best…
Kunoichi:
Well… it’s nice to hear from such an expert…
Monk:
Oh I’m no expert… I know next to nothing about women… outside of medical knowledge… I simply call them as I see them… although I rarely see them…
Kunoichi:
I was joking…
Monk:
Oh!… That must be sarcasm!… I’ve heard of that!…
Another flash of purple lightening disappears the monk out of his tree, and reappears him in another flash of purple lightening standing on the ground right in front of the kunoichi, flute still in hand.
Monk:
I like this!.. What’s next?… Do we make fun of each other’s clothing?… Like that ridiculous vest?… That’s a joke right?…
Kunoichi:
This vest!… is my vest as a chunin of Konoha!… It’s prestigious!…
Monk:
So… it’s supposed to look like that?… My apologies… But I know even less about fashion than I know about women… There’s no medical information on fashion… outside of extremely rare archaic and barbaric practices… such as the wearing of chastity belts… among other things…
The kunoichi busts out laughing at the oddball observation from the oddball monk.
Kunoichi:
Do you really have no experience with women at all?…
Monk:
Outside of the occasional farmer’s or rancher’s wife or daughter… back in the Land of Lightening… and then only in passing… I only ever really knew my mother… who would visit me in the monastery where I was raised… from time to time… when I was much younger… until she died at the beginning of the last great war…
Kunoichi:
Well… what brings you to Konoha?… You’re very far from the Land of Lightening… And you’re making the guards nervous with your mysterious monk routine… The last time some strange monk showed up here… playing an enchanting flute… all of Konoha was turned into one big snow globe!…
Monk:
Oh!… Sumimasen!… I did not mean to disturb the peace!… I was just trying to distract myself as I was procrastinating… I’ve come so far for this… But it’s more than a bit daunting this close to it…
Kunoichi:
Close to what?… What’s daunting?…
Monk:
My father… is supposed to be here now… after a long time missing… thought likely never to be seen or heard from again… But he doesn’t even know that I exist… And I’m not sure how he’ll react… or if I’ll be able to handle how he reacts… I’m not really allowed to talk about it… It’s a secret…
Kunoichi:
That sounds… interesting… My name is Mirai… Sarutobi Mirai… Perhaps if you were to tell me your father’s name… I might be able to help you…
Monk:
But I can’t!… I’ve been sworn to secrecy!… You wouldn’t believe me anyway… He’s supposed to be rather notorious… infamous even… I’m not even sure if he’s supposed to be a guest of honor… or a prisoner on lock down…
Sarutobi Mirai:
That does sound daunting… Perhaps you could start by telling me your name… as it is a custom here to identify and introduce yourself… if you’re new to Konoha…
Monk:
Oh!… Sumimasen!… My name… is Yuntaro… Uzumaki Yuntaro…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Uzumaki?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Hai… I believe that the current hokage is supposed to be a cousin of mine… Perhaps he can help me?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
I’m afraid that the current hokage is away from Konoha on classified business… The Fifth Hokage… Lady Tsunade… is sitting in for him…
The monk yelps with the excitement of a schoolgirl whose favorite teen idol has just come to town.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Lady Tsunade!?!… is here in Konoha!?!… The… Lady Tsunade!?!… The legendary slug princess of Konoha!?!… I’ve read a good deal of her work… I can’t believe that she’s here!… I’ve heard that she’s been traveling the world since she handed over the reigns to her successor…
Sarutobi Mirai:
You sound like quite the fanboy… Could you tell your secrets to her?… standing in for the hokage?… I might be able to arrange that…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Sodesuka?!?… Well… that would be a great honor indeed… Could you really arrange such an audience?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Sure… Provided certain conditions are met… like taking a bath… You smell like you practice shugendo…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Oh my!… I have been neglecting my personal care of late… Normally I just bath in whatever mountain stream or hot spring I can find… I know every hot spring within five hundred miles of the monastery where I was raised… But I’ve been traveling for several days… and I don’t know the territory… I’ve never even used a public bath before… and I have no money to do so anyway… I don’t suppose that such a lovely kunoichi such as yourself… might help me take a bath?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Me!?!… Help you take a bath!?!… You’re cute… but not that cute…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Oh!… I didn’t mean it like that… I just need to find some place… any stream or hot spring will do… or even just a lake or a pond…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Well… in the interests of the security of Konoha… and the dignity of it’s public waterworks… I might be able to take you home with me… just to let you use my bathtub of course… nothing untoward…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Of course not… That would be splendid… I would get hopelessly lost in Konoha without a guide anyway… Please… Lead the way…
Yuntaro disappears the flute in his hands in a flash of purple lightening. Then he follows Mirai in through the gate, and past the guards at the guard shack by the entrance. Mirai glances over at the concerned shinobi, and subtly waves them off, along with the rest of Konoha security observing from elsewhere more discretely. The oblivious Yuntaro smiles with excitement upon entering Konoha, taking it all in, having overcome his previous apprehension with the help of a pretty guide.
As they make their way through Konoha, the thunder train pulls into the Konoha station from Sunagakurenosato, the ninja village hidden in the sand. On board the train rides Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, leader of Suna, with short red hair parted over a red tattoo of the symbol for ‘love’ on his forehead, just over his left eye. He wears a crimson trench coat with small gourd attached to his side with a brown leather belt. Riding escort with him is his older brother Kankuro, along with his team of three genin, including Gaara’s adoptive son Shinki.
The Thunder Train arrives just as a single airship, with the symbols for Kiri on it’s side, is cruising it’s way into Konoha air space, heading towards a brand new air field just outside of Konoha. The air ship carries the Sixth Mizukage Chojuro, the current leader of Kiri, and his predecessor Terumī Mei, the Fifth Mizukage, and two other attendants. The Sixth Mizukage, with light blue hair, wears a white shoulder shall like a short cape over his shoulders, fastened around his neck by his Kiri forehead protector, used as it’s clasp, with a long sleeve blue shirt with black pin stripes beneath it. On his face he wears a pair of thick framed rectangular glasses, fastened to ear muffs covering his ears. Over his left shoulder he slings the scabbard of a single katana, strapped to his back.
The Fifth Mizukage is a woman with long auburn hair, who wears a long blue evening gown, with a split bottom down one side, and high heeled boots with knee high shin guards, with a fanny pack strapped around her waste, and with a Kiri head band used as a belt buckle in front, and wearing a long red haori overcoat over all of it. Along with the two mizukages, is the Sixth Mizukage’s senior aide Misuno, a jonin kunoichi with a long green overcoat, and with high heeled boots with knee high shin guards, just like the Fifth Mizukage. She has long brown hair, bound by a Kiri headband worn in the conventional manner, and with a medical procedure mask covering the lower half of her face.
Along with them, there is a teenage Kiri chunin, Kagura Karatachi, a current member of the Seven Swordsmen in the Mist, and the only one currently, with a twin handled exotic looking sword that resembles a giant fish’s body with two handles sticking out of the tail, strapped to his back. He wears a Kiri headband on his forehead, with short gravity defying blonde hair, pink eyes, and a light purple long sleeve shirt with black pin stripes, covered by a green overcoat with a high collar.
Accompanying the delegation from Kiri, are two exchange genin from Konoha. Lee Metal resembles a junior version of his father Lee Rock, with black hair in a bowl cut, and bushy black eyebrows, and a one piece green jump suit, with his Konoha headband worn on his waste sash like a belt buckle. Next to him, stands Yuino Iwabe, a taller genin with a large red beanie, a dark green coat and dark green pants, and with a his Konoha headband hanging from his belt by a chain, like a fancy key chain. He holds in his right hand a large spear like weapon, but with a pointed metal stud on one end instead of a sharpened spear tip, and wrappings around the other end of it for grip. The red beanie addresses himself to the bowl cut.
Yuino Iwabe:
There it is Metal… It feels good to be back… But I feel like I’m shirking duty by returning home… with the Funato clan still causing trouble in the Middle Sea…
Lee Metal:
Hai… We’ve been kept pretty busy with them for weeks… even though it’s not our territory… it feels like neglect to leave the matter unsettled…
Chojuro:
Unfortunately… the Funato clan are not so easy to settle… And with the recent events in Konoha… it simply can’t be helped… The feudal lord of the Land of Water doesn’t care nearly so much for his own safety… and that of his family… compared to the riches of the Blood Treasury of Uzushio… rumored to possess ancient and priceless artifacts owned by his own ancestors… stolen by pirates long ago… then locked away with all the rest… And we are their servants… not the other way around…
Karatachi Kagura:
But did we all have to come?… Some of us probably should have stayed behind… to maintain our defenses… We invite a surprise attack as it is… just convening an emergency summit at all… at a time like this…
Misuno:
We can only do what we can here… And to do otherwise invites an attack… and not just upon the summit… a summit that is unavoidable at this point… given the return of the Ghost of Winter… never mind the Blood Treasury of Uzushio… The feudal lords may care more for the treasure… But it is our job as their shinobi to guard against the bigger threats… like the Ghost of Winter himself… at one point a notorious terrorist… and an enemy of all nations…
Terumī Mei:
Now now… According the intel we were sent by Konoha… the mad magician is providing aide and support against the Otsutsuki… the greatest enemy we know of… And according to rumor… he’s quite the man besides…
Misuno:
Meisama… with all due respect… can we really afford to take any terrorist so lightly?… Once a terrorist… always a terrorist… regardless of how much of a man he is…
Terumī Mei:
Now Misuno… Even Orochimaru was helpful in the last great war… Surely we can be a little more flexible… And frankly Misuno… you could do worse than to be romantically involved with some manly terrorist… as opposed to being such an avowed spinster…
Misuno:
Meisama!…
Terumī Mei:
You heard me…
Chojuro chuckles at this exchange as their airship lowers itself to land at the Konoha air field. As the Kiri air ship lands, and the Suna delegation make their way quietly to the hokage’s office. Meanwhile, in the hokage’s office, the Fifth Hokage Senju Tsunade addresses herself to Inozuka Kiba, and a young genin Taketori Hoki, fetched for her by Kiba. Hoki stands there like a mini carbon copy of Hatake Kakashi, with spiky brown hair instead grayish white hair, and his headband tilted down over his left eye, and covering that eye effectively as a half blind fold, and with a face mask covering his nose and the lower half of his face, mimicking Kakashi’s appearance from back when he had a single borrowed Sharingan on his left side that he covered in a similar manner. Tsunade’s newly revealed daughter Shizune, frets nervously as she observes with apprehension what her mother is about to say and do.
Senju Tsunade:
So… Hokikun… I’m sure you’re wondering why I had Kiba here fetch you for me…
Taketori Hoki:
I was actually wondering more about why my teammates weren’t… If this is a mission… why just me?…
Senju Tsunade:
Well… that’s because… it’s not a mission… This… is a personal matter… involving your parents…
Taketori Hoki:
My parents?… But I’m an orphan… I don’t even know who my parents are… Do you mean Shizunesama?… my foster mother?…
Senju Tsunade:
Sort of… Shizune!…
Shizune:
Hai… You see dear… I’m not really your foster mother… I’m really your actual birth mother…
Taketori Hoki:
You’re… really my mother?!?… my real mother!?!… But why tell me that lie?!?… If you’re going to raise me yourself anyway?…
Senju Tsunade:
In short… politics… and propriety… two things that don’t really go together… and are virtual poison to each other… except for the sake of appearances… But those appearances are the lies that we cling to… when the truth is unpleasant… or even just inconvenient… Isn’t that right Shizune?… It’s almost like a pathological pattern of some sort… It practically runs in the family… Doesn’t it Shizune?…
Shizune:
Hai… mother… Hai…
Taketori Hoki:
Mother?… You mean… You’re Shizunesama’s mother?… Then you’re?…
Senju Tsunade:
Hai… Taketori Hoki… I’m your grandmother… Your story with your mother… is a virtual echo of my story with your mother… although for somewhat different reasons… Perfectly understandable… wouldn’t you say?… Shizune?…
Shizune:
Hai… Sodesu… Sumimasen… my son…
Taketori Hoki:
Wow… That… is a lot to take in…
Inozuka Kiba:
That’s nothing… Just brace yourself for what’s next… fanboy…
Taketori Hoki:
Does that mean that you’re… my father?…
The adults in the room laugh out loud at the suggestion, Kiba loudest of all.
Inozuka Kiba:
Hah!… Not quite kid… But you’re not far off… We do have something in common…
Shizune:
Hoki… your father is… Hatake Kakashi… the Sixth Hokage…
Taketori Hoki:
Nani?!?…
Inozuka Kiba:
That’s right fanboy… The man you hero worship and emulate… even to the point of mimicry… is actually your father… And we have that in common… believe it or not… I just found out myself right before Kakashi took off on some mission with Naruto and company… Then he left it to us to tell you…
Taketori Hoki:
Is that why the Sixth Hokage suddenly decided out of the blue… to teach me the summoning jutsu?… introducing me to the ninja hounds?… He said that my jonin team leader asked him to… Saisensei… Come to think of it… it was the sixth who hooked us up with Saisensei to begin with… I guess my father has been looking after me this whole time…
Inozuka Kiba:
No kidding kid… I’ve been looking back at a lot of my own interactions with our father… It seems to be a recurring pattern with him…
Senju Tsunade:
Your father is beyond brave in the face of death… but beyond cowardly when it comes to anything personal… But he has his reasons for that…
Inozuka Kiba:
I really wish I could see it that way… This revelation does explain a lot about the trouble between my mother… and the man that I thought was my father… But with Kakashi and my mother… they were… intimate… in the aftermath of a mission with the anbu… that went seriously sideways… these things happen in extreme circumstances… But that doesn’t excuse it… It is what it is… Personally I just think it’s cool to be the descendent of the legendary White Fang… our mutual grandfather…
Taketori Hoki:
The White Fang?… Tsunadesama?… and the Copy Ninja?… I’m a descendent of legends!… Mother… is that what happened with you and father?… Was it on a mission gone bad?…
Shizune:
Iie… It was just long hours in the Hokage’s office… after the war… it just happened… and it was extremely inappropriate… since I was his aide at the time… which is why no one could know… I only told Kakashi… And I chose to raise you by myself… He offered marriage… and to resign from being the hokage… But he would have had to have said why… And Konoha was still rebuilding… as were all the great nations involved in the war… I couldn’t allow it… Konoha needed your father… more than you or I did… But he looked after you from a distance… even intervening here and there… But he couldn’t do more than that… or he would have revealed the truth… And Konoha might have been destabilized at a critical time as a result…
Senju Tsunade:
There is more that you need to know… Shizune… is the daughter that I had… with Uzumaki Shintaro… the Ghost of Winter… which is why her parentage was originally kept secret by me… an all too common story among shinobi… and our family apparently…
There’s a knock on the door to the hokage’s office.
Senju Tsunade:
Crap… They’re here… Douzo!… Sumimasen… Hokikun… But I’m afraid the business of Konoha never rests… and has only accelerated with the return of your mad magician grandfather…
The door opens to reveal the kazekage and his entourage.
Senju Tsunade:
Konichiwa… Gaarasama… I hope that you had a trouble free trip to Konoha… Under the circumstances… nothing can be taken for granted…
Gaara:
Hai… I didn’t have any trouble with the trip… so much as the circumstances… and the revelations… that just seem to keep coming now… May we have a word in private?… Tsunadesama?… The Mizukage’s air ship was coming in to land when our train pulled into the station… But I have an important personal matter to discuss with you… before the Mizukage and company join us… Shinki… Take the others and greet the Mizukage upon their arrival…
Shinki:
Hai… father…
Senju Tsunade:
Kiba… Why don’t you take your little brother and tag along with them… You two can get better acquainted that way…
Inozuka Kiba:
Sure thing… come on… little bro… That still sounds weird… doesn’t it?…
Taketori Hoki:
Hai… big bro… It does sound weird… and awesome!… But can we be talking like this?… in front of outsiders?… Nothing personal… kazekagesama…
Gaara:
No problem…
Inozuka Kiba:
Don’t worry about that any more… You can tell any body you like… We don’t have to protect that old secret anymore… It might cast a little shade on our father… But he has it coming… He earned it fair and square… and he’s got another one on the way with your mom anyway…
Taketori Hoki:
Another one?…
Gaara:
If I may pry… as an interested outsider… Just who is your supposedly shady father?…
Taketori Hoki:
The Sixth Hokage!… Hatake Kakashi!… The legendary Copy Ninja!… Sumimasen… I just learned myself… I started the day as an orphan… And now I have parents!… and grandparents!… and a brother!… and another sibling on the way!…
Gaara:
Congratulations… on your revelations… We all need family… however we can get it…
Inozuka Kiba:
Come on kid… Lets show these people the hospitality of Konoha… and let them have their private consultation…
Kiba and Hoki leave with Shinki and his team, leaving Gaara and Kankuro to discuss things in private with Tsunade and Shizune.
Senju Tsunade:
Okay… Let’s have it… What’s with all the melodrama about a personal matter?… Surely it must be something… tricky… and complicated at a minimum… or you could just consult with someone from Suna…
Kankuro:
It’s about some things that Shintaro said to me and Tamari the last time we were in Konoha…
Senju Tsunade:
Of course it is… What was it this time?… That young genin that just left here with Kiba… is the grandson of the mad magician and myself… And there’s probably more revelations on the way from where that came from… once they return from their ‘three hour tour’…
Gaara:
A three hour tour?…
Senju Tsunade:
A ‘three hour tour’… according to Shintaro… but they left several hours ago… So I don’t think they’ll be back nearly so quickly as that… What exactly did he say?…
Kankuro:
Shintaro said that… based on what he could sense in our chakra… Shinki had to be a blood relation of both Temari and myself… and could not simply be adopted… It makes some sense… Both Shinki and Gaara have the Magnet Style kekeigenkai… an extremely rare trait… But he also said that he could sense that me and Temari both have it as well… although only latently… Temari has had only one child so far… and I don’t really socialize…
Gaara:
I have only ever been with one woman in my entire life… and it was a careless mistake… an inappropriate relationship… with a subordinate… She took it upon herself to leave Suna over it… And now I feel an overwhelming sense of regret for letting her leave… I have to know… What I need… is not difficult… But it must be absolutely discrete… And you’re the only one that I can trust in this situation… Here is a sample of Shinki’s hair… as well as mine… It was all I could gather without arousing suspicion…
Senju Tsunade:
That should be more than adequate… The test may take a while… But if you trust Shizune to perform the test discretely enough… it can be done while we talk with the others… about other business…
Gaara:
That would be most helpful… And I will be most grateful…
Shizune gathers the samples and heads off to conduct the sensitive test at the Konoha hospital lab. Meanwhile, two figures make their way towards the front gate of Konoha. One is a tall and muscular figure, with a large purple cloak draped over his large frame, and short spiky orange hair, with reddish orange eyes. The other figure has a relatively normal build, with white shoulder length hair, purple eyes, and dressed in a set of black workman’s overalls, with a utility tool belt of some kind, resembling a cross between a handyman and a lab assistant.
Workman:
Did you see that Jugo?… That looks like it might be the air ship of the Mizukage… Looks like we got here just in time… I just hope they let us in… Even though we’re not wanted for anything any more… with the summit underway… security will be very tight… They might even be on lock down as a precaution… And I wouldn’t let us in if I were them…
Jugo:
Then perhaps we should just go home Suigetsu… Maybe you should try talking to the Mizukage when they’re not having a summit…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
We can’t do that!… I need neutral territory!… Even though I’m not wanted in the Land of Water… I’m still persona non grata in Kiri… I can’t even get near the mizukage any other time… Besides… You’re forgetting the main reason that we’re here… for your consultation with the slug princess and the mad magician… on Orochimaru’s recommendation!… The summit is just a window of opportunity for me… for reconciliation!… Who knows?… I may yet be one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist some day… I’m not going to be Orochimaru’s lab monkey forever…
The two make their way to the gate, and nervously present scrolls of introduction and medical recommendation for a consultation in Konoha from Orochimaru. Meanwhile, Yuntaro finishes his bath at Mirai’s home, and dresses himself before rejoining her in the living room. Wearing a fresh set of pristine sleeveless white monk’s robes, and having redonned his black shades, Yuntaro finds Sarutobi Mirai and her mother Yuhi Kurenai waiting for him.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Ah… Another lovely lady awaits me… And who might you be?… if I may ask?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
This is my mom… Yuhi Kurenai… I live here with her…
Yuhi Kurenai:
So this is the son of Uzumaki Shintaro?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Uh… I didn’t say that!… I can’t talk about it…
Sarutobi Mirai:
It’s not that difficult to work out… You’re an Uzumaki… from the land of lightening… looking for your father here in Konoha… an infamous and notorious father… There aren’t many options for that here…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
I still can’t talk about it!… I’m horrible at this!… I swore oaths!… I can’t talk about it… Perhaps we should just go and talk to Tsunadesama?… Then all can be revealed with honor…
Yuhi Kurenai:
You picked a bad day for that young monk… Security and schedules will be very tight… And what’s with the shades?… Are you hung over?… Or are you hiding something more interesting?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
I… I can’t talk about it!… I swore oaths!… I can’t talk about my father… and I can’t show my eyes… not to anyone outside of the monastery where I was raised… I just can’t…
Yuhi Kurenai:
Well you might have a hard time getting in front of Tsunadesama… without revealing your face completely… Security tends to frown on disguises… unapproved ones at least… And it’s rude to wear shades indoors anyways…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
It’s rude?… Sodesuka?…
Yuhi Kurenai:
Hai… Very…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Well… Since it’s rude… And since Tsunade’s security requires it… Then I guess I just have no real choice… I’ve come too far to back out now… I bathed and everything… I even used that fancy soap with the flowery smell that I found in there… I suppose I’ll just have to now…
Yuntaro raises his hand to his head, hesitates for a moment, then removes his shades, revealing a set of purple Rinnegan for eyes, purple orbs marked with concentric black circles. Mirai and Kurenai gasp at the sight of them, causing the monk to quickly replace his shades back over his eyes.
Sarutobi Mirai:
Wait… You don’t have to cover those up here… We… We were just a little startled is all…
Yuhi Kurenai:
They are pretty…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Do you really think so?…
Yuhi Kurenai:
Hai… But the last time someone with those eyes came to Konoha… they destroyed Konoha…
Yuntaro removes his shades again, and returns his gaze to the pretty ladies in attendance.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
My apologies for startling… But I don’t really know what’s customary or normal outside of my monastery… or the wilderness… I tend to prefer the wilderness… Because in many ways… it’s simpler… harder… but simpler…
Yuhi Kurenai:
Since we’ve already worked out who your father is… even though you can’t talk about it… I don’t suppose that you could tell us about your mother?… Or is that a sworn secret too?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Her name… was Nii Yugito… She was a kunoichi of Kumo… and the jinchuriki host for the two tales… She and my father were together for only a short time when he first came to Kumo… But when she discovered that she was pregnant… she notified the Fourth Raikage… but kept it a secret from my father and everyone else in Kumo… Because she was a jinchuriki… her pregnancy had to handled with great care and great secrecy… I was born in a convent… tended to by nuns and midwives… Then raised in a monastery… She was always visiting me when I was younger… And I looked forward to her visits… But then she stopped coming… Because she was killed in the beginning of the last great war… when the Akatsuki forcibly extracted the two tales from her… killing her… My mother was civilization to me… So when she died... I turned to the wilderness… and shugendo…
Yuhi Kurenai:
Does anyone else in Kumo know about you now?… like the current raikage?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Iie… Not as far as I know… The Fourth Raikage came to the monastery to inform me of my mother’s death… and offered to take me back with him to Kumo… to eventually join with my father… But I knew nothing of him but stories that were told… The only one I cared about at the time… was my mother Yugito… or so I thought when I refused his offer… a foolish and spiteful mistake perhaps… But I was a grieving child… If the people of Kumo know of me at all… they know me only as the lightening monk of the mountains…
Sarutobi Mirai:
I’ve heard of you!… But from the stories… I half expected you to be ten feet tall… with a tail!…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Only for some transformations… And that is strictly temporary…
Sarutobi Mirai:
That’s… good to know…
As the air ship of the Mizukage is coming in to land, a mist begins grow out of nothing from no where, and begins to enshroud both Konoha and the air field. Kaminarimon Denki waits at the air field for the arrival of his teammates who have have been serving with the shinobi of Kiri. He notices the sudden unnatural change in the weather of Konoha.
Kaminarimon Denki:
Hidden mist jutsu?…
The mizukage and his delegation take the quick way off the air ship, and jump down to the air field below, landing next to Denki, as the air ship’s tether lines are seized by the ground crews for docking purposes.
Chojuro:
Mizuno…
Mizuno:
Hai… This is definitely a hidden mist jutsu… or something very close to it…
Kaminarimon Denki:
I thought so… But you didn’t do this… did you?…
Chojuro:
Iie… Definitely not…
Yuino Iwabe:
Could it be the Funato Clan?… Maybe they followed us back here… if they found out about the emergency summit…
Chojuro:
We barely knew…
In Mirai’s home, Yuntaro and company notice the sudden unnatural change in the weather as well.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
I didn’t do that!… I could have… But I didn’t…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Obviously… That’s a Kiri jutsu… But Kiri is an ally… The mizukage is coming to Konoha for an emergency summit related to your father’s return… This makes no sense…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Well actually… from what little I know of the history of the Land of Water… inner turmoil… uprisings and intrigue… are par for the course for Kiri… Are we sure something hasn’t followed them here?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
There has been a lot of terrorist activity by the Funato Clan lately… Konoha could become a target by virtue of the alliance with Kiri alone…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Ooh… The Funato Clan… They’re legendary… The only water users more formidable than the water users of Kiri… or of the Uzumaki Clan… There were a number of refugee monks from Uzushio at the monastery where I was raised… They had all sorts of stories to tell about the Funato… Only Kiri has had more trouble with the Funato Clan… than the Uzumaki… The Funato and the Uzumaki were fierce rivals... back in the old piracy days of Uzu…
In the sky above the air field, a giant red crane swoops down from out of the clouds, with a lone shinobi wearing a white hooded cloak, a black and white anbu style snow leopard mask, and with vivid red hair protruding out slightly from under his hood, riding on it’s back. The snow leopard raises his right hand above his head, as if pulling back to throw an invisible spear held within his otherwise empty palm. The man’s palm begin to fill with a snow flurry, that grows rabidly and expands to create a large ice shard, then he launches several shards directly at the mizukage’s air ship, accelerated buy their own snow flurry wind funnels, puncturing the hydrogen gas bags and one of the main engines, igniting the fuel and the hydrogen together, causing it to explode, killing the crew of the air ship, and killing and injuring much of the ground crew.
Chojuro:
We’re under attack!… But by who?… That was the ice style!… Since when do the Funato have the ice style?…
Misuno:
It could be a mercenary… But I don’t know of any that would throw in with the Funato…
Terumi Mei:
Toshiro?…
Misuno:
Toshiro?…
A large number of stolen Kiri air ships shimmer into view within the artificial mist enshrouding Konoha, surrounding Konoha in the air, as the snow leopard shinobi and his red crane head for the hokage’s office. Numerous assailants rapidly disembark from the various air ships, descending on cables to the ground before proceeding to attack and fire bomb Konoha, and any shinobi that they come across.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Nani?!?… What was that?!?…
Yuhi Kurenai:
We’re under attack!… Mirai!… Take the monk to the Fifth Hokage!… I need to check out the hospital psych ward… I have patients there…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Hai!… Icu!…
Two small groups of pirates make direct lines for the homes of Naruto, the Seventh Hokage, and Shikamaru, his chief advisor. They rummage through their homes looking for something while the rest of Konoha is too busy to deal with them, their efforts lost in the fog of war. Mirai begins to race towards the hokage’s office in the administration building, with the young monk chasing close behind, shades back on, as the denizens of Konoha flee, but mostly without panic, as they carry out well rehearsed and time tested evacuation and shelter procedures.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Miraisama?… Do we have to take the long way on foot?… If you can point me in the right direction… I can get us there quicker…
Mirai stops, exasperated at the neophyte, and points in the direction of the hokage’s office.
Sarutobi Mirai:
It’s straight that way!…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Wakata… Take my hand… Miraisama…
Yuntaro reaches out and grabs Mira’s hand as it’s offered, then they are both suddenly engulfed in purple lightening as they fly up and over to the building with the hokage’s office in it, catching a good look at the highjacked Kiri air ships that are actively laying siege to Konoha.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Who’s invading?… Who has air ships like That?… Those are air ships right?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Every body has air ships like that now… But those are from Kiri!… But it could be a false flag… Someone highjacking Kiri air ships to use in the attack and blame Kiri for it… to destabilize the alliance…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Ooh!… A real red crane!…
The Mizukage and his delegation head after the red crane in the sky, along with Denki and the rest of his now reunited team. Kiba and his new little brother join them as well, along with Shinki and his team.
Chojuro:
Don’t lose sight of that giant red crane!… Meisama!… Is that what I think it is?…
Terumi Mei:
Hai… That’s a giant red crane of Uzu… They only allow the Uzumaki Clan to summon them…
Chojuro:
Uzumaki?…
Terumi Mei:
Hai… But this is definitely not Naruto’s doing… But I’m afraid… that I may know who it is… But I can’t say for certain… I just hope that I’m wrong…
Misuno:
About Toshiro?…
Terumi Mei:
Hai…
Suigetsu and Jugo are waiting by the guard shack for their request for entry to be granted, when the first explosion rocks Konoha, startling the guards, and making them immediately suspicious of the travelers in front of them.
Guard:
What was that?!?… Is this your doing?… Is this something of Orochimaru’s doing?…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Iie!… Iie!… This has nothing to do with us!… or Orochimaru!… I swear!…
Guard:
That explosion came from the direction of the air field!…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
The mizukage!… He could be in danger!…
As the air ships invading shimmer into view surrounding Konoha, one shimmers in just above their heads, and enemy assailants begin to rapidly descend down cables to the ground near them, and start fire bombing everything in sight.
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Pirates?…
Guard:
Repel the invaders!… You two make yourselves scarce!… Evacuate from Konoha!…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Sure thing… We’ll leave immediately… Right Jugo?…
Jugo:
Uh… Right…
The guards frantically fend off the pirates, as Suigetsu takes the opportunity to search after the mizukage in all the confusion.
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Jugo!… Icu!…
Jugo:
But… You said…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
I know what I said!… Icu!…
Jugo chases after Suigetsu through the streets of Konoha, as the pirates continue the fire bombing of Konoha. The pirates cease to stream out of the various air ships, and the air ships themselves seem to just hover in place, just over various parts of the wall surrounding Konoha, drifting slightly in the breeze without manual correction. The red crane makes it’s way to the administration building of Konoha, and comes down to land on top of the building. The cloaked snow leopard jumps off the red crane’s back, as the crane goes poof and disappears in a reverse summoning, returning back to where it was summoned from to begin with.
The snow leopard pauses for a moment, then removes his mask, revealing that his eyes have been scourged out of their sockets, rendering him completely blind. Then he begins to speak, using his wind nature chakra to amplify his voice, and artificially propagate it throughout Konoha.
Snow Leopard:
Konoha!… I am Uzumaki Toshiro!… rightful heir to the throne of Uzu!… rightful custodian of the blood treasury of Uzushio!… and the rightful head of the Uzumaki Clan!… Uzumaki Naruto… is nothing more than an impressive child… and Uzumaki Shintaro… is an usurper!… offering what is not his to offer… on behalf of the glorified gang of thieves… that you call an alliance!… I demand recognition!… and the return of what rightfully belongs to the Uzumaki!… I hereby declare… the rebirth of Uzushio!… an Empire of the Middle Sea!…
The lightening monk and Mirai land on the roof of the administration building several steps away from the snow leopard, as the purple lightening surrounding them disperses upon landing.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Uncle Toshiro?… Why are you running with pirates?… And since when does the blood treasury rightfully belong to anyone but the dead?… That’s why it’s called the blood treasury after all…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Uncle?… Who are you calling uncle?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
I’m calling you uncle… My name… is Uzumaki Yuntaro… I am the son of Uzumaki Shintaro… your brother… But he doesn’t know that yet… I just missed him too…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Well… Yuntaro… or whoever you are… The Uzumaki earned rightful ownership of the blood treasury… by right of conquest… To believe otherwise was always a vain self righteous pretension of the Uzumaki… a self indulgent shirking of the burdens and duties of power… to maintain order!… in pursuit of the self righteous crusade… to save a worthless world… from the demons they deserve… and from the demons of their own making!… Pirates are at least honest thieves… unlike the shinobi and their feudal lords who pretend to be otherwise…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
So… you claim rightful ownership… by virtue of being the original thieves?… or just the last in possession?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Proper pirates don’t care about rightful ownership of anything… They’re just thieves… at best… and it gets far worse from there…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Quite true… But the proper reward for abolishing proper piracy… is to properly rule… Protection has it’s proper price…
Senju Tsunade:
Spoken like a proper gangster… Eh?… Toshiro?… My how the righteous have fallen…
Tsunade and the kazekage reach the roof behind them, accompanied by Kankuro, Shizune, and a squad of Konoha shinobi as back up.
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Self righteous pretension has fallen Tsunade!… And nothing of value was lost!… Where is Shintaro?…
Senju Tsunade:
He’s running an errand… So… why don’t you just surrender?… And you can talk it out with him when he get’s back…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Do not trifle with me!… Tsunade!…
Then Toshiro places his snow leopard mask back on his face, and unleashes a flurry of ice senbon, a type of combination throwing dart and surgical acupuncture needle, flying out of the palms of both hands. Then he jumps back away from Tsunade and company, landing on the ground out in front of the administration building. Tsunade and Gaara jump out of the way in time, along with Shizune and Kankuro, but the squad of back up shinobi gets pin cushioned by ice senbon. Yuntaro jumps after his uncle, and lands on the ground a few meters away from him, followed by Mirai, instinctively trying to keep an eye on her charge in the midst of the chaos.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Uncle Toshiro!… This has gone on long enough!… If you insist upon representing the Uzumaki Clan in this manner… then I’m afraid… that I have no choice but to oppose you… even though we’re family…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
You’re not completely right in the head… Are ya kid?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
And what is the basis of that diagnosis?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Seriously?…
Tsunade, Gaara, Kankuro and Shizune land on the ground as well, with Tsunade and Shizune joining some Konoha shinobi arriving at the scene, and with Gaara and Kankuro taking up positions next to the new monk and his kunoichi escort. The mizukage and company arrive at the administration building just in time for Jugo and Suigetsu to join them there, surrounding the snow leopard, before they join the conversation.
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Mizukagesama!… Mizukagesama!… Daijoubudesuka?…
Chojuro:
Suigetsu?… What are you doing here?…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
A mission of medical mercy…
Jugo:
For me…
Misuno:
You’re Hozuki Suigetsu?…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
In the solid flesh… for the moment…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Ah… The precious and all important mizukage of the moment… has finally graced us with his presence… Now we can get down to family business… Right Meisama?… I would say that it’s good to see you again… But you know that’s a lie… and you know why… in more ways than one…
Terumi Mei:
Don’t do this Toshiro… Not just for revenge against me… It’s not too late… Think… Think of your children…
Senju Tsunade:
Children?…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
You mean our children don’t you?…
Misuno:
‘Our children’!?!…
Chojuro:
Father?…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
You haven’t told them… Have you?… Do they even know about you?…
Terumi Mei:
They know… about me… But no one else does… And you were supposedly dead…
Chojuro:
Meisama?…
Terumi Mei:
You needn’t keep up appearances for my sake Chojuro… not anymore… You might as well just start openly calling me mama… Chojuro… Misuno… Uzumaki Toshiro… is your father… He’s the rogue shinobi that I told you about before… except that he was never rogue… until now…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Rogue!?!… Rogue against a system of gangsters!… I’ve gone free!… And I can take you with me… Drop those silly headbands and titles of worthless authority… Rebuild the Uzumaki Clan with me… out of the corpse of the so called shinobi alliance… which is nothing but a glorified gangster syndicate anyway… Here… On behalf of the Uzumaki Clan… I’ve prepared a statement… My men have distributed this message to all the major publications… in every major capital… Here’s your copy Tsunade… But don’t bother reading it now… You won’t have time during the aftermath…
The snow leopard tosses a small scroll over to Tsunade’s waiting hands. Then the snow leopard snaps his fingers, and triggering the ignition of several small paper bombs, attached to the hydrogen gas bags, and to all of the extra added surplus fuel tanks, on every air ship, blowing them all up in a fiery formation in the sky. The fiery formation of air ship wreckage comes crashing down on top of several portions of Konoha’s outer wall, destroying those portions and numerous adjacent homes and other buildings. All remaining pirates not captured or killed, then flee under the cover of the chaos, and disappear on cue.
Terumi Mei:
Toshiro!…
Uzumaki Toshiro:
Tell my brother to come home… and we can settle the matter of clan leadership and direction properly… All family are welcome to do so… All family are welcome… Sayonara… baca shinobi…
The snow leopard goes poof and disappears.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Reverse summoning?…
Misuno:
Back to hell?…
Terumi Mei:
Bite your tongue Misuno!… That’s still your father!…
Misuno:
And he’s still a rogue terrorist!… Mama!… That much you were telling the truth about… even if you didn’t intend to… He just killed countless people in Konoha!… and the crew of our own air ship!… just to prove a point!… You soft peddled our father’s darkness mama… He’s beyond rogue!…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
I may be able to assist with the casualties… and perhaps even some of the damage to Konoha… But I’ve never done anything this big before… But there’s no legitimate purpose in mastering senjutsu if not to use it for such things…
Yuntaro holds up his right hand, and materializes his flute back into his hand in a flash of purple lightening. Yuntaro raises his flute to his lips and begins to play. As Yuntaro plays, the winds begin to pick up around him, intensifying and widening. Sideways blowing rain joins the wind, with a numerous and growing population of origami flowers swirling in the mix. The flower funnel turns into a full fledged flower hurricane, engulfing and drenching all of Konoha and the adjacent air field, dousing all of the flames. The flowers act like heat seeking missiles, homing in on the burning and the damage, dousing the flames and restoring some damage, like a healing skin graft of clay, dirt, and flowers, generating a surface of potted growing flowers, and crawling flowery vines, in place of the damage. Numerous giant cherry blossom trees spring up within the gaps of the now broken wall, filling in the gaps.
As Yuntaro’s playing reaches a crescendo, purple lightening begins to erupt from the flowernado, and repeatedly strikes Yuntaro and his flute while he’s playing. Yuntaro suddenly stops playing, and throws his head back, with his arms dropping to his side. Then hundreds of bright shards of light erupt from Yuntaro’s body, and fly off from him to seek out targets all over Konoha, including where all the air ships were destroyed, and strikes the corpses of all of the freshly fallen, repairing and regenerating their bodies, even physically restoring their burnt clothing to it’s previous unburnt state.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
There now… Hopefully there isn’t anyone still dead who isn’t supposed to be… So… no hard feelings for Uncle Toshiro?… Right?… Righ…
Yuntaro trails off with his question, as he passes out on his feet, and crashes to the ground with a thud.
Sarutobi Mirai:
Yuntaro!?!…
Terumi Mei:
Uh… Who is he again?…
The flowery steamy mess of Konoha takes some sorting and assessing, as Yuntaro is relocated to the Konoha hospital to be examined, while he continues to sleep it off under the watchful eye of his kunoichi escort Mirai. The mizukage and his delegation from Kiri, sans Kagura, wonder off to find some privacy for more intense private conversation, after receiving a phone call from Kiri informing them of what had happened back at the Kiri air field after they left for Konoha. Shizune goes about the task of conducting the kazekage’s genetic test, as well as a test to verify Yuntaro’s relation to his father Shintaro. On the roof of the Konoha hospital, Karatachi Kagura holds a sidebar with Jugo and Suigetsu.
Karatachi Kagura:
Trust me… It’s not happening… Not now… and not ever if you insist on trying now… In short… it’s a bad time… And I don’t have to explain why…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
But there must be some way… I can’t even get a reply normally otherwise...
Karatachi Kagura:
That should have been your first clue… that it’s not happening… and most likely never happening…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Come on… Surely there must be some good will for me somewhere in Kiri… That woman seemed to be impressed by my reputation at least… What’s she like?… I hear she’s a major hard ass… in manner of speaking… Misuno?… right?…
Karatachi Kagura:
Don’t even think about it… She’s just as unforgiving as her reputation suggests… and far more dangerous…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Sounds fun!… But what’s she look like under that mask?… Surely you’ve seen her face…
Jugo:
Suigetsu…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
What?… She looks cute… from what I could see…
Karatachi Kagura:
I don’t know why she wears the mask… And no… I’ve never seen her face without it… I just know that it’s supposed to be personal… And shinobi don’t even need a reason for that sort of thing… only permission from superiors… I suggest that you forget all about it… and get back to escorting your friend to his medical appointment…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
That requires Tsunade… And she’s busy… right along with everybody else in Konoha right now…
Karatachi Kagura:
That should be another clue for you…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Aw… dude…
Karatachi Kagura:
Don’t dude me… dude…
Jugo:
dude…
Hozuki Suigetsu:
Okay dudes… Okay… Wakata… Sumimasen…
As the dudes side bar reaches it’s end without resolution, young Yuntaro begins to stir in his hospital bed.
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Mmm… Mirai…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Hai… Yuntaro?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Mmm… Mirai… Please… Mirai… Just once… I’ve never kissed a girl before…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Maybe later… kawaii baca… Okinasai!…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
I’m up!… I’m up!… Sumimasen!… I can still water the garden!…
Sarutobi Mirai:
‘Water the garden’?… What garden?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Oh… That was just one of my chores in the monastery… Where am I?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Konoha hospital… hot lips…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Hot lips?… They don’t feel hot… Was that a proper diagnosis?… or just a euphemism?… I know about euphemisms!… I almost never know what they mean… But I know what they are!…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Well bless your heart… and your hot lips condition… I’m sure they’ll find a cure for that eventually…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Eventually!?!…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Don’t worry about it… So… How are you feeling?… besides your lips not feeling hot?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
I feel fine… save for missing my father again… and instead… finding an uncle… who’s a terrorist!… and not like my father… My father was a terrorist… technically speaking… But even as a terrorist… he was more popular than his victims… which excuses nothing… But he never killed anyone for it… as far as I know… and my uncle didn’t even seem to care… Is my uncle evil?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Well… Evil is a pretty strong word… Let’s just say that your uncle has more of a dark side than most… Just how dark?… That remains to be seen… But it’s all a little too dark when it’s family… But your cousin the mizukage has a lot more than you to sort out when it comes to your uncle… as does the alliance… So you’re going to have to get in line… even behind your own father… Your uncle seemed to have some special grudge with your father… But you’ll have to ask them about that…
Senju Tsunade:
And he’ll have to get in line behind me… Welcome back Yuntaro… That was quite the miracle you pulled off… and not just the resurrection of the dead… Many people are complimenting you on your repairs to Konoha… calling it an improvement in some cases… I doubt that even the Rinnegan has that kind of power… That’s just pure artistic talent!…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Tsu… Tsu… Tsunadesama!… Tsunadesama… talked… to me!…
Senju Tsunade:
I heard that you were a bit of a fan… Yuntaro?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Hai!… I mean… Hai Tsunadesama… I was a student of medicine in various forms at the monastery where I was raised… Your works were among my favorites… I have quite a collection… everything that I could get my hands on really…
Senju Tsunade:
So… you wanted all of me that you could get your hands on?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Uh… No… But… Yes… But… Not in that way… Not that I wouldn’t… Because I would… But I would never…
Senju Tsunade:
Relax kid… I’m messing with you… You weren’t kidding Mirai… Talk about precious innocence…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Miraisama?… Do you really think I’m… precious?…
Sarutobi Mirai:
Oh you’re precious alright…
Yuntaro beams with glee, flattered by all the female attention, and still oblivious to obvious sarcasm.
Senju Tsunade:
Well Yuntaro… you’re clearly no worse for wear… in spite of using a jutsu that killed the last person who tried to use it in Konoha… That is quite the impressive feet… How did you manage to survive it?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Senjutsu… Senjutsu makes all sorts of things possible… that are either impossible… or even fatal… without it…
Senju Tsunade:
Did your father teach you senjutsu?… Mirai said that Shintaro doesn’t even know that you exist…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
And he doesn’t… There were a number of refugee monks from Uzushio… at the monastery where I was raised… enough for them to teach me what they knew of the tradition… so that I could piece the rest of it together on my own… with the aide of my fancy eyes of course… My mother gave me some scrolls that she got from my father… But they were mostly related to demon hunting and exorcism… the curriculum of the Demon Order of Kumo…
Senju Tsunade:
We have more scrolls like that… from your father… I could give you some copies to add to your collection… We discovered after the raid… that they didn’t just come to demonstrate their power and leave behind a manifesto… They ransacked the homes of Uzumaki Naruto and Nara Shikamaru… and they made off with every scroll they could find… Given what you know to be in the scrolls that you have… should we be concerned about what they could do with them?… besides the usual secrets that shinobi keep?…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Hai… Especially with Uncle Toshiro… But even without him… it only takes some talent with fuinjutsu… and enough chakra to perform the given jutsu… And with Toshiro… he could probably train others to do so as well… But since it is Uncle Toshiro… how do we know that he would even need it?…
Senju Tsunade:
Toshiro’s good… But your father’s the best there is… and probably the best there ever was on this planet… short of the sage of six paths himself… So even if Toshiro doesn’t need it… every little edge can make a big difference… And your Uncle Toshiro is literally asking for a fight…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Technically speaking… he’s only asking for recognition… and to restore his clan… which shouldn’t be problems… in and of themselves… But his methods are what are unacceptable… And I told him so most clearly and sincerely…
Senju Tsunade:
Well… I’m glad that’s settled…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Sodesune… Domo…
Senju Tsunade:
Excellent!… We’re saved!… But we’re still going to have to deal with your uncle regardless… You’ll need a place to stay while we wait for your father to return… But I’m afraid that I can’t show you around town… I can send someone to escort you…
Sarutobi Mirai:
I can take him!… I mean… It’s no problem for me to take him around town… I mean… if there’s no one else… and I’m not needed elsewhere… Mom said that he could stay with us… if he needs to that is…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
That’s fantastic Miraisama!… Isn’t that fantastic Tsunadesama?…
Senju Tsunade:
Hai… fantastic… and precious… oh so precious…
Uzumaki Yuntaro:
Tsunadesama… May I have a copy of my uncle’s manifesto?… I would like to… I want to… understand…
Senju Tsunade:
Hai… Douzo…
Tsunade reaches into her kimono top, and pulls out a small scroll, then tosses it over to Yuntaro, sitting up in his hospital bed.
Senju Tsunade:
Maybe you can make sense out of what I can’t… I know your uncle and your father from way back… And I don’t recognize my old friend in any piece of that manifesto… But I suspect that the reason for that… isn’t likely to be found in any manifesto… so much as may be revealed by the story behind the mizukage’s relation to your uncle… both of them… But I have to go help sort out another confidential family melodrama… Shitsurei shimasu…
Tsunade leaves the magic monk to his reading, with his kunoichi escort in attendance. She makes her way to a medical lab where Shizune is tending to the private matter of the kazekage’s. Gaara and Kankuro are waiting outside the lab when she gets there.
Senju Tsunade:
Results still not in yet?…
Kankuro:
Not yet…
Gaara:
Are you sure that this… is alright?… to be taking time for this?… at a time like this?… It would seem self indulgent to me… if it were just about me…
Senju Tsunade:
I wouldn’t worry about the circumstances so much… Thanks to the magic monk… not only do we not have any casualties… he even managed to bring back some of the people that we lost with the Otsutsuki attack on the chunin exams… And there isn’t going to be a better time… We can’t take it for granted that there will ever be a better time… or even just not so busy or crazy…
Gaara:
Perhaps you’re right… I just wish I could feel that way…
Senju Tsunade:
With information about the problem… there comes clarification of the problem… which should lessen the burden of the problem… assuming that it doesn’t just outright solve the problem…
Gaara:
Again… I only wish that I could be so detached from it as that… But that would seem to be an even greater affront… potentially against the dead…
Kankuro:
You’re being too hard on yourself… Shinki virtually worships like a god… You’ve done what you can… Shinki won’t hold anything against you for this… And you know that…
Gaara:
Knowing it… and presuming to take it for granted… are two completely different things…
Shizune:
Well… you don’t have to take anything for granted now…
Shizune walks out of the medical lab to join the conversation outside.
Shizune:
It’s confirmed… Shintaro was right… The results are definitive… Shinki is either your son… or he has to be the child of one of your siblings… and since you’ve already ruled out the other possibilities… that leaves only one conclusion…
Gaara:
Shinki… is… my son… And now… I have to explain this to him… And I have to come up with some explanation… as to why I don’t know what happened to his mother… The problem has been clarified… But the burden doesn’t feel any the lesser for it…
There Is No Alone!
Forever Never Ending!
There Is No Escape!
There Is No Point In Pretending!
For compilations of previous chapters in paperback hardcopy:
The Mad Sage Of Uzushio, A Naruto Fan Fiction: Volume 1: Chapters 1-17 Paperback On Amazon.com