Everyone means well- i think
“You have won your match against my jinchuriki, what do you want now?” snapped an irate Tsuchikage as he released some of his KI, Naruto withheld a smirk at his antics.
“You already know what I want.” She replied calmly. Beside her she could hear the racing heartbeat of Sasuke whereas Jiraiya’s was calm.
The tsuchikage gave her an apprehensive look, “And how would I know this isn’t a trap to take control of them?”
Naruto had to give it to her team, they managed to keep blank faces despite not knowing what the hell they’re talking about. Without being asked to Naruto took a seat opposite Onoki and leaned back, “What would Konoha want with your jinchuriki? We already have the nine tails who is more powerful than the others. And besides, the bijuu’s they host were given as peace offerings and that is why I am here. To help build peace that the five nations once had before the first war.”
Onoki snorted and gave her a sneer, “Did you hear that Kurotsuchi? Minato Namikaze’s heir has come to Iwa to bring peace.” His voice was that of innocence and annoyance.
Naruto leaned forward and placed her hands under her chin, “Will you blame me for the sins of my father who I never met? In that case, should I destroy Iwa and Kiri as you and your sensei once did to Uzushigakure?” her eyes flashed red as she smirked at him.
He blanched and those around the Tsuchikage raised their weapons but did not attack, “You have some nerve to be so flippant with me little girl considering you cannot back it up.”
Naruto flashed him her fangs, “You say I can’t back it up yet you just saw me take down both of your jinchuriki’s, two-to-one without breaking so much as a sweat. A kage just isn’t that much in comparison to two bijuu and their jinchuriki.” She shrugged her shoulders and Onoki’s face went red with fury however he held back his tongue but not his KI, not that Naruto cared much for it.
She looked him in the eye and continued, “As I said before to yourself and your jinchuriki- I am here for peace. If I wanted war I would have killed Han and Roshi during the battle but I didn’t. And besides-” she pointed a finger at him and turned her eyes back to blue, “-you gave your word you would sign a new treaty. We’ll be sending an ambassador to and fro between our villages to work on the details.” She stood up and everyone tensed, “Have a good day Tsuchikage.” She gave a small bow and placed her hands on Sasuke and Jiariya to hiraishin them to the office in Konoha.
They all blinked at the sight. There was three Kakashi’s in the room, all diligently doing paperwork and none of them noticed their flashy entrance. Sasuke cleared his throat with a fist in front of his mouth, “Hogake-sama?” he asked but didn’t receive a reply.
“Kakashi?” asked Jiraiya but they still receive a reply as the three Kakashi’s muttered under their breaths.
Both males looked to her and she shrugged her shoulder, “Koi?” Kakashi looked up instantly and her sweat dropped.
“When did you all get back?” he asked however he didn’t dispel his clones as he leaned back in his chair.
Jiraiya was the one to answer, “We got here about a minute ago and tried to get your attention but you weren’t listening.”
Kakashi gave him a fake eye smile and Naruto frowned in worry, she hadn’t seen him give one of those smiles in a while. “I was a bit preoccupied and it’s not like you were trying to kill me, if you were I would have paid more attention.” He looked at the three of them, eyes lingering on Naruto’s form a bit longer, “How was the mission?”
Naruto’s back straightened as she replied, “It went as well as it could have gone. There were no fights outside of the match between Han, Roshi and myself, I won the fight with minor injuries which have already healed. After that we had a short meeting with the Tsuchikage and I believe we should pester him about that treaty so he takes us seriously. He can’t back out since he signed a deal beforehand and he knows it so it’s only a matter of time.” She shrugged her shoulders as Jiraiya handed him his written report. When he had made it was beyond her but she didn’t dwell on that.
Kakashi gave the report a once over and nodded over to them, “Well done. Take the next two days off but Sasuke, Naruto- I need your written reports in by tomorrow evening.” He waved his hand in a dismissal and the two males left, Naruto did not.
“I said you were dismissed.” He repeated and Naruto simply looked to the ANBU in the room.
“Guys, give me and Kakashi a few minutes? You can stand outside the windows and doors if it makes you feel better.” They looked at each other and nodded before doing as she suggested and Naruto activated a silencing seal around the room.
Kakashi looked up from the report he was reading with a bored look, “What is it Naruto?”
Instead of answering she looked him dead in the eye before moving over to where he was and raised her hand to remove his hitai-ate however his hand wrapped around her wrist, “Stop.”
She glared at him, “Instead of asking what’s wrong with me why don’t you tell me what’s wrong with you?” her other hand made quick work of his headband and her placed a kiss to the top of his scar. Removing his mask she cupped his cheeks, and waited for a reply and when she didn’t receive one she spoke again, “Shisui, can you tell me what’s wrong with him?” she asked her fiancé who was henged into a falcon.
He shook his head in bird form before changing into a human form, however he was under another henge to look pretty simple. “Danzo was here yesterday about his ROOT operatives. He wanted you to be a member and the war hawk refuses to accept no for an answer. Most likely he intends for you to be kidnapped and brainwashed into becoming one of his operatives.” He shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t care and Naruto knew he didn’t. She was capable of looking after herself.
Kakashi on the other hand looked about ready to commit a serial murder, Shisui then Danzo. Then maybe the council for agreeing with the crazy man for so many years. She wasn’t too sure if she was honest.
She sighed as she sat on the desk, “Instead of worrying yourself to the grave over something so silly why don’t we start up our little charade for Danzo to be executed? We can do it tomorrow and this way, by two weeks max he’ll be dead and out of our hair. The only remaining problem would be Obito after that.”
.
.
.
Sasuke would never say it out loud, but he was enjoying himself immensely. Team 7, 10, Jiariya and the sandaime were all in the hokage office listening to the story Shisui was in the middle of telling them. In fact, his brother was due to make an appearance as well any minute now to back up the story they been told.
Team 7 had been informed the night before what Kakashi, Naruto and Shisui were going to do and Sasuke made it his mission to revel in it all. No doubt after everything that had happened, they would execute Danzo and the deaths of his family would be avenged and his remaining family would be at peace in Konoha together.
He looked at Sakura and saw she was holding back from laughing out loud, and Sasuke couldn’t blame her. Shisui was laying everything on thick. That and the fact they had roped so many people into witnessing it made it even funnier.
Naruto and Kakashi on the other hand, their faces gave nothing away. The sandaime looked about ready to drink himself under the table or perhaps smoke himself to unconsciousness. He could practically hear the old leader mourning and rejoicing. Mourning because he was still doing kage roles even though he was retired and rejoicing because he wouldn’t be the one to be doing all the paperwork.
It didn’t take long for his brother to join them and he backed up the story Shisui was telling them as well as scaring the crap out of everyone that didn’t know the truth about his brother.
A half hour later Danzo was summoned to the office and as soon as he saw Shisui and Itachi he appeared ready to make a tactical retreat however Naruto restrained him with one of her tails further freaking the occupants in the room even if many didn’t show it.
Not long later they had been dismissed, Danzo in a cell and Team 7 as well as Shisui were walking along a path to eat lunch together the air tense, confusing the youngest Uchiha. He had assumed when Shisui was made a citizen again things would be better but there seemed to be something weighing on Shisui and Kakashi’s minds.
He raked through his brain for reasons why and the only conclusion he could come up with was Naruto however he knew for a fact they had come to some sort of an agreement.
‘So I’m not the only one seeing it then.’ Sasuke withheld his surprise when he heard Naruto’s voice in his head and simply carried on walking.
‘You’d have to be blind or oblivious not to see it.’ He replied when they were stopped by some civilians wishing to talk to the godaime.
‘They’re both keeping something from me and whilst I don’t mind secrets since it comes with the occupation I can’t help but think that it’s… that it’s something life changing.’ Sasuke heard her mental struggle and the two of them tried to think harder.
‘Have you spoken to them about it?’
‘I don’t want to push them. I’ve pushed on so many things as it is…’
‘Should I talk to them?’
‘No. They both want to keep it amongst the two of them and I’ll respect that. And besides, if they told you it’d be a burden on your shoulders as well.’
Sasuke mentally sighed and really did jump when an unexpected voice spoke up, ‘Have you considered it may have to do with that organisation? The one after the tailed beasts?’ Sakura asked and he was glad no one saw him jump or he would never be able to live it down.
‘I’m sure if it had anything to do with Akatsuki they would-’ she stopped talking and they could sense another presence, one that set their backs straight. Sasuke could see Kyuubi as he and Naruto spoke to each other despite the fact he shouldn’t be able to see them and thankfully he couldn’t hear them.
Their three (or four?) way conversation ended there as they made their way to the restaurant. Part of Sasuke was focused on their current conversation the other part was thinking about things that were better left un-thought.
.
.
.
Naruto raked her hands through her hair in frustration. Five months had passed since the first meeting with the Tsuchikage and the other kage however they had barely moved an inch with uniting the five nations.
Onoki didn’t trust Kakashi nor Naruto, A didn’t want anything to do with Kiri, Rasa wanted nothing to do with Iwa and Kiri wanted nothing to do with any of them but since Yagura was Mizukage, he was forcing the rest of Kiri to behave. It was times like his Naruto wished jinchuriki were kage in each of the nations.
Naruto hadn’t thought peace would take this long to obtain considering when they had tried for peace in her time, they had gotten it after a single meeting. However, she mused, it had been on completely different terms then. They had been at war and about to face an eternity stuck in a genjutsu.
She knew the people she was seeing well, however these were not the same people she fought alongside with during the fourth war. These people wore the right faces, had the right souls, but they were different. She had been thoroughly shocked when Hinata and Kiba had been sighted together on a date the other day and even more shocked when Konan had sent word to her that she and Nagato were lovers.
She had been so shocked by the news she had signed the documents in the wrong places and had to write the whole damn things up from scratch.
However now she was considering throwing her poisoned kunai in their escorts chakra points and see how well he fares. Whenever they were in Iwa, Onoki made it a point to assign the most annoying division to them- The explosion Corps, and more specifically their captain.
The bastard made it a point to point out how much superior he was, how much more experienced he was, how he had done this or that which Naruto often chose to blank out. She didn’t need to hear his war stories, didn’t need to hear how he had been the one to set off the bombs at that had trapped Team Minato underground during their last mission together. Didn’t need to hear how he was basically the one who had started the whole fiasco of her own time.
She often tried to think of other things, such as how she couldn’t find Obito. He was in hiding, she expected as much, however she should have been able to sense his whereabouts which she couldn’t. She could try harder by using the rikudou sennin’s power she was gifted with but she knew Black Zetsu would be onto her if he sensed that, and it was going to be her trump card.
She shook her head, getting lost in thought wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She had done all that could be done for right now and her focus should be on getting the five nations to agree to work together without conflict.
“Look I mean no disrespect but could we hasten the pace? We’re all shinobi here but we’re going at civilian speed.” Spoke Naruto after finally having enough.
He stopped and slowly turned around, looking at her with disdain clear on his face, “There’s no hurry Namikaze. We don’t need to rush things.”
Her brow twitched, “Since you called me by that name I will remind you the Namikaze’s love speed. You’re going at snail pace in comparison to what I’m used to.”
He glared at her as he clenched his fists, “You are in Iwa, and you will listen to Iwa shinobi whilst you are here.” He grit his teeth as his demeanour changed from irritated to calm. She mentally chuckled, it seemed he finally noticed he was showing his emotions.
Jiraiya however wasn’t going to let it slide just like that, “Changing your demeanour doesn’t really do much, Naruto and I can still sense your irritation, your anger and-” Naruto elbowed him in the gut, silencing him from continuing his sentence. Sure it was a fact, but that didn’t mean he needed to rub it in his face.
She gave their escort a smile despite the man’s glare, “Ignore him. He’s had one too many sake bottles.” Said escort glared at her godfather but carried on despite his interruption.
She sighed and rubbed her temples as they carried on. She understood where Jiraiya was coming from but they really didn’t need this right now.
They travelled in silence from then but at least they went quicker and in five minutes they were in the apartments Konoha envoy had been offered during their stay in Iwa and the two gama sennin sat on the grounds with large sighs, finally rid of their guard.
Jiraiya got up after that and went to take a shower whereas Naruto focused on the seal she had just taken out of her pocket. ‘What’s up?’ the sudden sound of Shisui’s voice caused her to jump.
Closing her eyes and breathing to calm her heartbeat she replied, ‘Nothing much. Just got into the rooms.’
‘That sure took time,’
‘Our bastard of an escort was taking his own sweet time getting us there.’
‘Hmmm…’
She quirked a brow as she got out her ink and brush, ‘Is everything alright with you? You sound a bit...’ she wasn’t sure how to word it. He sounded tiered but it was more than that. When she didn’t receive a reply and paused her hand movement, ‘Shisui?’
‘Huh? Oh. Yeah I’m fine. Kakashi had me running ragged with all the paperwork. He’s doing it but he’s making it a mess once it’s done.’ He groaned and she couldn’t help but smile.
‘When I was hokage, Shikamaru would say I made a mess of the paperwork thanks to all the kagebunshin that I used. That and whenever we had someone come in the first thing they would see was four different versions of me with desks and piles of paperwork.’ She chuckled as she recalled one of the many times when Shikamaru would enter the office with a foreign dignitary and they both would apologise and relocated the meeting.
‘Are you talking about me?’ asked Kakashi in a sing song voice and she could practically feel Shisui mentally smacking Kakashi over the head.
‘Focus on not making a mess of the paperwork, hokage-sama.’
‘Maa maa Shisui-kun. There’s no need for formalities and smacking me over the head is there?’
‘If it were me you were annoying I would have bitten you. Be happy the Uchiha’s aren’t ones for biting,’ she shook her head when Kurama decided to join their little debate and decided to leave them to it, focusing instead on the seal.
.
.
.
It had been a whole year and a half since Naruto had been sent to the past and she was pleased with a few things and not so pleased with other things- things which Kurama often told her to stop worrying about since she couldn’t exactly do anything about them.
An underlying problem that often showed its ugly face during her sleep was Obito and Zetsu. She assumed the duo were hiding in another dimension and without Sasuke to transport her to other dimensions, she couldn’t do anything about it.
She had tried to use her perfected version of the hiraishin however even though it was perfected, she needed her chakra to have touched the person, thing or place she intended to teleport to, and in this case, neither of them had been touched by her chakra.
Because of that she had tried a different method. She tried to use a different seal array to hiraishin to where a different chakra signature was however no matter how skilled she was, no matter how much power she had of the Rikudo sennin, even she was unable to copy his chakra signature to a T.
She was sure she could ask Kakashi, or anyone with the sharingan who had met either of the two criminals however that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Itachi was currently undergoing surgery and recovery for his chronic illness and along with Shisui he was getting an eye transplant- both mangekyo wielders were going to swap each-other’s eyes to make sure they didn’t go blind like Itachi had in her time.
Asking Kakashi to do it wasn’t possible since he had never seen Obito with his sharingan activated as an adult- his chakra would have changed with his mental state.
She also doubted the Uchiha’s were able to copy chakra signatures, the only one she knew who could had been her Sasuke and he had had the rinnegan and the rikudo sennin’s power on his side. Oh and he wasn’t even here.
She sighed, Sasuke not being here but a damper on her progress but she wasn’t complaining, she wasn’t in any rush. The peace treaty was going very, very good between the five nations and apparently Zabuza made a very good diplomat when he needed to be since he was the first dignitary to settle peace in his designated country.
Kiri had signed the treaty with Konoha, Suna and Kumo but they were cautious of Iwa still.
Suna had signed their treaty with Konoha, Kumo and Kiri but Rasa was still arguing about petty thing with Onoki in Iwa.
Kumo had signed a treaty with all of them surprisingly- well not really. Killer B was very persuasive with A when he wanted to be.
Konoha had signed their treaty with everyone besides Iwa. Honestly, it felt like Iwa was purposefully making life harder since they had signed their treaty with everyone besides Konoha.
Unlike previous treaties where everyone would sign a single document, each country gave their own treaties to each of the nations to sign, so that each country would get exactly what they wanted from a different country and once all of them had signed all the small documents they needed to come together and sign a much larger treaty that explained in detail what each country would be getting.
Naruto liked this method and so had the other nations when it had been voiced out by Mei, Yagura’s assistant. It was odd to see the busty lady not be Mizukage but it was also hilarious to see her try and flirt with Rasa, Yagura, Kakashi, Shisui, Baki and a few other people as well.
It had been funnier when Mei had walked in on Kakashi, Naruto and Shisui all taking a dip- naked- together in the onsen and she had finally understood what was going on. Needless to say she was unable to look any of them in the eyes for a few days.
Of course it didn’t stop her from hooking her fellow female kage (not really?) on a blind date with a very much eligible and suitable bachelor in Konoha during one of her visits to Konoha. She would never forget Raido’s face when he had been pushed- literally- onto the dual kekkei-genkai wielders chest and not so surprisingly the two of them had hit it off. In fact, if rumours and Naruto’s nose as well as her sensory abilities were to be trusted, the two of them wouldn’t be just the two of them for very long.
It often made her wistful thinking about family and how much her life changed when she was sent to the past. She had a family now, one that had a lot more Uchiha’s in it than it originally had had and she couldn’t be happier. Well she could be, but she wasn’t complaining. She loved how everything was now and wasn’t going to ask anymore from her two lovers.
.
.
.
“Do you intend to tell her soon Shisui?” asked Kakashi as he signed another document his assistant/friend handed him, knowing the Uchiha knew exactly what he was referring to.
Said friend sighed as he shook his head, “I don’t want to tell her at all if at all possible. If she knew she’d try everything she could to prevent it from happening but there’s nothing she or anybody else can do and it would just be a complete waste of her time as she thinks of ways to stop it.” He shrugged his shoulders, not because he didn’t care but because he was resigned to his fate.
If Kakashi was honest he liked Shisui a lot, much like he had liked Itachi when he had joined ANBU. They were similar yet so different. He could see parts of himself in Shisui but he could see parts of others inside Shisui as well that it was impossible not to like the bubbly Uchiha.
“I’m not saying it’s not important because it is but I don’t see the point about worrying over spilled milk when we have bigger fish to fry.” Shisui continued, looking pointedly at the stack of papers in his hand that Kakashi needed to sign. It was noticeably smaller than the piles the sandaime and Minato-sensei had on their desks and that was a small victory. At least he was good at the job.
.
.
.
Naruto was mentally checking if she had ever been in such an awkward position before and she didn’t think she had been and she was sure it was the same case for Kakashi.
Kiba, the loveable idiot that he was, decided it would be a good idea for everyone and their significant others from the rookie nine to join up. Of course that also meant for Naruto that Kakashi and Shisui were supposed to attend but Shisui had been forced to go back to the hospital due to catching a really bad virus that was affecting his chakra network.
She had fussed over not going and staying with him but of course he had insisted he would be alright and Kakashi had also reassured her, saying there was nothing she could really do since she couldn’t heal, just remake.
Kiba seemed to be the only one in the rookie nine that was oblivious to the tension in the room. After all her significant other just so happened to be their Godaime hokage, her jonin instructor and thirteen years their senior.
She waved to Kiba from across the room and he came over, large smile plastered on his face, “Hey guys, enjoying the mini party?”
The reason for the very impromptu party was it just so happened to be Naruto’s 14th birthday. She had arrived at age 12, turned 13 within a few months and was once again 14.
She gave her old friend a smile, “We love the party. Thank-you for actually throwing me one. I don’t usually spend my birthday with anyone other than Sasuke and sometimes with my old ANBU guards. So thanks.” There was a slight pause of hesitation in her voice. Kiba meant well but she felt a need to speak up, “I love that you called the rookie nine together with our significant others but… the only adult here is Kakashi.”
She gave him a look and realisation dawned on his face as he scratched the back of his neck impishly, “You didn’t really know our jonin sensei and I didn’t want you to feel awkward and all.”
She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, “And I love you for it Kiba. And I’m not complaining, everything is perfect really. But it does make things a little awkward. He can’t leave because it’s my birthday party and people are watching. As the hokage and my lover he has to be on good terms with me or the council will deem him unfit to be kage. If he leaves the party for any other reason than official business they’ll throw a hissy fit over the fact he left. Now it wouldn’t bother me, the fact that Kakashi even came makes me happy enough- and the fact you thought to invite him makes me happier.
“They already don’t like the fact he is my lover, they think he’s after power which isn’t the case. I can see everyone is enjoying themselves but in future if we have get-together’s… can we invite the jonin sensei’s as well so he wouldn’t be the elephant in the room. Or just no adults. Then it could be just us teens.” She gave a wink and shivered when said jonin sensei ran his fingers down the back of her neck.
Kiba nodded his head in understanding, looking to his hokage with a sheepish grin, “Sorry, I didn’t think about that really.”
Kakashi gave him an understanding smile, “It’s not really a bother. But I’m sure if we threw another party it would include more people. You’re all… great but…” Naruto lightly hit him on the chest, leaning over to kiss his cheek knowing exactly where he was going with that sentence.
Kiba furrowed his brows, “I really didn’t think it’d bother you since we’re all Naruto’s age.”
Before either of them could tell him not to worry and what was done is done they were interrupted by an ANBU operative coming over to them. If memory served correctly then it was Yugao under that mask.
“Is there a problem?” asked Kakashi in a bored voice but she could hear the underlying tenseness in his voice, reaching over her hands to rub his shoulders.
Yugao bowed to him, “Forgive us, Lord Hokage however there is a foreign jinchuriki here who wishes to see you and Naruto-hime.”
It was incredible to watch Kakashi go from a little bit on edge to ready to hide her away in the underground basement they had. “Utakata I assume?” asked Naruto as she leaned over, her cheek rested against Kakashi’s shoulder.
Yugao didn’t answer, looking at Kiba who immediately got the hint and left after saying he’d inform everyone they would be leaving soon.
“Indeed. How did you know?” she asked when Kiba was out of ear shot.
She shrugged her shoulders, “He contacted me last week sometime saying he wanted to come over. I’ve already filled in the necessary forms for him to stay for a maximum of a month before he has to return to active duty on Kiri.”
Yugao looked back to Kakashi who sipped his sake, “Allow him in the village. Escort him to an apartment or Inn and inform him I expect him in the office tomorrow at… 10 o’clock. That should be enough time for him.”
When they left his shoulder deflated and he sagged against the sofa, hand running up and down her mark before pulling down his mask to kiss it. “Can we go home? Aaaah… first we should see Shisui then go home. Maybe check if he can come with us as well. I’m sure he’s sick of being in the hospital.” He mused as he bit at her neck.
She smiled, running her finger through his hair and nodded. “Yeah, let’s do that.”