Chapter 19: The Fall of Yagura(1)

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The death of a Kage is always a major event. There hasn't been more than four in every nation since the birth of the Hidden Villages. The last to die was the Yondaime Hokage.

It's time to change that.

Ending the life of a Kage will be my crowning achievement. I can't help that I'm this excited; it's going to be a riot.

It was time to cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war.

It was time for Yagura to meet a real monster.

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Back at the hidden Resistance base, a nervous Mei was sitting in her room, alone. She had virtually left someone she had been close to behind, allowing her enemy to capture him. She had seen what Naruto was capable of, and yet she still worried about him. The blond had been someone relatively new in her life, but he had already secured a place in it. It was strange. Why was she so drawn to the boy?

It wasn't until their rather satisfying make-out session that she realized that she felt a little more than lust toward the young ANBU. It confused her considerably. Not only was he a lot younger than her, but he was from another village. Relationships between two people from different nations never really worked out very well. She knew as much, but her heart kept telling her that she wanted something more from him.

Right now though, all she wished for was his survival. He may have been the most powerful shinobi she had ever seen, the stuff of legends even, but he was still just one person, against an entire village. The odds were not in his favor. She hated herself for retreating; she really wanted to be by his side right now.

She may not be as strong as he was, but she was a Kage-level kunoichi to be sure, capable of going head to head with some of the world's greatest ninja. She knew that she could help him, even if just a little. Anything would be better than just sitting here, in a bed too big for just herself, and doing nothing while someone else was off fighting her battles for her. She wasn't horribly prideful, but she did have some, and letting another do her duty didn't really sit right with her.

Her mind was made; she was going to go help Naruto. He didn't need to face this enemy alone. She made to get up when there was a knock on the door. She sighed in annoyance but composed herself immediately after. She couldn't let this affect her judgment.

"You may enter." She called out to her slightly unwelcomed guest. She thought it would either be Ao, coming to inform her about another trivial matter, or Saru. The man kept pestering her with date proposals. It was annoying. She didn't care one bit what the monkey-masked man wanted. Naruto was the only one she was interested in.

So she was surprised when Neko, the Konoha ANBU captain, came through her door. Naruto had told her that he somewhat hinted to his captain that they were a little friendlier than most friends would be with each other, and apparently the woman wasn't too thrilled about it. Mei had thought that the cat might have a thing for her blond, but he had quickly told her that she had someone back home, and only worried about the age difference between them. She didn't really think that the conversation they were about to have would be a fun one.

"Mei-san." Neko greeted. "I would like to talk to you about something." She added as she walked into the room to stand in front of the leader of the Resistance.

"What would you like to discuss, Neko-san?" She asked politely. It couldn't hurt to play nice; hopefully the woman would show her the same courtesy.

"I'll be blunt." It didn't look like they would be speaking politely. "I don't like what you're doing with my kohai." She stated bluntly. The woman really didn't know all that much about subtlety.

Mei chuckled. "You don't even know what we are doing in here." She retorted. "If we're doing anything at all." She added. "And even if we were, it's none of your-" anything she was about to say was cut off by the purple-haired woman's dismissive hand.

"I don't care what you may or may not be doing in your free time." Neko stated. "I still don't like it. He's far too young." Mei opened her mouth to defend herself, but was stopped by the ANBU woman. "Let me finish." Mei narrowed her eyes but held her tongue nonetheless. She might be special to Naruto, but this woman was one of his people, his family. He'd kill her without a second thought if she did anything to her. "I'm not here to berate you for your wrongdoings." Mei raised an eyebrow. Neko then sighed. She obviously didn't like what she was about to say. "I'm here to…" She paused. She really didn't like what she was about to say. "I'm here to put your mind at ease."

Mei's eyes widened. The woman was actually trying to calm her? "I don't understand." She said in confusion. "I thought you didn't like me." It didn't make sense; the woman was trying to help her with her internal struggles.

"I may not approve of your relationship with my kohai, but I, too, care for someone very dearly." Neko admitted. "I know what it's like to worry about them."

Mei nodded slowly, not knowing what else she could do. It was a bit awkward to sit with Naruto's senpai and talk about him like they were lovers, which they, unfortunately, were not.

"If my precious person was in Nezumi's position, I'd be worried sick." She continued when the auburn-haired woman stayed silent. "With my kohai though," she gave a small, whisper of a chuckle, "you have nothing to worry about."

Now Mei was thoroughly confused. What was the woman's angle?

At the leader of the Resistances' confused face, she elaborated. "He's capable of much more than you've seen so far." Again, the woman was shocked. Any more powerful than what she'd already seen would be entering the realm of impossibility. Was Naruto even human still? She had her doubts…

"I appreciate your kind words, Neko-san." She finally spoke. "You've made me feel a little better."

"I still think you shouldn't be in a relationship, whatever that relationship may be, with a ten year old." Mei's smile quickly vanished, replaced with a frown.

"He's mature for his age, Neko-san." She replied in a sickly sweet tone.

Neko cocked her head to the side. "He's still a child." Neko replied just as sweetly.

Mei clicked her tongue. She wouldn't get anywhere with this woman. She was too set in the mindset that he was physically ten. His mentality however was much older than that of a ten year old boy. He was wise beyond his years, and thought like an adult.

To her, he was older than she was, in mind at least. She couldn't wait until he was older and more grown up looking. She knew he would be a knock out, and couldn't wait to witness what he would do in his life. He was going to change the world, one way or another.

"Well, if that is all you have to say, I'd like to be alone now." Mei stated, ignoring subtlety like her guest.

Neko nodded and left the room, having said what she came to say. She really didn't like whatever was going on between the two, and she had finally said what was on her mind while reassuring the woman that she had nothing to worry about. She found herself smiling under her mask; she was hanging around Nezumi way too much lately.

The reason she was smiling was because she thought that if anyone, Mei should worry about Yagura.

He was about to meet a monster. And then he would die.

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