Chapter #2: The City of Uzushiogakure and its Queen

The sounds of horseshoes stomping on the ground spread throughout the pathway connecting Uzushiogakure to the Fire landmass. The ambassador's carriage drove to the gate at good speed before slowing down near it. The walls around the city were high and mighty, protected by advanced mechanisms, a specialty of Uzumaki's. One of the guards at the gate walked to the carriage to enquire.

" What is the purpose of this visit? ", The guard asked Sasuke, the driver.

" The honorable leader of Amegakure wishes to have relations with Uzushiogakure. He has sent forward his ambassador for further conversations. We had already informed the city of our arrival.", Sasuke told him respectfully and gave him the entry letter.

" Wait for a moment, sir. We will have this cross-checked. ", The guard told Sasuke as he took the letter.

" It was a clever idea to send a letter beforehand and get the permit from the royal palace. ", Nagato remarked.

" Well, it was needed for the mission. ", Sasuke replied.

" There is one thing I don't get. ", Nagato told Sasuke.

" What? ", Sasuke asked Nagato.

" Why ask me to be an ambassador? Konan would have done a better job in this than I. ", Nagato asked Sasuke.

" Simple, because you are an Uzumaki. By sending you as a delegation, we send the royalty a message that we honor their Uzumaki-centric sentiments and policies. Also, I wanted to see you be embarrassed as a representative. ", Sasuke replied with a smirk.

" You...little...brat! "Nagato said, biting his teeth.

" The guard's coming. ", Sasuke warned Nagato as the guard walked towards them.

" Your documents have been verified and you may proceed. ", The guard told him, handing the letter over.

" Have a nice day...", Sasuke said as he drove the carriage inside the city.

The wheels of the carriage rode through the streets of Uzushiogakure. If Uzushiogakure is known for something, it is for making secure structures. The Uzumaki have an inherited skill of setting traps and making safes. Most secure traps in the five nations are done by The Uzumakis in Uzushiogakure. It's a given that the royal palace of Uzu is the one that is heavily guarded. To kill a noble inside is just impossible unless drawing the noble out and assassinate him anonymously.

Sasuke was just that, anonymous. He took the guise of a driver and get in, escorting Nagato. Now, they were not the only ones who came in. Konan was sent as a general meant to protect the two assisted by other assassins of Ame posed as soldiers. They came inside with Sasuke as guards who will meet the Queen of Uzu with Nagato. Sasuke has to just wait in the designated place, outside the palace with the carriage until the correct time and execute his plan.

In the Royal Court,

" Your majesty, the envoy from Amegakure has arrived and is here bearing gifts. ", The guard who came in announced.

" Let them in. ", The Queen ordered.

Nagato, the envoy entered with Konan, as the general of the protection squad. The hall was filled with furniture with costly stones and paintings with fine colors. There were ministers sat in a row both to his left and right. Nagato walked forward toward the royal throne where the queen was waiting for him.

" Queen of Uzushiogakure, the envoy of Ame is here at your honorable court. ", Nagato said as he bowed to the queen.

" Raise your head. ", The queen told him,

Nagato rose his head to finally look at the queen. She was a fair-skinned and buxom woman of feminine build with violet eyes and bright Uzumaki red hair. It was Queen Kushina Uzumaki. Nagato had heard about Kushina from his master, Jiraya, who trained Kushina's husband, Minato Namikaze who was missing for a while. It was pertinent to note that Minato was the original chieftain of Konoha before Danzo overthrew him.

" I feel honored, your highness. ", Nagato stated to Kushina.

" Well, it is not every day we get an Uzumaki envoy from other cities. ", Kushina said with a slight smile.

" Your majesty, our new leader, Yahiko-sama, would like for Uzu and Ame to be allies in this polarized front. ", Nagato told her in a gracious tone.

" Any why would you think we would need the partnership of Amegakure? ", Kushina asked him softly.

" To be rid of the unwanted plants, we must cut the roots so that it doesn't grow again when removed. Amegakure is very talented in that and is happy extending its talents to Uzu. ", Nagato stated.

Kushina took some time before answering back to Nagato, " We shall discuss this tomorrow.".

" We shall if it is your wish, Queen of Uzushiogakure. ", Nagato replied with a bow.

" Please provide our guests with our hospitality! ", Kushina ordered her guards who escorted Nagato and Konan to their respective quarters.

' What am I going to do now? ', Kushina fell into deep thought as she eyed them leave the court.

At night,

Nagato sipped the sake provided to him while Konan sat opposite looking keenly at him. Nagato's eyebrows twitched in frustration under her gaze. If there was one thing hated about her teammate, it was her keen look, drawing your attention to reveal things.

" Okay now, what do you want? ", Nagato asked her bluntly.

" When is he going to strike? ", She asked him silently.

" Right about now. ", Nagato answered looking out the window.

" What?!! ", Konan asked in surprise as she turned to look outside the palace.

In front of the royal palace gates,

" Drive faster! ", Kazu Uzumaki screamed at his hooded driver.

" Hai! ", His driver replied as he increased the speed.

" Get me back to my mansion!! ", He shouted in fear.

Fear of getting caught and killed. He had just heard from other ministers that an envoy from Ame is here with soldiers for negotiations. He took off instantly knowing that they will come for his head. They might be here on the road, ready to strike at him. They might have already surrounded his house. The thought of dying made his blood turn cold.

" Go faster! Faster! ", Kazu cried to the driver but the driver did not increase the speed.

" What are you doing? I said to drive faster. ", He shouted but it yielded no results.

" You bastard!! ", Kazu swung his blade at the driver who dodged it and took a sharp turn near the bridge.

" AH!!!! ", Kazu screamed as he was thrown away into the stream down the bridge where he became the food for crocodiles in it.

" Well, objective one, complete. ", The driver stated as he took off the hood revealing it to be Sasuke.

He released the horses in the carriage and mounted one of them. Putting on an Uzu soldier's uniform he stole from Kazu's protection squad members, he rode back to the palace.

At the palace gates,

" May I be permitted in? ", Sasuke asked the guard.

" You may go. ", The guard let him go, identifying his uniform.

' How lethargic are they to let people in without checking their faces? ', Sasuke thought to himself as he rode inside.

He parked the horse in the horse shed, climbed up the palace to the rooftop, and changed into his black assassin robe which was compact and anonymous. He stood at the edge of the rooftop with a long rope tied to his waist. He closed his eyes to take a deep breath. The wind was strong but gentle.

" In Ametarsu's light....", Sasuke said as he jumped down.

The speed at which he fell down was extreme. Tears welled up in Sasuke's eyes in reaction. It was as if mother earth wanted Sasuke to reach her bosom at the earliest. Sasuke, who was jumping down in a diving position, took out the dual modified sickle and stabbed them on the walls of the palace. Sparks flew from the wound that was created by them on the wall as he slid down with the blades attached to the soles of his shoes, trying to reduce the speed.

" AH!!!! ", Sasuke roared as he doubled down on the wall with the sickles.

In a matter of a few minutes, he seized to fall. He was stuck to the wall like a spider. He craned his neck down a little bit and felt how high he was up there.

" One trip and I'm Ameterasu's necklace pearl. ", Sasuke told himself before unlatching himself from the wall and catching the ledge minutes below him by dropping down.

Climbing up the ledge, he entered through the window to a room that screamed royalty. It has vases that had rubies carved in them. It had screens made of the finest materials and most importantly, it contained the Queen's crown. Sasuke had reached his place of objective. The Queen's room where Kushina is sleeping on the fancy, lavish bed.

' She looks so beautiful. Like an angel that has tomato-red hair. ', Sasuke thought to himself.

Kushina, in her sleeping state, was in her most vulnerable state. Sasuke's eyes roamed through her incredibly ravishing body. The way her neck was white and supple, the way her breasts were enormous and pointed, the way her legs were long and slender. Sasuke just found himself entranced by her beauty for some moments before he came back to his objective.

Sasuke walked to the door and locked it. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to find a sword to his neck.

" Who sent you? ", Kushina asked with a serious face holding the sword to his neck.

This was the moment that changed everything in the Fire Country:- The Crimson Queen and The Raven Assassin meet in Uzushiogakure.