Mito

Six months had passed since the Council. Now Naruto was sleeping peacefully and defiantly, with his head resting on Mito's lap. Already absolutely the entire village knew that they were together. It was both good and bad at the same time. Good because the others had stopped hitting on Hime, and bad because Daichi had given instructions to keep a low profile since Naruto was a member of the Council of Elders and Head of the ANBU. Had to lead a double life.

...

As agreed, I began to train and learn fuinjutsu. Mito helped me a lot. She was a consummate master, just like her mother, grandfather, and grandmother. I already mentioned that Mito's grandmother had blue hair and was a half-blood Uzumaki, but that didn't confuse anyone. With the help of clones, I went through their entire family library in two weeks, and then trained for another two months. I had to explain to Daichi and Mito how I did it, as well as share Kage Bunshin no Jutsu techniques.

Daichi quickly arranged with the ruler of Teiko to form a special administration to accept missions for Uzushiogakure shinobi. True, he had to make a concession in the form of a reduced payment rate for Teiko's missions. After that, he managed to make a trade agreement with Teiko, under which fuinjutsu shops appeared in the city, where they were engaged in putting seals on things and equipment. In addition, in accordance with the same agreement, Uzushio and the rest of the nearby cities were flooded with iryonin goods (I brought not only Red Seagull and Blood Lily seeds), and then cigarettes (I had to change the formula and method of manufacture in order not to violate Sarutobi's "copyright", though no one gave a shit). With the sales of high-end drugs and tobacco, the village really pulled in funds that were desperately needed.

After the missions for the Uzushio shinobi became available, Daichi introduced a new shinobi rank system and mission ranking. And when funds became available, the huge Shinobi Academy in the Shinobi Sector was built. The building was furnished with all the amenities necessary for a comfortable learning environment (the huge library, reading room... and even an individual desk for each student. even an individual desk for each student).

Why did I say "...when the means were available..."? It's simple. Daichi immediately put everything into forming the ANBU, and he didn't lose, as these fighters brought in the lion's share of the village's income. The ANBU and Oinin took on missions of rank: A, A+, S, and S+. Such missions, even if they sometimes took weeks or months to complete, cost millions of rubles. I personally handled the selection of people. When Mito, Daichi and Izamu, Aya, Aoi, and Akihiro decided to look at the requirements for the ANBU exam... well... they were impressed and realized that I was just playing around in the battle with Mito. The exam site was fenced off with an "S"-rang barrier, and the applicants were then carried away, cleaning up the bloodstains all over the site in the process. I gave them a real war of survival. Everything from trivial genjutsu to forbidden techniques was tested. Out of a hundred once elite and ordinary juniors, only 50 passed the exam, and that's not bad - 1/8 of Uzushio's shinobi were ANBU's. Thirty-five ANBU and 15 Oinin were given the controlling seal of Uzukage on their right forearm, which allowed them to instantly transfer to Uzukage or to me at short notice. I was the examiner, the teacher, the father (exaggeratedly, of course), and the executioner among these men. My code name for everyone was Daijin ("Servant"), since Uzukage asked me to "keep a low profile" and be in the shadows. And when I was off duty, the Uzumaki of the village knew me as Naruto Uzumaki and future son-in-law Daichi-sama. Well, I was almost always with Mito. Since at work I was doing a direct order from the Uzukage to protect Hime Uzumaki.

As for the ANBU and Oinins themselves, a special uniform was designed for them. They all wore special porcelain masks that had reinforcing seals, mental resistance seals, air, water and food access seals, and eye contact seals (it was terribly uncomfortable to look through the slits, and the seal made the mask seem as if it did not exist to the wearer). Each ANBU received a uniform: a black uniform suit, a matte black sleeveless vest with the Whirlpool symbol, arm and leg shields, a hooded cape, a mask, and one weapon of choice, with the seals also of the wearer's choice. All the ANBU wore black ponchos up to mid-thigh, the squad captains (both the ANBU and the Oynin squads consisted of five men, where one was the commander) wore ponchos the color of steel. It was the same cloak I wore. The cloaks also bore many seals (heat-support, heat-draining, reinforcing, etc.). The ANBU masks symbolized the animals according to which the call sign was chosen. They were made of bone china, it was the hardest. They were painted white because the bone china had some degree of translucency. The Oinin masks were different - they were made of the same bone china and were painted the same way, but there was no symbolism. The mask represented the symbol of the Whirlpool - a spiral with slits for the eyes. The callsigns of the Oinins were inanimate nouns ("Cross," "Mixture," "Poison," and others). My mask was made of steel by me personally, and had the uncharacteristic steel color of an ANBU mask, just like the cape cape.

On behalf of the Uzukage, the ANBU began scouting and searching for scattered clans - potential allies. The village was now growing rapidly, with stable sources of income thanks to the reforms. We were getting ready to take on the "seeds."

I, on the other hand, continued to train my fighters and my own. As it turned out, manipulating the kekkei genkai was the perfect opportunity to train chakra control. I was constantly practicing "sculpting" steel through chakra manipulation. At first I even thought I had become similar to Deidara with his clay figurines. In addition, in consultation with Kurama, and after checking with him personally, I used my knowledge of fuinjutsu to strengthen my Hakke no Fuin Shiki seal many times over. The amount of chakra that fit in there was enormous, considering that the chakra was concentrated (as if under pressure). The seal-filter had to be fine-tuned as well, but nevertheless, I soon stopped caring about the problem of "chakro exhaustion" and the erratic Sennin Modo. But I never signed the draft contract. Not yet. Kurama advised me to let my body get used to such an enormous supply of senchakra.

Mito's training continued. She could very well be one of the ANBU's now. Her knowledge of fuinjutsu surpassed mine, and why be surprised - pure Hime Uzumaki, despite her grandmother's hair color. Also her barrier techniques were amazing. She could very well put Kurama under such a barrier that all Fox would have to do was whimper. During these six months they began to communicate "short-handedly." The next step in her training was to choose Biju Chains and Iryoninjutsu, but I'm a shitty sensei at that, and that's putting it mildly. I can heal myself with Senchakra, but I don't think I can heal anyone else.

***

Third Person POV

Mito was nonchalantly sitting under a tree after another training session and stroking Naruto's head. The young man had fallen into the sweet realm of Morpheus and looked like a happy child.

"-Listen, Ku, has Naruto always been like this?" - Mito asked mentally.

"- Like what, Mito-chan?"

"- Calm, responsible, cunning, smart, dodgy... kind and cheerful."

Fox coughed in his subconscious at the last words, remembering that after the war Naruto had turned into what they had wanted to make of him all his life - a weapon. And now a reverse process was underway that could never fully heal this child. After winning the war and losing love, most of his friends, and godparents (Jiraiya and Tsunade) Naruto lost faith in tomorrow, though he was able to ensure that that very "tomorrow" would come for the people of that world.

If it was necessary to destroy the outlaw base without any noise, witnesses, or survivors, Naruto was sent. No one but him was capable of stealing the secrets of Iwagakure's ANBU archive on his own in one week of preparation, which included the operation itself. If it was necessary to find dirt on the Kage of any village, to kill the Daimyo of another country without a trace... Naruto would be sent. Ten years of perfect NSA service mutilated the man. He was remembered as a War Hero and the Punisher of Konoha.

Now, however, Naruto was beginning to return to who he had once been, who he had once been born.

"-Mito, there's a lot you don't know about Naruto. I hope he won't be offended if I show you this, and that you start to understand what you mean to Naruto," Fox said in a serious voice.

"- Ku, you're scaring me."

"- Come down," Kurama said sorrowfully.

Mito moved into her subconscious, where she changed her surroundings to make Fox more comfortable, since walking around wasn't always an option. The cage was open wide, and Fox was lying on a huge pillow in the middle of a flowery meadow, surrounded by a lake on one side and a forest on the other.

- So what is it, Kurama? What don't I know about Naruto?

- You don't know what kind of man he is... But I'll show you," Fox sighed heavily. - Come here," Kurama extended his fist in the girl's direction.

- Do I have to punch? - Fox nodded.

As soon as she touched Fox's fist, Mito flinched as Naruto's entire life flew before her eyes. Kurama only covered some particularly personal memories, but the girl saw everything else. The childhood of a child who lived in persecution, hatred, contempt, and cruelty. Four years old - he was tried to be strangled by a nurse. Five years old - attempted drowning. Naruto was tied by his hands to a log and a weight to his feet, and then thrown into the lake; the weight prevented the boy from pulling himself up on the log to take a breath of air. Six years - an attempt to burn him alive. Seven years - some shinobi tried to scalp and skin a child's face. Eight years - Naruto was put on the rack and had his muscles and tendons in his arms and legs ripped apart. Nine - his hands were dipped into boiling oil and then plastic bags were tied around them, resulting in scars that disappeared under Kurama's chakra only six months later. Ten Years - He was left at Landfill #44 in the hope that he would be eaten by the animals that live there.

After that, attempts to kill him ceased, but the hatred and contempt no one abolished. They were felt by him even in the team. This picture only went down after Jiraiya took Naruto away for training. Well afterwards, Mito saw Naruto's grief when the news of his beloved sensei's death was reported. She saw what became of Konoha the day of Paine's attack. And despite all the pain he endured from that cursed, Gods-forgotten village, Naruto was eager to prove himself worthy, trying to get recognition.

Mito saw Hinata's recognition on the battlefield, meeting Naruto's Father and Mother. From her memories, the girl was able to feel the feelings the blond had endured as well. She saw the attempts Naruto and Hinata made to confess their feelings, but they were hindered by the war. And after that... Everything was shrouded in a veil of death, right up to Hime Hyuga's death. She saw that terrible scene when Naruto brought her body to her father, Hiashi. Mito was unknowingly crying the whole time. She had a gamut of feelings: fear, anger, rage, hatred, contempt, disgust, condescension, love, sympathy, compassion, and... powerlessness.

This death was the last thread that was cut. And now Mito was looking through the last ten years. Here she recognized Naruto: determined, mission-driven, pragmatic, cold, calculating, tactful, reserved, strong, responsible, calm, cunning, smart, dodgy, cunning. Here she met Naruto's nightmares, which never left him during those 10 years.

There wasn't that good Naruto. There was no warmth, no ray of light. The smile mask had replaced the once cheerful, happy... living Naruto. His life was cut short in that war, along with Hinata, on whose grave that man's body also died... His spiritual life ended a long, long time ago.

For another couple of minutes, Mito sat unaware that Kurama had stopped relaying memories to her. Her flabby body slumped to her knees, and the girl sobbed out loud. It was too hard, too painful, too... scary.

- I hope you realize now that Naruto isn't just a little boy.

- Ku Kurama, now... is he... is he the same as... after her... death? - Mito asked fearfully, her black eyes staring at one point.

- NO! - Fox barked in a way that made the girl's ears perk up. - Now you're the only thread that connects the Naruto that lies in your lap with Naruto, who was always smiling, mischievous and acting like a rare idiot. With Naruto, who lived before that damn war! - The giant fox spoke in a clobbering voice.

- Forgive me, Kurama! I... I...

- Don't say anything," Fox said calmly now. Her feelings were no secret to him. - If you understand, go ahead, I'm going for a walk too, because I haven't seen the light of God for a long time.

- Uh-huh.

Both left the subconscious. Kurama left for the nearest forest, near the range. The island on which the village was located was very large - several Konohagakure would easily fit on it, but by itself Uzushio was many times smaller.

Mito leaned over Naruto, tears rolling down her face and falling on the blond.

End POV.

***

I woke up because I felt moisture on my face. The water sometimes dripped on my face, and when it got on my lips, I knew they were tears. I opened my eyes and saw Mito's crying face above me, and my chest immediately stiffened.

- Hey, what's wrong? - I reached out my hand and wiped her tears away.

- I... Kurama... showed me your memories," Mito admitted. "Eh, Kurama, who asked you to? I can't stay mad at that redheaded, cheeky, furry face who's been looking for the last six months to give me a hard time about it.

I grinned and, rising on my elbows, kissed my Hime. "At least to this Hime I had time to make a normal confession." The kiss was long and very sensual. Mito was trying to swamp my memories, my pain, with pure feelings. And she was doing a wonderful job of it. It was only after a couple of minutes that our lips parted, and Mito smiled at me with her bright, kind, happy, and so warm smile.

I settled comfortably on her legs again, and Mito fell asleep from the experience.

A couple of minutes later, the ANBU appeared in the clearing, crouching down on one knee:

- Daijin-sama, Uzukage requests your appearance," I nodded and the ANBU disappeared into the Shunshin leaves.

I put a seal on Mito's head that prevented her from dreaming. "You never know what she'll dream after such a beautiful story." I picked her up in my arms and the next second I was at their manor. Aya indicated to me where to put my daughter, which I did. Not forgetting to mention that I had put a seal on it to keep the nightmares away.

The next second I was on one knee in front of Daichi.

- Naruto no one's in the office, take off your mask and stand up.

- So what's the matter, Daichi-sama? - I asked, making myself comfortable in the chair.

- It's time to start the second part of the plan.

- With whom?

- You make your own choice. It is, after all, your idea," said the old man nonchalantly. But his excitement was noticeable.

- All right, Daichi-sama, I'll start with the Hatake Clan.

- Why? - Uzukage decided to ask.

- They're excellent trackers who can compete with Hyuga and Inuzuka.

- I see. That's good. That'll be useful.

- Who will negotiate? - I asked.

- ..." the old man flashed his eyes conspiratorially, "Mito.

- Hmm? That's interesting. She's not stupid.

- You get the band ready, you leave at dawn tomorrow. I'll notify Mito myself. Take as many men as you need, you'll go in disguise. Preferably without ANBU. Do it.

- Yes," I bowed low and disappeared.

I was home in a second. I gathered my belongings and gear, checked my seals and uniform. The next thing was to find the right number of people. I was told by the mission assignment office that there were 20 free jounins left. From these, I chose 10 of them as I saw fit. One sensor, two medics, two tokujo fighters in taijutsu and kenjutsu, one tokujo in genjutsu, and the remaining four were well trained in ninjutsu, two had two elements each, two more had three.

That same evening, Uzukage explained to Mito what to do and say, how to behave when negotiating, and what to refer to when talking to the elders and the Clan Head.

***

At five in the morning, only Daijin and Mito were in Uzukage's office.

- So. You're going to the Hatake Clan on a diplomatic mission. Mito, if there are any difficulties, go to Naruto. We've talked about all kinds of conditions long ago, but if anything comes up, you know who to turn to. I hope the squad is ready.

- Ten fighters are waiting for us at the main gate of the village," Naruto mouthed, hiding his mask.

- Ten? - Mito spoke up.

- 'Yes, Mito. We're going as guards for the ambassador. It's already a lot, since usually two or four people accompany the ambassador. After all, you're our Hime, so the guards are more serious, plus we're uninvited guests.

- That's fine. If the Great Daijin of the Whirlpool Village himself is watching over the situation, I'll sleep well," Mito bowed sarcastically, eliciting a chuckle from Daichi and a disgruntled mutter from Naruto.

- Well, good luck," we bowed to Uzukage and headed for the gate, where the squad was waiting for us.