The Pillars of Peace

Naruto: Tales of Ashihara

Kakumei – Arc 3: Naruto Next Generation

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Chapter 61 – The pillars of Peace

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Konohagakure, 10 years before the 4th Great Ninja War. Between the Ninja Academy and the river that crossed the center of the village, there was a playground for kids. In this place, many children were running around and laughing. For most of them, their parents were sitting on benches or standing in the distance, looking after their children. Some of them were talking to each other, chatting about their kids, their everyday life, and the politics of the village.

On the border of the river, next to the crowd of playing kids, an old traveler in oddly good shape watched silently. He gazed at the adult parents, and then at the joyful kids, and noticed a detail they all had in common. All of them were, at least once a minute, taking a quick but suspicious glimpse at one specific child. A yellow haired boy, with blue eyes and whiskers marks on his cheeks.

The old man stared at this boy who was getting so much quiet attention. The way everyone looked at him… It appeared that they all despised him. The old man knew who this boy was. He was Naruto Uzumaki. The Jinchuriki of Kyubi, the most powerful fragment of Kaguya's Juubi. He was also the last avatar of Asura Otsutsuki, the son of the God of Shinobi, and the grandson of the princess.

All of this man's reincarnations so far had been gifted with tremendous power and were followed as leaders. But this boy, Naruto, was unlike the others. He was the first in a millennium to not be blessed, but cursed. The Biju, after years of being used as weapons by humans, had become very hostile to this kind. The most violent and proud of them all, the Kyubi, was by far the most deadly to host in your body. For such a young boy to be left with such a burden to carry was probably the most irresponsible and careless decision ever taken by a shinobi.

"What you looking at, gramps?" the old man heard someone say.

He looked down and saw the yellow haired boy right in front of him, showing an annoyed look on his face. Deep in his thoughts, he had not seen the kid noticing his stare and coming to him. Seeing the annoyed boy in front of him, the old man didn't answer at first.

"Everybody looks mean at me, but you don't even look away when I see you." added Naruto. "What's up, ya know?"

"It appears that everyone in this village despises you, child." he told the boy, after several seconds of silence.

"Like I didn't know that already." sadly answered Naruto, before going to rest against the hedge on board of the river next to the old man. "I don't even know why they all avoid me like that…"

The old man stood silent for a moment again, and analyzed the boy. He looked lonely, lost, weak, and unaware of what slept inside him.

"You have been cursed with a terrible fate since birth." added the old wise man. "Moreover… You seem… pathetic. I doubt that you will ever become more than a lone child, at this rate. Looking for your brother seems to be a wiser choice than following you."

"Hey!" yelled the kid, feeling like these words were supposed to be insulting, even though he can't yet understand their true meaning. "I don't know what you're saying and all, but I'm sure you're being mean, are ya?"

"What made you believe that I was different from the other villagers?" asked the old man, with a straight face, pretending to be nothing more than another passenger in this village.

"Eh? Is that so?" the kid kept yelling.

All the children on the playground stopped their activity and turned to look at Naruto whose hubbub had gotten everyone's attention. All the parents and other adults nearby did like their kids and looked at the lonely child complaining. None of them is paying attention to the old traveler. They're all just focused on Naruto, regardless of what he was even doing.

The old man gazed around to see everyone who had gone quiet to spectate, and then looked back at Naruto, as to encourage him to get aware of his surroundings. The yellow haired boy saw all eyes on him, and got even angrier.

"What's up? Y'all looking at me with these upset eyes again!" he yelled. "What did I even do to y'all?"

Some of the people looked away, embarrassed. Others started to look more irritably at the kid. The old man, who was still standing next to the river, stared, unimpressed and unbothered, at Naruto who turned to face him again.

"You'll see if I won't become anything! You'll see if I stay pathetic!" Naruto yelled.

"Shut up!" a man, standing in front of the crowd of adults, yelled back. "Stop yelling. Don't annoy an elder like that!"

Naruto shut up, and didn't answer. The old man looked up to see the father who had spoken up. He stood up from the barrier and straightened his body.

"And you, sir, should stop yelling at a kid in such a manner. Do not let a lesser person get on your nerves so easily." he told the man before looking at Naruto again.

The old man walked forward to leave. Naruto bounded aside to avoid the man whose body, while walking, felt like it could crumble anything that stood in its way. He simply watched as the old wanderer went away through an empty path between the crowds of people who had come to see what was happening. Pissed off, he stood up and followed the old man up to a few meters away from the crowd before crossing it.

"You'll see, old man!" he shouted. "When my face will be up there on the mountain, tell me again if I'm pathetic!"

At these words, the old man looked up to the mountain, and saw the four first Hokage's depictions. Then, after a simple blink, he suddenly sees the seven sculptures as they are today, including the yellow haired kid's grown up face, looking at him. From this sight he gets an odd feeling of pride.

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Present day, on the lone world of Ashihara, the ringed red planet where the Shinden of the Otsutsuki clan live. In a vast empty lowland, in an enormous palace emerging from the soil, in a large bedroom, there is a bed lying in the center. On this bed, Yamitsuki Otsutsuki, the last dragon sage, leader of his clan and kind, wakes up from this flashback. He lays up and sits on the bed. Next to him, he feels a presence and moves his eyes to see who it is. Lying on the mattress by his sides, he sees his significant other, Naobi Otsutsuki, lovingly staring at him.

"Did you take a rest as well?" he asks.

"No… I saw you lying here, and decided to join." she answers. "Why did you go to sleep?"

"Nothing requires me to stay awake constantly, nowadays." simply answers Yamitsuki, a bit repulsively.

"I was just asking. You do that often lately." she adds while laying up and getting on her lover's back. "Have you been dreaming?"

She lies both her hands on the dragon sage's back and gently rubs them against him. Since he didn't reply, she assumes an answer and decides to add one more interrogation.

"What did you see?" she says, judging that there could be no other reason for him to go asleep other than wanting to see dreams.

"Past." simply answers the sage, again.

"How far in the past?" she quickly adds.

"Only tens of years." he responds.

"Really? What is there to see, so recently?" questions Naobi. "Earth?"

Yamitsuki doesn't answer. He once again lets his lover guess and go on with her advice.

"Do you remember what we did last time humanity found out too much about us?" she questions again.

"I do." answers Yamitsuki, still simply.

"The first time, our visit to the moon didn't go unseen by the people of Earth. So you asked me to manipulate the minds of mankind. And so I did. After that, every time you judged Earth too knowledgeable about us, you requested Aritsuki to absorb all their memories and let our existence remain a secret." she explains, as to clarify what she'll say next.

"Our existence is no secret. Neither shall it be." the ruler corrects. "Humanity has many clues of our existence. They are simply unable to connect the pieces. A naïve part of them even worships you as a protector. Moreover, the now nearly extinct clan of Hamura was well aware of our presence."

"I know. Sorry for being unclear." Naobi apologizes. "What is a secret, is our implication with them and our concrete ability to interfere. It is what we engage ourselves to limit. What I am to say is that each time you estimated that they became too aware of our presence, you made sure to send them back to the starting point. This way, the promise you made to Kaguya's son could be kept, even if broken by the past. My question is: Why aren't we doing the same thing again now?"

Yamitsuki turns his head to look at her in his back, expecting further details about this proposition.

"They've encountered Kaguya, Katashiki, Momoshiki, and my brother." she explains. "The Rinnegan user has become quite aware of us and even knows about you now. He'll inevitably try to reach us soon… But keeping distances with the people of Hagoromo Otsutsuki is part of the agreement you have with Hamura. Erasing their memories would fix the problem again. If it worked on Hagoromo back then, there is no reason it wouldn't work on the two heroes of this generation. Why aren't we taking action when the current state is clearly the closest they've ever been to us?"

"I have the intuition that, this time, they need to stay aware." tells Yamitsuki. "We can not keep them from reaching us eternally."

"But letting this go means breaking your oath to Hamura." complains Naobi.

The Dragon Sage lightly widens his eyes, as if he found Naobi's suggestion stupid. He knows something about the arrangement he made with Hamura that no one else does, making it impossible for him to explain why Naobi's worries are worthless. Too lazy to go on with this discussion right now, he decides to end it.

"We will take care of this matter later. For now, I will consider erasing their memories only if they do reach us physically." he says to close the subject. "Now, would you please leave me to rest again?"

"Certainly not." she shouts as she stands up on her knees, triggered by this request. "You're the leader of our clan and kind, which makes you the leader of all universes. You're the one pillar that keeps all of creation in peace."

"The one pillar that keeps all of creation in peace?" he repeats, intrigued by how selfish and arrogant this title sounds.

"Whether you want it or not." she adds. "It's been over 10 centuries… 1198 years precisely, since you had to take the role. It won't suddenly bother you now."

"It has been bothering me all along, Naobi." complains the Dragon Lord as he stands up, understanding that he won't be allowed to return to sleep. "In this case, bring Sakitsuki to the Temple of the Shinden. I will need her eye prowess."

After these words, his full outfit and mantle appear on him, and he vanishes from the place, like sucked in a wormhole that transports him to the black crystal castle where the Shinden assemble. Naobi, sitting on the bed, already wears her mantle, wrapped around her body like a blanket, alongside her hair. She looks at where her lover was standing a second ago, and passionately smiles.

"Understood." she says, as she also vanishes, but instantly and promptly, unlike the dragon sage.

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Same day, on Earth, in the village of Konoha. Over 4 years have passed since Sojobo's return and defeat. 4 years that have been extremely quiet. No one, except his close family, has heard of Sasuke Uchiha and his investigations during all this time. The reason for this is that there was no definitive step forward in these researches. The Uchiha wanderer is still out there, going through the dimensions that he discovered thanks to Kaguya, collecting all the clues she left about her past.

The Shinobi Union is holding its annual real meeting and the 7th Hokage proposed his village to host it. The Kage came over with their family, for those who have one. Gaara came with his wife, Matsuri, and his son, a boy named Shinki. Darui, the 5th Raikage, also brought his wife, a former kunoichi named Kira, and his daughter, called Aoki. Chojuro is single and has no intention to change this. Kurotsuchi, also is alone, but is secretly dating a man who came to her land 5 years ago as a correspondent.

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The lives of many of Naruto's friends and acquaintances have been moved during these years, and mostly in positive ways. Konohamaru Sarutobi and Saori Minamoto's little adventure that they were supposed to enjoy while it lasted, didn't come to an end even after 4 years. After 2 years together, still as much in love as on the first day, they decided to marry each other. Nowadays, they are expecting a child that they already know will be a girl.

As a consequence to her decision to involve herself in a marriage, Saori left the honors of her clan to Tsubai (making the Minamoto a clan from Kiri) and the leading of her village to Natsuri Yokawa, who had no other choice than to accept. Saori, motivated by the changes and her husband's praise, decided to make a job out of her sewing hobby.

Of course, helped by the wealth that she inherited from her father, she didn't just open a sewing shop, but created a textile brand that she baptized "Hotoke", as a tribute to her brother's wife Tokiwa Minamoto, formerly Tokiwa Hotoke, who accepted to represent the brand as the first headlining model. This brand gained in notoriety, so much that even the Tsuchikage, and most of the Konoha moms wear its articles.

In Kiri, apart from Tokiwa who became a model, Takeshi Minamoto grew up and recently passed his first Chunin exam that he successfully passed with ease. So much ease that Tentoki, who had promised to lend his power to the boy when he reached this step, changed his mind and gave it a few more years. However he's the only member of his team to have passed. Kaori and Yukiko failed it and are waiting for their next chance, which Kaori blames on Takeshi's loner attitude in combat.

In Konoha, the Hokage has applied some changes to the academy, adding one more year to the program before the students can pass the Genin exam. Boruto, Inoue, Izuna and their friends are now at the end of this last year and recently passed their exams. They're currently waiting for their results, while the direction of the academy, who already knows them, is struggling to fit every new genin in a three way team with a sensei.

About the disease that appeared in Konoha around the time of Sojobo's defeat, it was reduced to a minor threat within the village of Konoha. A minimum possible of a hundred of dead occurred as a result, mostly from the senior age. Tsunade, the 5th Hokage, obviously received a preferential treatment, and was saved. Still, her body was severely affected by this poison's effect, and she has to use a wheelchair or crutches to move most of the time now.

The outbreak couldn't be perfectly controlled however, and the disease was spread across the borders of Konoha, and even across those of the land of Fire. There were more deaths registered around the land, and outside the land. But at least, the epidemic didn't reach the other hidden ninja villages and capitals. After a few months of medical measures all around the continent, the crisis was finally ended, thanks to Sakura and Tsunade's early reaction and work. The origin and nature of this disease is still a mystery.

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Today, the five Kages assemble at the council room of the Hokage's mansion. This summit aims to discuss the evolution of many of the issues that surfaced 4 years ago and before. The Kage will give updates about the state of the illegal mercenary business and contraband in their lands, but also economy and technology related topics. The Hokage and Mizukage will inform everyone about any supposed new intel about the tengu or the Otsutsuki clan. Finally, they will plan a new international Chunin exam that they intend to use as a way to invite smaller nations into the Shinobi Union.

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While the Kage are busy on their summit and matters, their families are hosted by the Hokage's family, at his house. Hinata Hyuga (wife of the Hokage), Kira (of the Raikage) and Matsuri (of the Kazekage) are peacefully befriending each other and chatting in the living room, while their kids are in the backyard. From previous councils, Boruto already met Aoki and Shinki, but it's Himawari's first time meeting them for real. She's also far younger than them. The two guests both have only one year of difference with Boruto. Aoki is one year older, while Shinki is one year younger.

Alone with his sister and the guests, Boruto boringly throws a ball to Himawari who always sends it back. Aoki sits on a tree branch and looks down at the siblings playing. Shinki, sitting next to her, keeps his eyes on the ninja headband she wears. Aoki eventually notices her kohai's fascination and proudly readjusts it.

"What are you looking at, youngling?" she exclaims.

"Your headband." answers Shinki, totally ignoring her attitude. "I didn't know you were already a ninja."

"Of course she is." says Boruto, who catches the ball Himawari sends to him and stops throwing it back. "Since last year. She may even already had the chance to be promoted to Chunin."

"I did. I participated in the last one, organized with Kiri." she says. "But my team didn't pass the second stage."

"Really? Why is that?" asks Shinki, curious, since he knows how strong she is for her age.

"It was some sort of race. We had to carefully go through a very very large and busy area and the goal was to reach the end." she explains. "Anyway, we ran into Takeshi Minamoto and he absolutely destroyed us. So we couldn't make it to the end in time."

"Takeshi, huh?" whispers Boruto to himself, wondering how strong this fella must have gotten since they last met.

"Yeah… He really shamed a team of Kumo-nins while using Lightning release…" she adds, embarrassed but honest.

"Just he waits until I become a ninja too." confidently says Boruto, hyped to meet the Minamoto again.

"How old is this guy?" asks Shinki.

"He's my age. 14." answers Aoki slowly, while looking at Himawari who still holds her hands up waiting for the ball that Boruto keeps in his arms.

"14? And he didn't use any Kekkei Genkai?" adds Shinki, intrigued by who this young ninja could be.

"No. Just Raiton and them legs." she quietly responds.

"Not to shame you even more, but he actually has Kekkei Genkai abilities." says Boruto. "He just never uses them… What about you two? Aoki, I know you have your clan's Ranton, but you Shinki, do you have any of these?"

"I was born with Jiton, Magnet Release." responds the Kazekage's son. "It's actually the reason I was made the inheritor of the Kazekage's clan."

"So you already have certitude you'll be the next one?" notes Aoki.

"Yes. Why? You don't?" says the boy.

"Yeah I don't." promptly says the kunoichi. "There's this kid on my team, Yukai. He was a lost orphan, and was brought to the village almost 5 years ago. He has some weird Kekkei Genkai I've never seen before. It's called Koton, Light Release."

Boruto raises his eyebrows and widely opens his eyes, but stays quiet. He knows that this Ninjutsu element is the same that Takeshi can learn from his tengu, but he doesn't say it, not willing to speak any more of the ninja he aims to surpass. In front of him, Himawari gets red with anger, still waiting for the ball to come back to her.

"Well Yukai got all my dad's attention since he came to the village." adds Aoki. "Now, he's almost like my brother, but mostly my rival. The problem is that my dad chose him to inherit Kuroi Kaminari, the Black Lightning seal, instead of me. And he also wishes to become the Raikage."

"Why do y'all want to become Kage anyway?" complains Boruto. "Like… You spend your day playing politics behind a desk. That's not what I want to be a ninja for. A ninja is supposed to go out there, beat up the bad guys, help those in need, save the world, do some infiltration and cool stuff. The job of a Kage is super lame in comparison."

"It's not about what you do, it's about the result." explains Shinki. "As the Kage, your work and actions have a real influence and effect on the world. You get to impact your village way more than any ninja could. Don't you think, Aoki?"

"Yeah, Whatever… To me, it's mostly about pride." honestly answers Aoki. "But anyway, I think Boruto's just salty that even if he became Hokage, he'll never be half as good as his dad."

"It's unfair to compare anyone to the 7th Hokage." says Shinki, seriously. "He's the main pillar that keeps the Shinobi Union and the whole Ninja world in peace."

"The pillar that what?" mocks Boruto. "My dad is that? No. Not at all. My dad is just some guy that's very bad at ping pong and can't eat healthy without Mom's help."

"Just as I said." adds Aoki. "He's just salty. All the younglings of every hidden village admire their Kage. Why would you be different?"

"Because he's not just my Kage." answers Boruto. "He's also my dad."

"Boruto… And what are our Kage to us, you think?" says the Kazekage's son, rhetorically.

"Sure, but Kage isn't about family here in Konoha." answers the yellow haired Hyuga. "I have a friend who has this dream. Not gonna steal his ambitions. It's more important to me to be on the field than to have imp…"

"BORU-BRO!" yells Himawari to interrupt her brother, finally lowering her arms that she's sick of holding up.

Startled by this sudden scream, Aoki, Shinki and Boruto all three watch at the 6 year-old girl who stands up, red with anger.

"Wh-what?" asks Boruto, feeling under attack.

"THE BALL!" she yells to answer.

The Hyuga boy looks down to see the ball that he still has in his arms. Having heard the scream, the three mothers come running outside, followed by all the ninjas from all three nations that were there as bodyguards. They all see the three teens sitting on and around the tree and the little girl standing angry. The four young people look at all their moms and ninjas that came running. For ten seconds, everyone stays quiet, and just stares awkwardly at everyone. Hinata, seeing her daughter's upset face, thinks she could ask what happened, but before she does, Boruto finally throws the ball to his sister.

"Thanks!" calmly says Himawari, suddenly sitting down as if she wasn't angry a second ago.

The two siblings start playing throw-ball again, while Shinki, Aoki, and everyone else watches. Atsui, among the bodyguard ninjas of the Raikage's wife, looks around awkwardly, and sighs.

"I hope the council is going fine." he says, to get everyone's attention away from this pointless situation.

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In the Hokage's mansion, The 4 foreign Kage are sitting together around a table, waiting for their host to show up.

"So, how's your daughter, Raikage?" asks Gaara to make conversation until Naruto arrives.

"She's fine. What about your son?" answers Darui.

"He's good." he says, bringing the silence back to the room.

Nobody speaks after this failed attempt at small talk… Darui and Chojuro seem unbothered by this silence. Gaara finds it sad. He'd rather be having a friendly conversation with these people for once, rather than just complete silence. Kurotsuchi, hating the silence, looks at Akatsuchi standing behind her, and waits for him to say something. Very soon, she gets to reality and realizes that he isn't the kind of person to do this anyway. So she takes the matter in her own hands.

"And you Chojuro?" she calls the Mizukage by his first name. "How's your kid?" she adds to tease him.

"Don't know. How's yours?" promptly and calmly answers the swordsman, not bothered by her joke at all.

Kurotsuchi squints her eyes, and looks away. She should have thought before speaking. To her, it's funny as long as it's about others, but as soon as it's about her, it's just insulting.

"What is it, Tsuchikage?" says Shikamaru who arrives walking in the room with his wife. "Can't you take your own jokes?"

"Look who's there!" exclaims Kurotsuchi, ignoring the Nara's reflection. "The Hokage's assistant."

"And guess who's not there?" adds Omoi, the bodyguard of the Raikage. "The Hokage!"

"I'm right there, Omoi." says Naruto, sitting on his chair at the table after he calmly sneaks into the room, startling the Kumo-nin by the way.

"Hello, Naruto." says Gaara in a friendly voice.

"Hello, Gaara." peacefully answers Naruto with a smile.

"Well, now that everyone is there, the council shall begin." suggests Samui.

"Right, let's do this!" says the Hokage.

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End of Chapter 61 – Next Chapter: The state of peace