C708 Fox Recruitment

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As Peter stepped out of the office, leaving Minato and Kushina to discuss their decision regarding Obito, he couldn't help but smile. From the way the conversation was going, it was clear that Kushina had already made up her mind, and Minato would soon follow. The prospect of giving Obito a true second chance, free of his past, was too appealing to pass up.

Stepping into the cool evening air, Peter took a deep breath. The village was quiet at this time of night, and the stars twinkled faintly above him. It was peaceful…

As Peter prepared to head back to the Uchiha district, he sensed a presence behind him. Turning around, he was met with the familiar figure of Madara, the elderly Uchiha standing there with his arms crossed, a faint smirk on his face.

"Mission accomplished," Madara said, his voice low and confident. "Every Daimyo is now subservient to the ninja villages, just as you asked. More importantly, they'll all follow the orders of the future council without question."

Peter raised an eyebrow, a grin forming on his face. "That was fast."

Madara shrugged. "It wasn't difficult. They were all too weak to resist, and none of them suspected anything. Everything went according to plan."

"Good," Peter nodded, satisfied. "That was an important step. Now we can focus on building the council and solidifying a lasting peace."

With their tasks for the day complete, Peter gestured for Madara to follow him. "Come on, Itachi invited me to dinner at his house, and I figured we could both go."

Madara raised an eyebrow at the invitation, a rare look of curiosity crossing his features. "Dinner with the Uchiha clan… I'm surprised they're willing to sit down with me."

Peter chuckled. "They might be a little scared at first, but don't worry. You're with me, so they'll get used to it. Besides, Mikoto invited us last time…"

With that, the two men made their way to the Uchiha district, the streets quiet and deserted as the village settled down for the night. As they approached Itachi's house, Peter could already sense the tension in the air. He knew bringing Madara along would cause some unease, but he figured the dinner would help break down some of those barriers.

When they arrived at the house, the door was opened by Mikoto, who immediately tensed at the sight of Madara standing beside Peter. She quickly composed herself, offering a polite smile despite the clear apprehension in her eyes.

"Good evening, Peter," Mikoto greeted warmly before her eyes flickered nervously toward Madara. "And… Madara-sama."

Peter smiled reassuringly. "I hope it's alright that I brought him along. We're all working toward the same goal, after all."

Mikoto hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Of course. You're both welcome."

They stepped inside, and Peter could sense the immediate shift in the room's atmosphere. Fugaku, who had been sitting at the table with baby Sasuke in his arms, stiffened at the sight of Madara, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Itachi and Shisui, who were already seated, exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsure how to react to this…

Peter, sensing the tension, took a seat at the table with a casual smile. "Thanks for having us, Fugaku, Mikoto. The food smells great."

Mikoto offered a polite nod, quickly setting the table with the meal she had prepared. As they began to eat, the atmosphere remained tense for the first few minutes, everyone stealing glances at Madara, who sat silently, his expression unreadable.

But as the dinner went on, Peter and Madara made no moves to escalate the situation. In fact, Peter engaged in casual conversation with Itachi and Shisui about their training, while Madara remained mostly quiet, offering the occasional comment. Slowly, the tension began to ease as it became clear that neither Peter nor Madara had any intention of causing trouble.

By the time dinner was coming to a close, the atmosphere had lightened considerably. Fugaku, though still wary, seemed to relax slightly, and even Mikoto managed a small smile as she cleared the dishes.

Peter leaned back in his chair, glancing at Madara. "See? I told you it'd be fine."

Madara merely smirked in response.

As the meal wrapped up, Peter and Madara thanked their hosts and didn't overstay their welcome. Mikoto, ever the gracious host, offered Peter a place to stay for the night, as she had done before. But Peter shook his head with a smile.

"I appreciate the offer, Mikoto, but I don't want to impose. Minato already gave me a house, so I'll just stay there from now on. Besides, I'll be back tomorrow for the kids' training. It's not like I'll be gone for long."

Mikoto nodded in understanding, though there was a hint of relief in her expression, especially considering Madara's presence.

"Thank you again for dinner," Peter said as he and Madara stepped out into the cool night air. The streets of the Uchiha district were quiet now, the village settling into the calm of the evening.

As they walked, the sound of their footsteps the only noise breaking the silence, Madara spoke up.

"I've been thinking," Madara began, his voice low and thoughtful, "about the eyes I gave that Uzumaki kid—Nagato."

Peter glanced over at Madara, his curiosity piqued. "What about them?"

Madara's eyes narrowed slightly. "My old plans are being thrown out, which means I don't need to be without my original eyes anymore. I was thinking of retrieving them tomorrow."

Peter's interest deepened. He had always been curious about Nagato and the Akatsuki. "Mind if I tag along?"

Madara glanced at Peter, considering the offer for a moment before nodding. "Fine by me."

Peter grinned, clearly intrigued by the idea. "Cool, maybe I'll bring the kids along as well."

With that, the two men went their separate ways, their thoughts already turning to the events of the next day.

'I wonder if Yahiko is still alive…'

…

Peter stood before his new home, taking in the sight of the large, sprawling mansion that had been given to him as a gift from Minato and the village.

When Minato had told him it was just a "small house," Peter had shrugged and accepted, thinking it would be a modest place to rest. But now, seeing it in person for the first time, he realized Minato's idea of "small" was wildly different from his own.

"This… is not a small house," Peter muttered to himself, sighing as he stared up at the towering structure before him. The mansion's elegant design and expansive grounds made it clear that this wasn't just a place to sleep—it was a full-blown estate.

Still, Peter let out a resigned sigh, deciding to just roll with it. "Guess it's better than sleeping in someone else's house," he said with a shrug before heading inside.

The interior of the house was just as grand as the exterior. Polished floors, intricately carved woodwork, and spacious rooms greeted him as he wandered through the hallways. Despite its grandeur, the place felt oddly empty, with only the faint echoes of his footsteps filling the silence.

After some exploring, Peter eventually found what he assumed was the master bedroom. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, already mentally preparing to collapse into bed after the long day.

But as soon as he entered the room, he froze.

Sitting on the bed with a thoroughly annoyed expression on his face, was none other than Kurama—the Nine-Tails himself—still trapped in his tiny, shrunken form thanks to Peter's spell.

"Yo," Peter greeted casually, trying not to laugh at the sight of the once-mighty beast looking so disgruntled in his miniature state.

Kurama let out a low growl, clearly unimpressed. "Don't 'yo' me," the fox grumbled, his red eyes narrowing as he glared at Peter. "You're late."

Peter raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe. "Late? I didn't realize I was on a schedule."

Kurama huffed, his tails swishing behind him in agitation. "I've been stuck like this, waiting for you to come back, while you've been gallivanting around the other villages, getting all cozy with Madara Uchiha of all people."

Peter's eyes gleamed with amusement. "So that's what this is about? You're upset about Madara becoming my subordinate?"

Kurama's ears flattened against his head, his expression hardening. "Madara is dangerous, Peter. I should know that better than anyone. He's not someone you can trust."

Peter crossed his arms, letting out a soft chuckle. "Madara's dangerous, sure. But so am I."

Kurama bared his fangs slightly, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "You don't get it. I've dealt with Madara before. He's a manipulator, and he'll stab you in the back the moment it's convenient for him."

Peter tilted his head, watching Kurama intently. "I hear what you're saying, but from what I've seen so far, Madara's not out to betray anyone. He's just a man who wanted peace, and he took the wrong steps to get there."

Kurama scoffed, his eyes flashing with disbelief. "You really believe that? After everything he's done?"

Peter shrugged. "I believe people can change, given the right circumstances. And even if Madara does try something, I'm not exactly easy to stab in the back. He's not strong enough to take me down."

Kurama's frown deepened, but he couldn't deny the truth in Peter's words. He had seen Peter's strength firsthand, and it was nothing short of monstrous. Still, the thought of Madara made Kurama's fur bristle.

"I don't trust him," Kurama muttered, his voice low and filled with a deep-rooted grudge.

Peter smirked, an idea forming in his mind. "Well, since you don't trust the old man so much, how about this: why don't you join me? You can watch my back and make sure Madara doesn't try anything. If he does turn on me, I'll even let you take him down yourself."

Kurama's eyes widened slightly at the offer, a flicker of intrigue crossing his features. "You'd let me kill him?" he asked, his tone cautious, as if trying to gauge whether Peter was serious.

Peter grinned. "If he betrays me, sure. I don't think it'll come to that, but if it does, you can have the honor."

Kurama seemed to mull over the idea for a moment, though his skeptical nature kept him from jumping at the offer right away. "I thought you wanted me to be Konoha's 'guardian beast' or whatever," Kurama said, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you offering me this instead?"

Peter shrugged again. "That was just advice. Now, I'm giving you a job offer. You can join me as well, keeping an eye on Madara and protecting me from anything he might try."

The offer clearly piqued Kurama's interest, but there was still one stipulation he had. "If I agree to this," Kurama began, his gaze narrowing slightly, "you have to remove this spell that keeps me shrunken like this. I'm not doing anything as long as I'm stuck in this ridiculous form."

Peter chuckled, raising a hand in agreement. "Deal."

With a snap of his fingers, the spell that had kept Kurama in his tiny form was lifted. Of course, he held off on growing right away, conscious that it would cause the house to collapse.

Kurama let out a satisfied growl, stretching his limbs as he regained control of his full size. "That's better."

Peter smiled as he watched the Nine-Tails settle into his larger form. "Now, let's fix your mind control problem."

With another wave of his hand, Peter conjured glowing spell circles in the air, each one intricately designed with symbols and enchantments. The circles hovered for a moment before shooting directly into Kurama's eyes, embedding the protective enchantments deep within his mind.

The fox blinked, feeling the new protection settle into his senses…

A/N: 2000 words :)

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