Chapter 5: The Civil War in Kiri Part II

Eleven year old Sōjin Ikari stretched as he woke up and recalled what was going on today. Thinking back over the last year and all they had accomplished, and also how much he missed being home. Gently fingering the latest scroll from home, he sighed and got up out of bed. Now wasn't the time to think about matters at home and daydream about his betrothed.

Going about his morning business, he jogged out of the tent, limbering up his muscles as he headed to the headquarters tent for the briefing. Calming his thoughts as he slowed to a walk, he swept aside the door to the tent and managed to make his way towards the briefing room, where he greeted several other ninja before approaching his teammates.

Getting various nods and mumbled greetings, Ikari took a seat nearby and waited for the briefing to begin. Looking around the room, he met the gaze of Ameyuri and Chojuro and gave each of them a nod and a grin, which was returned rather quickly. Just as he was about to wave them over, he watched as both Ao and Mei walked through the door and immediately headed to the front of the room.

Gazing out at all the teams and the team leader that had gathered there, Terumi Mei smiled internally. She knew that this would be the determining battle that would decide the outcome of the civil war. Looking over to Ao, she nodded once to let him know to start the briefing. "All of you gather around the map and listen up! This battle should be the one that determines our fate. Whether we are ready or not, Yagura has decided to try and finish us off in one fell swoop. We will be splitting up into two groups. The first group will be under the command of Terumi Mei, and the team leaders will be Ringo Ameyuri, Sōjin Ikari, and Uchiha Itachi. Their objective will be to locate and eliminate Yagura and any of his guards."

Taking a moment to look at each of them and get acknowledgement, Ao then returned to the briefing. "The second group will be under my command, and the team leaders there will be Uzuki Yuugao, Chojuro and Hatake Kakashi. Our objective will be two-fold: the first objective will be to clear a path for the first group so that they can get in close and accomplish their task, and the second will be to hold the line and keep the enemy off their backs. Any questions?"

Looking out at the room and seeing eager looks on everyone's faces and many shaking heads, Ao grinned in a grim manner and looked to Mei. Taking a step or two forward, she gazed around the room at everyone and smirked. "We will head for the walls of Kirigakure in mere hours. I am pleased with how far we've come, and just how far we will go is dependent on all of you. Our allies have been a huge boost to our efforts and have opened our eyes to the realities of the bonds that we should be forging, both here in our home as well as abroad with the other nations. Whether we have a Kekkei Genkai or not, Ninja or civilian, we are all human and deserve to live and to love, and we will prove this with our victory today!"

As the cheers began, Ikari looked over to Mei and then toward Ameyuri and nodded at both of them before motioning for Itachi to follow him. As they exited the tent, he could feel the older man's gaze fall upon him and he tilted his head as he spoke. "What is it senpai?"

Thinking as they walked towards the gate, Itachi sighed and then quickened his stride so that he was even with Ikari. "Are you certain that you are ready for this Ikari-kun?"

Frowning ever so slightly, Ikari let his shoulders sag just a little before turning his head to look at him. "Am I certain? No, no I'm not. The problem is that the longer we take to prepare, the more innocents there are that are hurt or killed, and that doesn't sit well with me at all Itachi-senpai."

Nodding as he could understand the young man's point of view, Itachi smiled slightly as they reached their destination just outside the walls of the base. "I understand, Ikari. Know that we will be there with you and you are not fighting alone."

Giving the Uchiha a simple smile, Ikari thanked him. "I am going to spend some time meditating, come and get me in a couple of hours, ne?"

Ruffling the young man's hair, Itachi nodded to him and returned his smile with a slight upturn of his own lips. Turning away he walked back to camp and went in search of the others.

Several Hours Later

There were ten of them gathered and waiting for the signal to move in and remove Yagura from the picture. Itachi had summoned a couple of crows who were currently flying overhead, while Ikari had summoned a couple of four tailed Kitsune who were close by keeping a watch for any enemies that would try to sneak up on them. Ikari and Ameyuri were both sitting down back to back, meditating, while everyone else was sitting around waiting for the other team to clear the way.

Kakashi had teamed up with Ao, and they were currently clearing out the guards at the gate. Slipping it open, he turned and quirked an eyebrow at Ao, only to receive a shake of the head and sign language to hold off until they had disabled the main body of Shinobi in the town. Agreeing quickly, they made their way back to the other members of the team and signaled them to pull out the seal scrolls that Ikari had prepped for this very purpose.

In his studies of fuinjutsu Ikari had learned how to modify certain types of tags in many different ways. He could change them so that they could unleash jutsu, senbon, kunai, even many different types of poison. After many weeks of study, as well as trial and error, he had even managed to get some of the weapons tags to be unleashed in specific directions.

The specific seals that he had given Kakashi were of a unique design all his own, in that they contained a modified Fuuton jutsu that was unleashed after a relatively simple to use and counter sleeping agent was dispersed. The agent itself worked almost instantly upon contact with any of the mucous membranes around the nose, ears and eyes. The jutsu that he used was a very low-powered Fuuton: Daitoppa, that was released as the agent burst into the air, allowing a much wider spread of the near invisible powder than would normally be permissible.

Breaking up into four smaller squads, Kakashi quickly whispered directions to the other three people that he handed out seals to, refreshing their memories on placement, timing, and avoidance of the agent. Moving out into the early morning darkness, Kakashi and Ao quickly located one of the few massive groups of the enemy's forces and quickly got to work. Ten minutes later, everyone in their task force regrouped and readied themselves. Giving a quick glance around Ao nodded at Kakashi who gave a short countdown and they all activated their portion of the tags.

One of the most complicated portions of these particular seal tags was the work that had not only incorporated the jutsu portion as well as the directional part of the seal, as the seal in its entirety was nothing short of a masterpiece. It also boasted a chakra conversion seal which converted anyone's normal chakra into wind natured chakra, a very dilute form of the explosive seal that was needed to propel the sleeping agent, but it also included a very localized silencing seal that eliminated the noise, and managed to keep the jutsu down to where it simply felt like a quick but gentle breeze.

Waiting about five minutes, Ao nodded to Chojuro to give the others the signal as it was now time to strike. Chojuro's smile was enough to give even Kakashi the shivers, seeing the sharp-toothed man grin from ear-to-ear like he just had. Focusing on his chakra network, he quickly flared it once, twice, paused for three seconds and then flared it a third time.

Outside the City Gates

Upon receiving the signal, Ikari stood and assisted Ameyuri in standing, while nodding to everyone else that was there. "It's time Mei-san, please lead the way." Receiving a short nod and a slight smile, they quickly headed for the tower and hopefully to end this war. Once they had reached the gates, they ran into one of the others that had gone on ahead with Kakashi who nodded to them and pointed the way before disappearing to regroup with the rest of his team. As they moved towards their target they took down any that they came across with a thrown kunai or shuriken, doing their level best to preserve as much of their chakra for the upcoming confrontation with Yagura.

They arrived at their destination about five minutes later, and all but Ameyuri, Itachi, Mei and Ikari broke off and headed out to secure the perimeter while the others waited for them to accomplish that portion of their mission. As soon as they had cleared out any resistance, Mei led the way into the tower, followed by Ikari, Ameyuri, and then Itachi.

Once they reached the top and were standing outside the Kage's office, Ikari held up a hand and pulled a brush and ink out of one of the seals that he had on his wrist. Rapidly he painted a seal on the door with all the grace and precision of a master artist. After he had finished and sealed away the tools, he then gestured for Mei to continue.

Opening the doors they all entered and stood in the Mizukage's office, with Mei in the center and the other three arranged in a semicircle behind her. Ikari closed the door, and took a step back so that he couldn't be easily seen and prepared to erect the seal barrier that he had personally designed.

The seal, Arashi Yaei Shōheki, was designed to completely enclose an area, whether interior or exterior in nature, and seal it off with an impassible barrier made up of wind and lightning nature chakra. In essence, once he activated it, nobody and nothing would be able to enter or exit the enclosed space until after he deactivated it or was killed. The best part is that any jutsu that hit it, regardless of whether from inside or outside, only served to strengthen the barrier as it absorbed the chakra from them.

So this barrier was ideal for facing off against a jinchuriki, and Ikari was waiting for the signal from Mei as to when to set it off. He spent the next minute or two observing Yagura, who had pale white-blonde hair, pinkish eyes, and was rather short in stature. "Terumi Mei, so have you grown desperate enough that you would try to assault me here in my stronghold? No matter, I'm quite certain that as we speak your rebels are getting mopped up by my forces."

Smirking wildly at the Mizukage, Mei chuckled lightly as she gave Ikari the signal he had been waiting for. Flashing through the hand seals with a speed that most Jonin would drool over, he activated the technique and the barrier quickly arose in place.

A raised eyebrow was Yagura's only response as he examined the white and blue shimmering barrier of chakra. "Interesting, this would appear to be a barrier seal, very impressive work for one so young." Turning his attention back to Mei, he chuckled in a low tone of voice. "I'm guessing that you won't be willing to back down and turn yourself in to face judgment…"

Scoffing aloud at his comment, Mei's face changed almost instantly from a smirk to an angry scowl. "When that judgment would be my death simply because I was born with a Kekkei Genkai? You're clearly losing your grip on reality if you think that I would just rollover and take something like that. Now then, shall we just get down to business?"

His features settling into a grim scowl, he slowly stood and reached behind his back for his staff. Walking calmly and coolly around his desk, Yagura stood in front of her and assessed her for a moment. "As you wish Mei-san, if you're that eager to die, then I will willingly oblige each of you in this."

As the two of them were talking, Ikari activated his dojutsu and was waiting for the right time to utilize his genjutsu against his target. While he was observing their target, he got a feeling in his gut that not everything was as it seemed. Getting Itachi's attention, he flashed a message to him with hand signs. "Senpai, target may be under a genjutsu. No proof, but it might be advisable to check out."

His eyes narrowing slightly, Itachi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and looked over the current Mizukage. While unable to see the chakra network like the Byakugan did, he was able to determine the flow and effect of chakra, thus being able to copy jutsu and predict movements as well as determining whether a target was under the effects of a ninjutsu or genjutsu. It was due to his many years of experience that he was able to detect the very subtle and almost invisible threads that denoted the usage of a highly advanced genjutsu on the jinchuriki Mizukage.

Nodding to himself, he continued to gaze at Yagura as he signaled back to Ikari. "Confirmed, the Mizukage is indeed under a genjutsu, highly advanced and almost impossible to detect or remove. Continue with our primary objective and eliminate; strike to kill not capture."

Getting into his kenjutsu stance, Ikari nodded and turned his full attention to Yagura. Clearing his mind and focusing on the battle to come, he nodded to Mei who began the attack. Ripping through hand seals with great speed, she called out the name of her attack, "Yoton: Yōgan Ryū," and then inhaling and pushing her breath out forcefully, she unleashed a dragon formed out of lava that rushed at her target.

Grimacing, Yagura whipped his staff out in front of him and started to spin it at a rapid pace with one hand, while forming one-handed seals with the other. "Suiton: Mizu no Tate," was all that they heard as watched him exhale out a stream of water that merged with the spinning staff in front of him.

Looking over to Ameyuri, he nodded to her and then to the pool of water at the Mizukage's feet. Getting the hint, she grinned madly and channeled her chakra through her swords for this attack. "Raiton: Inazuma-kyū," was all that she said as she spun her swords in a circle in front of her, which allowed her to shape a blue ball of lightning in front of her. Moments later she tapped the ball upwards with her off-hand, and then slammed it forward with a slap from the flat of her blade in her main hand.

All he could do at the moment was watch as the battle evolved and adapt to its ebb and flow. He watched as the water shield caused the dragon to hiss and then disappear, and then saw the ball of lightning strike the pool of water, shocking the Mizukage into dropping his jutsu. It was at this point that he decided that now was the best time to jump in and try to take advantage of him while his guard was down and he was distracted.

Wielding a single sword in his hands, he leapt forward and swung his blade diagonally from above his head on the right to strike at Yagura. At the last possible second the Sanbi jinchuriki managed to deflect his blade with his staff and locked it in place, where they struggled to push the other off balance.

Shifting his stance ever so slightly, Ikari was in a better position to hold his blade in one hand, letting go with his off-hand, and started to run through one handed seals. Finishing on a modified Tora, he brought his hand up to his mouth as he called out his first jutsu. "Shakuton: Yari Shōkyaku."

Narrowing his eyes at the younger man who apparently had a bloodline similar to Terumi Mei, the elder of the two jinchuriki disengaged their weapons just in time to dodge the worst of the damage that would have been done from the fiery spear that blossomed forth from the young man's mouth, but not quickly enough to escape completely undamaged. As he stepped back and resumed a ready position, he quickly glanced down at his left shoulder to see a shallow but long cut that went through his outer robes. Looking back up at the Kyuubi jinchuriki, he glared as he spoke in a low tone. "You are the first person in many years to have done such damage to me, and for that you will die in a most painful and slow manner."

Konoha

Setsuki shivered as she awoke from her restless slumber, and curled up around the stuffed fox plushy that her betrothed had given her before he left. Inhaling the faint scent that it had of him, she smiled as she thought about the last letter that he had sent her telling her that he would be home before she knew it and not to worry about him since he was in good company.

Shaking her head as she knew that that would be the absolute last thing she would ever rid herself of, was her worry for him. She knew that once she became a kunoichi that he would worry about her just as much, and that once she had received her new bloodline that he would be taking over a huge portion of her training to ensure that she was able to defend herself.

Stretching as she awoke, she got out of bed and threw on her robe before heading downstairs to the dining room. There was nothing she loved more than the freedom she had on the weekends to stay in her future home, and the young Uchiha knew that the housekeeper that they had hired enjoyed working for the both of them. With a smile on her face, she greeted Mika warmly. "Ohayo Mika-oba-san, how are you this morning?"

Without turning around the older woman smiled and waved as she finished cooking for the two of them. "Ohayo, Suki-chan I am doing quite well this morning. Did you sleep well last night? You've been rather restless the last few times you've been here." Turning around and serving up the pancakes that she had been making, along with setting some tamagoyaki on the table, she smiled at the young lady and shooed her to sit at the table.

Blushing as she sat down, she nodded and then cleared her throat. "Hai Oba-san, I did sleep fairly well last night, but…" She frowned as she got quiet for a moment and looked down at her hands.

Picking up on the silence from her young charge, Mika sat next to her and grabbed the young girl's hands in her own. "I'm guessing it has to do with your young man and your worries for him, am I right?"

Getting a nod in response, Setsuki looked up at her and squeezed their housekeeper's hands. "The feeling I got this morning as I woke was that he was in grave danger, and I can't help but wonder if he will be alright…"

Gently returning her squeeze, Mika sighed as she let go with one of her hands and rubbed her charge's shoulders and upper back. "It's times like these where all we can do is pray for our loved ones and keep our chin up, making sure to do our best to keep faith in them that they will return to us alive and whole. Trust me when I tell you that it was the same for me with both my father as well as my husband, and it will be the same for your young man once you are out there accomplishing missions."

Smiling gently at her, she then patted her hand and motioned towards the food. "Now let's not let the food I have prepared go to waste, shall we?"

Kirigakure no Sato, Mizu no Kuni

Having engaged the Mizukage in a heated exchange of blows with his swords versus the Sanbi jinchuriki's staff for the better part of a half an hour, Ikari had to take a step back and take a breather, which was much needed considering the fact that the four of them had been going at it hammer and tongs for the better part of two hours before this last thirty minute stretch. Signaling to Ameyuri to step in, he made the mistake of taking his eyes off his opponent for just a moment, and that was when the elder of the two jinchuriki struck.

Sliding his hands to the base of his staff, Yagura managed to pull and twist his staff towards him in such a manner that the hook portion of his staff caught the young man's blades and the suddenness of his move not only caught him off guard, it snapped his blades leaving him defenseless for a moment.

Caught off balance, Ikari struggled to regain it and attempted to throw himself backwards and ended up being assisted in his desperate attempt by a blow from the staff, which caught him in a glancing manner in the chest, fracturing two of his ribs and sending him flying.

By virtue of being the closest to him, Mei jumped after him and managed to keep him from flying into the barrier, while both Itachi and Ameyuri managed to give them cover by engaging Yagura and keeping him busy, allowing for Ikari to have the time he needed to get back on his feet. Mei gave him a once over, and after assuring her that all he had were a couple of flesh wounds, returned her attention to the battle in front of them.

Of the three combatants that were currently engaged in a rather vicious melee, Itachi was the least wounded, having been waiting for the right moment to engage. Ameyuri was slightly worse off, having been jumping in here and there to catch Yagura off guard to either get a hit in or distract him so that one of the others could get one in.

The Mizukage though was by far in the worst shape of them all. Having realized that the barrier was an unknown variable in this battle, he knew that he couldn't risk going all out with his bijuu cloak, as that had always made him grow huge in stature. The worst thing is that with his foe's stellar teamwork, the Sanbi, Isobu, was hard-pressed to give him any of its chakra beyond what was needed to keep his wounds healed.

With a loud roar, Yagura threw all his strength behind throwing back his two attackers, and after clearing a small area around him, allowed a deep ocean blue cloak of chakra to form around him as well as one chakra tail starting to form. Hitting his knees for a moment, he started to stand back up and started to run through hand seals even faster than before. "Suiton: Idaina suirō!"

Upon hearing the jutsu, Ikari threw his hands together and ran through the hand seals that he needed, all the while focusing inwards. He didn't watch as their enemy directed his chakra to the water beneath him or as it gathered into a super-condensed form and roared aloud to the heavens as it took the shape of a dragon. No his focus was completely on where his allies were and on increasing the speed of his hands to be as quick as humanly possible. Hitting the last one, he immediately bellowed out a warning to his allies, and unleashed a surge of his chakra into the water around them.

"Hyouton: Tōketsu Hakai no Yari," was whispered as he took a knee and slammed his hands down and channeled his chakra into the area in front of him, watching as spears formed from the water and hardened, freezing into ice, as they grew in number forming lines that raced towards the Mizukage and his jutsu.

The two jutsu collided halfway between the two jinchuriki, and while the dragon was frozen in place and shattered, the spears kept on heading towards the jinchuriki of the Sanbi. Maintaining his focus on the jutsu so that he could attempt to end this here and now, Ikari bellowed one last time to get his allies out of the way. "ITACHI, AMEYURI GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"

Barely moving out of the way in time, Itachi and Ameyuri stood well back and watched as the spears raced towards Yagura and caught him off guard, slicing into his legs and hands. Charging forward, Ameyuri and Mei both ran in and took advantage of his wounds. Ameyuri held her blades to his throat crossed in front of him, while Mei slapped two seals on him; one was a chakra suppression seal that would cut him off from both his own chakra as well as his bijuu chakra, and the second seal which knocked him out and would keep him unconscious until they released the seal.

Itachi made his way over to Ikari and sat down heavily next to the younger man. "Are you well Ikari?"

Shaking his head to clear it momentarily, Ikari turned and looked to the Uchiha. "Nothing wrong with me that a nice large meal and a good night's rest can't cure, but I would prefer to get looked over by a medic, just to make sure I'm not underestimating the damage I took." Sighing as he realized that he no longer had his blades, he bowed his head for a moment and then raised it once more to his teacher.

Grinning sadly, he grabbed the hilts to his blades and sighed once more as he looked up at Itachi. "How the hell am I going to explain this to Yuugao?"

The Next Day, Village Square in Kiri

The very next day the four ninja from Konoha stood around a bound and unconscious Yagura, and they themselves were standing behind Mei, who had Ameyuri and Chojuro to her left and Ao to her right. They were simply waiting for noon to start off with the meeting that she had planned which would end with the public execution of Yagura.

Glancing at the clock that was built in to the Kage tower, she noticed that it was time to begin, and taking a couple of steps forward, she cleared her throat and began to speak. "Shinobi, kunoichi, and civilians of Kiri, my name is Terumi Mei, a Jonin kunoichi of Kiri, and today I have a momentous announcement for all of you. The Civil war which has plagued our land for so many years is finally over, and the Yondaime Mizukage has been apprehended for war crimes as outlined in our original village charter. The penalty for said crimes is death, and before the day is out the sentence will be carried out by one of our Seven Swordsmen, Ringo Ameyuri."

Taking a step to the side and motioning for the other four to bring Yagura forward, which Ikari and Itachi did by grabbing him under the arms and walking forward, and stopping just behind where Mei was standing, resting him on his knees and keeping a hand on his shoulders.

The crowd as a whole seemed to emit an aura of relief and joy that the whole war was over and done with, and it would seem that there were only a very few holdouts who seemed to endorse the whole ideology behind Yagura's bloody reign while he was Mizukage. The whole thing seemed to have both Ikari and Itachi on edge, which was just as well for the both of them seeing as how they had been keeping watch over the Sanbi jinchuriki as a precaution.

It was at this point in time that several members of the Village Council came forward and what would appear to be their designated spokesperson asked a couple of rather forward as well as pointed questions. "Just who would you replace him with then; to ensure that what has happened here does not make a return, yourself, or one of these other Nin standing beside you? What are your thoughts and plans on this matter?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Mei sighed as she gathered her thoughts before responding. "First and foremost I am still a Jonin of Kiri, and that is one thing that I have always been, despite fighting against the Yondaime Mizukage. Could I step up and take over…most assuredly yes, as I am a Kage level kunoichi. Will I? The answer to that is a firm and resounding no, because that would go against everything me and the rest of those who have been fighting for the simple right and privilege of being able to live have fought for. If I were asked to take over as the Godaime Mizukage by those who have the right to do so, then I would more than likely step up and take the job and do the best I know how to do to heal our wounds, both physical and metaphorical."

Standing tall, her shoulders back and her gaze held level, Terumi Mei looked every bit the firm and unyielding leader she had had to be to pull off a rebellion. The current spokesperson, one Hoshigaki Izumo, looked her over with a critical eye before turning back to the other members of the Council and holding a brief conference. They spent about ten minutes going back and forth while every so often one or another of them would gaze at her or one of the others standing tall around her. Finally getting a majority of them to concur with him, Izumo turned and stared her in the eye for a moment.

Clearing his throat, he took a couple of steps towards her and turned to face the crowd while standing next to her. "People of Kiri, upon discussing our options and weighing them carefully, we have decided that our Godaime Mizukage will be Terumi Mei! Her coronation will occur in one week's time at the Mizukage Tower at noon and I expect each and every one of you to be there!"

Once he had finished speaking a loud cheer broke out, and he turned to face Mei and chuckled as he did so. Extending a hand to her, he shook her much smaller hand in his own and grinned widely at her. Leaning in he spoke softly in her ear for a moment, and then pulled back and turned to leave.

Chuckling at the blush on her face as well as the look of shock, Ikari nudged her slightly in the back to draw her attention back to the here and now. Shaking her head to clear it, she motioned Ameyuri to come forward and stand next to her. Turning her head for a moment and looking at Ikari, she nodded ever so slightly and he summoned a shadow clone who then transformed into a chopping block.

Positioning the former Mizukage so that his neck was set up for the stroke, he and Itachi took a half step back and maintained his position. Stepping forward and drawing one of her blades, Ringo Ameyuri slowly raised it above her head, and in a swift blur of motion, swung her blade downward and through his neck in one clean cut. It wasn't until the clone dispelled that his head even moved, only to detach from his shoulders, such was the speed of her stroke.

Taking a cloth from a pocket, she wiped the blood off her blade and sheathed it. She then turned and bowed to Mei, afterward she raised her head with a grin as she stood back up. "The task is done Mizukage-sama. What are your orders?"

Taking along look at each of them, Mei gently smiled and bowed to the group as a whole. "My orders for now are to rest and recover for now. If you four wouldn't mind staying until my coronation, I should be able to send you on your way back home with an alliance treaty to have your Hokage look over and sign."

Getting nods from each of them she smiled once more in gratitude. "In that case, you are all more than welcome to stay at my family's compound here in the village. I sealed it up before having to leave Kiri in the middle of the night, and it would be an honor to provide for you while you are here." With that done the four of them motioned for her to lead on, and fell in behind her.

One Week Later, Office of the Mizukage

The four Konoha shinobi stood before the newest Mizukage and offered her their sincere congratulations, as well as their thanks for the gifts that they had received as payment. For Itachi and Kakashi it had been one favor redeemable at a later date, for Yuugao it was a couple of scrolls on a new sword style that she would be able to learn.

Ikari came away with the greatest of hauls though, as he had been able to go through the scrolls that they had found that had once belonged to the Yuki clan and he had managed to copy down over thirty new jutsu that he would be able to use, ranging from D-rank to A-rank. He had also received a new sword made in the same style as the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū, seeing as how Mei, Ameyuri and Chojuro felt that it was the least they could do for him since his own blades had been broken during the final battle with Yagura. Ikari was quite thankful that his sword style could be used with either single or dual blades since he now had the single sword instead of dual blades.

His new blade was a four and a half foot long katana, that was forged from the remains of his swords and they had fused some of the same metal used in theKubikiribōchō, which granted his blade a limited form of regrowth if it were ever broken. As he was involved in the forging of his new weapon, he had ensured that it had chakra-absorbing, chakra-storing, chakra-releasing, hardening, and blood seals engraved into the blade as well as a sharpening seal. These seals would ensure that this blade would be able to be handed down through the generations as a family heirloom.

The finished weapon was simple elegance at its finest, as the young man had asked for. The sheath was black with his clan symbol on either side, one side in an icy blue, while the other was done in a fiery orange and red. The hilt was wrapped in black ray skin with an emerald green tassel, while the tsuba was made of polished bronze set in the symbol of his clan. The blade was a bit wider than most others of its kind, being almost four inches in width; the color itself was unique as it was a pale silver-blue with blood red flames that ran along the length of the blade. The name he had given the blade was engraved on the blade near the tsuba, and was as unique as the person who had helped forge the sword: Hi to Kōri.

Standing up in front of them, Mei bowed deeply to each of them. "It is with my deepest gratitude and thanks that I send you off with this treaty. Each of you has done far more than expected of you and all for a country and village not your own, it is highly commendable and I thank you on behalf of my people. I would ask a favor of you, and it is entirely up to you whether you accept it. What I ask of you is that if you run across any missing-nin that you give them a scroll with my seal on it, requesting that they return home to Kiri, and tell them that any crimes they may have committed will be forgiven if at all possible once they return."

This took all four of them by surprise as they hadn't expected anything like this. Raising a privacy barrier, Ikari turned to his older compatriots and they discussed this at length for about ten minutes. Once they had reached an accord, he lowered the barrier and stepped forward. "On behalf of my teammates and I, we will accept the request and ask for the scroll so that we may accomplish your request."

Reaching into her desk, she quickly thumbed through a number of scrolls and grabbed the appropriate one. Unrolling it and glancing over it, she signed it and stamped it with her seal, and then re-rolled it and tied a blue ribbon around it. Handing it off to the young man in front of her, she smiled as she watched him seal into an intricate looking seal that was tattooed on his wrist.

They bowed once more, and then shunshined out of her office and appeared outside the main gate to Kiri. Checking their gear once more to ensure that they had everything, they then leapt into the trees and headed for home.

One Week Later, Konoha

After having had a rather rough ride back to the mainland, the four shinobi had maintained a rather rapid pace back to Konoha. They were all eager to take some well-deserved time off, and train up their skills without having to constantly look over their shoulders for an enemy. Not that they would ever come close to being complacent, it would just be much easier on their nerves being at home to do so.

Izumo and Kotetsu were standing around at the gate joking around about how life was so very boring and how nothing interesting ever happened while they were on duty, when they saw four figures leaping through the trees towards them. Watching them closely, Kotetsu was the first to recognize them and relaxed as they approached the gate. "It's been a while since we've seen you guys, welcome home!"

Getting four nods in return, they all showed their ID and then headed off for the Hokage's Tower. Taking it at a slow easy pace, Ikari looked around and smiled beneath his mask. Even though there weren't many of them, it always warmed his heart to know that he was doing his part in helping keep his precious ones safe simply by putting his life on the line. The four of them all looked to each other and shrugged as they approached the tower, and as one they jumped up and stuck their landing against the wall of the tower and ran up the vertical surface, jumping through the window one right after another. Each of them landed and knelt in front of the Hokage, bowing their heads as they did so.

"Mission accomplished Hokage-sama. The Godaime Mizukage sends her greetings and an offer to create an alliance between our two countries." Kakashi stood and offered up the scroll to Hiruzen as he spoke, then returned to his former position and waited with the rest of his team for their new orders.

Nodding in thanks, Sarutobi opened the scroll and read through it, making various noises of agreement here and there as he looked it over. Rolling up the scroll, he steepled his fingers together in front of his face, smiling gently at his ANBU. "Very well done, well done indeed. I will give you each three months leave, which I expect each of you to enjoy to the fullest. Before I let you all depart, there are two things that I need to go over with you. The first," here he paused and reached behind him to grab a bingo book, "is that apparently your status has been upgraded in the Bingo Book."

With that said, he tossed the book to Ikari, who opened it up to the book-marked page while his teammates gathered around him.

ALIAS: Chi no Akuma Kitsune, Ryūketsu no Akuma no Arashi

NAME: Unknown

AGE: 11-12

VILLAGE: Konoha

DATE OF BIRTH: OCT 10th

BLOOD TYPE: B+

HEIGHT: 5 FT

WEIGHT: ~100 LBS

BLOODLINE: Hyouton/Shakuton

THREAT RANK: A

ABILITIES –

TAIJUTSU: CHUUNIN/JONIN

GENJUTSU: JONIN

NINJUTSU: JONIN/ANBU

KENJUTSU: ANBU

KNOWN ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES: WIND, FIRE, WATER

WANTED STATUS: ALIVE – Kiri – 1,500,000 Ryo

The shinobi known as the Chi no Akuma Kitsune is a threat not to be taken lightly. He is most competent/lethal in close combat to mid-range, but he is no slouch at long-range. His primary weapon is a katana known as the Hi to Kori, and he is absolutely deadly with this blade. He is very fast, even at his age, and his chakra reserves are almost on par with a Kage. Approach with caution if in a fair sized group, (7-9 Jonin/Chuunin), anything less than that leave him well alone.

Smirking slightly at the upgrade, he shook his head ever so slightly. "Are you impressed by this Oji-san?" Ikari looked up at the smiling man that he treated like his very own grandfather with a questioning look in his eye.

Smiling broadly at the young man who he had always treated and looked after like he was his own flesh and blood, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded as he chuckled aloud, "Hai, Ikari-kun, even if it isn't quite the way I would have liked for you to build up your reputation, I am still no less proud of you and how far you have come."

Grinning widely up at the old man, Ikari tilted his head to the side for a moment. "Wasn't there something else that you wanted to discuss with us Oji-san?"

Sighing aloud, the Hokage nodded. "There is an optional clause in the treaty that will require your approval as a future clan head. There is mention of what they call a 'Blood Alliance' in the treaty. It's not mandatory for it to be accepted in order for the treaty to be approved, but it would help strengthen the alliance tremendously. The Mizukage left it open-ended for their side, but suggested you as the Konoha half of the arrangement."

Rubbing his eyes, Ikari nodded and turned to Yuugao. "I know that this is going to be difficult, but I am leaning towards accepting the clause, especially since they left it open-ended. That means that not only do I have an option in which woman they send, but there are no time constraints and they will send the woman who is selected here to join our shinobi instead of us sending them one."

Taking a moment or two to consider the proposition from all angles, Yuugao leaned back a bit as she thought about this. Looking deep into her Otōto's eyes, she could see that he was slightly conflicted with agreeing, but was willing to sacrifice for the benefit of his home, for his precious people. Smiling kindly at him, she nodded her head and then turned her gaze to the Hokage. "The Sōjin Clan does agree to the Blood Alliance with Kiri, and we will await the Clan Heir's choice in which woman he decides upon."

Nodding his head in agreement, Sarutobi unrolled the scroll and going over it one more time, he smiled and rolled it back up. "The only thing left to do now is to bring it up in the council meeting scheduled for later today, that way we can get this treaty agreed to as it is very beneficial to both us and Kiri. With that said, I do believe there is a certain someone who should be getting out of the Academy about now who would be most disappointed if you weren't there to walk them home, Ikari-kun."

Rolling his eyes ever at the ever so unsubtle hint that the Hokage was giving him, he bowed and left the office in a whirlwind of ice crystals. Reappearing at the entrance to the Academy, he smiled as he remembered the days of training with his Aniki and Onēsan, smiling gently as he reminisced. Shaking his head as he heard the bell go off that signaled the end of classes for the day, he quickly hid himself and removed his mask while waiting for his intended.

Five minutes later he saw her leave the building along with Ino and Hinata. Walking up behind them, he debated over his course of action for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and going for it. Making sure he was visible once more, he put his hands over her eyes and whispered in her ear. "I'm home my little Kasai no Hana."

Making sure that he was prepared for any reaction was his best bet, and a well-played one at that. As soon as she heard his voice, she whipped around and looked at him and then threw herself into his arms and held him as close as possible, much to his chagrin and the other two girls' amusement. He could see the slight blush on the Hyuuga heiress' face as well as the calculating smile on Ino's face, and knew that he was in for a bout of questioning. Gently kissing her forehead, he managed to pull Setsuki away and hold her by the shoulders so he could look her in the eyes. "I have missed you dearly, and we have much to discuss, shall I walk you home?"

Getting a rather small blush to come to her cheeks, he smiled at her and offered her his arm which she accepted. Giving a slight bow of his head to the other two heiresses', he offered up his greetings and an apology. "Gomen'nasai, I was not intending to be rude to either of you ladies, I am Sōjin Ikari, Uchiha Setsuki's betrothed. It is a pleasure to meet you…?"

Getting giggles from his future wife, he turned to her and raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "These are my two best friends, Hyuuga Hinata and Yamanaka Ino." His face lit up in recognition of the two young ladies and smiled gently at both of them. "It is indeed a pleasure and a privilege to meet the both of you, but I do believe that I have held us up enough for one day. Shall we head out?"

The next twenty minutes or so was filled with many questions, both proper as well as somewhat gossip-oriented. Smirking the entire time on the inside, Ikari was as honest as he could be when they asked him questions about his career, and was as polite as possible in declining to answer any questions that could be deemed as frivolous or just too personal. Before he knew it, they were by themselves and approaching their home.

Activating the security seal that surrounded their home, Ikari smiled down at his future wife. He knew that they had a serious amount of time that needed to be made up for since he had been gone for so long, but he figured that they could start off by having a family dinner and getting ready for his birthday which was in a week or two.

Walking through the front door, they were greeted by Mika, who gave them each a warm hug and then ushered them to the table. Once they were all seated, their elderly housekeeper smiled warmly at the two of them sitting there, Setsuki sitting in his lap holding on to him for dear life like he was just going to disappear. "The two of you look so right together, and it is quite good to have you home Ikari-kun."

Smirking at her ever so slightly, he nodded. "It's great to be home, Oba-san. I trust that everything has been going well for us financially?" Setsuki looked up at him confused.

"What do you mean by that Ikari-koi? How have you been earning money besides missions?" She turned so she could look him square in the eye while they spoke, and the look on her face was one that spoke volumes to Ikari.

Chuckling at the serious look on her face, he looked her in the eyes and then gently laid a kiss on her cheek. "I left behind a blood clone so that the side business that I have created in seal tags could be kept up with." From there he went on to explain the different kinds of tags that he had modified or created, and had patented so that he got the credit and the proceeds from sales. He then created a clone to go and get his bank book, and allowed her to open it and look inside. The two of them laughed heartily at the stunned look on her face as she took in the number of zeroes that were on the balance.

Gently closing her mouth, he tilted her face so that he could gaze into her eyes for a moment. "This is for our family, so that we can support the building of our clan, both in places to live as well as so that our children will never want for anything, be it clothes, food, or the occasional extra that they may desire or need."

The warmth that she felt blossom in her chest grew in intensity as she realized just how thoughtful and caring her intended was. Setsuki leaned up and kissed him chastely on his lips and lingered there for a moment. Breaking apart from him she smiled as she saw the slight reddening of his cheeks, and hugged him. "This is one of the main reasons why I am so glad that I accepted the contract and why I'm glad that I have decided to accept the transfer of Miyuki-chan's chakra to change my Kekkei Genkai."

Stunned momentarily, Ikari shook his head for a moment, and leaned back in his seat as he took all this in. Looking out the window for a moment, he then turned his head back around and set his chin atop her head as he pulled her in closer to him. "You're certain of this Suki-chan, absolutely sure without a doubt that this is what you want to do?"

Simply giving him a nod and squeezing him gently, she enjoyed the warmth of his body next to hers. "Yes this is my heart's desire, being able to be with you, and if that means going through the pain of gaining a new Kekkei Genkai, then so be it. This is what I want, Ikari-koi."

Smiling down at her, he gently laid a lingering kiss on the crown of her head, and then stood while helping her to her feet. "Well then, I think it's time that we get everyone together for a family dinner, and then we can discuss when the best time is to accomplish the transfer. Also I will more than likely be setting aside as much time as possible in the next three months to teach you how to use our dojutsu, Kekkei Genkai abilities, as well as taijutsu and kenjutsu styles."

Bouncing in place, she jumped on him and hugged him tightly and then swiftly walked towards the door so as to gather her family and let them know about dinner this evening. Ikari was left shaking his head for the moment, before smiling at Mika. "Looks like figuring out what's going to be on the menu for tonight really is going to be up to you and me, Mika-san. Any ideas?"

A/N: Due to many hours of careful thought and planning on the way that I would like for this story to go, I am going to be removing female Gaara from the poll for a third wife. I would have to do a massive amount of retooling as far as the way the story line I have in mind is going, and I just can't make it work. My apologies, but maybe in the future I can do one with those two in a story, so if you voted for her please re-cast your votes.

Also the next chapter will be the much anticipated showdown between Ikari (Naruto), and his former parents, godparents and sisters, as well as team placement. There won't be as much need for him to be in contact with his sisters, as the way I am working it, the chakra from Miyuki (Kyuubi) will have altered their coils in such a manner that their chakra coils produce a much denser type of chakra as a result, and so there won't be any need to have them 'refilled', so to speak.

Fuuton: Daitoppa – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough

Arashi Yaei Shōheki – Storm Encampment Barrier

Yoton: Yōgan Ryū – Lava Release: Lava Dragon

Suiton: Mizu no Tate – Water Release: Water Shield

Raiton: Inazuma-kyū – Lightning Release: Lightning Sphere

Shakuton: Yari Shōkyaku – Scorch Release: Incinerating Spear

Suiton: Idaina Suirō – Water Release: Great Water Dragon

Hyouton: Tōketsu Hakai no Yari – Ice Release: Spears of Frozen Destruction

Hi to Kōri – Fire and Ice

Chi no Akuma Kitsune – The Bloody Demon Fox

Ryūketsu no Akuma no Arashi – The Bloody Demonic Storm