Chapter 10

South Ichiyama, Unified Western Empire - two months later.

Following Naruto's appearance at the Kage Summit and him delivering the invites to the Kages and Mifune, Tsunade had returned to Konoha and summoned the Council to tell them of this recent development. Sasuke Uchiha was the first to volunteer with Danzou's backing. Yugao Uzuki and Asuma Sarutobi also signed on, as his rehab would be finished by then and he would be placed back on active duty. Last, was Sakura Haruno. Accompanying Tsunade and her team to South Ichiyama was Jiraiya and a representative from the Fire Damiyo.

South Ichiyama was one of the Southern Region's largest cities, home to a thriving tourist industry. The largest city in the Southern Region was home to several casinos, geisha houses, and even a brothel. The city itself was built around a small mountain, the mountain itself now the largest stadium on the continent. It was also the site of the final battle of the Unification Wars, and the site of where Naruto and Hinata's forces had signed the treaty which ended the Unification Wars and had brought a new age to the West. Tears' Point, the memorial shrine built to honor the casualties of the Unification Wars, was located three miles away from where the treaty was signed.

It was also the eve of the Imperial Kumite - the annual tournament that the Unified Western Empire held once a year. The best of the best were invited to compete for honor, wealth and prestige in the Imperial Nation. It made the Preliminary Chuunin Tournament that Konoha had held during Naruto and Hinata's time as Genin look like a schoolyard fight. The Imperial Kumite was no-holds-barred, anything goes. Jutsu and weapons were allowed. Bloodline-based abilities were allowed, and the Ichiyama Coliseum was specifically designed for that purpose.

Neji Hyuuga and Rock Lee had fought in the Imperial Kumite the first time in the previous year. Suffice to say, they both learned quick that the fighters played for keeps. Despite making it to the semi-finals, Neji was defeated by A, the year's previous champion, and Rock Lee was beaten by Takeshi Chiba. This time around, the former Raikage decided not to join in the fray, but rather watch from the sidelines. This year, however, the Kumite was different, as this time the five major shinobi villages were invited to the tournament.

However, the tournament had a secondary purpose, as it had something to do with Operation Scorched Leaf.

That secondary purpose was the humiliation of Konohagakure no Sato, the Godaime Hokage, Fire Country and last, Sasuke Uchiha. With this final humiliation, Sasuke would do his part and leave for Otogakure no Sato.

South Ichiyama was also the summer home of the Emperor, the Imperial Villa being the summer palace of the Emperor and Empress Consort. A good portion of the summer was spent in the Southern Region, beginning at the tail end of the Unification Festival, as Naruto and Hinata inspected the Pekara Merchant Houses in the region and visited the villages. It was half the size of the Imperial Complex, but it was still spacious enough for the Namikaze clan and their guests.

Naruto and Hinata Namikaze had arrived in South Ichiyama a week earlier with their child, Minato. Hiashi Hyuuga, Hanabi Hyuuga, Neji and Tenten Hyuuga also accompanied them, along with little Hizashi.

In the year following their arrival in the West, Hiashi had became a respected member of the Imperial Council. Hanabi had taken over as head of the Hyuuga Clan, and was a powerful kunoichi in her own right. It was even rumored that she was romantically involved with Takeshi Chiba. Neji had became the commander of the military police assigned to protect Kimon and the surrounding areas. His wife, Tenten was a valued member of Yugito's Hellcats.

Hiashi and the council knew of Operation: Scorched Leaf, and had given Naruto and Hinata their full blessings on the matter. Aside from the occasional threat from Konohagakure and from the Fire Damiyo, they could do nothing. When Tsunade threatened to invade both Wave and Spring, Naruto had retaliated by threatening to unleash the Hiraishin upon Konohagakure's shinobi. If his father had killed three hundred Iwa shinobi in the last war, then what would happen if he used the Hiraishin with a couple of shadow clones?

Imperial Villa, South Ichiyama - nighttime.

Although smaller than the Imperial Palace in Kimon, the Imperial Villa was more than spacious enough to accommodate the extra guests. Aside from the Namikaze family, there were Naruto's in-laws and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio came to visit, Haku tagging along with Ino. Ino was competing in the Imperial Kumite, as her opponent - through Naruto's machinations - was Sakura Haruno. Shikamaru and Chouji were not competing this year.

"Gaara's due to arrive tomorrow, from what Temari has told me," Shikamaru said as they sat inside the courtyard, Ino and Tenten were playing with Minato and Hizashi. "The Godaime will also be accompanied by representatives from the Wind Damiyo's council."

"Just in time for the start of the Kumite," Naruto said.

"Just so you know, Tsunade and the Konoha-Fire group has arrived earlier today," Ino continued. "Sasuke was among the group. That, and Asuma almost got into a fight with Okajima-sensei when Asuma saw him with us."

"I know," Naruto replied. "The Tengu came to me to 'personally request' that he would be the one to fight Asuma in the Kumite. And I've granted it."

"Isn't this troublesome? I mean stacking the deck against Konoha on purpose?" Shikamaru asked.

"If I wanted to be unfair, I would have the Four Devas compete in the tournament," Naruto explained. "But there's the other four shinobi villages. I really don't have to turn the odds in the West's favor. Inviting the other nations here is nothing more than an act of goodwill, to show the naysayers that my intentions are genuine. Well, that and the prize money is far too tempting to ignore."

"Jiraiya has been seen sneaking around Ichiyama," Hiashi said. "My guess is to check out the competition, to see which of the fighters from here and from the other villages is a major threat to Konoha winning."

One-year-old Minato gurgled while in Ino's arms.

"Wouldn't put it past the Perv to try and sneak in here," Naruto said.

Following the confrontation in Iron Country, Jiraiya had found out through a contact of his in Spring Country that Koyuki was the godson to Naruto and Hinata's child, who was named after Konoha's greatest hero. Jiraiya was furious, as was Tsunade. But they could no do anything, as Tsunade remembered Naruto's threat from the Kage Summit.

"If you wish to go to war...I'll be more than happy to oblige you. You are already on thin ice with me for betraying not only my parents, but also the Uzumaki Clan. If you declare war on the Empire out of some misguided attempt at revenge, Gaara's Desert Burial will look merciful compared to what the Imperial Nation can do. You go to war with me, I guarantee that Konohagakure will be nothing more than a memory. The Leaf will be nothing more but a rumor. It will have never...existed."

Hiashi decided to change the subject. "So this is the city where you and Naruto had gotten married during the final battle?" When his daughter and son-in-law nodded, he went on. "You know, Minato proposed to Kushina in the midst of a skirmish with a group of nukenin just as the last Shinobi War had started. I was there, as I was your father's former teammate."

Seeing as how the others were looking on in interest, Naruto and Hinata nodded. The Emperor took Minato from Ino as Hinata began to tell the story, the baby gurgling as it took handfuls of his father's hair.

"South Ichiyama was the final stronghold of the remaining three warlords," Hinata began. "We had been fighting long and hard for two long years, uniting the West. South Ichiyama was the last. Winner takes all. If we won, the the West would finally be at peace. If we lost, then the West would revert back to where we had found it when we arrived. The three warlords - Oboa, Rama and Jo, were minor warlords, but they combined their forces and fortified the city. Always, before a battle, Naruto would offer terms to his opponents. The terms of surrender were generous, as they had always been, which was the main reason why we were successful to begin with: come to his side willingly and fight for a greater cause - to bring peace to the lands. Jo was the smart one. He came to our side. Oboa and Rama wanted a fight, and we obliged."

"The battle raged for three hours," Naruto continued, smiling both at his son, who was now asleep and at the memory. "Oboa and Rama were holed up inside the stadium, and we had the place surrounded. It was Kurama, Hinata, Haku, Zabuza and myself leading the charge..."

[Flashback]

South Ichiyama, the conclusion of the Unification Wars.

Naruto Namikaze and Hinata Hyuuga were fighting back-to-back; Naruto with his O-katana and Hiraishin kunais, while Hinata had her Bykaugan activated, and kukri knives in her hands. Nearby, Zabuza Momichi and Haku were fighting with members of Zabuza's Demon Brigade and Yugito Nii teamed up with Kurama in taking down the enemy troops.

Suddenly, Naruto had a moment of inspiration. 'Fortune favors the bold,' as Sonshi once told him. He spun Hinata around, slashing at a samurai with his O-katana. "Hinata...marry me!"

Had this been at any other time, Hinata would have squealed like a school girl. Had she been a genin, she would have fainted. But they were in the middle of a heated battle, one that would forever decide the fate of the West. "Now?! This isn't the best time!" she shouted back.

"Are you kidding?" Naruto shot back, blocking an incoming blade with his sword and stabbing the offending samurai with his kunai, leaving it embedded in his throat. "Now may be the only time! I love you, Hinata and I've made my choice! What's yours?"

Hinata's Bykaugan deactivated. She had admired Naruto for a long time, and that admiration had turned to love following their banishment. He believed in her, and he loved her. In return, she loved him back.

"Kurama!" Hinata shouted to the redheaded woman. "Marry us!"

Her nine fox tails waving around her body as if they had a life of their own, Kurama had slashed her way through a group of shinobi, even going as far as to impale them and fling their bodies away by using her tails. "I'm indisposed at the moment!"

Naruto saw that Yugito was close by, fighting on a raised platform alongside Zabuza. "Yugito!" he shouted, taking Hinata's hand. "Marry us! Now!"

"Now?!" was Yugito's reply.

"Yes! NOW!" Hinata shouted, impaling a shinobi with her kukri. "Make it quick!"

"Fine then!" Yugito shouted. Taking a minor break from the fighting, with Zabuza backing her, she conducted the impromptu ceremony as Naruto and Hinata continued to fight. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

"...to nail your asses to the wall!" Zabuza interrupted, impaling his opponent with the Head Chopping Cleaver before kicking him off the blade.

After hacking several shinobi into Western kibble, Naruto grasped Hinata's free hand again. "Do you, Hinata Hyuuga, take me to be your husband?"

Hinata nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

"Awesome!" Naruto rejoiced...right before planting a Rasengan into a shinobi attempting to attack Hinata from behind. At the same time, Hinata flung her remaining kukri into another samurai trying to cheap-shot Naruto. Naruto retrieved Hinata's kukri and tossed it back to her.

"Do you, Naruto Namikaze..." Hinata began, pausing to Jyuuken strike a shinobi in the heart, "...take me to be your wife? For better or worse, and in sickness and in health?"

"You mean with the last part about health being less likely?" Naruto replied. "I do!"

"Great!" Hinata rejoiced as more fighting ensued, forcing the couple to fight back-to-back.

"As Hellcat General," Yugito concluded, "I pronounce you husband and..." She stopped as she caught a kunai from the air and tossed it back to the offending party, killing her instantly. "You may kiss..." she attempted again, but had to flip off the platform to avoid being attacked from the sides. After dispatching the both of them with Zabuza's help, she tried to speak again. "You may kiss..."

Once again, she was interrupted. However, Haku and his ice senbon had made the save.

On the ground below, the fighting intensified as the bodycount around Naruto and Hinata grew, Naruto having to create several some space using the Shinra Tensei, blowing the attackers back.

This time, Yugito and Zabuza turned to the young couple. "JUST KISS!" the former Mist swordsman and the female Jinchuuriki shouted.

Naruto grabbed Hinata with his free hand and pulled her close. "I owe you a real wedding after this is all over," he said.

"I'll hold you to that," was Hinata's reply before they kissed.

[End Flashback]

"After the impromptu ceremony," Naruto concluded, "we managed to rout the remaining forces. Oboa and Rama saw that the fighting was futile and gave the order to stand down. A week later, they both formally surrendered, promising not to raise arms against us. With the Declaration of Surrender, the Unification Wars were at an end. A couple of days later, Hinata and I had a formal, private ceremony back in Kimon. Two weeks after that, we were named Emperor and Empress Consort of the West."

Tenten, cradling Hizashi, was amazed. "That was just...wow," was all she said.

Neji nodded. "I'll say," he seconded. "A wedding in the midst of battle? That must have been something."

"Troublesome, if you ask me," Shikamaru said. "If Temari finds out, she'll probably demand why I did not propose to her the same way you did to Hinata during the Akatsuki Invasion."

"Murasaki Shibiku immortalized our wedding in her last novel," Hinata said. "You probably saw that scene in Koyuki's last film."

"I thought that looked familiar," Hiashi said, a fan of the Spring Damiyo's films.

Naruto handed Minato to his grandfather. "If you excuse us, Hiashi," he said as he and Hinata stood up.

Hiashi nodded as his son-in-law led his daughter our of the room.

Out in the Imperial Villa's gardens, Naruto enjoyed the South Ichiyama night, his wife by his side. It was times like these that he could forget that he was the Emperor, or that he was a warrior. He was just Naruto.

"This is nice. Remember the last time we were here for the first anniversary and Zabuza got drunk and tried to hit on Sana?" Naruto asked.

"The one where Sonshi chased after him with his family swords screaming bloody murder? I remember that. The Demon of Kimon being chased by a man twice his age," Hinata replied. "Have I ever told you that I'm pregnant?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Once," he replied.

Hinata grinned and held up two fingers. "Better make that twice, love."

It then dawned on what Naruto was saying. Hinata was pregnant. Again. "That's great!" he said, as he picked her up and spun her around in the air before setting her down. "Minato will have either a brother or sister!"

Meanwhile...

Sneaking into the Imperial Villa was easy enough for Jiraiya. He was, after all Konoha's resident spymaster. On Tsunade's orders, he was to check around South Ichiyama, and size up the competition from the other villages and the local fighters as well. Aside from the Western fighters, the main threat was one of the Four Devas who has decided to enter the contest - the Shogun of the Violent Lightning himself, Rasu. Hayate Okajima - of which Asuma had a confrontation with earlier that day - was number two.

His recon mission complete, Jiraiya snuck into the Imperial Villa. As Jiraiya had found out, there were no guards, no type of security whatsoever. Even the Imperial Complex was crawling with shinobi and samurai guards when Jiraiya and the others had came to Kimon a year earlier. The Imperial Villa had none.

'Probably because the gaki doesn't think that anyone would not dare to break into his home,' Jiraiya thought as he watched Naruto and Hinata from his hiding place within the gardens. 'Seriously, what kind of ruler is he not to have any kind of protection?'

Then again, Jiraiya had forgotten as to who he was dealing with. What Jiraiya did not know was that the Imperial Villa had not only a squad of Imperial Guards on site, but also a series of seals which served as a first-response alarm to any intruders.

Which is where Kurama steps in.

"Hey. Old man."

Jiraiya flinched as he felt a woman tap his shoulder. Cursing to himself at being caught, he slowly turned around...

...and found himself face-to-face with Kurama, the bijuu queen cracking her knuckles, giving the one-armed-pervert a fanged grin.

"Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" Kurama asked, just as she chambered her arm back and...

POW.

Chakra-powered fist met chin, and Jiraiya was launched on a impromptu aerial tour of South Ichiyama.

From their spot in the gardens, Naruto and Hinata watched as Kurama emerged from the woods. Naruto had knew that Jiraiya was there, which was why he had sent Kurama out to intercept him.

"So," Naruto began, "where did you knock the old pervert to?"

Kurama's grin grew as she gave them her answer.

The Blue Dragon Resort was a hot springs resort located in the outskirts of the city. The Blue Dragon was originally a brothel before it had became a hot springs resort, its owner a former madam who saw that tourism was more profitable than flesh. Of course that meant that the other brothels had more business coming their way, but that was how business usually went.

The Blue Dragon was full to capacity, with visiting dignitaries from throughout the region, as with most of the inns and hotels, the White Destiny being reserved for the visiting kages and their shinobi from the East.

Mei Terumi, Kurotsuchi, Benisato Mochizuki, Sana Sonshi, Yugito Nii, and Kasumi Aihara were gathered around Murasaki Shikibu, the West's most beloved writer of poems and romantic stories. Born Fujiwara Takako, she had been born poor in the era before the arrival of Naruto and Hinata. At fifteen, she had gained the attention of a local warlord for her short stories and had gotten her a job in his court. When she turned nineteen, she had married his son, a samurai.

That was sixteen years ago. Now, her husband was a respected official responsible for maintaining order in the Shinokou region, and she was a celebrated writer. The Empress Consort was a huge fan of her work, while she had got to meet Spring Damiyo Kazahana, who adopted some of her works into a couple of her films, thanks to the Emperor. Murasaki was well-loved and respected by the people in the Empire.

As Murasaki entertained her company with a story from her childhood, the moment was ruined when a white-haired, one-armed Toad Sage came screaming from the skies, landing in the waters with a splash, having been forcibly ejected from the Imperial Villa via Kurama's fist. When Jiraiya managed to crawl out of the water, he felt the killer intent wash over him like a tsunami. Sure he had been caught peeping before, and was belted with numerous wooden buckets.

Instead, he found himself facing one furious Mizukage, an irate blonde Jinchuuriki, her battle aura taking on the form of the Two-Tails, two royally-pissed granddaughters of the Tsuchikage and the Legendary Samurai respectively, the latter already having drawn her sword, one less-than amused Snake Queen, her snakes coiled around her body, ready to strike and one angry writer.

As the angry women closed in, Jiraiya could only whimper in response for the inevitable beatdown that was to come.

Inside the Imperial Villa...

Shikamaru stopped in mid-drink and turned his attention elsewhere. "Troublesome," he said.

"What? What is it?" Hanabi asked.

"I felt a disturbance," the lazy Nara replied. "As if a man was screaming for mercy and was silenced. I'd bet my mission salary that the bothersome bastard pissed off a woman...or several."

Neji shrugged. "Better him than us."

Shikamaru chuckled as he raised his cup. "I'll drink to that."

In another inn somewhere in Ichiyama...

The sake cup in which Tsunade was drinking out of broke. 'Why do I have the strange feeling that Jiraiya had done something stupid again?' she thought.

Back at the Blue Dragon...

The mangled, broken body of Jiraiya was embedded in the rocks. All he could managed to get out was, "Owwie...I...hurt."

He would be taken to the hospital, and Tsunade would be notified of the incident...as well as being billed for the damages.

Ichiyama Coliseum.

Ichiyama Coliseum was the largest of the Imperial Nation's arenas.

Three times as big than the stadium Konoha uses for its Chuunin Exams and as tall as a three-story-building, it was said that as the first Jinchuuriki, the Six Paths had built the arena out of a small mountain using the power of the Ten-Tails and reinforced it with seals. To anyone who had seen the stadium for the first time, it was a mesmerizing sight

The interior of the coliseum was an impressive sight. Surrounded by crystal-blue water, the arena itself a massive square platform, held in place by four giant statues of the Six Paths Sage via stone chains. The arena was accessible only by bridge, then were retracted. Within the coliseum's walls, a series of triage centers were located, Hinata's medic corps were on standby to tend to the injuries of the wounded fighters.

The Imperial Kumite had fifty fighters, with twenty of them from the East. Before heading out into the stands, they had met with Anko Mitarashi inside a meeting room underneath the stadium, who was explaining the rules of the Imperial Kumite, having herself competed in a couple of them. As Anko explained the rules, she ignored the Konohagakure shinobi, knowing full well of the fate that was in store for them.

"You all have signed the non-disclosure agreements in which you could not blame the Imperial Nation for what happens in the tournament. This tournament is single-round elimination. The rules for the Kumite are simple: full contact, anything goes. Weapons and jutsu are allowed. Any bloodline-related abilities are allowed. The matches are one-on-one, and you can win by knockout, submission, knocking your opponent out of the arena, and my personal favorite, make your opponent say 'matte.'"

"'Matte?'" an Iwa shinobi parroted.

"Saying 'matte,' is the same as saying 'Uncle,'" Anko explained. "Forcing your opponent to say 'matte' is to the loser, the most humiliating way to lose a match."

From his place, Sasuke glared at Rasu, who ignored him as if he was a bug.

"Good luck, cause you're going to need it," Anko finished. "And one more thing..." Her face split into a maniacal grin. "Try not to die!"

At the northern end of the stadium, was the booth reserved for the Emperor and Empress Consort, the Imperial Council, and their guests, taking up the top two rows of the coliseum. The upper and lower sections of the massive booth had stairs for easier access. The Kages of the East were present, each of them dressed in their robes of state and their respective hats. General Mifune was also present, but had decided not to let several of his men compete. Tsunade Senju was also present, along with Jiraiya – his remaining arm in a sling, broken leg in a cast, a neck brace around his neck and his jaw wired shut – and a representative of the Fire Lord's Court and several of his Guardian Ninja. Guarding the two Sannin were Kurenai Yuuhi and Yamato. Unknown to Tsunade and Jiraiya – but known to Naruto and Hinata – Kabuto Yakushi was also present, disguised as a member of the Raikage's personal guard.

Kabuto was there to keep an eye out on Sasuke, and not to antagonize the Western Empire in any shape, form or fashion.

Naruto was standing on the platform along with Hinata, taking in the sights of the crowd, absorbing the cheers of the crowd. From the stands, the Konoha group – Sasuke Uchiha, Asuma Sarutobi, Sakura Haruno and Yugao Uzuki – tried to radiate as much as killed intent, but the couple in the arena did not seem to notice. Naruto raised one hand, and the crowd instantly went silent. Using his chakra to amplify his voice, Naruto began to speak.

"It has been three long years since the beginning of a new era for all of us. A new era of peace, order and prosperity. Five years ago, I was but a warlord with a dream. That dream was to unite this land, to bring about a peace which has not been seen since the time of my great ancestor, the Rikudo Sennin. Through our blood, sweat and tears, we have made that dream into a reality. Through our hard work...through our perseverance...the Unified Western Empire has thrived!"

The audience erupted into cheers. Again, Naruto brought them into silence.

Hinata spoke next. "We are honored to have with us, the kages of the East, as well as the representatives of their respective Damiyos. We hope that your experience here in the Western Empire is a pleasant one. To the brave men and women who are competing in the Imperial Kumite, my husband I wish you the best of luck."

'You four are going to need it,' Naruto thought darkly as he glared at the Konoha shinobi, his own kage-style hat hiding his face from view.

"From this moment on...this coliseum is now your battleground," Hinata concluded. "Let the Imperial Kumite begin!"

The crowd once again erupted into cheers as Naruto and Hinata returned to their booth via shunshin.

Inside the booth, sat the Imperial Council, the the five kages and the representatives from the damiyos. Also present was Koyuki Kazahana, who was there alongside her husband, the Kage of Spring, Koichi Fujimura. Koichi had originally been Koyuki's bodyguard following Cell Seven's mission into what was Snow Country, and had stepped down in order to become kage of the Village Hidden in the Snow. Of course, they both agreed on that their children would have her last name.

Naruto and Hinata appeared inside the booth and took their seats. Minato, having been placed in Kurama's care, was handed off to his mother from Kurama.

"I must say, my boy," Onoki began, "you know how to work the crowd here."

"It comes with practice," Naruto replied.

Tsunade ignored the two men, having rather decding to take a pull from a sake bottle. Down on the arena, Kintaro Kagami and Zabuza Momochi were having an exhibition match in the form of a swordfight. The Demon of Kimon and the Strongman of the Scorched Earth had a competitive, yet fierce rivalry stemming back from the Unification Wars. The Imperial Council and the five Kages watched as the two swordsmen dueled to the delight of the crowd.

From the sidelines, the Konoha group watched the battle, leaking killer intent. To the four, who were present in Suna during the Konoha-Imperial Conflict, the former Mist swordsman was the one who had killed Hatake.

Inside the booth, the five Kages and the Imperial Council watched as the fight intensified. "Zabuza has improved," Mei noted. "Back in Mist, he was so hotheaded and rash. I think spending time in the West has done him some good."

"Don't worry," Naruto replied. "He's still the sociopath you come to know and respect. In fact, the only one who can match him is Anko. Come to think of it, I think that Zabuza is quite the masochist."

On the other side, sat the Godaime Kazekage of Suna, Gaara. "I believe congratulations are in order," he said. "Matsuri has told me the news. Hinata is pregnant again."

"I should be congratulating you as well, as it appears that your wife is also expecting," Naruto replied.

Out on the arena, the battle ended in a standoff, Zabuza and Kintaro's respective blades resting against the other's throats. The crowd erupted in cheers as both men took several steps back and bowed to one another before vanishing via shunshin.

"So how long is the Imperial Kumite?" Mei asked.

"It continues until a champion is crowned," Naruto said. "A was the previous year's champion. Zabuza was the previous year's champion."

"And you or Hinata don't compete?" Katsuragi asked.

"No. We do want to keep it fair," Hinata replied. "My husband and I don't compete in the tournament. Neither do the visiting leaders of the villages. The Imperial Kumite is designed to promote healthy competition and goodwill within the Empire. Whoever wins the Imperial Kumite is named champion, but cannot compete in the next year's Kumite. They have to wait until the year is up before competing again."

As Hinata and Naruto explained how the Kumite worked, Jiraiya and Tsunade settled back in their seats, thinking that the Leaf had the tournament in the bag. Given that they had the last Uchiha, a former Guardian Ninja, the vice-commander of the ANBU Black Ops Unit, and the feral Inuzuka, they were complacent in their superiority.

'Just you wait, gaki,' Tsunade thought darkly. 'Konoha will come out on top in the Imperial Kumite. And watching you admit that Konoha is the strongest village in the East will be so sweet.'

As the tournament progressed, Konoha had advanced through the first round, but it had not been easy. Asuma Sarutobi had eliminated a fighter from Iwa. Sasuke Uchiha had defeated a low-ranking Imperial Samurai. Sakura Haruno used her chakra-enhanced super strength to knock an Imperial ninja out of the ring. Yugao Uzuki managed to eke out a win by using the Dance of the Crescent Moon on a Mist shinobi.

As Tsunade and the others watched, Kurotsuchi of Iwa, two of Mei's Mist shinobi and Temari of Suna had also advanced through the tournament. On the Empire's side, were Ino Yamanaka, Hellcat members and Miko Himura and Tenten Hyuuga. Rasu of the Violent Lightning also made it through the tournament, as did Hayate Okajima, his only intention for fighting was to pound Asuma Sarutobi into the ground. Rock Lee was defeated by Neji, who in turn was beaten by Rasu. Sasuke had succeeded in knocking Mist out of the competition, much to Mei's dismay.

So ended Day One of the Imperial Kumite.

At one of South Ichiyama's training grounds, Sasuke Uchiha was going through a kata with his chokuto. He was alone, as the others from Konoha were back at their hotel. Tsunade and Jiraiya had went to a bar to drink and plan for the next day.

There was no plan, Saskue had deduced. He was in the Dobe's backyard, and by winning the Imperial Kumite, he would give his former teammate a serious black eye. That would be the first. He would prove to the Empire that the Uchiha was superior. Then he would pay the Dobe back for killing Itachi.

'And Hinata...' Saskue thought darkly. 'She knows how to carry herself in battle. She's even stronger than that weakling Haruno. I will break her in front of the Dobe. He is not worthy of being the ruler of these people. I will take his throne...and the Empire will bear the rebirth of the Uchiha."

"Trouble sleeping, Saskue Uchiha?"

Sasuke spun around, chokuto ready to impale the offending person dumb enough to intrude on his training.

Kabuto – still dressed as one of Katsuragi's bodyguards – emerged from the shadows, unmasked, allowing Sasuke to see his face. "Then again, if I found out that my former teammate was the ruler of an empire, I would have trouble sleeping as well," he said.

"So you know about that?" Sasuke sniped as he went back to his training.

"I did not know until after the Akatsuki invaded Suna," Kabuto explained. "I was there on Lord Orochimaru's orders when the Akatsuki came. But he has known about the Empire for quite some time. I was also there when the Akatsuki invaded, and fought under the guise of a Suna jounin. If the dead last and a insecure heiress could not only do that much damage to the Leaf, then the Leaf is severely lacking in training."

"..." Saskue remained silent.

"It goes to show that sometimes, the dead last can surprise you," Kabuto continued, noticing how Sasuke's grip on the chokuto was getting even tighter. "Look at Jiraiya. He was the dead last on his team. Now, he is one-third of the Legendary Sannin...although now he is missing an arm, but still..."

Sasuke turned around. "What do you want, Kabuto?" he asked icily.

"Nothing. Just stopped by for a friendly chat...and to check up on your progress," Kabuto continued. "Ironic, don't you think? The dead last stopped you the last time you tried to come to our side, and what did that get him? A one-way ticket out of Konoha. Now look at him. Emperor of the Western Empire. While you, on the other hand, despite being trained by the late 'Copycat' Hatake and the warhawk...well, to put it politely, you are stagnating in Konoha, despite wielding the Magenkyou. As much as you don't want to hear this, Uchiha, Naruto is stronger than you."

In response, Sasuke tried to cleave Kabuto in two, but found himself splitting a log in two instead.

"Did I touch a nerve, Sasuke?" Kabuto's voice rang out from the trees. "You can do much more. You can learn more under the best of the Legendary Sannin. You can learn how to better control your seal. Lord Orochimaru's offer is still open to you, Sasuke Uchiha."

With that, he was gone, leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts. Kabuto did have a point. In the seven years following Uzumaki's banishment, he was pardoned for his attempted defection, but it came with a price. Sasuke – and all of Konoha – had underestimated the influence that the dead last-turned-Emperor had on the people he had met. In the seven years following the Dobe's banishment, he had been out of Fire Country only twice. Both times, he and Cell Seven had been attacked by rival shinobi. He had been placed under what he saw was virtual house arrest as a result.

Kabuto was right about another thing. Konoha had gotten weak in the years following Uzumaki's banishment. Add the fact that four of its clans had defected to the West and Suna had now taken Konoha's spot as the strongest of the village, Sasuke's opinion of the Leaf had plummeted even further.

'An Uchiha values strength above all things,' his father had told him. 'The strong leads, while the weak follows. That is the Uchiha way.'

Sasuke's patience in regards to Konoha was running thin. Orochimaru's offer was looking more attractive than ever.

Day Two of the Imperial Kumite.

The tournament continued with the semi-finals. Asuma Sarutobi had knocked off another Iwa shinobi, leaving Kurotsuchi. Saskue Uchiha had trouble with his latest opponent, but had powered on through with a Chidori to the chest. Thankfully, his opponent had survived the assassination jutsu. Then came Ino.

Her opponent was Sakura Haruno, in a rematch from their Chuunin Exams back when Naruto and Hinata were both genin. Both women were medic-nins, and both were trained under Sannin. While Sakura remained in Konoha, unable to travel, as the impromptu death sentence extended to her as well, given that she was also a member of Cell Seven, Ino had far exceeded Hinata's expectations as a medic nin. Combined that with Okajima's training, and Ino had made a name for herself as a highly-skilled kunoichi.

Ino didn't even need to use her Mind Transfer Jutsu. She simply manipulated Sakura around the arena, and sidestepped her former friend. Sakura fell face first into the water, and Ino had won the match by ring out.

Then came Asuma Sarutobi, who had the bad luck of being pitted against the Ino-Shika-Cho's new sensei, Hayate Okajima.

"ASUMA SATUROBI OF KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO VERSUS HAYATE OKAJIMA OF SHINZOKU! FIGHTERS, TO THE ARENA!"

Hayate Okajima and Asuma Sarutobi entered the arena. Okajima was clad in his shinobi uniform (think Hanzo Hattori's costume from Samurai Showdown Sen, but without the red scarf and face mask), and was in the process of securing his Tengu Mask on his face.

From the booth, Tsunade had a grin on her face as she watched Asuma enter the arena. "Looks like my luck is turning, brat," she addressed Naruto. "Asuma is fighting."

"So is Okajima," Naruto noted. "Hayate Okajima is not only a member of my council and Minister of Shinobi Affairs, but he is also a cunning and ruthless strategist, his intellect is rivaled by the Nara. He is also a master of the silent kill. Only the Chiba and the Hyuuga could match him in Taijutsu. There is a difference between playing bodyguard to a Damiyo and fighting in a war, Senju. The son of the Sandaime is in for one tough fight."

"Why the Tengu mask?" Mei asked.

"I asked Okajima the same thing," Naruto said. "He just told me that he just liked wearing it. I just left it at that."

On the arena floor, Okajima cracked his neck muscles, and stood there, sizing up the former sensei of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Asuma pulled out his trench knives and channeled chakra into them. He saw that Okajima did not have a ninjato on him, and soon discovered why. On his forearms and hands were clawed gauntlets, the fingers ending in sharpened claws He could have taken the easy way out and asked the Ino-Shika-Cho as to how Asuma fought, but decided against that idea.

Asuma gripped his knives even tighter. Even without being able to properly pull off jutsu, Asuma was still a battle-hardened warrior under the Godaime's command.

"FIGHTERS, READY...AND GO!"

Asuma did not waste any time, lunging forward with a front snap kick, of which Hayate swatted to the side. The spinning back kick was also knocked aside. The former Guardian Ninja and the Tengu moved in, Asuma punching and slashing with his trench knives, kicking up sparks as he attempted to use the Flying Swallow to break through Okajima's defenses, kicking up sparks as his trench knives made contact against Okajima's chakra-covered gauntlets.

Asuma took a step back in order to avoid the punch to the face, but Okajima did not let up. The Tengu scored the first blow, an open-palmed strike to the face, which left an angry red mark on Asuma.

From the booth, the Ino-Shika-Cho watched the fight. They knew that Asuma was good, but their de facto sensei was even better. It was Shikamaru who explained Okajima's motives. "Okajima-sensei is feeling Asuma out," he explained to Ino and Chouji, who was eating a bag of chips. "Once he's done that, then he will go in for the kill."

Kurenai had heard Shikamaru's comment and grew worried. Asuma could not pull off any jutsu which involved handseals, as he was still going through rehab over that.

"After all," Shikamaru continued, "he did the same to us when he took us under his wing."

"Don't remind me," Ino said, shuddering. "We learned more under Okajima-sensei than Asuma."

Down in the arena, Asuma had suceeded in tagging Okajima with several powerful blows, but Okajima had been hit with a whole lot worse. He ignored the pain and the fight began to turn in his favor. What made the fight even more exciting was that Okajima, a master of ninjitsu, was not using any jutsu for the match. He simply relied on Taijutsu to beat Asuma within an inch of his life.

Two kicks to the sternum forced Asuma up against the stone chains. There, Hayate proceeded to pummel him with a barrage of punches, elbows and kicks. Asuma tried to defend against the onslaught, but it was no use. After twenty seconds of non-stop pummeling, Okajima stopped, and Asuma, bloodied and bruised, slumped to a seated position, blood seeping from his mouth and from a cut to the head.

This match was over. Hayate turned to the proctor. "Call the match," he said.

"THE WINNER, HAYATE OKAJIMA!"

The crowd cheered as Okajima made his exit via shunshin and reappeared in the booth. Ignoring the angry looks of Kurenai and the others, Okajima took his seat and removed his gauntlets from his hands. The gauntlets stained with Asuma's blood.

"Your man is still alive," Okajima said, not looking in Tsunade's direction as he addressed her and Kurenai. "The infirmary is at the south end of the stadium, first underground level. You're more than happy to check on him there."

Kurenai looked at Tsunade, who gave her consent with a nod. With a glare to both Okajima and Naruto, Kurenai disappeared in a shunshin. From his seat, Naruto chuckled. Yamato leveled his own 'spooky glare' which had scared Naruto in his youth, but Naruto responded with his own thousand-yard stare, causing Yamato to flinch, and back down as a result.

The next match was Yugao Uzuki against Hellcat member Miko Himura. Having seen Yugao use the Dance of the Crescent Moon, Miko knew what to expect. She countered the move by dispelling the clones used for the jutsu and disarmed Yugito. The vice-commander of the ANBU had no other choice but to concede defeat.

With Yugao out of the tournament, Sasuke Uchiha remained. The Uchiha prince managed to knock Kurotsuchi out of the ring. Temari won against Ino, but lost to Rasu, thus putting both Suna and Iwa out of the tournament. That left the Uchiha and two Imperial warriors ready to tear him limb from limb. Even Tsunade knew that Sasuke's chances of getting out of this tournament in one piece were nil. The Emperor held all the cards and it pissed Tsunade off to no end.

Miko Himura, seeing that Rasu wanted to fight Sasuke, had forfeited her place in the tournament, citing 'chakra exhaustion.' Naruto had made sure that she would be reimbursed for time served in the tournament.

Which led to this moment.

"FINAL ROUND! SASUKE UCHIHA OF KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO VERSUS RASU OF THE VIOLENT LIGHTNING! FIGHTERS, TO THE ARENA!"

Sasuke used a shunshin to teleport to the ring, while Rasu strode in. The red-and-gold armor glistened in the afternoon sun as the Shogun of the Violent Lightning faced down his last opponent. Rasu remembered his Emperor's orders for him when the time came for him to face the arrogant Uchiha. Crush him. If he made Sasuke say 'matte,' then it would be a bonus.

The Uchiha smirked as he watched his opponent. "Your road ends here, Rasu. Here is where I will prove to the Dobe and his whore that I am better than him by beating you. Then he will be next, and the West will see that I am the Elite of the Elites."

Rasu simply responded by cracking his knuckles, before switching hands and repeating the motion. "Then you have no problem in showing me that you are an 'Elite Uchiha.' Please be a suitable challenge for me, unlike your late brother, whom the Emperor had killed."

Sasuke unsheathed his chokuto, just as the proctor shouted, "FIGHTERS...READY...AND GO!"

Lightning danced around Rasu as he assumed his stance. "Let the thunder roll," he mused.

Sasuke started the match by flinging several kunai at Rasu, who merely batted them out of the way. But Sasuke hoped that it would distract him long enough for him to move in and use his sword. But Rasu was faster and unsealed his own weapon: a metal staff. Aside from his Lightning Release, Rasu was a prodigy in bojutsu, of which Sasuke would soon find out.

The crowd roared its approval as chokuto and bo clashed. Rasu calmly parried Sasuke's thrusts and swings.

From his place inside the booth, Kabuto nodded in approval. 'Sasuke has improved. But Rasu is playing with him.' He looked at the Emperor from the corner of his eye. 'Naruto does not look like he is worried. Could this be a setup to humiliate the Uchiha? I wonder...'

In the arena, Rasu moved to the side in order to avoid Sasuke's sword thrust. His fist bounced off the back of the Uchiha's skull, knocking him to the ground. "I got to say that this is the most fun I had in a while. It's good to compete in such tournaments, as it keeps you sharp," said the lightning master.

Sasuke got back to his feet and retrieved his chokuto. Glaring at the smug Rasu, who was balancing his staff on one shoulder, he charged and the fight resumed. Sasuke then felt the air rush out of his lungs as Rasu slammed his fist into his torso, forcing him down to one knee.

"You know what your greatest sin is, Uchiha?" Rasu asked. "Your pride. For all your talk and proclaiming your greatness, you are merely hiding behind your Sharingan and your name, living in the shadow of your older brother."

"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted back. "You know nothing!"

"Oh, but I do," Rasu replied as he and Sasuke locked weapons. "I know about you and the Chief being on the same cell when the both of you were younger. That Hatake had given you every single jutsu that you could ask for. The Chief and the Lady were very honest about their past. The Chief has his flaws, as does his wife, but he got to where he is at because of hard work. Unlike you, the Chief does not proclaim his superiority just because he is a descendant of the Six Paths. He did not use his ancestry to get to where he is. He did not use his Rinnegan as a crutch. For that reason, does he earn my respect."

"You compare me to that Dobe?!" Sasuke seethed. "I am an Uchiha! I am also a descendant of the Six Paths!"

"I do," Rasu replied. "And sorry to bust your bubble, but neither the Uchiha nor the Senju are not the direct descendants of the Six Paths Sage, the very first Jinchuuriki of whose power was this stadium was built. Your clan ancestor and those of the Senju merely were trained by him, and rode on his coattails to make their family line even more illustrious. You think you had it bad given that your nutjob of a brother exterminated your clan? Try growing up without parents. The Chief came out just fine. You are seriously fucked in the head."

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke shouted, breaking the hold.

But before he could counterattack, Rasu thrust his staff forward, catching Sasuke in his shoulder. Sasuke's screams echoed through the coliseum as a shock of electricity coursed through his veins, giving the audience a nice view of what his skeleton looked like.

"Oh suck it up, Uchiha," Rasu sniped as Sasuke dropped his chokuto. "I barely touched you." He turned to the proctor. "Call the match. This runt has no more fight left in him."

Sasuke's eyes shifted into the Magenkyou as she spun upon Rasu. "No! This fight is not over yet!" he screamed as he went through several handseals. "CHIDORI!"

Rasu smirked as Sasuke used the power of the Cursed Seal to give him an extra boost in speed. 'How in the world can an assassination jutsu can create such a racket,' he thought as Sasuke beared down on him. Rasu's hand balled into a fist as he produced the counter for such an inferior technique.

"RAJINKEN!"

The Lightning Fist was Rasu's signature technique. It was delivered in one of two ways: a straight punch to the face, or a rising uppercut (ala Kazuya Mishima's Electric Wind God Fist). As Sasuke found out, he was struck with the latter. The blow had knocked him seven feet into the air, with Rasu soon following after him, adding insult to injury by using the Lion Combo, of which Sasuke had stolen from Rock Lee during the Chuunin Exams, his foot slamming the Uchiha into the stone arena.

The Rajinken had made Sasuke's chakra control and his nervous go haywire, which was more than enough time for Rasu to put the final nail in the coffin. A kick to the torso, followed by Rasu rolling Sasuke over on his stomach, pinning him to the arena with one knee and Sasuke's arm painfully wrenched behind his back.

"I want to hear it!" Rasu shouted. "Say it!"

Sasuke knew what Rasu wanted him to say. But Sasuke was not going to say it. To say that five-letter-word would be the ultimate humiliation even for him. When Sasuke hesitated in his answer, Rasu responded by applying even more pressure onto his arm, threatening to break it should Sasuke not give in.

"Say it, Uchiha!" Rasu demanded. "SAY IT SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR!"

Faced with leaving the Empire with a broken arm, Sasuke conceded defeat. "MATTE! MATTE! MATTE!"

Satisfied, Rasu released Sasuke's arm and moved away from him as the crowd cheered. "THE WINNER, AND CHAMPION OF THE IMPERIAL KUMITE, RASU!" the announcer declared.

Inside the booth, Naruto grinned, while Tsunade was slamming her fist on the reinforced arm of her chair, swearing up a storm while Jiraiya and Yamato looked pissed. The Ino-Shika-Cho cheered for the newest champion. Katsuragi, Gaara, Onoki, and Mei had looks of satisfaction on their faces as to how the tournament had played out.

In the arena, Sasuke's eyes morphed into the Magenkyou as he scrambled over to his chokuto, his intention clear.

He was going to rob the Empire of its champion.

Sasuke activated the Chidorigatana and charged, intending on impaling Rasu from behind.

Rasu simply responded by performing a lightning shunshin, and Sasuke passed where Rasu once stood moments earlier. Sasuke had to skid to a stop, as he found himself close to the arena's edge. Upon reappearing, Rasu took the opportunity to give his dishonorable opponent a final indignity.

He booted Sasuke off the arena and into the water.

It had gotten a real good laugh from the crowd. And that laughter increased as Sasuke dragged himself out of the water and stomped out of the arena, humiliated beyond belief. In the booth, Tsunade was torn between knocking Sasuke's head off for his attempted cheap shot from behind, while at the same time wanting to die following the humiliation that Sasuke – and by extension, Konoha – had suffered through his actions.

Konohagakure no Sato – three weeks later.

Sasuke Uchiha was not very happy. His grand debut in the Empire's Imperial Kumite had been a big failure. The team that Tsunade had assembled was a big failure. He had not only lost, but had been thoroughly humiliated by Rasu, and by extension, Naruto. Even worse, Konoha and Fire Country had to pay a huge indemity due to Sasuke's attempted murder of Rasu or face invasion from the Western Empire.

Word had spread fast about how Sasuke not only lost, but as to how he had tried to spear the champion of this year's Imperial Kumite in the back with his Chidorigatana. One thing that Sasuke absolutely hated aside from Naruto was the fact that he was looked down upon as a joke, as an after-thought.

Upon returning to Konoha, he had kept to himself, unless summoned by Danzou. His opinion on Tsunade and her super-pervert of a teammate had sank even lower. The idea of leaving Konoha for greener pastures – namely, Otogakure – was more frequent in his mind. He had closed himself off from the others, save for Danzou, as he answered to him. He was to be seen as a hero, as one who had beaten the best that the Empire had to offer. But that backfired in the most extreme way.

Still thinking evil thoughts as he entered the Uchiha District, he entered his home.

The two black books were placed on his nightstand inside his bedroom. They were out of place, as Sasuke did not own books with black binders on them.

Further inspection showed that the books in question were black ops books detailing every single black ops mission that had taken place in Konohagakure under the Hokages and Danzou Shimura.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Sasuke sat down on the edge of the bed and began to read.

And Sasuke's anger grew as he discovered the truth behind the Uchiha Incident, of how it was ordered by the Sandaime himself, with the backing of Danzou Shimura and the two deceased council elders in order to thwart his father's attempts at a coup. Of how the Konoha Civilian Council had planned on turning the Sharingan into a weapon in order to make Konoha the strongest of the villages. Last, he read about Danzou and his hidden arm containing the Shodaime's Mokuton and the harvested Sharingans, not to Shisui's Sharingan hidden behind those bandages, as well as his now-failed plans in regards to Naruto and his new plans in making Sasuke the perfect weapon, while at the same time, subjugating him to serve Konoha's will.

Even worse, was that Tsunade herself signed off on the order in the black ops book for the Hokage.

If Sasuke was made before, he was outright furious. His life was not his own. His bloodline had been stolen by those who did not deserve it. He had been played by the Hokage and the Civilian Council.

The path to him was now clear.

Sasuke Uchiha had left the village shortly before dawn...but not before sending Konoha a message.

First, he had spent most of the night sneaking into the homes of the Civilian Council and executed the council members. Sakura's mother – the head of the Konoha Merchants Guild – was among the casualties. As Sakura was working at the hospital at the time, she was spared his wrath. Sasuke thought about killing Danzou and Tsunade, but decided against it. But he did, however, killed Asuma Sarutobi as he was one his way home from his rehab, ambushing him and leaving his body inside one of Konoha's alleys, thus making Kurenai a widow.

By the time the alarm was raised, Sasuke Uchiha was halfway to Otogakure.

Furious, Tsunade and Danzou had ordered a joint retrieval mission to bring the Uchiha back. However, Orochimaru had anticipated this and had reacted. He unleashed the revived Sound Four and two hundred Oto jounin upon the twenty-man retrieval team.

Only three members of the retrieval team sent by Tsunade – Kiba Inuzuka, and ROOT operatives Torune Aburame and Fu Yamanaka – survived to return with the bad news. The Uchiha Retrieval Mission II was a complete failure. Sasuke Uchiha had successfully defected to Orochimaru.

The Fire Damiyo's response was instant. Sasuke Uchiha was declared a S-class missing-nin and traitor to both the Leaf and Fire Country, wanted for the murders of Asuma Sarutobi and the civilian members of the Konohagakure Civilian Council.

Otogakure, Rice Country.

"Welcome to my humble home, Sasuke Uchiha," Orochimaru greeted from his throne as Sasuke entered the room, having been led inside by Kabuto. "I am pleased to see that you have taken up my offer." He turned to Kabuto. "What of the retrieval team sent by the Leaf?"

"With the exception of three, all are dead," Kabuto replied.

"Good. Very good," the Snake Sannin said. "You have made the right choice in coming here to Otogakure, Sasuke. I have heard about your 'performance' in the Imperial Kumite, as well as the incident in Suna regarding your former teammate. Although I am rather surprised to find out that the dead last is now the Emperor."

"I can care less about the Dobe," Sasuke snapped. "I want only one thing, aside from the power that you promised me."

"Oh? And that is...?"

"Burn Konoha to the ground," Sasuke replied. "Destroy everything - Tsunade, Danzou. Everything. Konoha has betrayed my clan and tried to make me into their personal weapon. Naruto and the Empire can wait. I know the Leaf's strengths and weaknesses. With the loss of four of their clans and most of their experienced Jounin, Konoha is weak. I cannot serve a village that is weak."

"Yes..." Orochimaru leaned back in his seat. "I believe we will get along just fine, Sasuke. Just fine."

Imperial Complex, Kimon - several days later.

The scroll from the Empire's Intelligence Division was delivered to Naruto and Hinata's office inside the House of Sovereigns by a member of said division. The scroll was a week old, but it contained something that Naruto wanted to hear ever since returning to Konoha to plant the incriminating evidence of the two black ops books he had stolen months earlier inside of Sasuke's home.

Naruto read the scroll, with Hinata reading over his shoulder.

SASUKE UCHIHA DEFECTED FROM THE LEAF. FIRE DAMIYO HAS PLACED UCHIHA IN THE BINGO BOOK AS A S-CLASS MISSING NINJA, AND FOR THE MURDERS OF THE KONOHAGAKURE CIVILIAN COUNCIL AND ASUMA SARUTOBI.

"I have to say that I am very impressed," Hinata acknowledged.

"One thing about the Uchiha," her husband replied. "He is so predictable. Although killing off the civilian council and Asuma was something that I was not expecting, it's still a nice bonus."

"So what do we do now?" Hinata asked.

"We wait. Konoha's days are numbered," Naruto replied. "The Leaf has sown the wind. Now, it will reap the whirlwind. And when the time comes for the Leaf to fall, I will be there to put the nail in their coffin."