Chapter 24 Lurking Flames

Flames gave rise to smoke, the air around the country was contaminated, making it difficult to breathe: the Wave was in flames. Several buildings had exploded, and were burning to the ground. The people were trying to put out the fires, and failing. It was chaos, a tragedy that had befallen the peaceful land of innocent civilians whose only crime was being ruled by him.

Causalities were there but they had avoided the most of it. Some of the shinobi Naoki had brought from Ame were still in the ground, helping out the people into safety. Panic had surged through. They didn't know whether to be indoors or to go out.

If this fear knocked at the doors of Uzushio, Naruto would lay siege to Iwagakure.

He'd make them pay dearly.

First of all, the war was already over.

He had won and they had done this.

He had not moved against their land but they had made the move even after losing. It did not matter if Onoki was already dead. He knew about the attack and planned it but did not stop it even when knowing he could die in the war.

There would be consequences to those who were left alive.

Naruto would make them pay.

The Emperor executed hand seals and held out both his hands. Dark clouds began to gather above the country. Slowly, they filled the area and drops slowly started to fall, kissing the ground while putting out the fires. In a few seconds, it was a downpour.

As the drops became heavy, people started running to shelter. Naruto did not mind being rained on–he was not in a pleasant mood anyway. Perhaps the rain could hide his disappointment from the people of this country.

He jumped from the rooftop and landed on the ground. A second later, the raindrops stopped hitting him. Naori was by him, holding an umbrella.

When Naruto eyed him, he smiled.

"Yoshino figured you'd make it rain and still walk amongst the people to make yourself visible to them."

"It is a time when they are in trouble, if I am not with them, they think I do not care about them. This was not even their war to begin with. The reason this has even happened, is because of a lapse of judgment on my part."

"We could not have foreseen such a thing, your Majesty."

"You could not have but it is my duty as Emperor to protect these people and foresee dangers to the lands I control." Naruto sighed. "Well, this talk will not solve anything. We have much more important things to deal with. But we will discuss them at home. For now, let us bring calm to this nation."

An Hour Later, Throne Room

"You play your role as Emperor to perfection, Your Majesty. I really do not see why the elders keep on insisting that they make me Emperor." Yoshino said.

He wasn't the only other person in the room; Naori and Haku were flanking the Emperor's sides.

"Politics." Naruto said. "Things must be done in order and in a way to show that you care. If you don't give your people love, they will start thinking you are no good to them and then rebel; we must never give the Wave a reason to turn on us."

"Do you not choose leaders of the country to avoid this?" Haku asked.

"There is that…But that only gives us control. To win a nation, you must win the hearts of its citizens. They are the most important people. We have the leader, but if the people turn on him and then tell other nations that we are forcing our rule on them, we'd have serious problems with the Great Five. They may not be able to do anything to us but our Empire can't grow in a way we want if they are actively plotting against us." The Emperor said. "What is the damage? Is it something that will cripple us?"

"The hospital, the academy, the offices of the shipping company, and several homes were destroyed. It is nevertheless nothing that can cripple the economy. There were causalities, but nothing too much. The Wave is capable of rebuilding from this without the assistance of any other country."

"But this puts us back a bit. We should have been focusing on connecting the rail tracks with other nations and putting the trains in them. And now we will have to shift our focus on rebuilding. The train stations were not destroyed, yes?"

"No; we placed maximum security on them. If they had been destroyed, it would have been disastrous. The materials used to build them is rather expensive. The trains promise to generate enough income for us to be able to fund other projects."

"Then the Wave was targeted because of its significance to us. It was not a simple attack on the innocent civilians."

"Yes, we believe so." Yoshino said with a nod.

"And Uzu?"

"Setting off explosions would be near impossible given the barriers we placed on the buildings. Fire spreads quickly and we took measures against that. There hasn't even been a breach of security."

"Good. Who shall take charge of the reconstruction? We need to ensure that the rail ways are still moving forward. We stopped because of the war. We are no longer at war now, we must continue. We need the revenue they will generate. Funds for the trains were already put aside. If we wait longer, we may be forced to use those funds for other things at this stage."

"I will ask Tazuna to take charge of the project to rebuild what has been destroyed. But most valuable infrastructure is still safe. The Wave's train system can start within a month if we get all the trains. Should we send for the Springs to assist with this?"

"Yes; that would be for the best. They have something. Send the airship to collect the materials. You can give the go ahead to assemble the parts we already have in our stores. I want the trains running as soon as possible. Have Guren set apart the land for the projects and clearly mark out the places where rail tracks will be put. If we do this, it should make things quicker. Nagato will handle things on his part." The Emperor said before turning deadly serious.

"The main issue is what to do with Iwa…"

"We only found dead bodies of the men responsible-suicide missions. They did not want to be caught to be interrogated but we are certain they were from Iwa."

"I will visit the village to speak about the end of the war and a way forward. They should have someone acting as leader when we visit. I will ask them to pay for the damages and then to go grovel before the people of the Wave. If they refuse, I will pay them back."

"Vengeance..." Karin started as she walked into the room. "You have never been the one to think about revenge, my husband."

"I am not thinking about revenge. I'm just saying this must be punished, severely."

"Would it not make for a good image if you let it slip? You have already killed thousands of their shinobi and if you make your case, it lessens the hatred and improves your image amongst neutrals and your allies. They think of you as the forgiving Emperor."

Naruto smiled. "I didn't take you to be making cold strategies, Karin."

"But is it not reasonable? Is it not the logical option for a better future for the Empire?"

"She is right." Yoshino said. "While it makes us look a bit weak and could encourage them to try again, but on the short term, it works best. We claim the higher moral ground."

"That sounds amusing coming from you, Yoshino." Naruto said with an amused look on his face.

Fundamentally, he did not disagree with the statement from Karin–it did make sense after all. They could afford to blink and look the other way if it strategically worked better for the Empire. The purpose was not to make the Empire a terrifying beast that would frighten all. If they became that, they would not last long. Dynasties founded on suppression and tyranny never lasted long.

People always rebelled. Even if they held long, it was always a bloody battle as people rebelled against those in leadership. Naruto could not have a situation where the Uzumaki were systematically hunted to break apart the Empire–it would be failure on his part to protect them.

"Perhaps, but this is the route that we must take from now on. We don't want to be continuously fighting wars for no reason. Nagato will be displeased with us if things go like that. We must take measures to ensure that there is stability. It would also make things easier for us."

"Could it be that you're a little ticked off because this is solely your fault and you want to do something about it?" Karin asked with a stare.

Naruto raised an eye brow. "That would imply that I have become a rather loving Emperor ruled by emotions," he said.

He did not comment further on it.

"We will do what is best for the clan and the Empire. But I would not have minded seeing them grovel before the people of the Wave. That is fine nevertheless, the bigger picture is of importance than soothing my displeased spirits."

"So you admit you are ticked off…" Karin pressed.

There was silence in the room. Everyone seemed to wait with bated breathe to see if he would concede. After what felt like eternity, he finally responded.

"Yes; I am. It is nothing shocking really. To fail is not a pleasant thing to experience, especially when you have arrogantly thought you could not fail. They do say experience is the best teacher. The realization that you cannot protect everything is rather unpleasant though – especially with my power." He stared at Karin. "Are you happy now?"

"Yes," She said with a wide smile. "I will comfort my wounded husband now."

"We can go now."

Yoshino cleared his throat before anything more could be said between the two.

"How do we deal with this then?"

The Emperor adopted a thoughtful look for a second before responding.

"Haku, you will send a message to our allies and request aide in rebuilding. On its own, Wave should and can rebuild. The economy is strong. But having others assist brings about unity in our nations. It is with this unity that we can move forward as one without the other pulling back."

Yoshino smiled.

"That was well said, Your Majesty." He said. "Uzushio will readily offer its help."

"That will be appreciated. And send the sealing Corps to begin constructing a barrier around the Wave. The bridge must be protected and adequate sensory seals should be placed around the country to alert us of any movements. Yoshino, take measures to begin the establishment of the Imperial Police Force. The prisons we have built cannot remain empty forever."

The Police Force would operate similar to the manner of Konoha's Military Police Force, but it would have authority to act in all lands below the Empire's flag. It was just one method to keep balance and to give their shinobi missions to do.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You are all dismissed…Ah, oh, cancel the celebrations for now. We shall celebrate once the Wave has been restored."

Karin watched the subordinates disappear one by one. Haku was the last to leave the room but not before greeting her with a smile. She then turned her eyes towards the man on the throne.

She frowned at the thought that she was looking up at him. She was supposed to be sitting up there with him, not standing here like a commoner.

When did I start thinking like that? Karin thought with a small smile.

"You returned sooner…"

"Weren't you the one who kept reminding me that I had to return?"

"I'd thought you would take your time and I would have to come once more to fetch you. You do seem to enjoy the attention I give when I'm trying to force you to do something."

"You are dreaming but it is okay. Just don't take it too far." Karin said with a wave of her right hand.

"That is not a nice thing to say." Naruto said. "Well, it is not like I can murder you for saying it. In any case, you are home. You have truly returned at a troublesome time. But I will make some use of you now that you have returned home to fulfill your duties."

Karin frowned.

"I didn't come back home to be treated as a slave. And you did mention that you would take away some duties from me so that I can still do research."

"I did say that–but you must still complete some duties. We will get people to dress you accordingly and tomorrow, you will visit the Wave country and address the citizens. I was there but I did not address them. You will tell them that help is coming and the Empire takes responsibility for what has happened."

"I don't like the sound of it. You are putting words in my mouth."

"You are free to add on to what I have said, but you are not to contradict anything and if you make any promises that do not align with my objectives, you will carry them yourself."

"Is this the same attitude you give Yoshino?"

"Those people know that if they are going to do something I didn't tell them to do they must take responsibility for it. Yoshino acts differently because he understands how I think. Of course, that does trouble me at times, but it was necessary that he understand how I think if things were going to work accordingly when I was not around."

Karin shook her head. "Politics later, aren't you going to welcome your wife?"

Naruto stared at the woman for a moment before smiling. He then stood up from the throne and descended down the stairs. He embraced her in a firm hug.

"It is good that you have returned home, Karin. I won't be so lonely anymore."

"Lonely–you? Is that some kind of a joke?"

Naruto smiled. "I miss this colorful side of you. We will have many memories to share once things have settled. Well, we can even start now. There is nothing that stands in the way after all."

Konoha

The mask was off–it was a unique situation.

Yugao had always made appearances before the Hokage wearing a mask but these days, she appeared in the office without her mask. She was no longer acting as an Anbu. She had yet to retire but she was still working. Perhaps this mission could be called an undercover mission.

It was dangerous–perhaps worthy of being S-rank. If Naruto found her doing something treasonous, he was going to kill her. He had made it that clear and she was not really looking toward deciding anything that could get her in trouble with the Emperor but orders were still orders.

Yugao settled on a chair in front of the Hokage's desk along with Shikamaru.

"Thank you for coming, both of you." Tsunade started in a measured tone.

She glanced at Kakashi who was standing just on her right side.

"We received word that the Wave country was attacked. There was some destruction–it seems that several buildings were marked with explosive tags. We don't know who was responsible but apparently, Uzushio has been keeping a close eye on things." The silver haired Jonin said in a serious tone.

"We don't need to guess–it is either the Stone or Cloud, and or both of them." Shikamaru said.

"That is our conclusion but we will not draw any accusations without any evidence. They will probably deny it as it has happened after the war and it was an attack on innocent civilians. We don't think that the Empire will simply let this slide."

It was just going to be chaos if the Empire responded with force. This war had shown that the Empire had the mobility to cause destruction in both Stone and Cloud but they had not gone that far. They only fought those in the battlefield. But if they were attacked like this, they could respond by sending out the airship for destruction.

It could make things dangerous again and they could go back to war again. Tsunade hoped things did not come to the point where the Emperor was calling for the destruction of either village–because although they were wrong, destruction was not the way to go.

But she still did not know if she would go as far as to stand in the way of the Uzumaki Empire.

"Not unless there is something to gain." Yugao said.

Shikamaru agreed with this. "Their movements have always been calculated. They don't simply move because they can. The Wave has been attacked, but there is still nothing from them, is there? If they were the ones to simply move because they can–they would have already moved to the Stone. The Emperor knows space/time ninjutsu, he could simply teleport to Iwa."

"Knowing him, he is likely weighing the pros and cons of each move." Yugao added.

Tsunade smiled.

At least she had people who reasoned. Seeing them speak like this, it made her feel relieved. Well, Shikamaru had already proven his worth but he was still young and there was the thought that Yugao could be compromised. Either way, she had made the right decision about permitting this to happen.

"Yugao; once I sign the paperwork, you officially will no longer be a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf. You will be sent to the Whirlpools, where you will become a kunoichi there. The Emperor is not stupid, he isn't likely to have you do anything and might send you away from Uzushio, but that is fine. We primarily just want someone from our side to be able to reach him any time. This will be a sign of good will. Shikamaru; you know your role. You are to ensure that the Empire and the Leaf have an alliance. Your father must have already briefed you on the negotiation terms. Don't go beyond them. If he is being unreasonable, don't indulge him. We will not beg for an alliance and if they reject Yugao, don't try to force the issue. We are not that desperate but we do acknowledge the Empire's power as a rival to the Great Five Nations. You leave in six days, prepare yourselves."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Once they both left the office, Tsunade released a long breath and leaned back in her chair.

She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking to Kakashi.

"I thought things would calm after the war, but there is this and the Cloud's forces moving in the sea have yet to retreat. At this stage, they will likely attack. What bothers me is Uzushio's silence in it. I don't think they are ignorant of the threat, especially since they were having problems with the Water Daimyo."

"You think they will cause destruction and keep silent about it?"

"Most likely." Tsunade said with a nod. "I should not stress over it. This should be your problem. At least for now, we have avoided a great war."

"Looks likely, but knowing how things work in the shinobi world, one could just be around the corner."

"That is why you must never relax. We don't know where the next threat will come from and if Uzushio handles the Stone and Cloud badly, we will indeed have another war once they recover. You need to play your role well. If we have to go to war, then we will go. You should never sacrifice the Leaf for anything."

Kakashi felt like going on a tour across the Elemental Nations just thinking about the trouble ahead.

"Don't you think it would make sense for you to pass on the mantle once things have settled? It would be fair to the next Hokage to have a clean slate rather than inherit problems."

"It would be fair if those were problems caused by me. I have not caused anything. You just have to deal with it. Besides, I am still going to be around. Of course, I must still give you room to make your mistakes and do things as you think best. We don't want to be in a position where I am fighting with you over the village's direction. Such a situation would create factions within the shinobi forces."

An unpleasant situation would surely arise from that.

Meanwhile

"It is quite remarkable that the Naruto that used to walk in this village has managed to bring all Great Five Nations to acknowledge his power in this manner." Shikamaru said as he walked alongside Yugao.

Who could have thought?

Shikamaru's friends could still not believe it, but this was the reality of things.

"For you it is remarkable. We have always been able to see beyond the mask."

"Even when you could not see beyond the mask, there had always been something about him. If things had been different, I would not have been dragged from my peaceful days. Well, this is the result of this village choosing to hate him rather than accepting him." Shikamaru said in a tired tone. "My father says you don't approve of the idea of keeping tabs on the Emperor by spying on him."

"Yes." Yugao said. "What do you think about it?"

"It is risky and dangerous and I think hardly worth the effort."

"I wouldn't say hardly worth the effort but risky? Yes. The consequences would be disastrous to the Leaf. My life is out of the picture but the Emperor would see it as a sign of betrayal."

"I stood before him on his throne and I returned confident that the Emperor does not have any intentions to do this village any harm unless we incite it. They have their goal but they are not a threat to Konoha. Naruto lived in this village–he probably knows it in and out. If he wanted to bring it down, he would have done so. He has stood before the village's strongest–he knows their skills and weaknesses. But he has not done anything with it or even threatened to use it against us.

"No matter what their goal is, it is simply not tyranny. Their movements and actions tell me that they are looking for something better without continuous battles and they will probably make their movements in line with this. The Wave and Nadeshiko have not been undone by force–it has been cooperation and keeping good relationships. It is likely that they want to keep things on that level in the near future. For this reason, I don't think they will attack either Kumo or Iwa. In saying this, you should not carry out that mission. Just be the best Kunoichi you can be for the Empire. Your behavior there should mirror the Leaf's behavior towards the Empire."

"You seem to think highly of the Emperor."

"I was in class with him. I don't think he is necessarily evil. He is cold and ruthless, but not a bad person. His relationship with the Sandaime did tell me that he is one who honors his word, and most likely won't betray agreements even though he doesn't like them."

"He didn't like the one the Sandaime drew but was still willing to go through it even when the Sandaime was dead."

"Yes–that is someone you can trust. Of course, he will always think about what is best for his clan–as anyone would for their village."

"The problem is his power."

"Which he displayed for all to see. Another reason they encouraged this war was to display the power for all to see. His name is now known all over the Elemental Nations. No shinobi thinking rationally will face him in battle." Shikamaru shook his head.

"We will see how he welcomes us when we get there."

Uzushiogakure

The office was silent–Haku had thought he would find the Emperor and his wife bickering, as they usually do. It was always amusing to hear their banter about this and that. At least Haku could say it with certainty that Karin was someone that Naruto genuinely cared for. What simplified things was that she was Uzumaki. The Emperor loved all his clansmen. He did not discriminate–whether they were twisted or not.

As long as they were members of the Uzumaki clan, they were in his good books.

Haku placed a load of papers on Naruto's desk. The Emperor already had two mountains he was going through. Even with all the work, Naruto did take the time to read the bottom line.

He didn't just sign.

"It is good to see you at work, Naruto."

"Not that I find it enjoyable but there is some peace about it. I cannot tire from it since I don't have to talk to anyone while doing it."

"Are you saying you get tired of talking to people, even me?" Karin jumped in–she was sitting on the sofa, reading some reports.

Naruto lifted his eyes from his desk and glanced at the Karin before looking back at his work.

"Maybe." He said quietly. "What is that?"

"Wave business regarding construction, budget proposals from Tazuna and proposal for a new structure."

"What is wrong with the current structure?"

"The Leader does not report to you but to Uzushio."

"We didn't change that?"

"No…You were focused on fighting and always let Yoshino do everything."

"We will change that. But that means that we must hire more people to work for us. The Compound is not big enough for that kind of work. We never did make it to be a working place but my personal space."

"You are going to build your castle in the Sound, you can base all your subordinates there. Moving between here and there should not be a problem for you. Your other wives will also find a bed in that castle rather than coming here. I really don't want anyone in this place. This is our home, not any other woman's home."

Naruto dropped the pen and leaned in his chair before staring at Karin for a long minute. "Hmm, I guess that works. I can have my fun there without your elders sending me glances. Send a message to Guren to prioritize the building of my castle. I want it complete within a month. Of course, I will send an army of clones to help build it quickly. We will also borrow Guren's power for materials."

"But her ninjutsu is only usable while she is alive. The moment she dies, everything falls apart."

"We are Uzumaki, we can solve that problem." Naruto said with a shrug. "That does remind me, Karin, I am sending you to your elders to make sure they teach you proper Fuinjutsu."

Karin glared.

"You really hate me, don't you?"

"Maybe a little." Naruto said with a smile. "I don't expect you to come up with amazing ideas, but I at least expect you to be adequate."

"Not in the standards of the Uzumaki."

"You're disappointing. For an Uzumaki to have less than desirable skills in Fuinjutsu is laughable." He then sighed. "We are not born all the same nevertheless. You will still have time to learn. I have already sorted out your schedule for the next six months. Your duties will be relaxed during that time. Of course, if you show good improvement, you won't have to spend that much time with those people. They will probably give you poison to feed me."

"I'd take it with both hands."

"I don't doubt you'd go that far. I have truly married the wrong one. Take lessons Haku, be careful with whom you choose to marry."

"But poison is unlikely to kill you since you are a Jinchuriki." Haku said.

"The Kyubi's chakra has be working within my system. That means it must leave the seal. If you have Karin bind me with her chains, I cannot break free…"

Haku smiled. "You'd never sleep if you knew there was a jutsu that could trap you in an inescapable trap."

"I find myself agreeing with that statement." Karin said with a nod.

Naruto shrugged. "I just find it to be a puzzle that needs to be solved." He said. "What else?"

"Kumo shinobi?"

"Have they selected a new Raikage yet?"

"Not that we know…You think if they select a new Raikage they will order a retreat?"

"Yes, but that will depend on the position of the new leader. If he thinks he can do what Ai failed to do then he/she will lead them into war. Of course, should that happen, then we will annihilate them. For now, don't do anything. Let us wait and see, but if they move towards us, sink them all. All of them. Let no one escape, Haku. If possible, leave a monument of ice in the sea."

"That is rather brutal of you." Karin commented in a flat tone.

"A necessary measure to those who think that if we let Iwa get away with nonsense, we will let anyone who dares threaten us get away with murder."

"Ah, you are still displeased about that." Haku said with a smile. "You'll soon get over it. And I hope you don't do anything to sabotage the route we have chosen."

"What do you make of me? I have never been driven by my emotions."

"But this is different." Haku said. "The loss of life was the result of your oversight."

"It happens." Naruto said nonchalantly. "I think we shoul…"

He trailed off when Yoshino entered the office with stack of papers. He released a long sigh and folded his hands across his chest.

"Is there any more work that needs me?"

"Yes." Yoshino answered with a nod. "I can bring it now, if you want."

"Haku?"

"Guren probably has something. You can send Naori to fetch it."

Naruto thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Let us do that, and every one of you will leave me to work alone. And no one shall disturb me."

"Including me?" Karin asked.

"Who knows?" Naruto said. "I am going to visit both Cloud and Stone in the next couple of days. It is then that we will return with a way forward after having spoken to the leaders they have chosen. I had decided against going soon because I wanted them to prepare."

"I thought you would send me over as you did last time around." Yoshino said.

"You enjoy messing with people's minds too much, Yoshino. I don't want to frighten these people by your tongue. Besides, you relieved yourself of those duties when you had Haku take your position as my right hand man. You have no role to play in this situation. Focus on Uzushio."

"That is a little harsh."

"Go to Miyuki to nurse your wounded feelings." Naruto said with indifference.

"I'm afraid Miyuki is as unapologetic as your wife, Your Majesty." Yoshino said with a smile.

"I'm sitting right here you creepy bastard!"

"Now now, Karin." Yoshino started in a quiet tone. "I am not without emotions. It does wound me when you say such things like that."

Karin snorted. "Yeah, right."

Naruto laughed. "See, dear, you would make a good match with Yoshino. We can change things now and you can marry him."

"And you'll marry Miyuki?" Yoshino offered.

"Hell no." Naruto was quick to say. He then changed the subject. "I need you to stay here and prepare for the meeting with our people. It is likely that we will have some nations coming before us to be nice. Haku, have you readied the invites to our leaders?"

"Yes."

"Good…" Naruto said. "Once they arrive, and I have dealt with both Cloud and Stone, we will know where we go. The Uzumaki Empire can begin another chapter of its rise to power."

"And hope it will not be one of bloodshed. You have always said that you don't want the Uzumaki to be associated with bloodshed." Karin said.

"There will be no more slaughters. Our prisons are enough to hold thousands. If they cannot be held, we will dispose of them. We must usher a new way of doing things." Naruto said.

"And yet, you just gave Haku the order to waste Kumo's shinobi without leaving anyone to survive."

"That is something else entirely." Naruto said. He then turned to Yoshino. "Be careful with who you welcome in your land. Once I'm done with my part, I will hardly spend time moving around here."

"Then you will set forth in the Sound."

"Yes, but we will still conduct business with the Kages here. I'm certain that the smaller nations will be trying by all means to move closer to us. We are moving closer to the Great Nations and we have displayed our might against them. They will look to us as their saviors and seek comfort in us."

"Would they not directly come to you then?"

"We will set up the structure. But as you can see, we don't have the structure. The Empire itself is only me. Most things go through you. We must look for people to fill up the gaps…" The Emperor paused, looking thoughtful. "I will do this before the day ends. The one thing about being Emperor is that I don't need to take anything to anyone to approve it."

Yoshino smiled.

"I can say the same but little difference in that I know what you like, so I can do whatever I want and only inform you afterwards."

"That must stop." Haku jumped in before Naruto could respond. "People will have to stop coming through you but to me. We will set up that chain of command and communication once the castle is built."

His eyes narrowed.

"I'm serious when I say you will not be speaking to His Majesty directly unless I approve it. This thing of strolling in his space will stop."

"That is rather assertive, Haku." Yoshino remarked.

"I must be with you people. You have grown used to his Majesty. It is why some things are not done in order. I can understand with either Naoki or Naori, but you are different. I must nevertheless put a leash on Naoki. He is too much of a loose cannon."

Naruto whistled. "Save the energy for the troublesome people we will deal with, Haku." He said. "You can all leave me to work."

"So, we are indeed keeping up with what Haku said." Yoshino stated. "Well, I did know he would come around. Someone will bring the paperwork to you, Haku." He turned to Naruto. "I wish you a safe journey when you visit the Cloud and Stone, your Majesty."

Three days later

Yugito had to mentally slap herself to avoid smiling when Naruto appeared before her once more in her room. She didn't mind him coming in her place. She didn't even leave the balcony where she sat, reading a book. He had sat here some days ago when coming to visit her.

Admittedly, she had never hated his presence – and still did not.

He was the only other person in this village with whom she could freely speak. He had made his intentions clear to her–she knew what he wanted from her. Hidden motives had been thrown away. Perhaps it had been a move from him to make her feel a little free.

"Escaping work?"

"I'm not that childish. Admittedly, I find peace going through my work."

"You are strange."

"We can't all be the same. Some people must be weird. It is our differences that make life interesting. If we were all the same, there would be no puzzles. We would all be the same person in different shapes."

"For some people, that is not a bad thing."

"Mentally challenged people." The Emperor said. "Pick up your things. We are leaving now."

Yugito stared. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"The war is over–I won and my enemies lost."

"That was apparent when I heard celebrations. I can't say I had any reason to celebrate even though I knew I was going to be free. Perhaps it was because I knew Ai-sama had been killed…"

"Then you know what my words mean. I am returning you to your home since you have refused to love Uzushio."

"You could have warned me, you know."

While she had tried by all means to avoid becoming familiar with this village, she had ended up liking the peace. Of course, there was no place like home and she had been honestly bored here but she had still come to enjoy the atmosphere around here. She would admittedly come to miss it.

She would, of course, never admit this to the Emperor. It would just give him the motivation to try harder to get her to return here.

"If I had warned you, it would have defeated the purpose." Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulder. "Ready your things. We must still travel a bit. My jutsu will only take us into the lightning country."

Yugito stared for a moment before closing her book.

She stood up without saying a word to the Emperor and readied her things.

Some minutes later, they were running through the Lightning country. Yugito felt excited and happy to be going back to her beloved home. She had twice ran ahead of the Emperor in her excitement. He had been amused. He didn't pick up his pace to accommodate her–he didn't seem to be in a hurry to reach the Cloud.

Then again, he had nothing to lose in this situation. He had won the war. He was in a position to make demands. The thought made Yugito slow down and her excitement died down in the blink of an eye.

"Say…What are you really going to say in Kumo? Darui has probably been made Raikage since he was the previous Raikage's right hand man."

Naruto stopped running and started walking. They were within the outskirts of Kumo and he had already warned them of his visit. Still, he had hadn't actually thought about what he was planning to say to the leaders.

"We will see what happens when I get there."

"You're not that whimsical."

"I'm not but I have still not prepared a speech. Things will go in two directions. It is either we work out our issues or they say we go to war again. Of which, I would not mind going on a rampage."

Darui would find it too much of a hassle to go to war. With what they saw, Yugito didn't even think that they would willingly choose war once more. The Emperor would destroy them unless they had something else in mind they could use. As long as Naruto was fair, there would be no challenges.

Yugito was almost certain that the Emperor would not be making ridiculous demands to her village.

"Hopefully, war has not changed Darui."

"I will not rest on hopes." Naruto said. "You are overly excited…What do you think will be waiting for you when you arrive home?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Let me tell you then: they will blame you for losing the war. If you had not been captured, you would have fought alongside Bee and might have saved Ai. You will be branded as useless and having hidden in the comfort of the enemy if they see you walking with me in perfect condition."

Yugito frowned deeply.

"You have two options: you can choose to enter on your own and have Darui admit that you were returned as a sign of good gesture. Or you can allow me to beat you up, break some bones and chain you before dragging you."

"They will only spit on you."

"They already hate me for killing their shinobi and loved ones. Hatred I know and I have experienced."

"That is generous of you but no thanks. I will endure it. I did not choose to be captured and if they choose to hate me for it, then so be it."

"You're hopeless….It's a little disturbing and I want smack you in the face, perhaps then you can speak sense."

Samui, Darui and Mabui were waiting for them at the village entrance.

Darui was wearing Kage robes.

Yugito didn't pay attention to the other two but hurried up when she saw Samui. She embraced her fellow blond with a warm smile. She shed a tear–she was truly glad to be home. To be with the people she loved. Even if the villagers might hate her, as long as these people she loved were still there, it would not matter to her.

"Your Majesty." Darui greeted the Emperor while holding out his right hand.

Naruto shook the hand silently before folding his hands behind his back. "You succeeded Ai."

"Yes." Darui answered. "Please follow me. We can simply head straight to my office or we can walk. I must warn you that some unfortunate things may reach your ears if we walk."

"That is fine. It is not like it is anything new to me. Besides, I should not feel offended. I did kill their loved ones." The Emperor said as he followed Darui. He eyed Yugito before shaking his head. "Was I that bad of a host that you cry when you arrive home?"

"You did staff me in with that hateful woman after I was captured." Yugito said.

Naruto shook his head. There was nothing but glares as they made their way through the village. He could sense some shinobi following them from the shadows. Even Bee was with them but keeping a distance. They didn't want a situation where he was allowed to attack this village without restrictions.

Naruto could understand–and so, he didn't comment on it.

Upon reaching the office, Darui showed him a chair in front of the large desk before sitting behind it. Mabui stood closely beside him while Samui and Yugito waited outside.

There was a tense silence before Mabui broke it.

"What are the Empire's demands? You won a war which we started."

Darui shot her a look before speaking. "I thought we had this discussion and agreed you would let me do the talking."

"You were taking too long."

Naruto smiled. "It is fine–I don't really mind it. I have brought back Yugito. We had taken her simply to take her out of the war. Since the war is over, we have brought her back. As you saw she was treated well."

"Why? The treatment at least."

"I had my reasons." Naruto said. "Demands? We have nothing to demand of you. But there has been no correspondence between the two nations since the last battle. I want to confirm something before we continue. Are still at war or are you waving the white flag to accept and acknowledge your defeat?"

"We were defeated."

Naruto smiled.

"Then do we call an end to the war?"

"Yes."

"If we are calling an end to it and something happens in which you are responsible, I will come back here, and I assure you, it will not be to talk."

"You have displayed your strength." Mabui responded. "We need not be reminded of it. We will not take any decisions to betray our word. We have lost many shinobi. The Previous Raikage had his beliefs and fought admirably for them. We respect him for it. We have a new Kage now, and he wants to set things differently."

"You must already know about the shinobi at sea. We have sent a word for them to return. If they still continue towards Uzushio, they have just gone rogue."

"Then we will deal with them accordingly." Naruto said. "Only if it comes to it, of course. I honestly planned on making you submit under my rule. If you'd refused, I would have just killed you and ask the next person if they wanted to follow under my rule."

"That would have been extreme."

"When a shinobi sets his mind on something, he will do anything to achieve it. Your previous Raikage went to war with us because he believed in something. I won't go over whether it was right or wrong but he believed in it and then went into war. He lost…But you get my point."

"We see no reason to pick up where things were. If possible, we would like to have a fruitful relationship with the Empire without the talk of war. Of course, we would need to admit to our past errors. Our first thought of action would be to offer Yugito to you. We will of course discuss this with her."

Naruto smiled.

"You are not thinking with your muscles. You are only making that decision because you know that to us, the power of a Jinchuriki means nothing. We can subdue them without fighting."

"We did consider that." Darui admitted.

"Perhaps we will get along. I did not come to hold any formal meeting but just to see how things will go from now on. It appears that there will be no need to put on any armor once more. And I hope you will be faithful. We are not very forgiving to those who try to back-stab us. I don't want to throw threats but I want you to know what you are dealing with."

"I saw you in battle…Fighting a war I thought shouldn't have been fought in the first place. I will not be doing anything that will risk this village's future. You have the power to destroy a village. We are not stupid as to provoke war with you unless given a good reason."

"Good reason?" Naruto smiled. "That is fine puppets with no will of their own to reject what they see as wrong are just dull. Challenge us if you think we are wrong. Do not be afraid of us. I will think about Yugito when I get home. For now, sort out your proposals as you know where we stand. Next time we sit, we shall come to an agreement."

For some reason, Darui agreed with the Emperor. They talked for a couple of more minutes before the man decided to leave. He didn't need anyone to follow him as he would make a hasty departure from the country. Once he left the office, Darui released a long breath and leaned his elbows on his desk.

"That went better than expected." Mabui said.

Darui nodded.

"We still cannot let our guard down. They might surprise us when we hold meetings. Yet, it is still plainly clear of who stands at the top. There will be things we would normally not agree with but we will be forced to agree with because we know what he can do. We will most likely be forced to toe in line without having him place us under his rule."

Darui thought about it before shrugging–it was better than more bloodshed. As long as Kumo was safe and the people had their freedom, he would not complain and he would not allow anyone to say otherwise.

Meanwhile

Seeing Naruto outside the office, Yugito smiled nervously, worried over how things had gone.

"Everything went well?" She asked.

She would not want to be in a position where she had to attack the Emperor. He had been kind to her. But if there was no other choice, she would have to swallow her emotions and get it done with.

"Yes–better than expected."

"Yet, you don't look very happy." Samui commented in a flat tone.

"I'm hardly excited unless there is a strong opponent in front of me or a woman stripping down for me to partake myself in her."

"So it true, you are a pervert."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm not a pervert. Don't mix pleasure with perverseness." He said in a strong tone. "We will speak soon, Yugito. I'm told you might make a home in our land–but of course that is if you accept it."

"You calculated that something like this would happen…" She accused him.

Naruto just smiled. "Enjoy being home."

He disappeared along gusts of wind.

The Following Day

The Stone was different from the Cloud. The moment Naruto had walked through the village gates, he had been welcomed with contempt. No one had even come to greet him, but shinobi followed him through the rooftops, their hands in motion, ready to launch attacks on him. The streets were crowded with people–it was not silent but there were loud whispers.

There was fear in the eyes of many, but it was overshadowed by pure hatred. It was the same feeling as in Konoha when the villagers believed he killed their loved ones–but in this situation, he had indeed done it. Naruto didn't regret it, he didn't feel a thing about it. This hatred, he reasoned, it was only logical given what he did, and so he just walked through the streets, heading towards the rebuilt Kage tower.

It would have been a good thing if these people had prepared the Uzumaki flag, held it up and played music for his royal procession. But instead, they were just looking down at the murderer of their loved ones. None of the adults would dare think of attacking him, not when he could snap their necks.

A child suddenly stood in the way, holding a stone. The shinobi watching close by did nothing–they just watched as the child threw the stone towards his face. The Emperor caught the stone and crushed it before coming to a halt just in front of the child.

"Give back my father!"

His cold eyes froze the boy into his place. No one stepped by. Naruto reasoned this child was now a war orphan. If he still had a mother or father, they would come out to try to plead for him, but the rest of the villagers just watched. War orphans, it was a sad thing, but sadly, the result of war.

You did not go into war and return without pain and suffering. This was the result, and yet, shinobi nations have always been quick to ignite the flames of war.

He bent down slightly and spoke in an audible tone.

"I cannot bring your father back to life. For the dead remain dead. If you want to hate someone, hate the person who sent him to war."

"But you killed him!"

Someone shouted from the crowd.

"Yeah!"

Naruto straightened up and closed his eyes. He put his hands inside his pockets and then walked past the boy. An oppressive air began to fill the streets as Naruto slowly walked.

He then spoke in a cold tone.

"In war, it is kill or be killed. If I had not killed, I would have been killed. Of course, you people would have rejoiced. This village took part in the destruction of my village years ago, we experienced the same feeling you are feeling now. Yes, the small nations you cheered while Iwa invaded suffered this feeling, they are looking at you in the same manner as you are now. They are probably, shouting in joy, experience what you have made us experience. Know the pain of war, and next time, you will not be so quick to go to war."

After saying that, he disappeared from the crowd and headed straight to the Tsuchikage tower.

Kurotsuchi; she was sitting there, with a smirk on her lips. No doubt, she was waiting to see a baffled look on his face. But he would not give her the satisfaction.

Admittedly, he was shocked to see Kurotsuchi sitting behind the desk. He hadn't been informed yet that she returned. Naturally, he did not display his shock–he just smiled and entered the office before speaking casually.

"That was a rather unique welcome into this village. If I didn't know better, I'd think you organized the march just to entice a reaction from me."

Kurotsuchi waited until the Emperor was settled before speaking–there was nothing but contempt in her eyes.

"You seemed to handle it well, nevertheless."

"My childhood was colored with such displays of affection in the Hidden Leaf. Looks of hatred and people calling me names mean nothing to me. I honestly don't care if people hate me. At least in this case, I can reason why. There would be no reasonable person who would not be angry at a person who killed their loved ones."

This reasoning made Kurotsuchi frown deeply.

What kind of person thought that way? What kind of an Emperor was he? Didn't he have pride in his name and status? Was he simply just going to allow some people to talk to him in any way they pleased?

"Heartless bastard." Kurotsuchi murmured.

"Not the worst thing I have been called, but I will not tolerate that from you."

Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes. "What are you going to do about it?"

Naruto smiled; he hadn't expected things to be easy with Iwagakure. These people were stubborn. But the appearance of Kurotsuchi did complicate things. There were still many questions regarding her disappearance. Onoki had not been playing tricks on him that day when he demanded to know of her whereabouts.

He genuinely didn't know where she had disappeared off to and if she was alive or not.

He raised his index finger and shook it three times.

"Killing you is simple for me, and the same about laying waste to this village. Did you know, I can expel oxygen from this room? The effects, affect me as well, but I have had much better training." He said and then snapped his fingers, releasing a burst of chakra.

Kurotsuchi started gasping for air within seconds, she had her right hand on her throat and her left fist slamming her desk.

She could not breathe.

There was no oxygen.

She struggled violently, trying to find air to breathe. Her struggle caused her to fall from her chair and down on the floor.

She was suffocating.

Her eyes were wide and in shock. She was slowly dying. She could feel it in her body. Why was there no one even coming to save her? How did things even come to this point? She had not defied death just to die so pathetically in her office with her people watching!

What had the Emperor even done?

Naruto snapped his fingers once more and everything returned to normal.

Shinobi immediately flashed around him and some to Kurotsuchi and helped her to her chair. She was breathing heavily, hands around her chest. After wiping some sweat off her forehead, she calmed her breathing and glared at the Emperor.

For a moment, she had thought she was going to die by suffocation.

"I'd put a barrier around the space. We Uzumaki specialize in the art of sealing after all. Putting barriers happens to be something I am very good at. I was making barriers when was I was little to hide certain things I did." The Emperor said before asking. "Will you behave? Don't think it isn't impossible for me to do something like that in the village. I just need to erect a barrier large enough to cover this entire village and then make it happen."

Kurotsuchi did not respond to this.

"What do you want?"

"Iwa shinobi did us some good by destroying buildings in the Wave and killing some people. I'm a little displeased by that action and did think about coming here to do the same but I have been counseled against such a move. In any case, I do expect you to pay for damages."

"No…We will not do that."

"We will take it from the funding you receive from the Earth Lord. Of course we might just take everything while we are at it." The Emperor responded in a flat tone.

"Bastard!"

"The name calling is becoming boring." Naruto said. "We did not attack this village when we were at war with you and you cannot reasonably say that we did not have the strength to do so. But you went a step too far and I am not going to overlook it. I had even entertained the idea of making you kiss the ground in the Wave. But that would be a step too far in your humiliation. Payment will be just fine and one way or the other, we will get it and there is nothing you can do to stop it, unless you decide to kill the Earth Daimyo."

"We will make arrangements." Kurotsuchi said through gritted teeth, her glare, murderous.

"Excellent. I want to think that war is over between us. But it will not be so until you admit that you have lost and you surrender."

"We indeed lost but we will not surrender as we have already lost."

"Must you always be difficult in everything?"

"We will not be bullied into doing anything."

"We are more than capable of doing anything we imagine as possible but we won't be going that far. We simply want you to understand that we are superior and come to an agreement that you will not be provoking a fight with us. Should you do anything contrary to that, we will erase this village. Our airship was developed for this simple purpose of causing havoc."

"Threats…" Kurotsuchi said. "We will arrange for the agreement."

"Good." Naruto smiled. "Then, what happened to you? I'm curious about your appearance. You have both arms, but I cut off one of arms and turned it to ash. The other arm you have has a different chakra signature to yours. Where did you get it? If Orochimaru was still alive, I would say it was him, but he is dead and I know where Kabuto has been this entire time."

Kurotsuchi smirked.

"Now there is something you don't know…" She said happily. "I will not forget that you killed my grandfather and humiliated this village. But for the moment, picking a fight with you will only lead to my destruction."

"That is a change of tone. Where you being difficult just to see how far I was willing to go?" Naruto asked curiously. "If so, you have returned slightly different. And given this, I cannot trust that you will not try to stab me in the back when you see an opportunity. I will nevertheless still enter an agreement with you."

"I do not trust you either, so the feeling is mutual."

Naruto smiled. "It does seem that playing the role of being Emperor will not be so dull, after all. Entertain me, Kurotsuchi. And I will find out who gave you that arm." He then stood up.

"We shall talk soon. But next time, please ready my money."

Uzushiogakure

Naruto stared at Noroi with an expressionless mask on his face. He was silent for a more than a minute. Finding Kurotsuchi in the Stone had not been according to the plan. There was something he did not know. He didn't always know everything – He had always considered such a possibility when operating.

But now that he was facing it, it posed a dilemma for him. There were many questions that needed to be asked. He could speak to Kabuto–Orochimaru had possibly known more about this world more than anyone else.

Yet, Kabuto could not be brought into the loop of things unless he entered the frame willingly.

"You had the mission to find Kurotsuchi, Noroi. You failed this mission. You were supposed to find her and dispose of her. Why was I the one to see her waiting for me in the Stone?"

"We had searched for her within her village but became certain that she was not there. We were forced to move out to look elsewhere. Apparently, we were looking at the wrong place."

"That doesn't please me. The fact is that Kurotsuchi is very much alive and with a backer that we do not know."

"Unfortunately, there is nothing that I can tell you that will please you, Your Majesty."

"You didn't find anything in your search?"

Noroi shook his head. "No. There was nothing. No one even saw how she disappeared from that battlefield. Whoever took her knows how to cover their tracks."

Naruto was silent.

He hoped this did not come to trouble the future plans. Of course, he did think that Zetsu could be involved. But he didn't want to draw any conclusion without evidence. Zetsu was a suspect. But they needed motives behind the movement and they could not rule out any other forces operating in the shadows.

"And I thought we had mastered the art of lurking in the shadows." the Emperor said before turning to Yoshino who had appeared moments ago. "What do you think?"

"It could be Black Zetsu but whatever it is, it is something we cannot possibly overlook. Kurotsuchi has always hated you since she was captured in her attempt to assassinate you."

"Her hatred was the result of the suffering she suffered at the hands of Guren. Perhaps we shouldn't have gone that far."

"That is unlike you, Your Majesty. Kurotsuchi got what she deserved. The fact that she is alive is the result of something we did not see happening. She should be dead by now. But she is alive–that is a fact. We must decide how we deal with her existence because she will definitely try to back-stab us in the future as long as she lives."

"Then we must think of way to kill her." Naruto said in a measured tone.

"I will think of something," Yoshino said. "She must be removed. But not now. I will think of something clean."

"If death is not an option, controlling her should work."

"But that would raise suspicions given her contempt for you is not a secret. We have the tools to control her but such killing her is the best option."

"Fine," Naruto said. "In the meantime, Noroi, have someone disposable keep an eye on her. We will proceed as planned on our agenda. Go to Guren to help set up things for Intelligence and decide how you will communicate with all other nations."

"Yes, your Majesty." Noroi said before disappearing from the throne room.

"The first suspect of course is black Zetsu. But what would be the motive there? Kurotsuchi has not the power to be used in gathering the Jinchuriki. And that is something she would most definitely not go along with unless she doesn't know about it."

"What is it? Is it his way of trying to disrupt things for us."

"We do not care about peace. Even if Kurotsuchi disrupts things, nothing will change for us. As long as the Empire stands, we march on."

"But there is a powerful man amongst us who does care about peace and if he thinks we are not trying to achieve it, he might be tempted. Even if he does not turn on us, he could still try to do things on his own and we would eventually clash."

Naruto frowned deeply.

"That is something we must deal with," he said. "Kumo doesn't seem like it will give us problems. But of course, we must be cautious about it. Kurotsuchi's contempt, is however clear."

"And we might not be able to solve it."

"Then she must definitely die." Naruto said. He tilted his head slightly and rested it on the palm of his right hand.

"How would we go about it then? We must be able to do it without drawing attention to ourselves."

"I don't think we can escape without being suspect."

"Hmm…Then I trust you will come with something I will like. No one must know about it, aside from Noroi."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Yoshino said. "You will have guests from Konoha in the coming days."

"It must be Shikamaru…" Naruto said.

Three days later

Being in the throne room hadn't been a pleasant experience before and it was still not. Shikamaru could not get over the feeling that he was looking at something else not human with Naruto's imposing form on the throne. The 'fame' he has earned himself from exploits in the battlefield do make it a little difficult.

And to think this was the person Konoha had dismissed. He would have become something greater in the Leaf. But what could not be reversed occurred and it was now time to talk about the future.

He followed Yugao's example, who knelt before the throne.

"Your Majesty." Yugao greeted, while looking straight into those cold eyes.

"Yugao, I was not expecting to see you. When I was told there would be guests, I expected him, not you."

"Certain arrangements led me to come with him." Yugao said. "You don't look too happy to see me. It would make the purpose of my visit very difficult to see through."

"I have nothing against you. While not often, I'm not in a good mood due to certain events. My mind takes time to fully grasp certain things."

"No doubt something bothering you would have to do with the Wave Country. You spent too much time developing the country. Business into Uzushio came through the Wave. We had even concluded that you depended heavily on the success of the Wave to make Uzushio economically sustainable." Shikamaru reasoned.

Naruto's eyes shifted towards the Nara.

"That was before we came out but indeed, we spent too much effort in making the Wave what it is today. The Daimyo of the Water country had even felt threatened by its growth that he had tried to take measures to curb it."

"Even so, if there had been too much damage, it would have most likely crippled the Empire from a financial point of things."

Naruto did not deny this.

That was true.

If the Wave had been heavily damaged and the infrastructure was crippled, it would have been disastrous for them. The railways had already been built along with train stations. It was only the trains themselves that were outstanding. If that had been finished and destroyed, they would have suffered greatly.

"We managed to stop the situation from becoming disastrous. I doubt you came here to talk about the Wave country. You already passed by it, you must have seen that we have started making it whole again."

"You have moved a bit too quickly. We'd thought we would offer our assistance but from what I saw, it doesn't look like it will be needed." Shikamaru said before lamenting. "That is one point removed."

"I would not have accepted your help, either way. The Wave isn't that poor that it would not be able to fund things. Yugao, you said you had something…"

"Konoha is offering me to you as a sign of good will. This is the result of us no longer willing to force you into a marriage with anyone in the Leaf. I have ceased being a Kunoichi of the Leaf and I'm ready to serve the Uzumaki."

Naruto stared at her for a long minute before responding.

"No doubt to spy on us."

"The thought did come to mind." Yugao admitted.

"But if you were to become a Kunoichi serving under me, it would be impossible for you to betray us or even spy on us."

Yugao did not hide her frown.

"Somehow that doesn't make me very comfortable."

"I'll not nurse your feelings. But I will accept you. You will find out that you will not be able to act against us. But you won't be in this village. You'll be sent to the Sound. I am building my castle there."

Shikamaru realized something; his father had made an oversight in something. The Uzumaki were Fuinjutsu masters. Of course, they would have seals in place to ensure that Yugao does not do anything against them. There were seals that kept you from talking about certain things already at use–these people could do far worse.

At least he had canceled that mission.

"Fuinjutsu." Shikamaru said with a slightly shake of his head. "As Yugao-san has said. Konoha wishes to draw a new agreement with you. I came here for that purpose and I have already been given what Konoha wants in the new agreement."

"Tomorrow." Naruto said. "Naori."

The redhead flashed beside the throne.

"Your Majesty."

"Call Haku to send Shikamaru to a hotel. Give Yugao the seal and then take her to the Sound. Tell Guren that she is a former Konoha Anbu and she can make use of her anyway she pleases but she must be given duties that fit her skills."

"Hai."