"I've got shame,
I've got scars,
That I will never show.
I'm a survivor,
In more ways,
Than you know."- Demi Lavato's song 'Warrior'.
Naruko stared at the man sitting in front of her.
"What can I do for you, Hokage-sama?" he asked.
She sighed and placed her elbows on the desk, linking her fingers under her chin. "Danzo, I'm reinstating Root."
The man, who had been sitting perfectly in his chair, leaned forward in shock. "What?"
She nodded. "I like Sai, but I don't like how he grew up. I know that you firmly believe that what you do is helping the village, but the way you go about it is wrong. I'd prefer to have Root legal, rather than me knowing that you are acting behind my back. Cause you see, I'm not Jiji or Ba-chan. Jiji never did anything, because you were his friend. Ba-chan was too damn lazy to act. I however, am neither your friend or lazy. I would go and dismantle everything you have worked hard with for these past years, but that would be a waste of talent and Shinobi forces that we can't afford to lose."
Danzo was in shock and he remained silent as she spoke.
"So, Root will become the Specialist unit of Anbu. Just like the Tokubetsu is for the Jonin. We will be removing all seals, because it is no longer a secret to be kept. Jiraiya-Sensei and I will handle that part. The training will be changed. They will no longer employ the same exercise as the old Bloody Mist graduation exam. That's barbaric and I refuse to lose possible soldiers all for the sake of passing someone else. There will be more than just orphans invited. All Jonin who wish to join Anbu may enter the Root first and train until they are prepared for the exams."
Danzo had yet to speak. He hadn't even moved.
Naruko leaned forward a dark grin spreading across her face. "I know where the Root Headquarters is Danzo. We both have sources that got us info on the other. But my source is better than yours. I know everything about you and what you have been doing these past few years whereas, you are still in the dark about me, and you don't like it. If you refuse to work with me on this, I will go and dismantle everything you own and worked for without so much as a care and I will rebuild Root from the ground up. So either, you can be a part of this, or not. I have singlehandedly gotten Konoha, alliances with the other great nations, plus several smaller ones that are good for trading. I will not have your actions ruining that."
Danzo looked the young Hokage in the eye. He saw no hesitance or nervousness in her gaze. She was telling the truth and he knew that unlike Sarutobi and Tsunade, she would do something about a situation that she deemed wrong.
So, he could either help with the process of the new Root, or watch as she destroys everything and does it by herself. At least if he helped, he could give his opinion and she may even listen to it.
He didn't like the idea of removing the seals, but she had a point. There was no reason for them anymore. He didn't want to change the exam, but again, she was correct. They were losing possibly good Shinobi that way. How could a seventeen year old be so smart? It was ridiculous!
She took a deep breath and continued. "I will forget everything you have possibly done that is against the law, if you assist me in the restructuring of Root. You will not be in any trouble, so long as I have your full cooperation."
His only real option, was to take her up on her offer.
"I will cooperate with you, Hokage-sama," he conceded.
She flashed him her brightest smile. "Thank you Danzo-jiji. We'll continue this after I return from the battle."
"Yes, you are going to fight the other Kage to see who is more powerful," he stated, standing.
She nodded.
"Well then, remember not to underestimate Onoki. Even at his age, he's good. He isn't a Kage for nothing."
"See you later Jiji!"
Danzo hobbled out of the room and Naruko grinned. She had totally thrown him off. There was no way that he was expecting that and she just loved shocking the pants off of people!
Naruko and Sasuke ran ahead of her godparents as they all made their way to Tetsu no Kuni. Who better to have as he guards, than the legendary Sannin and her husband who was now in the Anbu?
She had everything she needed in her scrolls and just like the rules had stated, she didn't have the others holding anything for her. She had both zanbato the Raijin plus several seals that she was prepared to use during battle. Then there was her Rinnegan which allowed her to utilize all the different Kekkai Tota, Sennin Modo and finally she had Biju Modo, which she could mix with the Sennin. She was ready to kick all ass!
The trip itself took a few days, which gave Naruko good time to plan ahead on what she was going to do. A was very emotional and fast! If she were to rile him up, she'd have to be somewhere where his speed couldn't reach her, like in the air. Gaara always managed to remain level headed in spars, because his sand protected him. As of now, the only Kage fast enough to get round that, would be A. Onoki could fly and would most likely use Jinton often. And if she made a few cracks about his age, he'd be more inclined to waste more jutsu. Mei was a thirty something year old woman desperate to get married. And then Naruko herself could be easily distracted if Sasuke was anywhere close, which he was going to be. So she needed to step up and not let them notice her weakness.
Tetsu no Kuni, freezing cold conditions, which made their battle even more difficult. Naruko wasn't wearing anything that would keep her warm. Kyubi was doing that for her by running her chakra though Naruko's body at a high degree. Everyone else was wrapped in warm clothing. Naruko knew that A would definitely not be wearing anything to protect himself with and Gaara wore layers all the time. Onoki and Mei would most likely be bundled up and she could use their lack of movement to her advantage. Anything to get the upper hand on her opponents, so long as it wasn't against the rules and dangerous.
Her special armour from Haru no Kuni had been brought out and she was going to use its chakra absorbing abilities as much as possible. Then. she'd be able to absorb the chakra that it would collect and use it for herself. Yes, she had thought of everything for this and there was no way she was leaving as the loser.
She briefly wondered if Gaara would agree to a truce until it was only them lef. She could attempt it. Then the Jinchuuriki would fight each other and shake the very ground. That would be epic!
Sasuke patted her back, "You're going to win. It's that simple."
"Thank you Mr. Uchiha. I'm so glad you believe in me. So when I win, I want chapter fourteen of Icha Icha Tactics, when we get home."
A devilish smirk crawled across his lips and he lifted her hand to place a kiss on the inside of her wrist. "Of course. That one should be fun," he purred.
Jiraiya was crying tears of joy, "I'm so proud of that kid!"
Tsunade smacked him upside the head. "Don't you dare put that in your book," she hissed.
He gave an innocent smile that screamed, 'I'm going to do it and damn the consequences'.
The young couple didn't pay them any attention. They were too busy smirking at each other, thinking about what they were going to do when they returned home.
Mifune, leader of Tetsu no Kuni, gazed at the people gathered before him. It was like a Kage Summit, but with fighting, instead of negotiating. Why did he agree to help this again?
Weapons. That was it. He had agreed so long as Tetsu no Kuni received a good shipment of weapons from Shadow's Fire.
Kami help me.
"You have all been through the rule I hope. My men will check you and your guards over before the beginning of the battle. This is battle where your honor is on the line. Shinobi may not find honor important, but we Samurai do. And as I am them one who made the rules for this, you will fight with honor. No killing and especially nothing that can remove a fellow Kage from their position because they can't heal. No cheating. This is not a game, it is a rule. Sometimes, there are rules that must be followed and this is one of those times. Here, you are all equal and therefore I will not accept any complaining from someone if they think another is more equipped than them. Only forfeit if you are sure that you can't continue or have no way out."
While he spoke, his men patted the gathered leaders and guards down, making sure that everyone was being obedient.
"The Hokage has informed me that she will be able to fix this training ground when you are all finished. That is the only reason I am allowing you to use it. At some point in your battle, we will be opening the dome and you will have to change tactics as well as keep yourself from freezing to death. I will randomly stop the battle at any moment, and you will all have to move to the sidelines as we switch to another field. We have many. Each of you will have one that plays to your strengths and one that will work against you in some way. We will start out with a plain filed first and then move on. I will also stop the battle to change your positions and you will have to come up with a new strategy on the spot. I decided this yesterday, and I can do it if I want because I'm the referee."
A didn't seem to like the idea and voice his opinion.
Mifune shrugged, "You are great leaders. If you can't keep up with a few changes, you don't deserve the position you hold."
The others nodded in understanding. He did have a point.
The battle field they were using, was long and rectangular. If Naruko could measure correctly, it was at least three times larger than the Konoha Stadium, which was already pretty big. There were lines around the perimeter of the field that suggested it could be moved to make way for another type of battle field. (A/N: Think of Pokemon in the gym where they'll start off on a plain field and then it would split apart at the middle to show a pool underneath or something similar. This field is like that, except with all the types of battle areas.)
"I will be choosing where your positions start on the battlefield," Mifune added as he walked to the center.
"I want the Kazekage in the middle. The Hokage will be on the far right point. The Mizukage on the far left point. The Raikage will be to the left of the closest point and the Tsuchikage will take the right point. Any questions?"
They all took their places and didn't spare him a glance.
He moved off the field and up to the control room. Mifune pulled down a speaker and counted down. "San, Ni, Ichi. Hajime!"
Gaara's sand swirled restlessly around his feet as he waited for an attack.
He and Naruko locked gazes and an unseen conversation passed between them. They nodded to each other and Naruko whipped out a Hiraishin Kunai and threw it at her fellow Jinchuuriki. She appeared beside it, right behind him and slapped a hand on his back, not telling him that she had put a seal on him. "Work together?" she asked.
"Yes."
Naruko smirked. This was going to be fun. More fun than the reactions she received when her fellow Kage saw her without her mask. Even Mifune had shown some surprise. Yes, that was great!
She bumped Gaara's shoulder with her own. "Don't let Onoki-Jiji touch your sand, he can't make it so heavy you won't be able to wield it at all. He can also fly and his one jutsu with destroy everything in its path. Luckily, I can do the exact same thing, so I'll handle him. A has speed almost as great as mine. Mei would a good target for you, because she doesn't have anything that could cause you any trouble," she explained.
Using her Kunai, she pierced her finger and let the blood drip on the sand beneath her feet. It congealed and grew bigger, forming a body that looked exactly like her. Another Chi Bunshin. "Go take care of A for me," she ordered.
Onoki was preparing his Jinton and Naruko copied his actions in order to protect Gaara's exposed back. Their attacks met in the center, but something shocking happened. Naruko's began overpowering his and he had to fly back and cancel it, just as she cancelled her own to prevent any unneeded damage to come to the training area.
Mei shot off toward A with an obvious extra burst of speed in her steps. Her hands were a blur. "Yoton: Yokai no Jutsu!"
A large amount of lava spilled from her lips and arched over A's head. Naruko shook her head at this plan, knowing full well that A would easily get out of it.
He did.
A was particularly good at adding his Lightning chakra to his attacks and fighting style. He had created the Raiton no Yoroi to make himself stronger and faster. All it really was, was just him covering his large body in a few layers of Lightning chakra. The neurons in the body reacted to it and sped up his naturally advanced speed to an almost staggering velocity and enhanced his physical strength. Mei's plan, was doomed to fail before she even moved toward him.
A easily dodged her attack and retaliated with a lightning fast dropkick.
Mei wasn't as fast as her opponent and received the attack full on. Her stomach, where she had taken the damage, seemed to fold in on itself.
Naruko's Bunshin decided to engage A in that moment and decided to try one of his own attacks. The Lariat. With her right arm invisibly covered in wind chakra, she went in for the kill.
A wasn't that easy though. He and Kirabi had been using that move for years and he knew all the mechanics of it. There were easy ways to get around it, if you trained like they did. He took a step in her direction and extended his own right arm, allowing his lightning chakra to cover it in a thicker layer.
Their Lariat's clashed together at the inner side of the elbow and A was shocked to see a large cut run up his forearm. The Bunshin jumped away, flashing him a smirk in the process. He sent her a confused look and she grinned wider.
"Wind chakra beats Lightning chakra any time."
He hissed in anger. Anger at himself for forgetting that she was wind user. That gave her an advantage. If she was only a Bunshin and was able to slice his arm like that, he didn't' even want to imagine what the real Naruko could do.
Yes. She did have an advantage in their natures, but his physical strength and Taijutsu style would overwhelm her. It was admirable that she came at him with one of his own moves and actually did damage, but it was obvious that she had never trained in his fighting style before. Her move succeeded yes, but it was luck that it worked in her favor, not experience and knowledge. She wouldn't be able to handle him if he got up close.
Onoki noticed A's brief moment of inattention and used it to his advantage. His hands clapped together and he launched his Jinton at the current Raikage.
Mei joined in on the attack by adding her Yoton, spitting several large blobs of lava in A's direction.
The Naruko Bunshin jumped on the bandwagon and mimicked Onoki's actions, while the real Naruko watched A's shoulders to determine where he'd move to. He was surrounded from the air, his immediate left and his far right. He could move back or forward, but by the look of him, he didn't seem to know what to do.
A made a handsign in the last second. Only Naruko had the eyes fast enough to see it. He had used the Kawarimi. With her Chi Bunshin.
The Bunshin took the attack and Naruko turned to face A who was in the space her Bunshin had been in.
She moved fast, sending a powerful Katon jutsu his way, which he evaded.
"STOP!" a voice rang out clearly.
They all frowned, but did as ordered. Mifune entered the area and started to switch their positions around, making sure that everyone was spread apart. Naruko noticed that she and Gaara were placed the farthest from each other. Mifune was attempting to stop them from partnering up easily, sohe had them far away from each other. It didn't really matter because Naruko could easily get to him if she needed. She had slapped a Hiraishin seal on his back after all.
When Mifune returned to the control booth, he pushed a button and the floor beneath them split apart, revealing a large pool of water that they were going to be fighting on. Onoki stayed airborne and Gaara followed his lead, using his sand to keep him above the water. She, Mei and A all stood upon the water, waiting from Mifune to begin the battle again.
"CONTINUE!"
Naruko Hiraishined to Gaara's side, her hand on his back.
"You move too fast," he mumbled, bringing his sand up to deflect a Doton from Onoki's direction. Naruko was right behind him, "Suiton: Mizurappa!"
He deftly avoided the large burst of water, but she wasn't finished.
She jumped off Gaara's sand and landed on the water perfectly. With her hand raised in the air, she made a hand sign.
Kyuubi's chakra bubbled out from her body and evaporated into the air, causing a thick orange mist to cover the area. The KI that filled the training area was staggering and she could hear Mei gasping for breath. She'd never encountered Biju KI before, probably, which would explain why she seemed so out of it.
"Kirigakure no Jutsu!"
The water began to steam and join her Kyubi KI cloud, making it impossible to see in front of your own face. The only color available was orange. Naruko was perfectly hidden and her enemies would never sense her. She on the other hand, being an Uzumaki made her a little special in the chakra department. Not only could she see memories if she wanted to, but she was a good sensor. Not like Karin, but good enough. And in close quarters like this, she knew where everyone was.
Gaara's sand had reacted when she released her KI and surrounded Gaara in a dome of sand. That was okay, because she was currently allied with him and he wasn't her target.
She decided to go for Mei, seeing as the woman was still gasping like a fish out of water.
Appearing behind the Mizukage, in the way Haku had taught her so many years ago, was easy. She quickly ended the woman's time in the battle by delivering a nice chop to her neck, making her lose consciousness.
Naruko gripped the woman's arm, making sure she didn't sink into the water and let the Jutsu and KI fade away to reveal them to the other Kage.
A and Onoki weren't shocked in the least. A's brother was a Jinchuuriki that had control of himself and was constantly surrounded by Kirabi's chakra. Onoki had been around a long time and there was no way that he had never encountered a Biju or a Jinchuuriki. Mei was a new Kage and hadn't really had any contact with the things the other four had the privilege of encountering. Even Gaara and Naruko had more experiences than her, despite being half her age and the two youngest Kage in history. It wasn't surprising that she was the first to go down.
Naruko hauled Mei into a cradle and jumped over to the doorway of the control booth. She handed the unconscious woman over to Ao, not Jiraiya for obvious reasons and returned to the field via Hiraishin, appearing at Gaara's back.
"One down," she stated conversationally.
A and Onoki snickered.
The Raikage flexed his large muscles and smirked, "Of course she would be the first to go. I say that the old fence sitter will be the next to go."
Saying something like that was like the ultimate challenge for Naruko. She had intended to take Jiji out next, but when A opened his big mouth, she decided against it. Besides, there was no way Gaara could compete with A's speed. He'd get in and out of the Kazekage's guard without notice. Yes. Naruko was going for A next.
She slapped a hand against Gaara's sand gourd and used a Jutsu Onoki had taught her to lighten it.
"Don't let Jiji touch your sand for too long. He can make it heavier, just as I just made it lighter," she warned, before charging A.
They were a blur. All that was visible, was a mixture of dark and yellow that flashed around the room, hitting walls and even the ceiling.
Gaara thrust his sand toward Onoki, who was small and quick enough to dodge. He flew all over the place, but Gaara wasn't a fool. He wouldn't send all of his sand out so far away and then have no protection besides his armor.
Onoki growled in annoyance. Currently, he was in no position to use any Doton Jutsu and he could only hope that the field changed soon. The Kazekage carried a gourd of sand with him everywhere, so he was never at a loss for defense or offense. He was surrounded by his natural element always. Onoki, wasn't so lucky at the moment.
"STOP!"
Everyone froze in that instant. Unfortunately for A, he froze in mid-air. Naruko just used the flight Jutsu Onoki had taught her and was therefore unaffected. A flipped around and landed atop the water. He forgot to cancel his lightning chakra though and ended up shocking himself. His limp form sank beneath the surface.
Naruko hissed and swan dived into the water, making sure to cover her body in a three inch thick layer of wind chakra to keep the electric charged water from touching her. She grabbed his enormous figure and hauled it up to the surface. She had to use more chakra because he was so heavy, but she managed to break the surface, pulling his body over to the edge.
Mifune and Tsunade ran over as A's body was laid on the floor of the training area.
Tsunade checked his pulse and ran a chakra covered hand over him.
"He won't be getting up for a while. He pumped so much lightning chakra through his body that when it came into contact with the water, he was electrocuted. I'd guess about four hundred volts. We're lucky it wasn't more, his heart could've stopped or sped up to an unimaginable level. Do you see the charred skin? Severe third degree burns are everywhere!"
Kirabi and C came over to pick up their Kage and carry him to where Tsunade needed so she could heal him.
Naruko looked at Mifune, "Not how I planned on having him lose."
Mifune moved over to the control booth again and did something that caused the water in the pool to drain, albeit slowly. After a few moments and very large forest was before them, rising from the bottom of the pool. Naruko was shocked that none of them had noticed it before. And she had just been in the water! An underwater forest that drained away and moved. It was definitely something new. Naruko was getting ideas for the training grounds back at the village.
Once the indoor forest was on level ground, Mifune moved the remaining Kage to where he wanted them. Naruko was placed in the center of the dense foliage and Gaara and Onoki were on either side. Now they had to fight in a forest and Naruko took notice of how it was very dark in there.
"CONTINUE!"