January 10th, Year 7
POV: Suikondo
Suikondo and Haku are walking down a countryside road somewhere in southern Land of Water where it''s a bit warmer.
Haku has washed up and received a clean set of clothes, making him more presentable. His demeanor has greatly improved over the past couple of weeks he''s spent with Suikondo. He''s become more cheerful and expressive. He''s even gained some weight.
Suikondo has been collecting fruits, seeds and other stuff from their stops for the sake of the rebuilding efforts. Things are alot cheaper to buy in the rural areas.
When they arrived at a random town, most women who came by would gush over Haku''s cuteness and ask if he was ''her'' father.
Their talkativeness helped him gather intel about the village faster than usual. After a few conversations, he learnt about a ''cursed child'' that he should stay clear of. After some probing, he learned where said child was and left to investigate. It was a rundown shack and inside of it was a weak chakra signature with weakening vitality. He rushed in to discover a malnurished child laying on the ground and unresponsive.
POV: Fukumoto Kondo
Kondo out of the blue decides to make a log of people and his intentions with them starting with the hidden leaf.
Naruto: Stay clear to avoid Anbu, Root or Danzo attention. Use as middleman to access Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Tsunade. Collect DNA samples for Rinnegan plan.
Sasuke: Let him defect when he does or help bring him back if it benefits Kondo. Collect DNA sample for Rinnegan plan.
Sakura: For access to Tsunade, plus Medical Ninjutsu and 100 Healings training.
Shikamaru: Nothing.
Choji: Nothing.
Ino: Nothing.
Hinata: spy on her to learn Gentlefist.
Kiba: nothing.
Shino: hell nah.
Rock lee: taijutsu training.
Neji: same as hinata plus taijutsu.
Tenten: future waifu, get better outfit, make stronger, give super weapon.
Kakashi: Learn as many Jutsus as possible. Rasengan training.
Gai: same as Lee.
Kurenai: genjutsu. Haven''t seen her in ages.
Asuma: keep from dying. Screw character development.
Tsunade: 100 Healings, medical Ninjutsu, motorboa- ahem. Strength training.
Jiraiya: Fuinjutsu, Sage arts, Rasengan.
Orochimaru: swap notes after war arc.
Hiruzen: Oof! To save, or not to save?
Danzo: Try to unalive during Uchiha Massacre.
Fugaku: no clue.
Anko: no clue.
Shizune: potential waifu. We''ll see.
Hanabi: wait and see.
January 14th, Year 7
Pov: Suikondo
In a small clinic somewhere in the Land of Water, a young boy is scarfing down food like there''s no tomorrow. He has recovered enough to eat by himself, but not enough to be out of bed.
Suikondo can''t help but scratch his head at all this.
''I thought he was a filler character. What were the chances that I''d run into Ranmaru here of all places.'' He didn''t know much about Ranmaru. A kid with a Dojutsu that was basically the result of the Sharingan and Byakugan doing the fusion dance was all he knew of his abilities. He was that lightning sword Ninja Swordsman guy who buries people alive, and was stopped by Naruto and team guy back in part 1''s partner. Suikondo forgot his name. He didn''t know where team 1 encountered Ranmaru. It was just a random nameless village.
Oh well, he''s just grateful for his good luck. Though he''s too feable to be an active combatant, his eyes are great for recon and surveillance.
That really got him thinking; if filler characters exist in this world, what about noncanon characters from the movies? If they do exist, it doesn''t help him much because location-wise, the only noncanon character he''s aware of are those Ninjas who took over the Crescent Moon Island. Well, just the something-bana woman who was with the other two.
"Holup! What about Chino and the Chinoike clan that was in the Hot Water? The ruins of the clan should be in a valley with alot if iron in the water. If I go there and snoop around, I might increase my chances of coming into contact with her." He decides to put the Bana-girl and Chino into his mental waiting list. He can begin his search for Chino when he has a presence in the Land of Hot Water again.
As for the Bana-girl, she''ll have to wait till after Naruto graduates because that''s when the movie happens.
February 14th, Year 7
POV: Kenji Touma
Touma travels through the Land of Grass via a merchant caravan as part of the guard detail. He''s made quite a name for himself over the past months as someone who actively victimizes bandits. So much so that the group heading this caravan requested for him specifically. They eventually arrive at the Grass Village where Touma separates from the group. He did however take a Grass ninja who he got along with to the clinic to get treatment for injuries he suffered during the journey. After says his goodbyes, Touma was about to leave before he notices someone strange. A woman with long red hair being escorted to a random ward by a Shinobi. Touma had an idea who that was, but didn''t wish to jump to conclusions. He''d met a handful of redheads along his journey and non of them were Uzumaki. He stealthily reads her chakra to verify his thoughts. The woman has a massive amount of chakra. ''Uzumaki, Check.''
Touma decides to observe her. He leaves the Hospital building and tracks her using his [Electromagnetic Sense] and [Chakra Sense]. He does this all the way till late at night when the woman leaves said hospital with her escort, and proceeds to tail them through the street. She appears to be heavily fatigued and wobbles now and again as she walks. He had to follow them carefully because of the shinobi with her. She finally arrives at a small house in desperate need of repair and/or renovation. She goes in, while the shinobi stands guard outside. Touma can sense another Chakra signature inside that''s as massive as the woman''s. ''Two Uzumaki. Could there be more?''
He''ll have all the time to contemplate as he finds a hiding place. He intends to shadow these Uzumakis for some time and gather intel. Until then, he wouldn''t know what action to take if any at all.
February 17th, Year 7
Touma has been monitoring the Uzumakis in Kusagakure. The woman: Kaede and her daughter: Karin. Yes, Karin. Red-rimmed glasses wearing Sasuke fangirl. Well, that future is going to change.
Touma wasn''t big on Naruto lore, so he didn''t know where Karin was living before Orochimaru took her in. He wonders how many canon people he has possibly missed.
Regardless, he was determined to make contact. Why? Because these two were being mistreated horrifically; Kaede specifically. She uses her chakra to heal people of their injuries through them biting her arm just like Karin in canon.
Once or twice a day would be fine, but she does this multiple times a day, all day at the hospital; leaving her severely drained and weakened. He can sense her life force flickering like a candle in the wind. He may not be an expert in Uzumaki physiology, but he''s sure she can''t keep this up, and has probably lost a chunk of her lifespan already. Normally, he''d prefer to talk them into coming with him, but the surveillance they''re on would make that a huge pain. His only option is to take them away swiftly and by force.
February 18th, Year 7
Zosui: a high ranking Jonin from Kusagakure is having a bad feeling. The Uzumaki woman who he was tasked with supervising didn''t show up to the hospital this morning.
That''s not his worry, though. If she dies, he''ll just have her little runt take her place. What does worry him is that the people he assigned to watch the woman haven''t ended their shifts yet. Also, the person he sent this morning to check up on things and report back to him hasn''t returned yet either. Zosui rushes to the scene inorder to access the situation himself. When he gets there, he finds the person he sent earlier unconscious and tied up. The house is also empty with no sign of the Uzumakis anywhere.
Minutes later, shinobi were searching everwhere for the infiltrators and escapees. Unbeknownst to them, the targets of their search were already halfway across the globe.
Meanwhile, in a large tent surrounded by many smaller one''s, 3 people were having a discussion.
"Good morning, hope you slept well... Pfft. Who am I kidding; you probably didn''t get a wink of sleep all night. I do apologize for the stress I put you two through, but please understand I didn''t have much leeway." Said Ruinkondo.
"... I don''t intend to be ungrateful, good Sir, however I''m confused as to your intentions." Asked Uzumaki Kaede.
"I can''t blame you. It''s pretty straightforward in my mind, but taking into account what you''ve been through, I can understand your skepticism. So I''ll be direct out of respect for your nerves. The reason you two were ''abducted'' was because you are both Uzumaki in a crappy situation. If you were safe and doing alright, we would have just spoken with you and made you an offer to relocate instead of this more forceful approach." Answered Ruinkondo.
"Just because we''re Uzumaki?" Asked Kaede in confusion.
"Yep." Was his nonchalant reply.
"..." Kaede was skeptical.
"... Look. I''m not the best conversationalist, so i can''t sweet talk you into feeling at ease. I''ll tell you this though, you are free to leave anytime you want after a week has passed. You''re not prisoners here, in fact you''re honored guests. This is your home infact, so feel free to speak your mind."
"Is that true?! You really don''t want to anything from us?"
"Nothing more than any other leader would want from their people."
"And what do you want from your people?"
"For now, to help me rebuild this village. Now that we have a local in our midst, we''re bound to do a better job if it. Plus I need more adults to keep all these kids in check. Would you like to help with that?"
"... I-i''d like to think about this for some time if that''s ok."
"Not a problem. Take as much time as you need. Not just to think, but to rest too. And remember, my offer still stands. If one week from now you wish to leave, not only will I not get in your way, I''ll take you to wherever in the elemental nations you wish to go, and provide you with as much funds and resources you''ll need. Now go have breakfast; you can eat as much as you want; I''ve already told the cooks." This was Ruinkondo''s departing words to the two as he got up and left the tent.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Both Uzumakis stare at the tent opening for several moments before Kaede breaks down into silent sobs with Karin trying her best to console her. Was she crying out of a feeling of hopelessness, or out of a sense of relief? It was hard to tell.
February 19th, Year 7
POV: Suikondo
Suikondo was on his way back to the village of the Kaguya Clan. He doubles back every once in a while to check up on what they''re up to.
This time, he encountered the men preparing for war. For a bunch of battle junkies, this is unexpected. It could only mean that this was going to be a big one.
Transformating into a snow rabbit and sneaking in, Suikondo soon learns of their target: Kirigakure.
"Oh. OK, guess it''s time then." After saying this, Suikondo sneaks into one of the vacant homes, finds a desk, and begins writing. He sends a message to Kondo via Inventory informing him of what''s going on, and his intentions.
He also tells him to stay clear of physically strenuous activity till he''s told, as Suikondo intends to use clones in this operation, and can''t risk everyone popping on accident.
After that, he hides as he waits for the Kaguya Men to leave, before doing his thing.
Hours pass until preparations were complete and the men departed on their march to Kiri. It would take a couple days at their pace, and probably less for the Kiri Shinobi on the return trip.
Kondo waits half a day more to ensure the men are pretty far before sneaking into the Village Head''s building. Unsurprisingly, there weren''t any important documents except technique scrolls and Fuinjutsu scrolls. Turns out the Kaguya clan weren''t fans of paperwork.
After quietly ransacking the place, he makes his way to the bedroom where the Village Head''s wife was currently changing. Being the gentleman that he was, he waited till she done before barging in. But what difference did it really make?With [Electromagnetic Sense] at its current level, Suikondo could ''see'' everything.
''Damn, she''s thicc! The Head has good taste.'' thought Suikondo as he barged in and restrained her with ease before taking the panicked woman outside. Once there, Suikondo releases his [Chakra Battery] before creating as many Snow Clones as possible.
Snow clones were identical to water clones in everything but their medium. His small army of clones immediately took off into the village and began rounding up all the women and children before bringing them to the front of the Village Head''s Home. For the next half hour, the Village was filled with screams, cries and whimpers.
After everyone was gathered, Suikondo quiets them down with the loud noise from a lightning jutsu. Now that he had their attention, he began his announcement.
Suikondo told the women (the kids aren''t deciding shit unless they''re orphans) that the attack on Kiri was a plan dead on arrival, and so were their men. Kiri would be coming soon to wipe them out in revenge, so there was only 2 paths to survival. Either run away right now and hope you get far enough that the much faster Kiri ninja were feeling too lazy that day to bother with the hassle of chasing you down, or swear allegiance to Suikondo and be taken to a safe place beyond the reach of Kiri and live a new life in a new land.
He finished by informing them that they were not under any form of restriction, and he would remain in the village until just before the Kiri attack so anyone with a last minute change of heart would still be saved. With his peace said, Suikondo dispersed all his clones before releasing the Head''s wife and then took a seat at the bottom of the front stairs of the Head''s Building.
All the women didn''t move for quite awhile out of fear. Eventually some brave ones ''snuck'' away. When everyone saw nothing happened to them, more began to leave until eventually, they all scattered to their homes; leaving Kondo all alone.
Lots of different decisions were made as the hours passed.
Some packed up and left pronto. Whether it was because of his warning, or fear of him, was a mystery.
Others locked themselves in their houses. What good that would do was beyond Kondo, but he understood the behavior.
The rest, just watched him from a distance. Nobody came forward for hours.
Suikondo kept waiting. 4 hours in someone became brave enough to approach him.
"Ummm... Excuse me." Came a female voice from 12 feet behind him. It was the Head''s Wife.
"Yes, Please do speak freely." Responded Suikondo without turning to face her. He had [Electromagnetic Sense] on at the time, so there was no need.
Some seconds pass before the woman speaks again "Is it true that our husbands will be defeated by Kiri?"
"Yes." Answers Suikondo.
"How could you be so sure?!"
"I''ve been all over this land. I know how strong Kiri is, and how strong the men of your Clan are. They''re like rabbits going to a den of wolves to pick a fight. I wouldn''t be surprised if they send their Genin out to deal with them as a form of training." His answer makes the woman give out a long sigh. Whether that was a sigh of relief or one of... making piece with your fate (kami damn my shite vocabulary) was hard to say.
After her minute of silence gmfor her hubby, the woman kept asking question after question, and Suikondo answered them all patiently because he was bored and had nothing better to do. This continues for many minutes until... "I, Kaguya Fuyumi hereby swear allegiance to the Miraikage. I shall serve you to the best of my abilities." Was the woman''s declaration as she bows to Suikondo who was happy with the turn of events, as it would allow him to break this stalemate.
"That''s great to hear! Now, as my latest subordinate, do accept this task of mine. I want you to go and convince as many women as you can to join you. At this rate, they''re going to get themselves killed." Instructs Suikondo as he lifts her to her feet.
"I shall do as Miraikage-sama commands!" Fuyumi declares with a deep bow that reveals a very deep cleavage before darting off.
''I''m pretty sure she did that on purpose.'' He thought as he watched her depart before going back to his seat.
3 hours later, and Fuyumi returns with a dozen women with their children and belongings. It wasn''t much, but a great start. Suikondo scrolls them all, then inventories them to Ruinkondo.
An hour later, Suikondo checks his inventory, sees what he was waiting for, takes it out and unseals Fuyumi and another Kaguya woman. Earlier, he had given Fuyumi a letter for Ruinkondo instructing him to give the women a quick tour as well as a rundown of where the Kaguya Clan women and children are expected to live, that being in New Uzushiogakure.
The women for their part were blown away by all this. Fuyumi proceeded to thank Suikondo profusely with more bows that exposed her cleavage each time before darting off with the other woman to try convincing more. Eyewitness testimony carries alot of weight, and Kondo was leaning heavy on it.
2 hours pass, and dusk arrives along with Fuyumi and over 3 dozen women with their children and belongings. It was a big jump from the earlier number, and Suikondo was all for it. He sends them Ruinkondo''s way before stopping Fuyumi and the other woman from running off.
"You two have been running around all day. Go take a rest. Besides, it''s already dark out." Says Suikondo. The other woman obeys while Fuyumi tries to protest, but he instructs her to get him something to eat as he ignores her. To Suikondo''S surprise, she immediately halts her protests and darts into the house behind him. He didn''t think she''d refuse, but he wasn''t expecting her to be that eager. A few minutes later, Fuyumi exits the house with a large roast rabbit and serves it to Suikondo. He asks her to join him, but she politely declines with the excuse she ate her full while back at New Uzushiogakure. Suikondo doesn''t push the issue, and thanks her for the meal before digging in with Fuyumi watching him from the side.
February 20th, Year 7
Its early morning the next day and Suikondo is seated at his spot while Fuyumi out doing the Kami''s work. She''d put Jehovah Witnesses to shame the way she was going house to house. Suikondo had sent an Earth Shadow Clone to trail the Kaguya men last night. According to his messages, they are pretty close to Kiri now. They sprinted 70% of the way there; throwing his initial estimation off. They should clash before noon.
10am: Kaguya men clash with Kiri.
11am: Kaguya men wiped out.
12pm: A dozen Kiri shinobi dispatched.
Estimated time of arrival: 11pm.
After sending off the latest batch of residents, Suikondo informs Fuyumi that they have a 9pm deadline. He wants to give himself some leeway with his estimation.
Half a day passes. It''s 10pm and the Kiri ninja are 100 miles away and closing. Suikondo had sent Fuyumi and others back to Ruinkondo an hour ago. There were about 2 dozen families left that were still being either dumb, indecisive or stubborn.
Suikondo would protect the remaining women long enough for them to realize how screwed they are, and act right. He had half a mind to leave. People like this would be a headache in his village. However he changed his mind for the sake of the kids they were with.
"Let''s get ready, shall we?" Said Suikondo to himself as he creates Snow Clones to handle sealing people into scrolls while he himself went to the edge of town in the direction the Jounin will be arriving. When he got there, he stands and waits for some minutes until... "Here they are...".
The scene is tense, with the Kirigakure shinobi team standing on the outskirts of the Kaguya Clan village. Mist swirls around the group, the oppressive atmosphere looming heavily. Suikondo waits in
the mist, clad in a dark, nondescript cloak, his features obscured by his outfit underneath. He observes that this team consists of a Jounin and 11 Chuunin.
This is the first time he''s going to be facing Jounin in a fight. Honestly speaking, he didn''t think he was ready in base. He could handle Chuunin just fine, but he hadn''t yet crossed the gulf between Chuunin and Jounin. Sage Mode will make the difference, but only for 4 minutes. However, thats not considering battle experience which he lacks quite a bit of.
Regardless, this will serve as a great training opportunity. Win or lose, he''s walking away with valuable battle experience.
The leader of the ninja team, a Jounin with a sharklike grin and a commanding presence, steps forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"You''re in our way, stranger. Step aside, or you''ll find yourself buried alongside the rest of the Kaguya Clan." demanded the man.
"Buried? Isn''t that going little overboard? We just met and you''re threatening me right off the bat. Can''t we just talk things out?" Responded Suikondo.
The Jounin Leader narrows his eyes "Who are you? You don''t look like one of them, yet here you are, guarding their village. Why? What''s
your connection to the Kaguya?"
Suikondo digs deep to bullshit "Now we''re getting somewhere. Who I am is irrelevant. You''ll just assume I''m lying anyway. What I can tell you is that I was once friends with one of the Kaguya. He and I last met just before they headed out to attack you guys. I tried to tell him it was dumb and it''d get them all killed, but that battle junkie brushed me off and marched off to his death.
I knew you guys would come for revenge, So I stayed behind in hopes of talking you guys out of it. There are only women and children here. All noncombatants. They are no threat to you or your Hidden Village. Couldn''t you just leave things here? No more blood needs to be spilled."
The Jounin Leader smirks, but his tone sharpens "Spare me the sermons. They attacked our village. Killed our people. We''re here to finish what they started."
Suikondo counters "You just wiped out all their men. You''ve already finished it. Anymore than that will be overkill. Please reconsider."
The Jounin Leader unsheaths his sword in one fluid motion "Enough talk. Since you''re affiliated with the Kaguya, then you''ll share their fate."
Suikondo sigh overdramatically as he activates Sage Mode. Orange
pigmentation spreads across
his face, his pupils
sharpening into horizontal slits.
"Oh well, it can''t be helped. Come!"
The tension snaps like a taut wire as the team lunges forward in unison, a coordinated assault from all sides. Suikondo steps into a low stance, his movements suddenly far more fluid and precise than before. The first Mist-nin closes the distance, striking with a flurry of punches and kicks. Suikondo dodges with inhuman speed, his reflexes heightened by Sage Mode. With a single strike -a palm thrust to the chest- he sends the attacker flying backward into the mist.
Another Mist-nin leaps in from behind, brandishing a kunai. Suikondo twists his body just in time, catching the blade with his bare hand. With a spin, he redirects the attacker''s momentum, slamming them into the ground with a powerful leg Sweep before knocking them out with a light punch to the face.
The remaining Mist-nin adjust their strategy, splitting into smaller groups to attack from multiple angles. Explosive tags detonate around the battlefield, forcing Suikondo to leap and dodge. Each of their movement were precise, and the attackers are able to get many hits in despite Suikondo''s speed and sensory advantage. So he ignores the blows to perform devastating counterattacks. His strikes crack bones and shatter weapons, yet the Mist Shinobi refuse to retreat.
The leader of the team finally joins the fray, his sword gleaming through the mist. He clashes with Suikondo directly, creating a shockwave that ripple through the air before sending the Jounin flying, who flips midair, lands, and reengages Suikondo almost immediately. His skill easily contends with Suikondo''s enhanced agility and power. The battle grows more brutal with each passing second as the other Shinobi join the fight. For a moment, it seems the Mist-nin numbers might overwhelm Suikondo. Two of them manage to bind him with wire laced with chakra, then he immediately tanks a slash to neck from the Jounin''s sword which shatters on impact. Suikondo was only saved by the durability offered to him by his transformation. While another Mist-nin prepares a powerful jutsu to end the fight, Suikondo channels Sage chakra, cutting free with a [Chakra Blade], then charging directly into the group. His taijutsu and Kenjutsu becomes a blur of motion: jabs, kicks, slashes, thrusts and spinning strikes dismantle their formation.
Despite their best efforts, the team finds themselves on the defensive, struggling to keep up with the enhanced precision, durability and power of Sage Mode.
The two-minute mark approaches, and Suikondo knows he has to end this soon, as he has zero chance without Sage Mode.
Suddenly, the mist-nin press their advantage once more, launching a coordinated barrage of techniques. Suikondo grits his teeth, meeting them with equal ferocity. He ignores all the others and targets the Jounin alone. The Jounin goes into full evasive action as the others pepper Suikondo with techniques and blows which don''t get past his unbreakable skin. The cat and mouse chase continues as they attempt win at a battle of attrition while Suikondo gradually becomes frustrated at his inability to end things quickly enough.
Out of desperation, Suikondo wields all of his Sage Chakra and strikes the ground with all the force he can muster. This causes a massive explosion that blows everyone away. Sensing the direction the Jounin flew, Suikondo leaps at him amped by the remaining sliver of Sage Mode left. By the time, Suikondo is upon him, the orange pigmentation had already faded from his face. He then delivers a full power devastating haymaker from midair that sends the Jounin crashing into the snow.
The others quickly recover and are upon Suikondi''s location very quickly. When they see their leader on the ground, the battlefield grows silent. Seven Mist-nin lie unconscious, while the remaining five stand battered and hesitant, their eyes locked on the figure before them. Suikondo stands as imposingly as he can "Leave now... as I said before, no one else has to die today. This is your final warning." They all exchange uncertain glances. Their leader, bloodied but conscious, slowly rises to his feet. He clenches his fists, but the weight of the battle, and the losses suffered forces him to reconsider. With a sharp gesture, he signals a retreat. The team grabs their fallen and disappears into the mist, their presence fading like ghosts. Suikondo watches them go, his expression unreadable. Only when they are a considerable distance away does he allow himself to relax. "That was close! If they called my bluff, I''d have been a goner." He then turns back toward the village as he grabs a snack from the inventory to replenish his HP. This battle showed him he''s not ready for the big leagues yet. He can''t rely on Sage Mode to carry him forever.
When he returns to the village, he meets his clones from earlier who give him a thumbs up before going puff. The memory dump reveals to him that the intense fighting plus tremor from his last big attack scared the remaining women into the clone''s arms. Everyone was evacuated, and it''s now a ghost town. "Alright! Guess my job''s done in the Land of Water. Better head to Haku and Ranmaru to initiate the next stage of the plan." And with that, Suikondo left the now deserted Kaguya clan village.