Chakra Wizard
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Alright, let’s balance out the drama this time with a small lighthearted chapter, huh? lol As always, hope you enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 091: The Higher-Ups
Manako: Now, remind me why I have to come again?
Konohamaru: You were one of the two bodyguards who accompanied me to the summit. I need you and Naruto with me to confirm everything I say.
Manako: Okay? …Then why are we wearing these goddamn suits!?
Konohamaru turned around in amusement, finding Manako and his maternal grandfather sitting in the backseat of their escort vehicle, the former wearing a dark-blue suit and matching pants over a purple shirt and yellow tie while the latter wore orange, blue, and black equivalents, both of them visibly displeased with their outfits.
Konohamaru: We’re meeting with the Daimyo, that’s why. Times are changing. You can’t just walk up there in old-fashioned clothing.
Naruto: Old-fashioned, my ass!! Sweatshirts never go out of style! And why are you wearing your robes if you want US to look all modern and shit!?
Konohamaru: (He smiled connivingly and leaned back in his seat, clearly relieved that he was permitted to wear traditional attire.) Just sit back and be quiet. We’re a few minutes away now.
Forced to accept the dress codes for now, the two looked out their respective windows at the surprisingly modernized city that resided just beyond the Hokage Monument. Tall, steel-framed buildings with vast parking lots lined the streets on either side of the multilane road, on which four-wheeled vehicles dependent on electricity for operation moved at fast speeds in either direction. After several minutes of navigating the main highway – as these roads came to be called – their own vehicle turned into a lot overshadowed by the tallest building in the city, home to the office of the Daimyo himself. Once they were stopped in front of the entrance, two men in black suits with broad shoulders stepped on either side of the vehicle and proceeded to open the doors for the Hokage and his attendants before escorting them to the door while standing on either side of the former. Manako and Naruto walked slowly behind them, the latter tugging at his collar while the former fiddled miserably with his hair.
Manako: They’ve got my hair in a ponytail, too.
Naruto: (He leaned into his ear.) Just sit through it. We’ll change out of these the moment we’re done.
Manako managed a nod of relief as they approached the glass doors leading into the building, their escorts stopping to hold either side open for them before they walked inside, where they were immediately greeted by another assistant dressed in more traditional garb.
????: It’s an honor to have you here, Lord Hokage. Lord Kyusha is waiting for you on the top floor.
Konohamaru voiced his appreciation as they walked past him on their way to the center of the huge lobby, where awaited the staircase. Walking up the first step after him, Naruto and Manako stopped briefly to look up, following the spiral up hundreds of feet to the glass canopy through which could be seen the afternoon sky, each rotation of their eyes adding to their amazement.
Naruto: Freakin’ technology…really make the villages look ancient, doesn’t it?
Manako: (He continued to stare up at the sky for several seconds after Naruto began moving again.) Yeah…it does.
Manako ran up after them and the three began ascending the levels of the building alongside their escort, quickly becoming exhausted by the repetitive task – they contemplated using their talents as ninja, but according to Konohamaru, it was important not to so as to keep up appearances in public. By the time they finally reached the top floor, the oldest of the three took a knee to catch his breath as his grandson struggled not to laugh at the sight of him panting heavily, both of them quickly running after their liege when they realized he had gone ahead. Two more turns through the particularly massive halls brought them to a large doorway noticeably more decorative than any they’d passed before. Their escorts stepped to the sides as they approached and quickly pulled them open as they walked through, bringing into their line of sight the daimyo’s lavish work quarters, the country leader himself getting up from his desk to greet them.
????: Ahhh, Konohamaru! An honor seeing you again, my friend!
Konohamaru: (He smiled and held out his hand as he walked up, showing some discomfort when he hugged him instead.) Always a pleasure, Lord Kyusha.
????: Haha, please, call me Kyou. We’re supposed to be equals, aren’t we? We can pass on all the formalities and whatnot.
This was a common request for Kyou Kyusha, whose love for his country was only equaled by his adoration for the shinobi who saved it time and time again. He was just slightly younger than the two Hokage, but retained an overall youthful complexion, aside from his receding hairline, with short black hair and a thin beard encircling his mouth. His position had been modernized since the fourth war, growing less monarchial as years passed, but of love for tradition, he retained the robes and decorative headwear worn by his predecessors, the former of which he adjusted as he sat back down behind his desk.
Kyou: So, to what do I owe the pleasure?
Konohamaru: (All traces of pleasure vanished from his face as he took the seat across from him, taking off his cap and resting it on his lap.) I assumed that word traveled fast these days.
Kyou: (He heaved a sigh as he leaned back in his seat, fingers intertwined over his chest.) That it does, but I thought I would hear it straight from your mouth first. …It has been over forty-three years, after all.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows atop the desk as Konohamaru used the next four minutes to explain the events that played out at the summit four days ago. The daimyo displayed neither surprise nor concern, but listened attentively as his colleague described their new enemies, his eyebrows dropping slightly as he mentioned Otori for the first time.
Kyou: I don’t know much about this new Raikage they have up there.
Konohamaru: Neither do we. I was sure I recognized his subordinate, though. As I recall, he joined the Cloud Village’s ranks alongside his brothers roughly ten years ago. Fast, strong, very sharp, and he also has a technique dubbed by many as White Lightning. It’s said to be a sibling technique to the Fifth Raikage’s Black Lightning and, naturally, that makes it extremely powerful. …When I started considering potential candidates for the position, I was certain he’d be the most likely candidate, but then this elderly man appears at the summit wearing the Kage robes and none of us know who he is.
Kyou: And he’s the one who made the declaration of war.
Konohamaru: All because he wants us to recapture the Tailed Beasts and begin making jinchūriki once again.
Kyou nodded before taking a moment to go over this information in his head, which was rested atop his hands at this point. From the look in his eyes, he clearly thought something was off.
Kyou: Do you believe that’s his reasoning?
Konohamaru: (He turned back to Manako, who had shared his and Airon’s theory with them just before their departure.) In all honesty, we don’t. Only a warmonger seeks war as a solution to a disagreement like this. I offered him the possibility of emergency funding from the Leaf Village to appease his main concern, but he declined out of what I assume to be pride. …He was completely fixed on either capturing the Tailed Beasts or going to war over them. We don’t know why, but that was the only answer he would take.
Kyou: (He nodded in understanding before holding his hands out in a questioning manner.) Then why not yield to his terms? Are the Tailed Beasts not mere sources of chakra that bring only destruction to the places they inhabit?
Konohamaru might’ve squinted in his own mixture of mild anger and discomfort, but his worry over his predecessor’s reaction to the latter inquiry kept his eyes fully open as he looked up at him. He sighed in annoyance when he found himself too late to stop him from speaking up first.
Naruto: No, Lord Kyusha, they’re not. And the decision to let them roam free was made by all five Kage at the time. One Kage has no right to cancel out that agreement without the support of the other four, especially right after most of the ones who first made that deal were killed.
Konohamaru turned back to Kyou ready to apologize for the temper in Naruto’s voice, discarding the notion when he found his concerns centered more around him providing further explanation of their reasons. He couldn’t necessarily blame him for this – a war broke out over their refusal to yield, after all.
Konohamaru: Kyou, the Tailed Beasts are not just weapons once used for wartime situations, but they’re also allies to certain of the hidden villages and close friends to some of the individuals living in them. …I stand by my actions when I told Otori he wouldn’t touch them, but it was him that ultimately sent the entire discussion escalating out of hand.
The sweat on their brows grew more and more visible as they awaited Kyou’s reply, briefly worried that they may lose his consent which, as per previously established laws, dictated the hidden villages could not engage in large-scale conflict and left negotiations between the countries’ daimyos, an event that could ultimately cost them the Tailed Beasts’ freedom. It seemed in this sense, though, that Kyou was a very understanding man, as he nodded in understanding before reaching beside him and grabbing a single sheet of paper, a quick glimpse of which identified it as the war’s previously drawn out conditions and peace treaty.
Kyou: The fighting will be restricted to uninhabited or shinobi-controlled territories. All civilian populations will remain detached and unaffected by this conflict. Either side that makes any attempt to defy these conditions, intended or not, will be held responsible and receive subsequent reprimands that may or may not include surrendering to the opposing side or forfeiting some or all of their drawn out demands in case of victory. …I assume those conditions are already clear enough with you.
Konohamaru: Of course.
Kyou: Will the Tailed Beasts participate in the fighting?
Konohamaru: (He looked up at Naruto, who had his arms crossed.) Our own Sixth Hokage is overseeing the determining of their whereabouts for the time being. Once they’re found, they’ll be placed in hiding until the war is over, so no, they will not.
Kyou: I assumed both parties would keep away from them until victory was determined. You suspect they’ll attempt to capture them while the fighting is still commencing?
Konohamaru: …With this new Raikage, Kyou, I don’t know what to expect. We’re just preparing for every possibility that might come around.
Kyou: (He nodded in understanding before looking back down at the treaty.) The side that is defeated will adhere to the victor’s demands which, in your case, would be to remove Otori from the Raikage position and replace him with a shinobi agreed on by you and the general population of the Cloud Village. In the case of your defeat, you will submit and allow the seven roaming Tailed Beasts to be captured and distributed between every village in the Shinobi Union except for your own.
Konohamaru: …That is correct.
With this, Kyou placed his own stamp of approval on the treaty before handing it to an assistant standing nearby with orders to fax it to the office of his Lightning counterpart.
Kyou: I will contact the Lightning Daimyo later today to further discuss this treaty. In the meantime, you still have eleven days to begin gathering your forces, Hokage. …May the best man win, as they say.
He leaned back in his seat again as he said this, his smile quickly becoming replaced with surprise when Konohamaru stood up and held out his hand, which he reluctantly shook.
Kyou: Well, there’s no need for you to return now. I’m sure you’d like a chance to sit down and chat just a while.
Konohamaru: (He smiled in amusement and gratitude.) With all due respect, Kyou, I think my bodyguards and I would like to return to our “natural habitat”.
Kyou: (He turned to Naruto and Manako, only just now noticing their discomfort in their current attire.) Hehahaha, I suppose so. You probably wouldn’t believe it, but suits are actually commonplace nowadays in these cities of normal folk.
Konohamaru: (He nodded and looked around at his other subordinates standing in the room.) So I’ve seen. I also hear you’re well on your way to making us all redundant in a few years’ time.
Kyou: (Traces of guilt came over his otherwise cheerful face at the mention of this subject.) Well, when you put that way, you make it sound more devious. It’s more us just displaying our jealousy towards you for having chakra…buuut that’s for another day, no?
Konohamaru: (He smiled as he placed his cap back over his head.) A day I look forward to, rest assured. …A pleasure once again, Kyou.
Kyou: Hmhm, always.
The daimyo watched as the shinobi quietly walked out, a look of impending doom washing over his face as the door closed behind them. Their duties taken care of, Naruto and Manako quickly loosened their ties and the three slipped away into the first empty hallway they walked past rather than return to the lobby, the former pressing his back against the wall and looking back in the direction of the daimyo’s office.
Naruto: I hate that guy.
Manako: (He glanced up at him in mild confusion as he removed the band holding back his hair.) What?
Naruto: Too friendly. I dunno, just weirds me out every time I meet him.
Konohamaru: (He smiled and shook his head.) Naruto, you know how much he adores shinobi. Hell, he’s even funding research into ways of artificially utilizing chakra cause he envies us so much.
Naruto: (He rolled his eyes as he threw his suit over his shoulder and began unbuttoning his shirt.) Yeah, could still tone it down a notch, though.
Manako: (He looked up at Naruto in disgust as he undid his cuff links.) Whatever. Could you just tell Airon to hurry up? I’d rather be back at the village so I can leave the room before this old man gets completely undressed.
Konohamaru: (He grinned in amusement as he flipped his phone shut, having just sent a text message.) It’s already being taken care of, Manako.
He dropped a kunai on the floor after saying this, Airon appearing overtop of it and swiping it up merely a second later. He was holding a camera in his free hand, a wide grin on his face and disappointment in his eyes as he watched his cousin and grandfather continue to undress.
Airon: Aw, damn. I was hoping to catch a shot of you two lookin’ sharp in your suits.
Manako: Kiss my ass. Now take us home already, will ya?
Airon rolled his eyes in amusement before holding out his hand for the others to grab, the slight tremor in the air left by their departure catching the eye of the first man to walk past the now empty hall.
Permission granted – the countdown to war commences!!!
The End
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 091: The Higher-Ups
Manako: Now, remind me why I have to come again?
Konohamaru: You were one of the two bodyguards who accompanied me to the summit. I need you and Naruto with me to confirm everything I say.
Manako: Okay? …Then why are we wearing these goddamn suits!?
Konohamaru turned around in amusement, finding Manako and his maternal grandfather sitting in the backseat of their escort vehicle, the former wearing a dark-blue suit and matching pants over a purple shirt and yellow tie while the latter wore orange, blue, and black equivalents, both of them visibly displeased with their outfits.
Konohamaru: We’re meeting with the Daimyo, that’s why. Times are changing. You can’t just walk up there in old-fashioned clothing.
Naruto: Old-fashioned, my ass!! Sweatshirts never go out of style! And why are you wearing your robes if you want US to look all modern and shit!?
Konohamaru: (He smiled connivingly and leaned back in his seat, clearly relieved that he was permitted to wear traditional attire.) Just sit back and be quiet. We’re a few minutes away now.
Forced to accept the dress codes for now, the two looked out their respective windows at the surprisingly modernized city that resided just beyond the Hokage Monument. Tall, steel-framed buildings with vast parking lots lined the streets on either side of the multilane road, on which four-wheeled vehicles dependent on electricity for operation moved at fast speeds in either direction. After several minutes of navigating the main highway – as these roads came to be called – their own vehicle turned into a lot overshadowed by the tallest building in the city, home to the office of the Daimyo himself. Once they were stopped in front of the entrance, two men in black suits with broad shoulders stepped on either side of the vehicle and proceeded to open the doors for the Hokage and his attendants before escorting them to the door while standing on either side of the former. Manako and Naruto walked slowly behind them, the latter tugging at his collar while the former fiddled miserably with his hair.
Manako: They’ve got my hair in a ponytail, too.
Naruto: (He leaned into his ear.) Just sit through it. We’ll change out of these the moment we’re done.
Manako managed a nod of relief as they approached the glass doors leading into the building, their escorts stopping to hold either side open for them before they walked inside, where they were immediately greeted by another assistant dressed in more traditional garb.
????: It’s an honor to have you here, Lord Hokage. Lord Kyusha is waiting for you on the top floor.
Konohamaru voiced his appreciation as they walked past him on their way to the center of the huge lobby, where awaited the staircase. Walking up the first step after him, Naruto and Manako stopped briefly to look up, following the spiral up hundreds of feet to the glass canopy through which could be seen the afternoon sky, each rotation of their eyes adding to their amazement.
Naruto: Freakin’ technology…really make the villages look ancient, doesn’t it?
Manako: (He continued to stare up at the sky for several seconds after Naruto began moving again.) Yeah…it does.
Manako ran up after them and the three began ascending the levels of the building alongside their escort, quickly becoming exhausted by the repetitive task – they contemplated using their talents as ninja, but according to Konohamaru, it was important not to so as to keep up appearances in public. By the time they finally reached the top floor, the oldest of the three took a knee to catch his breath as his grandson struggled not to laugh at the sight of him panting heavily, both of them quickly running after their liege when they realized he had gone ahead. Two more turns through the particularly massive halls brought them to a large doorway noticeably more decorative than any they’d passed before. Their escorts stepped to the sides as they approached and quickly pulled them open as they walked through, bringing into their line of sight the daimyo’s lavish work quarters, the country leader himself getting up from his desk to greet them.
????: Ahhh, Konohamaru! An honor seeing you again, my friend!
Konohamaru: (He smiled and held out his hand as he walked up, showing some discomfort when he hugged him instead.) Always a pleasure, Lord Kyusha.
????: Haha, please, call me Kyou. We’re supposed to be equals, aren’t we? We can pass on all the formalities and whatnot.
This was a common request for Kyou Kyusha, whose love for his country was only equaled by his adoration for the shinobi who saved it time and time again. He was just slightly younger than the two Hokage, but retained an overall youthful complexion, aside from his receding hairline, with short black hair and a thin beard encircling his mouth. His position had been modernized since the fourth war, growing less monarchial as years passed, but of love for tradition, he retained the robes and decorative headwear worn by his predecessors, the former of which he adjusted as he sat back down behind his desk.
Kyou: So, to what do I owe the pleasure?
Konohamaru: (All traces of pleasure vanished from his face as he took the seat across from him, taking off his cap and resting it on his lap.) I assumed that word traveled fast these days.
Kyou: (He heaved a sigh as he leaned back in his seat, fingers intertwined over his chest.) That it does, but I thought I would hear it straight from your mouth first. …It has been over forty-three years, after all.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows atop the desk as Konohamaru used the next four minutes to explain the events that played out at the summit four days ago. The daimyo displayed neither surprise nor concern, but listened attentively as his colleague described their new enemies, his eyebrows dropping slightly as he mentioned Otori for the first time.
Kyou: I don’t know much about this new Raikage they have up there.
Konohamaru: Neither do we. I was sure I recognized his subordinate, though. As I recall, he joined the Cloud Village’s ranks alongside his brothers roughly ten years ago. Fast, strong, very sharp, and he also has a technique dubbed by many as White Lightning. It’s said to be a sibling technique to the Fifth Raikage’s Black Lightning and, naturally, that makes it extremely powerful. …When I started considering potential candidates for the position, I was certain he’d be the most likely candidate, but then this elderly man appears at the summit wearing the Kage robes and none of us know who he is.
Kyou: And he’s the one who made the declaration of war.
Konohamaru: All because he wants us to recapture the Tailed Beasts and begin making jinchūriki once again.
Kyou nodded before taking a moment to go over this information in his head, which was rested atop his hands at this point. From the look in his eyes, he clearly thought something was off.
Kyou: Do you believe that’s his reasoning?
Konohamaru: (He turned back to Manako, who had shared his and Airon’s theory with them just before their departure.) In all honesty, we don’t. Only a warmonger seeks war as a solution to a disagreement like this. I offered him the possibility of emergency funding from the Leaf Village to appease his main concern, but he declined out of what I assume to be pride. …He was completely fixed on either capturing the Tailed Beasts or going to war over them. We don’t know why, but that was the only answer he would take.
Kyou: (He nodded in understanding before holding his hands out in a questioning manner.) Then why not yield to his terms? Are the Tailed Beasts not mere sources of chakra that bring only destruction to the places they inhabit?
Konohamaru might’ve squinted in his own mixture of mild anger and discomfort, but his worry over his predecessor’s reaction to the latter inquiry kept his eyes fully open as he looked up at him. He sighed in annoyance when he found himself too late to stop him from speaking up first.
Naruto: No, Lord Kyusha, they’re not. And the decision to let them roam free was made by all five Kage at the time. One Kage has no right to cancel out that agreement without the support of the other four, especially right after most of the ones who first made that deal were killed.
Konohamaru turned back to Kyou ready to apologize for the temper in Naruto’s voice, discarding the notion when he found his concerns centered more around him providing further explanation of their reasons. He couldn’t necessarily blame him for this – a war broke out over their refusal to yield, after all.
Konohamaru: Kyou, the Tailed Beasts are not just weapons once used for wartime situations, but they’re also allies to certain of the hidden villages and close friends to some of the individuals living in them. …I stand by my actions when I told Otori he wouldn’t touch them, but it was him that ultimately sent the entire discussion escalating out of hand.
The sweat on their brows grew more and more visible as they awaited Kyou’s reply, briefly worried that they may lose his consent which, as per previously established laws, dictated the hidden villages could not engage in large-scale conflict and left negotiations between the countries’ daimyos, an event that could ultimately cost them the Tailed Beasts’ freedom. It seemed in this sense, though, that Kyou was a very understanding man, as he nodded in understanding before reaching beside him and grabbing a single sheet of paper, a quick glimpse of which identified it as the war’s previously drawn out conditions and peace treaty.
Kyou: The fighting will be restricted to uninhabited or shinobi-controlled territories. All civilian populations will remain detached and unaffected by this conflict. Either side that makes any attempt to defy these conditions, intended or not, will be held responsible and receive subsequent reprimands that may or may not include surrendering to the opposing side or forfeiting some or all of their drawn out demands in case of victory. …I assume those conditions are already clear enough with you.
Konohamaru: Of course.
Kyou: Will the Tailed Beasts participate in the fighting?
Konohamaru: (He looked up at Naruto, who had his arms crossed.) Our own Sixth Hokage is overseeing the determining of their whereabouts for the time being. Once they’re found, they’ll be placed in hiding until the war is over, so no, they will not.
Kyou: I assumed both parties would keep away from them until victory was determined. You suspect they’ll attempt to capture them while the fighting is still commencing?
Konohamaru: …With this new Raikage, Kyou, I don’t know what to expect. We’re just preparing for every possibility that might come around.
Kyou: (He nodded in understanding before looking back down at the treaty.) The side that is defeated will adhere to the victor’s demands which, in your case, would be to remove Otori from the Raikage position and replace him with a shinobi agreed on by you and the general population of the Cloud Village. In the case of your defeat, you will submit and allow the seven roaming Tailed Beasts to be captured and distributed between every village in the Shinobi Union except for your own.
Konohamaru: …That is correct.
With this, Kyou placed his own stamp of approval on the treaty before handing it to an assistant standing nearby with orders to fax it to the office of his Lightning counterpart.
Kyou: I will contact the Lightning Daimyo later today to further discuss this treaty. In the meantime, you still have eleven days to begin gathering your forces, Hokage. …May the best man win, as they say.
He leaned back in his seat again as he said this, his smile quickly becoming replaced with surprise when Konohamaru stood up and held out his hand, which he reluctantly shook.
Kyou: Well, there’s no need for you to return now. I’m sure you’d like a chance to sit down and chat just a while.
Konohamaru: (He smiled in amusement and gratitude.) With all due respect, Kyou, I think my bodyguards and I would like to return to our “natural habitat”.
Kyou: (He turned to Naruto and Manako, only just now noticing their discomfort in their current attire.) Hehahaha, I suppose so. You probably wouldn’t believe it, but suits are actually commonplace nowadays in these cities of normal folk.
Konohamaru: (He nodded and looked around at his other subordinates standing in the room.) So I’ve seen. I also hear you’re well on your way to making us all redundant in a few years’ time.
Kyou: (Traces of guilt came over his otherwise cheerful face at the mention of this subject.) Well, when you put that way, you make it sound more devious. It’s more us just displaying our jealousy towards you for having chakra…buuut that’s for another day, no?
Konohamaru: (He smiled as he placed his cap back over his head.) A day I look forward to, rest assured. …A pleasure once again, Kyou.
Kyou: Hmhm, always.
The daimyo watched as the shinobi quietly walked out, a look of impending doom washing over his face as the door closed behind them. Their duties taken care of, Naruto and Manako quickly loosened their ties and the three slipped away into the first empty hallway they walked past rather than return to the lobby, the former pressing his back against the wall and looking back in the direction of the daimyo’s office.
Naruto: I hate that guy.
Manako: (He glanced up at him in mild confusion as he removed the band holding back his hair.) What?
Naruto: Too friendly. I dunno, just weirds me out every time I meet him.
Konohamaru: (He smiled and shook his head.) Naruto, you know how much he adores shinobi. Hell, he’s even funding research into ways of artificially utilizing chakra cause he envies us so much.
Naruto: (He rolled his eyes as he threw his suit over his shoulder and began unbuttoning his shirt.) Yeah, could still tone it down a notch, though.
Manako: (He looked up at Naruto in disgust as he undid his cuff links.) Whatever. Could you just tell Airon to hurry up? I’d rather be back at the village so I can leave the room before this old man gets completely undressed.
Konohamaru: (He grinned in amusement as he flipped his phone shut, having just sent a text message.) It’s already being taken care of, Manako.
He dropped a kunai on the floor after saying this, Airon appearing overtop of it and swiping it up merely a second later. He was holding a camera in his free hand, a wide grin on his face and disappointment in his eyes as he watched his cousin and grandfather continue to undress.
Airon: Aw, damn. I was hoping to catch a shot of you two lookin’ sharp in your suits.
Manako: Kiss my ass. Now take us home already, will ya?
Airon rolled his eyes in amusement before holding out his hand for the others to grab, the slight tremor in the air left by their departure catching the eye of the first man to walk past the now empty hall.
Permission granted – the countdown to war commences!!!
The End
