My return to Konoha was met with two kinds of responses.
An overly positive one in the public front due to the successful campaign managed in Suna as both countries drew a closer relationship with one another out of it and a permanent end to the brief diplomatic round riddled by tensions and impossible demands from the desert-based ninja village, which meant that trade was now stabilized for it to allow foster relations between the two 'countries' so to speak, while also giving the chance of shifting the attention back to other problems. Such as the growing fishing dispute between Uzushiogakure and Kirigakure.
The other reaction, this one being set to a limited group of people, was one of concrete worry. When I first returned, it was Mito that noticed that I was way too tired from what had just happened in Suna, something that sparked the first few probing questions for what would become an hours-long interrogation from her, the Hokage, Tobirama and Madara himself. There were efforts to bring Hiruzen's father onboard too, but it was agreed to avoid this due to the fact this matter tied more on those men that could potentially be targeted by this dangerous assassin. I decided against bringing up the fact the masked man was aiming solely for me for some reason, and that he was playing the long game from the way he just ignored the opportunity of killing me while I was asleep in my room. There were so many confusing details I couldn't understand myself, but I knew that the moment I told anyone that this individual was plotting my demise would just warrant more questions as to why it is me. Especially when I brought up the idea that this guy was beyond Kage-level and with a strange kind of Chakra within himself. I really didn't want that spotlight, not when it meant extra actions taken towards me which, in nature, would act to prevent the worst from happening to me, but they would also limit my chances of preparing and come up with a smarter and safer solution to use against this dangerous element. I brought up the situation with the seals and how none of them caught him in the act while he was in my room and when the question regarding why this man was lurking in my bedroom came up, I reminded that I had prepared a seal to bring Matatabi in an eventual fight and… he somehow knew about it.
In layman's terms, this assassin had been studying the general situation in Konoha for a while now and had the capacity of hearing what was happening within the village, especially private discussions. In this case, the Hokage was quick to establish that any discussion of this kind would have to happen in his office, but I was keen to take a more effective solution in the form of reverse summoning myself and someone I was talking with back in the Phoenix Clan territory. I doubted this masked figure knew where it was despite its absurd ability to pinpoint where I was in the Elemental Country. It might be a wrong assumption, but I was going to take chances due to how distant and how protected it was as a summoning ground. The conversation ended in a few points: I was to take an escort/guard if I wanted to leave the village for diplomatic missions, anything suspicious seen within the village was to be reported to the Hokage, and everyone needed to be more guarded the moment some unknown individual with Ninja qualities was spotted within the village. Simple things, but not necessarily good considering these precautions were conceived out of the scarce amount of info I was able to provide. Sure, I was withholding a couple of key elements, but none that would have determined with certainty the strength, and thus the danger level, of this problematic foe. Still, I nodded in agreement and I left to check back home as quickly as I could.
Mother was happy to see me, same for Hanzou as he managed to get one step closer to advance to the next and final year of school. The Academy hadn't changed much, but I could tell the next year was going to see some reorganization to expand the curriculum so that 'high quality' ninja could be produced from it. Yet I didn't exactly spend those days as calmly as I did before the trip. The end of the war left me wrongly expecting that there wouldn't have been any major cataclysm until much later in the timeline, but Kami came by and decided to pull a John Cena by telling me through recent action 'Are you sure about that?'. I had to train my ass off way harder than I did until now if I wanted to have a chance to either win or even just survive the next encounter. I had thought a lot about what happened with the Doujutsu situation, knowing that the special eye seemed to be tied to the Rinnegan due to the Gravity manipulation I used. I couldn't use it now, making it a one-time thing, and I was sure that it was somewhat tied to an intervention from Kaguya. She had to have done something to allow herself to barely manifest in my body, but I couldn't exactly pinpoint how and even why. Still, it meant one thing: Deus Ex-Machinas weren't the way for me to go, and I had to work my ass off to try and get back to 'shape' with a new upgrade to my current skills. I had the physique and the chakra capacity to dare and do more with my current possibilities and I planned to do so as soon as I got a day off to recover from the trip.
The next day was where I actually started to dabble more into what to do with my training schedule and I decided to up things to finally break through in new projects. Such as studying enough Lightning Style to create something for Wind and Fire Style. What I really needed was understanding how to pull either the Lightning Strike Armour or Lightning Release Chakra Mode for the elemental affinities I was more accustomed to. And considering that the most difficult bit of both was learning the first and then the latter without getting killed through electrocution, the process was extremely sluggish. Even slower than how it went with the Rasenshuriken due to the many issues I had to handle through: First there was the lack of elemental affinity for Lightning; Second, despite having a single hand sign needed to form, the Lightning Strike Armour wasn't one I could conjure on the spot, possibly because I had to get a glimpse of Lightning Jutsus and thus needed to learn a few basic techniques first; and Third, the training ground I picked was indeed the worst for a single, very irritating element.
"Ha~ha~ha~ha~HA~! You tripped on yourself. Again~," Kiara mirthfully commented as I stupidly chose to train in the Phoenix Clan's lands. I pushed myself up, my face slightly bruised after the many trials and errors to get the first step done accordingly. "Again, Again~!"
I think I'm awakening something in Kiara that I shouldn't be encouraging her to fully unleash on this world...
The first week was invested into getting two of the simplest Lightning-style techniques such as Light Bolt (the Lightning equivalent of the Fireball jutsu) and Lightning Balls (which was the same as Phoenix's Fire Jutsu but with electricity rather than fire). Despite the intense effort that it took, I managed to get my mastery of both techniques to a decent level, thus allowing me to finally expand on the current exercise that was becoming Kiara's subject of eternal laughter. I was finally making some progress with the Lightning Strike Armour, the technique being fairly struggling at first when it came to keep up a stable electricity around my body without it giving me a quick death, and then some more when I started to move around with it. The speed was way higher than I had expected. The rest of the bolstered stats were easy to handle, but the speed caught me off-guard a couple of times with how higher it was compared to normal.
Cue numerous full-face kisses to the ground underneath me. And trust me when I say that it was the worst experience possible with how many ashes were in there. My whole self, face and outfit, were turning darker and darker by the minute. At one point I had to start actually taking breaks to try and fix myself, managing to just wash my face due to my limited equipment when it came to the clean-up operation and the clothes having to be cleaned up more frequently than usual back home due to this. Really irking, but nonetheless it drove me harder on completing the project and I… kind of succeeded. After a full month of trying, I got the Lightning Strike Armour and… I was really interested to see if the Wind version was going to allow me actually fly if the Lightning version was this focused on speed power.
Of course, this wasn't the only thing I put some attention in. The puppet project was going along just nicely as the fight with the masked figure highlighted how getting overwhelmed by a clearly-stronger and faster opponent was a big no-no in my line of work. I needed to have the numerical advantage the next time I faced someone this dangerous, and so I started to check on materials back home to create my first proper puppet made of special-made metal. I had read a couple of books about blacksmithing detailing that it was possible to imbue a metal alloy with chakra to draw extra qualities that were usually dormant on those specific elements. It was a stunning discovery, but nonetheless a little thing to keep in mind as soon as I got the full understanding on how to make a puppet of iron or something even stronger out and running for some further experimentation. I was going to get my 'Ora Ora' out fast and quickly, or I wasn't going to have any 'Ora Ora'.
Also, I started to push harder on hand-to-hand combat. The beating I got from the assassin was enough to put this thought in a proper elaboration to come up with a most ambitious plan that relied on some radical and drastic choices. Instead of focusing on the usual lectures from Madara, I just started to handle the circumstance by seeking those individuals that I knew that could put me through duress when it came to that kind of fighting situation. Which is why I approached Hirotada with a glorious plan. A plan about friendship, helpfulness and-
"I'm not going to close most of your chakra points just so you can understand our fighting style. That's plain stupidity," My good friend foolishly argued.
"It's a golden plan. You get some frustration out of the system, and I learn something new to improve my Taijutsu."
"Once again, it's something stupid," The clan heir rebuked with a scowl. "Why not just ask for the best fighter we could offer you as a trainer?"
I opened my mouth and then… closed it. "Wait, I thought you were the strongest after your dad at this point."
"Well, that's… not true. Yet," Hirotada admitted. "I might have improved through the war and recent training, but I am still far from that situation. In fact, I believe there is just an individual that is between me and that title. You already know her."
Oh. Oh no.
"Dan-kun! It's been a while."
Himeko was now eighteen, almost nineteen, and she was way more gorgeous and way more active than when she was merely fifteen. I blamed hormones and the tough training she underwent to reach this state of mind and body, as it left me to fend off against a more 'aggressive' Hyuuga in the long-term prospect. She was 'too' happy to see me, especially with how eagerly she went for the classic head-in-the-chest kind of hug. With my head being the one stuck in her chest, of course. Hirotada grimaced at the chest, but his dismay was aimed at my current plight more than anything else for many reasons. It would take me asking how strong Himeko was in Taijutsu and him saying that I would 'feel it' to understand I wasn't going to be dealing with a fun spar. No, I was facing something… more troubling than I needed. Especially when bets were introduced to make the girl more interested in it. Blush on her face, heart-like symbols forming by her eyes- yes, I was seeing some anime signs that I was potentially going to face some 'Ara Ara' issues rather soon. And I was proven correct as the spar started and ended.
The first session was distinctly brutal and one-sided. I wasn't meant to use any other element beyond normal Taijutsu, and I was quickly overwhelmed by Himeko's insane ferocity. Something that was further elaborated and 'worsened' by the fact that her posture and her expression were those of calm and concentration, way different than what her current massacre was. I lost twice in that first session before I called an end to it, and I was given a good enough reason to prepare for the next one with a bigger focus as soon as I was exposed to her 'tame' bet. She got an hour of hugging out of me. An hour. It wasn't even normal hugging, it was me trying to not suffocate to the safety pillows she had on her chest. It wasn't even something that got me interested much, not when it was actively harming me. Pillows are tools of relief, not of suffering! I had two weeks of preparation, and a smug smirk that hinted at some betting prospects that really put me in a determined mood. I had to win the next time to avoid some not-so-pure affairs unfolding towards me. So, I had my own solution to it in the form of what I learned while fighting.
Himeko didn't use much chakra in her Taijutsu compared to other Hyuugas, with Hirotada commenting that it was an unusual but terribly effective way to create a unique style of close combat that produced the best results at a minimum sacrifice of strength and speed. Himeko's punches and kicks felt like homing missiles way more than once with how precise and vicious those proved to be. I was stumped by the news, but now that I was away from the suffering, I had a good idea on how to counter that kind of fierce fighting. I had looked at Taijutsu wrong up until that moment, trying to keep by the rules because it was easier for me as I could work on the Katas and learn how to punch and kick from known lessons. But now that I had a fair grasp of my current combat ability, I knew I had to take the extra step and go for something risky and highly rewarding if I wanted to break through my current limits. And that meant going for something that required my physique to be more on the line than usual. I had built some muscles, just a healthy amount for my age and size, so I knew that I couldn't exactly tap into what I was planning to do to the fullest. But part of what I had set in mind was meant to work.
It all started from a single experiment back at home. I was in the compound's training room and calmly going through a few Katas that I had seen many years ago back in my previous life. I had been struggling for a while before deciding that it was best to go for the Baki the Grappler's techniques and not the Kengan Ashura's ones early on, mostly because I had the means to actually pull some of the insane feats of the former series. The show focused a lot on two factors: martial arts on steroids, and 4000 years of Chinese Martial Arts. And also pseudo-demons and primitive man- it was weird enough to gain my interest and leave me with a positive impression of it. In fact, that day turned out to be a revealing experience where I had to explain to mom why one of the few remaining training dummies had been shredded so badly through a two-hour long exercise and why I was bruised and had cuts all over my hands and feet.
It was only the first day, and this phenomenon continued until, by the day before the second sparring session, my fists and legs were sturdier than before as they received less damage through the various exercises I put those through. My body was nimbler, and my Taijutsu stance had been severely overhauled. I received visits from Reira, Kagami, and even Hiruzen from time to time as I wasn't that 'present' as usual. They were all surprised by the strange process I was forcing through, but they didn't show any concern due to the fact that I was being rather calm and Yoshiko visited regularly, so she knew that I was planning something rather unusual and 'that required her presence to prevent bad things from happening'. At least I could rely on her jealousy to shield me away from the worst demand possible. Before the fight started, Himeko ramped up the scale and set a quite upsetting bet. She wanted a full hour of solo cuddling.
Not a chance, not like this. And definitely not while getting smothered to death while at it. I wasn't dying like Jack Nicholson's character did in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.
I ain't a sweet prince planning to 'sleep' a good night!
So, I countered with something definitely meant to spare me from trouble.
"From now on, you will hug me with my head over your chest, not in it!"
There was a hint of surprise, but the context still allowed for hugs. I was trying to survive, not trying to run a friendship that was getting too weird due to hormones. Frigging hell, Himeko wasn't a bad person, just terribly silly at times. Still, the bet was accepted and I took a stance already, my guard instantly gaining a few frowns from both Hirotada and his sister. It was the first sign they could see that things were different now, and it was there where the young woman finally struggled to actually get an opening out of me. My posture was at ease, my arms and legs were tense and ready to spring in action. She tried to prod my defenses with a quick frontal assault, but one that was stunned, blocked and even exploited to land some hits when I timed the approach and flexed my right leg up to kick her chin and throat. Not too strong to actually hurt her in a deadly manner, but enough to give another clue that this wasn't going to be her win. Two rapid punches, both lacking strength for two big reasons: I wanted to induce some fright at any approaches, while also making it feel like I was playing around with her. Had she gone serious from the very beginning, I would have possibly lost. But she made a massive mistake in the form of not only easing down her body to gauge my strength, but her mind too.
What all martial artists worth their salt knew was that body and mind were equally important, with the potential of a fighter crippled the moment either of those two were either limited or damaged. So, by imposing a degree of fright upon my opponent, I limited their capacity to think through properly and argue with their own irrational fear. The paranoia was what really worked in my favor, as I continued with my little terror campaign. Still suspicious of my actions, Himeko still kept a calm outlook as I started my own 'assault'. I merely walked up to her, smiling and looking up at her face.
"Are you going to attack me, Himeko-chan?"
A little provocation, one that gained a response in the form of an attempted punch to the side of my head to push me away. One that I easily dodged by backing away and delivering a swift and low-powered punch on her chin. Once again, she looked shocked, taking a step back and… dropping to one knee. She was trembling, and I knew it wasn't just psychological at this point. Partly so, but not completely.
"W-What? What did you-"
"A concussion. Or about half of one," I interrupted calmly backing away from the immediate presence. "The kick early on was the first step into creating these conditions. The power wasn't much to hurt, but it was enough to send vibrations to your head and get your brain to shake. The punch was what got your sight blurry. It's nothing bad but another punch would be enough to have you pass out."
…
"Oh."
I smiled. "I think I call this my win."
"You… won so quickly."
"That's because I have been in a situation where I know how to quickly adapt to trouble. While I respect your strength and your abilities, Himeko, I am someone that also tends to… expand mine too in the process. And that loss was nothing more than a lesson to learn for the next fight. So here I am."
She smiled when I reached out and pinched her cheek.
"I suppose my bet is enforced. How about going for some ice cream to celebrate?"
Despite Himeko conceding to both points, she still went out of her way to swear 'revenge' to claim her 'unique' hugs back, something that was countered by an angered Yoshiko that looked ready to start a cat-fight for the sake of 'preserving my purity for a better woman'. It was fun, and it definitely remained a pleasant sight since it didn't escalate in violence. A bit of anime humor wasn't wrong, but it would have been lame if they had actually started a fight out of it. Not cool and definitely not a good thing for me or even Hirotada to see friends (or friend and a sister) fighting for silly things.
Training was going smoothly as far as I could tell… and yet there were a couple of things I was up to discussing with a certain rabbit goddess which had involved herself in that fight back in Suna.
"What exactly did you do?"
Kaguya blinked, tilting her head to the side at my question.
"You mean, what of the gift I gave you for a time while fighting my former ally?"
They were actually... allied in the past?
"Yes," I replied, at this point, not even paying attention to the surroundings as those were the same as usual.
"The power I gave you was temporary. Due to our current connection, I can 'push' some temporary powers meant to aid you in times of need. Of course, this need is tied to our common foe and nothing more," Kaguya explained with a slow nod. "Isshiki is a considerable threat, one that I thought had died many centuries ago when I first took the God Tree's fruit for myself. He was meant to be the one to claim it, but I decided against conceding to the clan's demands and so I saw fit to claim the power for myself and kill him. It would seem I have failed."
"Twice," I threw a little jab, one that quickly got a cold glare out of her. "But please, continue."
"Isshiki was much stronger than me before my ascension. He was the true claimant of this world and I the sacrificial lamb for him to use for his planned ascension. I don't need to explain how it went."
"You 'killed him', and yet you didn't stop just there. You did more than just control the world."
"I prepared for my clan."
…
My eyes widened. "This is why you created Zetsu. You wanted an army to counter theirs."
She nodded. "A preventive move to prepare for the possible invasions of new members of the clans. We generally have a degree of interest in going through with our plans regardless of how long those used to be. The Ootsusuki clan-"
"And I'll interrupt you here because I need to ask: is there a full clan of people with this much power around?"
"In the original dimension, yes."
…
"Elaborate. What is this original dimension?"
The sealed goddess sighed in clear irritation. "The Ootsutsuki Clan originates from a higher plane of existence. I suppose you have never questioned why someone like me or Isshiki knew of this divine tree and the requirements to achieve the world's full control under us. Am I right?"
"Yes," I answered with a nod. "But I also find it odd that you actually are an… Well, that you are an alien."
"So are you, Danzou."
I froze, my eyes widening at that counterpoint. I remained still for a while, her gaze piercing straight into my shock.
"What?"
"It took me a bit longer than I would have wanted, but it all makes sense. When humanity was blessed by my sons to receive the power I once held, Hagoromo-kun was quick to establish something that prevented me from reaching out for others. A blanket that protects the inhabitants of these lands from any 'involvement' of mine. It extends to the children of those blessed with this 'mask' and it is something tied to souls. Which means that yours isn't… of this world."
…
"What about it?"
"How did you reach this place?" The woman asked fiercely. "And what are your intentions?"
"I died and was reincarnated here. I don't belong in a situation like yours, Kaguya. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having any pleasant conversation right now."
…
"Fair enough. A reincarnated soul? This is the first time I heard of this case, but you're honest and your actions speak louder than any words."
Far from fair. My cover was blown by the worst kind of individual that could have predicted it. It was Nuclear-grade blackmail and that could end up poorly if Kaguya returned to Earth. I couldn't allow her to get back. Not until she was a threat to me as a free individual.
"Are you afraid?" Kaguya finally asked, having spotted the dread on my expression. "Do you believe I would betray my own ally? Why? Do you think something you plan for the future will damage this connection, Danzou-kun?"
She was trying to push me into this topic. She knew she had a dagger aimed at me, but she had yet to determine the shape and the length of it before properly striking. Which meant that I had a chance to perfectly counter and disprove her point before things really mess up for me.
"Isshiki."
Her eyes widened, but she remained quiet about it.
"What about him?" Her voice felt quieter.
"You mention that you're loyal, and yet you betrayed him. You could argue that you did so because you grew to love this planet, but then you abandoned yourself to the idea of being a tyrannical goddess," I replied sternly. "I was the one that extended the olive branch, Kaguya. So I will not accept being subjected to any form of suspicion until I have warranted that. On the other hand, I have a few suspicions about you."
"Did I do something to warrant that?"
"Beyond your past actions? Let me put this simply: I don't know if this all began with good intentions or not, but do you really believe that I can trust you the moment you bring up something that could be used to manipulate me after what happened when you were at your prime, Kaguya?"
…
"No."
There was a strange silence after the single word, with the two of us preferring to look away from each other and think about it some more and… I knew that this argument, albeit mine as a win, wasn't what I needed. What we needed. We were in the same boat as this guy, this Isshiki, was somewhat tied to what happened back in Suna.
"Then… I forgive you."
My words lifted Kaguya's stare back to me, surprise painted on her face.
"Why?"
"Honesty is the base of truly good relationships. When there is no honesty, even in a case of prideful refusal, then there is no relationship whatsoever. Which is why I think this is enough to forgive you… just this once."
I glanced back at her. "Mind you, that doesn't mean I will just ignore what happened today. I will remember, so I expect to be treated as your equal when it comes to handling a common foe. You might be the one with a past as a deity, but right now, your range of action is limited, and I'm the one that can move around and do things against Isshiki."
…
"I can agree with this. But I require a small deal before you leave. I can tell you will soon be back to your bed."
I grimaced. "And that is?"
"Next time you visit, could you… tell me more about your world?"
I would have told her no, but then I remembered I could tell a little bit of truth and then a bit more of lies and she would still believe it to be true. I had an advantage in it and no obligations to be completely true and bring up all the details that could mess me up in that kind of agreement.
"I will think about it, but… I suppose I can. Only if you give me more info on your clan."
"Agreed," She replied with a smile and I was… gone.
I knew that I just shook hands with the devil, while the hand behind my back had two fingers crossing. Unpleasant but… it was the only way right now.