"My, you really always have something for us…" Naruto muttered. "And here I had hoped to take some time off."
Orochimaru waved it off. "Sure, you could. Akatsuki won't kill itself, though."
Naruto sighed. What a killjoy.
"Right. You got any leads?"
The man looked smug. "Yes. I have, indeed. They are ready to come as is. All that's left to do is for us to mark them. I will continue to do so from the shadows, until your own reputation grows to the point where you can do it yourself."
"You've been busy, then."
"Did you doubt it?" Orochimaru asked, amused.
"I thought you'd be too busy taking this Hidan guy apart."
"Not yet, no. He's currently in my dungeon."
"…You have a dungeon?"
"Why else would I have built this spire?" He said, pointing at the tower.
"…Because you're a megalomaniac?"
Orochimaru threw his head back and laughed.
"Oh my… Ever the funny one, aren't you?"
Naruto sighed.
"Let's get started, then."
He looked at Karin and Sakura, who do their best to look busy. He sighed again.
"Well, take care of building the house, then."
"Sure." "Will do."
The way the relay of Gates worked was pretty straightforward. Once a mark was placed, every single person connected to the Relay felt where its approximate position, and could jump to it, no matter if they had been there before or not.
Naruto and Orochimaru appeared in the Land of Rice.
"Where is Anko?" Naruto asked, only now noticing he hadn't seen her.
"Doing the exact same thing we're doing."
"Ah, recruiting, then." He said with a nod.
"There are plenty of roles we need to fill. We have no economy, right now. Nothing we produce, nothing to export, either."
"True. There are a few seal designs I could start selling. Any jobs we need in particular?"
"Anything. From embroidery, textile weaving, sewing, ceramics… construction workers, engineers, farmers, food producers, restaurants, administration, medics, researchers."
"So… Everything?"
"Plus ninja. We'll start there."
"Is this where we meet them, then?" Naruto asked.
"I found that hiding in plain sight was the easiest solution, this time."
The duo was standing in front of a crowded tea-shop.
"Hello!" A woman, around twenty, greeted them at the door. "Would you like a seat?"
Orochimaru smiled a soft, kind smile. It looked so out of place on his face that Naruto wanted to laugh.
"Yes, thank you, my dear. We are meeting a few friends of ours… They could be here already."
"Of course. Do you know which table they booked?" She asked, smiling as well.
"I think... Could it be the Reed table?" He pretended not to remember.
"Oh! Then they are here already!"
"Could you guide us there?" He smiled, once more, eyes crinkling.
"Absolutely." She turned around to go.
Naruto just gave Orochimaru a very flat look.
'What is this about?' He mouthed.
'Politeness.' Is what he gets back.
He rolled his eyes. That was probably the way the Snake sage got his kicks.
The table in the upper-left corner was crowded. Sixteen people were waiting, all of them observing Orochimaru as he came up the stairs. Naruto recognized a few of them.
Once the waitress was gone, a few of them bowed.
"Orochimaru-sama."
"I'm glad to see you all alive." He simply said, by way of greeting.
"Not all of us escaped." A bald man with a scar over his right eye said.
"I know already, Jigumo."
A man sighed. "We knew the risks, though." That was Arashi, if Naruto remembered well.
"We won't let this happen again. We are building a new, safer base of operations." Orochimaru answered.
"What's preventing that teleporting man from doing the exact same thing?" A girl with orange hair asked.
"He won't be able to find us." Naruto said.
"Who are you to say this? You're just Orochimaru's disciple." Someone else said, arms folded.
"It's in a remote place. A very remote island. Nobody ever went there before. And we'll hide it even better."
No one said anything. They were all natives to the Land of Rice. Most of them came from the Shiin, Fūma or Nagai clan.
But it seemed like the world was about to turn upon itself once more.
The Third War had been terrible for the Land of Rice, as they had been in between three warring Nations, and endured a lot of collateral damage.
"We won't involve the people in the other Nation's wars." Naruto continued. "But if you chose to, that's your personal choice, we won't prevent you from doing so either. I will fight, myself."
"What about that masked man?" Another woman, with dark brown hair, frowned. "He killed several of us."
"We have reason to believe he's with Akatsuki, an organization that works for the current leader of Rain, from the shadows. These people, we're willing to fight against."
"Good." She nodded. Most of them seemed to agree.
Orochimaru smiled.
"Come with us, and we'll bring you there."
Orochimaru seemed to be in a good mood, Naruto noticed, once they had sent the first group to Umi. Like the people who would come after them, they would be expected to keep Naruto's identity a secret to village outsiders.
"Happy? It seems it went pretty smoothly inside there." He said.
"Nothing is ever as easy as convincing someone who already wants what you're offering." He simply said. "These people want respite from the other Nations' warring games… and revenge from the man who killed some of their family members and friends. We're giving them exactly that."
Naruto grimaced. "You always make anything sound pretty cynical."
Orochimaru laughed. "Certainly. And what's more, is that they will bring their own clans and friends in. Most clans in the Land of Rice are entirely independent from the Daimyō, for historical reasons."
"Ah. So that's how you intend to kickstart an economy." Naruto realized.
"That's the way Konoha and the villages that followed its example did at first, yes."
"Speaking of Konoha, aren't you worried…?"
"Worried? What about? It's been years since I last depended on Konoha for anything. There are people I care for there, certainly. But they don't need me, they're strong enough on their own." Orochimaru shrugged. "Besides, I don't think the Hokage will do anything, at all."
"Why not?"
"Konoha, just like any village, always had somebody take the fall for the things they could not afford to do openly. By taking care of Akatsuki, we're removing a big thorn from Konoha — and the world's — foot. It just so happens our interests are aligned."
Naruto laughed. "Nice way of putting it."
Recruiting civilians seemed to come naturally to Orochimaru, and Naruto learned a few things about persuasion.
But most of the time, the simple promise of less taxes, less meddling and administration seemed to be enough to entice them. Dangling the carrot that they would be among the first arrived, when land was still dirt cheap, and the competition low… It almost felt unfair.
"Well, that was a productive day."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Indeed. At this rate, and with a few jutsu to help crops grow faster, we should be self-sufficient in no time."
"Good. I'll start producing and selling a few seals I devised to other countries. Nothing that could come back to bite us in the ass, of course."
"Why just the seals?"
"Huh?"
"Working with artisans, you could sell the completed product with higher margins."
"…That's true." He never had thought of it. "Between clones and actual people, we should be able to get some decent returns."
"Very nice to see such entrepreneurial spirit." Orochimaru laughed.
"We can't all spend most of our time dissecting corpses in our wizard tower." He said with a bit of distaste.
Orochimaru shrugged. "Dead people are dead. They might as well be of some use for us. I know it's not for everyone though, it takes some… moral flexibility."
Naruto snorted. "Since when do you make jokes?"
"Since when do you understand them?" Orochimaru quipped back.
He couldn't help but laugh. Orochimaru smiled, too.
"You did all this… Today?" Naruto asked, blinking in surprise.
Where there had been an admittedly pretty bare bones house before… stood a minimalistic, dignified and beautiful structure.
A curvy, elongated, green roof covered each floor, protecting the windows from the rain.
Indoors, sliding doors made of wood and rice paper allowed light to shine through. The stone floor was covered by tatami made of rice straw with cloth edges. A pleasant smell wafted in the air.
Outside, the engawa — a veranda that resembled a porch — were found on every level, bringing together the inside of the house with the outside.
Sakura tried not to look too smug, staring at her fingernails. "Oh, so you like it, then?"
"Yeah. I do."
Karin grinned. "Knew it."
"We still need to do something about the humidity indoors. Stone was easier to use, since we can just use Earth jutsu, but it's not as good as wood for ventilation and-"
"I'll take care of it." Naruto waved off. "Great job, both of you."
Sakura looked away, flustered. "Well, if I'm going to be living there…"
Karin grinned. "Aw, she's being shy!"
"…Fuck off, Karin." There was no heat in her words, though. Karin laughed.
"There are people starting to settle on the main island. I'm going there. You guys wanna help, too, or… had enough?"
They looked at each other, and stood up.
"It was a nice warm-up." Karin said. "Let's see what we can do."
Shinjiro was among the people who came that day.
"Shinjiro!" Naruto called. "I didn't expect you to come back so soon."
The man laughed, before shrugging. "Me neither to be fair. But I don't have any family, no real ties to the Land of Earth… So I figured I'd join up. Besides, the pay's good, according to that creepy Snake man."
Naruto laughed. "He's a strange man, for sure. Welcome to your new home, then." He looked around. "You…don't have a home yet, do you?"
"Nah."
"Well, pick a place and we'll get you a place to sleep by tonight."
The man raised his eyebrows. "You mean… like an inn? Or something like that?"
Naruto laughed. "No, not exactly."
Shinjiro's face when the three of them create a bare-bone house near the sea out of stone in less than a hour is worth a thousand pictures.
"…And it's mine?"
"Yeah." Naruto nodded.
"For free…?"
"Well, you'll pay a tax on your income and a tax for living there."
"…That's it?"
"For the first settlers... I think so, yeah. But Orochimaru only takes in people who he thinks will be useful for Umi anyway." Naruto shrugged. "You're a great sailor, and a good cook, too. I don't think you'll have any trouble."
"I see. Okay."
"You can decorate your house however you see fit, that's on you, though."
Shinjiro laughed. "I wouldn't expect anything else. I'll need to talk to Takaya and Heizo about this."
"I don't have any mark in Iwa as of now, though."
Shinjiro shrugged. "I'll send a letter, the old-fashioned way. Plus they can also come here on their own, now."
"Yup."
"Did you guys get the Kujira back?"
"Kujira… Ah, the boat? No." Naruto said sheepishly. "We kinda forgot about it, what with the preparations and all. It's still on the southern island."
The man sighed, amused. "Ah, well. I'll start by fixing it up by tomorrow, then."
"Sure thing."
"How do I get there?"
"Teleport or run across the wa-" Naruto thought. "Ah, yes, either might not be too convenient for a civilian."
"Well, I think I have a business idea, then." Shinjiro laughed.
Naruto woke up during the night. There was somebody at his door. By now, he's decent enough at sensing to know that it's Karin, despite not seeing her face.
"…Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?" She asked.
He blinked. They had separate rooms, now. All of them soundproof and furnished and-
Well… Who was he to refuse his best friend?
"I don't mind." He smiled. "Come here."
He felt her smile.
"Uh. Let me get a pair of pants, though." He added. She said nothing.
He put them on, feeling a pair of eyes on him. If it were anybody other than Karin, he would probably think she was interested.
There's no denying that Karin is beautiful, smart, kind and…
Luckily, they knew better than to risk their friendship just because they're attracted to each other.
Since he woke up before Sakura and Karin, as he usually did now that he needed less sleep, he went outside.
Orochimaru was somewhere else this morning, no doubt either recruiting people… or recruiting people to recruit people.
He was as slick of a manipulator as he had ever seen, if he were honest with himself. And the worst part was that he never really bothered to lie.
Just told people the truth about his plans, likely the part that they wanted to hear, and let them convince themselves that his way was the best way to get what they truly desired.
Impressive. Truly impressive.
He knew that some of it was starting to rub off on him, too. And he had the feeling that was the man's goal. He didn't seem like someone who'd constantly want to be running things, preferring to experiment, study and dissect the world around him.
He sighed. When had he started to actually like this immoral snake…?
Naruto really enjoyed the early mornings, by now, something that he remembered he used to hate, in the past.
The orange skies behind the mountains, the smell of the sea…
It almost made him nostalgic, for something he was sure he had never experienced himself.
It was time to practice.
The westernmost island was pretty bare, being covered in nothing but rocks and sand. Nobody lived there. That was where he would be going.
He could have teleported, sure, but he enjoyed the feeling of taking to the skies more.
Lightning and Wind coursed through his body at the same time. He didn't even bother summoning them one after the other, by now.
He pushed himself off the ground.
It wasn't an impression, it really came to him easier and easier every time. This time, at the peak of his jump, he didn't release the technique.
Lightning is frenetic energy, wanting to strike something, but it would settle for someone too.
Wind is freedom, going around any obstacles it meets, to go wherever it feels like.
Lightning is strength. It is pure power, and can be to destroy… or to protect.
Wind is freedom. Detachment from worldly problems and concerns.
But all the same…
Lightning, when forcibly contained with pure strength, and given no free will, will not spark at all.
Wind, when channeled with complete freedom, no control, will tear a man apart before it resumes its course.
Naruto understood it. Really understood it for the first time.
He let go. He took control.
It was all the same, in the end.
Naruto felt Kannon burn, along his spine.
Susanoo-no-Mikoto did too.
For an instant, he can almost feel their two spirits, the way they are described in Uzumaki Suijin's scrolls.
Kannon, full of mercy. Harmony.
Susanoo. A raging storm. Good. Evil.
Both Lightning and Wind flashed purple around him, and instead of falling, he was accelerating through the sky, almost horizontally.
From below, he must likely look like a purple, human-sized comet, he thought.
Naruto overshot his first destination, the central island. He also overshot the western island by almost two kilometers, managing to land himself into the sea.
If he had to describe this landing, "smashing into a brick wall" would fit.
Once he figured which way was up, and which way was down, he managed to get himself to the surface using wind — harder to reach in the ocean, apparently — to propel himself.
He limped back to the desert island and sat down to gather his jumbled thoughts.
'Kumo has people who use Lightning and Water together, as Storm release. But...'
Despite the seals he felt lighting up, especially Susanoo-no-Mikoto…
This was not Storm release. There were definitely no energy beams, no blinding blue light. No Water element involved.
No, this was something else. And if he were honest… Not something he could afford to use right now. The only reason he was even alive was that whatever this combination was, it shielded him from the impact.
Water at this height would have killed a normal person. If it had been solid ground, he didn't think he would have survived.
For once, he didn't feel like giving it a name, or experimenting with it more.
His control over Wind and Lightning was still lacking. He would have to master both of them, first.
He summoned an army of clones and got back to practice.
Orochimaru was multitasking.
Not in the classical sense, as he knew it would be a waste. Different tasks could be done more efficiently if he just did them one after the other.
But considering he had a few clones on the mainland, scouring the Land of Rice and neighboring countries for information about the whereabouts of the people who had been living in the camp with them over the last years…
A few more clones taking care of the more administrative parts of handling a new village — and he couldn't wait to find someone else to handle these parts…
And two others were building, refining buildings and planning an efficient city…
All the while his real body kept up with his training. Akatsuki would strike, at some point.
Well, considering all of that, he thought it was fair to call this multitasking.
Once the sun was up, Sakura was up too.
Now that they had completed their first objective, — reaching the island — they would need to prepare.
The Akatsuki would come after Naruto. It would come after Sasuke. Between the two, strangely enough, Naruto was the one in the safest place. They didn't know he was alive, and even if they did, they wouldn't know where to find him…
As long as he didn't get himself into trouble, leading to his capture on the mainland. Which she knew could happen. There were still so many reasons for him to go back.
He would go to Konoha, she knew. He apparently had to locate something in his late father's safehouse. He would want answers from the Third. He would likely want to see some of his old friends, even if they didn't know who he was.
And he would likely want to see Ino, even if he never said so explicitly.
Also, there was also the simple fact that he was the only one able to put more Gates through the mainland. For this reason alone, he would have to walk the world.
She wasn't about to let him go alone.
And maybe… just maybe, she could convince her stubborn parents that Konoha was likely going to get involved in another war soon. That they could come with her. It would not be the same, there was too much water under this particular bridge, but they would at least live.
On top of the villages… there was the possibility that Akatsuki was planning for world domination.
How many top-level members did they have within their ranks…? Ten…? Twenty…? Thirty?
Nobody knew exactly. But all of them would be around S-rank.
She was likely getting close to A-rank by now. At most.
But she relied mostly on the effect of surprise. Between her ability to mask her chakra, decent skill with Genjutsu despite her lacking a teacher for years, her speed, and the deadly chakra blade she could extend from her hand, she was a good assassin. And her portals made for the perfect escape plan.
In a straight battle, against monsters who could throw around ninjutsu — the kind that would leave her winded after a single use — all day long… That was not enough.
Her biggest strength was her chakra control. Her reserves would likely never become something out of the ordinary. It only made sense for her to focus on what she could use.
After all, hard work and incredibly fine chakra control had been the two reasons the Fourth Hokage had been able to become the legend he was. Hiraishin was just the cherry on top, one that he would not have been able to use without the two aforementioned attributes.
If speed and chakra control had been enough for him, it would be enough for her.
Day after day, she refined her edge.