"I can't believe this," Kotetsu muttered, rubbing his hands together for warmth while yawning so hard he nearly dislocated his jaw. The sound was lost in the three AM drizzle, which pattered against the roof of the West Wall shelter and dripped rhythmically onto his left shoulder.
"What can't you believe?" Izumo asked, his back to him as he stood at the edge of the shelter in the rain, scanning the darkness with more attention than Kotetsu deemed necessary. "That it's raining during the rainy season, or that we have to do our jobs."
"That we're here, Izumo," Kotetsu said, slamming his boot heel against the ground, which produced a dull, wet sound. "It's a double shift on the outer wall, and nobody has watched this section in years, so it's a punishment. My feet are soaked."
"My feet are soaked too," Izumo replied without turning, "so stop complaining. Someone has to do it."
"But why us? We were supposed to be the main gate attendants, where we just gave polite greetings, checked permits, and had the occasional tea. That was it, but now look at this. I'm a midnight watchman in the most boring part of the village."
"It's not boring. It's necessary."
"It is boring and wet! And necessary? Seriously? Who's going to attack from here? The forest is too dense, which means it would take them days to move a platoon."
Izumo shrugged, and water dripped from his forehead protector. "Blame the new Hokage, who, ever since that supposed 'Sound attack,' has tripled the border patrols and made the Hyūga check every seal on the barrier. Twice."
Kotetsu scoffed. "'Supposed' attack? Are you still on that? It was real."
Izumo finally turned, his eyes looking serious under the dim light of the post's lamp. "It was 'supposed' because nobody told us anything. The higher-ups locked themselves in the tower for a day and then came out with a thousand new orders, which means they treat us like children."
"It's not 'supposed'," Kotetsu insisted in a low voice, his whining tone replaced by something grimmer. "My cousin is on Ibiki's team and works in the basement."
"And what?"
"He says the interrogations haven't stopped. He didn't give me details because he turned pale when I asked, but he just said something big happened. Something that scared all of them... the ones at the top."
"Great. So the higher-ups get scared and we get the rain shift," Izumo said, though his posture tensed a bit.
"Exactly. It's a drag," Kotetsu insisted, returning to his irritation. "I'm supposed to be at Ichiraku right now finishing my shift and eating a hot bowl of miso. Ayame saves me the extra pork cuts when I'm late."
He paused, as if savoring the memory.
"Not here, getting soaked to the bone. And what do we expect to find? Orochimaru knocking on the front door?"
"Don't be an idiot," Izumo snapped. "Orochimaru is dead or on the run, so it's... something else."
"What something else? Sand ninja? They're in chaos. Mist ninja? They have their own problems. This is paranoia; Princess Tsunade is nervous about her new job and she's using us to calm herself down."
Izumo shook his head and went back to watching the darkness. An uncomfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the patter of the rain. Kotetsu sighed.
"Seriously, Izumo. Aren't you cold?"
"Of course I'm cold."
"And wouldn't you rather be home?"
"Of course I'd rather be home."
"Then why are you so..."
"So what?"
"So... you! Why can't you complain like a normal person? You're making me feel worse."
Izumo didn't answer. No... this is different, he thought. He didn't say it to Kotetsu; it wasn't worth it. Lady Tsunade has all available Jōnin on high alert. The Anbu are doing double rotations. Gai and Kurenai are patrolling the inner districts. Asuma is at the main gate. Kakashi has been gone on recon missions for a week. Whatever happened, it was real.
The silence stretched on. Kotetsu started to nod off, leaning against the wooden post while the rain served as a monotonous lullaby.
A second later, Izumo froze, his body going taut as a wire as his hand went straight for the kunai on his belt.
"Kotetsu. Quiet."
The voice was so sharp, so suddenly devoid of irritation, that Kotetsu straightened up instantly, all traces of sleep gone. Panic rose in his throat.
"What? Did you hear something? I don't hear anything besides this damn rain."
"I didn't hear. I felt," Izumo whispered, his eyes fixed on the path below. "Sector four. Two signatures. Moving."
Kotetsu swallowed. "Two? Animals? A boar? I hate boars."
"No. They're chakra signatures. Human," Izumo said as he unsheathed his kunai. "They're moving slow. Too slow, like they don't care if they're seen."
They both peered over the edge of the wall, trying to see through the curtain of water.
Two figures were walking up the main path leading to the gate. They wore the classic conical straw hats, completely soaked, and dark cloaks that hid their bodies and any forehead protectors.
"What...?" Kotetsu gripped the handle of his own kunai so tightly his knuckles hurt. "Who the hell is out walking around at three in the morning?"
"I don't like this," Izumo said, his voice a low hiss. "They're too calm and they're not avoiding the lights."
"Maybe they're lost travelers. Or drunks."
"Drunks who can hide their presence until they're two hundred meters out? No. They're testing us."
"Halt!" Kotetsu's voice was louder than he intended. "You are in Konoha's defense perimeter! Stop where you are and identify yourselves now, or we will use force!"
The two figures stopped about fifty meters from the gate and just stood there, motionless, like statues in the rain.
"So impatient," a deep, guttural voice rumbled from under one of the hats. "Well, well, Itachi-san. They're in a bad mood. What's the plan? Do we split them in half? I can be up there in two seconds."
"No," Itachi said. "Observe."
"Observe what? The rain is getting down my neck and this is boring." Kisame moved his head, impatient, while his hand rested on the bandaged hilt of Samehada, which seemed to vibrate slightly under his cloak. "It's just two Chūnin. They're trembling."
"Observe the gate," Itachi repeated calmly. "The seals."
Kisame narrowed his eyes, his inhuman gaze focusing on the large gate of wood and metal. "Ah. I see. They're new. Very elaborate. Jōnin-level Fūinjutsu, I'd say. Multiple layers."
"And more than that," Itachi whispered.
Kisame tilted his head, listening to something other than the rain. "Yeah. I can feel it... there are sensory barriers that weren't here last time, and they're all over the wall. Subtle, but they're there."
"Exactly. The village is sealed because they're expecting trouble."
"Good," Kisame grinned, showing a row of sharp teeth. "Let's give them trouble."
On the wall, Izumo and Kotetsu looked at each other.
"They're not moving," Izumo said. "This is weird, since they should be scared or begging."
"I told them to identify themselves!" Kotetsu shouted again, as his nervousness was making him angry. "This is your last warning! Show your faces and your travel permits! Now!"
Itachi lifted his head slowly, the rain dripping endlessly from the brim of his straw hat.
"We are just merchants," Itachi called out, and his voice sounded neither threatening nor afraid. "We're seeking shelter from the storm."
"There are no merchants at this hour!" Kotetsu replied, gaining confidence. "And especially not on this path! This route has been closed for a week! All traffic is being diverted through the East Gate!"
"Oh, really?" Kisame whispered. "Our information said this was the least guarded."
"It was," Itachi said. "Not anymore."
"Show us your faces!" Izumo shouted, taking a step forward. "Take off those hats!"
This is boring, Kisame thought again. I'm ending this.
He took a step forward, flexing his shoulders, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to tremble.
Itachi placed a hand on Kisame's arm, stopping him cold. The touch was light, but the command was absolute.
"Wait."
"Wait for what? They're about to sound the alarm, but they're just two Chūnin. I won't even break a sweat."
"We won't sound the alarm because there's no need. Causing a disturbance here will alert the sensors and the Jōnin on duty, and we want to get in quietly."
"Your 'quiet' is boring."
"It's what's best for the mission."
Itachi's eyes fixed on the two guards on the wall, and under the shadow of his hat, his pupils glowed red for an instant.
There were no screams, no hand signs, just a look, and on the wall, Kotetsu and Izumo blinked at the same time.
After a second of silence, Kotetsu said, "Oh..." His posture, previously tense as a bowstring, relaxed completely, so he dropped his hand from his shuriken pouch and rubbed the back of his neck. "I see. Merchants. Right. That makes sense. How silly."
Izumo lowered the kunai in his hand and sheathed it. "Yeah... Just merchants. Sorry about that, sirs. It's hard to see in the rain, you know?"
He turned to Kotetsu with an embarrassed smile. "We almost shot a flare because of some farmers."
"Farmers! That's it!" Kotetsu laughed, a relaxed sound. "Coming back late from Tanzaku, right? It's a long trip."
"No problem," Kotetsu said, smiling kindly at the two dark figures, "but we can't let you in. The gate is sealed by order of the Hokage, and not even we have the key tonight."
"Yeah," Izumo agreed. "The seal is level four until dawn, so I'm sorry. You'll have to go around. Continue on your way toward Tanzaku town, which is a few hours from here. You can't enter here."
The two guards turned around, completely convinced there was no threat, and returned to their dripping post.
Itachi and Kisame watched them turn their backs.
"Unbelievable," Kisame muttered, his voice full of reluctant amusement. "What did you do to them?"
"A simple Genjutsu," Itachi said, looking down. "I made them believe they had a conversation with us, that they saw our faces, and that they were local farmers returning late. Their minds filled in the blanks."
I didn't even have to try, Itachi thought, but the initial reaction was what mattered. They're nervous, they're scared, and they're expecting an external attack, which means Konoha is on high alert.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Kisame said, stretching his neck as he popped the muscles in his shoulders. "I was getting ready to get a little wet."
"Save your energy. You'll need it."
"So, what now, Itachi-san? Do we jump the wall? Or would you prefer Samehada open a hole in the gate? Those seals look tasty." The sword on his back vibrated in agreement.
"No. We'll walk through the shadow of the trees to sector seven." Itachi was already moving, his silhouette blending in with the wet trunks. "There's a blind spot in the new barriers there."
"And the Jinchūriki?" Kisame asked, following him.
"He's in the village and we will go for him." Itachi paused for a moment, looking toward the Hokage's tower, invisible in the distance, and added: "But first... I have to see someone."
Kisame snorted. "See someone. Right. There's always a detour with you, isn't there? 'Personal business.' Aren't we supposed to be above that stuff?"
"It's not personal business. It's a confirmation."
"Whatever you say, Itachi-san. But if this gets complicated because you wanted to say hello to an old friend, I'll be sure to remind you while I'm tearing off limbs."
"Noted."
Kisame followed his partner, and the two shadows disappeared into the night.
On the wall, Izumo blinked, feeling a dull ache behind his eyes.
"What... what just happened?"
"What do you mean?" Kotetsu said, shaking his head as he stared at his hand, confused. "Why did I draw my kunai? We were talking about the merchants."
"Merchants?" Izumo rubbed his temples. "No... no, we were talking about the Hokage. Right?"
"Really? Wow." Kotetsu rubbed his eyes. "For a second there... I felt really tired. What a drag. I hate night shifts and I wish I were at Ichiraku."
"Yeah," Izumo said, staring into the empty darkness. "Me too."
******
Tsunade was pacing circles around her desk. The Hokage's office, normally immaculate under the Third's tenure, was now covered in scrolls, messy reports, and empty teacups.
This is ridiculous! she thought, feeling the energy vibrating under her skin. The Falna makes me feel like an overloaded battery with nowhere to discharge, and I feel like I could run to Suna and back without breaking a sweat! I have all this power, S-Rank stats, and I'm here... here... approving paving contracts for the commercial district!
She clenched her fist and the poor oak desk groaned under the pressure, leaving a new crack in the wood.
I WANT TO HIT SOMETHING! OR SOMEONE! DANZŌ WOULD BE PERFECT, OR ANY OF THOSE OLD FOSSILS ON THE COUNCIL!
"Brat!" she yelled, her voice making the windows vibrate.
Naruto, who was sitting on the floor in the corner sorting a waist-high stack of scrolls, looked up. He had three piles labeled in his terrible handwriting: "Urgent (Granny will yell)," "Boring (Chickens and Bridges)," and "Super Boring (Danzō's Budgets)."
"What is it now?" Naruto said, not getting up. He was reading a scroll with a deep frown. "I'm in the middle of an agricultural crisis. Apparently, the Inuzuka family wants more funding for ninja-dog food. They say inflation is affecting the cost of prime beef."
"Dog food?" Tsunade repeated, her voice dangerously low.
"Yeah. Does that go in 'Urgent' or 'Boring'?"
"I don't give a damn about dog food!" Tsunade slammed a scroll on the table, making the tea in a nearby cup jump.
"Don't yell at me," Naruto said, "it's a legitimate expense. If the dogs don't eat, they don't track, and if they don't track, enemy ninja sneak in. Do you want enemy ninja sneaking in? Because that's how you get enemy ninja sneaking in."
"I want you to bring me the Ibiki report I asked for twenty minutes ago!"
"I gave it to you! You put it in the 'Burn Later' pile!"
Tsunade dug through a dangerous pile of scrolls on her desk, sending several to the floor. "This is useless! Are you sure this Ibiki report is complete!? How am I supposed to approve a poison budget if I don't know how much it costs!?"
"It's in the 'Super Boring' pile, Granny!" Naruto shouted back, digging through the largest stack. "I already told you! It was stapled to the sewage report! Someone in administration thought 'toxic waste' was all one category!"
"That's incompetence!"
"That's what I'm trying to fix!" Naruto found the paper and threw it on the desk. "And stop yelling, you're stressing me out! I'm trying to concentrate on these chicken reports!"
Tsunade stopped cold as the vein in her forehead throbbed. She collapsed into her chair, rubbing her temples with a force that would have cracked a normal man's skull.
"I have a headache," she grumbled. "All this paperwork is endless. It never stops and it just keeps coming. Where does so much of it come from? Do they make it up?"
Naruto didn't answer; he was already reading the chicken report again.
"And Jiraiya... that coward... snuck off to 'do research' at the hot springs," she said, her voice a growl. "'Research'! Right! I swear, when he gets back, I'm going to use him to test the new wall! I'll launch him at it! Naruto, do the thing!"
Naruto sighed loudly. He put down the chicken scroll and stood up, stretching his back with a pop that was heard across the room.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming..."
He stood behind the Hokage's chair and, with a practiced resignation that came from days of this routine, placed his hands on Tsunade's shoulders and began to give her a massage.
Tsunade's relief was instant and vocal. "Ah... yeah. Right there."
"This is unbelievable," Naruto muttered as he worked the steel knots in her shoulders. "I'm the Hokage's Secret Advisor, the guy who's gonna change everyone's destiny... and I've become your personal masseuse."
"Shut up and keep rubbing, brat." Tsunade's eyes were closed as she let out a groan of relief. "It's your duty to maintain the Hokage's morale, because if I break, the village breaks. A little more to the left... there. Right there."
"This is an abuse of power!" Naruto complained. "This was not in the job description! I could be training with Karin! Or eating ramen! Or sleeping! Anything but this!"
"What was that?" Tsunade said, a malicious smirk on her face that he couldn't see. Her voice was sweet and dangerous. "Did you say you'd rather be my personal punching bag in the bunker tomorrow? Because I can arrange that..."
"Punching bag?"
"Six AM. You, me, and training ground four. We can see how long your complaints about 'labor rights' hold up against a chakra-enhanced punch."
Naruto began to massage faster and more enthusiastically. "I said, what strong shoulders you have, my dear Hokage! Very... Hokage-ish! Firm! Really! The best trapezius in the Five Great Nations! Very structural! The foundation of the village, seriously!"
Tsunade huffed. She's bored, Naruto thought, recognizing the signs. She doesn't even have a headache; she's just full of energy from the Falna and can't go out and punch Danzō because the Council would complain, so she's using me as her distraction.
Fine, he sighed internally. I guess it's better than last week's 'Operation Anti-Orange.' My room still smells like lavender and it was humiliating.
The office door slid open smoothly. Hinata entered with her usual quiet gait, carrying a wooden tray.
"Lady Hokage, Naruto. Shizune thought you might want some tea and snacks. She said you probably skipped dinner."
Hinata noted the massage scene. Her face flushed slightly, as always, but her voice remained steady, as she had gotten used to the strange and chaotic dynamic of the Senju fortress in recent weeks.
"Ah, Hinata! Excellent!" Tsunade said, opening one eye. "You're the only civilized person in this house. Put it here.Quick!"
Naruto instantly stopped massaging, as if he'd been given permission to stand down. "Hinata! You're my savior! I'm starving!"
He ran to the tray and grabbed a cinnamon roll before Hinata could even set it on the table. "Whoa, these are from Sakura's bakery! Awesome! She makes the best ones! Not the ones that taste like cardboard!"
"Naruto, wait until I put the..."
But he was already chewing. Tsunade glared at him. "Pig. Get a plate."
"No time," he said, his mouth full.
"Also," Hinata added softly, placing the tray down. "Shizune also sent this report on the hospital's medicinal herb supply. She said it was urgent."
Tsunade groaned. "More reading! Great!"
While Tsunade attacked the snack, Naruto used the interruption to change the subject. His tone suddenly became serious and the energy returned to him.
"Speaking of training, Granny... we had a breakthrough this morning. A really big one."
Tsunade sat up straight, her boredom replaced by sharp interest, and she dropped the Ibiki report. "A breakthrough? Did Jiraiya finally stop complaining about his back and teach you something useful?"
"He was there!" Naruto said, swallowing. "And he was shocked! But this was me and Karin! We were reading Mom's journal... again... and we found the key."
"The key?" Tsunade asked, leaning forward. "The key to what? How to stop filling my office with scrolls?"
"No! The key to the Chakra Chains!"
"What? I thought that was a dead end. Jiraiya said you didn't have the body type."
"Not me! Karin! It's a sacrifice of intent!"
Tsunade frowned. "Intent? Explain, brat. I hate riddles."
"Mom wrote that the chains don't work if you just want to attack. If you try to use them like a whip or a spear, they fail and fade, because she said they were the 'manifestation of a wish.' They have to be used to protect."
Hinata nodded, adding softly as she poured the tea, "Karin tried. We were at training ground three and she focused on protecting Naruto. He stood in front of her."
Naruto beamed, the pride obvious in his voice. "And it worked! She manifested a solid chain! It was golden, just like Mom's! Ten feet long! And she held it for a full thirty seconds!"
"Thirty seconds," Tsunade repeated, her expression blank.
"Jiraiya almost swallowed his pencil!" Naruto continued, gesturing with the half-eaten cinnamon roll. "He said the chakra density was incredible! We were wrong! We're ready for Phase Two! Karin can do it!"
A silence filled the office. Tsunade looked at Naruto, then at Hinata.
Good. Real progress, Tsunade thought. The anti-Uchiha weapon... is finally being forged, and the time I bought from the Council is paying off.
She hid her pride and relief behind her usual mask of irritation.
"Hmph. 'One' chain," she said gruffly, leaning back in her chair. "Impressive. Thirty seconds."
Naruto's smile faltered. "What? That's amazing! Yesterday she couldn't do anything!"
"Don't let it go to your head, brat," Tsunade said. "One chain won't stop Itachi, and it won't even slow down Kisame and his ridiculous sword. It's a start, nothing more."
"But it is a start!" Naruto insisted.
"It's a start," she repeated. "And now that your snack break is over, get back to work."
Naruto looked at her, horrified. "What!? The paperwork!?"
Tsunade pointed over her own shoulder with her thumb. "My left shoulder is still tight. And while you're at it, bring me that journal of your mother's, because if Karin can manifest one chain, I want to know Kushina's theory on how to manifest ten. Or a hundred."
Naruto groaned, a long, pitiful sound. "You're a tyrant, you know that?"
"And you're a slacker! I thought this was important to you!"
"It is! But my hands are cramping!"
"Good! That'll teach you to appreciate hard work!"
"I'd appreciate ramen more!"
"I'm the Hokage! Now, rub!"
Naruto shuffled his feet and returned to his massage "mission," muttering about labor rights and evil grandmothers. Hinata giggled softly behind her hand.
Tsunade took a sip of the tea Hinata had poured for her, which was hot and bitter. Perfect.
While Naruto grumbled and worked on her shoulder, Tsunade picked up the border guard report scroll that had arrived an hour ago. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the keywords.
West Wall... three AM... two figures...
"...Merchants..."
...Simple Genjutsu...
...guards remember nothing...
She set down the tea, and the relief from Karin's breakthrough faded, replaced by a cold certainty.
I knew they were coming, she thought, and they just knocked on the door.
***
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