76: Moving Forward by Standing Still: Part III (2)

Samui was making her way to the Raikage's office after a night of lovemaking with a clone after she had retired from Karui's surprise party. Yet, despite expecting a jovial morning, she had found that most of the women within the Family had remained to discuss a grave matter. She had then been shocked to learn that not only did Yugito wish to become a rogue-nin, but Naruto was supporting her desire.

Naturally, Samui had wanted to argue against it, but she had been beaten to the punch by Temari. The Suna-nin had argued that Gaara would never be able to support such a decision. Samui had no trouble spotting that Naruto had been concerned by the point Temari was raising. But, he had basically stated that he couldn't let Gaara's concerns dictate the actions that he felt was best for them.

Samui would admit a part of her considered Yugito's desire to leave Kumo to be extremely selfish. Especially, since she figured it would cause quite a bit of trouble for all the women that remained. After all, the former two-tail jinchuriki had been dispatched more than once to bring back her teacher when he had let his desires to leave the village get the better of him. Considering, Bee was treated like a little brother to the Raikage, she felt the woman was overeating to not getting her way.

Temari's mother, Karura, had raised a similar point, and Samui could tell that Yugito had felt rather self-conscious about being put on the spot in such a manner. At least until Naruto had stated that Yugito had not wanted to even bring the matter up for fear that some of her fellow Family members would feel that would be the case. He then further stated that it was his desire that Yugito leave Kumo in favor of joining Akatsuki. His fellow jinchuriki upon hearing that had flooded the fox mark network with such a warm feeling of appreciation that it was hard for any of those against the proposal to argue Yugito was acting in a spoiled manner.

Naruto's proclamation had also put him in the position of making the decision, and thus he had accepted any challenges to it. Samui had expected that Karui would be the most upset since she had just reached the rank of Anbu, so might come under scrutiny if a woman living under the same roof suddenly defected. Yet, her former teammate had simply remained silent in order to observe the exchanges.

Samui had to give her lover credit since he made it clear that his primary reason was to honor the promise that he made them about their happiness always being of paramount importance. He had then pointed out similar such cases, including his saving Gaara, which while it was to help his friend, it was also for Temari's benefit. Or, when he had confronted Koharu, it was to protect their relationship and Tsunade's happiness. But, he didn't just make his appeal to his lovers' emotions, but also pointed out that someday the Raikage would force them to act. Yugito as a jinchuriki had an expiration date, and someday the village might decide it wanted to reseal Yoruichi into a new host, just as Konoha had done with Kiyomi. Moreover, they probably weren't going to wait till she reached a ripe old age either, since they wouldn't just let her retire to let one of their weapons grow rusty. He had concluded that if it was an argument or fight that they were going to have at some point in the future. It was best to have it now, rather than try to advance their goals only to have everything just fall apart later.

That was when Karui had surprised hrt when she had asked Naruto about how he expected the Raikage to retaliate. Samui felt the question reflected how their thinking had changed since joining the Family, since in the past most of the women from Kumo likely had felt the Raikage could do no wrong.

Naruto though had apparently thought about the matter some, and had answered that there wouldn't be much he could do to Yugito. There were laws among the villages after all, which stated that Rogue-nin that were granted sanctuary in another shinobi village were to be safe from reprisal. He admitted that it wouldn't stop him from perhaps trying to capture or kill her while on a mission or even covertly. Yet, he believed the Raikage wouldn't be able to act overtly since going against such laws would open him to some immediate reprisals.

Samui had felt that Naruto was being guarded with his response. Almost, like he had answered Karui's question, but had purposefully left out some information. Her former teammate had apparently felt the same way, and also had an idea as to why when she had pointed out that Yugito wasn't the only one he could target. Naruto had winced when Karui explained that the best time for Yugito to leave to prevent the immediate collapse of the Alliance would be shortly before the Chunin Exams. But that also would mean that the Raikage could purposefully target Naruto for termination in order to shift the Bijuu balance of power back in his favor.

Yugito had obviously not considered this possibility, and had quickly stated that she would stay. Yet, Naruto had assured her that while he had considered the possibility, his decision remained the same. If it was a fight that they would have sooner or later, his belief was that it was best to have it as soon as possible. He had further added, that since the Raikage would have a free shot to target him it would be best to allow it to happen during the Chunin Exams since if he was killed it wouldn't result in a war. A quick look around the room was all Samui needed to confirm her suspicions that wouldn't necessarily be the case. But, with it being clear that Naruto believed in his decision the matter was decided so the Family next turned to the task of how to best weather the coming difficulties.

Samui marveled at how quickly the Family had come together once the initial decision had been made. She let the details of what followed fall to the back of her mind due to her approaching the Raikage's office. She smiled at Mabui, who quickly returned it before motioning that she was allowed to enter.

Samui stepped into the office, and tried not to appear nervous. She felt rather confident that she had managed to portray her usual cool demeanor. Although, it did become a little harder to maintain when the Raikage said pleased by her timely arrival, "Ah, good you're here. Please come forward."

Samui came to a stop before his desk, and noticed several personnel folders strewn over the desk and were spread out like he had grouped them before then regrouping them over and over again. He focused on her with an almost childlike excitement which made her wonder how she could have just left a meeting where they had painted him as a villain. It did cause her to begin feeling guilty that she was aware of a plot that would in essence weaken her home, but was doing nothing to make him aware of it. She learned why he was in such a good mood when he said, "It is that time of year where we need to select teams from the Shinobi Program. I wish for you to be the Jounin-Sensei for one of the teams we have already put together, especially now that Karui has chosen to enter the ANBU Division."

Samui wasn't too surprised, especially as the Raikage had asked in the past. But, she had always been able to refuse his previous requests by claiming that she needed to remain with Team Bee due to her being the only one with a cool head. With Karui's promotion, she had figured he would make the pitch again. She frowned, which she figured he attributed to her lack of desire to become a jounin-sensei. But was actually again due to the feeling of guilt that was eating at her conscious. After all, being chosen to guide the village's future generations was one generally assigned only to those it was felt were worthy of such trust. Feeling caught in a tug of war between the man, who had entered her life with the dubious intention to seduce her in order to get her to work towards fermenting a rebellion of sorts, yet treated her as an equal partner in that ambition. And the man that she had been told since becoming a kunoichi to trust had hers, as well as the village's best interests at heart. Yet, had recently demonstrated that viewed at least one of her fellow shinobi as nothing but a weapon. She decided to, at least for the moment, to remain on the sidelines.

"I was really hoping that I could skip having to lead another team for a while," Samui said trying to keep her tone steady. "Keeping Omoi and Karui from killing each other was stressful enough."

Ay chuckled before replying, "I can imagine. But, I'm going to have to insist. I have high expectations for this group, and want them ready to take part in the upcoming Chunin exams. I can think of no better person to get them ready before the cutoff."

Samui frowned as the Raikage held up the three folders for the team that he wanted her to lead. They hung between them for several seconds before she accepted them and began to look over the team that she apparently had no choice but to accept. She felt a minor annoyance at that since she had only been partially joking at being relieved she was going to be getting a break from the antics of her former teammates. She imagined the feelings that Yugito had, who had performed every task she had been assigned with unwavering dedication, must have been far, far worse.

The first was a kunoichi named Kisara Nanjo. Her picture showed a girl with bright green eyes, and short unkempt red hair, although that was covered by a green cap. The file listed her as being primarily a taijutsu user that relied on kicks to keep her opponents at a distance. Her stats in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were not all that impressive leaving Samui with the opinion that the rest of the team would follow the same make-up as her old team.

The next file was also for a kunoichi who was named Renka Ma. Samui had no problem recognizing the name as belonging to the daughter of the famous Kensei Ma. Although, to the women of Kumo, infamous would be a more fitting description due to his habit of peeking on women as they bathed. Staring at the blue eyed and purple haired girl, Samui had a hard time seeing much of her diminutive and perverted father in her. Yet, much like her father it appeared she was a powerful Taijutsu practitioner.

Samui flipped to the last folder and could feel the Raikage smirking at her. She couldn't help looking up in surprise as she asked, "Miu Furinji as in the granddaughter of the Hayato Furinji?"

"That's right," Ay said quite pleased that Samui was displaying some genuine interest to the team he wanted her to lead. "I want you to lead the team containing the granddaughter of the Invincible Superman."

The blonde woman could understand why Ay was excited since the woman's grandfather was a true powerhouse. However, he had been one that hadn't exactly been tied to the village of Kumogakure since he had been more of an occasional ally rather than a rank and file member. That had been the case for all the villages actually, since the man that many called, "The Elder," had considered himself an unaligned martial artist rather than a shinobi. Something he had demonstrated especially during the various Shinobi Wars since he would side with whoever her felt was acting in the right. To those he had aligned against, he had been classified as a force of nature since he had faced Bijuu and walked away relatively unscathed. It had in fact been the Elder that had saved Kumogakure when the army that had taken down the Third Raikage during the Third Shinobi World War had continued to march on the village. The Third had managed to hold off an army of ten thousand shinobi, but he had not dealt it significant enough damage to cause it to pull back. Therefore, after his death the army, which had been composed of Iwa shinobi, had continued to march on Kumo and its retreating army.

The Iwa-nin had made the mistake of deciding to attack a small town and slaughtering the inhabitants for supplies. The Elder along with a former Kiri-nin named Mikumo Kushinada had faced off against the army. Their combined might had managed to cause the army to get bogged down, and allowed Ay to marshal his forces to rout the Iwa-nin. After the battle, Ay had offered Hayato and Mikumo a chance to join the village of Kumo. Neither had been willing at the time, but eventually Hayato had accepted after his granddaughter had fallen into his care several years later. Hayato still wasn't an active shinobi, but his calling the village of Kumo home did serve as a deterrent for those looking to do it harm.

Naturally, the Raikage was hoping that his granddaughter would prove to be a similarly formidable fighter, and one who was wholly loyal to the village. Samui felt it was rather ironic that he was handing her a team of young kunoichi considering her own questionable loyalty to him and thus the village. Not to mention that if they did fall into her lover's orbit it would instead further weaken his standing in the village as they adopted The Family's beliefs.

Samui had the sense that if she continued to push, while she might not end up leading the team, there would be reprisals. She couldn't get too worked up about that thought since it was his right as the village leader to assign her whatever tasks that he wanted. She had after all, chosen to become a kunoichi. Unlike Yugito who had never been given a choice as far as to what she wanted to do with her life. Samui sighed making it clear she wasn't exactly thrilled with the new assignment, but stated, "I will guide these kunoichi if there is no way to convince you to select someone else."

"Why would I when the best candidate has already been assigned," The Raikage said obviously content by her decision.

Samui felt more than a little guilty, especially as she was pleased by the compliment that she had received. As such, for the time being she would do her best to train the students in a neutral manner so as to not force them into one camp or the other. She felt it would be the best way to honor the trust that the Raikage was showing her. She would talk the matter over with Naruto, but was confident he would support her choice. She felt that would be why in time more and more people would gravitate towards Naruto. Both he and Ay had personalities that gave off a certain kind of gravitational pull. Yet, when the outward caring personalities were stripped away and the core of the person was examined was where the differences which determined with who the women of Kumo would align. Samui felt Yugito's case was a perfect example of this struggle playing out. She had at first been a believer in the Raikage's belief of Kumo's superiority. But she had only just recently seen the truth that a portion of that belief reduced her to nothing but a weapon to maintain it. With the truth of his cult of personality laid bare, she now fought against the pull that personality had originally had on her, forcing Ay to use more drastic methods to keep her under his thumb. Naruto by contrast had needed to convince her to join him. Yet once she did, the more Yugito had learned about him, the stronger the draw was.

Samui excused herself while taking the files so as to learn more about her team. She nodded to Mabui aware that much like her, the woman was also trapped between loyalties. Yet, Samui had little doubt that the more time that passed, the more they would see that the same darkness that had existed in the shadows of Konoha also existed in Kumo. A portion of that darkness was exposed in the Raikage's feelings towards Yugito status as a weapon. She didn't doubt that as more and more of it was pulled into the light the pull Naruto exuded on them would only become stronger and stronger. She wondered if that pull would eventually extend to the women that had just been placed in her orbit and found she was rather curious about what the future would hold for the upcoming generation of kunoichi.

***********************

Naruto stood with his arms crossed while leaning against a tree before asking those assembled, "Okay, so what seems to be the common themes that have been experienced during the first portion of the exam."

"Well usually it seems to involve some sort of problem or test that requires a solution," Komugi quickly answered having the most experience with the exams.

A distinction he shared with his Genin teammate Gennai, who added, "Sometimes we are allowed to help each other, although even that isn't outright stated."

"What about the big reveal that only the last question mattered?" Naruto asked referring to the exam he took part in.

"It generally depends on the proctor," Komugi replied. "Truthfully, we've only seen it used with Ibiki. Generally, in the years where he is the examiner it usually results in most of the people getting cut during the first exam."

Naruto nodded, and looked towards where Moegi was sitting on a log to see if she had anything to add. She nodded in agreement with the two men's statements and he was about to turn away when he suddenly looked back as she gave him a clear shot up her skirt to show him the orange panties she was wearing. He quickly turned his attention elsewhere, but felt that although it might have been an accident that she was forcing back a smile.

He cleared his throat since he began to feel a little flushed. He got ahold of himself as he wanted to really concentrate on the next portion of the exam since if Yoshino was correct about how the Raikage would respond to Yugito leaving Kumo, then not only would he be in danger, but his team. With that in mind he asked, "Does the second exam always incorporate some team survival portion?"

Naruto first looked at the two male genin who quickly nodded with Gennai explaining, "It does, and it also always seem to require that the teams square off against each other collect something needed to advance." His gaze then traveled to Toka who favored him with an annoyed scowl. The reason for which was his insistence that they gather the information through the past experiences of those that had taken the test rather than relying on the inside knowledge he could get his hands on.

She felt it was a waste not to, particularly since he was sleeping with one of the women that would be administering the tests. Not to mention, had shared a bed with another, at least until Karui had joined the ANBU division of Kumo. She felt with the potential for the added danger that he might face, it justified getting the information directly from the sources.

Naruto though had argued that would be cheating, which Toka had countered was exactly what war was about. After all, no general had ever complained about being handed the enemies battle plan the day before a battle. More importantly, if the Raikage did decide to eliminate Naruto in retaliation for what he felt was Konoha's complicity in Yugito's defection, since it would back Ame. Then he was going to provide all the details for the first test to his assassins to ensure they not only made it to the second exam where they would have the most freedom to kill him. But would give them the details for all the exams to let them prepare contingencies in case they failed in the second.

He had countered that using the same methods as the Raikage wasn't exactly the best way to prove they were more principled then him. It had won him the argument, although he felt that his lover still considered him a naïve fool. Naruto couldn't say he wasn't tempted though, particularly since both Yakumo and Moegi's lives would be in danger because of him. He felt particularly unsure of his choice since Moegi wouldn't even know why they were being targeted.

He sent a look towards the orange haired woman, and felt a thrill as she again parted her thighs enough that he once more received a clear view of her panties. He also though that he noticed a dark spot on them which led him to believe that she knew exactly what she was doing and was getting aroused by it. His dick began to harden, but he quickly looked away while trying to purge the thoughts causing his manhood to awaken.

It was relatively easy to do considering the dangers they may be facing. Addressing the two males present he said, "Have you noticed a pattern to where the test is held?"

Gennai shrugged before replying, "Not really. When it is in Konoha it is the Forest of Death, and in the desert when in Suna."

"I heard it is held on a giant turtle during Kumo's exams," Toka supplied causing Naruto to fight back a frown since he could guess where she had heard as much.

"Where did you here that?" Moegi asked with a note of interest.

"A Kumo-nin told me," the Senju replied sending a pointed look Naruto's way.

Naruto frowned, but doubted the source was Karui since she wouldn't violate the secrecy required of a proctor. Therefore, he imagined the source might have been a disgruntled Yugito. Still, he figured that technically the information would have been readily available from Konoha's monitoring of the Cloud village's chunin exams.

Moegi blew a hole in the theory that the information was readily available when she stated while looking at him, "I can't imagine a Kumo-nin would so easily part with that information. I looked up some of the information our spies have gathered in regards to Kumo's exams, and the location of their second exam is never revealed."

Naruto had a hard time not smirking at Toka. Her face registered with the momentary concern of a person caught in a mistruth. But, by the time the others looked at her, she had already masked it. Although, she no longer looked concerned, it was apparent that she was having trouble coming up with an explanation. Naruto took pity on her by saying, "I've heard similar rumors about a turtle island, and such a place would probably fit with the standard settings for the second exam, since they would require a large area. I don't necessarily know if Toka's information is accurate, but I'm guessing we can use Moegi's research to rule out that Kumo will be the setting of the exam. Or at least the second portion of it."

Yakumo focused on Naruto having been amused by the exchange, but didn't know why he would believe Kumo wouldn't host the exams. "What makes you so certain? I figured the Raikage would want home field advantage for his shinobi."

"True," Naruto said having considered the matter previously due to the danger they may be facing, "but as Moegi pointed out Kumo was so secretive about where their second exam was hosted, they didn't let spies even get a hint of it. That probably means the location has some sort of other significance to Kumo. I kind of imagine that our village, for example, doesn't care if people know we use the Forest of Death."

"Boss, you've really given this some thought, haven't you?" Moegi said impressed, before adding teasingly, "When I think of how you used to be, it is kind of hard to picture you as doing anything but charging right into danger."

Naruto smiled at her, but then noticed that her thighs were parting again. He quickly averted his gaze while replying with a perfect understanding of what she meant considering her recent actions, "I guess we all have changed since then." Focusing back on the group he said, "Since I doubt Kumo is going to build a new location to take the second exam. I think it is a safe bet to assume it will be held in Konoha or Suna. Next time we get together let's see if we can come up with some theories about tackling those testing locations."

Naruto received several nods before everyone started to leave. He quickly approached Moegi asking, "Do you have a minute?" Moegi nodded eagerly, if somewhat nervously , so he pulled her aside to state, "That was quite the show you gave me today."

Moegi's cheeks began to color even as she quickly said, "W…what do you mean?"

Naruto kept from sighing, although he was slightly afraid she might claim he was a pervert if he admitted he had seen her underwear. He imagined she hadn't expected him to call her out on it so quickly, and in embarrassment might try to claim he was reading too much into her actions. After a few seconds, in which her nervousness grew, he said, "Moegi, I've noticed that recently the way you look at me has changed. It seems you have a much more… adult interest in me."

"I… I don't know what you mean," Moegi said although her flushed face made it apparent that she was perfectly aware.

Naruto didn't hold back the sigh this time as he said, "Look Moegi, you don't need to be embarrassed by them."

A look of hope suddenly appeared on her face as she asked, "Does that mean…"

She trailed off as he held up his hand to continue, "But, right now is not the time to be letting them distract you. I know that it seems you are taking these Chunin Exams seriously. The research that you've done demonstrates that. But, your behavior during the meeting today, also shows that you might not be focused on the right goal. Remember what we talked about during our first team get together, and how these exams are going to be extremely dangerous. I need to know Yakumo and I can count on you."

"You can Boss," Moegi said quickly.

Naruto nodded, before stating, "Good. Once the exams are over, then we can address what other goals you might have." Again a hopeful look appeared on Moegi's face, but it faded as Naruto said, "Now if you can excuse me, it Ayame's ramen time."

The reminder of the woman that Naruto was seeing was like a could bucket of water on the fantasy that his saying they would address her feelings had created. She tried not to look disappointed, but it was difficult since she now imagined that the discussion would simply be him saying he was with Ayame so that was that. Still, she had noticed that Naruto, Yakumo, and Toka had seemed rather on edge so wondered if perhaps there was something larger going on behind the scenes. She began to worry that perhaps some other group like Sound was targeting Konoha and would spring their trap during the exams. She figured it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that those three would know due to their respective titles and power levels. With that thought in mind, and the hope that perhaps if Naruto spent more time with her it might lead to the future discussion regarding her feelings going the way she hoped, she asked, "Naruto… can I ask you something?"

Naruto paused in walking away, and felt some concern that his less subtle effort to get her to focus purely on the exam had failed. But, he figured that her dropping the nickname she called him mean the question was serious in nature so said, "Of course you can."

"Do you think that you can train me?" Naruto didn't frown, but Moegi could tell one was threatening to appear since he likely believed it was a ploy on her part. Although a small part of it was, it was a very small part which she explained by stating, "I get the feeling that something is going on that has you worried, and it likely centers around the exams." She felt proud of her deductive reasoning skills when Naruto's eyes reflected his surprise. Now rather confident the exams were possibly going to be even more dangerous than previously advertised she continued, "If that is the case, and you really want me to be in a position that you can count on me then please train me. Ebisu-sensei is already being assigned a new team, and that means the best that I can hope for is some remedial lessons for genin like me that get left behind."

Naruto knew that Moegi wasn't misrepresenting her situation since with Udon's defection, and Konohamaru's promotion, Ebisu was wasted on training just one kunoichi, especially as Konohamaru now had Chunin duties to perform. He recalled his first Chunin Exam and remembered seeing a genin that was in his late thirties taking the first exam. The man had looked extremely out of place considering his green sweater, and mustache. It kind of illustrated how there was a short viable window for a shinobi to achieve great success and the Chunin Exams were particularly unforgiving for those that got left behind.

Figuring it would help make sure that she was ready for the possible challenges they would face, he said, "Sure, that sounds like an excellent idea." Moegi beamed happily and gave him a hug which he returned before quickly turning to return to the village. He smiled, but chuckled since with Haku joining Akatsuki, he had agreed to also resume training Kiba so planned to have them both train with him at the same time. He figured the Inuzuka's presence would help keep Moegi's intentions honest, and would also make sure he didn't take advantage of the student-teacher relationship he now had with her.

*****************************

Matsuri was walking contently through her home village. Her arms were currently wrapped around the arm of the reason for that contentment as Naruto had taken her out on a date. Naturally, the two of them were henged, but she found that she didn't mind, especially as the date had taken place in her home village. She had enjoyed quite a few dates with Naruto, but generally they had been in Konoha since that was where most of the Family's resources were located. However, with Naruto's recent success among the kunoichi of Suna it had resulted in the need to create a place for them.

That place was called the Hidden Oasis Inn, which Matsuri saw approaching and anticipating how her night would continue began to grow wet. She snuggled a little tighter into Naruto's side since the sun had set hours ago causing the temperature to begin dropping rapidly. Enjoying the warmth that he was giving off, she took a moment to study her new home. The Hidden Oasis, like all the buildings in Suna, was round with multiple levels which was a design necessity due to the sand blown by the wind. Much like the other homes associated with the Family, the first floor was set aside for communal gatherings, while the other levels were where the apartments were located. Matsuri giggled softly recalling how Naruto had said the building looked like a big round pot upon first seeing it.

"What's so funny," Naruto asked as they reached the entrance.

Matsuri shook her head before replying, "Its nothing. I was just thinking that coming from a village like yours where everything has hard angles. I can kind of see how you think the buildings here look like pots."

Naruto shook his head asking, "I'm never going to live that down."

"Well, like I said, I can kind of see where you are coming from," Matsuri said turning to stand before him on the stoop. "Isn't that the goal we are striving for?"

Naruto smiled and then leaned forward to kiss the brown-haired kunoichi. She wrapped her arms around his neck while his encircled her waist. Matsuri was really getting into the kiss especially as she always wanted to share one in such a setting. They had kissed in a similar manner in the apartment he had established in Konoha, but there was just something more romantic about it taking place on her home turf. She did have the strange feeling something was watching them, but she was going to ignore it. But then Naruto suddenly pulled away and swiped at something.

"Is everything alright?" she asked concerned.

Naruto nodded, although he seemed rather tense. She saw his hand was tightly clenched around what he had caught. Having a sudden idea about who had been watching she wasn't surprised when he asked, "Can we pick this up inside in a few minutes? This hopefully will not take long?"

Matsuri nodded, and quickly disappeared inside the building. Naruto then opened his hand and allowed the floating eye that he had caught to begin flying away. He followed after it, and was lead to the roof of the Kazekage mansion. He wasn't surprised to find it deserted except for Gaara, who was dressed in his robes of office. Naruto suspected that the choice of clothing and venue was deliberate.

He landed across from the Kazekage and despite being quite sure the meeting would be a contentious one said amused, "Don't tell me you've picked up some peeking habits since we last spoke."

He wasn't too surprised when Gaara said, "Considering how casually you are taking the idea that the Alliance is going to fall apart. I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that you wish to crack jokes."

Naruto wasn't too shocked by the rebuke, and knew to expect it the moment he had opened his mouth. Trying not to let Gaara's attitude ruin the good mood that he was in due to his date with Matsuri, he nevertheless couldn't help the snark in his tone as he replied, "Have you come back from the future and can tell me that it happened already?"

Gaara stiffened slightly at the response, which was all the outward appearance he gave to it. A moment later he stated, "One doesn't need to have the gift of foresight to know that letting Yugito take the path of a missing-nin is going to rip the Alliance apart."

Naruto sighed since he knew his friend was worried for good reason, so replied, "Gaara, we can't let what are nothing but fears about what might happen decide what is the right course of action and what is wrong."

"I find that philosophy horribly naïve," Gaara said responded with a sense of urgency despite his usual stoic calm still being present. "That is how everyone makes decisions on the future. What action do I take in the present to achieve the best result for the future? What you are planning to do is taking an action you know will have horrible consequences for all we have built thus far."

Naruto frowned, since he knew Gaara had a valid point. But, countered, "If it can be so easily shattered then is what we have built really worth maintaining?"

Naruto felt a spike of anger due to Gaara actually rolling his eyes at him. He could also hear the dismissal in the Kazekage's tone as he said, "I unfortunately do not get to deal with such lofty proclamations Naruto." Holding his hand out towards his village, he asked, "What do I tell my people when they might be sucked into a war because you want to shake everything up for one woman?"

The blond felt his anger grow hotter from Gaara's dismissal of Yugito's happiness. But, he calmed since he knew Tsunade had the same fears, but was more willing to risk such things on his behalf. "That isn't my concern," Naruto said shocking Gaara with his calm dismissal. Before Gaara recovered his voice he said, "I was willing to throw everything away to save you when you needed me."

"That was different," Gaara replied although still somewhat off balance by Naruto's dismissal of his concerns. "You were protecting your interests in Suna. The Daimyo's actions would have made…"

"I did it for your sister, and for you," Naruto snapped angrily. "Yes there were concerns about how it affected my Family's goals. But despite how my going Rogue would make it harder to achieve them. I still acted in the manner that I felt was best for those closest to me. So don't play the I'm the Kazekage so my concerns are greater than yours card with me to dismiss my wanting to do the same thing for someone else I love." Naruto turned away to let out a few more curses, but then spun back around to add, "I mean seriously, have you really forgotten that just like with us, Yugito had no choice in becoming a jinchuriki. Worse still, she thought the attitude in Kumo was different due to their treating her well. But now she believes the difference in treatment might have been nothing but a rouse to help keep her stable. Beneath all the kind words, they always viewed her as an asset that would never be allowed to live as she wants."

Gaara kept his face calm, despite knowing the pain Yugito might be going through. He likened it to the betrayal he had felt when he thought his Uncle had tried to kill him. In point of fact, he imagined it was only Naruto's feelings which had kept the woman from completely going rogue right off the bat. Yet, still he felt his concerns for his people's wellbeing was more valid simply due to the numbers involved. Particularly since if the Raikage did decide it was worth going to war over, then Yugito's happiness would be small comfort for the many people whose lives would be affected. Trying to appeal to Naruto's sense of proportion he asked, "Then what of your other lovers? Are you truly willing to risk them and their wellbeing for this madness?"

Naruto smiled softly due to his pride in the women he was with as he answered, "They are willing to risk it themselves. Are they all as sure as me this is the right path? No, they aren't. But they understand building a world where Yugito is still thought of as nothing but a weapon is not us moving forward. It is a sham peace built on her misery. I understand you have your own concerns to consider. You do what you think is best. I am doing what I know to be best for those my concerns lay with."

Naruto turned to walk away, but stopped to say, "There is one thing I would like to know however."

"What?" Gaara asked now confident Naruto would continue down his current path regardless of what he or anyone else said.

"What if it was Sari that you were required to sacrifice for the sake of your village's peaceful days?"

Gaara let a frown appear as he was unsure how to respond. A part of him wanted to say that his duties as the Kazekage meant he would take any steps to protect the village. He stopped himself from stating as much since he suspected Naruto would react with disappointment. Unsure of his own answer he asked, "What is the point of such a question?"

Naruto turned to face his friend to reply, "It isn't an easy question to answer when someone you care about is meant to be the sacrifice, is it?" Gaara remained silent so he continued, "My mother was sacrificed for the sake of the village. The sad thing is my father knew some horrible fate was going to befall her due to my little jaunt into the past. Yet rather than confront it. He blanked his memories and carried on like nothing was amiss."

"I'm not sure I see your point," Gaara said confused. "If he hadn't, then we probably would not be here having this conversation."

"True," Naruto replied conceding the point. "Many people would say he probably acted as he should have. I find it completely baffling though how he could say he loved my mother though when he had no problem sacrificing her."

"I don't think it was as easy a choice as you make it sound," Gaara replied. "He likely removed his memories because it wasn't an easy one."

"I'm not saying he did it callously," Naruto said quickly. "I only question what motivated him to become Hokage. If I became Hokage, it would be because I wanted to create a safer world for my Family. Yet, what good is that position if the ones I love, the very people that should feel the most secure in the knowledge that I am giving my all for them, are the first to be sacrificed so I can perform my duty. What you are asking me to do in ignoring Yugito's feelings is no different than my father's lack of curiosity about what fate would befall his wife. Yes, the world might be better off because of his choice. But, I refuse to believe that people who I have never met are more deserving of happiness then the women I love. So if I need to roll the dice on the Alliance's survival to insure Yugito's happiness then I'm more than willing to do so. As to your own relationship, well I would just make sure that when push comes to shove. You know exactly where you stand when it comes to Sari's happiness especially when measured against Suna's. If you find Suna's wellbeing comes before everything else, then you should make sure she knows that. Otherwise, she may come to resent you."

"Sari would act in Suna's best interest," Gaara said confident his lover loved the village as much as him.

"I don't deny that," Naruto said with a sad shake of his head. "I'm just cautioning you against thinking you can be the one making that decision for her, without her feelings for you suffering. Yugito is willing to stay in Kumo after all."

"Then why…"

"Because she is willing to sacrifice her happiness for my and our Family's sake, but she shouldn't be made too," Naruto said cutting the Kazekage off. "In the end, it all comes down to I'm just not willing to accept her sacrifice." With his piece said, Naruto suddenly disappeared as he teleported away.

****************************

Gaara remained staring at the spot where his friend had been standing for several moments before heading back inside. He wasn't sure how to proceed since he couldn't exactly bring the matter to the Shinobi Council. Plus, although he knew his mother and sister had their reservations, ultimately they were going to support Naruto's decision. His sister had even made the same point about how Naruto had acted for both their sakes previously despite how it would have hampered his ambition. Still what had caught him by surprise was Naruto's insistence that he wasn't concerned with the common good, or perhaps more accurately the common good of the many was secondary to his lovers.

That point had hit home with Gaara, since he remembered outside of his Uncle, who had used the fact that his mother was thought to have been sacrificed to seal the one-tails into him, when he had claimed to hate him. Most citizens hadn't seemed too concerned that his father had been willing to do something of the sort to his wife. They had just lamented that it seemed to have been in vain due to his unstable nature. Gaara had never really given the matter much thought, especially after his mother's rebirth since she had explained that her death had been an unforeseen complication from their sealing the One-Tails into him during her pregnancy. Yet after listening to Naruto, it seemed that perhaps he might be possessing a similar mentality as his father. After all, he was sure that despite his many misstep, his father would have claimed he was acting for the good of Suna and as such his actions were justified.

That had after all, been the case that he had just tried to make to his friend about not supporting Yugito's desire to abandon Kumo. Although his bitterness against his father was no longer present. He did suddenly feel ill at the idea that he might not be that different of a Kazekage in his beliefs.

Reaching his bedroom, he felt a sense of happiness from seeing Sari sleeping contently in his bed. He also felt a longing for her due to her sleeping in the nude. But again he wondered if perhaps he was like his father, and in his disagreement with Naruto might not have been too quick to believe she would happily sacrifice herself for the village. He didn't doubt that she would do her duty, but he felt he was rather quick in assuming it was his right to claim as much. After all, he was a product of what happens when a person used his duty to justify actions that harmed the people closest to him. Most people, Gaara believed would be quick to point out that what his father did was noble as he had his family make the sacrifice instead of his people. But, he had to admit that Naruto made a very strong case about how it should have been his father's family which those actions benefited as well.

He reached out to cup Sari's face and smiled softly as she turned into it due to the warmth. He pulled away and she let out a soft whimper, before settling back down. He began to undress to join her in bed, and reflected that if he continued to think in a similar manner as his father and put the concerns of the village above those closest to him, instead of taking actions which benefited both equally. Then in the future he probably shouldn't be too surprised if he found himself with nothing but the village's gratitude and an empty bed. After all, although Sari had kept quiet while his mother and sister had told him about how Naruto intended to support Yugito. He had found himself growing rather jealousy that Sari seemed to be rather smitten by the fact Naruto was willing to risk so much for one of his lovers. As such, he found that although he had no trouble falling asleep. The world he dreamed of was one in which he put his girlfriend's happiness behind his duties to the village and so came home one day to hear noises coming from his bedroom. Despite knowing what they meant. He had been unable to stop himself from investigating, so came upon the sight of Sari bouncing happily on another man's cock while his mother and sister obscured the face and torso of the man she was riding. His girlfriend had been facing the door so knew immediately when he had appeared. Yet, rather than shame or regret she only gave him a look which conveyed that he had no one else but himself to blame, since he had made it clear that she was a secondary concern, and so had sought out someone who knew where his priorities should lay.

Gaara's eyes snapped open moments before she announced she was cumming, without it revealing who exactly the man had been. But his subconscious had provided him more than enough hints. Never so glad that he didn't need much sleep as he was at that moment, he was going to get out of bed to begin his day. But instead rolled over to pull Sari tight to him, his girlfriend murmured in her sleep appreciatively, while he made plans to take the day off to make sure she could enjoy his warmth all day.

*****************************

Naruto had teleported to Matsuri's location and found her sitting at a table with Kashike, Quistis, Selphie, Sen, and Rikku. He smiled as he figured that she was filling them in on the details of their date. He also was amused since spread out over the table were various items that he could easily associate with each of them. Quistis had a stack of papers that she had likely been grading. While spread out before Selphie and Rikku were the guts of some machine that the pair had been working on.

Sen had a report open before her which appeared to be about the Four Kings attack on Kiyomi's mansion. He wasn't too surprised about that since Sen upon making Chunin had entered Suna's Intelligence Division. She hadn't admitted as much to him yet, but he believed her reason for doing so was related to the disastrous mission that had befallen her former teammate Shira. Her teammate shortly after being promoted had been assigned to a northern outpost to monitor the Stone Country border since Iwa-nin usually slipped into the Land of Wind from there. Many of the shinobi at the outpost had been slaughtered when it had accepted a mission to locate a pair of lovers that had run off to join a cult. The Descendants of the Moon had not been named specifically. But, from what he had remembered seeing among the notes that she kept in her room, one of the attackers had used powerful lightning based jutsu. Considering the belief that Shermie was tied to the cult, he imagined that Sen was of the opinion that she and the other Four Heavenly Kings were also connected to the attack on Shira's group.

Naruto was confident that might be the case as well. Yet, he would admit that he was rather unsure about the motive for the attack. After all, Yoshino's theory believed that the reason the Heavenly Kings had been chosen to destroy the tablet was due to a power struggle happening within the cult. It was believed they were never expected to leave Konoha alive. Naruto imagined if this was the case, then perhaps the incident Sen was investigating might have been a previous attempt to eliminate them. Yet, he couldn't put his full support behind that idea since the leader of the Cult opposed to the King's faction must have had some idea of the power that they wielded, and so should have known a team assembled to find a pair of runaway lovers wouldn't be enough to deal with them. Still, he wasn't sure why the Cult would have wanted to get mixed up in a fight with Suna-nin over such a trivial matter. Although, he had to admit that it wasn't like they were claiming credit for it since much of the evidence was based on the blast patterns between the two incidents being similar, so probably wouldn't stand up as actual evidence.

Naruto then turned his attention to Kashike, who was sitting at the end of the table, and was currently sharpening one of the serrated knives that she used while fighting. She smiled at him, before sliding the blade into the sheath that was located in the combat sandals she wore. She then stated, "I take it Lord Kazekage couldn't wait until tomorrow to speak with you."

Taking a seat next to Matsuri, he took her hand in his before replying, "Yeah, although I'm not sure how he knew I was here."

Matsuri frowned before saying, "I may have had something to do with that. I told Sari that I was going to be enjoying a date tonight. I'm sorry but she is my best friend."

"It happens," Naruto replied with a chuckle, "Truthfully, it just means I got it out of the way so can relax rather than endlessly think about it."

Matsuri did feel somewhat annoyed that Gaara would use what she had told his girlfriend to interfere with her date, "I'm guessing he didn't change your mind."

"Nope," Naruto said proudly despite his concerns. She could see there were a few more now due to what had transpired between them which he shared. "Basically, Gaara tried to play the I'm a Kage card, and my people's well-being trumps your lovers' happiness."

Kashike having pulled her other blade to begin sharpening it looked amused as she said, "Generally, most people would be pleased their leader thinks so much about their wellbeing."

Naruto sighed before replying, "I'm not saying Gaara doesn't have a point." He folded his arms over his chest as he thought for a moment before adding, "But, I just don't like his belief that because numbers are on his side, it automatically means he has the more valid argument. I don't owe the people of Suna anything." He could see his statement surprised his lovers so explained, "My loyalty is to all of you. Gaara much like the Raikage has helped us because he believes doing so is best for his village. There are elements of our friendship mixed in to be sure, unlike with the Raikage, so I know his heart is in the right place. But, what he showed me tonight is that his first concern is as the leader of this village. If push comes to shove, then he will take actions that are in Suna's best interest and may even work against us. He has made us earn our advances in Suna and has told us multiple times he needed to be assured it was in the village's best interest."

Quistis looked concerned and then asked, "Then do you believe that he might actively work against us now? It could be problematic if he decided to leak Yugito's intentions to Kumo."

Naruto shook his head before replying, "I don't think we need to worry about that. Gaara is in a difficult position as well, and if he acts carelessly could bring about the result he is scared our actions will lead to."

"I don't know how much more careless he could act considering the events you plan to set in motion." Naruto stared at Kashike and couldn't tell if she was being facetious or not.

Deciding to respond seriously, he said, "We aren't being careless. We're already stetting the plan into motion." Focusing on Quistis he explained, "You don't need to worry about Gaara leaking Yugito's intentions because Karui is going to." He could see most of the women were shocked by his statement, so was about to fill them in as to why.

Yet, Kashike beat him to the punch, "Clever. You plan to use it to help improve Karui's standing among her peers."

Naruto nodded while adding, "Exactly. Yugito is moving out of the Hidden Thunder Inn, which Karui will state makes her believe that she is planning something. I don't think the Raikage is going to find the idea hard to believe considering her resent attitude. The trick will be getting her out of the village, since she'll probably be placed under observation. But, I've already come up with a way to lend a hand with that. It'll also prove beneficial for my Menma persona, and give him a background which should attract the attention that we hope it does. I'm confident that should we follow the plans Yoshino is putting together that we'll emerge from these difficulties stronger than ever."

"Provided you aren't killed by the Raikage's possible reprisal against you during the Chunin Exams," Sen said worriedly.

Naruto nodded, but replied, "I'm confident that I can handle anything he can come up with. It isn't like he will be able to sneak in a jounin without our figuring it out. But, I'm not taking it lightly either. I'll definitely be sleeping with both eyes open during the exams. Plus, we'll be training our butts off between now and then to make sure that we are ready for them. Speaking of training, did you ask Gaara if you are going to be able to participate in the exams Quistis?"

Quistis nodded before answering, "Yes, and I will be attending them with Yome. We need to find a third, but we should be in good shape for the exams."

"Good," Naruto said excitedly, "By the way, I was thinking about your ability and do you think that if I taught you the shadow clone jutsu then you'd be able to copy jutsu without needing to be hit directly by them."

Quistis looked surprised for a moment before she began thinking about it. Knowing that her ability to copy jutsu that hit her was due to her chakra reacting to the chakra of the attack she answered excitedly, "I suppose it is possible in theory. Since the chakra returns to me after dispelling, it would mean I could learn jutsu that might otherwise kill me. But…"

"But what," Naruto said wondering why her eagerness suddenly seemed to fade.

Kashike explained why as she stated, "But, how are you going to teach her the jutsu. That is a Forbidden Leaf technique. It's not like you can just teach it to a Suna-nin."

Naruto smiled widely as he replied, "But, I'm not just teaching it to a Suna-nin. I'm teaching it to Quistis. Besides, Tsunade said we can just write it off as her ability copied the jutsu from a sparring session." He felt a sense of contentment as the Suna-instructor realized that it wasn't just him willing to support her growth as a kunoichi. It was a realization that all the women that had made up the Suna Paranormal Support Group shared.

He sat back in his chair feeling content that much like his decision to support Yugito, sharing the Shadow Clone Jutsu with Quistis was the right thing to do. His decisions on his lovers' behalf had a rather immediate benefit for him as Matsuri leaned in to kiss his cheek, but she also placed her hand on his crotch before pulling down his fly. Quickly pulling out his cock, she began stroking him while saying, "I thought I was wet for you before, but you just turned a small brook into a river." Naruto groaned while his dick began to respond, and although she had planned to enjoy him herself that night. She didn't doubt his words had left the other kunoichi in the room with a similar desire to have Naruto's cock plug their leaking cunts. So displaying the same capacity to share as their lover she said, "I know tonight was supposed to be my night, but in the spirit of the evening. I think a night of sharing is in order."

She smiled as the other women at the table immediately began stripping while she slipped out of the chair to begin licking his cock. Naruto groaned but was quickly silenced by Quistis pulling him into a kiss. He felt a pair of hands grab one of his and then found it pressed into the flesh pillow of one of his lovers. Fondling the breast, he was able to guess that the owner was Kashike which was confirmed as he managed to make her moan from teasing her nipple to hardness. His other hand was moved between a pair of thighs which he guessed was Selphie joining into the fun due to how shapely they were. He felt a pair of tongues begin to join Matsuri's so knew that Rikku and Sen were now kneeling before him.

Naruto allowed himself to take immense satisfaction in how his lovers reacted to his offer. To him, it was all the proof he needed that his instincts were correct, due to how eager they were to show their affection for him. Plus, it just further reinforced why he would always put their wellbeing above not only his, but the wellbeing of the entire shinobi world. He knew there were some leaders who would say that made him selfish, but he felt it was a selfishness that his lovers deserved. But not wanting to be a selfish lover, he pulled his lips from Quistis to say, "Ladies, line up across the table. I heard there were some leaks that were in need of plugging. I have just the right tool for the job."

He smiled as his lovers all began to stand and then bent over to display their backsides to him. Standing up he stepped behind Matsuri and plunged inside. He then began to finger Sen and Rikku who were to the sides of her. Looking forward to the plumbing job before him, he allowed himself to forget tomorrow's concerns to live in the moment.