Chapter 81: Coup D'etat

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FRAKKING MIND?"

Haku winced as she bear witness to the most heated confrontation between the Emperor and the Reich Army Commander. Both men always shared different ideals, one preferred victory with minimum bloodshed, while the other wanted victory by eliminating the enemy to every last single man, women and child.

Naruto was a symbol of the peaceful future within the Reich, a place where the former ninja and the civilians could live together as humans.

While Sasuke wanted to annihilate the violent shinobi system completely from the world and history, there was not a shred of compassion in the boy's heart. And with good reason since it was the ninja world that led to the destruction of his entire clan, his parents, his cousins, and a brother whom he once loved more than anything. All Sasuke had left now was Naruto, and the dream of the Reich.

And the decision which Naruto was taking was almost jeopardizing that dream, something which Sasuke would not tolerate under any circumstances.

So, she stared as two of the most powerful warriors in the world glared at each other.

"Stand down, Sasuke..." warned Naruto,

"This is madness. This is a fucking trap and you're too foolish to see it..." barked Sasuke, pure white rage burning in his dark eyes.

"It could also be a genuine offer for surrender. But you wouldn't like that, would you? Because it's too convenient and hinders your desire for revenge. Tell me something, are you prepared to kill Sakura as well?" asked Naruto scathingly,

Even Haku understood that it was quite a cheap shot and judging from Sasuke's pained expression it hurt badly. The boy's fists clenched tightly as he tried to rein in his anger, just as Rei was Naruto's weakness Sasuke had one too.

"If you do this, you risk everything we've built..." advised Sasuke,

"I have to, brother. I can't condemn thousands of ninja to be executed when they are offering to surrender..." said Naruto soothingly, making Sasuke scoff.

"Ideals are Peaceful, Naruto. History is Violent..."

Haku was quite surprised by the level of maturity being shown by Uchiha Sasuke. She herself was agreeing with Naruto, but the way Sasuke was arguing raised valid points. Both boys were too close to this topic and personal feelings were mixing in.

When Naruto lowered his eyes, Sasuke got a predator look in his eyes knowing he had gained an advantage which he had to press.

"Have you forgotten what happened to your own ancestors? Your own great-grandfather- Izuna Uchiha warned his elder brother Madara against signing a peace treaty with the Senju and form Konoha. Look what happened, our clan is gone. The only ones left are us..." said Sasuke pleadingly, making Naruto smile faintly.

"And here is history repeating itself. It's a cruel joke that instead of Madara this time it's me, and in place of Izuna you're the one against this peace..." replied Naruto wryly,

Haku did well in staying silent fearing any intervention could heat this argument further. Instead, she just listened hoping to provide necessary input if asked. As a wife, she could understand why her husband wanted to do this and wanted to support him. But as an Empress...

She saw Sasuke hesitating and swallowing hard, whatever he wanted to say must be very difficult for him.

"Naruto, I have always loved you like my own brother. Perhaps even more than Itachi, and I've always had your back no matter what..." said Sasuke frankly,

"I know..." replied Naruto gratefully,

"But I also swore an oath to protect this empire against all enemies- foreign and domestic..." said Sasuke seriously, and Naruto didn't miss the emphasis on the last word and it hurt deeper than any wound he had suffered.

"What are you implying, Commander?" asked Naruto sternly, and Sasuke closed his eyes in defeat. There was no going back now.

"If you do this, then I will not come with you. And if you try to take the empress into your madness as well, then I'm afraid I'll have to relieve you of your command..." threatened Sasuke, and saw white, hot fury arriving in Naruto's eyes.

"Are you threatening me with mutiny? You must fully know the Reich soldiers are only loyal to me..." warned Naruto, his fists clenching tightly drawing blood.

"I know, but I will kill you. It's better if you die by my hands then going out there and getting slaughtered like a dog..."

"Kurenai-"

"Is a NINJA. A Hokage, I should have killed the bitch during the Invasion, I let my emotions for you get in the way of doing my job once. Not again..." said Sasuke furiously,

Before the argument could escalate into an all out civil war, Haku stepped between the two blood brothers and placed each of her hand on their chest pushing them a little away from each other. Even then her hands stayed on their chests, and surprisingly it eased the tension a little.

"There will be no civil war as long as I'm the Empress. AM I CLEAR?" asked Haku sternly, and looked both of them in the eye.

"Haku, I..." began both them men in unison, trying to prove their point as the correct choice.

"Enough!"

Her stern command stopped both of them, and she took in a deep breath to voice her decision. And she would make damn sure she was obeyed.

"Both of you are right from your positions. So I offer a truce..." said Haku patiently,

"We're listening..."

"First of all I agree that from a strategic point of view it is not viable to have the Emperor and Empress in one place, becoming an easy target..." explained Haku, getting a nod from Sasuke and another hesitant one from Naruto. At least her husband's rational mind was still functioning, if barely.

"Plus, I'm pregnant. And I will not risk my child's life under any circumstances..." thought Haku, keeping the unsaid promise to herself only.

"This truce could be an offer for genuine peace or a trap. Whatever it is, we have to approach it. But I won't send my husband and the emperor without someone I trust having his back. Sasuke, I want you to go with him. You're the only one I trust enough to watch his back, if Kurenai or any of the resistance so much as raise a finger to harm my husband, then you are ordered to butcher every last one of them. And this the direct order of the Empress of the Reich..." commanded Haku, and more shockingly receiving a grateful smile and nod from Sasuke.

"Yes, your highness..."

Naruto was completely surprised by the harmony in which Haku and Sasuke seemed to be working together. Yes, they were friends but not that close. At least he thought that was the situation, but perhaps they had formed a bond ever since Haku helped him forgive Sasuke for that incident with Kurenai. And they both had one thing in common...

The desire to protect him from all enemies, no matter the circumstances.

When she turned towards him she had a strange fire in her eyes, a sense of determination which he had never seen before. Sure, she loved him and worried about him. But something had changed, it was as if she desperately wanted him to come back alive.

"You will have your chance for negotiations, but on my terms. Any objections?" challenged Haku, making Sasuke smirk.

"No, have it your way..." said Naruto tiredly,

Haku smiled on hearing his consent, taking out a map from one of her pockets she placed it on a nearby table. "Fukushima Pass" was one of the neutral valleys that was neither in the control of the Reich or the Resistance.

A No Man's Land.

There was on old war fort there, a relic of the Clan War's Era. That was the site chosen for the negotiations, if under any circumstances either side tried to betray the other. The members of each side could flee to safety as their borders were not that far apart from each other. But if the trap itself was more than enough a threat then...

"Sasuke, station 5 battalions of combat ready soldiers on our border. Chose our best fighters, make sure they understand the entire situation and react ASAP if the situations calls for..." instructed Haku,

"I see no problem with that..."

"Who will be negotiating on behalf of the resistance?" asked Haku seriously, making Naruto snap out of his surprised state and look at her with pride in his eyes. She truly was an Empress in words and actions both.

"Kurenai, Temari and Mei, the 3 Kages of the resistance. They'll each have 2 of their own bodyguards, and are also having a medic with them. They are cautious..." said Naruto honestly,

"Fine. Then Sasuke will be your bodyguard, Tsunade will be assisting you with negotiations, Kakashi and Lee will go too..." ordered Haku,

"Why Lee? He's already living a peaceful life, besides it will increase the limit of the number of people I'm supposed to bring along..." argued Naruto, receiving a sharp glare in return which made him flinch.

"If the resistance has a problem with it, they can go fuck themselves. This is non-negotiable, they are the ones wanting peace. If they try to voice objection, I'll send in 5 battalions of soldiers and slaughter everyone of them. I'm only agreeing for this entire ordeal because you want it, nothing more. As far as Lee, he's the best Taijutsu fighter in the entire Reich. I'll be at peace if he's also watching your back, besides he owes you one..." explained Haku briefly,

She noticed the smile that came on Naruto's face as he remembered the day he met Lee...

(Flashback: 3 Years Ago)

It had been 3 long days since the invasion of Konoha had ended. The Otokage had been victorious and after 2 days of celebration, the reconstruction work had begun. The dead bodies were returned to the respective families regardless of which side they belonged to, the injured were given medical treatment, temporary camps were organised for the civilians to live in while the destroyed village was reorganized as a part of the Reich.

Lee could only watch helplessly from his hospital bed as the only home he had ever known got destroyed right in front of his eyes. If only that match against Gaara had not happened, if only he had not recklessly used his powers then he wouldn't be crippled right now. If only...

"There's no use thinking about what if's, they only hurt you everyday..."

Surprised he looked on the other side of the room, only to freeze on seeing the Otokage standing in front of him. This was Naruto Uchiha, the man who destroyed Konoha and killed Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with several of Lee's fellow comrades.

"Are you here to kill me?" asked Lee calmly, he wished he could go down fighting but his injuries prevented him from doing so.

The Taijutsu user could not understand why the Otokage merely smiled as he sent a pointed look towards Tsunade, who merely rolled her eyes.

"You want to be a ninja again, Lee?" asked Naruto seriously, as Tsunade observed the shocked look in the young boy's eyes.

"What?"

"I asked do you want to be a ninja again?"

"Please don't joke, Naruto-san. If you are here to kill me, at least don't make fun of my disability..." said Lee tightly, and saw a frown arriving on Naruto's face.

"Is that what is is, a disability? I was told that the most stubborn and determined ninja of Konoha was resting here. Not some fool who gave excuses, if that's the case then I take back my offer..." said Naruto sternly, and turned around to go away with Tsunade right on his heels.

"WAIT!"

Sighing the future emperor turned around and approached the Taijutsu specialist and sat beside him, as the Konoha ninja observed him wearily.

"How can you heal me, the doctors said-" argued Lee, only to hear Tsunade scoff.

"They're not me, boy. The question is do you want to be a ninja or not?" asked Tsunade sharply, making Lee feel like a little child.

"Even if you can heal me, what do you gain from it? I will not side with you, my village, my people, my comrades, you..." said Lee, tears forming in his eyes, and Naruto surprised him again by laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not asking you to join me. Heal yourself and fight me..." said Naruto flatly,

"Huh?"

"You're the kind of ninja that understand another ninja through the language of fists. Yes, I want you on my side but I won't force you. Instead, I challenge you to defeat me. If I win, then you'll atleast consider joining my side...if I lose, then you can have your revenge" offered Naruto, his voice lacking any kind of hesitation.

Tsunade could only stare at Naruto, the boy was a mystery. Here he was offering help to a ninja who won't hesitate in killing him if given the chance, she saw Lee was equally shocked by the offer. Naruto was neither pitying him or forcing him, instead he was giving a fair chance. That was more than Lee had ever imagined.

"I don't fight for revenge, Naruto-san..." confessed Lee, making Naruto smile even more.

"Then you're a better person than me. And it only increases my wish to fight against you, if you defeat me then I will grant any wish you have that is if you don't kill me in battle first..." joked Naruto, making Lee smile for the first time.

"I don't want to kill you, Naruto-san. I only want to defeat you, and if I do that then I want you to release me so I that I can go back to my people..." said Lee honestly,

"You have my word, Lee. And if I win?" asked Naruto straight forwardly, as Lee closed his eyes deep in thought.

When he opened his eyes again, there was so much determination in his eyes that Naruto had not seen in anyone else. It only increased his respect for the crippled boy.

"Then I'll join you. If I lose, it'll only prove you're a better ninja. And from what you're doing here, proves that you are not as bad as people said you were..." said lee honestly,

"Lee, you don't have to join me if you-"

''A man honors his promises, that was what Gai-sensei taught me. I'm only trying to give you a fair offer as well, that way neither of us will be in each other's debts..." explained Lee briefly, making Naruto smile.

''Very well, then..."

(Flashback End)

A year later the boy was back on his feet, his powers restored. And they fought their anticipated battle, Lee didn't have any delusions about winning. But damn, if he didn't make Naruto struggle. Pushing him as far as using his Susanno, that was the extent of the boy's power.

Lee was going to use the last gate that would have assured his victory only to be stopped when Naruto ceased the battle. In a move that surprised the boy, Naruto allowed him to go back to his people regardless of victory, saving the boy from killing himself.

He could still remember how Lee had cried that day, and had joined him. It was also due to Haku and Tsunade explaining how peacefully people from different nations lived within the Reich, and the respect given to Taijutsu users that changed Lee's mind.

The boy was welcomed by people and even respected for his skill, a feat which he did not even achieve in his own village.

Lee requested to start an academy for Taijutsu users naming the art of fighting as "Martial Arts", other warriors could be a part of it too if they wanted to learn. Naruto had not only established that academy making Lee its in-charge, but also made mandatory for every soldier of the Reich to pass through that school.

It was still hard for Naruto to believe that Lee was satisfied with his life as an instructor, rather than a fighter on the front-lines. But he could also understand the satisfaction Lee felt on imparting his knowledge and spreading the art of Taijutsu. A skill Naruto respected the most, as it required a human to work hard and was one of humanity's natural talents.

But now the situation had changed and he needed Lee's help.

While Naruto was busy remembering the past, Sasuke and Haku had finished preparing their strategy and were now staring at him.

"Huh?"

"I've already sent Tsunade to inform Lee of the situation and what his job is. We'll get an answer soon..." said Haku seriously,

"It's getting late. I better start the preparations since we leave tomorrow..." said Sasuke flatly, as he went away leaving the husband and wife alone.

"Fine, I'll do as you say..." answered Naruto tiredly,

Haku slipped her hand through his waist, an action which he repeated with her. Sighing both of them recognized how tired they were and decided to retire for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a long, tough day.

She noticed how tense Naruto was, it was going to be hard for him. Despite everything, she knew he still had feelings for Kurenai. It was something which Haku had to live with, one thing she was grateful for that Naruto had loved her as much as that woman, and had never looked back or been with another female. He had been loyal till this day.

But she doubted he could kill Kurenai, but the same could not be said for Kurenai. Despite all his faults, Naruto was a merciful man. His actions with Lee and a thousand other people, and those civilians of Konoha whom he spared was a proof enough that he was not the monster the resistance was accusing him to be.

He unconsciously gripped her waist more tightly, proving her assumption as to how tense he was. Tomorrow would be either a historic day or a catastrophe, one of the reasons Naruto had agreed to negotiate was because of Kurenai. They could win over the resistance in a matter of a few months, but that would mean eliminating Kurenai and all of Naruto's classmates. Knowing Sasuke, he would prove his loyalty to the empire by doing just that.

This truce was Naruto's last effort to save the ones whom he still considered family, to offer them a chance to live peacefully. She didn't know what plans Kurenai had or what decision that woman would make, what Haku did know that Naruto needed her tonight.

Naruto sat on the soft bed of his private chambers, a lot of things were currently on his mind. Most important was the fact that he would be meeting Kurenai for the first time since their last encounter 2 years ago, he was glad Tsunade was tagging along since he doubted he could put a complete rational perspective with his former love sitting in front of him.

He could still remember how she had told him she loved him during their last encounter, only for him to stop and say he was with Haku.

If there was a surrender tomorrow, and if one of the conditions put forward by Kurenai were to be with him, then what would he do? He would not leave Haku for anyone, that was for sure. Then what was he supposed to do with Kurenai? If she came back in his life, could they just start where they left off?

While it was not uncommon for royalty to have multiple wives, certainly not a new thing for an emperor. He simply didn't know what to do with his personal life anymore.

It was too complicated for him to figure it out...

He was saved from his dilemma when someone sat on his lap and gently kissed his forehead. Her scent calmed him down, his worries about the negotiations, about Kurenai, about everything vanishing for the moment. One look into his wife's eyes showed him how much she loved him, and it made him realize that he loved her too.

"It's gonna be okay..." whispered Haku soothingly, as he nuzzled into her chest.

"I don't know what I would do without you..." said Naruto happily, making her smile.

"Me either. I need you, Naruto..."

"Show me..."

Haku drew her head in to his and moving like she'd done it a million times before, she kissed against the center of his lips. Naruto couldn't even make himself react at first, chest pounding so hard and fast he'd swear he was having a heart attack. But Haku led the way for him, gentle at first, something he never expected from her. Just because it was unexpected didn't mean he didn't enjoy it, though. All at once he came back to his body and he returned her kiss, that same gentleness passed back to her.

His hand sought out her face, palm resting across her cheek and sharp line of her jaw to keep her close. He kissed the corner of her mouth and tasted just a hint there. the taste of Haku was absolutely divine.

She let some of her aggression out, straddling over his thighs as she kneeled on the edge of the bed. One arm went loosely over his shoulders, fingers stroking over his shoulder blade without any kind of pattern. The other had a plan to follow, her long fingers curled into his growing hair, still uncut despite how much time had passed between now and his return from the frontlines. It made her laugh against his mouth, unable to stop the smile from overtaking her face.

"What?" Naruto mumbled against her lips, taking the time to nudge her jaw up with the bridge of his nose. He kissed at the underside of her jaw, tasting the salt of her skin.

"You really need to cut your hair."

"You don't." His words were breathy against her throat, his fingers lightly tangling in the lengths of her hair that fell down her back and he gave a gentle tug for emphasis.

She quietly laughed as his breath tickled the crook of her neck. It was a groan and a moan all at once and it set her body on fire just to hear it.

As if on cue, Haku let one of her hands fall between them, pushing up the fabric of his tanks until she felt the skin at his lower abdomen, just where the waistband of his pants sat. He made a noise similar to before and it only spurred her on. Naruto's breath caught at her touch, willing himself to gain a modicum of control.

Her arm slid off his shoulder, trailing down the length of his own until she found his hand. She directed it from where it was occupied to press it over her breast, her hand covering his temporarily until she felt his muscles understand and flex against her. Haku moaned softly and thought about how she had teased him once for being such a good student. He certainly learned fast.

She withdrew her hand from inside the fabric of his briefs to grip at the hem of her tanks, pulling them upwards. Wherever they ended up after that, Haku no longer cared and the look on his face told her that he was feeling much the same. She was bare to him now, her bra having been already removed when she earlier prepared for sleep. Both of her hands went to the side of his head, holding his gaze on her face. "Eyes up here, your majesty," she spoke. Her tight lipped smile was met by his own grin, full of wanton abandon. Haku kissed him without pause, this time with a sense of urgency and roughness, a stark contrast to how they'd started.

Her fingers gripped at the layers of fabric he wore over his chest, pulling him with her as she backed off his lap slowly. It kept him close enough so their mouths needn't break too far apart, something which felt unimaginable at that moment. She leaned back on the soft bed beneath them, not a single care given to just when the last time it had been cleaned or how it would dig in at her various pressure points. Naruto was over her now, having been led along by her, his body kneeling between her parted thighs, forearms beside her head on either side to support his upper body weight. He lowered himself down against her, their hips and lower stomachs pressed tightly to one another.

Naruto dropped his head to her neck, exploring familiar territory before traversing lower. He took a stiffened nipple in his mouth, sucking at the rosy pink flesh. Haku cradled his head to her breast, her lips parted in response.

"Naruto," she called out, a twisted moan escaping her in the calm bedroom air. "Naruto, please," it was needier now, and from her chest, he could hear the begging in her voice.

His mouth abandoned its work, but not before blowing a cool breath over her moistened skin. Her hands were furiously grasping at the bottom of his tanks and he helped her along as he sat up slightly, removing them. Bare chested to her, Haku took in the pale spread of muscled flesh, though she hadn't missed the addition of a few new scars that despite their healed nature, she could tell were only a few months old. Her lips parted, but this time for a different reason entirely. She leaned up on an elbow, her other hand stretching forward to trace over a couple of the marks. Haku didn't have to say anything, he saw the look in her eyes that confessed it all. Naruto shook his head at her, kissing the corner of her mouth, her jaw, her cheek, in a silent expression that told her not to worry about it. Not to think of it.

Her arm curled around his neck and she held him close to her in an awkward, strained position.

Naruto could see her eyes coated over in tears and his forehead creased with worry. He didn't have the strength to say anything to her, so he kissed her again. This time it wasn't urgent and rushed, nor was it gentle and subdued. Even Haku could feel it, this was how he'd always wanted to kiss her. More than anything she felt the overwhelming sense of belonging, both of her to him and him to her. All those times he had said he loved her combined into that single moment, even more so than their mutual confessions had on that night in Konoha.

She laid back down on the bed freely, eyes trained on him. He tugged each of her boots and socks off before his hands went to her hips. There, they grabbed at the sides of her shorts and briefs together, tugging them down as she lifted her bottom just slightly to ease the process. Haku drew her thighs together and raised her legs upwards and Naruto finished the job for her, tossing the tangle of fabric aside. She sat up in front of him, holding eye contact with him while her fingers acted independently, undoing the drawstring of the sleepwear. Her hands slid between the fabric of his briefs and his skin, forcing them down as far as she could get them as he kneeled between her legs still. When Haku laid back down beside the couch, Naruto had already removed his boots and his remaining clothes the rest of the way. There was a noticeable chill in the room but neither of them actually felt it, their veins and bodies throbbing with need.

"Haku," He searched her face from above her, arms taking on the weight of his torso. He wanted this more than anything he could ever remember wanting.

"Don't." Haku cut through his wandering thoughts, a shallow shake of her head given, long dark hair splayed out around her. "I'm with you."

"Naruto," she breathed out his name and caressed his cheek again until he opened his eyes to look into her own. Her stomach fluttered with what was on the tip of her tongue. "I love you, Naruto Uchiha. Tell me you love me again." She prompted him and waited, knowing he needed to say the words perhaps even more than she needed to hear them. He never disappointed her.

"I love you, Yuki Haku," it was a whisper against her ear and Naruto drew his body back down to hers in that sense of closeness they hadn't completely had since minutes earlier when their bodies were mostly fully clothed.

Afterward, Naruto's weight came to rest down upon her, their forms interlocked and pressed tight to one another. He rested his head against her chest and Haku stroked the sticky skin along his spine. She wanted to stay like that forever.

Naruto squeezed her tightly and Haku lifted her head to look at him.

"What's wrong?" She feared he regretted it already.

"You know, for once in my life, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all." he replied, receiving a kiss in return.

Kurenai stared at her own reflection in the mirror, dressed in her Hokage robes made her feel the weight she carried on her shoulders. The responsibilities she had inherited from her ancestors, and how much she had sacrificed all these years.

Tomorrow everything would come to an end, all the suffering, the pain, that each ninja had suffered would be over.

Revenge of the Ninjas.

She knew what they were doing was treachery of the worst kind. Assassination of a negotiation team was not popular even in the ninja world, and yet many of them had practiced this abomination several times in the past. It came with the burden of being a ninja.

Her heart was so cramped right now that any moment she felt like she was going to have a heart attack, it was taking all her strength to not tear up over what she was about to do. The ambush had been set, and even for someone like Naruto escaping would be impossible.

And the worst part was that she was the one who made this strategy, using the dirtiest trick available in the books. In order to eliminate the devil which Naruto had become for the ninja world, she had to make deals with many demons. People she would have loved killing for the greater good had the circumstances been different.

She would ask him to surrender, lay down his arms at least for old time's sake. She owed him that much...

But deep down she already knew what his answer would be, she could clearly imagine how betrayed he would feel. She cursed herself for falling in love with the man who was now the enemy of her world. Despite her best efforts, she could not put Naruto Uchiha out of her heart. Instead the feeling only grew stronger with every passing day.

And it was because she loved him, that she had to save him.

And there was only one way to achieve that...

...Naruto Uchiha had to die for the greater good.