The Deity of Spring
Chapter TWELVE
Hatake Kakashi had been away from the base for months, and he could feel the feelings he had been trying to suppress while away coming back as he stepped past the guards at the gates and into their final fortress.
This was not the Land of Fire he had known, but the Land of Fire was, at its core, the people, and it simply felt as though the number of his neighbors had increased.
Now only if the unification and alliances had come for a reason other than an invasion by a Goddess.
He had been relatively well updated on the happenings while he had been away. Tsunade sent him regular reports, and Obito, his friend, sent him two letters for everyone the Senju wrote.
As though on cue, Obito bounded up to him. The guard who had just finished performing the security checks stepped back uncomfortably as the Uchiha skidded to a halt by his side. "Kakashi! You're back!"
Kakashi sighed. "Obito," he replied.
Obito grinned. "How was it?"
"Trying." Kakashi nodded at the guard in thanks. Behind him, the rest of his team appeared to have finished their own checks, and he could see the medics moving towards them for their own checks.
"I'll catch you later, Obito," he said. "I have more checks, and I am required to check in with Tsunade-sama."
Obito pouted. "But Kakakshi~" He whined. "You've been away for ages; don't you want to hang out?"
Kakashi rolled his eyes."I have to check in with the Hokage," he said. "It is required, and protocol."
Obito sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. I gave up on the chance to see something very interesting too, only to be treated like this."
Kakashi glanced over at his friend, curious. He huffed. "I'll find you later, okay?" he said, albeit begrudgingly, but Obito grinned.
"Okay."
Shisui watched Naruto wolf down his fifth bowl of ramen.
"This-this is amazing," Naurot said. The blond licked his lips and put down his bowl. He patted his stomach. "Like-wow."
"You've never had ramen?" He asked.
Naruto nodded. "We don't have to eat, though we do it sometimes because food tastes nice, you know? A little hard to find anything too fancy in a forest and all, but it's never bothered me much."
The blond stopped talking at a speed that made Shisui suspect he had bitten his tongue when Sakura turned towards him, napkin in hand, and wiped at his mouth. "You are getting broth everywhere," she chastised him gently.
"Heh." Naruto grinned when she pulled away. "Sorry about that."
Sakura smiled then turned towards Sasuke, who still looked asleep. "I told you you should stay in and sleep."
Sasuke mumbled something that Shisui could not catch, but Sakura sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
Naruto snickered. "He's jealous Sakura-chan spent the night with me," he explained. "Even though he had her the entire time I was away."
"She usually sleeps during the night," Sasuke muffled, this time audible enough for him to hear. "You have her most of the time."
Sakura sighed again. "We are not doing much if you are half asleep," she said, sounding amused.
"But I'm out here with you," Sasuke insisted.
"I can stay up," Sakura retorted. "You simply have to ask."
"Don't want you staying up for me."
Sakura flicked Sasuke's ear and the raven groaned in protest. He shifted so that his hair covered his face. "I do not have to sleep."
"What's going on?" Shisui asked curiously. "You don't have to share," he added hastily. "Just curious."
Naruto glanced over at Sakura, who was now whispering something into Sasuke's ear. "Sasuke and I complete each other. There's history there, though it gets so long and complicated I'd rather not go into detail. It's difficult for me to function when the sun is not up, just like it's difficult for Sasuke to function when the sun is up."
"Oh," Shisui glanced over at Sasuke, who was half-heartedly swatting away Sakura's hand from his hair. "How difficult is difficult?"
Naruto frowned thoughtfully. "Imagine you haven't slept in five days and you're lying down on a comfortable bed, but you're trying to stay awake."
Shisui winced. "Ouch."
Naruto grinned. "We can stay awake if we force ourselves," he said. "If we're well-rested and well-fed prior, we can manage an entire day or two."
Shisui hummed thoughtfully as Naruto hesitated, before ordering another bowl. Sakura frowned at him and the blond grinned sheepishly. They stared at each other for a while before Sakura smiled in exasperation. Naruto's grin widened and he recalled the order.
Shisui decided he did not have to know exactly how Naruto's stomach worked. "Can I ask..." he hesitated. "Can I ask about the Zetsu?"
Naruto and Sakura shared a look. "The Zetsu?" Naruto asked. "Or specifically the ones I beat up?"
Shisui suddenly felt sheepish, but Naruto simply grinned. He crossed his arms and dramatically puffed out his chest. "I beat them all up," he said simply. "There are a lot of them, sure, but that means I can kill many simply by lashing out in a single direction."
"Which is why you requested no one else be sent out with you."
Naruto shrugged. "I personally don't care," he said. "But I think you people do, and Sakura-chan definitely does."
Sakura slowly put her chopsticks down. Shisui noted the way the wooden utensils were placed neatly together, splitting the bowl perfectly down the middle. "Speaking of Zetsu," she murmured.
In the next second, Shisui felt a familiar signature approaching. "Oh, look! It's Tachi-chan!"
"Tachi-chan?" Naruto asked. Just before Shisui could answer, Itachi appeared at the mouth of the stall.
"Hello, Naruto-san." Itachi then dipped his head politely at Sakura, who had also turned around. "Sakura-sama."
"Hello." Sakura waved him over. "I take your leaders wish to see us?"
A smile tugged at the edge of Itachi's mouth. "Yes," he said. "Onoki-sama was spitting mad when you failed to report in after your return."
"There was nothing about Naruto reporting his return," Sakura said airily.
Naruto blinked. "No, nothing," he agreed.
Itachi appeared to lose his inner battle, and he smiled faintly. "I am aware."
Sakura eyed his cousin for a while before she smiled. She glanced down at her bowl again, then pushed it toward Sasuke. "Eat," she said. "I would like you both present when we greet the humans."
Sasuke flicked open an eye, and the onyx orb that looked around was the single most aware moment Shisui had seen since he had approached them. The raven pulled the bowl towards himself and sat up.
"Give us a moment," she told Itachi.
Itachi had only been half-serious when he had told Shisui to go see Sakura, but honestly, he was not all that surprised his cousin had gone and done just that.
As usual, walking with the Goddess garnered attention from everyone around them. Itachi was used to the looks being sent his way regardless, and he largely ignored them without so much as a bat of an eye as he led them through the base.
As far as he could tell, it did not bother the Goddess or her Guardians either.
He paused outside the main tent and nodded at the guard stationed there. "Uchiha Itachi," he announced, and seconds later Tsunade called out permission to enter.
The guard pushed aside the tent flap and Itachi stepped through. Three chairs had been set up for Sakura and her companions, but as he walked around the table to sit in his usual seat he saw the pinkette take a seat in the middle, and Naruto and Sasuke taking their positions behind her.
"Good afternoon," Sakura greeted.
"Good afternoon," Tsunade replied. "My apologies, we requested a meeting with you today to discuss the Zetsu your Guardian obliterated."
Sakura smiled. "I am aware," she said. "Go on."
Tsunade glanced over at her fellow leaders. "We have sent out a team to observe the battlefield after your Guardian's return was confirmed. We managed to extract several samples from the Zetsu and our men are running checks and the likes on them as we speak."
Sakura nodded. "Understandable," she said. "Has anything been discovered yet?"
"Not yet," Tsunade told her. "It has barely been a few hours."
Sakura nodded again. "I see." Sakura placed her elbow on the arms of the chair she was seated on and leaned back. "As you probably observed, Naruto is able to clear out entire battlefields, but that becomes increasingly difficult the further away the enemy is, for one. It should also be noted that his techniques will not tell apart friend and foe. Such fighting techniques can only be done in open areas."
"And what do you...suggest we do?" Mei asked.
"As I said, there are many things I would like to confirm," Sakura said. "The most important right now is the Otsutsuki ruins and Kaguya's seal."
Sasuke leaned down and whispered something. Itachi strained his ears but found himself unable to hear what was said. Sakura glanced up at her raven-haired companion, then nodded. "I will head out tomorrow, at dawn, towards the Otsutsuki ruins."
Her announcement was met but a burst of murmurs. "What?" Fugaku burst out. "Are you serious?'
Sakura eyed him strangely. "Why would I joke about such things?" She asked. "It is you that is being pressured by Kaguya. Zetsu continue to grow stronger. The more you engage in combat, the more they absorb knowledge gained from fighting you. Sooner or later, you will be overwhelmed."
"You said the ruins are being used to create them," A said, "If you go there, can you stop that?"
"I can," Sakura said firmly. "That will not stop the creation of Zetsu; they can be multiplied as long as there are dead bodies. Still, it will stop the constant flow of them."
A crossed his arms, frowning.
Sakura glanced between the leaders at the tables. "You can send your men with me," she said, "Just be warned that we will not slow down for you, so keep in mind to send those who can keep up."
Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Since your Guardian's rampage, the number of Zetsu in points we have been keeping a lookout on has gone down," he said. "It is still an early observation, but the pressure has visibly decreased already."
"You can afford to spare a few men to keep an eye on me," Sakura said.
Tsunade did not react to the comment. "How long do you reckon it will take you?" She asked.
"I will be traveling by air," Sakura said. "However, travel times will be limited. Ideally, I will arrive in two days."
"And you will leave tomorrow morning."
Sakura nodded. She tilted her head, then stood up without a word. "I am aware you will need time to discuss this," she said. "I will be waiting at dawn, at the gates. I will allow the accompaniment of those present by then. I will not wait for those who are late."
Sakura appeared to have decided she had said what she had come to say. Gaara watched her sweep out of the tent as swiftly as she had come. He could still remember the way she had talked to him earlier, in an almost casual manner,
Beside him, Oonoki slammed his hands down on the table. "Who does she think she is?"
"A Goddess," Mei reminded him patiently.
"We should discuss who we are sending with her," Tsunade said. "As Gaara said, numbers of Zetsu are visibly less than before. Still, we cannot let our guard down."
"A bare minimum," A said. "Any volunteers?"
There was a moment of silence. "Deidara is available," Oonoki finally said, albeit begrudgingly. "If travel is to be by air, an aerial form of transportation will be ideal."
The blond, who had been leaning back on his chair in silence the entire time, sat up and nodded.
"Hatake Kakashi returned this morning," A noted. "That man is skilled."
Tsunade nodded. "I'll have him summoned." Behind her, Shizune bowed and headed out of the tent.
"I suggest C," A said. "He is a skilled sensor and a good medic."
"C has been working with us to extract information from the Zetsu," Sasori spoke up. "He will be of use."
"Kiri suggests Utakata," Mei said. "I will have him accompany them as well."
"The decrease in Zetsu has lessened the pressure on the northern base," a woman from Iwa said. "The patrol party that returned just past noon reported that a path may be cleared to send it proper aid."
Tsunade nodded. "That was discussed earlier today," she said. Gaara nodded; plans regarding the northern base had been talked about in a Kage only meeting in the morning. "Kiri, specifically the Seven Swordsmen, will be dealing with clearing any remaining."
"The Aburame and Inuzuka will bring resources to replenish their stocks," Gaara added. He received confirming nods from the heads of both clans.
"Plans have already been relayed to them," Mei informed them.
"The path to the northern base overlaps with the traveling route to Otsutsuki ruins," Shikaku noted. "If they are to leave tomorrow, they can act as part of the accompanying party until their paths differ."
Mei glanced around at her fellow members, then nodded. "I will tell them that."
Gaara glanced down at the map again. He reached out and move one of the pins that represented Zetsu with one of his fingers. He then traced the now clear route towards the northern hideout. "The men there have been holding out for days," he said softly.
"Once a safe travel path is cleared, we will send reinforcements and replacements," Tsunade said.
"Can this be called breathing room?" Kankuro asked.
"Perhaps," Oonoki said, surprisingly softly. "Who knows how long it will last for."
A messenger arrived at their tent just before dinner. "Mei-sama summons you to the main tent."
Hoshigaki Kisame looked up from his sword. He frowned. "You who?" He muttered.
"Not me," Momochi Zabuza drawled lazily. "No thank you."
"Not me," Ringo called out.
"Not me," Kuriarare Kushimaru said.
"Not me either," Munashi Jinpachi said.
"I'm not going: Kuriarare Kushimaru said,
"I'd rather not as well..." Choujuro said.
All eyes turned to him, and Kisame realized his mistake. "I asked the question," he muttered in complaint.
"Exactly," Ringo said. "That's all you did."
"We have an agreement," Chourujo added.
"Get going blue," Kushimaru sneered, and Kisame felt his sword humming in his hand.
He sighed. "I went last time," he muttered.
Zabuza laughed. "You just suck at this," he said, and Jinpachi laughed in agreement.
"We'll save you dinner," Jinin said, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Mei-sama must be waiting."
Kisame sighed and stood up.
The God of Death walked carefully through the wrecks of the battlefield. "Her newest boy sure has made a mess," he murmured.
There was a familiar crunch behind him and he scowled over his shoulder. "I would appreciate a little more care, Haku."
His companion smiled sheepishly and he pointedly removed his foot from where it sunk into the ribcage of a corpse. "My apologies, Kimimaro."
Kimimaro glared at the ice that now latched onto the bone, then at the young male smiling innocently at him. Behind the God of Winter, there were white spots where he had walked, the grass-covered in ice and frost. Haku ignored his gaze as he stepped right up to him. "It's her, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"She went into hiding, didn't she?"
Kimimaro adjusted a piece of bone with his foot so that it was better aligned with the rest of the skeleton. "Whatever happened to no interfering?"
"She was the most adamant about it," Haku agreed. "But I believe the exact words were 'no interfering with human business'."
"Kaguya changes things."
"She is definitely not human." Haku smiled. "I hear the brothers plan to go find her."
Kimimaro scoffed. "They always have been close."
"I also hear she is currently in the heart of the human stronghold."
Kimimaro paused. "Where did you hear that?"
"A little bird told me."
Kimimaro frowned "Is that a human expression?"
Haku smiled. "It is."
Kimimaro sighed. "If she is sticking her head in, I believe it is safe to assume that this conflict will soon come knocking at our doorsteps."
"That is also a human expression." There was a certain smugness behind Haku's light smile.
"What about it?" Kimimaro narrowed his eyes.
Haku shrugged. "Nothing, really." He shuffled around, drawing a five-petaled flower onto the ground with trails of ice. "Shall we join the brothers?"
Kimimaro shook his head. "I cannot deal with their stupidity on a good day, and Kaguya certainly is not making my day good." He overlooked the battlefield. "I say we travel over to the ruins," he suggested instead. "We all know what Kauya wants, after all; Sakura is bound to head there."
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