41With the end of the summit, they left for home. It was irregular that three shinobi escort a Kage, only two were allowed inside as Inojin had been left out from the meeting. While they exchanged what had happened, her mind was plagued with her own thoughts.
They began to relax once they reached the borders of The Land of Fire, and they felt safe to converse about the current state of affairs.
"What's going to happen?" They asked, or rather, the general question that was raised toward their Hokage.
Naruto gazed back at them and turned toward the moon.
"There's definitely something going on behind the scenes." He replied. "Honestly, I was expecting something more afterward. Though, this might speak of the intelligence of the enemy."
"Enemy?" Inojin asked.
"Whoever is speaking of Sasuke Uchiha, and of the whereabouts of the Tailed Beasts." There was a long pause as they thought about this. "Someone's moving to cause all this unease, and doubt. To cause distrust in one another, what better way than to rattle the Kage?"
It was Shikadai that spoke. "A nightmare. Waking up one morning to find someone missing. It's practically the one thing that my dad would say about those times."
Kaiya couldn't help but think about how there was power in a name. Sasuke Uchiha. Either name gripped people with fear. Yet, it was only her father that held no such thing. In contrast, people revered the name of her dad. She had heard of such occasions of parents naming their children after him.
The Hokage spoke once again. "That's not something I can really answer. I can only say that it caused a lot of paranoia. The people complied out of fear, and resistance was cut at the stem. Any leaders wound up dead. If you want to know more, you're better off asking others."
The fantastical stories of children shared in their circles in hushed whispers. Things they overheard from their parents or from shinobi. Grand, destructive techniques, Giant beasts prowling, dead men fighting. When she was growing up, she thought most of these stories were exaggerated by the children, to glorify the accomplishments of her parents.
Though, now, it was strange to think that it was all real. That her father truly did die at the end of the war, at the hands of Madara Uchiha who had achieved a godly status of power. Yet he still stood, alive and well from some strange technique.
Quite a thought that she wasn't meant to be born. Her mother's name wasn't famous, so she wasn't some renown kunoichi. Apparently just some Hyuuga, but even then, there was no mention of someone with that name in the clan.
Inojin asked the question they were all wondering. "What could they want? Another war?"
"If it's the Uchiha, then he would want the Tailed Beasts again." Shikadai said. "Though, he was the one who consolidated them in the first place. And even our Hokage doesn't know where they are."
While her thoughts centered around it, she couldn't help but rub her eyes. It had been bothering her ever since it came up a couple days ago. Yet, her father had insisted on utmost secrecy regarding it.
Dusk approached. The sun cast long shadows of trees and mountains over the land. Orange light laid throughout the horizon, but darkness was quickly gaining. She could see the lights of a city up ahead.
"We'll stay there for tonight." The Hokage said. "I've had a couple teams stationed here, so we can relax for now. I doubt there will be anyone brave enough to attack us."
What more to say other than her father was strange? He just...Didn't get quite along with others, even though so many others looked up to him. There was that, detached way about him.
His idea of a private place, with no ears hearing was at a theater with many people just below. This wasn't a movie either, instead there were stagehands preparing for a play to be performed. The seats were barely half-filled, and she could hardly see quality service and architecture in the building. It didn't seem that high end, but what did she know? Okiro City was known for its theaters and plays and movies in the Land of Fire.
"Have you ever heard of the ancient tale of the Rabbit Goddess?" Her father asked.
Wasn't this supposed to be about all the questions about her eyes? Still, she would be patient. It was one thing that her father taught her.
"No." she replied. Her interest lay in recent history, down to the Great Clan days and ahead of that history. Folklore and legends weren't really a part of it.
A soft smile appeared on his lips. "Not particularly famous, it's pretty rare of theaters to do this play all that frequently."
"Once upon a time, a woman came to the world full of strife and conflict. With a visage resembling a rabbit, it seemed she was not of this world. She put a stop to the wars. I guess that's just the gist of it."
He spoiled it all, but her father seemed to know she didn't come here to watch it. She was not interested in it at all. It seemed silly to think of a woman with rabbit ears, and rabbit-like legs. Kinda silly, how was that supposed to be put in a play? Though, putting an end to wars was something else.
"Why plays?" Kaiya asked. Her father's youth was significantly different than in his adulthood. Loud, non-studious, and dumb. Some words that Shikamaru and his other friends had told of her.
"Well, your mother was pretty old fashioned, living in another age. I think she would like these. As long as they're not super dumb, y'know, like those surrounding plays about me." He laughed.
They sat on a balcony; any others were unoccupied except for the other one across the theatre. Of course, she had seen of movies posters detailing the various exploits of her father. She guessed there were play renditions of that too.
"Is this really the place to talk about my...situation?"
"It's as good as any." Her father replied. "So what kind of questions do you have?"
"Well, what is this Rinnegan?"
"It's an very old eye power."
"A blood line?" she asked. Like the sharingan and byakugan?
Naruto took a deep breath. "No, not even. It will probably be only unique to you, or your uh…anyways, it's old and powerful."
Flashes of throwing back ninja came to her mind. Yet, information came to her again. Those of Madara, and Sasuke Uchiha. Whispers of power that had been accomplished.
"Is…My mom an Uchiha or something? Or of a Hyuuga?"
A big belly laugh erupted from her dad and he did not stop for a long while. "Sasuke's the last. Though, I'm not surprised you heard of both of their eye powers. Yes, both did have the Rinnegan."
Who didn't hear of it? As it was told, her father had a reputation even before the wars. The fourth great war, and the hidden war. Saving the village from Pain, a Rinnegan user.
It almost made her panic. She shook, she flowed a hand through her hair, only to feel the horns that grew atop her head. No, the Uchiha didn't have horns, nor did the Hyuuga.
"So…this power I have." Kaiya couldn't finish it. Power to level an entire village, to start wars, to be almost unmatched. "My mother, how does she come into this?"
Her father smiled. "You were definitely exceptional before, but now, your potential has grown. Of course, that doesn't mean you're untouchable."
Three fought. Three dead. All without an eye power.
"Kaiya." He said. "The reason I don't tell you about your mother. Is that I never know when you might meet her, if ever. She's the only one who could tell you about your heritage. You're definitely one part of the obtaining the Rinnegan. The other, through the Sage of Six Paths."
The sage of Six Paths. Another legend, but a source of chakra for people all around the world.
The play had finally started to begin. The lights dimmed, music began to play and the crowd began to quiet.
"As far as I know, you do have general abilities of the Rinnegan…"
He explained them. Repulsing and recalling. Revival. Summons. Possession. And other strange abilities. Her mind was reeling from all the information. It only made her want to actually know something familiar, instead of all these strange things she didn't know.
"These people working in the background, who do you think it is?"
"It just might be some fools trying to stir up a war over something dumb and un-worthwhile; Hardly anything is worth that. It just might be to remove me, for things to go back the way it was. Or, it might be another foe. One I've been waiting for."
"That is?" She asked. Her father glanced but didn't answer. Instead, he sat and watched the play that had been playing throughout their talk. "Is that everything?"
He nodded. She made an excuse to see her friends. She wasn't interested in seeing the play. Though, she did cast one last glance toward the play. The woman that played the rabbit goddess had horns.
Strange, that didn't look like a rabbit.
Naruto watched the rest of the play. Though, the person playing her looked nothing like Kaguya. No long, white hair. No byakugan and Rinnegan. Beauty that could not compare. One of the only aspects they got right was the horns, but not the exact style. Fashioned after a particular species of rabbit with antlers. Instead of a single one, like Kaiya.
Kaguya had told him little of that time. She was powerful when she had arrived, overpowering many others. Her objective was to the plant the tree, and once she'd eaten the fruit, all the fighting had been put to a stop.
The play seemed too hopeful. Picturing Kaguya as saintly, virtuous, and kind. Asking of power of the moon to put a stop to the wars, and as it was granted, all it took was a simple display of power for everyone to bend the knee. A rather distorted interpretation.
Naruto doubted it was like that. She had been driven by fear, powered by something she had arrived with, and killed many before the rulers realized it was fruitless.
There were other depictions of this play, and this did not cut it. Though, perhaps Kaguya would like it. Being an attempted savior of the world before realizing it could not be saved. Hmm, maybe she would like that. Though, killing a great deal of people would appeal to her.
He left the theatre and decided to wander the late-night city. There was still plenty of people wandering the streets. Though, on occasion, he decided to take a empty walkway, or alley.
Naruto had ordered the teams to keep watch on the outer borders of the city and of his own daughter. None were within. Of course, he had mentioned in public about wanting to catch a play here at the Five Kage Summit.
Even then, it didn't matter where he wanted it. He could sense evil intention.
It didn't matter.
Even when he was ambushed, seals to keep him trapped.
None of it.
Shadow clones that surrounded him, blades pointed at his vital points and heart. Or even a seal designed to stop the flow of his chakra. In an attempt to make him powerless.
The man's name was not important.
"I got you." He said.
"Thought you would have another go." Naruto said. The seal stopped his own chakra, but not Kurama's.
The head of Kurama surrounded him, and he felt those shadow clones blades sink within his legs and arms. He dispelled them all, and it was the original that stayed in front, blade pointed at his heart.
The man's eyes widened in fear, but Naruto held him in place. He grabbed a hold of his wrist, and no matter how he resisted he could not break free.
"Let me go!" He screamed.
"Trying to scare me by threatening to kill me?" Naruto asked.
The blade was still pointed at his chest. Naruto stepped forward, and felt the blade sink in. Blood oozed from his wound. Naruto leaned forward, closer to his assassin.
"What the fuck, you're crazy!" The man said.
"It's like a needle. I died once before remember?." Naruto chuckled. He placed a hand over his head. "Now. Tell me who the hell hired you."
"You think I made it this far without having a code? I made a good living out of it!"
"Who said anything about you living?" Naruto said. All he had to do, was make him encounter Kurama. Who was all too eager but to please. Even the most seasoned shinobi wouldn't be afraid of them. Only the users of the Mangekyou Sharingan could say so.
The man writhed and screamed within his grasp. "please! Please! Let me live!"
"Then tell me who hired you." Naruto demanded.
"It was a middleman!" He pleaded. "Daichi, he worked for my client! I get told the target, I kill or capture. I was told to capture you! That's all I know I swear!"
It was Kurama that spoke. "I'm pretty sure that's everything. Who else could stand me?"
Naruto sighed. This was it? Was this only the work of some scum? He broke his neck and the assassin dropped to the floor.
The tailed beasts were related if he was to be captured. Only two people knew of the locations of them all. At least, he could confirm that information. Far too many people were interested in the power of the tailed beasts.
He would need to know whether other Kage were attacked in a similar manner. The sand was the first obvious place to confirm such a thing, as they had good relations for a long time. Plenty of marriages had occurred between them, but even then, he had to make sure to rule them out.
Still. It still left the Kaguya's relatives in the mix. The tailed beasts were what they needed. He still needed a confirmation before he could awaken her.
