A/N: Hello everyone sorry for the wait. Thanks for your reviews and hits. Here is chapter 25.
Deathwearsblack: I hope you like this one.
Stylo1: I needed a character to knock some sense into Dante. If Kise was over-powered then you know how I feel when I saw Akashi play basketball for the first time. I hope you stick around and enjoy the story. Thanks for your review.
Guest: I am very happy you think this story is good. Tell me: How old was Uchiha Itachi when his father brought him into an active warzone? The Third can trust Dante because he knows Yugao is there watching their backs.
Guest: Yes this story will have some elements from the KnB universe.
Blackicethunder: Hmm well thanks for reviewing.
Ittehgaps: I have to be honest your review was inspiring. Thank you. I hope you enjoy this one.
Blazing heart frigid soul: Well thank you for your support. I truly appreciate it.
Afi123: Thank you.
JinxedEclipse: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thanks for voting.
InfinityMask: Thanks for your reviews and suggestions. I really appreciate it.
Thebestofall: Thanks I am glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks for the reviews.
NOTE: Haru will be paired with Haku. So the poll for Haru is now closed.
Gaara:
Tayuya: 2
Fuu: 2
Karin: 1
Kin
Chapter 25:
"Every journey has its costs associated with it. These costs may be in terms of time, energy, finances, choices, sacrifices, or a combination of factors. You have to decide whether you're willing to pay that price." – John C Maxwell
Hanabi prided herself on her composure. She was a Hyuuga and they never lost their cool. The Hyuuga clan always showed calm composure and indifference regardless of circumstance…
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
…well there goes that.
"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN?!"
Izumi sighed heavily; this routine was getting old. Three weeks ago Itachi asked her to take this trio under her wing. At first it was an interesting idea. After Haru she was excited to have her own team. She had so many ideas that she was looking forward to trying. Also she couldn't resist the opportunity to stick it to the Hyuuga clan. After what they did to Konohamaru her dislike of them skyrocketed. So all in all she loved the idea of having this team.
"GET BACK SO I CAN END YOU" screamed Hanabi
"NO WAY YOU PSYCHO" shouted Konohamaru
But that feeling was shrinking fast. When Konohamaru came to the team she thought it would ease things. Hanabi and Taiga were polar opposites and they were always clashing. But while he didn't have the same upbringing as Hanabi Konohamaru was from a noble clan. So she hoped that the Sarutobi would be a good middle ground for them. But she forgot one small thing: Konohamaru was Dante's little brother.
"Wow Princess seems really pissed" said Taiga
She knew Taiga was correct. Ever since Konohamaru came back he had made it his personal mission to crack Hanabi's shell. The thought was admirable but the method was the problem. Konohamaru didn't have his brother flair but he still loved pulling pranks. Most of them were harmless enough. But this one was not harmless at all. Konohamaru latest escapade had given Hanabi's hair a bad cut. If there is one thing she knew about the Hyuuga, it is to not mess with their hair. Hanabi looked like a glorified porcupine. If she was annoyed she would have found it funny.
"IZUMI-SENSEI" shouted Konohamaru as he ran and hid behind her.
Hanabi came to a halt in front of her looking pissed. She knew she couldn't beat Izumi. But Konohamaru had to pay. She looked at Izumi;
"He…Ruined…My…Hair" growled Hanabi
Izumi sighed;
"He's all yours"
She could hear Konohamaru's screams as she left. She didn't have the patience for them today. They had barely been able to get any real training done. If Konohamaru was intent on causing trouble; Taiga was intent of not listening to her instructions; and Hanabi was far too snobbish to get along with either of them. She knew the only reason they spoke to each other at all was because they had some small bond. It was like they wanted to get along but their personalities pushed them apart. More often than not, she had been forced to play peacekeeper.
'It's like they don't know how to be civil' thought Izumi
She had been tempted to go to Yugao and ask for some advice. Dealing with Dante and Naruto had to be as bad as this. But then she realized that for all their antics, Dante, Naruto and Sasuke were best friends. Yugao had met them as best friends. The only reason she hadn't lost her temper was because she knew that it wasn't their fault. Konohamaru had grown up with Dante's influence and no friends. Taiga had never had anyone really care for him. And Hanabi had grown up in a cold, unfeeling environment with no warmth.
'How do you teach kids to be good friends when they've never had any?'
That was the ultimate problem. She loved Dante and only he knew how to make his 'personality' funny to those not targeted. Konohamaru didn't have that skill. So his own pranks just annoyed everyone and they weren't as funny. But even though he knew this, the kid kept it up because he didn't know any other way. As she made her way into town she noticed packages being dropped everywhere via small parachutes. Opening one she found pictures of top councilmen sleeping in ridiculously funny outfits. There was a note attached: I dare you not to laugh.
Just like that she busted out laughing. There was only person in the village that would pull a stunt like this. The best part was the picture of Homaru and Koharu in baby outfits. Oh there were going to kill Dante for this. She could just imagine them storming Itachi-kun's office demanding blood. And judging from the laughter being heard everywhere she was the only one that appreciated these pictures.
'Maybe I should go see Itachi-kun' thought Hanabi
XXXX
"That brat must be found and punished severely for this" snarled Koharu "He broke into our homes and dared assault Konoha's High Council"
"You must find this child and take his headband for starters" demanded Homaru
Itachi had been having a stressful three weeks. Reading through all the past Hokages' paperwork in addition to his own was a pain. It had taken a lot of Kage Bushin and time but he was finally done. What he found out gave him a serious migraine and Dante's stunt had given him a reason to smile. That smile had fallen off when these two walked into his office and demanded Dante's head. When he took this job the Third had told him one thing about these two.
Flashback
"You can't kill them" said Hiruzen "Death has tried and so far he has not been successful"
Flashback end
"So who do you think did this?" asked Itachi
"Sarutobi Dante of course" said Koharu
Itachi raised an elegant eyebrow;
"Oh so you conducted an investigation on one of my shinobi without my permission"
Koharu bristled;
"No but who else would do this?"
"He has a history of pulling pranks like this" said Homaru
"So you are here interrupting my work on a hunch, is that what you are saying?"
Itachi glared intently at them. It forced the elders to realize one truth: this was not Hiruzen. There were a lot of things they got away with during Hiruzen's time. But Itachi reminded them of Minato Namikaze. The Yondaime never let them get away with anything. The man practically demanded respect through sheer gaze alone. He was not awarded a double SS-class ranking because of one technique. The Yellow Flash commanded respect and fear through his presence. And it seemed like Itachi was toeing that line too. They needed to retreat and regroup.
"We apologize for the disturbance Hokage-sama" said Homaru
"We will leave you to your work" said Koharu
Once they left Itachi turned to the window and smiled;
"It is rude to eavesdrop on your Hokage"
"Well it is good thing I see you as more than just the Hokage" said Izumi as she landed
"Minis giving you trouble again?" deduced Itachi
Izumi sighed;
"My respect for Yugao grows every time I see them interact. I don't know what to do about them."
"You will figure it out" assured Itachi
Izumi looked at her boyfriend and frowned. There was a weight on him that was not there before. Itachi always had a tendency to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. But something about this was different. It wasn't hard for her to narrow down the reasons.
"Hat heavier than you thought or the boots larger than you expected?"
Itachi gave her a look;
"I just figured out that I am a figure head"
Izumi blinked;
"Okay I am sorry but could you repeat that?"
Itachi laughed humourlessly;
"Repeating it won't change anything. The Sandaime left me vulnerable. If I didn't go looking I wouldn't know about the Hokage in the shadows"
"You think it's Danzo" said Izumi "He would be my first suspect"
"No it is not Danzo" said Itachi "It would have easier if it was"
She wasn't going to ask for details. Regardless of their personal relationship this went above her pay grade. But if there was one thing she knew is that Itachi would figure it out. He always found a way to solve problems and she told him as much.
"Thanks for saying that" said Itachi "Maybe what your minis need is a deeper bond"
Just then Izumi got an idea;
"Hey do you think you could clear the minis for the week. I mean give them the week off from school"
Raising an eyebrow in question Itachi asked;
"You are planning on killing them are you?"
Izumi smiled sadistically;
"Only if they die"
Sighing Itachi told her he would take care of it. As soon as she left he sent a prayer for the minis. Izumi had quite the mean streak. He also had no desire to face an irate Mikoto or Mira. Shaking his head he decided to focus; Izumi wouldn't kill them…hopefully. He on the other hand had a serious matter to attend to. Somehow the Daimyo's heir had entrenched himself in his village affairs. The documents showed a disturbing amount of power just waiting for the heir to assume the throne. He started with the civilians and then the elders. He got in bed with the elders by doing favours for them.
'The old fools were so focused on having an ally on his level they didn't care what they gave up. Danzo must have known about this but knowing him he plans to use this to his advantage'
And the honest truth was this situation would favour anyone but him. The main reason for that was the Daimyo's heir was not his only heir. The Hyuuga clan had amassed powers no clan should ever have. And they were in the heir's pocket. It was like fate was toying with him. All the key players in this game had about a 12 year head start on him. They started making their moves after the Yondaime died. They knew that the Sandaime was grieving his wife. They also took advantage of causing distractions and using the Sandaime's fondness against him.
It was going to take careful precision planning to end this. But before he did that he needed one piece of important information. He needed to know what their end game was. Danzo and the Hyuuga's endgame were easy to understand: power. Danzo wants to be Hokage. The Hyuuga want to the most important clan in Fire Country. It was the heir's endgame that wasn't so clear and speculations would be suicidal. Itachi needed to know in order to help him in planning his counter strategy.
"Wolf"
An ANBU with a wolf mask appeared before him awaiting orders.
"Get me Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto and Sarutobi Dante discreetly"
'Involving them might cause more problems but they are effective if nothing else. And unlike the ANBU, who report to Danzo as their commander, Team Ryuu will report to me only. Hopefully they will maintain a low profile…oh who am I kidding?"
XXXX
Yugao was having her best day ever. A sentiment that she knew Dante and Naruto shared. Sasuke on the other hand was far from pleased. In the weeks following Konohamaru's kidnapping the team had grown even closer. They now knew what it meant to face death together and win. Unfortunately for Sasuke that confidence made his best friends think that they were invincible. Yugao watched him lecture them on the pictures they sent earlier. It was not going well by any standards.
"Damnit you two need to stop doing things like this"
"But why?" whined Naruto
"Yeah give us one reason" demanded Dante "This is fun"'
"And what about the guests in Konoha; or what about our people in general?" asked Sasuke "Itachi is the Hokage but the Council is part of Konoha's leadership"
"Oh I get it" said Dante
"And since Itachi is in charge…wait did you just say you get it?" asked Sasuke stunned
"Yeah I get what you are saying and you are right" said Dante thoughtfully
"So you agree that what you did was uncalled for" said Sasuke in disbelief and he wasn't the only one
Dante stared at all their surprised faces and pouted;
"I am capable of seeing reason you know" groused Dante
"No you aren't" they all chorused
"Rude" said Dante "The disrespect is real around here"
Years of dealing with Dante primed her to hear what he wasn't saying.
"Okay tell us then what did you get?" asked Yugao
When Dante smiled cheekily Sasuke groaned;
"Got it my ass" grumbled Sasuke
"Hey you are the one who said that Itachi in at the head of leadership"
"And so what did you conclude?" asked Yugao smiling; she really should have known
"That next time we should prank Itachi too" said Dante simply
They all gaped and busted out laughing causing Dante to frown;
"Why are you laughing?"
"You think you can pull one over on my older brother oh that's rich" said Sasuke in between laughs
"Dante not even you are skilled enough to prank Itachi" said Naruto "You would have better luck with the old man"
Dante was about to defend himself. He was good enough damnit, an ANBU landed in front of them. Since they were in the village they didn't use their sensory abilities; besides their instincts would protect them from most attacks. They all stood straighter; if an ANBU was here then something was up.
"The Godaime wants all of you in his office now and he wants you to be discreet"
Sasuke turned to Yugao;
"You know what's going on?"
Yugao frowned; an immediate and secret summons of Team Ryuu was very S-rank.
"No but let's go find out"
XXXX
"Yo Hokage-sama" said Dante "Calling us for a discreet meeting what would your girlfriend think?"
Sasuke groaned;
"I do not want that image in my head"
Dante blinked;
"What image? I just said words it's your brain that created an image"
"Focus" chided Yugao
"I am focused" retorted Dante "I am focused on Sasuke thinking of having sex with his older brother"
Sasuke twitched;
"I am not thinking of that" gritted Sasuke "Can we get back on point please?"
"Actually I would love to know why you are picturing me sexually little brother"
Dante grinned at Itachi; this is one of the many reasons he loved Itachi. The older Uchiha had a great love of tormenting Sasuke. Naruto suddenly paled and stepped away from Sasuke covering his butt.
"Wait sometimes you call me your brother and if you are having sexy thoughts about Itachi then…"
"Well that explains why you never reacted to your fangirls" said Dante "You were looking for a fan-boy"
Sasuke looked pleadingly at Yugao; he was not in the mood for this.
"Perhaps we can discuss why we are here Hokage-sama" said Yugao
"I have a sensitive mission for Team Ryuu"
Dante adopted an 'I got it' pose
"You want us to find Arrow a boyfriend"
"Sadly no" said Itachi "I need you go to the Fire Capitol and investigate Maseo the Daimyo's heir"
"Why?" asked Sasuke
"For now that information is classified but what I can tell you is that Maseo has a string in Konoha"
"Let me guess the kind of string that kills"
"I want to know what his endgame is"
"We're on it" said Yugao
"Ooh I have always wanted to meet a princess"
"Well let's hope they are no ghosts here" said Dante "Because I remember the last Princess we tried to save"
"Or zombies" said Sasuke "I have no desire to see Leon again"
"Sasuke you remembered!" exclaimed Dante before jumping Sasuke and trying to kiss him
"Get off me you lunatic" growled Sasuke
"But I want to experiment" pouted Dante
"Aw you two are so adorable" cooed Naruto
"Thanks Naruto" said Dante "I feel something from Sasuke too"
Yugao smirked;
'KI' thought Yugao
She wasn't surprised when Sasuke drew a weapon and attacked. She and Itachi shared a look. They both knew this mission had to be in full stealth. But as she looked at her teammates she just knew that that wouldn't be possible. Also this mission would take a while to complete. Chances of being discovered grew each day for missions like these.
'Well Capitol ready or not here we come' thought Yugao
A/N: Short I know I am sorry for that. Consider this a prologue to a new arc. I really am sorry for the late update. Thank you all for the support though. It means a lot to me.
See you soon
Dante out