Shizune sighed as she stepped onto another bridge, her sandals clacking against the concrete as she looked out across the water, the city's evening lights were cascading off the surface of the water.
Despite her mixed feelings about the city she had to admit that Kakehashi was stunning to look at, the unique layout and architecture made it so that someone could look at the city for hours without getting bored. This was her fourth visit, and she had learned quite a bit about the city and its history.
Years ago, a wealthy merchant named Ryudoin Masayoshi purchased an island from the Land of Sea, hoping to establish a neutral trade hub, where merchants could operate free from the influence of the great nations. He hired skilled Earth and Water Release users to split the island into six districts, shaping it into a hexagon with bridges connecting each district. The city prospered, receiving a large population influx, and enjoyed a cooperative relationship with each of the five nations.
However, when Ryudoin passed, a power struggle began between his three children as they disputed who should lead. The power struggle lasted for months, leading to the brothers hiring outside help to seize control of the city. One such group was a six member ninja mercenary group known as the Roku Yurei (Six Phantoms) A group led by a member of the elusive Iburi clan named Asato
During the conflict, Asato saw an opportunity and turned against his employer, choosing to take the city for himself. Since then, the Roku Yurei have been key leaders of the city, each one taking control of the city's six districts.
They consisted of the Ryudoin District, Watari District, Tsubaki district, Tetsu district, the Yurei district and the Takara district.
The Takara district was the city's crown jewel, a glittering hub of resturants and casinos. Its extravagance drew visitors from across the Elemental Nations. Ruled by Asato himself, the district's centerpiece was the Gilded Mirage, the largest casino, owned and operated by the man directly. In past visits, Shizune had always managed to steer Tsunade clear of it. But now, her stomach dropped as she realized Tsunade was heading straight for the casino's doors.
Shizune quickened her pace, falling into step beside Tsunade.
"Wait, aren't we going to the Six Bridges or the Ribbon?"
"No," Tsunade's gaze didn't move off the casino.
Shizune frowned and stepped directly into her path, forcing her to stop. Tsundae looked up at her pupil, her eyes locking onto hers for the first time in hours. "Move." Tsunade's voice was sharp.
Shizune flinched, but she stood her ground and hugged Tonton tighter in her arms. "No, you've been brushing me off for days. You have barely been talking to me! You won't tell me why we're here, and you haven't drank or gambled since last week." Her voice hardened. " Something's wrong, and you're not telling me."
Tsuande pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "You'll see when we get inside."
Shizune's face scrunched up at her answer. "No, tell me what's happening right now, or you're going in alone."
Tsunade stared at her pupil for a few moments. Shizune's gaze wavered slightly, but she fixed her resolute eyes on her master.
Tsunade exhaled and looked around; some passersby were stopping to see the commotion.
"Fine, but not here."
Tsunade began walking away from the casino, and Shizune followed.
They ended up in an isolated public garden about a block away, brick walls hiding away the small patch of life in the city.
Tsuande stopped and turned around to face Shizune. She then reached into her kimono, produced a folded-up piece of paper, and handed it to Shizune. "Read it," she said.
Shizune positioned TonTon in one arm as her eyes scanned the letter.
' Dear Tsunade
I have an urgent request concerning the health of one of my associates. I would not reach out to you if I had any other option, but his condition is beyond the skill of any other medical expert. I don't expect you to do this out of the kindness of your heart, so I have an offer: in return for your services, I will use a resurrection jutsu to revive the loved ones of your choice. You may not believe me, but I urge you to consider my offer, seek me out in Kakehashi-to, and go to the Gilded Mirage to meet with my associate Asato. You may refuse my offer of no consequence, but be warned, this is the only time I will reach out to you with such an opportunity. I hope you make the right decision.
Sincerely, An old friend.
Shizune's hands shook as she held the letter; she could almost feel the sadistic glee that the words were written with. "Lady Tsuande, this is from…"
Tsunade cut her off "Orochimaru. I know."
Shizune waved the letter in her hands
"When did you get this?"
"Two weeks ago, I woke up with it beside my head."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew you wouldn't want to go."
"Of course not! This has trap written all over it, you can't trust him, not after what he's done."
Tsunade gritted her teeth.
"Don't you think I know that, that's why I didn't tell you immediately, but then I got to thinking, what if he's telling the truth, what if he can actually revive the dead."
Shizune's eyes went wide.
"He's lying, he's just trying to lure you here, didn't you see in his letter that he's associated with Asato, he's working with the Roku Yurei and now we're alone in their city.
Shizune panicked, looking around to see if they were being observed. "We have to go. If we leave now, then they might not follow us out of the city." Shizune grabbed Tsunade's hand and tried to pull her away, but she didn't budge.
Shizune looked back, "Come on, they might already be suspicious."
"I'm not leaving Shizune, I want to hear his offer."
"Are you insane! There's no offer, he's brought you here to assassinate or kidnap you."
Tsuande scoffed, " Orochimaru does not operate like that. If he wanted to kill or take me, he would have shown up and fought me himself. I've known him for years, and I can tell that he's genuine."
Shizune was baffled
"Genuine?! The man's a monster, we can't even think about working with him."
Tsuande glared at Shizune.
"I'm a grown woman, and I can make my own damn decisions, trust me if I smell a hint of deceit, I'll gut him, but right now Shizune, I need to know…" Tsuande's voice softened, " I need to know if they can be brought back, so I'm going with or without you, it's your choice."
Shizune froze. On one hand, this was probably the single worst decision her master had ever made, and likely would end terribly, but on the other hand, the thought of leaving her alone against Orochimaru and the Roku Yurei made her feel cowardly. Shizune closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine, I'll go, but if anything happens, we leave immediately."
"Promise."
The two of them made their way back to the main street, Tsuande with determined steps and Shizune hesitant, and made their way into the Gilded Mirage.
Meanwhile the retrieval team had reached Degarashi port, but to their surprise they were swarmed as they entered the city.
"Naruto! Sign my fishing net!"
"Sasuke, look this way!"
"Sakura, how do you style your hair for battle?"
Naruto grinned, scribbling his name on a proffered oar. Sakura forced a smile while discreetly stepping on Sasuke's foot to stop him from shoving a starstruck merchant's daughter.
Jiraiya watched from a fish stall, sulking as he gnawed on a skewer. "My literary masterpiece sells millions, but some brats win one tournament and they get swarmed with praise."
Kakashi and Anko appeared on either side of him, patting his shoulders in mock sympathy. "There, there," Anko crooned. "We know you're actually important."
Hinata muffled a laugh behind her sleeve as Jiraiya's eyes twitched.
They managed to get away from the crowd, the genin began traveling through the city in henges to mask their identity.
"I thought we were taking a boat straight to Kakehashi?" asked Sakura
"I thought we could stop by and visit an old friend before we depart," said Jiraiya
As the sun set, Jiriaya led the group to a small home on the outskirts of the city. His large frame took up most of the door as he knocked.
A few moments later, a short older woman opened the door. Her hair was deep in the greying process, and a smile spread across her face. "Lord Jiraiya," she said as she stepped aside. "Come on, all of you. You look exhausted."
Jiriaya chuckled, ducking slightly to avoid the door frame. "You're a lifesaver as always."
As they entered, he turned to the group, "Everyone, this is Matus. She's been one of my most reliable contacts in the region… How long now?"
Matsu waved a hand. "Too long. I was still spry when you first stumbled past my door, drunker than a sailor."
As she entered, Sakura's eyes immediately caught a small shrine in the corner with a photo of a boy who couldn't have been older than twelve wearing a leaf headband.
As they settled down, Matsu cooked a meal for the group as they sat around her table.
Naruto gulped down some tea and wiped his mouth
"Man, I didn't think so many people would recognize us."
Sasuke grunted as he glared at his reflection in the window, the whole ordeal reminding him too much of his academy days.
Sakura sighed, "I didn't expect it either. It's a lot."
Matsu poured some more tea for Naruto.
"Well, it's to be suspected, I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't treated like that in over half of the elemental nations right now."
Naruto leaned back. "Heh, I guess we left an impression."
Jiariya pointed a fork at him, "Enjoy it while it lasts, kid, Fame's fickle. One day you're a hero, the next they've forgotten you."
Anko smirked, "I guess you're speaking from experience. Old man"
Jiariya chuckled, "Nah, I'm unforgettable. But I've seen plenty of rising stars flame out."
"Or get killed," Kakashi said deadpan, as he somehow ate a bite of food with his mask on. Anko thumped the back of his head with her finger.
Kakashi rubbed his head, "But it's true."
"You know they should call you the buzzkill ninja," Anko chided
Matsu exhaled, stirring her own tea. "That's how life goes, though. In one moment, you're celebrated, and the next, your name is on a stone." Mastu gazed at the small shrine, realizing she had caught everyone's attention, she continued.
"His name was Ren," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. She looked toward Kakashi," He'd be about your age now if he lived."
Everyone in the room tensed up.
Matsu waved away the sudden tension. "No need for long faces. It was decades ago during the Third War, back when they were graduating anyone who could throw a kunai straight." She stirred her tea, the spoon clinking softly. "He died believing he was saving the village. That's more peace than most shinobi get."
Hinata's fingers tightened around her cup. "You… don't resent Konoha?"
"I did until one stormy night, a certain drunken fool washed up on my doorstep, babbling about changing the shinobi world."
Jiraiya smiled
"Man, I said all that I must have really been drunk."
The fire crackled as silence settled over the table. Naruto stared into his bowl, unusually quiet. Sakura traced the rim of her teacup, her mind calculating how many child soldiers had died with that same headband. Even Sasuke's scowl had softened slightly, his eyes lingering on the photograph.
Matsu cleared the empty dishes with practiced ease. "Are you sure you don't want to stay the night? I know the place is small, but it would be comfortable enough."
Jiraiya stood, stretching his arms. "Wish we could, but the sooner we get to Kakehashi, the less likely Tsunade gets away." He clapped his hands, "Come on, we've got a boat to catch; if we're lucky, we'll be there by morning. Kids, help clean up.
As the others moved about the small house, Hinata lingered by the shrine. She lit a fresh stick of incense, the scent of sandalwood mixing with sea salt. Naruto joined her, uncharacteristically solemn.
"He looks happy," Naruto said, studying the grinning boy in the photo.
Matsu paused while wiping down the table. "He was. Right to the end."
Naruto nodded once, sharply, as if filing this information away somewhere important. Then his usual grin returned. "Hey, granny, where do you want these bowls?"
As the group left and the house returned to its usual silence, Matsu went to blow out the last candle when she noticed something new beside Ren's photo. A slightly crumpled slip of paper with messy handwriting:
Thanks for the food – Naruto Uzumaki (Future Hokage)
Matsu smiled as she folded the note and placed it on the shrine.
Shizune's grip on Tonton tightened as they stepped inside the casino. Her eye went upward as she felt a disturbance in her chakra system. She looked up at the ceiling, a genjutsu projected the night sky with stars blinking in and out. All around them was the noise of dice and slot machines. Tsunade ignored all of it as she strided past the crowds. Shizune hurried with her, wondering why they hadn't been approached by any guards. As they approached the main staircase, two figures came down toward them.
"Ah. The Slug Princess honors us."
Asato descended, his black feathered coat rippling across the velvet stairs. He was lean, middle-aged, with sharp features and pale skin, his short, unkempt hair streaked with silver and black. A light stubble covered his face, and his black eyes looked onto Tsunade's. He wore a crimson dress shirt, black slacks, and a golden watch on his right wrist.
At his side stood Dokugan. He was a head taller than Asato, his wide frame taking up half the large staircase. He was bald save for a patch of hair above his ears; he was missing an eye. Covered by an eyepatch, he wore a custom ninja flak vest, with a sigil of a hand with six fingers on it. His arms were bare and covered in scars. He towered over both of them. Shizune slightly shrank back behind Tsunade, who was unfazed.
Asato reached the bottom step, adjusting his watch,
"I told him you'd come. Thank you for that. I adore being right."
Tsuande's voice was cold. "Where is he?"
."Unfortunately, our mutual friend is… occupied tonight. But he's reserved a private audience for you tomorrow."
Shizune's grip on Tonton tightened. A delay. Why?
"In the meantime," Asato continued, snapping his fingers, "consider the Mirage yours. Gambling, drinks, entertainment, all compliments of the house." A waitress in a smoke-gray kimono appeared, offering a tray with two crystal glasses of amber liquor.
Tsunade didn't take one. "I didn't come here to play games."
"Didn't you?" Asato's voice dropped, low and knowing. "Orochimaru's offer isn't one you make sober, Tsunade. Think of tonight as… a courtesy. A chance to consider."
Shizune stepped forward. "We're not staying here."
Asato sighed. "Suit yourself. But the offer stands." He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and I'd avoid the slots. The odds there are… unforgiving."
With that, he melted back into the crowd, Dokugan a looming shadow at his back.
Shizne exhaled, "We should leave. Find an inn outside the district."
"No. We'll stay"
"What?"
"This is a good chance to gather information, besides that roulette wheel over there is calling to me."
Shizune followed her gaze to an obscenely large roulette table with a roulette ball the size of a melon.
"You want to gamble now!?"
Tsunade began walking to the wheel.
"I think now's the best of times to test my luck."
At the same time, the retrieval group was lying low on a cargo ship on their way to Kakehashi, suddenly a seal on Jiraiya's belt began to glow. "Oh no"
"What does that mean?" Anko asked
"It means one of my messenger toads received urgent news, now of all times." Jiriaya sounded exasperated as he bit his thumb and summoned a toad. After a puff of smoke, a toad appeared with a letter on its back. Jiraiya took no time and retrieved the letter. As he read it, he raised his eyebrows continually until he had a look of utter shock on his face. "They did it early. Why now…."
"What's happening?" Anko asked as she got up
The rest of the team was now looking at Jiraiya.
Jiriaya took a breath and delivered the news.
"The Mizukage is dead; he was ambushed by rebels on his way back to Kiri".