Suna Hospital; three days after Iwa's surrender:
Temari groaned, opening her silvery eyes slowly as she took in the white ceiling that hung above her. Wincing as the bright lights made themselves known to her sleep filled irises, eliciting a second groan as she threw her arm over her eyes. "Ohh, tell god to turn the lights down."
"Heh, sorry sis, you're not dead just yet." Came her response to her left. She turned her head, finding her little brother, Kankuro sitting on the chair next to her bed. He stood, grabbing the pitcher and glass that rested on the table next to him before he poured it. He gently placed his hand behind her head, cradling it slightly upwards so she could drink properly. She gave him a grateful smile, still too weak to move as he put the cup to her lips and waited for her gesture to stop. Placing the cup back onto the table he sat back on the chair. "So, how ya feeling?"
Temari smirked. "Like the morning after Jounin promotions." She answered truthfully, making Kankuro choke back a snort of amusement. But soon her gaze turned to worry as she looked around the room. "Where are the others? How did I get here?"
Kankuro sighed at this, he knew it was coming, but the news was not good. "They are all in other rooms nearby. Each suffering from some mild exhaustion, dehydration...among other things..." He finished, trailing off uneasily as he shifted his gaze away from her.
Temari knew she wasn't going to enjoy hearing what he had to say. But never the less, she needed to hear it. "Kankuro..." She said, her silent order quite clear,
But still, he wouldn't look at her, his nervous, uncertain shifting from foot to foot increasing the wind mistress's nervousness until she finally spoke again, her tone hard and demanding. "Don't make me pull rank little brother?"
He sighed as he slumped forward, his shoulders dropping ever so slightly as he began to rub his head. "Sakura, Ino and Hana are in the best condition out of all of you. Like I said, just some mild exhaustion and dehydration. You're pretty well off yourself, apart from a few torn muscles, three bruised ribs, some blood loss and a twisted ankle you're perfectly fine. Chouji..." Another sigh "Chouji's stable, but one of the blades that cut him damaged a nerve along his arm, we weren't able to do much over the scars either, having been formed by some kind of mixture of wind and fire chakra. The nerve damage is also irreparable, he'll have to retrain that arm to mold chakra properly all over again with that handicap. Shikamaru too has suffered some very serious nerve damage along most of his extremities, unlike Chouji's though, his can be treated, and eventually fixed with a few months of intense physical therapy."
"And Kiba?" She questioned as he paused.
He took another deep breath, his eyes taking on a look of sadness as he turned them onto her. "Kiba's been forced into a chemical coma for now." He answered grimly.
"Wha-what?" She questioned, her eyes wide in disbelief as she struggled to sit up, her breathing becoming ragged with the effort, before Kankuro stood up and held her down onto the bed. "Wha-why Kiba-"
"Kiba has suffered a complete nervous and mental breakdown." Kankuro interrupted her shocked ramblings silencing her with the grim tone of his voice. "The loss of his arm, by circumstance his ninja career and position as clan heir, and finally Akamaru's death has hit him very hard. We've forced him into a chemical induced coma to keep him from hurting himself, as well as any around him. Sakura and a few other medics are attending him physically, and Ino has been trying to restore his psyche through use of various Yamanaka techniques and scrolls. It'll take a while, but there is hope that he will recover." He spoke flatly, knowing that it was a bold faced lie. There was little hope that Kiba would recover from this, only with someone with extensive medical knowledge, like the legendary Tsunade, who was said to have been able to heal some victims of mental trauma did they have a hope of doing such a thing. But no one had seen or even heard of Tsunade for nearly a decade. So finding her wasn't really an option.
Still his lie worked, seeing as Temari's worries were abated somewhat by the look on her face as she sighed in mild relief. "That's good...where's Gaara?"
Kankuro paused at that, chuckling to himself after a moment. "Gaara's been at your side since you guy's got here. It was about an hour ago that I managed to convince him to head home and get some rest." The puppet user chuckled. "You shoulda seen him, just standing here, looming over you. Kinda creepy really."
Temari smiled at her brother's story, to know that Gaara was worried made her feel good. "Thanks, still...I'm...gonna go to sleep now, k?" She muttered, her eyes beginning to droop as the medication took its full effect.
"Yea sure, sweet dreams sis." Kankuto said as he stood up, running his hand once through her hair before he hefted Karasu back onto his shoulder, making sure not to put too much pressure on his recently operated spine. He strode out the room, moving to tell Gaara Temari had woken up, as per the redheads request.
Meanwhile, Gaara sat in his living room. Before him was a table with the map of the continent, in one hand his Kage hat, in the other a saucer with Sake in it. While he wasn't one to drink, even he needed one with the current situation. Iwa had fallen, one more territory under the Devil king's possession. One more village felled before his might. Now...only two of the former five great Shinobi villages remained Along with several, smaller, independent factions, such as Yuki in the north. But still...the time for contemplation, and the time for debating was over. It was time, right now to decide the fate of Suna.
Walking to the nearby window, he attached a message to the messenger bird, and released it. It would head to Baki, who would gather the military heads of the village for one last meeting to finally decide just where or how Suna would stand in face of this threat.
He could only hope, they were not too late.
Kumo hospital; Five days since Iwa's surrender:
Zhuge Liang and his wife Yue Ying stared through the glass at Yugito.
Tsunade and Shizune were currently treating her. He had sent Akina back to her home, after having to calm her down from her worrying, as well as her anger at the Genjutsu he had pulled over her. Still never the less, this interference from Akatsuki...was a major deterrent to his plan to attack Konoha while the Uzumaki was away. She was not healing as quickly as she should, and it was quickly deduced that it was due to the sheer nature of Hidan's jutsu.
It is entirely possible that he not only injured Yugito, but the Nibi as well, and so the demon was struggling to keep them both alive. A most, unfortunate turn of events.
Yue Ying, glanced at her husband from the corner of her eyes before she looked back to Yugito. "What will you do now?"
"When have you ever known me, my dear, to rely solely on one single strategy?" He answered blandly. "It is true, that without Yugito, launching an attack on Konoha would be too large of a gamble for my liking. But I have another strategy prepared just incase one, or more of us were incapacitated and another incase that fails."
Yue-Ying shook her head, allowing a smirk to grace her features. It never ceased to amaze her how her husband could meticulously plan such things and prepare for such outcomes.
She stared at him for a long while, quickly growing impatient with his silence. "Well my dear husband, do you mind sharing?"
Liang hid a smirk, he enjoyed getting a rise from his wife...it tended to prove...entertaining later. "You will know soon enough." He responded, smirking as he received his expected answer. A snort of frustration and mild anger. Still, all joking aside he turned to his wife. "Yue-Ying."
"Hmm?" She questioned with a sideward's glance.
He paused, measuring his words before he spoke. "The truth is that very soon, there is a great, and very real possibility, that Uzumaki Naruto shall march upon our city. If...when...he does. The defenses have to hold."
Yue-Ying smirked a little, though it held great uncertainty at her husbands unease, something that was rarely evident in the man. "Husband, no one...in over 300 years has ever been able to enter the city, much less the great keep and temple that stands at the top of the mountains. What has you-"
"Yue-Ying." Liang interrupted gently. "The defenses, have to hold out...Kumo itself must hold out."
She looked up at him uncertainly, but soon, nodded.
Liang closed his eyes nodding back. This was a rather precarious position he found himself in. It would have to be handled very carefully. He looked to Yue Ying once more, who had returned her eyes to Yugito. "Inform me when she wakes up. I must attend to something."
That said, the man turned and proceeded down the hallway. Ready to set his second plan into motion.
Meanwhile, Akina who was currently training out in one of the simpler training grounds. Her thoughts troubled as she went through the motions with her weapon.
Ever since she had arrived here, with Tsunade and Shizune Yugito had quickly become something akin to a sister. Seeing her laying there, so injured so vulnerable...so weak. It was a hard thing. She continued to play the battle over and over in her head, wondering if, had she decided to stay instead of do what Yugito asked, would they have managed to beat the Akatsuki anyway, with Yugito not having to suffer such?
Then there was the situation building in Konoha, news of Iwa's surrender had reached many ears by now, and the entire village felt this oppressive feel in the air, like the storm brewing over the horizon. Her own feelings of anticipation, anger, uncertainty and fear growing all the more as she dared to look, to look forward to the coming conflict. At the chance to finally put all her years of training, all her years of preparing, of studying, all the years put to reach this one goal, this one purpose...it would finally be time to put all these years to their test.
As she stopped her light training, she looked westward, the high mountain peaks that guarded Iwa's borders visible even from this great distance. A storm brewing ever so slowly behind them.
Hospital room: Iwagakure, One week since the surrender of their city
"So...this is the seal he placed on you?" The tired voice of Yoshihiro reached Toyohisa's ears as the old man was examining the seal etched onto his nephew's chest. While many of the doctors had protested, he had demanded to see his nephew the moment he woke up, and what Yoshihiro wants, Yoshihiro gets. So here he was, in one of the hospital's spare rooms examining the seal that would assure Iwa's cooperation.
"I'm sorry uncle." Toyohisa said as the silence dragged on, lowering his eyes. It always happened, every time his uncle would have to pull him out of the fire. He felt so...inadequate some times as he tried to live up to his uncles expectations and the village expectations, only to fall short every time.
"Do not apologize." Yoshihiro sighed gently. "The Uzumaki boy said that he created this seal and I don't doubt it. If it was me in your place, I would probably be the one with the seal not you."
There was another silence between them, before it was finally broken by Toyohisa again. "Did I make the right choice uncle? In surrendering?"
His voice carried a definite edge of uncertainly, like a child confessing to his parents he stole some candy from the store. Yoshihiro looked at his nephews downcast eyes and regretful expression before he sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Toyohisa...look at me."
The young man did so.
"When you decided to surrender the city...was your primary concern that of the village?"
He nodded and Yoshihiro smiled.
"Then yes Toyohisa, you made the right choice." He spoke before standing "That seal, I believe will do exactly what he says it will do. I'm no expert but I recognize some of the characters. None of them indicate this can be remote activated, only through the different synapses of your brainwaves I believe will its effect take place." The older man wiped his hands before he spoke again. "Well, there's nothing more we can do for now kid, head on home, give a kiss to your wife and kid, god knows they're probably worried after all the commotion and rumors floating around.
Toyohisa nodded before he stood and walked to the other end of the room, where his shirt and other equipment lay around the table. Placing them all back into their proper place he began making his way out the door, he gave his uncle one last hug. "Thank you for everything uncle."
"Don't mention it" Yoshihiro said simply, watching as the younger man left. His thoughts traveled to their current accord with Konoha. While he wasn't happy with the deception, he understood it, and was willing to work the rest of his days to pay off his nephews imprisonment. He held no delusions of the Uzumaki boy's "Deceptive and underhanded tactics." As the peoples were calling it. Those two things practically defined the ninja world. And he would have done the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot. So no, he wasn't angry, but he knew he needed to establish some rapport with the Uzumaki boy. With these new medications that would be arriving from Kiri soon, he would soon be back on his feet, and his disease cured.
But still, while he had witnessed the boys skill and sheer power first hand, he could tell that a storm was brewing, a storm that, even Naruto's great power would not be able to hold off alone.
Yoshihiro smirked. Sounded just like his kinda fun.
Sunagakure: Kazekage tower 12 days since the fall of Iwa.
Gaara sat in his office, looking at the document that had long been in the coming. The council had long been in the deliberation of this matter, for an entire week even. But it had finally been decided and now, all that remained was his seal of approval.
As the Kazekage was about to reach for his calligraphy brush however, a messenger bird suddenly perched on his windowsill, catching his attention. Especially, with the insignia around its neck. Kumo.
Sakai 12 days since the fall of Iwa:
Naruto stood along the wall, overlooking the city he had recently taken. Reinforcements had arrived the other day from Kusa and Ame, bringing their numbers back up to standard. Some more forces had arrived from Oto, which he quickly dispatched onto Iwa, to enforce their military presence. All in all, his men were prepared to march into battle again, To bring about the final stages of their plans.
He heard the shuffling of feet approaching him. Turning he found Hinata approaching him. Her pale lavender eyes staring back into his own blood red ones. "Naruto-sama." She bowed respectfully.
"Hinata." He greeted back with a slight nod of his head. She turned her head back to look over the city, awaiting his instructions.
"You are to head to Iwa, assume command of the situation there. Until a suitable Overseer can be stationed there, you are to remain as the temporary overseer, as well as the commander for our north western defense forces. You may take Rock Lee and Tenten with you. Shino, Toushiro and Mika are to remain here, overlooking the repairs and security of the city. Hatake Kakashi and Guan, shall march with me." His voice drawled out, somehow managing to make his bored tone sound fiercer than the angry voices of many.
She nodded. "As you command. However...my lord, may I question where you are marching? Suna...or Kumo."
His response was merely a sideward's glance.
"I see." She answered before she bowed. "Very well."
Naruto watched her turn and leave, never removing his eyes from her until she was out of sight and her footsteps fading from his ears. He allowed his eyes to travel skywards.
'This land...shall be mine.'