(In the Mizukage's Tower in Kirigakure)
Naruto couldn't help but scowl as he entered the Mizukage's tower. His eyes flicking from side to side as he saw the blank masked faces of Kiri's ANBU watching him carefully as he made his way to the Mizukage's office, the silent masked Shinobi shadowing his movements as he continued on through the building.
He had barely set foot in the Village when he had been summoned to see the Mizukage.
Walking just behind and to the sides of him, was both Victor and Clementine. They like him had been summoned.
Letting out a sigh as he reached the large double doors leading to Mei's office, Naruto absentmindedly glanced at the two ANBU who were guarding the door. Weighing up their strengths and finding them lacking. With his brief assessment made Naruto passed them and entered the Mizukage's office.
"Ahh Pain, how good of you to finally grace us with your presence." Ao said as soon as he saw Naruto enter the room.
"Oh blow it out of your arse Cyclops." Naruto replied barely even glancing at Mei's right hand man, a seasoned veteran and a highly skilled Shinobi in his own right.
Clementine let out a barely restrained snort of amusement at that, a slightly malicious gleam entering her pink eyes as she saw Ao swell up in outrage at Naruto's comments.
"Of all the cheek!" Ao growled as he glared through his single visible eye at Naruto. "Back in my day youngster knew…"
"Ao…" Mei interrupted as she gave Naruto a warning look before she turned to look at Ao her expression darkening.
"Shut up… or I'll kill you…"
Ao paled rapidly at that, despite Mei having made that threat so many times it had almost become a catchphrase for her when she was addressing Ao.
Turning away from Ao, Mei's green eyes came to rest on Naruto's own crimson eyes. Her lips quirking slightly as she saw the slight smile now on Naruto's face.
It was a cute expression, a genuine show of humanity that Pain as she knew him, only really showed when he was around those he trusted. He would of course laugh and joke with the other Mist Shinobi when he was in bars, or on the training field.
But in such instances there was a constant wariness about him. A caution that was common to Shinobi like him. Hunter-nins, men and women who are in almost constant danger as they traverse the continent passing through enemy territory as they would allied territory.
It was a caution and wariness that was ingrained into seasoned Shinobi like Pain, Clementine and Victor.
But there were these small instances where he fully let down his emotional guard. Instances that only occurred when he was around those he trusted implicitly. A very short list, but one she had the honour of being a part of.
"I wouldn't be so amused if I were you Pain." Mei said only to internally wince, as the genuine emotion left Naruto's face, to be replaced by the cold, slightly arrogant amusement he used as his mask.
It was a stark contrast to the genuine smile he had had before, one made all the more jarring when you were able to tell the difference between his mask and his real self.
"Oh really?" Naruto question his eyebrow slight raised as he met Mei's eyes. "I would have though you would be pleased to see us. We have after all completed the mission you gave us."
With that said Naruto raised his right arm into the air, the kanji tattooed on his wrist glowing as he channeled his chakra into it.
With a slight puff of smoke, the Kiba blades appeared in front of Naruto; as he easily caught both the blade sin his hands, before laying them down on Mei's desk. With that done, he turned and gave Clementine an expectant look.
Rolling her eyes, the blonde girl, pulled out a sealing scroll form a pouch on her hip, unsealing Zabuza's blade form it as she did so. With that done, she also placed the oversized cleaver on Mei's desk.
Though unlike Naruto who gave up the Kiba blades without a care, a flicker of regret passed across Clementine's face as she relinquished her possession of the Kubikiribocho. She had taken a liking to the sword, and was less than happy to be giving it up.
If Mei saw this she didn't' say anything as she looked at two of Kiri's legendary blades on her desk, before she looked back up at Naruto.
"I take it that neither Zabuza nor Raiga accepted your invitation for them to rejoin Kiri?" Mei asked as gave Naruto an inscrutable look.
"We didn't get a chance to ask. As soon as we revealed ourselves they both attacked us, though judging from how well they were doing as rogue Shinobi, I very much doubt they would have returned, even if I had had the chance to offer." Naruto replied, telling a half truth at best.
After all the full truth was that he hadn't even considered inviting the two swordsmen back to the Village, they were both mad dogs and would only have brought harm to Kiri had they returned.
"I see." Mei replied as she gave Naruto an assessing look. Letting out a slight sigh Mei shook her head slightly.
"Well no matter, they both would have no doubt become liabilities had they returned. You retrieved the blades and that is all that matters."
"We retrieved more than just the blades." Naruto spoke up as he looked at both Victor and Clementine, before returning his gaze to Mei. Reaching into one his pouches, Naruto pulled out a number of scrolls, before he placed them down on Mei's desk.
"And what are these?" Mei questioned, as she sent Naruto an expectant look.
Gesturing at the larger scroll Naruto replied. "This one contains all of the wealth the shipping magnate Gatou had in his treasury as well as a number of contracts that sign over all of the man's business's both legal and illegal over to Kiri."
Both Mei's and Ao's eyes widened at that. If what Naruto was saying was true, then in one fell swoop he had almost doubled the amount of money coming into Kiri from both the Damiyo of the Land of Water's funding and from the missions they take.
Something that could make Kiri the richest of the Shinobi Villages or at least it could if Mei put trustworthy people in charge of Gatou's many businesses to act as proxies for her, which would give Kiri many other sources of income upon which they can rely on.
This along with the retrieval of the swords, made Naruto's mission incredibly successful and beneficial for Kiri as a whole.
"So what is in the other two?" Mei questioned as she looked down at the other two scrolls Naruto had placed on her desk.
"Any other fortunes you acquired whilst on your mission?"
Naruto ignored the jest, as he instead point at one of the scroll s and spoke up. "In this scroll, is the body of a Shinobi we fought. They wielded a currently unknown doujutsu, one which could benefit Kiri. Its full powers however are not fully known; however form what I saw it is similar in nature to a Byakugan, only more powerful."
As he said that Naruto glanced over at Ao, a Shinobi who had an implanted Byakugan hidden behind his eye patch.
"After the body has been examined it is my opinion that the doujutsu could be implanted in trusted Shinobi, thus adding to the strength of Kiri. Though a proper medical examination may be required before you think about implanting one of them, who knows what might happen." Naruto continued as he once again looked to Mei.
Mei leaned back in her chair as she heard that. Naruto was of course right that the doujutsu would need to be properly examined before she allowed them to be implanted into any of her Shinobi. The possibilities however behind this unknown doujutsu were certainly intriguing.
"Do you have any recommendation on who should be given these doujutsu?" Mei questioned, genuinely interested in his answer. She of course would make the final decision, but she was more than willing to hear Naruto's opinion on the matter.
Naruto looked down a scroll as he heard Mei's request. His mind racing as he thought about who could make use of having these doujutsu implanted." Nodding to himself, Naruto looked up at Mei before saying.
"I would suggest both Clementine and Hodan could make use of having these doujutsu implanted. Their styles of fighting would benefit from the addition of the doujutsu"
Clementine looked over at Naruto sharply as she heard that, her pink eyes narrowing as she thought about what she had heard these eyes could do.
And about how they could benefit her. In the end a slightly malicious smirk crossed her doll like face, as she thought of how much more death and destruction she could cause if she had access to the abilities that this doujutsu could offer.
Mei also gained a thoughtful look at his suggestions. She certainly saw why he suggested them, and the fact that they were both young and already powerful for their ages was an added benefit.
"So you do not think you or Victor should have the doujutsu?" Mei questioned as she looked from Naruto to Victor, the silver haired man having only nodded along in agreement as he heard Naruto's suggestion.
"No." Naruto replied with a shrug. "Due to the nature of my chakra, the doujutsu would be destroyed the minute it comes in contact with my chakra. And Victor has a similar problem, considering the nature of his abilities, if it was implanted on him it would need replacing within a few years."
Mei nodded at that, seeing the logic behind his answer. She was already familiar with the strengths and weakness behind the Stein Clan's bloodline, just as she was aware of the weaknesses behind all of the bloodlines in her Village, including the two she herself possessed.
Well all except Pain, she knew vaguely what he could do, but he was always cagey on the details, and Mei trusted him enough to let him get away with being a bit vague.
"Ao, see to it that this scroll goes to the Medic-nins. I want to know exactly what we are dealing with before I make any decisions. Also take the scroll with Gatou's assets and wealth to the treasury department.
There is a lot of work to be done and I want it to start as soon as possible." Mei said as she looked to her right hand.
Ao nodded in agreement.
Mei blinked as she saw that Ao was still in the room.
"Now Ao…" Mei said a frown passing across her beautiful face.
"Yes Lady Mizukage." Ao said grumpily as he grabbed the two scrolls with a scowl and left the room to hand them to one of the Mizukage's secretaries.
"And the final scroll?" Mei questioned once again looking to Naruto.
"The last living member of the Yuki Clan, she was Zabuza's apprentice, and fought against us when we came to reclaim the blade. Luckily though, Victor, upon seeing her abilities and knowing of her pedigree decided to spare her life and bring her back to the Village for you to decide what to do with." Naruto said with a shrug.
"She is a bit battered and bruised, but is otherwise okay. She is currently in stasis though, so it may take her a few hours to adjust after being released from the scroll."
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