Yagura's head was hurting. It was as if he had been asleep for years.

Flashes of red eyes, darkness, and back to those red eyes flickered through his mind again and again.

Sharingan.

Konoha.

Uchiha.

He clutched onto his head to try and ground himself. He may not know what was going on, but he knew enough to know that he needed to talk to someone to figure out what happened.

A meeting with the elders later and he was devastated. He couldn't believe he had done any of those things, even under a trance. His first conscious act as Mizukage was to call off the entire bloodline massacre and arrest the councilmen that objected to his new orders.

He himself needed to get away from Hidden Mist.

To clear his head. To create a contingency plan before someone captured him again, to make sure certain orders were ignored and to signal if someone was trying to get him to do further atrocities.

It was a headache, but he knew that it was time to pay the Hokage a visit to uncover what the Uchiha were doing and to create new diplomatic relations. The stronger Mist appeared, the easier it would be to get a peaceful deal with the rebels and unite the village again.

Sarutobi was quite shocked when he saw who had just knocked on his door. Or the fact that someone finally knocked on his door and didn't just walk in or use the window.

"Mizukage, it's an honour to have you here, but you cannot just show up at my office, this isn't how it works, you need to alert us first."

"I apologize, I didn't want anyone to know I was here," the Mizukage said with a deep bow. I haven't exactly… been in control over myself the last years."

Sarutobi looked up, eyes sharp and assessing. The mist had never shown any interest in diplomatic relations prior to this, to have the Mizukage standing before him like this… Needless to say, Sarutobi was weary. "And why are you telling me this?"

"I was controlled by someone from your village," the Mizukage said, voice soft and lilting, his face deceptively youthful. "An Uchiha, to be precise."

Sarutobi's jaw tightened. "It's impossible."

"I saw it- I saw the sharingan burning through my mind, and no other bloodline has the reputation to do something like that," the Mizukage insisted, pausing a moment before continuing, his voice lower. "The sharingan is rumoured to have quite an effect on people... like me."

"As I said, it's impossible. The Uchiha has been dead for years now."

"Dead? How is that possible? They were your strongest clan."

"I'm sure you know a great deal exterminating blood lines," Sarutobi said, voice a touch too tight, words a touch too accusatory.

The Mizukage's lips thinned and he shifted stances, the barest of movements to indicate defensiveness. "I didn't want to do that and I need your help to stop this so it won't happen again."

"The only Uchiha left in the village is twelve years old, he is not capable of doing anything like that," Sarutobi said, raising his pipe to his mouth with an air of finality. " I want you to leave now."

"There's more to talk about."

"I'm sorry, but your village is too volatile to make any deals with at the moment, leave."

"I need your help," the Mizukage banged his fist into the desk.

"And you've nothing to offer in return, I don't want anything to do with you and your village. You don't get on friendly terms with me by lying to me. Do you need my ANBU to escort you out?"

"I can find the door myself." With that the Mizukage left.

"Tell Danzo to meet me tonight, it's not an suggestion but an order," Sarutobi told the ANBU in the room. Sarutobi really had to remind himself of why he didn't hadn't found a successor yet. Then this conversation could have taken another route.

Naruto was peeking around the corner as he had just seen an unfamiliar kid. There was no hate in those purple eyes.

This is my chance," Naruto thought to himself, he don't know me, maybe his parents haven't told him to stay away from me yet. A smile usually reserved for ramen formed on his face.

The boy turn towards him and ducked back behind the wall for cover.

He was going to be a ninja and ninja had to be sneaky.

But how I'm supposed to make friends if he can't see me?

No, being sneaky is stupid.

He peeked back around the corner and saw the boy started to move away from him. Naruto started to panic. He'd have to hurry before it was too late.

What if I say something stupid?

What if he doesn't like me?

"But I'd rather be a person who blurts out random crap and look like an idiot than a coward," he blurted out aloud and ran quickly around the corner and after the boy. In his eagerness, Naruto forgot to slow down and ran directly into the boy, knocking him over in the process.

If Naruto was panicking before, he was definitely now. He had just blew his big chance. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I didn't see you! I was- " Naruto tried to excuse himself as the other boy got up again.

The boy wasn't too much taller than himself, and judging by the forehead protector around his waist Naruto was sure he was a genin. Higher ranked ninja tended to be boring and use a normal uniform.

"Who are you?" the other boy asked.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage, believe it!" Naruto answered with a big grin and a thumbs up. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yagura," the other boy answered.

"No family name?" Naruto asked and without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Don't feel bad, I'm not really an Uzumaki, old man Hokage just gave me the name since no one knew who my parents is. He feels quite sad about it as everytime I ask he's just silent and leaves. But I can be your friend."

Naruto grinned. This was definitely going his way.

"I've friends, I'm not a loser," Yagura answered and stuck out his tongue at Naruto.

This was not going Naruto's way.

He needed a solution for this or he'd lose his first friend.

In that moment, he got it, it was so obvious that Naruto felt stupid for not thinking about it before. It was the first thing he should have done. Ramen. Ayame had promised him that if he brought with him a friend she would threat them to ramen. It was a long time ago, but he hadn't had the chance of taking advantage of it yet.

This was the perfect day, making his first friend and free ramen.

"Do you want ramen?" Naruto offered.

"Huh?" Yagura just looked confused.

Not wanting to mess up again by saying something stupid, Naruto grabbed him by his hand and dragged him towards Ichiraku ramen.

"Hey Naruto, and is that a friend of yours?" she looked towards Yagura, brows drawing together at the unfamiliar face..

"Yeah, this is Yagura," Naruto said. "We just met and he's a genin, y'know?

If the boy besides him made any reaction to his remark, Naruto wouldn't know.

"I believe I made a promise," she said and put a two bowls of ramen in front of the two boys.

"Itadakimasu," Naruto said as usual before eating and Yagura followed suit.

Yagura watched the kid from the corner of his eye. A seemingly nameless orphan wouldn't have any kind of contact with the leader of the village. No, that would be ridiculous- there had to be something behind it.

As long as no one exposed who he was, he could make this trip more beneficial than it currently had been.

"So you're a ninja too?" he asked Naruto, careful to keep his tone inquisitive but not too probing.

"Not yet, but I'm soon graduating from the academy and I'll become the best ninja," Naruto declared through a mouthful of ramen, "Even better than Jiji and the fourth."

"Jiji?" Yagura's brows knitted.

"The Hokage, baka."

Yagura had to fight to hold himself back. He couldn't let himself be insulted by a kid that wasn't even a ninja, he couldn't screw this up. There was something so obviously different about Naruto but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. He just needed to bide his time, discover more before he drew any solid conclusions.

"Are you and the Hokage good friends then?" Yagura asked, trying to sound as though he was in awe. Or anything, really, that would be appropriate for a reaction from a genin.

"Yeah, he visits me each month and gives me money. But I'd wish he comes more often you know. And I talk to him if the ANBU manages to catch me after a prank." Naruto smiled. "But I'm pretty good at running away, so it isn't that often."

In an instant, his mood shifted away from his happy self.

"The villagers don't like me, they act like I'm not there. So I'm pranking them so I'll get noticed." Naruto explained without getting asked. Naruto had heard that you were supposed to share stuff with your friends.

"That's-" Yagura tried to say before getting interrupted by Naruto.

"Can you keep a secret?" Naruto asked, his face clearly more serious now.

Yagura just nodded.

"They think I'm not hearing it, but," Naruto leaned towards him before whispering, "they call me a demon."

Yagura's eyes widen, which made Naruto's stomach tangle in knots, all of a sudden worried that maybe he'd said too much and his newfound friend wouldn't want to be with him Yagura just turned and smiled at him. "Cool."

Who would have thought he would've gotten so lucky to stumble upon the jinchuuriki of Konoha? This situation was even better than what he could've hoped.

All Yagura had to do now was seal the deal, he didn't know what beast was sealed into Naruto, but he knew that Konoha would have kept a strong one for themselves.

"I need to go home soon," Yagura said, letting a frown touch his face before holding out a hand to Naruto. "Do you want to come and visit my home?"

Naruto grabbed without hesitation.

"Hokage-sama, you called for me."

"Yes, this is about Naruto," Sarutobi looked up, from the papers, setting them aside with a shaky hand. For a moment, he almost saw Sakumo. He was getting old.

Kakashi's single eye didn't show any signs of change in emotion, but there was a stiffness in his shoulders that Sarutobi had come to spot. "Has something happened to Minato's son?"

"He has been kidnapped by the Mizukage," there was no shortage of pain that came with those words. How had Yagura managed such coercion? Did Naruto even require coercion?

"And the ANBU just let it happen?" Kakashi still sounded disinterested, tone bland and ever so contradictory to his tense posture.

"I guess no one expected something like that to happen, no one was supposed to know who Naruto really was," Sarutobi said, all of a sudden feeling the wear in his bones and the heaviness of the Hokage hat weighing on him. "I'm guessing Kiri didn't know until arriving in the village."

"So we're going to get him back?"

"It isn't that easy," Sarutobi pressed his pipe into his mouth, taking a sharp inhale and feeling the smoke infuse his lungs, filling them to their full capacity. "Kiri hasn't done anything wrong. Several witnesses confirmed that Naruto bumped into the Mizukage and that he went out of his own will. Besides, it's only against our treaties to recruit ninja from other villages, Naruto was not a ninja, only an academy student."

"If we do anything against them we might be seen as warmongers. Iwa and Kumo would rather that Kiri get another Jinchuuriki than let us keep ours," Kakashi finished. He was always a bright one, that boy, quick on his feet and though somewhat tactless, knowledgeable in politics.

"There is something we can do, but we need to act carefully. But we've more important issues at hand, our alliance with Suna is weak, and we need to strengthen it before it comes out that Kiri has the Kyuubi," Suna admired strength. No, feared it. Whilst Konoha never dealt well with fear, it would be a currency that Suna understands. "It will look better if we send a strong ninja, so you should go."

At that, Kakashi smiled, the fabric of his mask crinkling just a little. Sarutobi didn't have to look too carefully to know that it was wry. "There's a reason I didn't specialize in negotiation"

"I'll direct you to some chuunin that will draw up a good deal," Sarutobi said, understanding. "The important thing is that they'll see an increased value in our alliance and to redirect some of the missions that has come our way lately seeing as they've been struggling."

"Don't you have anyone else to send?" Kakashi sounded about as tired as he felt. Suna's younger generation was tolerable, at most. But they held grudges, and Sakumo had quite the reputation there.

"I could assign you a genin team straight away instead, but I'd rather have you train Sasuke and Naruto when the time is right," Sarutobi said. As uncomfortable as it was to force Kakashi into this expedition, it was necessary. That, and he doubted Danzo's methods would be preferable. "You need to get into shape again, get some contact with people and see the sun. I can't send you to Kiri the way you are now."

"You give this old man no choice," Kakashi muttered on the way out.

You have no idea.

Sarutobi closed his eyes and let himself sigh once he was alone again.

"Do you know why I called you here today, Danzo?"

Danzo looked at him through slitted eyes. With age, the sharpness of his face rounded and he didn't appear anywhere near as threatening, as cold and calculating, as he once did. But Sarutobi knew better than to believe in the facade. "This is about the Jinchuuriki right?"

"No, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to give me a completely honest answer," Sarutobi hated to do this, hated the conflict, hated his hands dirtied like this. "Have you been mind-controlling the Mizuage for the last few years?"

"What are you talking about?" the surprise in Danzo's eye appeared genuine.

"The Mizukage was here earlier today, as you might know," Sarutobi said, feeling his stomach sink. He didn't want Danzo to be lying, but if he was, it would simplify the situation somewhat. "He accused the Uchiha of controlling him."

Danzo's face returned to its neutral state. "And you believed him?"

"He seemed to have no knowledge that the clan has been killed, and was quite shocked by the news." It was a roundabout response, neither denying nor confirming.

"Are you sure he's not just uninformed and ignorant?"

"He could be, if it wasn't for evidence for the contrary. Look at this," Sarutobi handed over a scroll. In spite of it all, he still had faith in Danzo.

"It's a condolence letter from the Mizukage," Danzo glanced at it and then dismissed it. Showing how little he cared for what the Mizukage had to say.

"Look at the date," Hiruzen urged his old teammate, gesturing at the scroll.

Danzo looked at the date, then back at the Hokage. "What about it?"

"There is no way he could have known about the massacre that fast.'' Hiruzen answered, tapping his desk with his index finger. ''The only way that could have been done is if the person controlling him knew about the massacre and made him send it too early."

"And the only one knowing beforehand was you and Itachi.'' Hiruzen leaned forward, adopting a serious look. ''Speaking of which… show me your other eye."

Danzo's one visible eye widened for a second in surprise before he recovered his posture."I see no reason to do that."

Hiruzen remained serious, the tension in the room rose. "It's an order."

Danzo met Hiruzen's stare, but conceded and reluctantly started to uncover his eye. When the bandages came undone, a familiar crimson eye revealed itself.

"Shisui's eye," Sarutobi stated, recognizing that one particular eye. "I was wondering where those ended up."

The tension in the room was heavier than ever.

"I did not use it on the Mizukage." Danzo defended himself and Hiruzen nodded.

"I know.'' He spoke, surprising Danzo once more. It doesn't do what the Mizukage experienced I also hope that in such a circumstance you'd use for something more profitable, rather than just sabotaging Kirigakure."

"It is good that you see sense here." Danzo relaxed somewhat, closing the eye.

"And where is the other one?" Hiruzen looked at his table.

"Shisui got away. Somebody had already taken his other eye when we found him."

"Someone…'' he stopped to think for a few seconds,''Itachi perhaps?"

"Most likely, they were very close. If he were to entrust it to anyone, it would be Itachi.

"Remove it." He became serious once more and Danzo sighed.

"Is that really necessary."

"If other villages even suspect us to hold such powers we will be destroyed. I want to only see one eye in your skull next time we meet. But be sure to keep it safe in case we need it."

"No. Hiruzen, we need this eye. We just lost our bijuu, what are we supposed to do when it gets used against us? Subdue it with paperwork? We need to keep what little advantages we still have.''

"Naruto isn't a threat to us right now, it will take years before Yagura can use it against us. When there is someone to put the blame on, hopefully soon, you can implant the eye again."

Hiruzen looked at the clock, it was getting late.

"Send your best team of Root-nin to assassinate Itachi, while no one reasonable would think he's a spy, there is enough unreasonable ninja who could make that accusation. We can't give any village a reason to believe we kept him alive, and make sure to patrol the border areas so he can't access Kiri while you're hunting him down. Just don't let the Mizukage think we plan on attacking him, he seems quite short tempered."

"I'll send them out tonight."

Naruto was shivering, he didn't expect it to be this cold, even on a boat.

"Sorry, I just needed to talk to dad," Yagura said behind him with a blanket rolled under his arm.

In reality Yagura needed to answer for why he brought with him Naruto

It would be no good if someone addressed him as Mizukage-sama while Naruto thought he was a genin. Revealing that he was a jounin might not be that much of a betrayal, but there was no reason to prove Naruto wrong. He just needed to find him a Jounin-sensei, the sooner Naruto became genin of Kirigakure and made bonds to the village and not just him, the better.

"Here," Yagura unrolled the blanket and covered both of them. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit cold," Naruto responded, snuggling into the blanket and him.

A few seconds passed and they were left in a somewhat uncomfortable silence. They both felt tired, but neither could sleep.

"You know, I've a demon inside me too." Yagura tried to continue a conversation.

"Too?" Naruto asked, blinking a couple of times.

"Yeah, that's why people call you a demon, they think you're the beast that is sealed inside you." Yagura explained, sitting upwards and taking off his shirt.

"I've a demon inside me?" Naruto asked and a series of scribbles appeared on Yagura's stomach.

"Yeah, we're called Jinchuuriki,. human sacrifice." He traced his finger on the seal.

Naruto shook his head." No that can't be! I heard that the fourth Hokage defeated the Kyuubi. You saying he just put it inside me?"

Yagura nodded and placed his shirt back on.

"Why?" Naruto asked, pulling his shirt up in curiosity.

"He must have done it to protect Konoha, and to keep you as a weapon.." Yagura placed his finger on Naruto's belly and a series of squabbles and letters appeared on him as well.

"Woah," Naruto pulled his skin, inspecting the seal, noticing that his was different to Yagura's. ''But, that means…''

"Yes, Kiri wanted to use me as a weapon, our village has had dark history, that's why I want to become Mizukage, to make everyone's life better and throw away our dark past." Yagura smiled at Naruto and retreated his hand, the seal disappearing.

"I just need to sleep, I don't want to think about it."

AN:

Thanks to Jam for betaing this chapter.