Really no excuse for not having this posted, I had these finished for Patrons last week so I should have had these up on Monday. Better late than never, I guess.

Sealkeeper: He Who Binds

Chapter 120-A "Snake-Like"

Patron Release: 2020.06.30

As magnificent as the heavy desk of dark wood was, it could only hold Akishi's attention for so long. She wasn't sent here to admire furniture, she had a job to do and by the Father she would see it done.

Preferably in short order.

She tried not to dwell too much on the fact that if- when- she managed to get Au's children back into the High-Priest's good graces she was going to end up being his personal summon. The idea alone rubbed her the wrong way even if she knew Ashun had only been called for a few times total. She was one of the Seven Eldest, she should never have to worry about being suddenly pulled into the mortal plane to assist the High-Priest.

As prestigious as the position was, the sort of work he would have for her- based on what tasks he had set for Ashun- were the things for hatchlings to see to, not an Elder.

Not that she exactly had a say in the matter. Au had spoken, so it would be.

Turning from the desk- and ignoring the way the cold wood felt against her new hands- she looked around the rest of the office.

It was...plain...almost barren, even, and her initial suspicion that she had awoken within the High-Priest's personal office was temporarily shaken. She would expect more from someone of such importance. More what she couldn't say, just "more". She could respect someone being simple and sticking to their needs but the position of High-Priest of Au- hell, any position under Au- wasn't one of simplicity and humbleness. Lavish extravagance was no less than what was expected of them and was certainly no less than Au deserved.

What they felt about it in the end didn't matter any- though most humans tended to be more than happy to accept the burdens of opulence- because it was about honoring Au, not their own comfort. One who represented the father needed to be surrounded by offerings worthy of their Father's attention, it was as simple as that.

This office, though, it was nothing close to that. Dominated by the large desk it had a few cabinets and two extra chairs awaiting visitors. There was no art on the walls, no mementos placed about, all she could find was a single vase- and not even a single flower within- sitting on a small table in the exact center of the window. She has a feeling it was only there because the High-Priest hadn't bothered to move it, nothing about it seemed to possess any sort of personality. The only real splash of bright color came from the red curtains framing that window which Au's light filtered softly through, but even they wouldn't touch the boring vase. Despite its plainness, however, there was an authority in the air, one that reminded Akishi of her father's presence like some faint echo.

As strange as it seemed to her, something about the decor just screamed that this was, indeed, the office of the High-Priest. That feeling, however, may have very well been caused by her father's amulet which she could feel whispering to her from somewhere in the room.

It wasn't an audible whisper, more of a pulling at the soul and Akishi was eventually able to find the source in the unlocked upper drawer of the High-Priest's desk. That seemed an entirely inappropriate sort of place to keep such a priceless relic, let alone the symbol of the Father.

Removing it gently, she was reminded of its current state as a few flecks of dried blood flaked into her scaled hands. It would appear most of it was gone- assuming all the blood the High-Priest had left unused upon its glimmering surface had remained on it long enough to dry- no doubt burned away to fulfil the summoning contract.

It may have been weeks late and without the High-Priest's desire, but he did receive a child of Au in exchange for his blood in the end.

Hopefully he would see it that way too, but she had a feeling the man to catch her father's interest as his mortal representation was probably not that sort of optimist.

She wondered- only briefly- if the High-Priest's blood held greater significance than any other humans but quickly dismissed the entire question as ridiculous- of course the blood of Au's High-Priest was sacred. It was the medium through which he evoked part of his contract with the Serpent God, that made it just as important as any other holy relic.

Excluding, of course, the amulet itself. High-Priests were chosen and lost throughout the ages, there had only ever- and would only be ever- that single amulet. Just as there was one Au and one sun, so too could there be but a single mark of his chosen.

Akishi wouldn't even pretend to understand why beyond that simple symbolism- she was certain it had to have more reason to it than just that- but it wasn't her place to question it. Perhaps if he was in a good mood- and probably several years down the line, too- she would ask the High-Priest himself. Inquiring of him was far less likely to make her seem as if she was questioning Au and his ways when she asked.

She ran her… she was pretty sure that finger was called a "thumb"...over the golden coils of the amulet to dislodge any slight remnants of the dried blood. She would wash- and probably polish just for good measure- it later. She didn't know where to get what she needed to do so yet and finding the High-Priest really was her first priority.

It would be nice to be able to present him the amulet freshly cleaned and polished upon meeting him for the first time but she doubted she would get a chance- and that he would accept it immediately. Chances were after meeting him she would have plenty of time to care for the amulet before he was willing to hang it around his neck where it should have never left.

She was tempted to hang it on her own neck for the time being- it would be interesting to try it considering she now had shoulders to keep it from just sliding down until it either struck the ground or became stuck on a wider part of her body.- and she figured that was probably a good way to ensure its safety- humans used bags or baskets to carry things, didn't they? She would need to obtain one to store anything she might need during her time here- but as she was not the High-Priest she had a pretty strong feeling that attempting to knowingly wear Au's Amulet may have consequences she wasn't willing to face.

She knew very well that only the High-Priest was permitted to wear it, placing it over her head anyway would be like declaring herself the High-Priest and that sort of sacrilege would not go unnoticed by the Father. Hell, nothing she would be doing would go unnoticed by him. Even ignoring the fact that he knew everything that happened beneath his dominion, he would be actively watching her every move until she managed to convince this Naruto to formally take up the position he should have been granted the full benefits and responsibilities of months ago.

While she wasn't planning on doing anything that would go against him, that sort of scrutiny was still enough to make even the most devout nervous. She really hopped she didn't disappoint the Father or bring any dishonor to herself as she tried to resolve this mess.

Hopefully he'll be slightly more lenient considering the fact that she was here specifically to try fixing this and she wasn;'t the one- specifically, anyway- to cause it. Having allowed it to happen was why she was even here in the first place, so if that part could be left out of the consideration entirely when determining leniency that would be great.

For now she sat the Amulet down on the desk where the soft light of Au could still faintly touch it. She swore it trembled slightly as she did so and there was a brief feeling of approval that surged through her chest. It was a good sign that her actions were already pleasing Au, now she just had to keep it up.

Moving over to the window she moved the curtains as far to the sides as possible and raised the blinds to allow even more light into the room. This was the High-Priest's office, it was only right for it to be flooded with Au's light.

And hopefully it would allow him to provide more help should it become necessary. She knew he could do it- he was Au for Au's sake- but for whatever reason he would not interfere himself. That would be another thing to ask the High-Priest about. If anyone would know why Au wouldn't influence the world directly it would be the man chosen to do so on his behalf.

She would assume so, anyway.

The slight creak of hinges drew her attention from the window to the door where a young man had taken a step into the room and paused, staring blankly at her. The pale skin seemed correct but she couldn't remember what color his hair was supposed to be. Raven black just didn't sound right to Akishi. She also didn't feel nearly enough connection to him for him to have been touched by Au's light and having interacted with his children. There was a faint connection, a mere echo, but the sense of serpents she received from him lacked the divinity of Au.

If she had to guess, he was somehow involved with Au's grandchildren, the spawn of Akyanji.

She tried to recall who was tied to them but it kept slipping away. Oro-something, she was sure. Or maybe that was the last one. She thought she had heard something- and now that she thought about it she wasn't even sure how that information had ended up reaching Augoku in the first place- some forty years ago so it was entirely possible at least one other "Snake Sage" had come and gone in that time. Hell, they could have had a new one every four years for all she knew.

This one did strike her as a bit young for a "Snake Sage", though. An apprentice, maybe?

All she really knew was who this person wasn't so she made use of that.

"Where is the High-Priest, mortal?"

They continued to stare blankly at her for a few more seconds but before she could make demands again they spoke.

"I'll assume you mean Naruto-kun." Their eyes trailed up and down the transformed elder. "Yes, I think this would be something only he could be involved in."

"Yes," Akishi hoped her voice sounded as exasperated as she wanted it to be. "High-Priest Naruto. Where is he?"

"He's occupied at the moment." Orochimaru stepped further into the room to set a stack of papers neatly on Naruto's desk, noting but ignoring the amulet sitting openly upon the dark wood. "But I'll let him know he has a visitor. He'll be in here eventually, I'm certain." He never could ignore work that needed to be done. "Knowing what's waiting for him, however, well, I think he might be in here quite a bit sooner."

Orochimaru had never even heard of such a creature before which was surprising due to the obvious relation she must have with snakes. Surely the Snake Summons would have mentioned such at some point, even if it was only some sort of legend. Things like this didn't just appear.

Well, actually, he guessed that last statement was incorrect. This one had indeed just appeared within Naruto's office as far as he could tell. It was possible they had come through the window or something but that was one of the most heavily guarded areas of the entire compound and Orochimaru thought it unlikely that she- and it was definitely a she- had snuck in through the window when even now Orochimaru could see the backs of two Wolves on the other side of it.

Perhaps their learned habit to never look into the window of Naruto's office- just like his bedroom- had been detrimental in this instance considering an unknown was right there in one of the two rooms their lord should have been the most safe within.

If they were to turn around at this very second they probably would have fallen dead from shame alone.

"Take me to him, I must speak with the High-Priest immediately."

Orochimaru raised one of Sasuke's eyebrows. "Hmmm…..No." He gave a slight shake of his head. "No, I don't think I will. He gets to decide which guests he entertains with his limited time and when. I'm not going to take you to bother him when you've shown up unannounced."

"The will of Au will not be set aside, I must speak with High-Priest Naruto."

"Oh?" The falling brow resumed its rise up Sasuke's forehead to rest much higher up than before. "Au wills it, does he?"

Akishi gave a confident nod, pleased that the young man before her was starting to understand the severity of the situation.

"Then he can come down to request an audience himself, Naruto-kun is busy."

It took several seconds just to comprehend the words that had been spoken and then several more to come to terms with the sheer audacity of someone to utter them with such unshaken confidence.

In her previous body her recoil would have been quite literal as she reared back with the majority of her body. As she was now she could only bring her torso back slightly to distance herself from such blatant disrespect of the Father.

"You dare?!" It came out half hiss but she knew her point had gotten across easily enough. The young man didn't seem phased in the slightest.

"Au may be the God of Serpents but he is not my god. I will happily surrender my title as Snake Sage in support of my godson."

That was...slightly conflicting...if Akishi was being honest. The disrespect shown towards Au should have been unforgivable but at the same time he was showing that disrespect in support of his godson whom Akishi was assuming- based on what the young man had said, though she didn't know how that worked with their apparent ages- was High-Priest Naruto himself.

Disrespecting Au to support Naruto whose role honored and furthered the will of Au.

How was she supposed to react to something like that?

Ultimately she decided not to. She wasn't here to defend the honor of Au, she was here to enforce his will. Either Father or his High-Priest could address this issue. Probably the High-Priest, considering how much the young man claiming to be the Snake Sage seemed to put him above everything else.

He'd already made it very clear how much respect he held for the Golden Serpent, having the Father speak to him about his insolence probably wasn't going to make a difference unless Father just skipped to eating him.

That was one way to solve the issue, she supposed.

"I'd deal with you if there was not a matter that urgently requires the High-Priest's attention."

"'Urgent' will be determined by Naruto-kun when I tell him that you're here. What was it you needed his attention for?"

"That is between Great Au and the High-Priest."

Orochimaru gave a shrug in response. "Very well, in that case you can wait. I'm not bothering Naruto for some unknown urgency. Like I said earlier, he'll be here in his office at some point. Make yourself comfortable. Or don't. I couldn't care less." With an absent wave towards the chairs he exited the room.

Part of him wondered if it was a good idea to leave the half-snake messenger from Au in Naruto's office- there were some important things in there- especially after blatantly insulting the God of Serpents himself but the other part couldn't care.

He'd let Naruto know and then if he wanted to deal with it immediately he would. Personally, Orochimaru would much prefer to make the snake-like wait for at least a couple hours and he'd definitely be voicing that opinion when he brought this to Naruto's attention. Then again, maybe that would be a bad idea if it lead to the snake-like - he'd ask Naruto what the actual name for it was after the Crimson Prince had a chance to actually speak with the thing- moving about the apartment on her own to try to find the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni.

Bah, the Wolves had seen weirder….probably.

Things went more smoothly this time, possibly because it was the same two guards at the gate who remembered her from last time and possibly just because she had gotten lucky. Either way, she was happy to make it quickly through the gates of Konohagakure to fulfil her mission from her Mizukage.

She was not, however, looking forward to breaking the same news to Naruko. If she was really, really lucky then the Uzumaki were already aware and her news would be, well, nothing new. She had more luck than her father for sure but nowhere near that much of it. Shifting her small traveling pack on her back she started towards the Hokage tower.

Part of her wanted to speak with Naruko immediately about this- both so it would be over with and because it didn't really feel right to be informing someone else first- but she was acutely aware that her mission here had nothing to do with seeing Naruko and that it was expected for her to head immediately to the Hokage as a Kunoichi on a diplomatic mission.

She also didn't know how long things would take with Naruko, so it was better to finish with the Hokage first.

"Naruto-kun." Orochimaru knocked softly on the open door to the young Daimyo's personal chambers, hating to interrupt almost as much as he was jealous he wasn't a part of it. "There's a rather interesting visitor waiting for you in your office. I'd let them wait but I thought you'd like to make that decision yourself."

Naruto stared at him with half-open eyes from his spot in the middle of the bed. Around him the off-duty Wolves who had joined him for a nap looked up to glare at the Snake Sage for interrupting their time with the father, interrupting his rest, and trying to drag him back into his work.

They had worked hard to get him to rest, damnit, now they were going to have to do it all again.

"Who is it?" Naruto finally asked. He hadn't quite fallen fully into sleep's gentle embrace when Orochimaru had entered the room, instead he had been in a half-dozing state for probably the last hour or so which was still leaving him feeling quite drowsy. Being tucked in- forcefully, if he recalled- and surrounded by a pile of his children certainly wasn't helping to stave off that feeling.

"I didn't catch their name." He hadn't bothered to ask, now that he thought about it. "But they claim to be here on behalf of Au."

"Au?" Naruto immediately dragged his mind from the foggy weariness that tugged at it so longingly. "It was a serpent?" That would make this the first time they had actually come to him- unless you counted Koshi who had given Guren and her team a ride to Kirigakure to aid him- since he had received the amulet. His best guess as to why they came now was that it had to be related to either the fact that he no longer wore it- which seemed lacking- or the blood that had been returned to it the last time he had tried to summon one of Au's children. Perhaps they felt he still owed them for the times he had been able to make use of them?

It would be just his luck that Au wanted some sort of repayment for the tasks his children had completed and that the blood had only been the cost of summoning them in the first place. Certainly explained why Ashun was always eager to help despite the suspicious malice that seemed to drip from his voice. The false submission, too, would have been because he had no choice but to fulfil the task so Au could call on a debt later.

Just thinking about it was already starting to put Naruto in a bad mood, so whomever the Golden Serpent had sent had better hope that wasn't the case.

"...Not...exactly…" Orochimaru really should have asked what the hell she was earlier because describing her concisely would be an interesting endeavour. "They were definitely under his dominion, though." That was completely accurate without trying to describe a half snake, half woman in his godson's office. He could describe them in a more detailed manner, but the entire point was to make it so he didn't become so interested that he went to see them immediately.

Of course Orochimaru knew his godson enough to know that was unlikely to happen. He'd already brought up Au and the involvement of a god was sure to require Naruto's immediate attention.

As expected Naruto slipped out from the covers and carefully made his way between his children until he had been fully freed from the prison that had become of his bed. One of the Wolves had already slunk into the young Daimyo's closet and returned in time to throw him a pair of black pants that were quickly put on. He didn't seem overly concerned with wearing anything else- in fact, Orochimaru had a strong suspicion that he had been completely aware that he was heading off to speak to a messenger of Au in nothing but his boxers- but he did give the Wolf who brought the pants a quick nod in thanks.

Orochimaru was quick to follow his godson- at a respectful distance- as he continued on to his office. The Snake Sage wanted to be nearby for whatever was about to happen. Really he'd prefer to be in the same room or close enough to overhear but he thought that might be overstepping his bounds by just a bit. Naruto would tolerate a lot from him- he had a feeling he humored him slightly more when he was a man simply to make up for the fact that he wouldn't do other things- but wherever the actual limit was eavesdropping on his conversation with a messenger sent by a deity was probably beyond it by a solid margin.

Au probably wouldn't be too pleased either and despite his earlier disrespect Orochimaru did enjoy the benefits of being the Snake Sage. If he got too far onto the Great Serpent's bad side he had a good feeling that those days would quickly find themselves over.

Hearing about things just a few minutes early simply wasn't worth losing out on his summoning contract, Naruto would tell him what the messenger had brought with them.

Probably.

"Hokage-sama." Haku greeted the Sarutobi behind the desk as she entered his office. With quick steps she took a position directly before the proud polished maple that had served each Hokage since the founding of Konohagakure no Sato and the birth of the Hidden Villages.

"Yuki-san. I was not expecting you to return to Konoha so quickly. I trust everything is alright with the supplies we've sent to aid Kirigakure?" One of his brows raised just slightly enough to be noticeable.

"Yes Hokage-sama, the supplies you sent have been a great help as we recover from so many years of conflict. I know Me-sama would like me to express our gratitude once again."

"Of course, Konohagakure is always happy to aid her allies." The man folded his hands together atop his desk. "So what is it that brings you back to our great village?"

"In addition to thanking you for the supplies, we would like to express further gratitude for allowing us the information we requested." Haku's eyes briefly flickered over to the elderly man sat to the side of the desk smoking serenely in his suit before moving back to Asuma for permission.

The Hokage looked over to his father as well and briefly weighed the decision before giving a flick of his wrist and a nod of his head. "It's fine," He decided. Wasn't like the Sandaime wasn't going to find out eventually anyway. He probably wouldn't be too pleased considering he seemed to have a soft spot for the former Uzumaki but that was just something Asuma was going to have to deal with after his guest left. "You may speak freely."

Haku gave an understanding nod and reached into her bag to withdraw the file Kirigakure had been gifted, setting it gently onto the desk and sliding it towards the Godaime. Asuma's brow raised a bit more noticeably this time as he gaze went between the returned file and Haku.

"You know that file was a copy, Yuki-san. Mizukage-dono did not need to return it." To his side Hiruzen straightened up in interest as he noticed the name on the file, shooting a disapproving glance to his son before shaking his head in disappointment.

"You're poking sleeping beasts again, Asuma. I thought we had gone over this already."

"He's a Konoha Shinobi associated with the House of Wolves. It's only right they know the face of someone who might use their alliance with us to further the causes of those who turned Kirigakure to rubble."

Hiruzen gave a sideways nod. That did make sense, he just didn;t like the idea of agitating the Wolves..again. Asuma had already done enough damage, who was to say what would be the final thing to push their patience past the limit? Not only were they a current ally- in the sense that they wanted to protect Konoha too- which would be a complete waste to discard so easily but as Asuma had originally feared they were already here in Konoha and capable of doing quite a bit of damage.

If you worried about them turning on you the last thing you wanted to do was provoke them while they were in the middle of your village. That should have been common sense. The only time you might do otherwise was when you were confident they could be stomped out both quickly and completely. You know, like the Uchiha.

For the most part, at least.

A group like the Wolves where they didn't even have an estimate on their numbers? You didn't want to wipe out some of them just to have those you missed lashing out at your civilians.

"His face is more than just that, I'm afraid." Haku leaned over and flicked open the file to show the picture of Genin Naruto. "We were not completely honest with you when we requested this file, Hokage-sama, and for that I hope you can forgive us."

Asuma's eyes narrowed. "Explain." His tone left no room for argument or refusal. Fortunately Haku had no intention of either.

"During the final battle of the Kirigakure Bloodline Rebellion, Tsukuyomi himself joined the battle. He arrived midway through with his Wolves who had been systematically destroying the bases the rebellion rotated through."

"I fail to see the correlation." Asuma didn't but Haku was also able to see the expression of the Sandaime who didn't try to hide the understanding that swept over his face with the barest hints of resignation. He knew exactly where this was going.

"If you'd allow me to finish, Hokage-sama." She didn't wait for his permission. "From what I understand he rode into the battle atop the back of a giant purple snake-" The andaime actually seemed more surprised by this than the Godaime which reconfirmed that he was familiar-to a degree- with Tsukuyomi and generally knew what to expect from him. Apparently this fell outside that. "-and eventually came across Hoshigaki Kisame and my father Momoichi Zabuza. During his fight with them-"

The way Hiruzen's entire face blanched told Haku that whatever information he did have on Tsukuyomi- which was looking to be little more than his identity- was most sorely lacking. Or maybe it was something about that identity that made things so bad. Mei had been quite vocal about his age and the fact that he was still a Genin, after all. Maybe the Sandaime was going through the same thoughts about the matter now? She supposed it probably was a lot to take in, especially if you thought you had known them previously.

"-I came to offer my aid." She didn't bring up the fact that he had been spewing Youkai from his body like there was no tomorrow, that wasn't really the focus here and, really, if anyone was going to know about that it was the village he had spent his life in. Probably had something to do with the Kyuubi like a Pseudo-Jinchuriki. It was said there were almost as many Pseudo-Jinchuriki of the Kyuuubi throughout history as there were legitimate Jinchuriki for all nine of them. Either people really liked the Kyuubi, thought it would make the best Pseudo-Jinchuriki, or its Youkai was simply ridiculously easy to get one's hands on.

Haku was also well aware of how it sounded that she had come to the aid of two legendary Krigakure swordsmen against Tsukuyomi. The Godaime was starting to look seriously concerned by that and the Sandaime seemed like he was about to choke on air.

"While I was there we learned that he supposedly had ties to the Uzumaki at some point. That's why I requested information about Genin Naruto the way I did."

Asuma blinked twice, processing, before his head snapped down to the open file on his desk.

There was no way, was there? He returned his attention back to Haku with a blank, unamused stare.

"You have to be fucking kidding me."

Sealkeeper: He Who Binds

Chapter 120-B "The Task"

Patron Release; 2020.07.02

He was almost to his office when a Wolf rushed up to him with a Kunai pouch, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of their father meeting with a guest unarmed. He had his chains, of course, and they definitely knew that, but if it eased their minds to know he had a physical blade on his person then he would indulge them without a second's thought.

Strapping it to his leg he reached up- and the Wolf had to lean slightly down- to ruffle their hair. "Thank you, child."

Even with the mask hiking away their face they seemed impossibly pleased with themself and with a salute they took their leave. Naruto watched them go, noting the Sasukemaru they passed on their way.

"If you could stay outside the office please, Orochimaru, I would like to speak with them privately. I'll call for you if you're needed."

"Of course, Naruto-kun. That's what I'm here for."

Naruto wasn't completely certain if Orochimaru was saying that had already been the plan or was just using that expression in a subservient manner to say he would honor Naruto's request. There was a pretty fair chance it was both, if he really considered it, but he supposed either one was acceptable in the end so it didn't matter much.

He paused for the briefest of seconds as he reached the door to his office, wondering if he should have found himself a shirt before meeting with a messenger of Au, but proceeded to enter with all the confidence of the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni possessed. Which was, quite possibly, more than he should rightly have.

He could not say he had expected the sight that greeted him, not in the slightest.

The first thing he noticed, naturally, was that she was beautiful. Bronzed skin and long, dark hair she was just a bit taller than he was and the muscle he could see reminded him much more of a carefully toned Kunoichi than civilian. The eyes that snapped to him were a brilliant red that contrasted well with her skin and her face possessed a soft, angular quality to it.

He was pretty sure that was contradictory, but he had no better way to describe it. He could see the lines of her jaw, and cheekbones, and her nose but none of them were specifically "sharp", just...well defined. It was a less harsh look that detracted nothing from a sense of regality she projected.

The second thing he noticed was that-like himself- she was topless.

But the third, most surprising thing by far had to have been the fact that her body became that of a snake right under the flair of what should have been hips. He wasn't sure if they would still be considered hips if she didn't actually have any legs. The scales for her lower body- or perhaps just 'tail'- were lighter than her skin, glimmering in a way that reminded him of polished copper.

He certainly understood what Orochimaru had meant when he said the messenger was definitely under Au's domain. That was quite unmistakable.

Still, he had dealt with children of Au before, this should be no different. Closing the door softly behind him he was aware of her- and there was no question that it was a she, though he did wonder how necessary that part of the anatomy actually was- eyes fixated on to him as he made his way over to his desk and slid into his chair.

He made note of the Amulet of Au sitting on his desk but pointedly ignored it. He knew for a fact that's not where it had been left. Folding his hands together he shot the Snake-Woman an expectant look. "Well?" He asked after a moment of silent staring. "I was told you wished to speak with me."

It took Akishi a few more moments to find her tongue. This was the High-Priest? The one named Naruto who went by Tsukuyomi? Why on earth did he name himself after the deity of the moon when just a look in the mirror should have shown him fire and light?

His crimson hair fell down his back like a river of flames while his pale skin softly reflected the light of the room. She didn't feel that the color of his eyes really suited him, but the intensity of them reminded her of Au's mere presence. That skin of his was marred by a series of marking, though. Tattoos, if she remembered right. They covered both arms and the majority of his chest. What was the most strange about them was that they seemed to be glowing faintly on their own, something Akishi couldn't say she had seen back when Au's children interacted with the primitive humans.

It would seem their love of decorating their bodies had not waned over the millenia.

Even so, everything about him seemed to reflect the light of Au, why- Oh, no. That did make some sense, didn't it? It was the moon that reflected the light of the sun when the sun was out of reach. It provided the sun's light to a world desperately lacking it but could never ascend to the same level as the other heavenly body.

High-Priests- most priests, actually- tended to model themselves after the sun. Whether that was how they dressed, what they surrounded themselves with, or even just how they referred to themselves it was always an attempt to directly emulate the glory of Au.

This, however, was something new and interesting. Modeling yourself after the moon to show the light of Au was something she hadn't seen before. She kind of liked it.

There was also something strangely...old...about his presence but Akishi dismissed the thought. He had been touched by Au, that was sure to leave echoes of the Elder God. It was curious that the echo had managed to remain when the scent of Au was so faded from his person. Weeks apart from the amulet had greatly reduced the unmistakable taste of Au from his skin.

But it was still there, and that was good enough for Akishi to confirm that this was indeed the High-Priest of Au she sought.

"High-Priest…" She debated about which name to use for a second but settled on his birth name. He had given it to Aya, so that's what Akishi would use until he requested otherwise. "..Naruto, I am Akishi. Fifth-born of Great Au's seven Elder Children."

Naruto rose a brow as silence descended through the room. "...And?" Was he supposed to be impressed? Was she expecting him to introduce himself when she had already said his name? Whatever she was looking for, she wasn't going to find it unless she asked.

"I…" She choked on her surprise for a second and had to remind herself that the High-Priest had only ever interacted with hatchlings. "I have been sent from the base of Holy Mount Aogi by Great Au himself to speak with you on his behalf."

"And what does Great Au have to say, child?" That...stung. Akishi hoped she hadn't winced too noticeably when he called her that. She didn't have the pride of Aba'ri but by Au she was an Elder. She was nearly as old as humanity itself, who was he to call her a child? Because he was favored by Au she held her tongue, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot.

Besides, he probably just didn't realize the significance of being an Elder. Hell, he wouldn't know much at all when it came to Au and his children.

She bent at the waist in a deep- but brief- bow. "I am here to offer the most sincere apologies of Au's children, specifically myself and the other Elders who did not hold Ashun properly accountable during his time serving you and allowed him to send an ill-prepared Aya in his place."

Naruto was silent for a few moments but whatever thoughts he was having were not reflected in his piercing stare. "So Great Au has sent you to speak on his behalf, has he? It sounds more as though he has sent you to apologize for Aya's incompetence." His tone of voice made it clear that he was not impressed. The fact that Aya couldn't do it herself was bad enough but now this 'Elder' was here lying to his face about speaking for Au. "Did you think lying to me would suddenly earn her my favor? That I would decide to accept her as my personal summon?"

"Oh! No, not at all, High-Priest." Akishi quickly realized her mistake. This one was very particular about his words, wasn't he? She was going to have to be more careful. "My presence here is to fulfil multiple purposes, the first of which is to apologize for all of Great Au's children. As the elders it falls to us to teach and watch the actions of the younger. That we failed to notice the manner in which Ashun was going about his duties is a mark of shame against us."

"You assume Ashun failed me?" Naruto's brow was raised again. "His words occasionally overstepped his bounds, but he was always quick to retreat and did what was required of him. Despite the treachery in his tongue I knew he would carry out my instructions."

"But...He…" Akishi found herself at a momentary loss for words. The High-Priest sounded as though he had been pleased with Ashun. Considering how all the elders felt about him at the moment- it was partly his fault that Ahkra was no longer among them- it was hard to imagine someone being pleased with anything about him. Of course, she realized, Naruto didn't know the full extent of his actions, either. That would certainly help explain it. "You have my apologies, High-Priest, it had slipped my mind that you would be unaware of the severity of some of Ashun's actions."

"Explain, then." His command was short and to the point but he continued to look less than impressed. It was almost as if he was allowing her to explain just to humor her which rubbed her scales the wrong way. It couldn't be that he didn't care, it had to be that he simply didn't know.

"When you first called for one of Au's children Ashun was the one the amulet plucked from Augoku and brought to this mortal plane. When he arrived it was his duty to bind to you as your personal summon so that you would have a connection to Great Au himself and could take up the mantle of High-Priest. As you are aware he did not-"

Naruto held up a hand to interrupt her. "You are saying that because I have not been bound to one of his children that I am not the High-Priest?"

"Yes," She gave a nod, certain her face had probably brightened up considerably now that he was starting to understand. "Because Ashun did not fulfil his duties you are not currently the High-Priest and will not be until you have bound to one of Au's children." She would leave out the fact that it was to be her for now, she could bring that up in a bit.

She was completely unprepared for the next words to leave his lips.

"Good, then there is no purpose for your visit. Take the amulet and leave me, I have work to do."

"W-what?!"

"Did you not hear me? Take the amulet and go. Give it to your High-Priest or something, it's no concern of mine." He paused for a second and Akishi thought he might be reconsidering. Those hopes were quickly dashed. "When you speak with Au, tell him that his son Koshi misses the sound of his voice. He would be grateful for the opportunity to hear it one last time before his passing. He also wished for him to know that he does not hold his actions against him, he was honored to have been chosen."

It was probably bad that her first realization was that he hadn't been impressed by her because he had already met with Akyanji. He was the firstborn, the favored son. What was the appearance of the fithborn in your office compared to that?

More than that, it's obvious Koshi had also taken a liking to Au's chosen if he was willing to trust him with passing on such a message. Great Au had mentioned that the High-Priest bore a message for him from Akyanji, this had to have been it.

Au would have known what was spoken- he had to, the High-Priest would have learned in the mortal plane- but to hear it from the lips of the High-Priest would have been the closest to speaking with Akyanji directly. It would have also allowed him to speak back.

There was good reason the results of Ashun's actions had led to his growing ire, especially when the Elders couldn't seem to find a way to rectify the issue.

"I-I cannot..."

A scoff escaped Naruto's lips as he interrupted her. "Aya said much the same thing. Useless."

"He's entrusted those words to you, I cannot be the one to deliver them."

Naruto's face gained a thoughtful expression for a few seconds as he accepted ehr words but it was quickly dropped again. "Very well, I can see the importance in that." Akishi felt her entire body relax in relief only to seize up again in panic as he continued. "I will have to let Koshi know that I will be unable to fulfil the favor he asked of me because I am not the High-Priest and his sister will not lend him her aid in the matter. I'm sure he will understand."

"N-no, that's not what I meant. I'm here to aid you in binding to one of Au's children so you can take up the mantle of High-Priest. You'll be able to deliver it to Great Au personally."

"And why would I want that?"

Again Akishi found herself at a loss for words. Why wouldn't he want to be the High-priest of Au? He would be the representation of a deity upon the mortal world, she couldn't think of any humans she had ever met who would turn something like that down. Hell, the things they would have done to each other just for the chance at such a position were absolutely horrific.

"You would be the High Priest of Au! Why wouldn't you want that? Man and serpent alike would submit to your will under the glory of Au. The influence! The power! As the Temples of Au return to the world all the riches gathered by his faithful would be at your disposal!"

He didn't look impressed in the slightest.

"I am Tsukuyomi, Daimyo of Nami no Kuni and her crown jewel Hanahime- the wealthiest port city in the world. I am the leader of the Imperial House of Wolves of Hi no Kuni and have influence over three of Konohagakure's Noble Clans. I hold within me two of the great Biju and a connection to a third. What power, wealth, or influence do you find me lacking?"

"Great Au is the Sun!" She found herself exclaiming before she could consider whether it was a good idea. She knew she needed to be careful with her words- she was The Manipulator for Au's sake- but hearing him questions the benefits of serving Au was almost too much to take. Just the honor of being allowed to fulfil his will should have been enough of a reward for anyone. "Au's influence is to spread across the word once again, there's no comparing to that."

His look didn't change. "I would have to disagree. My Wolves are already spreading. I don't need a god for that."

What else could she really offer? She couldn't make promises for Au, all she could do was bring up things that other High-Priests had enjoyed in service to the Great Golden Serpent. He had made use of Ashun, though. Perhaps fondness for summoning might prevail?

"The ability to summon Au's children for aid is nothing to scoff at. Surely with our help your Wolves could spread much more quickly."

"I have no work for the Children of Au that cannot be done by my Wolves."

That stung but she continued along the same vein. If she could just convince him of some benefits maybe he would actually consider going for it. That would make her job a whole lot easier.

"Your Wolves may be capable, but surely there would come a time where you can make use of serpents. We're much more subtle, after all, and can get into places others cannot. We're also far less suspicious if found than one of your Wolves would be, there's nothing that would tie it back to you."

That was a pretty good point but…..

He raised a brow again. "Subtle?" He made a show of looking her up and down. "Not the word I would use. Even as serpents, I've seen Ashun. Snakes are not normally such a color."

He rose a fair point but-

Before she could object he continued.

"Besides, I don't need the children of Au for that. Great Elder Koshi has already promised me the aid of his descendants." Naruto was well aware that said promise probably hinged on him remaining the High-Priest but it was worth it for the panic that spread over Akishi's face.

"P-please, there must be something we can do to prove our worth to you!"

"Something you can do?" Was there a specific task he needed done or something that would help him that he had written off as too unlikely to even attempt? He didn't think there was- wait. There was one thing that would both help him greatly and would be beyond difficult to actually pull off properly. If they could manage it he might see the value in having their aid permanently.

Honestly he knew he should probably just take up the position to avoid angering a deity but in the end it was their mistake that even made this possible. If he wanted to be angry at someone he could take out his wrath on Ashun and whatever other Elders there were. Until Akishi proved their worth to him the matters of the serpents was none of his business.

"Very well, I have a task for you." Akishi couldn't relax at those words due to the cold expression on his face. It was obvious even before he gave it to her that he didn't expect her to be able to accomplish it. "The Daimyo of Yu no Kuni unknowingly stands between me and my plans-"

Her hope started to build again. Kill some human? Easy. She'd eb back to Augoku within a week.

It was quickly ripped away.

"I want you to infiltrate his palace, remove his family, and impersonate them to grant control of Yu no Kuni to the Wolves without the rest of the world knowing."

Wh-what?

"That's impossible!" She proclaimed. "Please, there must be something we can actually accomplish to prove our worth!"

"If you can't handle the tasks required by my goals, I have no use of you. Giving you something just because I know you can do it would be a worthless endeavour and would prove nothing to me." His eyes were hard and uncaring. She would find no sympathy from this man. Either she proved herself to him or he would be rid of her. She suspected he would be pleased with either result.

"I understand, High-Priest." She dipped her head low and winced at his next words.

"Right now I am no more a Priest for your father than you are the moon. If you prove yourself I will take up the mantle fully."

"Y-yes, Naruto-sama. Your words are wise." She paused, shifting her weight around as she gathered the courage for her next question. She was an ancient snake, one of Aū's eldest, but right now the future of her father and all her siblings rested upon her and her ability to persuade this young man.

Serpents were supposed to be good at that, but what did she really expect to be able to accomplish against someone favored to become the High-Priest of the Serpent God? Her usual tactics weren't going to work, instead she was going to have to play by his rules until he was satisfied enough to accept the role he should have held properly many months ago.

"How are we to get to this realm and interact with your world without aid from Father? Surely you would allow him to send us here in more fitting forms?"

"Would I?" Naruto rose an elegant brow. "That's a bold assumption to make, snake."

The way he said it made it seem more like "worm" and she recoiled. Never before had she felt like she should be ashamed of being one of Aū's children but his tone made her feel filthy.

"Here," He didn't wait for any sort of apology and she had a good feeling he wouldn't have cared for one anyway. As far as he was probably concerned this was going to be his last interaction with Aū or his children as he set upon them an impossible task to earn his favor and prove their competence. He didn't expect them to succeed and more than likely didn't want them to, either.

Her father's golden amulet was tossed towards her lazily as he rose from his desk and she caught it gently in cupped hands.

"Use that, if you need to. As for your forms, are you not descievers?" He questioned. Again, the way he spoke of something they were usually proud of sent shame coursing through her veins and she couldn't figure out why. "Deceive, cheat, promise, betray. Do what you must to gain control of Yu no Kuni or never show yourselves to me again."

Ashiki turned the amulet about in her hands, clutching it tightly as if she would drop the sacred symbol and it's shattering would darken the heavens for eternity.

"Father will not accept our blood as a sacrifice for this amulet."

"Then find another." It was clipped and uncaring. They had the most important tools, they could collect the rest of the resources they needed on their own.

"Only the one chosen by Aū can summon us with their blood."

Naruto stared at her, purple eyes hard and guarded. Silence reigned for nearly a minute before he muttered "So be it."

Almost too quickly for her to see he drew a Kunai from his leg and sliced open his arm, the blood quickly pouring from his flesh onto his desk and down to wooden floors.

"There is your blood, then." He jammed the Kunai into his desk and gestured to the growing crimson puddle. "Use it wisely."

Quickly rescuing the stack of papers Orochimaru had left on the desk he strode out of the office, a chain slamming the door behind him, and Akishi scrambled to find anything she could to save the precious liquid from going to waste.

The only thing she could find to use ended up being the curtains framing the window which were immediately pulled down and used to absorb as much as it could from the floors before the thirsty wood could greedily devour it. The vase near the window ended up with the honor of containing the blood in the end, placed beneath the desk to collect anything spilling off and with blood from the curtains being wrung into it so she could try to collect more.

When she had taken all she could she shoved curtains into the top of the vase as a makeshift lid until she could find something more suitable. There was precious little actually within and the loss of any made her heart heavy.

The guilt, however, of being the reason the blood of Au's chosen had been so callously wasted - even at his own hand- weighed far more on her new shoulders than anything else. She was supposed to be here to bring him back into Au's light and yet all she seemed capable of doing was earning his ire and causing him harm. Despite that she steeled herself as best she could. Ashiki had been given a task and she would do whatever it took to see it through.

She was really starting to wish she had put more pressure on Ajahri to be the one sent down here.

"You have to be fucking kidding me."

Haku held her tongue for a moment while the Godaime looked between her and his father in disbelief. "There's no way in hell you can expect me to believe that Genin Naruto is actually the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni."

"And why not?" The Sandaim gave him a pointed look. "Those younger than him have ascended to such positions before."

An understanding dawned for Asuma but his realization was set to the side for a moment while he clarified his stance. "Younger Daimyo have been," He agreed. "Through inheritance of the position. Not from conquest." That he knew of, at least. "And the fact that he's a Daimyo isn't what I'm having trouble believing." Granted it was still ridiculous but it was Nami no Kuni. Any Shinobi could have killed Gato and his thugs before declaring themselves the new Daimyo. His partnership with Hi no Kuni to support his claim was more or less bought with traderights and preferred regulations. Nothing anyone else would have had significant difficulty repeating.

"You're trying to tell me that a Genin of Konohagakure was facing Hoshigaki Kisame and Momoichi Zabuza and that the two of them ended up needing help. We've had some prodigies, but that's fucking ridiculous." He paused before shooting a slight glare to his father. "Though apparently you already knew that Gennin Naruto was Tsukuyomi."

Hiruzen nodded. "I did. Danzou brought it to my attention some time ago." He paused to think. "Just after he became the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni, if I recall. I didn't believe him at first either but Naruto is most definitely Tsukuyomi."

"Sure, he's a Daimyo." Asuma waved one hand dismissively. "Fine. I can believe that. But in that case there is no way in hell it was Tsukuyomi in that battle. I don't think he has more than a dozen missions to his name, a B-ranked Shinobi should be more than a match for him."

Haku reached back into her bag and pulled out a letter addressed to the Godaime. "Mei-sama wrote to inform you but also believed it was best to hear it from an actual messenger. She was the one to confirm his identity after we had the picture of Genin Naruto."

"So she saw his face?" Asked Hiruzen. "I don't think he's ever made any sort of public appearance without a face covering of some sort."

"She did. After he killed Yagura he exchanged some words with her before dropping from the Mizukage tower."

"Wait, wait, wait." Asuma held up a hand for her to pause. "He killed Yagura? The Yondaime Mizukage?"

"That was the result, yes." She gave a single nod. "But if you want to get technical it was the Sanbi being ripped from his body that killed Yagura. Tsukuyomi unsealed it while Mei-sama was facing him."

The fact that Tsukuyomi- or Naruto, rather. That was going to take some getting used to- had stabbed his ally in the back wasn't any sort of surprise. The House of Wolves were already well known for having ascended through treachery. What was surprising was both the fact that he had been capable of unsealing a Biju and the sort of speed suggested by the fact that he did so in the middle of combat.

Asuma was no sealmaster- he wouldn't say he knew any more than any other average Konoha Shinobi, which was about enough to identify and make use of pre-made seals- but even he knew that was an absolutely ridiculous sort of feat. It did warrant one very important question however;

"Did the rebellion have a sealmaster to deal with the Sanbi?" That was one way for the House of Wolves to lay ruin to a majority of Kirigakure. Just let the damn Biju do all the work.

"We, uh, we didn't need to." She looked away for a second, trying to find a good way to word it, but explained before she could be asked to clarify. "According to Mei he unsealed the Sanbi from Yagura and then immediately sealed it within himself. It was over in a matter of seconds."

Asuma's face had gone completely blank again but Haku could still see the thoughts speeding through his head in his black eyes. His father was looking concerningly ill, a Hokage that had served his village for decades looking about ready to faint in his seat.

"That…" Asuma paused to finish swallowing what he had been told. "That's impossible." He declared. Ignoring the unsealing which would take at least a few minutes to cause if you had no intention of sealing it somewhere else- that was probably one of the few bits of Fuinjutsu knowledge he possessed, and only because a Hokage needed to have a basic understanding of how Biju were transferred to new hosts as the Jinchuriki grew old- he knew that a sealing ritual averaged an hour and a half for a sloppy job unless you invoked something like the Shinigami to seal it for you.

"No," Hiruzen shook his head slowly. "Not for him." He reached for the bridge of his nose, massaging gently. "He's the only person in the world who would be able to accomplish such a feat thanks to Minato."

"What?" Asuma's question was echoed by Haku but Hiruzen waved them both off.

"It's not something we should be focusing on at the moment." Asuma looked ready to object so the Sandaime shot him a pointed look. "It's a Konoha matter to deal with."

Understanding it wasn't the sort of thing to be explained before their guest Asuma relented and did his best to relax within his seat. He wasn't having much success.

"Yes, yes." Asuma gave slight nods of agreement. "A Konoha matter. He is one of our Shinobi, after all." And wasn't that a scary thought? That someone would be able to hide that much right under their noses while posing as a simple Genin.

Well….

Asuma briefly turned to glance at his father. Under some people's noses less than others, but even then he seemed to have been able to disguise a great deal about himself and his actions.

That was beyond troubling, especially considering Asuma's already quite rocky relationship with the House of Wolves.

"Of course." Hake agreed, gracefully stepping away from the topic. "I'm certain this is something you would rather address yourselves now that you have been made aware." She paused for a second, trying to decide if she really needed to ask but eventually accepted the fact that it was only propper. "I'm not sure who you are comfortable having such information but I would like to be able to inform Uzumaki Naruko. I feel she should know considering it's her brother."

He sat in silent contemplation for a solid few seconds before nodding slowly. "I don't think that will be an issue, you may inform her."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Did you have any further questions for me?"

Asuma had returned to his thoughts and didn't look like he would be reemerging anytime soon.

"No, that should be all." Hiruzen offered a tired smile, obviously shaken by the sudden barrage of information. "If we have any further inquiries while you're here we'll send for you. Will you be in Konoha long?"

"A few days at the most, unfortunately. Mei-sama needs me in Namihime for another mission soon."

There was a knowing in his eyes, no doubt from his decades of experience. "Ah, of course. Well, enjoy your stay and thank you for bringing this to our attention." He spared a glance to Asuma who was still too absorbed by his thoughts to be responsive. "We'll be sure to send thanks to Mei-dono in Kirigakure as well."

Hiruzen wasn't completely sure he could genuinely thank someone for attempting to give him a heart attack but he supposed that in the end he wasn't actually the one who had to express gratitude for the information. He was retired, after all, and none too soon from the looks of it.

If he had still been the acting Kage and this had dropped onto his desk he probably would have gotten up and walked out.

Not of his office, no, of Konoha herself.

He'd have retired quite happily in some obscure little village spending the rest of his days just smoking his pipe and maybe fishing from the edge of a stream. That actually didn't sound like a bad idea now that he thought of it. Maybe it was still an option.

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