The young woman with black hair approached him first, bowing and smiling gratefully. "You saved us…you have my gratitude."
"Your gratitude is unnecessary…" Was his drawl as he sheathed his sword with a swift firm snap. "It was my mission to assist you and I shall do so."
A large hand rested itself on his shoulder and he looked up, not surprised to find the large bearded man standing there with a smirk on his features. "Come, you and all of your ninja are invited to our celebration tonight."
Naruto listened as some of his more inexperienced Anbu cheered along with the Ame and Kusa-nins, while others, more experienced kept their countenance, but the slight uplifting of their shoulders told him that they too were happy about this. He nodded slowly and followed the ninja back to their camp.
That evening as promised, The Ame-Taki alliance held a banquet to honor them and his Konoha ninja for having saved their lives. It was a setting few would ever look upon, ninja from three different villages, sitting down, eating and drinking together.
Naruto, Yoshino and Kenpachi had a separate table a bit further away from the rest of the crowd.
Kenpaci patted Naruto's shoulder amiably. "We would have died without your help my friend. Again I thank you."
Naruto nodded, and soon their food arrived with their drinks. Naruto unclasped his mask, revealing his face to the two ninja, revealing his age.
They'd suspected, his body being the first thing to have alerted them.
But to see the truth of his age with their own eyes sent them into a brief silence nevertheless.
Eventually it was Yoshino who began the conversation again. "So, Naruto was it?" At his nod she smiled and continued. "You look so young, how old are you exactly?"
"I will be 10 in four months and three days." He replied evenly as he parted his chopsticks with a crack.
If Kenpachi or Yoshino were surprised by this, they hid it well. They both knew that Konoha had strong ninja but to have a boy at the age of nine already leading his own division of Anbu was practically unheard of.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, asking him about Konoha, where he in turn asked them about Ame and Taki. They didn't discuss the war however, for now, at this moment, it was a momentary time of peace, a place to escape the bloody fate that awaited them the next day and perhaps, Naruto unconsciously understood that
The calm yet jovial atmosphere was broken by the sound of music. The three leaders looked back to where the rest of the ninja and kunoichi were seated and found many of them beginning to stand and dance together to the music. Weather they were leafs, rain or waterfall ninja didn't matter, it was truly a fascinating sight.
Yoshino smiled and looked over to Naruto before she stood, walked around the table and grasped his hand, startling the young boy.
"Dance with me." Was her simple sentence.
He looked to Kenpachi but the man only smiled and laughed jovially…
Flashback end:
Naruto was brought out from his musings as the rest of his commanders entered the open roof tent they were in. Ibiki looked to them but then heard a soft whisper escape the blonds lips. "They betrayed me." It was so low he probably didn't even realize he said it out loud, but Ibiki had to keep his jaw from dropping in surprise.
Before he could dwell on it, the others sat down and Naruto spoke. "I see you're all here." He straightened his posture. "I believe that I have a strategy that will work." He began but was cut off by Gai.
"YOSH, OUR YOUTHFUL LEADER HAS ALLREADY COME UP WITH A BRILLIANT STRATEGY TO DEFEAT OUR OPPONENTS! TELL US NARUTO-SAMA! WHAT IS YOUR MAGNIFICENT STRATEGY! SHARE WITH US THE BRILIANCE THAT IS—"
He was [promptly cut off as Tayuya's flute sailed through the air nailing him on his right temple with enough force to send him toppling over in a daze.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST SHUT UP, YOU MONSTER EYEBROWED FUCK!" She screeched as Gai continued to have swirly eyes, laying on the ground with a rather large bump on his head.
Naruto blinked. "If you are quite finished." He said, gesturing for her to sit back down. She did so, with Gai appearing in his seat seemingly unharmed and much more calm than usual. "Now my plan is simple. You five." He gestured to the five sound ninja. "Along with myself and the relief force that will arrive from Kiri tomorrow will lead the main unit to meet this coalition.
"What about us?" Anko said grinning. "What kind of blood spilling job you got lined up for me huh?"
"You three and your respective squads." He gestured to Ibiki, Gai and Anko. "Will be having a much more…" He paused for a moment. "Deceiving role."
Zhuge Liang stood, grabbing a large, white feathered fan from its place on the wall. It had a gold handle, and the feathers were nearly two feet long, where or how he had gotten them no one really knew.
Tsunade stepped forward, he smirked in her direction, a smirk that was not lost on her. It read.
'Just watch.'
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