Bijuu Children: Chaotic Maelstrom

Bloody Waves Part 1

AN: Long Chapter- Also Dark Themes

Previously

As they took their positions, the sound of the approaching bandits grew louder. The air was thick with anticipation. They were about to face another life-or-death battle, but this time they were more prepared. United in purpose, they braced themselves for the fight of their lives.

Konoha

As the shinobi teams braced themselves at Tazuna's house, back in Konoha, Sarutobi sat in his office. The weight of the village's safety and the lives of his ninja always weighed heavily on him, but tonight, it felt especially burdensome. He sighed deeply and reached for a bottle of sake, knowing the situation was precarious. He had just sent the Uzumaki siblings, Naruto and Yugito, on two high-level missions against a small army of mercenaries, with a high probability of encountering more missing-nin besides Momochi Zabuza and Kurosuki Raiga. In truth, these missions were practically suicidal for mere genin.

But then again, Naruto and Yugito were no mere genin.

He poured himself a glass and took a sip, feeling the warmth of the sake course through him. He could only hope that nothing would spiral out of control and that he wouldn't be forced to intervene in a way he didn't want to.

"Shouldn't you not be drinking, Old Man? I mean, it's bad for someone your age." A voice broke through his thoughts, tinged with concern.

Hiruzen looked up, a sad smile tugging at his lips. The voice belonged to a figure perched on the window sill, watching him with a mix of concern and curiosity. "I only drink nowadays due to stress," Sarutobi confessed, taking another sip. "Ever since Naruto-kun returned, the council has been breathing down my neck. The civilians still think he's the Kyuubi incarnate, and now that he has a little bite to go with his bark, they're still trying to push for his execution." He sighed, pouring another glass. "The good side is that he has enough supporters from the shinobi council, and keeping both clans separate gives him two votes on the council. So unless it's unanimous, they can't do anything to him politically as of yet."

The figure in the window shook their head with a hint of disgust. "But knowing some of the more pigheaded bastards on the council, or more importantly, that one-eyed war hawk bastard and your old teammates, they'll still try to look through every loophole and try to pull something on him. Perhaps even going as far as reaching out to the Daimyo."

Sarutobi grimaced at the mention of Danzo and his former teammates, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. The old guard was always a thorn in his side, particularly Danzo, who was known for his ruthless pragmatism and manipulative nature. "Yes," he agreed, "they're always scheming. But Naruto has proven himself more than capable. He's grown so much, and I trust him to handle whatever comes his way."

The figure nodded, then added,

"You know Hime is going to kill you and level half of Konoha when she finds out her grandson is still alive." The figure in the window grinned, watching his old sensei's face pale as if he were about to have a heart attack. "Just wanted to give you a heads up that I sent her a letter via toad," he added with a mischievous smile, before jumping out the window and leaping across the rooftops.

Sarutobi watched him go, then sighed heavily, finishing the rest of the sake bottle in one sitting. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he grumbled. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a pair of hate-filled brown eyes glaring at him, but he dismissed it as the sake playing tricks on his mind.

In a bustling town far from Konoha, a blonde woman stood in front of a slot machine, staring in disbelief as it announced she'd won the grand prize. Coins poured out of the machine like rivers, and her apprentice squealed in joy, twirling a well-groomed pig around like a delighted child.