Game of Shadows by Adrian King1

Chapter 72

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Cover Art: Kissuli.

Chapter 72

[Hiruzen Sarutobi]

"It was true," Inoichi informed him and the Hokage didn't know if he should be happy about that or not.

The Kage shared a look with the other two, both Onoki and Mei looking as grim as he imagined his own expression was. It was a good thing that the Yamanaka Clan Head had reported that he was close to a breakthrough not so long ago. Hiruzen had been about to send the other village leaders away but this news was much better delivered in person and the other two had been too curious to do anything but stay for a bit.

They had, thankfully, agreed to send most of their people back home, remaining in the village with their own protective guards. That decision had been a hard sell, especially for the Iwa nin since they would be hard pressed to trust Konoha in any way, but Onoki had convinced them somehow. The less Hiruzen knew about that the better, he was sure.

Silence followed Inoichi's short statement, and one could see the three Kages' minds working behind their eyes.

"Hiruzen, I believe we can trust you to punish Kumo and Suna for what they've been participant to?" Onoki asked in the end. Anyone else would see that question as a sign of actual trust, but the Hokage knew that it was almost a threat. Iwa had been a victim of the attack, even if they hadn't been the targets. The people they had brought had been dragged into a battle that had nothing to do with them. One such example was young Kurotsuchi. The Stone wouldn't let this go and the Leaf would earn even more animosity if they didn't make the ones responsible pay the price.

"I think it's time for us to go," Mei said then, her eyes focused on something else. "We have much to deal with, even without this new... revelation," She added and Hiruzen understood. She had not only lost a Jinchuriki during Kiri's weakest point but she had lost the one that was on her side. That left the Mist with Yagura only and everyone that was anyone knew what that meant for her. "I better start preparing to go back to Kirigakure," The woman broke the silence once more before leaving the room.

"I know about your plans for Suna, Hiruzen," Onoki told him once it was only the two of them after he dismissed Inoichi. "My village won't stand for it."

The Hokage caught what he did there. "His village" he'd said, not himself, not that Hiruzen expected that his fellow leader was overly pleased with his decision regarding the Sand. Their plans for Suna were good enough for Konoha, but they did nothing for Iwa and that was something that couldn't stand.

"Do you have a proposal then?" Hiruzen asked. A risky move, to offer an open question like that, but he was testing the other Kage and Onoki most certainly knew that too. At times like this, they couldn't afford to be at each other's throats and neither wanted that anyway.

"We have only one Jinchuriki now and there's a group of people that are probably looking to attack us again to turn that number into a zero," The diminutive man mused, voicing Hiruzen's fears. Between this Uchiha that seemed to be able to control even Kages and a group out to get everyone's Jinchuriki... He could already feel a headache coming his way.

Tsunade couldn't get to Konoha soon enough.

"I want Konoha's support with this," Onoki said, making Hiruzen blink. That certainly wasn't what he expected the Tsuchikage to say. The Stone asking for the Leaf's help? He had to have heard that wrong, right? "And we'll only accept the one Konoha nin that has proved himself to me and to our people. We want the Weaver."

They wanted Eiji?

Hiruzen supposed it made sense. Eiji was no Genin, and that had been made abundantly clear during the Invasion. Not a week had passed since then and every Nation had a Bingo Book entry about him.