Nine

Author: princessgolux
Title: Nine
Fandom: Naruto
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I gain no profit from this story.
Chapter Pairings: none
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Story Rating: NC-17
Chapter Warnings: AU/AR; politics, slavery, creepiness


Chapter Seven: Agendas


Warehouse District, Jasmine City
Tea Country
518 A.T.D


The summer heat shimmered in waves over the corrugated metal roofs of the surrounding warehouses, but the baked tile building near the water had cunning vents that drew the sea breeze off of the water from the port and tempered the air inside, allowing for comfortable conversation. Silk tapestries and wrought silver decorations created an ambiance of culture and wealth, and fragrant jasmine tea scented the air with a delicate touch of sophistication.

Three of the four men seated around the low table sipped their tea with polite noises of appreciation.

“The tea is exquisite, Wagarashi-dono.” Yashamaru murmured, bowing his head toward their host.

“It is but a trifle, Yashamaru-san.” Wagarashi Kyuuroku replied, bowing in turn. “We are most thankful that Akatsuki has responded so quickly to our crisis.”

“Indeed.” Fourth Junior Minister Gokaroh added. “The situation in Fire Country has been a great concern to us. We feel we are truly fortunate to have such a reliable associate in Akatsuki.”

“We are the fortunate ones.” Yashamaru demurred, “Akatsuki greatly values the opportunities afforded to us through our shared endeavors.”

“Great. He’s happy, you’re happy, everybody’s happy.” The fourth man slurped the last of his tea loudly and banged his empty cup down carelessly, chipping the fine porcelain. “Well, I’m not happy.”

“That idiot Danzou cost us our best trade route with his ambitious malarkey. Going through Fire Country was the best way to deliver merchandise to the entire continent, quickly and efficiently. And his little robotic killers kept overhead to a minimum. I want to know how Akatsuki is going to fix that.”

“Now, now...Gato-sama...” Gokaroh began, ingratiatingly.

“Shut up.” Gato said rudely. “You two are worse than old women. I’m not here to talk about tea. I have product to move and it’s not going to wait forever.”

He scowled at them.

“You two have made a lot of money with fuck-all for effort. I can find other warehouses, Wagarashi. Easily.” Wagarashi’s mouth tightened. “And you, Gokaroh. There’s always somebody willing to grease the official wheels, to get my stuff through customs checks with no fuss involved.”

Gokaroh made a distressed noise, but Wagarashi shot him a quelling look and he subsided.

“But I’ve got customers waiting for drugs that are losing their potency by the minute and bodies that are getting older every day. Slaves are garbage, people. They get more unappealing the longer they sit around.” He swiveled around and fixed his beady eyes on Yashamaru, who was sitting quietly with his tea, politely waiting.

“So?” Gato challenged. “What’s Akatsuki got? How do we get through Fire Country with those damned Konoha ANBU on red alert behind every damned tree?”

Yashamaru set his teacup down gently.

“The loss of Danzou-sama’s trade routes through Fire Country is distressing, gentlemen, there is no doubt about that. And yes, the increased military scrutiny of any and all traffic through Fire Country makes it...unwise...to attempt to create our own routes, without the patronage of someone with the particular...resources...that Danzou-sama commanded.”

“Oh, but surely...” Gokaroh said, unhappily.

Gato snorted.

“However,” Yashamaru went on, “Akatsuki chooses to see this...situation...as an opportunity, rather than a setback. We welcome this as a moment to prove our worth as an important partner in this collaboration, and I have come here today with what an offer from my superiors that I believe will solve our problems completely.”

Wagarashi and Gokaroh broke into smiles, but Gato just narrowed his eyes, waiting.

“Gentlemen, “ Yashamaru leaned forward, looking them in the eye, each in turn, “Akatsuki has recently appointed a new member to our Council, one who has offered to provide a completely new set of trade routes. Trade routes complete with shinobi protection. Trade routes that will provide access to the mainland just as the Fire Country routes did, with ninja just as trained and dedicated as Konoha’s.”

He paused, dramatically.

“Trade routes...through Wind Country.”

The other three men looked taken aback.

“Wind Country?” Gato rolled his eyes. “You want to schlep slaves and weapons and drugs through the desert?”

“That does seem a bit...” Wagarashi said, doubtfully.

“Please listen, gentlemen.” Yashamaru entreated. “Not all of Wind Country is desert. In fact, the routes Akatsuki has...acquired...would mostly be as green as the Fire Country lands. The desert routes would, after all, take us far too close to Sunakagure to be risked. But with these new routes...with these routes we would have access to Steel Country, Rain Country, River Country, Fire Country, Marsh Country, Bird Country, Gold Country...all the same markets we have established previously. And they would be controlled directly by this partnership - not by an outsider with his or her own personal agenda.”

“Only Akatsuki’s agenda, correct?” Gato shot back, shrewdly.

“All partners in a business deal have agendas, Gato-sama.” Yashamaru said candidly. “This is a profitable arrangement for all of us here. You wish to move your merchandise, to acquire profit. That is your agenda. Wagarashi-dono likewise wishes to bring profit to his clan, to secure his position as heir and as a future clan leader. Gokaroh-sama wishes to solidify his political future by acquiring a reputation as a canny business negotiator while ensuring his own financial future. It would be disingenuous to suggest that Akatsuki is somehow alone in our desire to profit from this syndicate. We are neither a philanthropic organization nor an altruistic one. We are a business, therefore we expect to profit from our dealings. Just as you do.”

Yashamaru rose lithely to his feet.

“I will take my leave, gentlemen, so that you may discuss this matter freely amongst yourselves. I am at my usual lodgings. May I suggest that we reconvene tomorrow, as Gato-sama is quite correct in his assertion that this matter is a pressing one?”

“There’s no need for that, boy.” Gato said, rising to his feet as well. “I’ll be damned if I pass up a chance that’s dropped in my lap. Whatever Akatsuki’s angle is, I’m sure it’ll show itself in time.” He showed his teeth in a sneering grin. “Meanwhile, I got money to make.”

Gokaroh and Wagarashi rose in tandem, nodding vigorously.

“Very well.” Yashamaru bowed and glided to the door. “Then I will take my leave and begin to start things moving. Would one week be enough time for the first of the new shipments?”

“If that’s the soonest we can get.”

“Unfortunately I believe it is.” Yashamaru was apologetic. “However, I will be accompanying this first shipment personally, so please count on me to safeguard our interests to the best of my ability.”

He bowed deeply. Wagarashi and Gokaroh exchanged pleased looks. Gato harrumphed but appeared somewhat mollified.

“Waraji!” Yashamaru called. The door opened and a young man appeared. He was about twenty years old, with brown hair and eyes, and he carried a katana on one hip. He entered and dropped to one knee, eyes lowered deferentially.

“A present, Gato-sama.” Yashamaru murmured. “We would have Collared him but we thought that perhaps you would prefer that your own people install the hardware. For security reasons, of course. He is a trained fighter –though not a shinobi – and we hope that you will accept him as a gesture of our continued goodwill.”

Gato’s eyes gleamed.

“Very pretty. Has he been trained in other areas as well?”

“He was trained to give pleasure orally, and he has been lightly disciplined during his training. But he is a virgin, and has never been broken.” Yashamaru said. “Does he please you, or should I send for a replacement?”

Gato stepped forward and stared at the young man. He raised the tip of his cane and pressed it against the kneeling man’s crotch, tracing his genitals with the edge. The slave shivered but didn’t move.

“Responsive.” grunted his new Master. “I accept.”

“Excellent.” Yashamaru smiled. “I will inform my superiors.”

“Gentlemen.” He bowed again. “I will see you next week.”

“Oh,” Yashamaru added, pausing halfway out the door, “and one more thing. Don’t count Danzou-sama out completely. He still has quite a bit of political clout in Fire Country.”

“I’m almost certain we haven’t seen the last of him.”


Tora Manor, just outside Konoha City
Konoha, Fire Country
518 A.T.D

The boy with no name ran as fast as he could, weaving through obstacles and jumping over low-hanging ropes. The hurdles were never too tall, nor were the ropes too high, as the boy was only five years old and small for his age. But he concentrated fiercely, leaping the higher barriers with diving somersaults to avoid entangling his feet. As he passed pre-arranged points he fired off kunai and shuriken, never slowing down.

Most of the weapons reached their targets. Quite a few were centered in the targets’ kill zone.

He was not alone. Six other boys, all about the same age as he was, ran along varying points of the same course. Along one side of the meadow a short dark man watched them out of one eye, his only hand resting on a cane simply yet elegantly carved out of oak and stained a deep black. Next to him knelt a ninja, swathed in tight black clothing, a mask hiding most of his face from sight. Only his eyes showed, following the boys’ movements critically.

“They show promise, Danzou-sama.”

Danzou grunted. His eye flicked from child to child and he raised his cane, singling out two in particular.

“That one and that one.”

“Kill them. Take the rest.”

“Yes, Danzou-sama.” The ninja vanished.

Danzou’s mouth twisted up, his eye crinkling as he smiled his empty smile.

Leaves are torn off by rain and snow and scattered by the wind. They are sundered by lightning and scorched by flame. Leaves bud and unfurl and stretch and curl and rot and die.

Roots are buried deep in the earth for a reason. Wind, rain, frost, fire, or lightning...none of these can truly do permanent harm. Roots will endure. And as sure as the sun rises, roots will grow to new heights, stronger than before.

We are Root. We are the strength of Konoha. We will endure.

We will be reborn.