Pushing Through the Limit Chapter 60: Enemy of my Enemy

To say that the fifth Mizukage was having an interesting, if somewhat stressful day would be an understatement. There wasn’t a word that existed that could describe just how badly she was caught off guard.

Kiri had been in a dire situation. Their manpower had been severely depleted thanks to the civil war with Yagura and that wasn’t even counting the loss of their Biju. Worse yet, they had to deal with the Sanbi’s illusionary mist that was slowing any progress Kiri was making to repair the damage left over from the civil war.

Jinchuriki were often regarded as weapons of war. With minimal training, they were still capable of wiping out entire battlefields, albeit, it was generally at the cost of their life … Outside of actively participating in a war, they also served another purpose.

They were deterrents against incursions and balanced the power between the Five Great Nations. Kiri hadn’t made many friends in the last few decades, especially with the plot to unleash the Sanbi in Konoha and Yagura’s actions in the last decade. Within recent memory, they had slighted no less than three major villages.

Without their Biju to deter the other nations, Kiri would look ripe for the taking. It wasn’t just the major villages that Mei had to be on the lookout for. Kiri had been so fatigued from the war that any minor village looking to make a name for itself would be a threat.

It wouldn’t be able to wipe Kiri out, but it would certainly leave a mark, one that Kiri couldn’t afford and Mei wasn’t willing to pay. Instead, she had done something that all of the previous Mizukage would have thought unthinkable. Swallowing her pride, she reached out to another hidden village for help concerning her Biju problem.

Being on friendly terms with another hidden village would also help. With Kiri’s track record and the general wariness of the other Shinobi villages, she’d chosen to contact Konoha first. They had proven to be forgiving of past actions and open to new alliances.

So, Mei had sent her request, only to get an answer far sooner than she had been expecting… One that had left her a little shaken. They’d sent her the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.

Even though Kiri was fairly removed from all that happened on the main continent, she’d still heard about his exploits. From helping kill Orochimaru to wiping out an Island when he fought with Kumo’s Jinchuriki… And now he had proven to be proficient in using the Yondaime Hokage’s most revered technique.

The Hiraishin.

He didn’t even seem remotely bothered to be in a foreign nation that could potentially want him dead. He was a perfect Jinchuriki and now had instant access to her nation.

Even though she wasn’t a Sensor, she had still been able to sense the raw power radiating off the blonde Shinobi. It was a little terrifying, if she was being honest.

On the upside, he did appear to genuinely want to help her village… Or… At the very least, locate the Sanbi. Konoha was known to poach Jinchuriki in the past with them obtaining the Nanabi Jinchuriki from Taki. If they aimed to do the same with the Sanbi, well… Kiri wasn’t exactly in any position to stop them.

Kiri needed their Biju, but, perhaps they could work out a deal, one that would allow Konoha to keep it in exchange for an alliance… Or at the very least, an non aggression treaty for a few decades. Something to allow Kiri to build up their forces once more.

It was easy for Mei to see that Konoha was preparing for something big. They’d allied with Kumo and hadn’t broken connections with Suna, despite their attempted invasion only a handful of years ago.

Sighing, Mei briefly glanced over the scroll she had initially sent to Konoha, before turning her gaze to the Kunai jammed into the floor a few feet from her desk. As it stood, she wasn’t sure if she had made the right choice. Only time would tell now.

Following Mei’s gaze, Ao scowled when his eyes landed on the Kunai. “I still don’t believe this is a good idea, Mizukage-sama,” He muttered. “Getting another village involved is a fool’s errand, once which, at its best, will only leave us looking pathetic. We’ve done well enough without a Biju so far. If push comes to shove, we could just lure it out to the sea and let the tide do its job.”

Having only partially paid attention to what Ao was saying, Mei glanced up and began deciphering what she had heard. ‘Not a good idea to get involved… Fool’s errand… Looking pathetic… Pushed into the sea…’ Her reconstruction of what Ao said didn’t paint a pretty picture, in fact, it painted a rather ugly one.

“Ao… Shut up, or I’ll kill you,” Mei smiled sweetly.

Flinching at the killing intent that radiated off Mei, Ao was left to wonder what it was he’d said that set her off. Fortunately for him, he wasn’t left alone with Mei for long as Kumo’s last Shinobi Swordsman suddenly appeared in the office alongside Konoha’s blonde Jinchuriki.

“…Yo?” The blonde Shinobi greeted. “We didn’t interrupt anything, did we?”

“Nothing whatsoever,” Mei replied, raising a delicate eyebrow when she saw Chōjūrō’s pale state. “Where is the rest of your team?”

“They’re back at the lake,” Chōjūrō explained shakily. “With Naruto as well… This is just a clone he used to transport me here. They’ve managed to subdue the Sanbi and… There’s… There’s something that needs your attention over there.”

If Ao or Mei hadn’t been paying attention before, they certainly were now.

“Still back at the lake,” Mei hummed thoughtfully. “And the Sanbi is secured?”

“Well,” Chōjūrō nervously scratched the back of his neck as he glanced at the clone. “It’s… It’s a bit more complicated than that. I think this is something you’re going to have to see for yourself.”

…PTL…

“So… How’s this supposed to work?” Anko asked, glancing up at Isobu’s massive form that towered over us. “I mean… I get that we’re waiting for the Mizukage, but what happens afterwards. Are we just going to leave the turtle here? Is she going to make a new Jinchuriki? Are we going to help?”

That was a good question… One who’s answer I didn’t quite know myself. I’d managed to convince Isobu that hiding out in his lake wasn’t a viable method of hiding from the Akatsuki, but he was still fairly stubborn and didn’t see the point in helping kill Obito when there were clearly others that were well on their way to accomplishing that goal.

Leaning down, the massive turtle's lone eye narrowed as it took in Anko’s form. “Watch what you say, I am not just some mindless thing to be given away at a whim.”

“I never said you were,” Anko said, crossing her arms. “All that there… That’s what you’re thinking, not me. Don’t go putting words in my mouth just because you’ve got issues.”

Exhaling, a stream of hot, almost salty air washed over us as the Sanbi began openly glaring at Anko who unflinchingly met his gaze.

“What gives you the right to address me in such a manner?”

“The exact same thing that gives you the right to pretend I’m saying something just so you can get angry about it… Fuck all!” Anko glared back. “If you’re looking for a fight, I’d be happy to humor you. You don’t need to make shit up in order to piss me off.”

“You humor me?” Isobu laughed. “If anything, it would be the other way around! You’re nowhere strong enough to challenge me.”

“You want to put that to a test, asshole?” Anko asked, gripping the Kusanagi blade tightly.

Shizune let out a loud sigh, unsurprised at what was happening, while I simply watched on in amusement. It seemed that Anko’s ability to get under a person’s skin extended to even the Biju… And she’d even done it unintentionally this time.

“Fifty Ryo says that Anko wins,” Kurama suddenly interjected, throwing me off.

‘What? If you’re going to bet on anyone, shouldn’t it be Isobu,’ I thought back.

“I tend to not bet on the losing side,” Kurama replied. “I know what a fully realized Sage is capable of and Isobu just doesn’t measure up.”

That… Was actually a good point. Anko had proven that she was capable of reacting to Ay’s speed and while Ay wasn’t as strong as his father, he would still be more than capable of fighting the Sanbi off. If I hadn’t subdued Isobu with my Mokuton, Anko would have eventually subdued him herself.

Well… As interesting as a fight between Anko and Isobu would be, I did need to put a stop to it. Mei would likely be here soon and…

I paused as I suddenly gained the memories of the clone I had sent to fetch Mei. Slowly turning around, I spotted the Mizukage in question alongside Chōjūrō and Ao. All of them watched the exchange between Anko and Isobu with a mixture of confusion and amazement.

Clearing my throat, I stepped in between the bickering duo. “That’s enough for now… We’ve got company.”

Blinking, realization lit up on Anko’s face before she turned to see the Mizukage. “Right… I almost forgot,” She muttered with a sheepish look on her face. Glancing over her shoulder, her gaze locked on to Isobu. “We’ll finish this later.”

Now that the fight was averted, I turned my attention to Mei who had opted to wait.

“I can see now why Chōjūrō was so adamant that I would need to see this for myself,” Mei hummed, stepping forward. “I don’t think I would have believed him if he had simply told me that the Sanbi was this docile.” She marveled as she stared up at the massive turtle.

“Yeah… I don’t think I would use the word docile,” I said, scratching the back of my neck as Isobu growled.

“Indeed. Don’t think that my lack of attack means that I will just sit here while you insult me,” Isobu muttered. “I haven’t once insulted you and I would expect you to extend the same courtesy.”

Huh… He didn’t seem anywhere near as aggressive as he was with Anko only a few moments ago… It was almost like he’d gotten it all out of his system. That, or he actually enjoyed arguing with Anko, which… Having met more than half of the Biju… Wasn’t that odd of a thing.

I mean, Kurama had taken to watching movies and series… I was pretty sure that he’d been almost completely corrupted by my memories of the internet.

“I was locked in a dark cell for decades prior to Kushina who impaled me on a miniature moon… I’m just making up for all the years I lost,” Kurama defended.

Seeing that Mei was beginning to move, I turned my attention outward and watched as she bowed her head to Isobu.

“I apologize for my words. I didn’t mean them to be an insult, but I can see how they would come off as such,” Mei apologized.

“Raise your head,” Isobu sighed, prompting Mei to stand. “I didn’t agree to this just to talk down to a Kage. If we get stuck in the formalities, we’ll be stuck here all day.” Pausing for a moment, he continued. “Since this meeting was Naruto’s idea, I’ll let him explain why you’re here.”

Seeing Mei’s questioning gaze, I sighed and nodded. “There is something important that I need to talk to you about,” I admitted. “As of this moment, only a select few people across Kumo, Konoha and Suna know about this… You’ve heard of the Akatsuki, right?”

“I have,” Mei nodded slowly. “They’re that group that attempted to spark a war between Konoha and Kumo. How does that relate to our current situation?”

“They don’t, at least not right now. Their leader on the other hand…” I trailed off. “As it turns out, both Konoha and Kiri have something in common. We’ve both been screwed over by the same guy. He was responsible for the Kyuubi’s attack which led to our Yondaime dying and he also brainwashed your Yondaime and was directly responsible for your civil war.”

Despite the massive Biju standing in the background, the lakeside went deathly silent as the Kiri Shinobi and my teammates took in what I’d just said.

It wasn’t everyday that your whole world was flipped upside down and you were forced to see what was really going on after all.

“I had my suspicions with Yagura’s sudden change in personality,” Mei admitted. “But to have it confirmed… And to find out that the man behind Yagura also attacked Konoha in the past is shocking. Do you know his identity?”

“He called himself Madara in front of Yagura,” Isobu interjected. “As in the legendary Uchiha that once rivaled Senju Hashirama.”

“That’s impossible,” Ao said. “Uchiha Madara is dead… Even if he wasn’t, he’d have to be an old man by now.”

As useful as it might be, I couldn’t have Obito’s true identity discovered just yet. The threat of Uchiha Madara potentially being alive was one that would snap the more stubborn villages out of their old mindsets. Namely Iwa and Ōnoki who was a famed fence-sitters.

If the cycle of hatred was truly going to come to an end, the Five Great Nations would need to unite and I just couldn’t see Ōnoki willingly joining without the idea of Madara being out there.

Sadly, peace between the nations wasn’t something that I could achieve by punching harder or learning more techniques. It had to be something that developed over time once communication was opened between the nations.

“A while ago, I fought a man by the name of Kakuzu who once fought Hashirama. He managed to prolong his life through the use of a Kinjutsu,” I explained. “I’m not saying that the man is Madara, but I am saying he is a threat who has been behind some of the conflicts in the past few decades and should be treated as dangerous.”

Backing down, Ao nodded at my reasoning.

“This is troubling news,” Mei said, looking visibly distressed. “Do we know what his end goal is?”

“He’s planning on obtaining all nine Biju and sealing them in a statue,” I sighed.

“The Gedo Mazo,” Isobu continued. “He mentioned it a few times in front of Yagura. If he somehow manages to accomplish his goal, he’ll resurrect the Jubi and when that happens, this world will come to an end.”

A horrible realization lit up in Mei’s eyes. “That’s why he plunged Kiri into a civil war… And why he used the Kyuubi to attack Konoha. He was systematically weakening the villages so that once he began his plans to obtain the Biju, few would be around to stop him.”

Actually, I was pretty sure those were examples of Obito throwing a tantrum and getting petty revenge for Rin’s death on those he viewed as responsible, but weakening the villages did kind of make sense… If one ignored the fact that he once controlled the strongest Biju and had an entire village in his back pocket.

If Obito played things smart, the world would have been screwed over a long time ago. Instead, he chose to waste his resources… Something that I was immensely grateful for.

A major part of his plan relied on him being anonymous. Outside of my knowledge of the future, which he couldn’t have accounted for, he never considered the possibility that the Biju would remember him.

If Kurama chose to, he could have informed the original Naruto about what happened the night he was born and things would have gone extremely differently. After all, the threat of a man capable of controlling the Kyuubi would be hard to ignore.

“It unfortunately goes a little deeper than that,” I continued. “There are quite a few moments throughout history that seem to have been subtly altered in order to artificially create conflict in order to divert our attention. All it takes is one mission going wrong and suddenly the next Shinobi World War is triggered.”

It happened a few times in the past, especially when someone important died and it almost happened again when Zetsu sent Killer Bee after us. The only thing that prevented the Fourth Shinobi War from triggering early was Bee’s willingness to help in forming an alliance between our two villages.

“And what actions would you propose Kiri take in order to prevent such a thing from happening,” Mei pressed.

“Outside of killing the Akatsuki,” I said. “I would say that the best thing would be for all five villages to ally, putting an end to all the needless wars.”

A look of surprise crossed Mei’s face, before she smirked slyly. “My, you certainly don’t do half measures.”

“Why only half do a thing when you can fully do it,” I shrugged. “This Shinobi world has been at odds with itself long before the first village was formed. I think it’s about time that we finally move beyond that and do something new... Defying this never ending cycle of hatred and violence.”

“Creating an era of peace and harmony,” Mei hummed, sounding like she was genuinely contemplating it. “Sadly, such a thought will have to wait. If what you and the Sanbi have said is true, then it would be in our best interest to keep any Jinchuriki from falling into the Akatsuki’s hands and Kiri is still missing one.”

I already knew as much. The Rokubi Jinchuriki, Utakata. I didn’t know his current location, but I did have a few methods that would help me find out.

…PTL…

Bringing Anko and Shizune back to Konoha, we were greeted to the sight of Tsunade’s mostly empty office, the sole exception being a single Tsunade who sat at the head of the desks. Whether she was a clone or not was anyone’s guess. Glancing out a window, it appeared that we returned late at night.

“Long day?” Tsunade asked, looking up from her mostly empty desk

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Anko said, slumping slightly. “You two mind giving the report while I head out? Between the Raikage, the Sanbi and learning that Madara is still a thing and that I freaking met him… I need a drink.” She said, referring to when Obito attacked during the Sky Nations invasion.

Reaching into her desk, Tsunade tossed a gourd towards Anko. “Go nuts.”

Catching it, Anko looked down at the gourd quizzically. Uncorking it, she took an experimental sniff, before grinning. “Have I ever told you that you’re the best Hokage Konoha’s ever had?”

“So… How did the mission go?” Tsunade asked, ignoring Anko.

“Fairly well,” I shrugged. “Kiri already knew the general location of the Sanbi and just needed help in stopping it from spreading its mist across the continent. After a short fight, we managed to convince him that it would be in his best interest if he worked with Kiri.”

Anko silently muttered something concerning the Sanbi as she took a long sip from her gourd. Rubbing my chin, I couldn’t help that I was forgetting something.

“Oh,” I continued. “Mei mentioned that she was interested in working with us in the future. She’s interested in collaborating with us in order to find the Rokubi Jinchuriki, Utakata.”

Humming, Tsunade suddenly looked towards me. “…Mei?”

“She…” I began.

“The Mizukage really warmed up to him after he mentioned how he wants all the villages to unite,” Anko explained, slapping my back. “She asked him to address her by her first name.”

Seeing Tsunade’s questioning look, I shrugged. “She’s a foreign Kage and I didn’t want to offend her by assuming what her intentions were.”

From what I could remember, Mei’s love life was an especially sore spot for her and I didn’t want to piss her off by being rude. Besides, she was probably just being friendly.

“I see.” Getting up from behind her desk, stopping in front of me, our eyes met and she suddenly pulled me into a deep kiss, before pulling back, causing Anko to suddenly choke on her Saki. “It’s starting to getting late,” Tsunade breathed. “The three of you can tell me about your mission in Kiri tomorrow, but as for now… You’re dismissed.”

Blinking, I glanced towards Anko who was cautiously examining her gourd, before turning towards Shizune who shrugged helplessly.

“Shizune,” Tsunade continued. “Stay behind. There’s something I need to talk to you about… Concerning your research with that new project you’ve been working on.”

“Alright,” Shizune said, nodding.

Wanting to hear what Tsunade was talking about, I decided to stay behind, only to find myself being forcefully dragged from Tsunade’s office by Anko who, despite not being in Sage Mode, still had a surprising amount of strength.

Stopping outside, Anko glanced around, looking to see if anyone was nearby, before turning towards me. “So, I’ve gotta know,” She began, humming with curiosity. “Did I really just see you kissing our Hokage, or is this just really good Saki?”

“… I did say that I was dating someone, remember,” I replied. There was no real point in keeping something like this secret from Anko. With Danzo dead, I no longer needed to constantly be on edge and… I trusted Anko.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Anko exhaled explosively. “Dammit… I really wanted to talk to you about how you restrained the Sanbi, but this is just too good to pass up. How did it happen?”

“Well… When two people find each other interesting in a romantic way, they…”

“Don’t be a smartass,” Anko muttered, shoving the gourd into my hand.

Glancing at her, I shrugged and took a sip. I couldn’t exactly get drunk, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy the drink itself.

…PTL…

Sitting in one of the training grounds that I frequented, the sun beat down on my back as I took slow, controlled breaths, focusing my mind. The world slowly began to fade around me, before disappearing entirely. Turning around, I spotted Kurama sitting behind me. I was once more in the shared mental world Biju and Jinchuriki shared.

“Ready?”

“And waiting,” Kurama replied.

A few moments passed as Kurama reached out to Saiken and Utakata, but as time passed, it became apparent that nothing was happening. We’d been unable to contact Isobu last time, mainly due to the fact that he was still recovering after having recently reformed.

It should be working this time, but it wasn’t. Part of me began to wonder if we were too late and the Akatsuki had managed to seal Saiken without us knowing about it.

“Are you sure you’re doing it right?” I asked. “Maybe we should try it with someone else first. Fu’s…”

“Bwah!” Fu yelped as she suddenly appeared inside the joined plane dressed in her pajamas while clutching a miniature Chomei with the real one appearing behind her. Tiredly rubbing her eyes, she looked around the joined mindscape. “Naruto… Chomei… Kurama… Where are we? What time is it?”

“Fu…” I muttered softly, startled by her sudden appearance. “We’re in the meeting place for Biju and Jinchuriki… You were asleep, right? How did you get in here?”

“I don’t know,” Fu replied, beginning to regain her boisterous energy as she fully woke up. “One moment I was in my room and the next, I was here. This is a meeting place? I didn’t know we could do this… Say, why are you here?”

“We’re trying to contact Saiken,” Kurama explained. “But it seems there’s a maximum distance to this place.”

“Wait… You’ve been trying to contact Saiken,” Chomei asked, sounding entirely too amused. “Gahahahaha!”

“What’s so funny?” Kurama growled.

“Sorry, haha, it’s just… I think I might know why you’re having so much trouble,” Chomei grinned. “Before you were sealed, you did have a tendency to act like a massive asshole and go on about just how superior you were to us. If I had to guess… Saiken’s ignoring you.”

“A massive asshole, am I?” Kurama huffed. “Would a massive asshole go out of his way to save you and your Jinchuriki?”

“Hey, look. I get it. You’ve really turned over a new leaf… But even you have to admit that… Back then, you wouldn’t have lifted a tail to help us,” Chomei said, trying to deescalate the situation. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll contact Saiken for you, how does that sound?”

“Go ahead,” Kurama smirked. “I doubt he’ll…” His jaw fell open. “Son of a bitch!”

“What is this place?” Utakata asked, suddenly materializing alongside his Biju. Catching sight of Kurama and Chomei, he suddenly took up a defensive stance. “What’s going on here?”

“I too would like to know why I am here,” Saiken said, turning towards Kurama. “And why are you here?”

“I could explain that,” I said, stepping forward. “You’re Utakata, right? We need to have a t...”

Rushing past me, Fu almost knocked me over as she darted towards Saiken’s Jinchuriki.

“Oh my gosh, another Jinchuriki,” She cheered. Grabbing Utakata’s hand, she began to shake it vigorously, much to the former Kiri Shinobi’s confusion. “It’s really nice to meet you. You’re the fourth Jinchuriki I’ve met… It would have been fifth, but I wasn’t allowed near the Kazekage after the attempted Coup. I’m Fu by the way, and you are?”

“…Utakata,” He replied, slipping his hand out of Fu’s grasp. Looking around, he eyed us cautiously. “Why am I here?”

“That’s a bit of a long story, but to shorten it… You’re in danger, Utakata,” I explained, getting things back on track. “Let me start from the beginning. There’s this group called the Akatsuki…” I was honestly getting a little sick of explaining this, but it had to be done.