IdleMuse's Snippet

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not someone who would easily lose his words in front of someone. No matter the enemy, the combat, the meeting, the paperwork, anything of sorts where intricate wordplay was necessary, he never faltered. Only in front of two people did he ever stutter.

His sensei, Tobirama Senju, Nidaime Hokage, and Mito Uzumaki, currently the strongest shinobi alive. It was a fact, plain and simple, no matter how others might think of her strength being a byproduct of the Kyuubi, he knew that she was plenty strong without it. So much so that he knew for a fact that if she were not a Jinchuriki and as such, a strategic weapon that could not be deployed lightly, none of the other villages would have dared set their sights on the Land of Fire.

"Mito-sama, I had some news I wanted to share with you," He barely stopped the tremor in his voice. He was about to deliver some pretty devastating news and he just hoped that he made it out in one piece.

"Oh? Did something happen to Tsunade?" 

Her words were light but somehow, without him sensing an ounce of chakra being used by her, mere words were enough to root him on the spot. Sweat gathered on his forehead as he continuously cycled his chakra through his entire body, as was taught by his sensei when he had first encountered the first Tailed Beast completely manifested.

According to his sensei, power had multiple ways of expressing itself. It need not always be chakra itself. Powerful people hold their weight in the very fabric of reality in the world, such that weaker people can feel the presence of a vastly stronger entity without said entity actively pressuring them to feel something.

He hastily waved his hands, "No–no! Tsunade is doing fine. I was going to award her the elite Jonin title once she came back. No, this is something else. This is about…Uzu,"

He immediately braced for the outpour of pressure that suddenly exploded out of her, "What happened?"

The words were soft spoken but somehow, against all his will, he found himself extending the scroll towards her, the very intent in her words forcing his mind to bend to her will. He didn't want to give such distressing news to her out in the open, with Nawaki nearby. Preferably, he would have done this in a secure Uzumaki sealed room where the chances of the Kyuubi doing something to the seal were miniscule, and yet….

And yet, the scroll was taken out of his hand by near invisible chakra strings and brought to her hand as she proceeded to tear through the security seal of the scroll as if it was non-existent, and read through the entire thing.

He immediately jumped back as the ground they were standing in was cratered by the outpouring of chakra. He looked back as the surrounding buildings began buckling due to the pressure that Mito-sama was putting on her surroundings. He could see her holding the scroll tightly, her eyes shining red as the Kyuubi's chakra began seeping out as well.

Before he could warn her about it, the pressure receded as Mito-sama stopped shining red. He hesitantly took a step forward and if it were not for his senses being enhanced by conscious use of his chakra, he never would have heard the whisper-like voice of Mito-sama.

"Tch! Damn fox," She muttered before she did something that he had never seen her do.

She…..disappeared.

Or more like she teleported, in a flash of bright blood red.

His eyes widened as he stood there, jaw agape as he realised that Mito-sama was using his sensei's Flying Thunder God Jutsu as well. 

He straightened his form as he sensed multiple signatures entering the Senju compound, converging on his specific location. Had this been the days during his sensei's reign, the ANBU would have stopped at the gate itself but this was not the height of the Senju clan and due to the sheer power of Mito-sama and her own insistence, he had not stationed any permanent guards in the Senju clan compound.

"Hokage-sama!" He turned around and dispersed most of the ANBU. Only Danzo and his advisors were left behind as he ordered someone to make sure that Nawaki was safe and sound before rushing off to the specially created seal room in the centre of the Senju compound. It was commissioned to perform dangerous Fuinjutsu experiments by his sensei and Mito-sama but it could also be used to temporarily suppress the Kyuubi's chakra so that it doesn't weaken the seal.

He burst through the doors and arrived to see Mito-sama sitting on a chair, going through some…photo albums? Even if the entire room was coated in seals that throbbed as if it were alive, he could feel the pain that radiated through Mito-sama's chakra.

The teardrops on the album made him retreat through the room. As he came out of the house, he ordered Danzo, "Station a single guard here. Have him inform me once Mito-sama calls for him,"

"Danzo, I think we need to have some words about the entire Uzu situation," He said in his serious voice before turning to Koharu, "Convene a meeting with all available battle commanders within an hour,"

Then he headed back to the Hokage Tower, his mind awash with new ways of making sure that this war ended on his terms, Konoha's terms. 

No, he had enough of letting people die on his terms. He would not let any more unnecessary casualties happen under his name. War was their bread and butter, but it would not have to be so for forever. No, something had to give and he was not sure if he was the man for that change.

He would see Konoha emerge through this war as the undisputed winner and then search for his successor. Kumo still had both its Jinchurikis active and its Kage active. Kumo was currently the strongest enemy that Konoha had and he had a hunch that the raid on Uzu had relieved Kumo of at least one of its Kage level fighters.

This was the best time to pressure them and make sure that they were deprived of yet another Kage level Shinobi. Killing Kage level shinobi was not easy and yet, Konoha had the best shinobi and they would make it so.

He glanced over the Hokage mountain as he entered his office, his thoughts wandering to what his teacher and his predecessors would think of his actions. He tried his best to do what his sensei would have done but alas, he was just not as strong as them. It started with a single compromise and before he knew it, they were doing the same as the Warring Eras did, sending young children into war, hoping that the ones that survived would grow to become stronger than the ones who perished.

He sat in his chair and then immediately stiffened as he felt…something. He kept calm before he sent a wind chakra infused kunai at a corner of his office, the place where could not feel anything. Not the chakra of the seals, not the ANBU hidden, not the Fuinjutsu traps, nor the pathways in the walls of his office.

The kunai, coated in lethal wind chakra, something he could do as easily as breathing was stopped just short of hitting his heart. He jumped in front of his desk, his Kunai withdrawn, his chakra flaring in specific short bursts to warn the ANBU. He only grew more confused as he could not sense any movements outside his office.

"As expected of the strongest Non-Uzumaki person here, huh?" He heard a boyish voice speak as the form of his subdued ANBU was revealed, as was the form of the intruder in his office.

"Who are you!" He roared as Enma was summoned to his side.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What I am here to do does. Fine, if you must know, my name is Uzumaki Ken, and I am here to meet my cousin. After all, I have so few family members left alive. Might as well meet them before I go ahead with my plans," 

His eyes narrowed as a young man who could not have been older than Nawaki himself and yet, exuded pressure that could match that of Mito-sama's, revealed himself to him. He was not lying about the Uzumaki apart since that could be easily confirmed by the bright red hair. The glowing eyes, some previously unknown Doujutsu?

All the while, he tried to sense the chakra of this Uzumaki in front of him and failed completely. It was supposed to be impossible. Even someone like his sensei could not keep his chakra whidden this well, not without using some other chakra source to hide his own. No, it was as if the person in front of him was a ghost.

He relaxed his stance but still held Enma in hand, "The Uzumaki are sworn allies. That is the only reason I will forgive this intrusion. But until Mito-sama herself confirms it, we cannot let you leave. I will inform her to come meet you. Now, will you lower the barrier that you have imposed over my office?"

He felt a sudden sense of unease as Uzumaki Ken grinned and his left hand twitched a bit. The single change led to a sudden cacophony of chakra hitting his senses, as he could somehow feel Mito-sama's chakra come to a complete halt…before it exploded to his senses.

"Oh?" He looked up to see Uzumaki Ken looking in the same direction as Mito-sama's house before his face gained a look of nostalgia, as if he was reliving some old memories.

A/N - 

If you guys would like to support me or read more of where these snippets came from, you can head on to my P*treon. 

I run weekly polls on P*treon to decide which snippet series will get updated (2-3 ch/wk) and ofcourse, I write what my muse brings me as well.

Do note that the 5 extra snippets will be in order of when they were written & uploaded, not necessarily 5 chapters of any given story.