Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

Several weeks later.

In a small fishing village near the border of the Land of Water, Hinata was diligently gathering information from fishermen returning from the sea.

"Excuse me, have you seen any of these people?"

"Let me see... Hmm? I don't recognize this white-haired man, but this one..." The fisherman stared at the photograph, his eyes widening. "W-Wow... she's... uh... I mean, she's beautiful!"

"Are you introducing her to me?" he asked eagerly. "What's her name? How old is she? Is she married?"

"Um... I'm only asking if you've seen her."

The fisherman rubbed his chin and grinned at the picture.

"If I'd ever seen a beauty like this, there's no way I'd forget!"

He looked at Hinata hopefully.

"Say, little miss, how about giving me that photo?"

"...Sorry for bothering you!"

Hinata quickly snatched the picture back, bowed politely, and hurried away.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke were carrying out similar investigations elsewhere in the village.

After questioning several more people, they still hadn't found anyone who recognized the targets.

Another fruitless day.

"Why is the village making us go through all this trouble to find these two people?" Naruto complained after regrouping. "We've been asking around forever, and nobody's seen them!"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said gently, "Kakashi-sensei explained it in the mission briefing."

"Based on their accomplishments, they're likely candidates to become the next Hokage," Sasuke added calmly. "The Third Hokage is getting older. The village needs to think about succession."

"The next Hokage?" Naruto grinned. "Shouldn't that be me?"

Sasuke immediately gave him the same look Hinata usually did.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Naruto laughed. "But are they really that amazing? I've never even seen either of them in the village."

"Before this mission, I asked Father about them," Hinata explained. "Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama are legendary heroes of Konoha. They were famous during the Great Ninja Wars and were known throughout the world as the Legendary Sannin."

"The Sannin?" Naruto blinked. "Who's the third one?"

"Father didn't tell me."

"Seriously?"

Naruto looked at the photographs again.

The white-haired man looked suspiciously perverted.

Then again, the Third Hokage could be pretty eccentric too.

Maybe all powerful people were like that.

As for the beautiful blonde woman...

She looked about the same age as Mei, maybe even younger.

It was hard to imagine someone like her being a legendary war hero.

"Speaking of which," Naruto said, looking around, "where's Kakashi-sensei? He keeps making us do all the work. Where'd he and Mei go?"

On the shoreline, Mei Terumi sat quietly watching the waves roll in.

The ocean breeze swept through her hair.

As she tucked it behind her ear, something touched her hand.

She turned and found Kakashi standing behind her, holding out a cup.

"Just bought it," he said. "Local specialty. Thought you might like some."

Then he sat beside her.

"We're leaving the Land of Water."

"...Soon?"

"Soon."

Kakashi looked toward the sea.

"Hidan finally talked."

"He really was the serial killer from the Land of Hot Water. He hasn't been with Akatsuki very long, so he doesn't know much."

"The only useful thing he provided is that another Akatsuki team has been active in the Land of Wind."

"Apparently someone let it slip during one of their meetings."

Mei took a sip of her drink and nodded.

"Then there's no time to waste."

"If there's nothing else to find here, we should leave."

"Eh?"

Kakashi stared at her.

"What?"

"Aren't you staying?" he asked. "I thought you'd return to Kirigakure eventually."

Mei looked at his genuinely surprised expression.

Then she looked down at the drink in her hand.

Realization dawned on her face.

"Oh."

"So this is a farewell."

"Isn't it?"

Kakashi blinked.

"I assumed you'd been staying with us because you were waiting for me to change my mind and help you."

"Now we're heading to the Land of Wind."

"You still want to save Kirigakure."

"I figured this was the most appropriate place for us to part ways."

He paused.

"Wait."

"You were planning to keep following us?"

"Of course I was!"

Mei looked completely baffled.

"You stopped hiding mission discussions from me."

"You let me watch while you trained Sasuke."

"I assumed you'd already accepted me as part of the group."

"I only did that because going back to Kirigakure is practically a death sentence for you!" Kakashi protested. "I didn't want you thinking we still distrusted you!"

"You know I'll probably die if I go back."

"Then why would you think I'd go back?"

Kakashi stared.

"So you're that afraid of dying?"

"If I die, who exactly is supposed to change Kirigakure?"

"Then what about all that talk about your home, your people, your village's future?"

"You said you had to save it!"

"Exactly!"

Mei smiled brightly.

"Which is why I have to stay with you."

Kakashi felt a headache forming.

"How does staying with us help?"

"You told me to join Konoha."

"I did."

"So I thought your idea was brilliant."

She stood and pointed at herself.

"If I stay in the Land of Water, I'll probably be killed."

"So I've decided to follow your advice and join Konoha."

"...You did?"

Kakashi wasn't expecting that.

"Then, as a Konoha jōnin, I'll attack the Fourth Mizukage."

"Based on his personality, if I don't kill him, he'll definitely declare war on Konoha."

"And then Konoha will have no choice but to help me."

"...Hold on!"

Kakashi nearly choked.

"That's your plan?!"

"Wasn't it your idea?"

"No!"

"You told me to join Konoha."

"Yes, but—"

"And you said you'd never refuse my requests."

"I meant your missions!"

"And then you stopped treating me like an outsider."

Mei interrupted him immediately.

"You obviously already considered me a companion."

"Wasn't this your roundabout way of helping me?"

Kakashi opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because from a certain perspective...

That logic somehow made sense.

Mei smiled triumphantly and drained the rest of her drink.

"I spent a long time thinking about your advice."

"If I didn't already know you're the kind of person who never says what he really means, I'd never have figured it out."

"...That's not what happened."

"No excuses."

She pointed directly at him.

"You said you wouldn't refuse my requests."

"Well, here's my request."

"I want to join Konoha."

"I want to become a Konoha jōnin."

"You'll take care of the paperwork."

"And since I'm joining Konoha, naturally I'll accompany you all on Konoha missions."

Before Kakashi could formulate a response, Mei flashed him a dazzling smile and walked away.

Kakashi remained frozen in place.

He had come here intending to say goodbye.

He'd even prepared himself for the possibility that this might be their final meeting.

A bittersweet farewell between people standing on opposite sides of political reality.

Yet somehow...

He had accidentally recruited what might be the single most dangerous diplomatic incident imaginable.

And he wasn't entirely sure how it had happened.

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