Chapter 27: Chapter 27 - Aftermath

Inuzuka

Kiba was pushing his carrots around with his fork.

"What's the matter, pup?" His mother asked.

".…It's nothing…" Kiba muttered. He averted his eyes from his mother's form. She was wearing the usual apron that he'd seen her sport ever since his childhood days. Yet now it fell loosely around the round bulge of her six month pregnant form.

He was an adult now, and had long since moved to his own place in the segregated male section of the Inazuka compound. And he was now only visiting home for thanksgiving, but didn't know how he should look at his family. It hadn't helped to walk past all the women he had known from childhood, now with rounded bellies heavy with child. So many women walking proudly while lovingly caressing the proof of their new polyamorous relationship with one Uzumaki Naruto.

Speaking of which.

The scent of Kiba's old friend stained not only the women around him, but anything from floors to benches, even to walls.

What the hell kind of freaky mating frenzy had stormed through the Female Compound?

Hell, he knew what kind. The kind who's first and last name were well known to Kiba.

A few of the blonde's shadow clones even seemed to be wandering around. He always seemed to keep an amount of presence here in the Female Compound.

In his compound, protecting his pregnant bitches, Kiba assumed.

Speaking of which...

Currently Kiba was staring at his plate of dinner while visiting his mother and sister.

"What's this, pup? When did you get shy, huh?" Hana teased in that big-sisterly way." Hana asked, caressing her own product of love between herself and Uzumaki Naruto. A thick dog collar hung loosely around her neck, with Naruto's brand emblazened on it.

Kiba averted his eyes from that, too.

"We Inuzuka are bold and honest." Tsume declared with a big grin. "Out with it son. Don't be a little bitch!"

Kiba sighed and scratched his head. "It's just… I went to the academy with him. And everything."

"You mean our new Alpha?" Hana asked, perking up. "What was he like?"

"Just a guy I knew." Kiba said, shrugging. "A guy weaker than me. Weaker than everyone. At least, according to the teachers. And now I turn around and not only has he surpassed me, but half the females in my family are knocked up by him and…"

"Whats this. That's all fantastic news. We have a stronger Alpha than ever. You should be proud." Tsume urged. "His seed will bring strength to the Inuzuka clan. After all, we are ones who rely on the natural instincts and talents in our bodies. Bloodline is everything."

"Well what would dad say?" Kiba asked.

"Your father would be happy that I found a man to give me the pleasure he never could. " Tsume said with a shrug.

"Mom!" Kiba gasped.

"Oh honey. Just fucking deal with it. I didn't raise a pussy." Tsume said, digging in to her steak. "You're a grown man now."

"How can you be so cold hearted towards father?" Kiba demanded.

"I'm not a samurai, pup. I'm not a princess and I'm not a night. I'm a kunoichi, and in my day that meant something. It meant blood stained disreputable shadow fiends. It was a different time, pup." Tsume objected. "You kids these days were raised in a peaceful place. A miracle little span of time where you entered the ninja academy just as the last war finally ended. You're good at fighting, but you're shit at dealing with the true dark and evil in this life."

"I lived through a war." Kiba reminded.

"You think your Fourth Great Shinobi war was anything? The fourth war was some weak-ass shit. The whole world got buddy-buddy and teamed up against a hand full of obviously evil motherfuckers. You lived through a war. Good shit. In my time, the wars were one after another until they all blended together into one grey unfeeling hell. In my time, we burned grain feilds and poisoned wells. Innocent little towns, but they were supply stops for the enemy forces. Women. Children. Whatever. Everyone bleeds the same color. They bleed like my people have bled on the eve of enemeis doing the same thing. Spies and traitors were everywhere. You couldn't sleep without your back to the wall. Killing. Killing. More killing. Our numbers fell around me. But I had no man to be my Alpha. Your father was a Beta, but I forced it to work. Oh, what a hellish pregnancy. Feeling weak and helpless. Always wanting the strong arms of my mate around me, but not having a strong mate to rely on. I don't have to force anything with Naruto-sama. I love my Alpha. My body sings in joy when I hear his heartbeat nearby. Everything just happens on it's own. My hips move on their own. My legs make me kneel before I realize what I'm doing." Tsume said wistfully. "He's perfect. He's your Alpha too, now, Kiba. You should be happy. We can be safe under his protection, and rebuild our numbers with his superior seed. You think half your female relatives are knocked up? You're right, because the other half are waiting their turn. We can't decrease our fighting force too much, eh?"

Kiba put his face into his hands. "...It's just fucked up, that's all, when someone you grew up with becomes your step-dad."

Tsume roared uproariously. "That's life!" She chortled.

"...It also makes me feel infirm about how I'm going to find my own wife." Kiba admitted. "Aren't all the girls falling for Naruto right now?"

Tsume shook her head. "You're worried about that? Great men have many women. It's been like that since ancient times and there's always been enough pussy left over for regular men like you. How many concubines do you think a Daimyo has? The whole inner court is packed to the brim! Inner Courtesans, Outer Courtesians, and Favored Courtesans. No man can even be in the same region without having their balls cut off! Hah! So what if your relatives are all tied to the lucky dog who grew up with you? We're but a hundred in a village of thousands, in a nation of millions. If our Alpha were able to satisfy every Kunoichi in this village, it would be a fraction of a fraction of one percent of the women in our nation. You are a small fish in a small puddle, thinking that things are unbalanced. There is a whole world out there worth of women who would love to land a young Inuzuka like you. Grow some balls, pup. Go out and find a nice civilian hottie with wide hips and bring me home some grandkids!"

The Inuzuka were frank and practical.

Council

Naruto sat in an annoyingly fancy restaurant while facing Homura and Koharu, the two surviving members of the Konoha Council.

He had inherited these old bones from his predecessor, who had inherited them from his predecessor, who had inherited them from her predecessor.

Though the Hokage had great power in the village, the Hokage changed. These two had remained all this while.

Naruto didn't know if he should be respectful to their wisdom or suspicious of their clinging to positions of such influence while Hokage after Hokage fought, died, or retired with honor.

"Hokage-sama" Koharu began, "it is good that you have come to meet us."

"I always respected the wisdom of my elders." Naruto said.

"Hard to believe from looking at you." Homura pointed out. "Being the prankster little shit that you were when dealing with Sandaime-sama."

"Yeah." Naruto admitted, unashamed. "I hid it well. But I swear, I always did respect him. I was just more angry than I was reverent. I'm sure you can guess why."

"I won't deny that we had a hand in the roughness of your upbringing. If you have problems with us, feel free to express them. Fire us. Cut us down if you wish. But we did everything for Konoha." Koharu said resolutely.

Naruto kissed his teeth in frustration, before running a hand through his hair. In his heart he wanted to replace these two. For a ton of reasons, not all personal. But he wasn't a kid anymore. He was Hokage now, and certainly he had become strong. The shadow clone technique had produced the S-Rank Jutsu Rasenshuriken in record time when combined with Kyuubi's chakra. Now Kurama was like an old friend. He had gained unbelievable power. He had even choked down uncountable books. And he even remembered doing it all, a thousand times, in a thousand lives, through the memories of clones that were born just to train, and died right after. In books, he was an old sage. And in jutsu he was ageless. But there was no book that would teach him true wisdom.

The coat weighed heavy on his young shoulders, and he needed the help of the older generation if he was to govern with foresight. "…What're you calling me out here for today?"

Koharu nodded. "You have become too strong."

"Hah?" Naruto asked, confused. "I'm the strongest, so what? Kakashi was the strongest before me. And Tsunade before him. And before here, the Sandaime you two won't shut up about."

"Not in Jutsu, you fool." Homura chided. "That is nothing."

"Nothing he says. I busted my ass training you old fart." Naruto groused.

"All personal power is no major thing." Koharu added. "Next to the power of the people."

"Well sure but that is old news. So what?" Naruto asked.

"We are saying that you have swayed too many people. You are too powerful… politically." Homura tried to clarify.

Naruto crossed his arms, leaning back. "Er…. am I?"

"Ay…" Homura sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Hiruzen, you lucky son of a bitch. You died and left us with this mess."

"I don't have a political party." Naruto pointed out.

"Seventh-sama. You yourself are a political party, unto yourself." Koharu objected. "The likes of which commands loyalty that other parties dream of in envy. Don't you realize that the Konoha Clan Council is in a warlike state? Inuzuka Tsume votes whichever way your face turns!"

"She is six months heavy with your child. Your extra-marital child of course." Homura added.

"Hey…" Naruto said slowly.

"It's fine. Not like it's new. In his youth Third-sama was as much of a beast." Koharu added, sighing wistfully, remembering her own youth fondly. "But the point is, he never managed to tame that spitfire, Tsume. No one has ever tamed that wildcat. This six month pregnant Kunoichi is raging around and threatening to duel people even while she couldn't make two bunshin to rub together!"

Naruto frowned. "I told her to be more careful. I'll speak to her later."

When he said 'Jump' Tsume didn't even ask 'how high?'

She just jumped at max height, and if the ceiling got in the way then the ceiling was at fault and had to be destroyed. She was eager, like an energetic puppy, first in line for his every attention. A head-pat was enough to make her swoon.

When someone bumped into his shoulder in the street, she almost went mad with rage.

It was hard to recall that she was a real political force.

"It isn't helped," Homura added, "by the new head of the Hyuuga Main Branch - our most illustrious and influencial clan and rich clan - being your actual, literal wife. Their branch family no longer wears the caged bird seal, but they all bend knee when you walk by. In fact the head of the Branch family, your wife's sister, seems to be your mistress? Is this ANBU report correct?"

Ah.

His wife. His gentle and submissive Hinata. His 'choke me, own me, love me'… Hinata.

And her spitfire little sister that seemed to have endless fun bucking tradition. She wore bright colors. She acted snarky in meetings. She pranked Homura and Koharu more than once. She even wore sunglasses, a huge shame for a Hyuuga.

But that same spitfire, on a snap of his fingers: would lick her pretty pink lips before moulding herself to his side as if competing with her Onee-sama on who could be more servile and submissive.

Naruto coughed. "It's… not illegal. I didn't mean for all this to happen. I didn't expect such reprocusions. I just wanted to change a few behaviors."

"Well you succeeded, Seventh-sama. But your power may have outstripped your experience. And in your youth and frevor you may have produced results beyond expectations. Even the Daimyou is wondering if you'll amass power until you can stage a coup on the nation at large, and has made quiet inquiries into the rate of services of Suna shinobi. People think you are gradually becoming an authoritarian." Homura insisted. "A dictator."

"I'm not!" Naruto snapped.

Then he paused.

He… wasn't a child anymore.

The mantle weighed on his young shoulders.

"...am I?" He asked of the two old guard.