Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 243 REBUILD

The village was quickly being rebuilt. One thing I hadn’t known was there were more than just ninjas who used chakra in the village. There was also a construction crew. Konoha had been at war so long, this wasn’t the first time that we had to rebuild. 

A group of people had maps laying out the entire village. Leveled over by Pain, the reason nothing had been done right away was because people with Earth Element were compressing the soil until it could be built on once more. 

It wasn’t long until those with Earth element had it all ready to go. Then a select group of people with Wood, Earth, and other building elements were assigned to begin the reconstruction of the village. First the Ninja Academy was completed and the Hokage had her office once more. Finally outside crews from the land of Fire appeared and within a week the majority of the village had been rebuilt. 

During that time I was able to talk Kakashi into my own training arc. I had had Water Element for years, but like Naruto, I only used a few moves. It was time to update my available skills. Kakashi was known as the copy ninja for a reason. He could copy most any technique, whether he had an affinity for the element or not. He was more than willing to teach me. 

“Hiding Mist Technique,” he said, doing hand seals. I watched as the water in the air began to thicken. Becoming visible the Mist expelled from his body as well. It became so thick I couldn’t see him though he was only a few feet away. “This is used for disappearing or confusing your enemy.” He released the jutsu and the mist disappeared. 

“Hiding in Water Technique,” he said. Doing the hand seals he dropped down and became a puddle at his feet. His entire body was gone from view, and all I saw was the puddle. I could feel that the chakra was dense, but I was amazed I didn’t see him. He released it and was soon standing again. “Used to hide in plain sight. It is quick and great for disappearing since no one suspects a puddle. Only do it after a rain though. Otherwise people might question it.” I nodded, growing excited. I doubted I would use it in Naruto World anyway. 

“Water Clone,” Kakshi said. Doing hand seals I felt the water condense beside him, making a copy of him. “Useful for switching places.” He slashed through the clone and it turned into a pillar of water. Dropping to the ground the water dispersed quickly. I doubted it would have as much power or autonomy as a shadow clone, but I could sure throw it further away if I needed to. “You can also direct the chakra to form away from you. As long as there is water in the air, it will make the clone where you want.” 

“So cool,” I said as he continued. 

“Hail Technique,” he said. More hand seals and chakra dispersed into the air above. Thick chunks of hail began to rain down. He hadn’t changed the cloud, but it was still interesting. 

“Storm Blockade.” More chakra shot out of him, gathering up in a huge wave. Then washed away the area in front of him. 

“Wild Water Wave,” he said. More hand seals he then focused chakra in his mouth. A jet of water was released in a high pressure stream. 

“Water Tornado,” he said. Water began to spin around in a small tornado that only got bigger the further away it moved. 

“Water Formation Wall,” he said. A huge wave appeared in front of him. It was extra dense as it was held in front of him. “Great for protection.” 

“And probably the strongest. Water Dragon Whip,” he said. More hand seals chakra poured out of him far away. Condensing to a point a large ball of water appeared. Then out of it came thin whip-like streams of water. Striking the trees and rock around it the whips appeared to be quite strong.

“Holy hell, that all?” I asked. 

He shook his head. “No, there are still a huge amount out there,” he admitted. “But these are the ones I’ve seen used in fights. Which should we start with?” 

Kakashi was out of chakra by that point so he couldn’t give me any more examples. He walked me through the hand seals and told me where to direct chakra when doing so. It took a couple of days but I was able to master all of them. Adding them to my arsenal I felt a little better about using chakra. Not limited to slashing and attacking with it I wanted to attempt using them in fights so they could all become second nature. 

I was pretty happy with what I had learned and wasn’t a 4 move quitter anymore. I also decided to make my Item Choice. In the end I chose Chakra Paper. I hadn’t been able to use it in Gantz like I wanted. I had considered poisons or other things to help me in my challenges. But I had been sucked into my worlds. I wanted to help my girls as I awoke more chakra in them. Allowing them to learn elements. Who knew, maybe I could find a new element out there. 

That was when I remembered DBZ. I had forgotten about capsules. Cursing myself I had to save the next Item Choice for my time in the world. I could get a flying car, and the restriction on size wouldn’t matter since I could shrink it to the size of a large pill. 

I came back from my daily training to my home. The Watanabe household had been rebuilt, mostly. All that was left was my wing of the house. Evey still wasn’t back yet from training with the Sea Turtles, but I was sure she would be someday. Aurora and Hazel were around, but I hadn’t seen them much. They had their own butlers. Quiet like Evey’s butler, they kept to my sisters and not much else. 

“Weston,” Mika said as I walked in. The head maid an ever present person in my life I wasn’t too surprised to see her. I had been dodging my family for days after coming back. It was finally time that I answered their questions. “Your father wants to see you.” 

I nodded and followed her down the hall. Everything nice and new the house creaked with each step. No decorations or much of anything filling the halls; it was rather quiet as we walked to my father’s study. 

Inside I found my parents, Reina, and older sisters Hazel and Aurora. I guessed some sort of family meeting was going on, and I was the guest of honor. Since they all stared at me as I walked in, it was obvious I had been the subject of their conversation. 

“Am I adopted?” I asked. 

“What?” My father asked. 

“You brought everyone here to let me know I’m adopted, didn’t you?” I asked, playing dumb. 

“I knew it,” Hazel said as she chuckled. 

“Shush,” my mother said. 

“You’re not adopted,” my father assured. 

“Oh, then what’s up?” I asked. All eyes moved to Reina. My head-maid sat nervously under the gazes. I moved over next to her setting my hand on her shoulder. She grabbed my hand, looking up at me for support. 

“It has come to our attention that Reina has awoken the Chikyugi,” father said. “We want to know how.”

“That sicko Kabuto did it,” I said. “How I understand it. The procedure was simple, but I have no idea how he did it. And I doubt it will be replicated again.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I blew his arms and legs off,” I admitted. I was sure Black Zetsu could help the man regrow them, but I planned to kill Kabuto the next time I saw him. “We should consider this as a fluke. Never to be replicated again.” 

“That poses a problem,” my father said. “What are we supposed to do with you? You are just as powerful as the main family, Reina. For so long we have differentiated ourselves from the Branch Family through the Chikyugi.” Reina was nervous as my father’s eyes bored into her. 

“I have an idea on that,” I admitted. “Just adopt her.” 

“What?” Father asked, turning to me. 

“Adopt her. She can become a Watanabe. And all is well.”

“Weston,” Reina said worriedly. I patted her head. 

“Then, make me her butler,” I said. “Use whatever jargon you use to justify us. Reina becomes a Watanabe. Chikyugi’s are kept in the main family. I keep my head maid. She has a butler. We move on from this whole thing.”

“That could work,” father said slowly. “It would set a precedent if more of the branch family were able to do so. We wouldn’t have to keep it a secret then.” He appeared to like the idea more and more. “What do you say, Reina?” 

“I-” she said, stopping herself. “I had hoped to marry Weston,” she admitted. I was surprised she said it. That quieted everyone. Reina blushed deeply as the air in the room changed from simple questioning gazes to a more predatory one. 

My father studied her for a long time, then looked up to me. “Did you make promises you can’t keep?” He asked. 

“I didn’t know why I couldn’t,” I said. “We had mentioned it. Now that she has the Chikyugi, I don’t see why we couldn’t marry.” 

He had a hard stare focused on me for a long time. Almost angry, I ignored it. I was no longer intimidated by the man. “Reina, do you know how our family started?” He asked. She quickly shook her head. Nervous, but relieved she had said her peace. “We started as prostitutes,” he admitted. I sat down next to Reina. Intrigued, I had never heard this before. 

“Win Watanabe was a prostitute. She was sold to a brothel at the age of 12. Trained to become a geisha she wasn’t anything special. A mid-tier prostitute, she had very little money, but she survived. She became pregnant from an unknown man and had a son. Shin Watanabe. He worked at the brothel. Never understanding what his mother did, but he was surprisingly handsome. He loved his mother dearly. Always by her side he was in blissful ignorance about what she did until one of the girls at the brothel told him on his 12th birthday. She had been trained to become a geisha too. Nervous, she decided to lose her chastity on her own terms. That night she gave him her virginity, and he awoke the Chikyugi.” 

I was sure there was more to it than that, but I listened on. “He didn’t know what was happening with him. This was long before ninja academies. Shin spent the following years learning blindly about his skills. By that time the village that would become Konoha waged another war. He was drafted and learned much about chakra and his powers. He came back much stronger, only to find his mother had been killed by a drunk client.” 

Father shook his head, letting out a sigh. “In a rage Shin killed that man. Then the madam of the brothel. There were no witnesses, and war was still raging on. No one cared. At that time Shin simply took control of the brothel. Others tried to muscle in, but he was much stronger than them. Over time he absorbed the other brothels in the area. Back alley prostitutes where the women were treated like cattle. He brought them all to him. The money was good, and the women loved him. He had more than a few children out of wedlock, but took care of them all. Time passed and he married. Having many sons and daughters of his own he was able to replicate the Chikyugi in only a few of them. Starting the main family. His oldest son, Jiro Watanabe, was the strongest of them. Able to awaken his Chikyugi hearts much more quickly, he was a prodigy. Around this time Konoha was formed.” 

“Our ancestor, Shin, saw an opportunity. Big names had appeared after the war. The Uchiha’s and the Hyuga’s were paramount. Our ancestor was relatively unknown, and he preferred it that way. He began to work in the shadows. Hearing rumors in the brothel he was able to learn of an assassination attempt of the 1st Hokage. Warning the man, Shin saved his life. Cementing him as the master of secrets, and starting our path as the Watanabes.” 

The room was quiet as he paused. “What does this have to do with our current situation?” I asked. 

“I am getting to that,” father assured. Grumbling under his breath he started once more. “Shin Watanabe made sure that we all knew his mother was the first person with the Chikyugi. Through her sacrifice she gifted him with a great power that no one had seen before. It made us aware of the Lust Element that only we can use. We started off as nothing. Simple fodder for the war machine that had become our life. Now we run brothels in all of the hidden villages, and then some. We are the masters of pleasure. We are the hidden power in all of these villages. All around the world. Our cousins are everywhere, tying us together.” 

“Weston and his potential union with the Hyuga is our first chance to branch out from that,” father admitted. “We have been working for generations to try to secure such a marriage. The Uchihas were so inbred that they married cousin to cousin. We want to see where our power can go. Try to evolve the Chikyugi. Grow our power in secret. Let our powers evolve. All in service to the next generations. We hope that someday we will be strong enough to no longer be a secret power in the village. But out in the open. The Chikyugi is strong in the bedroom. In a fight? Not so much. We hope to change that. Making the ancestors of the main branch family stronger.”

I felt some Bene Gesserit/Kwisatz Haderach shit going on. But I didn’t say anything. Trying to breed strength into people had been going on in the village for a long time. I still wanted Hinata, despite what my family’s goals were. She and I hadn’t talked since I told her the truth, but a part of me held out hope. 

“So, Reina,” my father said. “If I adopt you, you will have as much say in who you marry as my daughter’s do. But for the future of our clan, I ask that you don’t ask this of Weston. If you want to stay as his head-maid, that is up to you. But I would like to continue our ancestor’s dream of growing more power. Seeing what our power is capable of becoming.” 

Reina turned to me. Our hands met as she studied me. “I understand. I have been trained since I was young that the main family has big goals for us as a whole. I had no idea that something like this has been in the works for so long.” 

My father let out a sigh. “But,” Reina said. “I will marry him nonetheless.”

“Reina-” Father said.

She surprised me by cutting him off. “I do not care who else he marries, but I will be one of them,” Reina admitted. “I am part of the main family now. I choose to be with him. My name will be Watanabe as it is, so a simple ceremony will suffice. I will have your children, and nothing can stop me from that.” 

“You can have his children anyway,” Father said. “We don’t care about that.” 

“What?” I asked, my eyes drawn away from her. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, oftentimes a maid will have your children,” Father said as if it was the most obvious thing.

“And…?” I asked, my eyes wide. 

Father looked to Mika. “And, your sisters are really your half sisters,” she said bluntly. 

I turned to Aurora and Hazel, my eyes wide. “Who?” I asked, turning to my mother. 

“Oh I’m your mother,” she said without hesitation. “Evey is Mika’s daughter. Aurora is Melody’s, and Hazel is Rin’s.” 

“Goddammit,” I said with a groan. “How fucking many more secrets does my family have?” I asked. “Did you know about this?” I asked my sisters. 

Hazel laughed. “Of course. They told us years ago.”

“Fucking hell, dad. What the shit?” I asked. 

“What? They’re still your sisters,” the old man admitted unashamedly. 

“Still…” I said, turning to Reina. She had a wide smile on her lips. “Did you know about this?” 

“No,” she said, still smiling. “I had thought the same as you. I simply thought maids were not allowed to have children.”

“Oh no,” Mika said. “We feel the need as others. And luckily Ema was most agreeable to allow it.” 

“Mom?” I asked, still not sure what the hell was going on.

“What? I married young. I didn’t want to ruin my figure,” she said. “It was simple enough to pretend that you were all mine.” 

“Goddammit, I have the weirdest fucking family,” I said. I turned to Reina. “Why are you so happy?” 

“Nothing,” she said. “I got what I wanted. So I am simply expressing it.” 

“Good for you,” I said. “I’m gonna go drink or something. Forget I ever had this conversation.” 

“I’ll join you,” Hazel said with a laugh. 

“Don’t you dare,” mother said as we stepped out. Only to be met with Rin. 

“Oh look, it’s your mom,” I said, pointing at the maid. 

“He knows now?” Rin asked. The older woman was petite like my mother and the other maids. My dad obviously had a type. 

“I do now,” I said, annoyed. Rin grabbed my arm. 

“The Hokage has asked for you,” she said. 

I let out a defeated sigh. Annoyed, but I knew it was coming. I nodded and was soon out the door. Making it to her office easily enough I had a bottle of sake in hand as I stepped in. 

“Why are you drinking?” Tsunade asked, annoyed. 

“Family drama,” I said, taking a swig. “And it’s my night off.”

“You’re a ninja, it’s never your night off,” she said. 

“Just tell me what’s going on so I can start drinking again,” I said. Her nostrils flared as she looked at me. More bold with some liquid courage in me I waved it at her. Leaning it closer it took her a moment but soon she was taking a swig as well. 

“Damn that’s strong,” she said with a hiss. Wiping her mouth as she coughed. It wasn’t long until she was taking another swig. 

“There we go,” I said, laughing. I reached out. She reluctantly gave it back. I took another long gulp. “How can I help you, lady-Hokage?” 

“The Kage Summit has been called,” she admitted. Her cheeks becoming rosy I passed her the drink back. She took a swig without any provocation. “I want you there.”

“Yes ma’am,” I said with a salute. “When do we leave?” 

“Tomorrow,” she said. 

I let out a long sigh as I sat down without permission. “Finally,” I said. 

“What? I thought you’d be upset,” she said, a teasing smile on her lips. “You begged for a break before.”

“Drama at home,” I said. “And I want to get this all over with.” 

“What over with?” She asked. 

“Everything. This Akatsuki bullshit. It’s been almost 3 years of this crap. Looming over my head. I’m ready to be done.”

She was quiet for a bit, but reached over the desk. I passed her the large bottle and she took another big drink. Letting out a sigh I could tell she liked the taste. “What’s after this?” She asked. 

“Honestly? No idea,” I admitted. “I just know about Akatsuki and their bullshit. I’m sure that there will be more fights. But I only know about this one.” 

“Why’s that?” She asked. 

“Because this is the most entertaining,” I mumbled. She looked at me questioningly, but I moved passed. “What about you, lady-Hokage? What’s next for you?” 

She frowned as she took another drink. Her thick lips on the bottle mouth I couldn’t help but eye her. I wasn’t drunk, but I was feeling the effects of the alcohol. “Call me Tsunade,” she said. I smiled wider. “After this? No idea. Keep being Hokage I guess.”

“Boring,” I said. 

“What?”

“Being Hokage is boring,” I said. “I don’t know why anyone would want to do it.”

“No one is made for the job,” she admitted. “The job makes you.” 

“How’s that?” I asked, leaning forward to take the ever emptying bottle from her. 

“Something my grandfather said. Back when he was trying to figure it out. He was the first Hokage. Given the position because he was the strongest.” She scoffed. “He hated being called that. The strongest ninja. More like the most gullible. It wasn’t long until the real power in the village started muscling in on him, and for the first time war was waged in the village.” 

“Nobles, people with the money and resources. They all thought to manipulate him. He let it happen at the beginning. Not really understanding that a favor here or there made others resent him. When he figured it out he killed a few. He was bred for war. That’s what he knew. They liked that even less. It wasn’t for a long time until he figured out that no one can prepare for becoming Hokage. The role prepares you. Makes you into what the village needs.”

“So is that what you are?” I asked. “What the village needs?” 

“I doubt it,” she admitted. “I honestly think it needs you more. You’ve had all the answers. You came in here spouting about some dooms day. Scared shitless of these Akatsuki members. Then you come back with a plan for each of them. The village was destroyed on my match. Now I am trying to work with the very man that did the deed, because I am using all the resources I have to try to keep this village standing.”

I frowned. “I’m sorry,” I said, passing her back the bottle. There was enough for a sip left inside. “I um you, you took this on without hesitation. Probably saved thousands of lives. And I forget that you’re the one that has to hear an earful from some noble because their dog was buried under all the rubble.”

“Heard about that one, eh?” She asked with a laugh. Taking the last swig. 

“No, but you forget, I was the Mizukage’s assistant for a while,” I said. 

“Right, you were,” she said. Her eyes sparkling, she was starting to feel the alcohol as well. “How does that work exactly?” 

“Which part? The act itself?” I asked with a wide smile. More bold now that we had shared a drink. “You see men have this thing called a penis, and women-” 

“Shut it,” she said, annoyed. “No, how does your Lust Element work?” She said the words like they were foreign to her tongue. “I was given a rundown when I took charge. By your father and a few other people. But I didn’t think to question free information.” 

“Hmm,” I said slowly. “Ever had sex?” I asked. She glared at me. “I’m just asking. You’re a mystery to me.” 

“I’ve had sex,” she assured. 

“Good for you,” I said, laughing. “You ever had sex with someone you love?” 

She hesitated with that one. It took time, but eventually she shook her head. “It’s the best,” I said. “You grow up with your body. Your parents had seen you naked, but you tend to ignore that. So as you grow up, you are the only person that knows what you look like naked. Then you meet someone special, and your body knows what to do. You explore them, learn what they like, and in turn they too learn what they like. It’s kind of hard to learn this stuff on your own. So you lose your virginity, and things become less…scary. The world feels a little less big.” 

I shook my head, remembering my very first time. It had been awkward, but I did it. Ending soon after I started I still had sex and learned one of my favorite pastimes. “If you’re lucky, you get to keep doing it with that same person. Sex becomes a part of who you are. You share it with each other. Cultivate it. Your own favorite positions. And if you’re really lucky, you fall in love with that person. When that happens, the true magic starts. The sex becomes grander. You can spend all day in bed with them, doing the same thing over and over, but somehow it still feels new.” 

“What does that have to do with my question?” Tsunade whispered. Not angry, almost lost in my words as I said them. 

“That’s the point that my Lust Element starts,” I said. “Imagine every nerve of your body tingling wherever I touch you. The Element doesn’t make things feel good, it makes everything euphoric. You lose yourself in it. Everything around you fading to black as you and your partner focus on one another. Desperate to reach that tiny bit of release only for you to be ready to go again and again until your body gives out. Lust isn’t some minor element or parlor trick. It is the root of pleasure. When a man and woman can forget words and show how the other makes them feel. Because every movement that brings you pleasure, also brings it to them. Helping both of you reach the same goal together.” 

“It’s just fucking to me,” she said with a sigh. 

“It’s that too,” I said, chuckling. “It’s whatever you want it to be.” We were quiet for a time as we studied one another. “So…want to have sex?” I asked, hope in my voice. 

She blushed deeply. “You grow bold,” she said.

“Liquid courage,” I said with a smile. 

She laughed beautifully. One that made her chest jiggle with each movement. “You don’t want an old granny like me.”

“Oh, but I do,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll like it?” 

“Me, afraid? Never,” she said, a challenging look on her face. “But I don’t mix business with pleasure.” She looked to her papers, and pretended to read some of them. 

“Too bad. Guess I’ll just have to beat Akatsuki and quit being a ninja so we can be together,” I said. Standing up I gave her a bow. As I turned I felt her eyes on me, but continued out the door. I heard a sigh escape her as soon as I was on the other side of the door. A mischievous grin on my face I guessed my chances with the Hokage were better than I originally thought. Sobering up as I walked, I wondered how I could progress them further.