38 Chapter 38- Serving as Temporary Hokae

Pakura POV

"It has been more than a month since she was confined to this dim, solitary cell. Guilt and remorse being her own companion.

'Why did I do it?' She asked herself for the thousandth time. 'Why did I go back there? Why couldn't I control my anger?'

Launching an assault on Suna was never part of the plan. Their sole objective was to utilize Sasori's spies to infiltrate and capture Gaara before making a swift escape.

Maybe they would've fought a few shinobi out, and a few more who gave chase. But that would be it. Nothing too bloody.

But then… Rasa joined the battle, and the moment she laid eyes on him, she saw red. The next thing she knew, she was trying to kill an injured Rasa, while everyone in the village did their best to protect him.

She recalled the intense fury she experienced at that moment. The overwhelming sense of betrayal she felt as those shinobi opted to shield Rasa, the man who had betrayed her and orchestrated her death. It was this seething rage that drove her to retaliate in kind, by reducing them all to ashes.

Years of hatred that she'd buried deep in her heart came loose in that instant, and Suna burned for it.

So many people… So many innocents and children.

'I should've never gone back there.' she lamented, haunted by the devastating consequences of her actions.

The most agonizing aspect of it all was that despite her efforts, Rasa still managed to survive. She'd killed everyone. Everyone, except the one she wanted to kill.

The only silver lining about this entire thing was that Sasori hadn't betrayed her and had helped her fight the villagers. But he too, had only done so in order to collect new bodies for his 'art'.

'And now, Sasori's probably dead as well. Or captured just like me.' She thought. 'At least Gaara survived. The poor baby.'

The thought would seem odd to others, considering that she'd been the one who kidnapped Gaara in the first place. Nevertheless, she found solace in the fact that the baby survived, and didn't became a victim of her monstrous actions.

...

The dark and silence of the cell did nothing good for her mental health, but it gave her ample time for introspection and self-reflection.

Looking back now, she realised just how many morals she had sacrificed over the years, all in the pursuit of survival and eventual retribution against those who betrayed her. By the time she looked back and fully comprehended the extent of her actions, she couldn't recognise the person she'd become anymore.

The Pakura that she once knew, the one that was hailed as the hero of Suna, would never have stooped to sacrificing an innocent baby just so she could continue living her pathetic life.

'Was any of it truly worth it?' she pondered, yet found herself devoid of answers.

'I should've died the day I was betrayed.' She lamented ruefully. 'That would've been for the best. For everyone else, and for me.'

She hated Suna. Hated it ever since her own team mates betrayed her and left her for dead. And even after exacting her revenge, a part of her still held onto that hatred. Yet, it was also her home once, a place where her parents had nurtured her with love and care. It was a place that had once celebrated her as its hero. A place where she had comrades, and a dear student.

'Are any one them still alive? Or did I kill everyone with my own two hands?' She wondered morosely. 'I should've never gone back there.'

Her thoughts abruptly ceased as the sound of her prison door being unlocked pierced the silence. With a screech, it swung open, allowing a faint glow to penetrate her cell from beyond, revealing the silhouettes of those who had finally come to visit her.

The Yamanaka mind reader. Some pineapple haired guy. And… the young boy who had defeated her. Ren Uchiha.

Even a month later, she couldn't get over the fact that she was defeated by a boy twenty years her junior. That a boy so young, could be so incredibly strong.

No wonder the other villages had declared war on Konoha. By the time Ren Uchiha grows up, there will be no force capable of stopping him in the entire Elemental Nations.

She tried to open her mouth to speak but found her jaw and the rest of her body being seized by a dark hand, rising from the shadow of the pineapple head. Ahh… a Nara. She had faced enough of them during the Third Shinobi War to be well-acquainted with their Shadow techniques.

"No need for that, Shikaku," Ren interjected, prompting the Shadow user to release her body, granting her control once more.

After working her jaw for a moment, she fixed her gaze on the red, hypnotic eyes of Ren Uchiha and inquired, "What do you want from me now? I've already told you everything."

"I do not really care about any of that."Ren replied, his fingers lifting her chin as he examined her face and then scanned the rest of her body. "Shoddy seal work." he remarked, more to himself than to her.

"What then? Are you here to torture me for your own amusement?" she asked, attempting to force a grin but managing only a grimace.

"Not my kink." He said casually before a soothing green light radiated from his palm and covered her entire body, healing every cut, bruise, and sore spots.

She released a sigh of relief as the boy finished healing, then tested her body's movements and quickly realised that she felt as good as she did before her capture. Perhaps even better.

"An Iryojutsu master along with being a prodigious fighter. You Konoha guys truly know how to raise monsters, don't you." She remarked with a chuckle before she met Ren's eyes, ignoring every instinct warning her against meeting the gaze of an Uchiha. "So… what's next. Gonna make an example out of me in front of the entire village. Or would you trade me back to Suna for some benefits?"

"Neither," Ren replied firmly as he unlocked the manacles binding her arms. "You're coming with me, to my home."

"Do I have a say in this?" she inquired as Ren reached down to unlock the manacles binding her legs.

"Yes. You can choose to die." The boy said.

"Then that's what I choose." She said without a moment's hesitation. It's the least of what she deserved after all she has done.

Ren paused, staring at her for a long moment before sighing and shaking his head. He resumed unlocking her manacles. "In that case, no, you don't get a choice."

She chuckled. "So young, and already deceiving helpless women. You'll grow up to be a fine shinobi one day." She cooed, hoping the anger him, but the boy simply ignored her.

"We're done here. I'll take her back with me. Thanks Inoichi, for being careful with her. And thanks Shikaku, for not raising too much of a fuss."

"You were the one who captured her. You don't need to thank us for anything, Ren-sama." Her mind reader replied, being very respectful.

"Troublesome." The other man replied, getting a chuckle out Ren. And then…

A blinding light assaulted her eyes and she let out a curse before curling up on the ground.

"Ah, sorry about that. I forgot you've been in darkness for a month" Ren said and a moment later, the soothing green light covered her once again, healing the damage to her eyes and helping her adjust to her new surroundings.

She cautiously opened her eyes and found herself lying on soft, green grass. As she rose to her feet, she noticed they were now in a different location.

'How?' she pondered, and the answer struck her immediately. The boy must have used Hiraishin to bring them here. Wherever 'here' was.

Surveying her surroundings, she spotted a beautiful log mansion atop a hill, overlooking a garden teeming with verdant plants and a cobblestone path winding its way toward a shimmering lake.

In the distance, she could make out a fairly expansive training ground. Half of it was occupied by Ren's Shadow Clones, engaged in various elemental chakra training. On the other side, she noticed a woman she recognised as Ringo Ameyuri and a silver-haired teenage boy who bore a striking resemblance to Sakumo Hatake. Both training their Lightning chakra control.

It was a peaceful place with a picturesque view. But she still didn't know why she was brought here. So she decided to do the wise thing and ask.

"Why have you brought me here?" she inquired.

"To live and atone for your sins," the boy replied, motioning for her to follow as he began walking toward the house. She complied, falling into step beside him. "You carry guilt for your actions in Suna, and you seek death as a form of redemption. However, your death won't rectify the harm you've caused to the people you've wronged," he continued, his words carrying a weight of truth.

"I don't need a lecture from a little boy." She snapped.

Ren paused and turned to stare at her. "This little boy will bend you over the knee and spank your ass the next time you disrespect him. Understood?"

Something in his eyes told him that he was being serious and she wisely decided to not push the issue.

She didn't mind dying if only to be free of the guilt haunting her since that day. But she didn't want to be bent over and get spanked by a young boy.

Despite everything, she was still an S-class kunoichi, goddammit. She had her pride.

So she nodded and shifted the conversation. "What about Sasori? Did you defeat him?"

"He died fighting Kushina Sensei. The red haired woman who was with me."

"I understand," she replied, surprised by the twinge of sadness she felt at Sasori's demise. Though they were not friends, they hailed from the same village and had been comrades for some time. "So, what is it that you want from me?"

"I want you to live, to atone for your sins. Not because I want you to do it but because you desire it yourself. Otherwise, the overwhelming guilt you're feeling will eat you from inside out, leaving you a hollow shell of yourself." The boy said, staring at her.

She averted her gaze, resenting how accurate his words felt.

"And how do you want me to do that?" She asked.

"You hurt and killed thousands of people in that attack on Suna. Now, help thousands of people with your actions.It won't absolve your sins, for good deeds do not erase the bad. But it may help you find peace within yourself."

She sighed, frustrated by the simplicity yet truth in his words. "What else? It can't be that simple."

"It is. But there's more." The boy said before they finally entered the log mansion and she took a glance at the living room.

It felt warm and cozy, resembling a true home unlike the caves, tents, and taverns she had to stay in for the past few years.

She tore her gaze from the captivating sight before her and directed her attention to Ren. "What do you mean?" she inquired.

The boy motioned for her to follow him inside the house as he continued speaking. "Given that I was the one who apprehended you, I have the authority to dictate your fate."

"Alright... and?" she prompted.

"And I've chosen to include you in my harem," the boy declared with a completely straight face.

She blinked, taken aback by his words. "Hold on. You have a harem?"

The boy nodded. "Ringo Ameyuri and Mei Terumi have already agreed to join. And both of them are S-class Kunoichi. If you agree as well, you'd be the third S-class kunoichi in my harem."

"A harem of S-class kunoichi." She mumbled to herself, wondering when was the last time she ever heard of something so absurd. "How did you manage to convince them to be part of this foolishness?"

"I beat them up pretty good. And then asked nicely." The boy replied casually.

She couldn't help it. She burst out into laughter. A full belly laughter that started hurting her sides before she managed to regain composure.

She looked at the boy again. Truly looked at him.

A very powerful shinobi, with a lot of influence and wealth, if this house and the property around it was anything to go by. And he was still only a boy. Not even an adult. What kind of man would he become by the time he grows up.

The answer was simple. The god of shinobi.

Hmm… she could definitely see why those two accepted his offer. Especially Ringo, who was getting old and probably didn't have any better prospects in her life.

...and like Ringo, she didn't have any better prospects either. The only reason why she's still not confined in that dark cell, or been turned into a broodmare that can pop our powerful Scorch Release babies for Konoha is because Ren vouched for her.

If she refused his offer, then where would she be? What other choices did she have?

Well... the other realistic choice she had, would be going back to serve in the Akatsuki. The very organisation that asked her to kidnap a baby so that it could be sacrificed.

Apart from that, she could opt to embark on her own path and start her life as a rogue kunoichi. However, this choice would inevitably lead to being relentlessly pursued by the Akatsuki, as well as by numerous bounty hunters eager to claim the sizeable bounty that Suna would place on her head following her recent actions.

She thought on it for a while and realised that no, she didn't really have any other choice either.

And now that she thought about it, being the wife of the future God of Shinobi wasn't really such a bad prospect.

And the boy wasn't that bad looking either. He was cute and would undoubtedly grow up to be a handsome young man.

Rich, powerful, influential, and handsome. What reason did she have to really reject him? Especially when she had so few other options.

"Beating up older women and asking them nicely to join your harem. Does that usually work for you?" She asked.

"It has worked thus far," Ren remarked, eliciting a chuckle from her.

"Well then, it looks like it'll work again." She said before she leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheeks.

—————

Ren Uchiha POV

The next day.

He sat on the Hokage's seat and gazed at the messenger with utter bewilderment.

"What do you mean Konoha is launching an all-out offensive against Iwa? Weren't we engaged in peace talks with them just a few days ago?" he inquired.

"That we did. Until Onoki decided to poison Minato-sama." The messenger said, and there was genuine anger in his voice. Understandable, as Minato was really well loved in the village.

"Poisoned? Is he alright now?" he inquired, aware that Minato shouldn't be in grave danger given that Tsunade-Sensei was with him, but worried nonetheless.

"He is, but the poison left some... permanent damage. Minato-sama has chosen to invade the Land of Earth to demonstrate that treachery of this nature will not be tolerated," the messenger declared with genuine fervour before handing over a scroll. "Hokage-sama has assigned you the role of Temporary Hokage and Protector of Konoha for the duration of this campaign."

His expression fell upon hearing the news.

In his mind, this task of "Protecting Konoha" was only meant to be temporary, lasting a few days or a few weeks at most until Minato's return.

Now… it might last indefinitely.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he asked, turning to Shikaku for confirmation.

"I do not think so, Ren-sama," Shikaku responded politely.

Goddammit.

For the first time ever, he found himself utterly speechless. "He expects me, a 6-year-old, to act as the temporary Hokage. How is this not a joke? Sure, I may be powerful, but I'm still just a child. Who would take me seriously?"

"I would. And considering that I'm the Jounin-commander of Konoha, I doubt any Jounin would ever dare disrespect you." Shikaku replied instantly. "Inoichi and Choza also hold you in great respect. As does Fugaku-san. And while you might not be aware of this, the other clan heads have also heard of some of your accomplishments.Your reputation has already spread among the citizens of Konoha. Moreover, you are the esteemed student of both Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama. I would be very surprised if someone raised a voice against you, Ren-sama. So please, rest assured. No one would look down on you due to your age."

"This… this doesn't feel right. Why do I feel like this is a trap?" He asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Is Minato, that bastard, trying to trap him in the Hokage's position?.

"It's all in your mind, Ren-sama." Shikaku said with an all too innocent smile.

He gave the Hokage's advisor a really suspicious look before he remembered something else.

"Oh, have you informed Kushina-Sensei about her husband's poisoning?" He asked and the messenger shook his head.

"I was only tasked with delivering this message to you, Ren-sama."

"And did any other messengers come with you?" he pressed, and the messenger shook his head once more.

"Not to my knowledge, Ren-sama."

He sighed. "In that case, I'll go and speak with Kushina-Sensei myself."

As he rose from his seat to go and talk with her, Shikaku cleared his throat.

He shot the man another suspicious glance. "What?"

"You're serving as the temporary Hokage now, Ren-sama. The Hokage doesn't seek out others for conversation; they come to him. Otherwise, it diminishes the prestige of the position." Shikaku explained.

He shot Shikaku a deadpan expression. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, Ren-sama. The Hokage cannot be seen running around the village whenever he wants to meet someone. Even his own Sensei."

"I'm not the Hokage," he groaned. "But fine. I'll just go and meet her after I'm done here."

"If that is all, Ren-sama?" The messenger asked with a bow.

"Yes, you're dismissed. Thanks for your service."

The messenger gave another bow before he turned and walked out of the room. And as soon as he was gone, he fixed his gaze on Shikaku and glared at him.

"So… Shikaku."

"Yes, Ren-sama?" Shikaku asked, sweating a bit under his intense glare.

"Explain. Everything. Now."

—————

The door opened and instead of the expected face of Kushina, he came face to face with Mikoto instead.

"Yo, Mikoto-san. Nice to see you here. But where's Kushina-Sensei?" he inquired as he was welcomed into the house.

"Good to see you too, Ren-kun. Kushina is upstairs with Naruko and Satsuki. Please, follow me," Mikoto-san replied, leading him to the second-floor bedroom where Kushina was currently grappling with two crying toddlers, appearing rather disheveled.

"Oh, Mikoto. Who was at the—" Kushina began, then paused upon noticing him. "Ren! Please, help me with Naruko and Satsuki-chan," she pleaded, a look of desperation in her eyes.

"Of course Sensei." He said and then used his Chakra Threads of pick up the two toddler and make them move around the room.

In a matter of seconds, the children went from crying to displaying looks of confused awe. Soon, giggles filled the air as he used another Chakra Thread to tickle them.

Kushina gazed at him with envy before flopping onto the pillow and kicking her legs in a fit, like a teenage girl throwing a tantrum.

He tried his best not to stare at her ass.

Being an adult in a child's body was hard, as older women often did stuff like this in front of him that they would never do in front of an older guy.

"Ugh. Ren-kun makes this look so easy." Kushina grumbled, lifting her head from the pillow to shoot him a dissatisfied pout.

"Fufufu. Come now Kushina. It's not that bad." Mikoto chuckled as she settled beside Kushina, watching the two airborne children with amusement. "Plus, I'm quite certain Ren-kun has something to share with us."

"Hm... he does?" Kushina inquired, casting him a curious glance.

"Of course. Otherwise, how would he ever take the time from his overly busy schedule to come and two us two old women." Mikoto said with a theatrical sigh, making Kushina's eyes light up as her inner drama queen raised her ugly head.

"Exactly! Ren! How dare you neglect to visit me even once in the past month?" Kushina demanded with a mock scrutinising gaze.

He met her gaze with a deadpan expression of his own and replied, "In case you've forgotten, Kushina-Sensei, we're currently at war. And you yourself were fighting in the Konoha-Kumo front until recently."

"Ugh." Kushina ducked her head, as if she'd just remembered that and gave him a silly apologetic smile.

"And besides," he added, his eyes narrowing at her, "whenever I come here to see you, you always assign me to babysit Naruko. For the entire day."

"But… but… I thought you loved Naruko-chan." Kushina said with another fake pout.

He huffed in response, gently setting down both toddlers in his arms, their tiny figures appearing large in his six-year-old grip.

"Of course I love Naruko-chan. It's you who keeps annoying me." He said and then adopted a serious expression. "Besides… I come with bad news this time."

"Oh. What's the news?" Mikoto asked, putting a hand on Kushina's shoulder for support.

"Minato-san was poisoned," he announced, choosing to disclose the information immediately. Before Kushina could fully process those words, he pressed on, "But he's stable now. Tsunade-Sensei is taking care of him."

"Oh," Kushina responded, looking dumbfounded before her expression hardened. "And who was responsible for poisoning him?"

"We don't have definitive evidence of the culprit. And that's where the second piece of unfortunate news comes in," he explained. "There's suspicion that Iwa might be the culprit, given Minato-san's personal negotiation with Onoki before he got poisoned."

There was also the whole 'permanent damage' stuff that the messenger told him about. But he had no idea what that even was. It could be a minor change in skin colour for all he knew, or a loss of hair, so he decided to leave it out for now.

Minato could explain that to Kushina on his own when he returns.

"Onoki using poison, especially during a peace talk? That doesn't sound like him at all," Mikoto muttered to herself.

He shrugged. "I'm not familiar enough with Onoki to make a judgment. But I do know he's under immense pressure at the moment. Desperate men sometimes resort to desperate measures. Regardless, whether he's responsible or not, the outcome remains the same. Minato-san is convinced they're behind it. And intends to punish them for this treachery."

"Oh. Does that mean we're back at war with Iwa?" Mikoto asked.

"Yes. Though unlike last time, Konoha will be the one invading the Land of Earth this time."

"Oh, Minato," Kushina sighed, burying her face back into the pillow as Mikoto offered her a comforting side-hug.

"My husband did inform me that he and the Uchiha clansmen stationed at the Kumo frontline are being redeployed to the Iwa frontline, but I assumed it was merely a precautionary measure," Mikoto disclosed.

"Minato-san is sending our clansmen into the Land of Earth?" He asked in surprise as he hadn't known about that. "Man, he must be really pissed at Iwa this time."

"Poisoning a fellow Kage during peace negotiations would enrage anyone." Mikoto said thoughtfully. "However… if Minato is still at the frontline, then who has he left in charge of the village? Is one of the Sannin coming back to serve as the temporary Hokage."

He let out a deep sigh at that. "Yeah… about that."

After a deep explanation about his current situation.

"I can't believe Shikaku fooled you like that." Mikoto said, but instead of looking annoyed on his behalf, she looked highly amused. The traitor. No more future babysitting services for you.

"Eh, I'm more of a figurehead than anything. The majority of the work is still handled by Shikaku and the rest of the staff. I'm mainly there to protect the village in case we get attacked." he explained, handing the now-calm toddlers back to Kushina and Mikoto. "But I still don't like the fact that they're trying to groom me for this position."

"Why not?" Mikoto inquired, her smile barely concealed. "I think you'd look quite dashing wearing the Hokage's hat, Ren-kun. Besides, the Hokage's main responsibility is to safeguard the village. And you're already fulfilling that duty."

"Paperwork. So much paperwork." He said, recalling the look of despair on Minato's face as he was forced to deal with a mountain of paperwork.

"Can't you just use Shadow Clones to handle the paperwork?" Kushina suggested. "I mean, Minato and past Hokages avoided it because of the risk of overworking and getting migraines. But as far as I can remember, you don't seem to have that issue."

That… was a fair point.

"Besides." Kushina continued. "A Hokage is the most important person in the village.If you become one, all the girls will be chasing after you. And isn't it your dream to have a large harem?"

"My dream is to have a harem of S-class Kunoichis." He said with a derisive snort. "I have standards you know. I won't take just anyone."

Mikoto chuckled at his words. "I still can't believe you can say all that with a straight face. Besides, if the allure of girls doesn't sway you, consider this: as a Hokage, you'd have unrestricted access to all the Forbidden Jutsus housed in Konoha. Doesn't that tempt you?"

"I'm confident that I'll be able to develop most of those Forbidden Jutsu myself eventually. So, not really." He said. "Besides, being a Hokage is a massive time sink. So it would clash against my true goal of having a harem since I won't be able to give enough time to my wives."

He had committed the grave sin of seeing the start of Baruto, after all. And he saw how being a Hokage ended for Naruto. Not having enough time for his own family.

He didn't want that fate for himself, especially considering that much of his power came from purchasing abilities from the Waifu Catalog. And he can only buy more abilities in the future if he had more points. Points that he can only earn by having his harem fall in love with him.

Yeah, becoming a Hokage might sound enticing to someone else. But to him, it just sounded like a waste of time. A way to hinder his own growth.

"You and your dream of having a harem," Mikoto remarked with an exasperated sigh. "Well, if you're not interested, you're not interested. No one can force this position on you. Just firmly tell that to Shikaku, and he'll back off."

He nodded. "If there's nothing else then I'll take my leave." And before either of them could ask him to babysit their babies, he used Hiraishin to return back to his home.

The village was currently being guarded by over a hundred of his Shadow Clones, so he didn't need to remain on alert himself.

If anything went awry, his Clones would either manage the situation themselves or notify him if they couldn't handle it, and he'll go and deal with it himself.

—————

AN: There's a huge conspiracy unfolding behind the scenes in Konoha. A conspiracy to make Ren Uchiha the next Hokage of Konoha. Even if Ren himself has no interest in that position. Poor guy. Let's see if this conspiracy will find any success or not.

That's it for this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it.

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Have a nice day.