Shield and Shinobi
Hey folks, Fenris here with another crossover from the muddled chaos that is my mind, this one combining the whirlwind ninja action of Naruto with the beautiful in-depth story of Suikoden 2.
This story is going to start in Shippuden, but will mostly focus on the events of Suikoden 2 with a few twists and additions. One thing I will point out plainly is that Naruto himself, while being a little OOC at times, will NOT be recieving a True Rune, as combined with the Kyuubi I believe that way lies madness. Most of the pairings have been decided as well, Naru/Hina being an example, though there will be some twists.
That said, here's the first chapter. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Summary: Two months after a very different outcome to Gaara's rescue mission, Teams Kakashi and Kurenai are dispatched on a joint mission near the border with Kumo to investigate a series of ancient ruins in the area. Upon arriving they find a wounded Nii Yugito, Jinchuriki of the Nibi, hiding from Akatsuki near the entrance of the largest structure. The situation devolves as Itachi and Kisame arrive followed by Hidan and Kakuzu, the ensuing fight causing the ruin to activate, drawing Naruto and four others through a portal and depositing them in a land beyond the Elemental Nations where one of 27 True Runes was about to awaken in the fires of war.
"Spoken words"
'Thoughts'
"Radio"
(Different Language)
"Biju/Demon Talking"
'Bijuu/Demon Thinking'
Jutsu/Rune Magic
(Scene break/POV switch)
Location
(A/N:)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Suikoden, they belong to their respective owners.
Chapter One:
Akatsuki main hideout, Ame
Deep within the caverns that was the primary headquarters of the Akatsuki organization, the man who was its true leader, not Pein like most of the group thought, stood in silent contemplation.
Nearly three years ago, the plan to capture and seal all nine of the Tailed Beasts had been delayed due to the need to wait for Sanbi, the Three Tailed Turtle, to reform after its container, the Yondaime Mizukage, had been killed by the rebels that had risen up during the Bloodline Purges. As a result of that event, the various Missing Nin that made up Akatsuki separated for that time until they could begin anew, this time starting with Shukaku, the One Tailed Tanuki and weakest of the Biju, then proceeding upwards until only the Kyuubi, the Nine Tailed Fox, remained.
That plan started less than two months ago and the results were plain to see for the man who called himself Uchiha Madara in the form, or to be more precise, the shattered form of the Gedo Mazo.
Fists clenched as he barely contained his fury at the thought of how his plans had been massively stymied for the third time in less than a century by yet another Uzumaki, and this time the delay may be even longer than all the other interruptions combined!
The events flashed through Madara's mind once again as he thought of them. How the puppet master Sasori and his partner, the mad bomber Deidara, had successfully captured the young Godaime Kazekage who held the Ichibi, took him to the cave designated for the extraction, and began the three-day process while Itachi and Kisame stood guard. Everything had been going so smoothly that Madara made the biggest mistake he ever could have by leaving just before the critical third day even started, everything spiraling out of control not long after.
It began with the arrival of the Konoha-nin that came to Suna's call for aid with the Uzumaki brat, who is also the holder of the Kyuubi, among them. After gaining intel from the Kazekage's wounded brother, the Leaf Shinobi, accompanied by Sasori's still living grandmother of all people, quickly found the trail, then bypassed the outer barrier set up to throw interlopers off with the aid of a second Konoha team. The turning point in the fiasco had been with the fight that followed as, somehow, the Uzumaki brat figured out that Kisame and Itachi were using a type of puppet technique and used the link to piggyback a burst of his own Biju's chakra to disrupt their control. What the blonde didn't realize that his actions had a secondary effect of destabilizing the extraction process by overloading the crystal that had been specifically crafted to hold only the Ichibi's chakra, causing a cascade effect that not only shattered the nine very rare focus crystals on the statue after what energies they did contain went into flux, allowing Shukaku to safely return to his host, but also destroyed a key ley-line point that maintained the barrier set up by the Rikudo Sannin himself to keep the Biju from leaving, or reforming should they ever be slain, beyond the Elemental Nations borders. The situation began to degrade even further after that as the young Kazekage snapped awake and escaped from the cave before Sasori or any of the other Akatsuki there could stop him, joining up with the Konoha-nin and then going on the offensive, Sasori being killed not long after and the others being forced to flee as more Suna-nin began to arrive at the scene.
Back in the present Madara's face was twisted into an ugly scowl behind his mask as he knew this disaster was likely to set his plans back by decades, if not longer, before he could start again, which would also be affected by the chain reaction of events that were set off not long after. His sole exposed Sharingan eye flared brightly as he raged internally, and would have continued had the other 'leader' of the organization not appeared.
"Madara, the meeting will begin soon, what are your orders?" asked Pain, the Rinnegan user's purple ringed eyes barely showing the anger he felt for this major setback.
Bringing his emotion under control the masked man turned from the damaged statue to his subordinate, even if he was from that Clan, "We must begin to gather materials to repair the statue and punish the ones responsible for this setback. Once they are able, send Itachi and Kisame to kill the Kyuubi container then the Ichibi and those in Iwa, Kakuzu and Hidan to do the same with the Jinchuriki in Kumo and Taki, while you and Konan deal with the Rokubi. I have another task for you that I will explain after you return."
With a nod, Pain shunshined away and left the masked Uchiha to his thoughts, not knowing that these orders were for the murder of one of his last remaining family members, neither noticing a pair of dark eyes leave after they got what they needed from the conversation.
(Scene Break)
Konoha, four days later
It was the beginning of a typical day within the Village Hidden in the Leaves, its various inhabitants going about their usual morning routines. In the apartment of one such individual, a member of the village's shinobi force, we find a young man in the midst of a task many who knew him from when he was younger would never imagine him doing willingly outside of a D-Rank mission...cleaning. After living on the road for over two and a half years, Uzumaki Naruto, Godson and apprentice of the Toad Sage (as well as self proclaimed Super Pervert) Jiraiya, had come to truly appreciate the creature comforts that civilization provided, so much so that the need to tidy up a bit had awakened in him. Now that isn't to say that the blonde Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi had become a neat freak, he was a teenager after all, but he did take the time to clean up after himself now so his home wouldn't look like a disaster area if he ever had guests over.
Finishing with the last of the dishes used for breakfast, Naruto tossed the towel he had been using into a nearby hamper and headed for his bedroom to change before heading to the training grounds. Technically he was on leave since his team's return from completing a couple of routine C-Rank missions, it didn't stop him from doing at least some exercise though nothing too crazy like some members in the Konoha forces.
A shiver went down his spine as he heard a disembodied cry of 'Flames of Youth' echo from the distance.
That thought aside, Naruto had just swapped out his shirt when a knock came from his apartment door. Knowing that he wasn't expecting anyone, he quickly went to the door and was greeted to the sight of one of the village's animal masked ANBU operatives, this one being Cat, waiting outside.
"Chunin Uzumaki," there was a noticable amount of pride in the masked woman's voice as she said the words together, "You are ordered report to the Hokage Tower immediately for a mission."
Barely waiting for a nod of confirmation the ANBU then shunshined away, Naruto bolting back to his room and exiting a minute later fully geared up, zipping up his new vest while locking the door before taking to the rooftops. Gone was the bright orange jumpsuit of his youth, a process that had taken the blonde's teacher nearly half of their time away to exorcise from his presence, though Naruto was able to keep some of the color on his person albeit at a much darker shade. In it's place, the teen wore black ANBU style pants with a pair of shuriken and kunai holsters on either thigh, the standard shinobi style sandals, mesh armor under a black t-shirt with a dark orange spiral, a jacket that was mostly black save for a burnt orange section around his torso with the same spiral pattern on the back and shoulders, a Chunin vest with the various pouches and storage scroll holsters filled with the rest of his gear, finally topped off with his hitai-ate having the normal blue band replaced with a longer black one. (A/N: Basically his Shippuden outfit except with black pants, a second kunai/shuriken holster, and a Chunin vest)
Despite the urgency of the summons, Naruto could not help but grin at the use of his new rank. The promotion itself had resulted from the successful rescue of his friend and fellow Jinchuriki Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage, after an attack made by the Akatuski a little over two months ago. Having gained the gratitude of the entire village of Suna for the safe return of their leader as well as assisting in taking down one of their most infamous Missing-nin, it was the least that the ally of Konoha could do by publicly recognizing his actions and forwarding a recommendation for his promotion to the Konoha council (1)...a memory that made Naruto's grin grow even wider as he remembered his ever dwindling opponents on the civilian council's impotent rage as they couldn't deny it since, one: it was a military matter that they had no control over, and two: if they had somehow been able to do something, it would have insulted the other Hidden Village and given the Leaf a political black eye.
His new rank was cemented even further not three weeks later when he and several others were deployed to Oni no Kuni for a mission that resulted in the blonde Jinchuriki aiding Shion, the young High Priestess of that country, in reinforcing the seal of a particularly nasty demon and thus gaining another strong alliance for the Hidden Leaf...though there was one little string attached.
Embarassment swept through Naruto as he remembered the promise he made with the lavender eyed blonde girl, in public no less, regarding her future successor. At the time his mind had still been somewhat addled by the adrenaline in his system so it wasn't until a few hours later when he realized the full implications of what he agreed to, a minor panic attack hitting him when Shion requested to speak with him privately...in her bed chambers. His fears turned out to be nothing, however, as she explained that it would be at least a few years before his...contribution was needed and that very few of the previous Prietesses had been married. In the end the two blondes spent the rest of that evening talking, the Konoha-nin leaving the next morning, though unfortunately for Naruto, the rest of the trip home was spent by his teammates teasing him and he knew he was never going to live that incident down...Especially since his perverted Godfather/teacher started writing Icha Icha Demon Slayer within moments of hearing the story.
Back in the present another thing that happened upon him becoming Chunin was receiving part of his inheritance. He had surprised everyone who knew him when he opted out of learning who his father was for the moment, instead asking for the items from his mother and time to go over them first. In truth he knew a bit about her already as Jiraiya had accidentally slipped up a year and a half earlier during a training session and after some subtle coercion (read alerting every bathhouse in the area of the old pervert's presence), the Toad Sage told him as much as he could without revealing who Naruto's father was, the blonde then throwing himself into mastering Fuinjutsu as it was one of the family's specialties. After looking over some of the items from his mother, Naruto selected a couple he wanted to keep close and had the rest placed back in storage for safekeeping. His mood had blunted a little from the conversations about his mother's homeland and the fact that he was likely the last known living true Uzumaki, the Clan Heir no less according to the family tree he viewed, brought some of the crushing loneliness from youth back before his friends stepped in and helped cheer him up.
His internal musings came to a halt as three more people and one large white mass fell into formation with him.
"Yo!" shouted Inuzuka Kiba, the feral looking teen clad in a black jacket over a grey shirt, black ANBU style pants, and standard shinobi sandals, waving as he matched speed with Naruto, his massive canine companion, Akamaru, letting out a deep bark at the same time, "Looks like you got the same call we did, dobe. You got any idea what's going on or was your ANBU just as vague as our's?"
Another grin pulled at the blonde's mouth at the brown haired boy's jab, glad that his friend and one time partner in pranks treated him the same despite the partial revelation of his heritage, but shook his head, "No clue, mutt, though it's gotta be important if Baa-chan's canceling my team's leave after only being back for a couple days."
"Logical," came the monotone voice of Aburame Shino, the sunglasses wearing insect user's face almost completely obscured by the hood of the tan long coat he wore over his own gear, "Since the incident in Suna, Village security has been increased to the point that the number of available non-Genin Cells would facilitate the need to call in reserves for emergency missions."
"I-I just h-hope that it's n-nothing t-too serious," stuttered lavender eyed Hinata, silently cursing the speech impediment for flaring up again while in the presence of her long time crush, her dark indigo blue hair whipping over the shoulders of her white and lavender jacket she wished reached a little further down over her dark blue pants. The release of Naruto's heritage was both a boon and a curse for the Hyuuga Heiress as, assuming he ever asked her, they could date without fear of social stigma, but now he was also a viable target for some of the more outgoing (and prettier in her opinion) girls in their age group. The fact that they were likely going to be on a joint mission together was also a bit of a double edged sword as while she would be able to spend more time with him, her frustratingly potent shyness would keep her from being able to talk to him except for mission related details.
Oblivious to the girl's affection as always, the blonde boasted as he had since the academy, "Don't worry about it, Hinata! I'm back and there isn't anything that'll too difficult to beat! Dattebayo!"
This statement brought about several reactions from the other Chunin, with Hinata losing her internal battle and blushing, a hidden smirk of amusement from Shino, and Kiba snorting at his friend's combined bravado and density. Further conversation was put on hold as the group arrived at the Tower, the Hokage's assistant, Shizune, waving them in as they neared the village leader's office. Inside, the four Chunin and one ninken saw the rest of Team 7 including Kakashi, which got Naruto's attention as he knew that the masked Jonin was early only when the mission was A-Ranked or higher, and the Jinchuriki's temporary Jonin-sensei Yamato were present, all apparently waiting for them to arrive so the briefing could begin.
Seated behind the sole desk in the room, the green robe clad blonde woman who appeared to be in her twenties, though in truth was actually in her fifties, nodded at the gathered shinobi and engaged the privacy seals, "Right, now that you're all here I'll get started. About an hour ago a messenger hawk from Kumo arrived with a request from the Raikage himself for aid in looking for one of his teams that was supposed to have returned two days ago."
While the Jonin, Shizune, and Naruto's new teammate Sai remained silent, the other Chunin were confused at the announcement. Sakura, Naruto's other teammate and apprentice to the Hokage/Slug Sannin herself, then asked the question on everyone's minds.
"Excuse me, Tsunade-shishou, but considering our relations with Kumo isn't that a bit odd and sudden?"
"Under normal circumstances I'd agree with you, Sakura," the hazel eyed Hokage then raised a second scroll from her desk, "However, not twenty minutes later a hawk from one of our lookout points near the border arrived with a report from a town on our side about strange lights and explosions coming from the nearby Sindar ruins."
This got the attention of all the shinobi in the room as they remembered what they learned about the Sindar while in the academy. Several thousand years ago, this ancient civilization spanned most of the world, a point proven by the prolific amount of ruins left from their fall. While not much of their knowledge or history had been recovered over the years, one of the major events that had been learned was one that every person living in the Elemental Nations was familiar with to some extent: the battle between the Sage of Six Paths and the Juubi. Debates still raged about what actually happened during the fight, but it is still accepted knowledge that after the Sage won he then set about creating a massive seal array that separated the continent from the rest of the world save for a single sea route and then lead the survivors, all human as any other race in the area had either been wiped out or fled, to start anew using the power of Chakra and emerging Bloodline Limits, leaving the now monster and undead infested cities and forts to be reclaimed by the earth or sea.
"Wow, never expected to hear about that place again," Naruto stated out loud, elaborating when everyone looked at him questioningly, "Ero-sennin and I passed through there about a month after we left Konoha. Pretty cool place ignoring the monsters running around in there. If it wasn't my dream to become Hokage I probably would've joined the Archeology Corp (2) after the academy."
Though thoroughly flabbergasted by the mental image of a chibi-Naruto spelunking through ruins, a feeling shared by everyone in the room, Tsunade brushed that aside and returned to the task at hand, "Do you remember the layout enough to be able to guide others through it?" At the younger blonde's confident nod and verbal tick the Hokage continued, "Then for this mission you are second in command under Kakashi. Team 8 will assist under Yamato's command since Kurenai is on maternity leave. We don't know what's going on there so I want you all to be very careful and to watch each other's backs. Am I understood?"
The eight Shinobi all nodded in understanding, Akamaru giving a bark in answer, Kakashi then speaking up for the first time since the meeting began, "Who are we looking for, Hokage-sama?"
Pulling several pictures from a file, the Hokage handed them to Shizune to pass around. After looking at the images Naruto couldn't help but feel that there was something important he should know about the dark eyed blonde woman of the trio, but figured it would come to him by the time they found her and instead looked at her entry in the Bingo Book...
Her name...Nii Yugito.
(Scene Break)
Highland/City-State border, at the same time
The sun had nearly set by the time the members of the Highland Unicorn Brigade finished setting their camp and prepared to rest for the night, a barely contained excitement buzzing through the young men as they finished settling in. After two months of patrolling and a skirmish with a bandit gang they were finally going home. Everyone was looking forward to seeing their families, and in some cases girlfriends, after being away for so long.
Off to the side Gideon Rowd, the Captain of the unit, watched as the young men of the Brigade moved with a professional efficiency that he had instilled in them over the many months of training despite the growing excitement of going home. Each and every single one of them had shown that they were up to the task of serving in their homeland's military and had even surprised him several times during the battle a couple weeks back, though out of all of them, two stood out in particular.
First was Joei Atriedes, the step-son of Marcel Atriedes, a middle rank noble back in their home of Kyaro City. One of the tallest in the Brigade, the young soft-spoken aristocrat had shoulder length dirty blonde hair tied into a loose ponytail, pale blue eyes, the lean build of a martial artist, and clean cut features that sent many a young woman into a twitter. Skill wise, Joei was one of the best swordsmen in the unit, though he was far better with the staff he kept with his gear, and had a tactical acumen nearly on par with the son of the Third Army's General without formal training, something that made him even more dangerous when combined with the skills of the second young man Rowd observed who was also the seventeen year old's best friend.
Despite his shorter stature (which he repeatedly proclaimed was only temporary) and boyish features, Riou Genkakuson was actually the elder of the two, his eighteenth birthday only a few months off. Like his friend, the the circlet wearing brown hair and eyed young man was a skilled fighter, both boys having trained under Riou's adoptive Grandfather but preferred a pair of tonfa over bladed weapons, and when both were side by side they and their squads were so far unbeaten by any opponent that crossed their paths. Where he really shined however, was his unflinching loyalty to those who served with him and his ability to further inspire them beyond their normal limits, the telltale signs of a leader.
Rowd cast his gaze back to the rest of the Youth Brigade, knowing that while Riou and Joei were two of his most promising trainees, there were others in the unit that had their own merits and skills. Each young man had a bright future ahead of them, whether they stayed in the military or went back to civilian life now that the peace treaty between their country and the City-States had been signed. Despite his misgivings about leading them in the past he was proud to have been their commander and teacher for all these months.
It was such a pity they all had to die for him and their country to achieve true glory.
(Scene Break)
Konoha, noon the following day
Tsunade sat back in her chair as she finished the last of her paperwork for the moment, reaching into one of the hidden stashes of sake her dark haired assistant hadn't found yet. Sipping from the bottle the Slug Sannin turned to the window behind her desk to look out over the village below the tower, enjoying the view and chuckling when she could just make out a Genin team chasing after a certain cat in the distance. Finishing her drink, she was about to go check on things at the hospital when she heard a familiar voice from a side window, though it took her a moment to notice the distress in it.
"Tsunade, where's Naruto!?" Jiraiya all but shouted, the white haired man breathing heavy as if he had been running full tilt for hours, his eyes wide and frantic as he gripped the window sill for balance.
Trying to quash the feeling of dread at the man's appearance and tone, she answered him truthfully, "I sent his team and Team Kurenai on a mission yesterday morn-" she was cut off by a string of expletives from her old teammate, her pulse beginning to quicken, "Jiraiya, dammit, stop swearing and tell me what the hell is wrong!"
"It's bad," the Toad Sannin said bluntly, biting back curses to explain, "My spies in Akatsuki informed me not two days ago their orders for the Biju Jinchuriki were changed from capture to kill. I know they've already gotten the Rokubi, but I don't know about the others. Something big happened, Tsunade, big enough that they're willing to wait however long it will take for all the Biju to reform before they start again."
At that moment the doors to the Hokage's office burst open revealing Shizune, her face white as a sheet, who then stammered out her teacher's name and held out a small object. Tsunade's heart practically stopped when she saw the simple piece of paper and had the Genjutsu she used to hide her true age not been an unconscious act to maintain it would have dropped as she identified the item...
A winning lottery ticket for the twenty million ryo jackpot.
Her ANBU guards, knowing that any time she won large amounts of money was an ill omen, barely waited for her to snap out orders to deploy teams to assist Teams Kakashi and Kurenai, Tsunade herself silently praying that she didn't send her Godson and his friends to their deaths as she helped her exhausted former teammate into a chair to catch his breath.
(Scene Break)
Near the Land of Fire/Lightning border, the next day
Teams Kakashi and Kurenai/Yamato made good time covering the distance from Konoha to the border and were approaching the edge of the ruins at mid-morning. During the trip Naruto and the Jonin, who had been to at least one Sindar ruin at some point in their careers, filled in the other Chunin on what to expect upon arrival and what to do while there.
Reaching the outskirts, Shino raised his arms and a swarm of his insect allies billowed from his body before dispersing to scout while Kiba and Akamaru took point, the Inuzuka pair sniffing for any human scents. Behind them, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai formed a triangle formation around Hinata, the Byakugan user's eyes active and looking for anything hidden from the senses of her teammates. Finally, the Jonin brought up the rear of the group, scanning the surrounding area for anything their younger comrades may have missed.
So far, the ruins were completely empty and silent.
"Something's not right," began Yamato, the ANBU Captain and Mokuton user frowning as the group passed another abandoned street, "We should have run into some of the creatures that live here by now. Ruins like these are never this devoid of life."
"It probably has to do with the lights and explosions the villagers mentioned in the report," said Kakashi, the silver haired Jonin's exposed eye searching the shadows of a nearby alley, "Whatever happened here must have driven them out for the time being...Though that in itself is troubling considering how territorial they are."
"No kidding, when Ero-sennin and I were here we couldn't go more than twenty feet before we ran into something (3)," looking around, Naruto snorted in remembrance of his last time in these ruins, "Actually spent about an hour running from one monster that probably thought I would taste good."
Hiding her distress at the blonde's nonchalance at the threat of being eaten, Hinata then spoke up as they turned a corner onto another boulevard, pointing to her right, "G-got something. There's some kind of c-chakra source coming from that r-rubble over there."
Following the Hyuuga Heiress' hand, Naruto looked at Kakashi with a silent question, the blonde Jinchuriki making a cross sign after the Jonin nodded and five more of him appeared in bursts of smoke, the Shadow Clones bounding forward and began to clear rocks from the pile. As the clones worked, the two teams moved into a defensive formation a little ways away from the excavation in case there was some kind of trap waiting. A few minutes of digging passed before the one of the copies pulled a satchel from the rubble. Carefully opening it, the clone blinked in surprise at what lay within then, grinning, tossed the bag to the original and dispelled itself with it's fellows. Pausing briefly to process the information from the clone's memories, a feature of the technique that Jiraiya had explained to him during the training trip, Naruto's expression matched that of his copy as he turned to the rest of the group.
"May not be related to the mission, but we still hit some pay dirt," he said while reaching into the bag and pulling out a crystal sphere about the size of a lemon, a faintly glowing symbol of fire within, "Anybody happen to remember what the finder's fee is for turning in intact Runes?"
The gathered shinobi let out various forms of surprise as the magic item was revealed, all knowing how rare Runes had become in the Elemental Countries since the advent of Chakra techniques and Kekkei Genkai, Sakura walking forward and taking the Rune from her teammate's hand to look at it closer.
"I haven't seen one of these since Fujisawa-sensei's class back in the academy," marveled the red clad rosette, feeling the gentle warmth generated by the sphere through her gloves, "How many others are in there?"
"Six more," answered Naruto as the Fire Rune was returned, placing the whole thing into a storage scroll from his vest, "Two Water, a Lightning, a Wind, and a couple specialty Runes I don't recognize off hand. Kinda wondering if Baa-chan will let me keep the Wind one, since it's my affinity and all."
'Just like his father,' thought Kakashi with a hidden smile as the others reacted to his student's proclamation, stepping in before they got engrossed in a conversation, "We'll have to wait and see for that when we get back to Konoha. For now, let's focus back on the mission."
As everyone gave their affirmations to the Jonin's words one of Shino's insects flew in front of his face and landed on an outstretch finger, buzzing briefly before disappearing into the teen's coat as he turned to his teammates and the rest of the swarm returned, "My allies have found one of the Kumo Jonin we are looking for. She is in a large building near the central plaza ten blocks to the north. She is also moderately injured."
Message relayed, Kakashi gave the order to abandon stealth and move out, the group returning to their previous formation and dashing off moments later.
(Scene Break)
Minutes Earlier
Itachi and Kisame stayed far enough back from their prey to avoid detection but were still close enough to make them out as they moved along. The two Akatsuki members had been tracking the Kyuubi container for over a day and now their patience was paying off.
"So, how do you want to do this?" asked the blue skinned man known as the Tail-less Tailed Beast, a mad light dancing in his eyes at the prospect of spilling blood, "Quick hit-and-run, or do you want to make him suffer by killing all his teammates one by one? Please say the second, cause that blonde brat's really earned it in my books."
"First we see what they are looking for, then we make plans for the assault," came the monotone answer from the coal eyed Konoha Missing-nin, "Hidan and Kakuzu are supposed to be in the area hunting the Nibi's container. If we find them we will get the situation from them and adjust accordingly."
"Feh, just as long as they don't take our kill," Kisame spat in annoyance, gripping his sword as they moved along, "I want that little bastard's legs before the day's done!"
Itachi didn't reply to his fellow Akatsuki member, instead focusing on the Konoha-nin off in the distance as he finalized the plan he had been making since kill order came from their leader. Now it was only a matter of time before he set it into motion.
(Scene Break)
The large building that Shino's insects directed them to loomed over the plaza as the two Konoha teams drew closer. As they entered the structure Hinata quickly pinpointed the location of the wounded Kumo-nin in a side room near the entrance, Kiba confirming when he caught the scent of blood, though was slightly confused as he also detected a hint of cat as well. Moving cautiously, the two teams made their way to the side chamber, stopping as the door came into sight and they heard the sound of a kunai being drawn across stone.
"Who's there?" came the disembodied and obviously tired voice of a woman, faint ragged breaths following her words, "Move any closer and I blow this whole building sky high!"
Gesturing for the others to back up, Kakashi announced himself, "This is Hatake Kakashi of Konoha. The Raikage sent a message for us to look for you and your team."
In the room, the wounded Kumo Jonin was on high alert as she questioned her only remaining companion from this whole debacle of a mission, 'Can you sense anything, Matabi? As messed up as I am right now I can't tell how many are actually out there.'
"Most of my senses are linked to your's, Kitten, so I'm in the same boat you are," the Nibi replied from the recesses of her mind, "However, I do feel a familiar presence among them, not sure who though, so there is a chance that they are on the up and up."
Another moment passed as Yugito weighed the options she had before making a decision, "Prove it. If you're really Konoha-nin you'll have at least one member with you that has a Bloodline. Have them come forward and do a non-combat technique."
Looking back, Kakashi motioned for Shino to step up, the Aburame Heir releasing a cloud of beetles to form his Clan's signature clone technique. Another moment passed before a sigh of relief came from the room and the Kumo Jonin called an all clear, the silver haired Jonin then motioned for Sakura to move up and the others to set up a defensive position while he entered the room with his team's medic. Inside they found the injured Yugito leaning against the opposite wall, blood-soaked makeshift bandages wrapped around several wounds, a stack of primed explosive tags set to her right as well as the kunai she had drawn earlier.
"Never thought I'd be glad to see Konoha-nin," the blonde woman said tiredly, dried blood streaked on the side of her face as she nodded towards Sakura, "I take it pinkie here is your medic?"
Said rosette's right eyebrow twitched at the Kumo Jonin's words, but held her tongue as she knelt next to the wounded woman, her sensei standing nearby as she worked, "Your team?"
"Dead. Got ambushed by a couple of Missing-nin while on patrol. Think I got one through the heart during the fight, but the other was damn near unstoppable. The best I was able to do was drop a building on top of him and hope reinforcements came before he dug himself out. Not too sure but I think they were part of some group or another cause they were both wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them."
Team Kakashi and Yamato tensed at those words, an action that did not go unnoticed by the other Chunin, the silver haired Jonin turning to his female student, "Can we move her?"
"I'll need a minute to re-wrap her wounds for transport," Sakura quickly unsealed fresh bandages and cut the soiled ones away, "Hinata, I need you in here to see if there's anything in the wounds that might aggravate them if she gets jostled."
"R-right," the dark blue haired girl stammered briefly in surprise, jogging into the room and focusing her eyes on Yugito's torn flesh, noticing something else as well after a few moments, "Why is there a s-seal on your chest?"
In the corridor, Naruto hissed out a curse while Yamato moved into the room as Sakura finished tying off the new bandages, helping Kakashi get Yugito to her feet as he spoke to Kiba, "Can Akamaru move normally with someone on his back?"
"Yeah," the Inuzuka teen answered slowly, confused by the question, "Just need to make sure she's seated properly. What the hell's going on?"
"We'll explain later," Kakashi said in a tone that didn't allow any argument, "We need to get as much space between us and these ruins as possible. Naruto, make several groups of clones and Henge them into us. Send them into multiple different directions to try and buy us some time."
Nodding, the younger blonde created several dozen copies of himself and then used the Henge technique to make them look like the others, all then running out the main entrance after the clones of the Kumo Jonin arranged themselves like the original was. Exiting the building, most of the clones took off at maximum speed while one group acted like they were trying to draw as little attention to themselves as possible, the real shinobi leaving at the same time, matching the others speed.
They barely got three blocks away, nearing a large arch-like structure adorned with large circular crystals, when the blonde Chunin stiffened and received the memories of several clones.
"Oh hell," Naruto swore as he regained his footing, "Hey, was the guy you stabbed through the heart wearing a mask?"
"Yeah," Yugito shouted back from Akamaru's back, confusion and a small amount of dread in her eyes.
"Well, he's pretty spry for a dead man! They've taken out three groups of clones already and they're headed this way!"
Hinata gasped then made to tackle the blonde, eyes wide and shouting as she moved, "GET DOWN!"
An eerie feeling of deja-vu went through most of Team Kakashi's members as a large mass flew over their heads just as they and the others hit the ground, Yugito grunting in pain as she rolled away from Akamaru, the object lodging itself into a wall just ahead of them.
"Damn Hyuuga eyes," snarled a voice Naruto was all too familiar with, "Ruined a perfect sneak attack. Stupid clones are a pain in the ass as well."
Turning to source, Teams Kakashi and Kurenai were greeted to the sight of Kisame and Itachi moving to block their escape route, the blue skinned member of the duo having an almost wild look in his eyes. Quickly jumping to their feet, the Konoha-nin formed a defensive formation around Yugito, hands held at the ready when a second pair of black cloaked men leaped from the nearby rooftops, one a masked man with a definite hole where his heart should have been while the other man carried a red three bladed scythe, silver hair disheveled and eyes narrowed in rage.
"Damnedable heathen tricksters," he growled, a crazed look in his eyes, "Jashin will feast on your blood and souls this night!"
"Yes, yes we know, Hidan, just try not to kill the Hyuuga girl, she's worth more alive than dead," the masked man sighed in exasperation at his companion, then turning to meet the shocked eyes of Yugito, "You got me pretty good little hell-cat, actually succeeded in knocking me out for awhile. Though just to let you know, not that it will matter after today, my heart is on the other side."
Yugito for her part just scowled at the man who killed one of her teammates, moving into a ready stance with her unexpected allies even as blood began to seep through her bandages.
"Well, now that the gangs all here, how about we start this off?" asked Kisame, filed teeth exposed in an intimidating grin, beginning to step forward when Itachi suddenly caught his wrist.
"Be careful Kisame," the Uchiha stated neutrally, speaking for the first time since appearing, dark eyes focused on the Konoha-nin, "A Leaf is at it's sharpest when you least expect it."
As the Konoha Jonin blinked, Naruto snorted at the words, a grin forming as he made eye contact with the Missing-nin, "You've been waiting years to use that one haven't you, Weasel?"
To the shock of the gathered shinobi, Itachi's face softened briefly, his high collar hiding a smile that actually reached his eyes, Kisame looking at his partner like he just grew a second head at the show of any emotion.
"The hell man? Why are you acting all buddy-buddy with the Kyuubi brat?"
While confusion and shock went through Team Kurenai and Yugito respectively as Naruto winced at the proclamation, Kisame felt his partner's grip tighten, Itachi's normal monotone having a slight edge to it, "I was one of his watchers when he was younger before I left, and I would be careful if I were you, Kisame. You just broke one of the Sandaime Hokage's laws."
"Feh," the blue skinned man rolled his eyes, "Like I care about a law some old dead fart came up wi-?" A metallic ping at his feet interrupted him and drew his gaze down to the object that fell, alarms going off too late as he realized what it was.
Itachi's Akatsuki ring.
"You should, it might have saved your life," Itachi turned to the Swordsman, Mangekyo Sharingan spinning as blood flowed from his eyes, "Amaterasu."
Alarm became horror as Kisame remembered too late that Samehada, his chakra eating sword, was on the other side of the street, barely escaping as black flames engulfed his cloak and his former partner began attacking him with a sword that had been hidden under his cloak. Hidan and Kakuzu, who had been watching the conversation with bored indifference, suddenly realized what was happening and leapt away just as the three Jonin released the attacks they had been holding while a swarm of blondes burst into existence and charged with beasts made of ink following.
"What the hell!?" Kiba's eyes darted back and forth from the two fights, confusion evident in his voice.
"Explain later," the real Naruto said curtly, grabbing a kunai from a holster as he charged toward Kisame and Itachi, "Just watch our backs!"
Brushing their questions away for the moment, Team Kurenai and Sakura quickly joined the fray to assist their comrades and unexpected ally. With the Jonin, Kakashi and Yamato tag teamed back and forth between Hidan and Kakuzu while Yugito, Kiba, Akamaru, and Sai gave them long range support as several of Naruto's clones attacked from multiple angles, the two Missing-nin being pushed off balance by the combined assault. With Itachi and the real Naruto, their opponent was barely able to dodge the Jinchuriki and Uchiha's attacks and was steadily pushed away from his sword as Hinata, Sakura, and Shino circled around to attack from behind.
All the while none noticed the slight pull on their chakra and the crystals on the arch begin to glow.
"Don't let Hidan cut you," Itachi called out over the din of combat, his Akatsuki cloak having been discarded to reveal the ANBU gear he wore beneath, "He uses the blood of his opponents in a ritual to transfer any wounds he sustains, including self inflicted, onto them. Kakuzu has five hearts in his body, one for each of the elements. Destroying them cuts him off from any jutsu linked to those elements."
As the silver haired Jashinist loosed a string of expletives at the Uchiha, Kakuzu, already short one heart because of Yugito, seethed at having his secret revealed while dodging attacks from Kakashi and Sai, "I always knew there was something off since you joined. You've been feeding intel on us to Konoha since day one, haven't you?"
Itachi did not answer the old bounty hunter, instead focusing on the now armed Kisame as the blue skinned man had been able to slip past and recover his sword from the wall, though not without consequence as his left arm hung uselessly at his side from a Juuken strike and a noticeable group of kikai beetles was latched on and draining his chakra. Hidan was having his own problems as well as his scythe had been yanked from his hands by roots controlled by Yamato, thus allowing Kiba and Akamaru to get in close. Yugito was not idle either as she began to channel her Bijuu's chakra, her body becoming suffused in a red cloak of energy.
That was when things took a sudden turn.
The crystals on the archway were glowing painfully bright by this point and energy crackled along the surface of the stone, burning off any overgrowth that remained on it. With a crack of thunder the air inside the arch rent open, causing all the fighters to stop as a sudden wind began to suck anything and everything in the area towards the widening hole in midair, a night shrouded sky beyond. The various shinobi scrambled to find purchase wherever they could but such was the strength of the suction that not even channeling chakra through their hands and feet to stick to the weather-worn stone was enough to resist the pull.
As such it was only a matter of time before someone lost their grip.
"NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata cried out as the blonde Jinchuriki tumbled towards the portal, desperately reaching out to catch him only to lose her own grip a moment later and the pair was sucked through just as their hands met, Yugito following not long after as she lost her own battle against the pull.
In an attempt to prevent anyone else from being drawn in the vortex, Yamato used his Mokuton abilities to create root tethers to hold the others, successfully catching Kiba, Akamaru, Sai, Kakashi, Shino, Itachi, and the Akatsuki members, but failing to do so for Sakura, the rosette flailing for anything to grab onto as she flew through the air. The glow from the crystals had dimmed greatly by this point and the portal began to slowly close, the winds weakening the smaller the hole became. Seeing this occur, Itachi cut himself free and used the still moving air to move close to Kakashi, handing the transplanted Sharingan user a scroll with the Hokage's seal on it before nodding then using a burst of chakra to cover the distance and send himself through the portal mere seconds before the crystals on the arch shattered. A sensation akin to being hit with a low level Raiton jutsu surged through him as he passed through the rift, the last sight he saw before the portal snapped shut after rolling to a stop was the remaining Akatsuki members freeing themselves and fleeing as Konoha ANBU arrived, the surrounding area returning to the darkness of the night sky moments later.
(Scene Break)
Highland/City-State Border
Tongues of fire licked into the night sky as the Unicorn Brigade's camp burned. Young men who had been laughing, eating together, and telling each other plans of the future lay either dead or dying where they fell to their killer's blades.
Blades that belonged to the men of the Highland First Army under the command of Luca Blight, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Highland.
Riou and Joei could barely comprehend the conversation they had witnessed between their homeland's future ruler and their commander, who had ordered the Brigade towards an obvious killzone, disturbed to hear that the Prince planned on blaming the Jowston City-States for this attack, going so as to bring bodies of several dead State soldiers to sell the deception, and thus re-ignite the war between the two nations.
"This...this is insane!" Joei's hand clenched tightly around his staff as he uttered his shock and horror, "I knew Prince Luca was rumored to be bloodthirsty, but this is...monstrous!"
Riou slowly backed away from their cover, trying to get his breathing back to normal even as his mind roiled at the madness before him, "Joei, we need to get out of here and tell someone what happened. I saw some reports on Rowd's table before we were dismissed for the night. The Third Army is a couple days to the north. If we can get to him we can hopefully stop this before the fighting starts again."
"We can't take the eastern path, they'll cut us down the second we step into those trees," the blonde followed behind his friend as they moved away from the Prince and their former Commander, wracking his brain to find a way to escape, "Maybe...maybe we can head further into the ridge. There should be some animal paths we can follow to the lowlands."
Riou was just beginning to nod when he felt a shift in the wind, grabbing Joei and pulling him back as one of the burning squad pavillions toppled into their path, a wall of flame bursting into existence.
"Dammit! Can't go that way," Riou bounced on his feet as he looked for another route, "Come on, this way!"
Dashing to the side, the pair made their way towards the north side of the camp, dodging into cover when they encountered any First Army soldiers searching for any survivors among the dead. Riou and Joei were nearly to the perimeter when a groan caught their attention. Looking to the noise, they saw a body clad in the same unit fatigues they wore (5) move, a blood streaked face rising to meet their own.
"Jayden!" the pair exclaimed in unison, moving to help the wounded teen to his feet, seeing the gash across the right side of his face along with crossbow bolts buried into his right leg and left arm.
Jayden Riddick was a bit of an oddity in the unit as while being a fairly average swordsman, he was also a decent Rune Mage. When asked why the turquoise eyed teen devoted much of his training to balancing both skills, as had he focused on just one he could have been exceptional in either, he cites that he is paying homage to his idols, the renowned Queen's Knights of Falena, many of whom practiced as he did though with far greater levels of proficiency. Outside of training, which like Riou and Joei was spent at the dojo of the former's Grandfather, Jayden was a fun loving teen that was close with all of his friends, most especially so with his girlfriend Nanami, Riou's sister.
"What's...going...on?" the black haired teen gasped out as Joei pulled his good arm over his shoulder to support him, "Why are we...being attacked by...our own troops?"
"Luca Blight is trying to restart the war with the City-States," Riou said quickly, pulling a first aid kit from a fallen member of the Brigade before he rose and carefully pulled his friend's wounded arm over his shoulder, "We're going to try to reach General Windamier's forces before things get out of hand. But first we have to get somewhere safe so we can plug those leaks."
Grunting in pain as the trio entered the trees just beyond the camp's nothern perimeter, Jayden tried to push himself off of Joei and Riou, "Leave me...I'll only slow you down."
"Like hell we are!" Joei hissed hotly, shifting his hold so the wounded teen wouldn't fall, "I am not going to be the one to tell Nanami that you died when we could have done something!"
"This falls under the category of breaking her heart, Jayden," said Riou, a creepy neutral expression suddenly appearing on his face, "Don't make me follow through with the promise I made if that ever happened."
Breaking out into a cold sweat despite the situation, Jayden nodded vigorously and they picked up the pace into the trees. The sounds of the burning camp quickly faded away soon leaving only the rustle of leaves in the background of young men's flight. As expected, an animal path was quickly found as they moved further into the ridgeline, the foliage giving away to rocks the further the trio went. Rushing water of the nearby river began to become noticable, culminating in a small cliff that overlooked the body of water and the surrounding mountains.
It was also a dead end.
"Shit!" Joei swore, realizing that they had taken a wrong turn when the paths branched a ways back, the blonde was about to say something when Jayden groaned and slumped in his and Riou's grip, forcing them to set him against a nearby rock.
"I'm okay," the dark haired teen panted out as he leaned back, "Just need to...rest for a minute. Should also be a good time to take care of the bolts and my face, though I think the eye is a lost cause."
Neither uninjured teen made to contradict him as they now had a good view of the ruin that was once a turquiose green eye, the elder of the two taking the med-kit from his belt and spreading it out while the other stood watch. Using his knife, Riou carefully cut the fabric surrounding the two crossbow bolts then tore a chunk of his own tunic off and rolled it up before having Jayden bite down on it. Once the wounded teen nodded he was ready, the brown haired young man then pulled the bolts from his friend's arm and leg, an action responded to with muffled growls of pain, and then reached for one of six wax sealed flasks.
This was going to be the bad part.
The fluid contained within the flasks was an alchemical concoction made from a variety of plant and mineral based ingredients that helped speed up the healing process. Administering the mixture was done in two ways, either by drinking it so multiple injuries were dealt at the same time, generally done in a controlled setting like a hospital, or pouring the liquid directly onto the wound, which also had the benefit of creating a temporary seal over the wound once it quickly dried, a godsend for adventurers and soldiers far from civilization. This latter method was a bit of a double-edged sword however, as along with the ingredients that had healing properties, the potion also was a potent anti-septic that rivaled the strength of rubbing alcohol when in a concentrated form.
Breaking the seal on the first flask, Riou gripped Jayden's leg just above the knee and emptied the contents onto the first wound, the wounded teen struggling not to scream as the potion did it's work. This scene repeated itself with the arm wound, eliciting a groan from the Rune Mage as he writhed from the pain, leaving only the gash on his face to be treated. The final wound was going to be the worst of them all, and knowing that they likely didn't have time to wait for Jayden to recover from the previous doses, Riou gave an apologetic look to his friend, who weakly nodded in understanding, and dumped the third potion after the now one-eyed teen tilted his head back. A muffled scream tore from his lips as the concoction cleaned and sealed the wound, the pain finally pushing the teen past the breaking point of his waning endurance and causing him to pass out.
Even though they had been expecting that might happen, Riou cursed when Jayden slumped into unconsciousness but did not try to wake him and instead gave him a chance to rest while wrapping bandages around the wounds. He had just finished with Jayden's arm when the barks of hunting dogs with the shouts of their handlers following began to filter from the trees. Joei cursed again as sound of pursuit drew closer by the second, looking for some other way off the cliff they were on as Riou hurried with the last bandage, but could find no other save for one: the river over the edge of the cliff that ran to the south towards the border.
The opposite direction they needed to go.
"We're dead if we stay here any longer," Joei began as he walked towards the edge, looking that the rapid current of the river below before coming to a decision, "Riou, I know this isn't much of an option, but the river is the only we're going to get out of here."
Finishing the final knot on Jayden's bandages, the brown haired teen closed his eyes for a moment before nodding and looking to his friend, "Better displaced and alive then dead by the hands of a madman's troops, though its going to be difficult with Jayden being out cold."
"Nothing worthwhile ever is," the blonde aristocrat retorted lightly before sobering, walking up to a rock near the edge and striking it with his dagger, leaving a noticable gouge in it, "Listen, if we make it...but...somehow get separated. Let's return to this spot."
"I'm gonna hold you to that," Riou replied as solemnly, copying his best friend's action with his own dagger to make an 'X' on the stone, "Since I'm the better swimmer, I'll take Jayden and his weapons so you'll only have to worry about keeping yourself afloat."
"'Better swimmer?'" Joei's left eyebrow arched up as he helped the brown haired teen lift their unconscious friend up, "I distinctly remember you almost cracking your skull open on that log in the pond near the dojo a couple years back."
"That dive was perfectly fine!" the shorter teen snapped, though the slight smirk on his face showed he wasn't really angry, "How was I supposed to know that log was going to move right into my path as I came up?"
"Eh, it proved your head was as hard as we thought, so no real harm done."
"Ass."
Both teens laughed at the memory as they moved to the edge, Jayden supported between them, stopping only long enough to nod at each other, crossbow bolts whizzing over their heads just as they leapt into the river below them, beginning a journey that would affect the lives of many, including their own.
(Scene Break)
Magician's Island, Chamber of Stars
Pure chaos was the only description that Luc, Bearer of the True Wind Rune and apprentice of the Seer Leknaat, could apply to the sight before him as the symbols representing the One Hundred and Eight Stars of Destiny spun wildly as they realigned themselves. Normally this was not an issue as the Stars would move over the course of the year and if one were to touch them, a brief vision of the person that would potentially be linked to the Star (his, the Tenkai, having not changed in all the ten years he had been on the Island much to his chagrin), though this usually happened slowly over the course of months, not so violently as it did now. Such was his confusion at the maelstrom of light before him, he nearly jumped when his mistress appeared beside him and began speaking, though that was fairly normal as she'd taken to floating just off the ground instead of walking.
Seriously, was it too hard to ask that the woman get some bells or small chimes to hang off her robes so she made some noise when she moved? It would definitely enhance the mystical mystery vibe she projected.
"An unexpected shift in the skeins of time has occured," the dark haired pale woman spoke, her gold trimmed white robes faintly moving in an ethereal wind while her closed eyes studied the air above them, "Such events do not happen without consquence."
Frowning slightly, after getting his heart back to normal speed, the green white clad teen turned to his seemingly blind teacher, "This has happened before, Mistress Leknaat?"
"Yes, boy, it has," began the voice of another woman near the room's door, "And as our Lady has stated this could greatly affect the coming events."
Forcing back a scowl, Luc turned towards the door to meet the dispassionate gaze of his predesessor as the Chosen of the Tenkai Star and bearer of the Star Rune as the Seer spoke, "Zerase, you have returned quicker than expected. Was there trouble in your journey?"
Gliding into the room in a manner similar to her mistress, though the jewelry she wore with gold trimmed black robes jingled as she moved, the pale skinned woman shook her head, "No, my Lady. An acquaintance of ours stumbled into my path during my travels and assisted in my return."
"Viki?" Luc asked dryly, a barely discernable smirk the only clue to his amusement at the explanation.
"Indeed," Zerase's expression matched the True Wind Rune bearer's before her features became neutral again, "Back to your question, going off of the notes from our Lady's predesessors (4), there have been over a dozen major shifts, as well as countless minor ones, amongst the Stars of Destiny over the last five thousand years. Two of them have had major effects on the course of "recent" history, one being a little over two thousand years ago just before the Sindar fell, while the other occurred during the rise of the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia four hundred sixty years ago."
The brown haired teen stiffened at the mention of the second event, barely contained rage flooding through him at the mention of his "Father's" ascension to power as a leader of men. Fists clenched at his side, it took Luc a few moments to calm himself so he didn't cause any untoward damage to the tower because he lost control of his emotions and as such he was only half listening as Leknaat brought the conversation back to the subject of Zerase's return.
"Was the energy we sensed what we suspected it to be?"
"Yes, my Lady. The barrier created by the Sage of Six Paths is no more," Zerase spoke in a grave tone, brushing an errant raven colored lock from her face, "I can also confirm that at least one of the Nine is beginning to test the boundaries that once contained it."
"Two have already left the Elemental Nations, however their departure was the result of an accident rather than design, save for that of the Runes," the blind Seer said calmly causing the other woman to gasp, turning then to the sole male in the room who had regained his composure, "Luc, the Gathering of Stars is approaching again. Please go prepare the Tablet of Promise and await my summons. Zerase, I will come speak with you in a few hours, I have something I must attend to, so until then get some rest."
Bowing to their teacher's commands, the pair left to carry them out and left Leknaat alone in the Chamber of Stars, the white robed woman turing back to the array behind her and casting a sightless gaze at the first of the Stars that had settled into their new course, the image of a blonde teen with whisker marks on his cheeks appearing for a brief moment.
( To be continued)
And so ends the first chapter of Shield and Shinobi. What lies ahead for our heroes sucked through the strange portal? Find out in the next installment of Shield and Shinobi!
Author Notes:
1. This is something that kind of annoyed me when I first saw this arc as it didn't seem very realistic since, even though they lost one of their Elders, Suna pretty much just gave Teams Kakashi and Gai a pat on the back for bringing Gaara back and killing Sasori then sent them on their way. That didn't make a lick a sense to me considering everything Naruto and the others went through to rescue an ALLIED KAGE at great risk to themselves and they get next to nothing in return? I don't think so.
2. Considering the nature of this particular crossover, I thought it would make sense that each of the major villages would have a division like this to explore Sindar ruins as those of you who have played any of the Suikoden games know, those places are not safe for normal civilians. The fact that almost all the experts on the Sindar that can be recruited in game are combat characters reinforces this idea.
3. Anybody else notice how the encounter rates seemed to spike whenever you went into a Sindar ruin? Granted it's great for XP but it drains your resources really fast if you're not careful.
4. Considering the amount of history surrounding the True Runes, I always got the feeling Leknaat and her various apprentices/agents weren't the only ones to watch and guide the different Bearers over the centuries.
5. As a unit on patrol, I doubt they wold have had any civilian clothes with them unlike in the acutal game.
Hope everyone enjoyed this, ja ne!