Emerging out into the expanse of sea near Japan, they proceeded straight into the Atlantic towards France for the coastal city of La Rochelle, the closest landing point near the capital city of Paris where their client was waiting. The voyage was completed with little flair. The only matter worth grumbling on was the captain not having stocked fresh supplies beforehand.
It was a total of ten days after exiting the barrier to reach La Rochelle. Shiro spent the time onboard studying wizarding culture with his teammates, and teaching them as much as English as they could learn in the short amount of time they had. To his initial surprise, Kakashi was the only one to make any notable process, and by the time they arrived, the jonin was speaking almost perfect English. Shiro couldn't help but feel a tiny bit miffed. It had taken him three months, and he still hadn't quite managed to get rid of his accent. Here Kakashi had mastered it in ten days while Kotetsu, and Izumo spoke well enough to make a pigeon wince. The Sharingan eye of the Uchiha clan hidden behind the jonin's slanted headband was no doubt the secret to the man's mastery.
The sun was high in the sky as they trooped off the gangplank. Shiro was glad to be on the move again. Idleness had the bad habit of shrouding his inner being in darkness. It was one of the reasons he was among the top shinobi for missions completed. Before he met Naruto, missions had been his sole lifeline. They kept him too occupied for reflection.
However he was confronted with one problem now. Where was the guide that was supposed to meet them?
Shiro scanned the quay along the harbor front. Most of the crowd consisted of sailors, and tourists. A number of curious looks were bestowed upon them or more specifically Kakashi. Under Shiro's direction, they had donned the white cloaks of Konoha to present a more inconspicuous appearance, but the jonin had steadfastly refused to remove his mask. With his silver hair that stuck up at all angles, and masked features, Kakashi was candy to all curious eyes. Shiro suppressed his annoyance. He knew it was irrational to view the crowd as possible threats, but as a ninja, attention was not something he relished, particularly in this foreign country.
"So what do we do?" Izumo asked him. The brown-haired chunin was drinking in the sights, his brown eyes practically sparkling.
Shiro slowly looked over the bustling quay once again. "We wait. If our guide doesn't show within the hour, we will proceed on our own. I already know our destination."
"Can we get something to eat first?" Kotetsu spoke up almost miserably. On queue his stomach rumbled.
Izumo pulled a face in remembrance of the voyage. "What kind of captain doesn't stock his ship with fresh supplies before a voyage?"
Shiro chuckled slightly. He briefly felt the wallet that held their mission expenses. The funds had already been converted to French currency. "Certainly. I'm hungry myself. Let's see if we can't find an eatery along this waterfront."
The place they eventually found didn't look all that appealing. It was more or less a space inside a ramshackle building. The interior was somewhat smoky, and filled with a rough looking crowd consisting of burly dock workers, and fishermen with the odd tourist. However the smell of fried food that emanated forth was good.
They entered the busy restaurant, and Shiro rapidly surveyed the interior for a secluded table. There was a place near the window. Most of the patrons had preferred the tables farther in. After they took their seats, Shiro caught the eyes of the lone waiter, and nodded. After a brief wait the strained waiter approached them.
His words were unintelligible.
"Can you understand English?" Shiro asked him. If the answer was no, they would have to find another place.
"Little," the man replied.
Shiro raised the menu which was entirely French. "Can you help us order?"
The waiter looked hesitant. "My English not vare good."
"I understand. Can you pick for us something simple? Fish?"
The man nodded, and tapped one of the sections. "Fish here. You want cooked how?"
"Fried. Fillet if possible." Shiro answered. He indicated the others who were watching curiously. Even Kakashi's one visible eye was peeking over the top of his book. "For all. Do you have steamed fish?"
"Oui," the waiter enunciated with a firm nod.
"We'll take that too. Do you have vegetables?"
"Small vegetable. This place seafood."
"Any vegetable is fine." The waiter nodded, and rapidly jotted more notes into his pad. Shiro trailed a finger over the menu again.
"Mussels, do you have them?"
"Oui," and the waiter pointed at the printed lines. "Today special."
"We'll order it."
The waiter tapped another line on the paper. "This is good shrimp soup. I recommend."
Shiro nodded. "We'll take it." He raised a single finger - "One large serving for all" –and gestured around the table. "Extra bowls." The waiter jotted down the last order, and hurried off.
"What did you order?" Kotetsu asked interestedly.
"Fish, mussels, shrimp soup, and whatever vegetables they have on hand." Shiro dutifully rattled of the list.
The spiky haired ninja sniffed the aromas wafting about eagerly. "After that time on the boat, I can't wait for a fresh meal. Salted meat that's so tough you'd need a wood-saw to cut it, and stale crackers you could break your teeth on are unfit for a growing shinobi like me." Kotetsu was practically salivating.
"Growing shinobi, if anything I'm the one entitled to that name," Shiro murmured with faint amusement.
"That's not all different to back home," Izumo commented. "I expected the food to be more exotic."
"It's a simple establishment," Shiro said as leaned back in an effort to appear nonchalant, and ignore the looks thrown their way.
As they sat waiting, the opening of the restaurant door caused Shiro to turn his head. The person that walked in was a young man with light brown hair, and a pair of glasses that had slightly squared lenses. Having once been to the Outside, Shiro could tell by his clothes that he looked to be the tourist type. He wore a cream coloured short sleeved shirt, and white shorts with a simple broad brimmed straw hat. His head turned towards them, and his emerald eyes locked onto Shiro's.
The young chunin tensed as he sensed something ominous in the contact. The man began walking towards him, eyes never straying, and a slight smile on his lips.
He can't be planning on attacking in the middle of a public spot, Shiro reasoned as he slowly shifted into a position to allow himself to react quickly if anything happened. The sight of the smile widening caused him to still. Did he notice that? Shiro glanced at companions. None seemed to be concerned. Kakashi still had the book in front of his face. If the jonin was so relaxed, then he was worrying for nothing. Shiro turned his gaze back to the approaching figure.
Do you need something?" He inquired politely as the man came up, but the hard note was clear.
The smile widened into a polite expression that somehow still oozed an unpleasant cunning. Shiro couldn't suppress the minor shiver his body involuntarily gave. It was too much like a certain sannin.
"Shiro is it? Shiro Inikaze, and his companions Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, and Kakashi Hatake."
Shiro slightly narrowed his eyes at the man at the casualness used to address him. "Are you our guide?"
"I am. My name's Akida Torako, but call me Akida. The custom here is forename first. You don't mind if I call you Shiro do you?"
Something clicked in Shiro's mind. He now knew why his presence ignited that threatening feeling. He was being analyzed, and for a reason he couldn't identify. The newcomer hadn't even looked at the others around the table, his darkly shaded, jade coloured eyes remaining fixed on him.
Shiro partially relaxed inwardly. The name the Hokage had given him of the shinobi that would meet them matched. Outwardly he schooled his face back into a neutral expression.
"Why weren't you able to meet us at the docks?"
"I simply wasn't there at your time of landing," Akida replied. "I listened to the calling of my stomach, and left to purchase some food from a vendor. I overheard a couple talking about a strange group with a masked individual after I returned. It was quite simple to find you."
"You've grown Akida." Everyone looked in surprise at Kakashi who had spoken. The jonin had lowered his book, and was gazing at the arrival with his one visible eye.
"It's good to see you again Kaka-sensei."
"Kaka-sensei?" Kotetsu repeated in great surprise. "Kakashi-san actually took a genin team?"
"Not quite," Akida corrected. "As a whole my team failed his test, but individually I had grasped it though unconsciously. For that he trained for the first few weeks of repeating my year at the Academy."
"Too bad," Kotetsu said in a whisper to Izumo. "I was hoping Kakashi's infamous fail streak had ended."
"You couldn't have gotten much from a vendor," Shiro began. He indicted the only remaining chair at the table. "Would you care to join us for lunch?
"I'll be glad to. That meagre snack earlier was hardly filling." Akida seated himself and signaled the waiter. "Have you already ordered?" he inquired.
"Yes," Shiro answered. "Though our choices were limited due to the language barrier. "Can you speak the language?"
"Quite fluently. I've been stationed in this country for two years. Would you like me to assist in explaining the menu?"
Though Shiro declined, both Kotetsu and Izumo expressed a keen curiosity in the other dishes, and by the time their meal arrived, a few extra courses had been added. For a simple place, the food was quite good. Thought not a big eater, Shiro found himself sampling a bit of everything. The fried fish was garnished with some herbs that gave it a nice slightly sour tint. The mussels arrived steaming hot. The meat inside was as soft as velvet, and coupled with the spicy sauce that was served alongside, a delight to consume. Though pleasant, Shiro found the shrimp soup the least pleasing. However he enjoyed the fried crabs, and steamed clams Akida had ordered. What he particularly enjoyed was the steamed fish that was heavily garnished with various herbs, and a few vegetables. Fried seaweed topped the meal.
During the meal, his eyes flicked to Kakashi. How was he able to eat without removing his mask? It seemed that almost every time he looked, a portion on the jonin's plate would be missing, but Kakashi would still have that book in front of his face. Even the others were casting the jonin furtive glances, but none could catch the wily jonin. Shiro was certain he was smiling.
Wanting to test a sudden theory, he expanded his senses towards Kakashi's form. Chakra sensing was one of his innate skills. He was right. There was a subtle concentration of chakra around Kakashi. Being a frequent user of Genjutsu, Shiro recognized it as a low level illusion technique. So that was the trick. He met Kakashi's lone eye, and the jonin winked at him.
Despite the light atmosphere, Shiro found himself unable to relax. His thoughts were on Akida. He flicked his eyes towards the Leaf ninja and caught him in the act of another stare. Akida merely smiled coyly, and returned to his food.
Why was the man so focused on him? Despite his feelings, Shiro kept his expression, and demeanor neutral. The rule of: A shinobi must never display emotion, helped to keep people from reading him. Jaded as his ninja life had made him, it wasn't like he had much emotion to begin with.
After the meal, Akida insisted on paying the bill. "Consider it your welcome to the Outside," the Leaf ninja said cheerfully. However when the bill arrived it turned out to be far greater than what he could pay. Shiro ended up settling the amount while Akida laughed half in embarrassment.
"Where to now?" Shiro asked as they all stood outside the restaurant.
Akida checked his wrist watch. "Now I'll take you to Paris. My van is parked a short walk away."
They followed him away from the waterfront, and into the narrow confines of the city. The whole design was cramped. Buildings were all squeezed together along every street with little regard for looks. The city was like a poor packing attempt. Compared to the wide, and orderly streets of Konoha, it had a suffocating condensed feel that left Shiro feeling uneasy.
In response to a question by Kotetsu, Shiro pointed out a car parked in the narrow streets, and gave a brief explanation on the subject. Izumo promptly joined in, and Shiro found himself beset by two chunin, eager to learn the workings of this world.
When they reached the van, Shiro opted for seating himself in the back compartment with Kakashi. The front passenger seat was claimed by Izumo with Kotetsu situated behind him. Akida seated himself at the wheel.
"All comfortable?" he called.
Shiro wasn't. The entire space was bare save for a little curved rise on both sides which he assumed was a seat. However it was so narrow he was barely able to seat himself. The sides of the van were ribbed with inlets, and beams that supported the compartment structure. In the end he chose to seat himself in the back corner from where he could keep a comfortable eye on the back of Akida's head if needed Kakashi chose to stretch himself out on the floor, using his vest as a makeshift pillow.
"We're fine," Shiro acknowledged. Akida gave him a last fleeting look before turning back to the wheel.
"It's going to be a long drive," the Leaf ninja warned. "About five hours to reach Paris, excluding the time to reach our base of operations."
Shiro gave no answer choosing to close his eyes, and rest his head on his breast as the engine flared to life. He was fatigued. The previous night had been beset with restlessness, and dark dreams. Shiro had jolted awake at midnight, and found himself unable to sleep again. He spent the remainder of the time quietly practicing chakra control until the captain had announced their arrival.
Shiro's eyes suddenly snapped open. His breathing was heavy, and he could feel something in his eyes. He raised his head, and looked about in confusion. What had happened? Why did everything seem so confusing? It was like his memories were all blurring into one, and he couldn't distinguish what was the past, and present.
Whatever was in his eyes, started to trickle from his left orb. It was a tear he realized. His mind regained its clarity, and he realized the scene he had been experiencing was just a dream. Shiro clenched a fist, and for a moment, almost broke down as he thought of his mother. He quickly wiped the tears away, and violently suppressed his feelings. Kakashi was still stretched out reading his book, and Izumo, and Kotetsu were too focused on the sights to notice his movement. Shiro peered at the cockpit. From the little he could see at his position, it seemed like they were in a city. He still couldn't quite believe it. It felt like he had barely closed his eyes.
"Akida?" Shiro called.
His two friends turned about surprised.
"Oh you're awake Shiro?" Kotetsu asked.
"Clearly, Ko," Shiro responded drily.
"I can't tell if that's your usual sharpness or whether you had another bad dream," the spiky chunin retorted. He peered at him closer. "Your eyes have a wet sheen to them."
"Don't ask," Shiro said allowing a little weariness to coat his tone. "Just the usual."
"Yes, Shiro?" Akida called seeing they were done. The other ninja hadn't taken his eyes off the road.
"Did we arrive?"
"No, the Leaf Center is still a few minutes away, but we're in Paris."
"You were sleeping this whole time," Izumo added.
"It certainly didn't feel that way." Shiro shifted his position with a sigh. "I feel… as tired as I was before."
"That'll change quick enough," Akida said. "Your body just needs to register the change."
Shiro leaned back against the van doors and looked at his two friends. "How are you two enjoying the sights?" he asked to distract them. He could see the subtle worry in their faces.
"Amazing!" Kotetsu said immediately. "And this is just one of several cities of one country?"
"It's worrying," Izumo spoke up. "I don't know the scale of this world, but if it's anything like what we've seen, there's no hope in a war with them."
"That's why a number of our shinobi here," Shiro answered. "If encounter an enemy you can't beat, you study, and subvert him. I've been to this world before, and I doubt we'd get anywhere near reasonable strength for many decades. That's why we infiltrate their ranks, establish our own businesses, control their politicians, and quietly eliminate anyone who gets in our way."
"And let me tell you," Akida interrupted, "that most of that is just glorified. We have to be careful how we operate here to avoid detection. The intelligence groups these Outsiders have can be quite irritating. They're sharper than we initially gave them credit for. As such life has gotten very boring for me. I haven't had much of an opportunity to apply my skills apart from a few espionage missions, and hunting down the occasional missing nin that flees from the Homeland. However your arrival proves to be an interesting occasion for me."
"Why is that?" Shiro asked despite his bad feeling towards the next words.
"I think you can guess." Akida's tone was humorous, and almost snippy.
The atmosphere in the van seemed to plummet. Shiro felt his skin grow cold before he shook it off. He looked at his two friends, and shook his head. 'It's fine' he said silently. Aloud he said, "We're not certain Orochimaru is even here. If that's the case, your mission will very well turn out to be a year of baby sitting.
"It might," Akida responded in a playful tone. "Or it might not. Even if the sannin doesn't show, you're mission is still to protect some wizard's daughter. And in that case, there's still possibility for excitement. I might even get to apply my specialization. And if anything, this baby sitting applies to you as well."
"What is your specialization?"
"I'm an interrogator. I specialize in persuading people to be forthcoming with information they would normally not release." Akida chuckled loudly, but the hungry, almost longing resonance in his tone said enough. So there was the darker side to this pleasant, if slightly disrespectful ninja.
Shiro fell silent as he reflected on his reason for coming to this world. Officially he was only here because he was chosen to fulfill a mission contracted by a French wizard. Unofficially, he was bait.
It was nothing new at first. Shinobi had abducted wizards and the bizarre creatures of their world before to find out their secrets, but the number had always been unnoticeable. An occasional disappearance here and there the Magical Authorities would pass off as an unsolved case. But ever since Leaf spies had reported the Snake sannin on a ship for the Outside, the disappearances had been piling up throwing the entire magical society into an uproar. A Hokage summit was held, and each of the villages denied any involvement. The summit ended with the agreement of a truce between their Outside forces, and cooperation towards each other to find Orochimaru and eliminate him before their existence could be compromised.
Shiro subconsciously felt his neck. It was the reason the Hokage had chosen him. Because he had been the Sannin's prize experiment, and was still unmarked. He had been lucky that Orochimaru was rarely seen about the facility; being continuously busy with other projects. If the base hadn't been attacked, the sannin might have decided he was ready enough, and marked him when he next arrived.
That was also why the Hokage had assigned Kakashi to guard him. Not only for his superior skills, but for the one thing Orochimaru craved more than anything else; The Sharingan eye. Essentially it was a double bait. Orochimaru's greed for power would overcome his caution, and when he took the bait, they would kill him. For extra caution, a team of Outside shinobi were to assist them.
Kotetsu, and Izumo had been furious at the Hokage when they found out, but somewhat calmed after Shiro mentioned that he had been free to decline. It was personal vengeance that drove him to accept; to make the man pay for all he had put him through. Of course they had insisted on coming. The pair marched into the Hokage tower, and demanded to be put on the mission roster. Shiro couldn't deny the security he felt at having his friends with him, but he also felt dread. What if Orochimaru took the bait? They weren't a match for the Sannin, he doubted any of them were save for Kakashi, and whoever else that was part of the Outside squad. He clenched his jaw. He'd die before he'd let that snake take any of his friends.
Akida's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"We're here."
