Hey all! Back again with Chapter Four of Naruto: Lost Child! I *almost* had this one done in time for last weekend, but a handful of really long and busy days at work combined with other nonsense drove me off track, and I was unable to. But! It's here now, so I'm happy! And you're happy! And, uh, Naruto's kinda happy, I guess?
Review time!
LonelyAxolotl - Thank you! Quite right; life is the bane in every writers existence! D: I've always loved the idea of a wind-based Naruto, or at least one that utilizes it properly. He's only going to get better! As for Orochimaru, hmm... Maybe. ;) Or maybe it'll be something else entirely! The cafeteria obviously was based off a typical school or even a mall. I don't like the idea that Orochimaru doesn't take care of his people. It wouldn't make sense to breed strong shinobi but feed them only rice. The way it's restocked will be touched on. For the Chunin Exams, I do have an arc planned, although some of the finer details are still up in the air. And on Sasuke - Well... We'll have to wait and see! xD Sorry not too many proper answers here, lots of plot points!
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark - Ooh yeah! She and Deidara would get along great. xD
Kurokawa Kazunari - Thank you! I hope I continue to enjoy!
LtFuzzleButt - Haha, we'll see! xD
amaskandamirror - Thank you! Naruto's got a long way to go, but he's getting there! That and the rest of the cast too, they'll get their moment!
AkashimaUchiha - Thank you! I tried not to have them change too much given that it was only a six month period of time. It wouldn't make sense for a drastic change to happen there, but it would be enough time to grow a bit stronger, as well as form the typical friendship people do. Also, I do have an arc planned from Konoha's perspective! So stay tuned! ;)
To all the rest, THANK YOU so much! All the feedback has been amazing and I greatly appreciate it!
Anywho! I hope you all enjoy the chapter!
Chapter IV
Journey
A flickering candle cast its pulsating red light on rows upon rows of ninja tools. Tayuya had them place all their weapons and objects they'd be bringing on the floor, so she could 'make sure they were set'. All the standard weapons, kunai, shuriken, and so forth were to be divvied out equally, and the four of them would carry equivalent portions of explosive tags. Zaku bickered with Kin because all the senbon were being given to her. It seemed he felt left out, even though he'd never actually use them. Dosu fiddled with his amplifier, said something about adjusting its frequency. Tayuya inspected the tools, every once in a while she grumbled something incoherent and tossed one weapon to the side. Apparently, it had been some time since most of them had been used, so there were some that didn't meet her expectations.
Naruto ignored them. He sat, legs crossed, and stared at the two massive wooden doors that made up the entrance to the Otogakure facility. Just on the other side of those doors was a world Naruto had missed for so long. A world of blue skies and tall, green trees. Chirping birds and scurrying squirrels. The world he'd known before flashed before his eyes, a picture perfect memory of how things used to be. But would it be the same? What if, on the other end of that door, was a land so very different from what he knew? Naruto had never ventured far from Konoha on his own, yet now he dwelt in a place that was far removed from the Land of Fire. From what he'd gathered from the others, it was indeed a forest, but when he asked about the beautiful sunsets and cool evening breezes, they feigned ignorance.
Was that intentional? Or did they simply not know? Even his friends couldn't answer his questions, and Tayuya wouldn't.
It was a question soon to be answered. While Naruto wished the circumstances could be slightly different (he would prefer to leave of his own free will, rather than because he had to), his eagerness for the mission and to finally see the outdoors again superseded any qualm. Very soon, he would be outside again. That was the only thing that mattered. Dozens of scenarios crossed his mind, fantastic visions of the outdoor scenery that couldn't possibly be true. Trees the size of mountains, reaching far off into the sky like grasping fingers. Or perhaps snow - he wasn't sure if it snowed outside in Otogakure. Come to think of it, the idea had never occurred to him. It had been so very long since he'd seen snow...
"Naruto?" A voice broke his concentration, and he tore his gaze away from the doors. Kin sat across from him, separated by kunai on the floor. "Hey, I know you're excited, but you need to pack. Sooner you're done, sooner we leave, right?"
He nodded. "Right." She was right of course. He wasn't going to get through those doors by just sitting on his butt and staring. He turned back to the door momentarily, and went about collecting his share of the weapons and equipment. It was interesting to him, preparing for a mission in this fashion. He'd always dreamed of vast arsenals of shinobi tools held aloft in glass canisters, sealed away in heavily guarded rooms. He'd imagined standing in a line with a team, as their leader gave them some glorious speech to rally and moralize them. But here, he realized how quaint it really could be. How tactical. Tayuya went so far as to ensure they weren't carrying too much, arguing that they would only lose speed the more weight they brought.
Finally, they were ready. Tayuya silently collected her own devices, most noticeably a silver flute she hid in her pocket separate from her other belongings; then she rose, and walked to the doors. The four of them followed her, none more excited yet apprehensive than Naruto. This was it. He would have the view he'd wanted, the view he'd seen only in memories. The red-headed girl looked over her shoulder at them one last time, nodded her head, and pushed the doors open. They creaked noisily with all the groaning of hinges long in need of oiling, and once the ear-scorning sound faded there was- silence.
Naught, but silence.
A darkness surrounded the world outside the facility. Naruto could see a solitary stairway flanked by stone walls that led upwards, which then flattened out into a bumpy and broken forest earth. Large and thick trees formed an endless canopy of branches and leaves above them, but it was veiled by a blanket of shadow. Naruto gasped silently at the sight. It was like a twisted form of what surrounded Konoha; a haunted forest where even the animals themselves remained still and quiet. This was not at all what he expected. If anything, he'd thought a village called Otogakure, a village hidden by sound, would be shrouded by the noise of wildlife; chirping birds and howling wolves, and perhaps even the roar of waterfalls. But it seemed it was the complete opposite. Rather than a village hidden by sound, it was a village with no sound at all.
Tayuya closed the entrance behind them. Again the large doors creaked noisily, a sound echoed through the forest and deep into the void. Naruto attempted to peer further into the distance, but it was impossible to see too far with the dim light. "There's a reason this place hasn't been found. It's a pit in the ground, in a place no one would ever want to go." He agreed with Dosu's assessment. Orochimaru had chosen the perfect spot to build his base, where he could do whatever he wished without heed to the prying eyes of the rest of the world.
The scenery was sobering, humbling even. Naruto now realized just how vast the world was and how different it could be. Where he imagined something very similar to how it was in his old home, and while indeed it was a forest very much like his own, still it was so distant from what he'd envisioned. At least there was fresh air, with the sprinkling scent of the wet, cool earth adrift in the wind. That alone was something he'd missed terribly. It was so humid and stuffy inside the Otogakure compound, if he hadn't spent his days training and fighting, it would have driven him mad long ago. Tayuya rounded them together, made one last quick overview of their belongings, and led them deeper into the forest.
They walked in a sort of staggered line, Tayuya at the lead but otherwise with little formation. "We'll take our time until we reach the border." She'd said along the way, "Once we reach the Mountains' Graveyard we'll pick up speed, so don't fall behind."
The Mountains' Graveyard. Naruto had heard rumors about that place. A handful of Otogakure teams, reportedly along with other shinobi from other villages, had gone missing at varying points of time while traversing the tall mountain ranges. Otherwise, little was known. He would have questioned why they were going through them and not around, but he held his tongue. If that was the route Tayuya wanted to take, they would take it - and it mattered little if they had any objections to it.
The forest stretched on for many miles, but as they walked Naruto noted the trees thinning, the canopy lightening, and more and more animals scurrying across the floor. Birds began chirping, and a more lively nature replaced the eerie and quiet one. There were more rivers here, some flowing north towards the shore, others further inland where they would inevitably meet with larger bodies of water. The land began to slant upwards, more hills and steeper inclines separating other areas of flatland. They'd passed many clearings of grass where the woodland did not continue, but in general their trek was through forested and floral territory.
Naruto spent most of the trip in silence - Tayuya had instructed them to do so - but he was more concerned with watching the land unfold around them. There were so many plants and animals unfamiliar to him, birds and lizards and bugs of colors and patterns he'd never seen. Even the flowers seemed so foreign to him. As they skipped across rivers, he'd spotted fish with large, gaping mouths and smaller bodies leaping out of the water, flying inches across, before splashing back below the surface. This place was much more like he'd imagined, unlike the land surrounding Otogakure. He'd found himself almost skipping in parts, stopping himself only so his companions wouldn't tease him. This part of the journey was enjoyable. He thought that perhaps if he was allowed to roam freely once the mission was over, he would return here, find a calm and gentle spot, and take a long nap.
After some time, an hour or more of walking, towering and grey mountains could be seen rising up above the trees. They were still some distance off, and Naruto was amazed at their size. They each were comparable to the Hokage Monument in height, and there were so many. The further they trekked, the closer the mountain range came, and eventually they found themselves passing by the base of one of those massive constructs of nature. Naruto had to crane his neck to see the very top. The mountains themselves were separated by rows of overgrown woodland and shrubs, but there were also parts where the rocks formed large caverns where there was little growth. Tayuya steered them away from those caves. Naruto had an odd feeling, as if something watched them from within.
This place was strange. Perhaps it was the name, but Naruto felt uneasy as they drew closer to the mountains. "Why do they call it the 'Mountains Graveyard' anyways?" He finally asked, inadvertently whispering.
"There's two reasons." Kin replied, "One, is because of how dead the mountains are here. There's no life on any of them, see?" She pointed to the closest one, although any would have been fine. As she'd stated, all the mountains and hills here seemed entirely lifeless, neither tree nor bush grew on them. That much made sense.
"What's the second reason?"
"The second - well..." This time, Kin pointed off in the distance, through the trees. Naruto had to stare for several moments before he finally realized what he was looking at. There, half buried in the ground, was a gigantic skeleton. It seemed to belong to that of a beast, and a larger one than Naruto had ever seen. It appeared almost to have the head of a bull, with two massive horns on either side, and yet it had the paws of a cat; including what must have once been incredibly sharp claws. Naruto was very grateful it was dead and a skeleton. He would hate to ever meet a live one.
"Wha- What is that?" He stuttered, still amazed at its size.
"We don't know. Some have taken to calling it a Colossus." Dosu stated, "No one has ever seen a live one, fortunately."
"I think we could take it." Zaku added, elbowing Naruto's arm. "I mean, it died right? That means it can't have been that tough."
"Or it means it was killed by something worse." The idea that there existed something bigger and badder than the decayed beast before them was a terrible thought. Naruto decided there wasn't anything to worry about, that they hadn't ever been seen so they likely were extinct, but even so he felt as if he would have nightmares the next time he slept. He was sure the Kyuubi would enjoy that.
"No more chatting." Tayuya reminded them sternly, "We'll be running from this point on." There were no complaints. The mountains held a mysterious, even ghostly aura; one they were all very keen to leave behind. So they ran, dashing through the trees that stood between the tall, spiraling hills. The forest faded away as the mountains drew near, instead turning to almost marshy grassland in wide ravines, with foot deep streams crossing between overgrown patches of grass and weeds. Here the sun was blotched out by a tremendous shadow, tall pillars of stone stood like rows of jagged fangs. The path continued to narrow, becoming nothing more than a twisting and turning climb through the crags.
Naruto had hardly noticed how far up they'd traveled until, on looking over in a breach of the mountain, he was greeted with an overlook of a vast canyon. Trees and shrubs were interspersed between craggy cliffs, more of those large skeletons, and other areas that remained dead and barren. Then, as his gaze shifted northward, he saw the earth drop away; a sheer cliff that formed a tall and strong wall against the mighty ocean. Monstrous thunder clouds sparked and flashed in the distant sky. He stopped in his tracks, struck by the view before him. He'd never seen anything like it. While he had been to the top of the Hokage Monument, many times in fact, the sight there and what he saw now were as different as night and day.
Konoha was civilized, maintained, peaceful. This was wild, untamed, and chaotic. But also beautiful. The ocean itself shifted and churned with the waves, an amount of water Naruto never thought could exist. He'd heard tales of the oceans and vast seas, but never imagined it would be quite so massive. He couldn't even see where the water ended and the sky began, meshed together in shades of blue as they were.
"Naruto! C'mon!" Zaku called back, having stopped with the others. He stole one last look over, lost for breath, before racing to catch up with his team.
They traveled along the mountains further, in some places the path was steep and difficult, in others it was straight and mellow. Finally the uphill ravine opened up and leveled, revealing a plateau with a wide open plain. More grey and lonely mountains lay to the north, while the west and south ends of the plain seemed to go on and on forever. The ground before them was made of a sort of stone, with sparse patches of greenery breaking through cracks in the surface. The wind howled ferociously, a deafening roar across the field.
Still Tayuya ran, and they followed. She led them straight across the plateau, never once slowing her pace. The sun slowly fell towards the horizon in front of them, casting a golden red glow and painting the sky a variety of purple and dark blue; even while dark and ominous storm clouds churned above them. They had run only half an hour before the sun finally dropped out of view, and droplets of rain fell all around them. Soon the sprinkle had turned into a downpour, drenching and soaking them, and though it had long since darkened, the sky was lit by the brilliant and startling cracks of lightening. Thunder pounded in their ears. Naruto feared they would be struck by lightning, the clouds seemed so low from where they were.
He was very glad that it seemed Tayuya knew the way. She didn't falter or veer to the left or right, instead keeping her path forward in a single direction. The storm grew worse, the wind chilled them to the bone, and the thunder sounded as cannons to their ears. But they pressed on. Of all parts of the journey, this alone seemed the longest; the flat and barren terrain that surrounded them, coupled with a newfound sense of urgency thanks to the storm, heightened stress and nerve. The way before them seemed endless, and Naruto began to wonder if they would make it before dawn.
No sooner had he thought of having to make camp on this desolate plain, Tayuya motioned for the party to stop. It was now however for the reason Naruto supposed. She stood at the edge of a cliff, a jagged and rocky slope. The storm had created a fine sheet of mist that obscured their vision. Tayuya turned to them, shouting over the wind. "Follow me exactly! Screw this up and you're dead!" Naruto was just about to ask what she meant when she leaped from their perch and vanished deep into the mist. Dosu immediately jumped after her, and Kin likewise after a moment of hesitation. Naruto and Zaku exchanged questioning looks before they followed.
He fell through the fog for several moments before he finally dropped below. Immediately his vision went from white, to green as he caught the brief sight of many, many tall and massive trees, before his sight went white again as he slammed his head against an extended branch. He flipped backwards and crashed into another, before bashing against a third and finally colliding painfully with the ground.
"Oh shit!" Zaku exclaimed as they ran up to him. Naruto groaned in pain, but nonetheless was still conscious in spite of his injuries.
"It's a good thing you've got a thick skull." He shot Kin a glare, though she was genuinely concerned. "You okay? Know who you are and all that?"
"Teuchi Ichiraku." He answered, it was difficult to reply with wit when his head was pounding.
"He's fine." Dosu added, hiding his amusement behind his bandages.
"Let's keep moving!" Tayuya didn't seem to care whether Naruto was injured or not, she was far more concerned with pressing on. On one hand, Naruto couldn't blame her. The storm seemed only to be getting worse, and with nightfall the more dangerous predators would begin lurking. On the other, he wished she would give a damn for just one second at least.
Zaku pulled him back to his feet, and Naruto could at last observe his new surroundings. Gone was the lifeless highland, giant rocks, and vast, open views. Now they found themselves deep within a lush and bountiful forest. This one, like that around Otogakure, was very different from what Naruto was used to. This was a jungle, with overgrown foliage and muddy pits in equal measure. The trees were tall, most with their tops hidden by the layer of fog above them, and varied in size between thin and gangling or bulky and strong. Birds fluttered happily among the branches here, chirping and singing in the rain. Water poured like raging falls down the mountain's edge, in some areas forming smaller lakes and joining rushing streams in others.
Tayuya had already dashed ahead, so there was little time to dwell and properly appreciate the beauty of this place. But Naruto knew he would like to return here. One day, maybe in the spring. But for the moment he resolved himself back to the task at hand. They had a deadline to meet. The path, if there was one that Tayuya followed, was unstable and unpredictable. In spots the bushes and shrubs were so overgrown they could barely see through them. Sometimes they had to walk around walls of entangled vines and roots, others they had to traverse dangerously strong rivers. The relentless storm and the lack of light did not make the journey an easy one.
After what felt like hours Tayuya finally brought them to a stop. Without a word she knelt and dug away at what appeared to be a regular shrub; and moments later she tore the plant away to reveal a stone-made trap door in the ground. This she pulled open, and motioned for them to head inside, which they were quick to oblige. It opened up into a small, empty room, with a single dark hallway leading further in. More importantly, it was dry. Tayuya sealed the door shut above her, leaving them in absolute blackness. They shivered in the cold, utterly drenched from head to toe. The redhead lit a torch that hung on the wall, and then lit another on the opposite side, bringing a warm glow to the room. She proceeded to do the same down the hall, lighting each torch as they passed them.
The hall led to a larger room, this one furnished with some basic things like beds and cabinets and supplies for hunting and killing. She briskly moved to the cupboards and removed bundles of blankets, throwing the four their own individual one.
"Dry yourselves off." She instructed, although they were already doing just that, "We'll spend the night here. This damn thunderstorm ain't gonna' let up." She also threw them each a scroll. "Eat up, that shit is all you're getting for tonight."
The red-trimmed scrolls, when unfolded, each held the same pattern scrawled across it in black ink. Naruto placed his on the ground, and then with a puff of smoke a cooked and skinned fish was spawned over the markings. Tayuya had taken it upon herself to pack rations for the squad, and she ensured that each of them had enough food to sustain them until they got back to Otogakure. Even if somehow they'd go through all their food before returning, there were plenty of wild animals, birds and fish alike, that they could hunt. Unfortunately, there was no way of keeping whatever she stored fresh and warm, only preserved. Thus, the dish was cold and bland.
Naruto briefly glanced to his friends, more specifically what came out of their scrolls. On noting it was all the same, he decided to not complain, and took his first tentative bites. On the bright side, it was not the worst thing he'd tasted. But it certainly made for a more drawn out meal.
They ate in silence for a while, listening to the rolling thunder. Naruto was thankful - whatever this base was made of, though it appeared to be carved out of stone, it shielded against the cold and the rain. He recalled countless hours of plugging holes in his old apartment in Konoha, and times when he'd vacated the building altogether in the worse storms. At the time he thought the village was poor and couldn't afford to repair it, but in time he realized that wasn't the case. His landlord was never the nicest of men. It seemed his hostility extended to more than just his attitude. Regardless, that was all in the past, and how he could brag that even an Otogakure hole in the ground was of a higher quality than that shoddy excuse for an apartment.
"We're only a couple hours from Takigakure." Tayuya began once they'd finished their meal. She gathered them together in the center of the room, and laid a localized map on the floor. She pointed first at where they were, an unmarked area in the jungle that encompassed the Land of Waterfalls, then to where the village was. She traced her finger in a short line close to the village. "The main road crosses here, wraps around Taki, and goes west to Iwa. Taki keeps checkpoints here, here, and here." Again, she traced the map. "They check every single person who passes those points. Anyone who seems like they're remotely a threat are either interrogated or killed on the spot. We'll need to get through them without being spotted."
"Can't we just cross the water?" Kin asked, pointing at the large lake that surrounded Takigakure.
"No, they keep a group of sensor types watching that area at all times." Tayuya replied, "The only way to cross is by the bridge. We'll mask our chakra and blend in with other the other travelers. We can commandeer a trader's cart and use that to smuggle our equipment."
"They will check the cart." Dosu noted, "If they find any of our weapons, or the explosive tags, our cover will be blown immediately."
"We could set the explosives. We detonate them if we get discovered, which'll create enough of a distraction to get in the village. Just gotta' blend with the people fleeing the blast." Naruto thought it was a good plan - given the circumstances, it was the best he could think of, and he was proud that he'd come up with it at all. They had plenty of munition to use, and having one or two tags planted on the cart wouldn't effect the damage of their escape plan.
"If we blow the cart and start killing people, the village'll go on full alert, dumbass!" She scolded, crushing Naruto's ego just as fast as it'd been inflated. She paused, however, and stared down at the map with her hands at her sides. Then, she grinned, "Okay, new plan!"
New plan?! Had she not completely thought this through? They were under the impression Tayuya had a plan of entry from the get go, just that she hadn't felt the need to explain it. But was she actually just improvising? They all stared at her with a mix of disbelief and dread; she either didn't care or didn't notice. The idea that Tayuya had no clue how to actually get in to the village hadn't occurred to them, but now that it had, they each shared the same thought that they might not make it home, after all.
"This isn't gonna' work." Naruto grumbled as he tucked himself deeper into a dirty, tattered cloak. The group sat in darkness, surrounded by crates and barrels, every bump or rock in the road jolting the cart they hid in. It turned out, Tayuya's "new plan" was simply to wait alongside the road and play at being the helpless, lost children they definitely weren't. Admittedly, it hadn't taken long for a convoy of travelers to notice them, and fortune would have that the leader of this entourage was an elderly lady with too big a heart for her own good. She insisted they pack the kids up in one of the carts and escort them back to the village. That much had gone smoothly. He wasn't at all convinced the rest of the infiltration would work nearly as well. "For one, he's covered in bandages!"
Dosu shrugged halfheartedly.
"And two, if they check under-"
"Relax blondie." Tayuya interrupted, herself put in a fouler mood by the ceaseless bouncing and shuddering of the wagon. "Everything will go perfectly. Just watch." He huffed and folded his arms. Perfectly, right. If the Takigakure shinobi were anything like their reputation indicated, and that was terrifying on its own, then this would be far from 'perfect'. This village had never been invaded in the entirety of its existence as an independent nation. While the same could not be said for spies, no one had ever been able to damage Takigakure to a great extent. Even Sakon was discovered and forced to flee, and he was one of Orochimaru's elites, alongside the other Sound Four.
They weren't far from the village now. It was only minutes before they reached the first checkpoint blocking their way. The convoy slowed to a halt, and Naruto heard voices coming from the front. At first they were muffled, but as he focused, they became clearer. "-search every part of the caravan." He winced, this would be the first test of Tayuya's plan. There were two carts before theirs, and one following. Only two of the four actually mattered.
"Remember: We're only kids." Tayuya whispered, tightening her tunic around her. They nodded quietly, and waited for their inevitable discovery. With any luck, the old lady would play along.
Several long moments passed before the investigators reached their wagon. The blanket laid over them was violently torn aside, revealing three rough looking men glaring down at them. They were adorned with dark grey flak jackets and all the weapons and pouches Naruto would expect of any professional shinobi - even those that were glorified guard dogs. The five of them cowered away, mostly because it was all part of the act, partly because the sun was downright blinding after being in the dark for so long. Kin even made a startlingly believable outcry, like she was legitimately surprised.
"Children?" One of the shinobi murmured. Naruto could hear the shuffling of the old woman's feet as she approached as quick as she could.
"Oh don't mind them, we found them on our way and decided we could at least bring them to safety." She explained, her voice frail and gentle, "You wouldn't be so cold as to leave them be on the road, where the wolves could get to them, would you?"
The men were quiet for a short while. Naruto dared enough to take a peek. One of them, who undoubtedly was the head, appeared to be in thought. "Well, they are kids." He finally said, as he slowly turned to look at them. Cautious to not let his role slip, Naruto hastily shied away, giving the best 'weak and scared' appearance he could. "Just let the two other posts know about them in advance."
Thank you, grandma! Naruto exhaled a sigh of relief once the tarp had been replaced over them, and Zaku and Kin followed. Tayuya placed a finger over her lips to indicate they should remain quiet. After all, the shinobi were still close by, and if any of the group even whispered they'd likely be heard. Soon enough the guards gave the caravan the all clear to continue, and the wagon rolled forward - jolting and bouncing and shaking all the while. The process was repeated a second time, though when the shinobi came to examine their cart they were far more gentle in removing the covering. This inspection went quicker than the first, and Naruto thought that the guards at the second post were much more lazy and carefree than the ones at the first.
They were on their way again. The path evened out and the wheels hit less rocks and pebbles. Over the footsteps and conversations of the caravan they could hear running water, and the faint gushing sound of a waterfall roaring in the distance. The sound was all too familiar to Naruto. While before in the deeper jungle the air was heavy and humid, it had grown noticeably lighter, still moist but joined by a pleasant coolness. Curiosity on their surroundings was killing poor Naruto, but he restrained if only because Tayuya told him no. She said the image would only last as long as they kept their heads down.
Only one checkpoint to go. Likely, this would be the worst and most thorough. According to the map this last guard post lay right at the entrance to the bridge, meaning that anyone who wanted to get in to the village first had to get through them. If they weren't the most absolute lazy and pointless guards ever, they would be the best of the best. They would check everything, from the largest box to the smallest pocket. It would be a walk in the park once they got through, but if they were to be stopped - it would be there.
Once more the convoy came to a halt. A loud, authoritative voice commanded them to stop. They waited there for a time, the old, kind leader of the group conversed with the guards. Then they started moving again. Naruto immediately snapped his gaze to Tayuya, who stared solemnly at the floor of the cart in the darkness. The caravan continued. They didn't check the wagon. They waited a time before daring to speak, even knowing that the group now walked across the bridge leading to the village proper. "The hell was that?" Zaku was the first to say.
Tayuya didn't meet their questioning eyes. "They know." She answered.
"I told you this wouldn't work." Naruto grumbled, clenching his fingers against the wooden frame. "What now?"
"Just follow my lead." She said, it wasn't the most comforting of instructions. Now more than ever they could feel the danger, like a heavy curtain fallen on their shoulders. At any moment they could be set upon by scores of Takigakure shinobi, and without their weapons to fight back. Without a doubt they were skilled for their age, and yet that sort of onslaught would definitely destroy them. Even if they assumed it possible to reach the end of the bridge, what then? Tayuya had never told them what to do if they were discovered, only that they wouldn't be. Unbeknownst to them, Tayuya was not altogether displeased. Certainly she would have preferred they remain totally invisible to Takigakure's eyes, but she had not planned on that being the case. She wasn't about to bank on a plan that depended on them not being discovered. Not when Sakon had told them the village was already on high alert, after his botched mission. Not when considering this was Takigakure, a land that had never been successfully invaded.
Never would she be so foolish. Not on her life. Not on the life of her team.
They remained there in silence, until their craft rolled to a stop. Tayuya motioned for them to wait. It was that same elderly woman, a kind and gentle smile on her wrinkled and aged face, who removed the tarp from above them. "We're here little ones. Let's find someone who can take care of you, hm?" She beckoned for them to come with her. Tayuya rose from where she sat and tentatively crawled out of the cart; followed by the others.
What awaited them was a sight to behold, like something from a fairy tale. They stood on a dock of sorts, although it seemed more a fishing hub than that belonging to trade and travel. Understandably, since a good portion of fish swim from the surrounding rivers and find their homes in a massive lake that wrapped around them on all sides. Adjacent to the piers, and built further in on the island, were houses and buildings built of stone and wood, shaped as standing rectangles with triangular, plated roofs; the village was lit by lanterns hung from these. The roads crisscrossing through the city were of paved dirt, though there was a main road laid in stone. However, all of that was an afterthought. That which held their attention most, was The Tree!
They, save for Tayuya who had likely seen many things strange and unusual, had never beheld something quite so unimaginably massive. There, standing as a sentinel, a pillar if you will, in the very center of Takigakure was a tree; a tree that dwarfed everything around it, even its leaves shooting high above the forest that enclosed on the far side of the lake. Birds fluttered about in its branches, forming an endlessly shifting blanket of colors under the shadow of the leaves. So absolutely giant was the tree, those of its roots that jutted from the ground were comparable to the trunks of the trees deeper in the jungle. Naruto wondered if those trees weren't connected to this one.
The village was built around this tree, some buildings constructed around or even under those very same roots. Though he had to squint to see them, Naruto could make out further extensions of the village on the other side of the lake. However, the majority of town was centered on this side of the shore.
He could have stared at the scenery for hours, much like the view from the Mountain Graveyard the previous day, yet as before his attention was needed elsewhere. "Come along children." The elder instructed as she led them away from the convoy. Taking Kin by the hand. It was odd, they weren't so young as to be treated like toddlers, and yet this woman seemed to think they were. She walked along a good while, her head looking from building to building before she decided on one in particular. It was a larger shelter, a courtyard in front of it with a wall and a gate. There was a wooden and subtle sign hung above the door frame. It read: 'Waterfall Orphanage', and with the subtitle: 'Home to the Children of the Waterfall'.
Naruto stared long and hard at the sign. An orphanage; although this place was very removed from Konoha, still it brought forward unpleasant memories best forgotten. Children ran and laughed and played, and Naruto imagined himself watching on, longing and defeated, from the upper window. It had been a darker moment in his life. But now was not the time to dwell. They were in hostile territory now, of a sort, and needed to stay on their toes. It wouldn't do to be caught out of character.
The quaint green door was opened for them as they approached. Naruto could feel the curious looks and watchful eyes following their every move, as many of the children ceased their play to observe. A shorter woman with a pleasant complexion and round glasses greeted them. Her brown hair was done up in a professional, yet well groomed bun, and she wore a white vest over a dark blue dress. "Hello." She smiled, and from there the adults descended into their businesses and discussions that I wish not to bore you with here. Suffice to say an agreement was reached, and that Tayuya, Naruto, and the rest would all stay there for a time.
It was there that they would say goodbye to the kind elderly woman who was gracious enough to guide them along. She would never learn who it was she had helped, and where their allegiances truly lay. The Orphanage Mother, or so she was called, led them to their rooms. It was improper, even for siblings, for the boys and the girls to share a room, so they were granted separate lodgings across the hall from each other, Tayuya with Kin, and Naruto with Dosu and with Zaku. The rooms were comfortable, warm, and friendly; not at all like the place Naruto once had to stay, as he would recall. But they could not stay, as much as the comforts and luxuries they were given tempted them to, and soon they were back to the task at hand.
"No weapons." Zaku whispered, huddled together in a circle around a dark brown fur rug. "Our explosive tags are still hidden with the old hag." He received a smack from Kin for that. "How're we supposed to get out of this one?"
"What about the guards?" That was Naruto's chief concern. "If they know, why haven't they attacked us yet? They can, y'know?" It was a minor verbal tic, but one that spoke of the nervousness he tried so hard to hide.
"We also need to locate your contact." Dosu mused, ever thoughtful. "There isn't much time."
"Is meeting with him even safe? Aren't they watching us?" Kin was the last, and that was enough to put Tayuya over the edge.
"Okay, everyone shut the fuck up, or I will start beating the living shit out of each of you." She defied expectations by at least whispering, keeping her voice low and steady. Surely if the caretaker had heard her, she would have fainted in shock. "Look. One, everything is still going to plan. Two, I told you, no chatting unless I tell you. And three, I also told you, do exactly as I say. So shut your traps, and listen." They sat and waited, expectantly. After surveying the group for little while, waiting to see if any dared to break her rule, she continued. "Tonight, I'm getting everything from the caravan. You leave that to me. As for Takigakure's shinobi, they're gonna' be watching the traders and the wrinkled witch, like the idiots they are. Because we're just orphans, and everyone's too stupid to think any different. Once we have the stuff, we can find our guy, get his stuff, and get the fireworks started. Simple."
Of course none of that really explained much, like how she was going to get their weapons back without getting spotted, or the how of them finding the person they needed to find. It didn't tell them why, for a village that was supposed to be on 'high alert', it seemed more or less calm and peaceful as a summer day. She told them none of those things, and many more questions and thoughts and worries they had went unaddressed. But she did tell them that for now they weren't suspected, and that was a relief. She also seemed incredibly confident as ever, which relieved them even more. So for the moment they were content to do as they were told, to be seen, not heard.
Then there was a creak. Like the sound of pressure on an old and weary board of wood. Naruto heard it, Tayuya heard it, and Dosu heard it too; but Kin did not, and more importantly Zaku did not.
"Awesome. So the bombs are still in the plan." He said, his voice low but his excitement rising. "Can't wait to-" Tayuya lunged for him, and slapped her palm across his mouth, and brought a finger to her lips. She directed Naruto and Dosu to the closed door of their bedroom, an instruction they followed, Naruto shifting quietly and Dosu lurking close behind him. His ear to the wall, Naruto listened; impatient and tense. First there was no sound, and he thought perhaps it was just a settling in the building's frame, but then there was something. Like the soft exhale of air. Then followed footsteps, soft and tempered, and they approached the door.
Of course they thought it could be the caretaker, or a shinobi from the village come to spy on them, or maybe the caretaker was a shinobi herself and this was all a horrible ploy to catch them unawares. They were surprised when there was a gentle rat-atap knock on the door. Naruto looked to Dosu, who frowned under his mask, and then to Tayuya, who hesitated but then nodded. Naruto tensed, reached for the handle, and opened the door. On the other side was a little girl, who seemed a couple years younger than they, with dark green hair and amber eyes. She was dressed comfortably and casually, and not at all the shinobi they expected. She smiled at them cheerfully, a broad, happy grin.
"Hi! I'm Fu!"
End scene! I feel like I changed writing prose, or style, a bit here or there? Not sure... Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoyed! By the time of posting this, I've already made some progress on the next chapter, so with any luck it'll be all ready to go in two weeks time. Huzzah! :D As normal, don't forget to leave a review with any comments, questions, or advice! I love the feedback! Also a follow and a favorite so I can look at those fancy numbers and feel good about something! :D
See you next time!