I don't own NARUTO
I do own OC's
"talking"
"thinking"
"demonic talking"
"demonic thinking"
Chapter 24
Time has passes since returning to the Leaf. Naruto was in his office working when Sakura ran in, in a panic. "Naruto the team you sent to investigate the rumors has returned but they are in critical condition." She said.
"What!" Naruto said as he got up and made his way to the hospital. Once their he met up with his predecessor, Tsunade. "Granny Tsunade, are they doing any better?"
"We managed to stabilize them but they are still in no condition to speak?" Tsunade said.
"Why is that?" Naruto asked.
"Although there were a numerous amount of wounds, it seems that there throats and mouths have been given the most damage." Tsunade said.
"It is likely this was done to keep them from talking." Said Minoru Gekai, who walked into the room.
"Minoru, why are you here?" Naruto asked.
"Minoru shows the most promise of all my students in surgical technique so I asked him to assist in treatment." Sakura said. "But there is something else that worries me about this cases."
"I see, although I lack training in medical ninjutsu I can tell that this types of wounds are not done by just any one." Naruto said.
"There is only one person that has the skills to do this types of things, but he is locked away." Sakura said.
"Maybe he can shine some light on the situation." Naruto said.
"Wait!" Minoru said. "Let me talk with him."
"You why?" Naruto asked.
"No offense but I doubt you would be able to keep a cool head with him, Lord Naruto." Minoru said. "And we both know of Sakura sensei's and Lady Tsunade's tempers."
"You sure you are up for this?" Sakura asked.
"Don't worry, I can handle myself." Minoru said.
"Okay then." Naruto said. "I will inform the prison of your arrival. Dismissed."
"Yes sir." Minoru then left.
"Do you really think we can even trust any information he would give?" Sakura asked.
"It is not like we have much of a chose." Naruto said. "Even a little information is better then a lot of nothing. Minoru be careful. Kabuto is as much a snake as his former master was."
Minoru was escorted to a special wing of the prison. The guard lead him to a room and unlocked the door and Minoru went in. "You not coming in?"
"This is as far as I go." The guard said.
"Alright then." Minoru then continued into the room and it was locked behind him. He walked up to a single cell.
"So I have a guest. That is a rare sight." said a voice.
"Kabuto Yakushi, it has been a while since we first, 'met'." Minoru said.
"You were among the genin that were with Naruto and his team." Kabuto said. "Minoru's your name right? What warrants this visit?"
"Straight to the point, good." Minoru then took a folder and slipped it into his cell. "Recently a team sent to investigate the site of a recent incident returned with their vocal cords damaged and their mouths ether with their jaws damaged."
"Your point?" Kabuto asked.
"Anyone could have done damage to the jaw but their was no physical signs of damage the throat meaning..." Kabuto interrupted Minoru.
"...a medical ninja was involved in the attack. I see that is why you are here, your Hokage is stumped and need my help to solve this mystery. That is pathetic." Kabuto said as he pressed his finger to the bridge of his nose.
"I see. So that is the issue." Minoru then throw his glasses to Kabuto. "Put them on." Kabuto did that. "Look again at the photos."
"Okay but what would that do?" Kabuto asked. "The other injuries made here. They is no way a human could cause this wounds."
"If that is the case then what could?" Minoru asked.
"Since you loaded me your glasses I will tell you this must. A puppet is likely being used." Kabuto said as he took the glasses off and throw them back to Minoru. "But not just any puppet, human puppets."
"How do you figure that?" Minoru asked as he placed his glasses back on.
"Look at the impact wounds the force is greater then human but the size of the impact zone is the same as a full grown human man." Kabuto said.
"That all?" Minoru asked. "If so I am leaving."
"So with that you are done with me too." Kabuto said.
"Kabuto, I have seen what you did with those Sound Ninja that you used against use three years ago. I also read about your handy work. Despite your sicking experiments I admire your skill." Minoru then left and reported what he found out to Naruto.
After the report Naruto sent Team Naruto to investigate. "Well this is the place." Kagemaru said they arrived.
"Yeah, to think there was an drunken brawl between Leaf and visiting Cloud that destroyed a third of the town." Akemi said. "So how are we going to deal with this?"
"First we have to find out where they are." Isamu said. "Problem is that this is a border town."
"Border Town?" Akemi asked.
"This town rests on the border line of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning as such there are ninja from both Leaf and Cloud Village here. And if we ask around and the Cloud ninja get wind they may thing we are blaming them for the attack." Kagemaru said.
"If only we know the events leading to the attack on the Leaf Team." Yamato said.
"That we can do." Kagemaru said as he took out a file folder. "They were sent here to investigate the bar incident. It took three days to solve because they had to deal with the Cloud's own investigation team intervening and a fight about distinction. After that they planned to stay a day to rest. That is strange."
"What is strange?" Akemi asked.
"It took use three days to get here and it should take three days back. Injured it would take at least two additional days and they were planning to stay a day. And three days to solve the case." Kagemaru said.
"Yeah well that is twelve days in total." Isamu said.
"Yes but they were gone for nine days." Kagemaru said. "Even if they did not rest on the day they arrived in town to deal with the case it should be ten days not nine."
"So something caused them to leave early." Yamato said. "We should look near the inn they stayed in."
"Good idea." Isamu said. And they left to the inn.
They were allowed into the room that the other team slept in. "Found anything?" Isamu asked.
"No nothing." Yamato said.
"Guys, I think I found something." Akemi said.
"What?" Isamu asked.
"Look, there is a building just outside the window." Akemi said. "It looks like it is abandoned."
"Yeah and?" Isamu asked.
"I sense lingering chakra signatures in there that don't match our ninja." Akemi said.
"Then let's go check it out." Isamu said as he opened the window and jumped out the window.
"Isamu is so impulsive." Akemi said.
"We should go too and make sure he doesn't cause trouble." Yamato said as he and Akemi left to the abandoned building.
When they arrived Isamu was already inside. "What took you two?"
"Well we didn't wish to attract attention to ourselves." Yamato said.
"Looks like I wasn't the only one that thought this place was a good place to look." Isamu said as he pointed out Kagemaru searching the scene.
"Captain Kagemaru, when did you get here?" Akemi asked.
"I had a hunch about this place." Kagemaru said.
"What was it?" Yamato asked.
"The ground lacks dust, strange in an abandon building." Kagemaru said. "Maybe the owner will shine some light on this."
"Well let's go find him." Isamu said. "Where is he?" Moments later they were outside the building owners current enterprise. "This is the place. A bar."
"Well let's go." Kagemaru said.
"We can't." Yamato said.
"Why is that?" Kagemaru asked.
"We are only sixteen." The three of them said at once.
"You are not drinking so just stay close and stay away from the main bar." Kagemaru said. With that they entered the building. They then made their way to the owner's office.
"Yes I own that building but why does that matter?" The owner asked.
"Ninja from the Leaf were last seen in the proximity of your building moments before they were found harm." Kagemaru said.
"If so it is a coincide." The owner said.
"Really. Then would you mind if I ask the people that are hiding in your closet to come out." Kagemaru said.
"Who? You mean my security?" The owner then reached into his shirt and pulled out a strange looking glove. It was black with teal blue metal shards on it. He placed it on and then out from the back room walked in two identical looking puppets. They had plain white mask covering face, long spiky "white hair" black shirt, pants, sandals, gloves, hooded cap, dark gray body armor, cloak, and vest, vest also has two white circles on them, and a forehead protector as a belt with a black cloth with a scratch through it.
"What are those things?" Isamu asked.
"Nin-droids, self propelling ninja puppets." The owner said.
"Why do you have this things?" Kagemaru asked.
"Ninja are among my costumers. They get too drunk then they can cause problems so I got this Nin-droids to help protect my business and myself." The owner then moved his gloved hand and the nin-droids charged. The Leaf Ninja then ready themselves for attack and then both charged at Kagemaru and sent him flying.
"Captain Kagemaru." Akemi said as the three of them left to check on Kagemaru. "You okay?"
"Yeah but what happened?" Kagemaru asked.
Just then a poof of smoke appeared before them and when it cleared there stood the owner and one of the Nin-droids. "I don't know how you know about my dealings but I will have to eliminate you." The owner then reached his gloved hand back and then several more Nin-droids appeared.
"That glove controls them and allows him to summon them. If we get rid of the glove then this Nin-droid will no longer be a problem." Kagemaru said. "You guys think you can handle them?"
"Yes we can." Isamu said.
"Okay, go!" With that they charged in and fought back the ninja puppets.
"It is pointless. I have you out numbered. You can't defeat them all." The owner said.
"Good to know." Kagemaru said as he charged to attack but the Owner raised his gloved hand and then a barrier appeared and shielded him.
"That is new." The owner said. "Looks like your plan did not work."
"Well I wonder about that?" Kagemaru then continued to attack the owner but he raised the barrier to block the whole time.
Meanwhile as they were fighting the Nin-droids Isamu and Yamato were back to back. "Looks like something is delaying Captain Kagemaru's plan." Yamato said.
"Well there is plan B." Isamu said.
"What is plan B?" Yamato asked.
"Simple. B as in beat them to hell." Isamu said as he punched one of them in it's masked face, sending it into a tree."
"Not my preference but I can make do." Yamato then slashed one in half. "Hope cutting doesn't interfere in your plan B."
Just then two were heading straight for Isamu and Yamato but then Akemi appeared and slammed the two Nin-droids head together. "There is still plan A. Look." Akemi said referring to Kagemaru attacking the owner.
"Here I go." Kagemaru then punched at the owner once more and as it hit the barrier it shattered.
"What the?" The owner said. He then tried to run but then Kagemaru appeared in front of him and grabbed him. "Please have mercy." The owner said.
"Stop your puppets." Kagemaru said.
"I can't I have tried but it is not working." The owner said.
"If you can't stop them then recall them." Kagemaru said.
"No I can't they will destroy my business. I will never do it." The owner then managed to let a burst of chakra out that got him free and ran off.
"This is bad." Kagemaru said to himself.
"Go after him we can handle things here." Yamato said.
"Right." Kagemaru then ran after the owner.
The owner was running for a while when he fell down on the ground. "So we meet so soon." Said a cloaked man.
"You, what is with this control glove you sold me, it doesn't work anymore." The owner said.
"Really? Let me see. Lift your hand." The cloaked man asked. "I see the problem, you used up too much chakra."
"What do you mean chakra? You said that this thing does not use chakra to control those puppets." The owner said. "I want my money back." Just then a spear was thrust in the gut of the owner. At the other side of the spear was a Nin-droid.
"Controlling is nothing but using the barrier and summoning does drain you of chakra." The cloaked man said just at Kagemaru arrived and struck at the cloaked man but he lift his right hand to reveal he was wearing a red and black version of the glove the owner was using and a barrier appeared to defend him.
"So you provided him with the Nin-droids and the Control glove, why?" Kagemaru asked.
"A test to see how effective the control glove is. Although he used up his chakra reserves he was still able to move afterwards." The cloaked man said.
"Since you gave him the device you can stop it." Kagemaru said as he draw a kunai and charged in again.
The cloaked man held his hand to the Nin-droid and then it throw it's spear to the cloaked man and he used it to block Kagemaru's attack. The two clashed. At the end there was no winner. "You are strong, too strong for me currently so I yell for now. Here." The cloaked man then throw a round black disc. "Take this man's glove and insert the disc in it. That will give you a one time use of it."
"Why would I do that?" Kagemaru asked.
"To save your team of course." The cloaked man as he jumped over to his Nin-droid.
"What was it you that sent the Nin-droid after those Leaf Ninja?" Kagemaru asked.
"Yes I did but once they are out of range of my command they do as they wish." With that the cloaked man took his left hand in a fist and placed it in his opened right hand and then moved his left hand in while he held his right hand out palms up. He then touched the nin-droid and it disappeared into a poof of smoke.
"He got away." Kagemaru then started to his team but stopped and took the glove from the owner. He returned to the site of the battle. And his team were being over whelmed. "Guys!"
"Captain get back they are too strong for you." Yamato said.
"They are too many of them. What to do?" Kagemaru said to himself. "I have no chose." He then placed the glove on and then inserted the disc. At that the glove changed size to fit him.
"What is Kagemaru planning?" Isamu asked.
"What was the hand signs?" Kagemaru asked himself. He then repeated the motions used by the cloaked man and then the Nin-droid disappeared in a poof of smoke.
"What was that?" Isamu asked.
"I recalled them." Kagemaru said. "But it looks like I used the one time use."
"Well we have the glove so we can at least examine it." Yamato said.
"I think we can do more then that?" Isamu said. "Look." With that said they looked to see that one of the Nin-droids were still there. "What do we do with it?"
"We take it with us so we can examine it." Kagemaru said. With that they took the nin-droid and the discarded parts and head back to the Leaf Village.
Meanwhile in a hidden location, the cloaked man was walking through a hall way when he was stopped by a sword to his throat. "Your let them go, why?" Asked the owner of the sword.
"I have my reasons. Don't you have the leader to meet with?" The cloaked man asked.
"You are lucky that you managed to develop the control glove our you would be of no use to us." The sword man said as he lowered his blade and left.
"He is lucky that I managed to develop the control glove. He knows nothing of manipulation of living things." The cloaked man said as he continued through the hall.
Back in the Leaf Village Kagemaru reported back to Naruto about everything that happened on the mission. "So a new threat is out there." Naruto said. "We will have to be on our guard from now on." Naruto then turned to Kagemaru and asked. "Is there any information from the retrieve Nin-droid yet?"
"Do to a lack of puppet users in the Leaf we had to request help from the Hidden Sand to even get close to examining it." Kagemaru said.
"Well where is it now?" Naruto asked.
"We placed it in the armory for know. It should be okay there for now." Kagemaru said.
"Good. Please keep me informed on the situation." Naruto said.
Meanwhile in the armory things seemed quiet as the 'eyes' of the Nin-droid glow.