Chapter 7: Iron.
A/N: A lot of expository dialogue/infodumping here, making this the second longest chapter I have written for SnN. I think I am pretty much done with the not immediately pertinent worldbuilding for the time being though.
"You three about ready to go?"
"As soon as we are done here and the Legion soldiers are ready to."
The common room inn was mostly full, about half the soldiers seated at the tables eating breakfast as Naruto, Hinata and Tenten were doing.
"Well we are settled up here, so we can leave any time."
Naruto picked up his plate and scraped the rest of his eggs into his mouth. "Well, I am done."
"Me too," Tenten chorused, quickly followed by Hinata. The six soldiers that were still eating all set down their food and followed Naruto and the rest of the ninja out. Sergeant Kurosaki and Father Alexander were waiting out by the stables, overseeing the preparation of the horses.
"How long until you are ready," Naruto asked from the doorway.
"Just finishing up, sir," Kurosaki said from his horse's side. His hands moved over his horse with smooth precision, tightening and adjusting straps with quick, sure motions. Giving the girth strap one last tug, Sergeant Kurosaki put his foot into the stirrup and mounted his horse, leading the other soldiers out of the barn and into the sunlight.
Ten minutes later and Kagoshima was an increasingly small and increasingly indistinct shape in the rear view. It a little over a day to reach the Iron-Fire border, and about the same amount of time for Naruto to discover that the Hidden Villages did not have a monopoly on defensive land formations. Almost from the moment Naruto and his group crossed into Iron, the weather went from uncomfortably chilly to below zero, combined with the almost unnatural regularity of the nearly symmetrical rock outcroppings slowed their pace somewhat, constantly having to zigzag back and forth around the conical outcroppings and cut paths through slog through snow that came up to the horses chests at times with their various elemental techniques.
Iron was not a large country, and only possessed a handful of castles, Mitsudara being one of the most unusual and important ones in the country. Built in the centuries before the cataclysmic Third World War, it was one of the oldest structures in the world, built in the ancient way, in the manner that the throne room of the Last Redoubt imitated. The first of the castle's oddities lay in its location and construction. Sitting within sight of and nearly in the shadow of the Three Wolves, a massive curling rock formation that jutted several hundred meters above Iron's broken terrain, Mitsudara Castle sat on the plateau left behind when the top half of the formation had been removed. If the sheer unscalability of the lower half of the outcropping was not enough of a deterrent for would-be aggressors, the ascent to the castle was heavily fortified, nearly a dozen guardhouses built into the stone of the outcropping, demarcating the only path leading up to the top.
The moment Naruto and his group came within sight of the guardhouse standing at the base of the outcropping, over a dozen armored Iron soldiers piled out into the open air, forming a defensive line between the foreigners and the gate. The queue of civilians dissolved instantly, everyone scrambling out of the way of the soldiers.
The guards were attired in a similar manner as the Fire Legion soldiers were, but in shades of grey and black instead of blue. They wore unpolished but unmarred grey breastplates over their woolen longcoats, the kanji for Iron in a black circle set into the center, uncrested kabutos in the same dull color on their heads. On their right shoulders was a metal badge in the shape of a half-raised portcullis in an arch.
One of the soldiers stepped out of the line, this one carrying his Iron kanji crested helmet under one arm. "I am the gate captain. Who are you and what is your purpose here in Iron?"
"My name is Hyuuga Naruto of Konohagakure, accompanied by Kyushu Jiraiya of the Sannin. I have come to speak to the Governor-General, Mifune."
Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because that only made the soldiers unlimber their firearms. That made Naruto a little nervous, having almost thirty guns aimed in his general direction. Naruto was one of the fastest shinobi of his generation, but he couldn't dodge bullets, not at that range, and not unless he donned his Garments of the Dead, and that would take a moment longer than it would take him to get shot.
The moment the Iron guards raised their weapons everyone did the sensible thing and raised their hands, well away from their own and tried to look as unthreatening as possible. Of course, that was a little easier said than done, given it was hard to mistake the man at Naruto's side for anybody other than Jiraiya and backed by a dozen soldiers of his own. "Captain, I am on a diplomatic mission from Konoha, sanctioned by the Hokage and the Fire Daimyo himself. I am going to slowly reach into my coat and remove my credentials." Naruto did as he said; making sure the guards saw the corner of the brown diplomatic envelope as he pulled it out, pinching the corner by his thumb and forefinger, the other finger spread wide. The gate captain came forward to accept the envelope before retreating behind his men to read the contents. Team Shinigami waited, but the gate captain just ordered his soldiers to lower their weapons as he walked through the line and offered Naruto the envelope back.
"You will be allowed entry, but you must submit to a search and surrender any weapons other than your sidearms, which will be peace-tied. While in Mitsudara Town, you will carry your honor weapons with you at all times and you will submit them for inspection at the request of any law enforcement official. If at any time your peace-ties are discovered to be broken, you and your cohorts will be arrested on the spot and detained until an investigation has been conducted to discover whether or not you have committed any other crimes, followed by immediate deportation. Is there anything you do not understand?"
Naruto looked to his companions, and then shook his head at the guard captain when none of them signaled a negative. The guard captain turned away and flicked a hand at Naruto, gesturing for them to follow. The guardhouse was sizable, designed as a mantrap. Everyone was brought into the first room, designed as a waiting area for processing. Naruto's group was taken through the only other door in the room in groups of three, excepting Hinata and Tenten who were taken in together.
Naruto and a pair of soldiers were brought through first. There was a table set in the middle of the second area, spanning most of the room with several soldiers on the other side. Three guards came around the table and made the trio strip down to their underwear, making sure that nobody had any concealed weapons. Naruto did, of course, but he gave them up without a fuss.
"We are going to have to search all your belongings now, including your luggage scrolls. You may watch, but there may be some items that you will not be allowed to bring into the city. You will be given a receipt for anything confiscated and will only be returned when you leave. Now, if you will please place your belongings on the table to be inspected."
The statement was phrased like a question but his tone made it clear that it was not. Setting his scroll on the table, he deftly untied the thin leather strips and unrolled it with a flick of his wrist, quickly popping all the seals for inspection. As the captain had said, they really did not seem interested in anything that could not be used to kill someone. They only flipped books open or unfurled scrolls to make sure that they were not concealing any other weapons.
There was a small pile of wire, shuriken, senbon and kunai set in a cardboard box labeled with his name and the date. All his other belongings were repacked and his scroll handed back to him. "You may select one weapon as your honor weapon, limited to melee blades or sealed firearms."
Naruto did not say anything, just setting his zanpakuto on the table before the guard captain. One of the other guards picked it up, removing a small box from under the table and setting by Naruto's sword. There was a roll of shiny red wire in the box, as well as a lump of green wax. A small pool of wax was melted onto the flat of Kitsune's pommel over the end of the red wire. It was given a moment to solidify, and then quickly wrapped around the hilt, guard and sheath in a complex web. The wire was snipped and another small puddle of wax was melted over the other end. The wire was thin, but strong looking, with a shiny, glittering thread running through it.
Once the searches were done, Naruto and the two were escorted to the third chamber, where they passed through another doorway that led to a narrow sloping passage, curling one hundred eighty degrees to deposit them on a shelf set into the side of the stone thirty feet above the ground.
It took another forty-five minutes to clear the rest of Naruto's group, Jiraiya coming out last along with Tenten, Hinata and the guard captain. The captain handed a piece of paper to Jiraiya.
"Be at this location before sundown. If you are not, a search party will be organized and you will not like the consequences when you are found. Iron is and will stay a neutral party in all shinobi affairs. Anything done to threaten that neutrality will be severely punished. Do not cause an incident and your stay here shall be a pleasant one."
Jiraiya gave the guard captain a solemn nod. "We will do our best to avoid disturbing the peace, Thank you for your hospitality."
"Thank you for your hospitality?" Naruto asked when they began their ascent. "That has to be the least hospitable greeting that I have ever seen!"
"That wasn't all that bad, all things considering. Just be glad they allowed us entrance at all. As I have told you before, we are just about the samurais least favorite people, and we are foreigners to boot. Iron considers all ninja liars, thieves and cheats, which is what we are for the most part, so you shouldn't be surprised when we are treated like criminals."
"I guess that makes sense," Naruto said slowly. "I had not really thought about it from their point of view."
"This is an important lesson for you then, apprentice. As I have told you before, whether or not you become Hokage, whether or not you succeed me as the Toad Sage, you will always be a person of power, and by extension, influence. As a result, the ability to tell truth from fiction, to see underneath the underneath, to understand the other side's point of view will be your most important skills, even more if you do become Hokage. Truthfully, your position as Konoha chunin is the least important of your titles." It took half an hour for the group to reach the top, breezing through all the other guardhouses built into the ascent and finally get their first look at Mitsudara Castle.
Compared to the metropolitan Urashima Military City, the castle town was hardly impressive, occupying approximately two-thirds of the plateau, if well defended. The castle itself did not appear to be as large as its importance might suggest, less than ten stories tall judging by the two jutting, curled eaves that was all that could be seen from outside the first of the three stone walls that protected the town. Each gave every indication that they had been carved from the living stone, lacking anything in the way of a join, crease or crack.
The outermost wall was about thirty feet tall possessing a single archway with a half-raised portcullis to allow admittance. A wooded bridge connected to the second way by thick chains was lowered over a twenty-foot deep dry moat, lined with a veritable thicket of wicked spikes. The guards manning the gate waved them through almost immediately, forgoing any sort of inspection more detailed than a quick tug on everyone's honor weapons.
If there was one thing Mitsudara Town and UMC shared, it was the bustle. While Mitsudara Town had a third of the population of UMC at best, it was undoubtedly far more diverse. Sun-dark nomads from Sand, Fire caravan traders with their familiar accents from home, quick-talking, pale-faced citizens from Water making the night-skinned Lightning men look all the darker in comparison. And surprisingly enough, they were not the only shinobi in the city either. Perhaps it shouldn't have been in hindsight, but Naruto blinked in surprise and stared when he saw a pair of shinobi, one with a Grass hitai-aite and one with a Waterfall one walking side-by-side, everyone watched over by the town guards that patrolled the streets in force. "As a neutral nation-state, many organizations and even other countries use Iron as a safe zone, an area where they can conduct business without having to worry about being ambushed or ripped off. As long as nobody does anything that endangers Iron's peace or neutrality, they generally don't care what business people come to conduct. The only caveat to that is they take a very dim view on anything they consider deceitful or dishonest, and Iron has few reservations on deporting anyone they deem to be breaking their codes of conduct, so you can generally trust whatever it is the other guy is telling you."
"Are they so dangerous?" Tenten asked.
"Let me just say that there is a very good reason why the shinobi nations leave Iron way the hell alone and the samurai rule the known world."
"I think we will take that into consideration," Hinata said. "So this Mifune would be one scary guy then?"
"Easily better than me."
Naruto did not say anything to that, but neither Hinata nor Tenten missed his inward stare. Nobody said anything, the gravity of Jiraiya's tone forestalling speech. "Yeah, that might actually work, but..."
"Oh no, Naruto-kun. No no no."
"Don't even think about it," Hinata said on the heels of Tenten's words. "Don't even think about trying to pick a fight with or start a duel with him."
"You don't even know what I was thinking," Naruto protested.
"We both know you well enough by now to know exactly what you are thinking," Hinata replied flatly.
"But the thing is, I think it would actually work. 'Cause the way that I figure it, the samurai have to have something, something or a skill, on top of the chakra cocoon that trumps our ninjutsu, especially given how you were making the toad's kinjutsu out to be the next best thing since sliced bread. And since speed is king-"
"Naruto, I am dead serious when I say do not try to start anything with Mifune. He is not Urashima. Get into a fight with him and he will not go easy on you. Mifune is the leader of Iron, with all that it entails and implies. I know the man, and I have worked with him before, but that by no means that he will do the same with you. On the other hand, he is a samurai so deal with him like you did with Urashima and you should do okay. Just don't do anything that he would consider dishonest or disrespectful."
"That could be a problem," Hinata snarked.
"Okay," Naruto said stopping in his tracks. "You know, that was funny back in the Academy and back in Konoha for the first couple of months but by now I think I have proven that I can take things seriously when I need to be."
"Sorry Naruto-kun," Hinata apologized immediately. Naruto grunted and continued walking but his frowned remained.
"Anyway," Jiraiya continued, "it is always 'my lord' or 'sir.' Give Mifune the same speech you gave Urashima and I think you should have a good chance of convincing him to support your plan. I think you should have a good chance of convincing him to support your plan, being all for peace and love as he is. That being said, he is going to want to know every single detail of your grand plan, and I guarantee that he is going to want to be on the short list for information, and on your group when the time comes. And one last thing- do not lie to him, about anything, ever. Mifune is the least trusting, most paranoid son-of-a-bitch I know. Given who he is, and who we are asking what we are, he is going to assume that every word out of your mouth is a lie. He is the closest thing to a human lie detector I have ever encountered. At the same time, Iron has the most extensive network of eyes-and-ears in the world. Being just about the only country without a Hidden Village, they have a very vested interest in the goings-on of the shinobi nations as you might well imagine. Iron, being what you could probably describe as the only truly neutral nation also acts as something of an information broker, if the price is right, and the consequences aren't too high.
"Keeping that in mind, there is every likelihood that Iron's intelligence branch already has a dossier on you and Mifune will memorize every scrap of information they have on you when he learns of our arrival. So yet another reason not to lie to him, if you needed one."
"Alright, Nothing but straight brutal honesty from me."
"And no lies of omission either. You need Mifune's support. Do not give him the slightest reason to suspect our reason for coming to him. If he believes that there is some other reason for our presence, that we might be a threat to Iron, he will not hesitate to deny your request and most likely try to imprison us."
"Alright, alright, I get it. Don't lie, don't annoy, and don't do anything that may make him suspicious. So how long do you think we are going to have to wait this time?"
"Not long. I don't come around that often, so I am sure that Mifune will want to know what I am doing his country again."
Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You weren't dodging the cops by any chance, were you? And just how often do you come around?"
"It has been about a year or so and I left of good terms with the law."
"You sure about that?"
"You know how you said that you were tired of Tenten and Hinata constantly giving you crap for being such a knucklehead? Well I could say much the same from you. I am a sage and one of the Sannin after all."
"I suppose you have a point. Still, you have to admit you are who you are."
"And who exactly am I? Other than a ladies' man and a pervert?" How long have you known me? Less than a year. And how many times have you known me to get into trouble that I could not quickly or easily extricate myself from? Never."
"Well you said that Iron is the only neutral party. Stands to reason that this would be a good place to conduct business that you don't want anyone knowing about. And given what you have told us about Iron and its stance on anything ninja, I could certainly see you catching heat for it."
"Me? Get caught? Preposterous. There is a reason why I am one of the Three."
"You did say that Iron has the best spy network out there. Logic would dictate their counter-intelligence department is pretty good too." Naruto shrugged. "Hey, nobody is perfect. I can't imagine that there has never been a time where you have been outsmarted or outplayed?"
"Been a long time since anyone has been good enough to do that." Jiraiya paused, folding his arms and closing his eyes. "But I am not arrogant enough to say there is no one out there who can do it. Bah! What the hell am I saying? Of course there is no way someone could do that to me."
"Nuh-uh. You admitted it was possible. No take-backsies."
"You know what? This conversation is over."
"You can't just declare a conversation to be over just because it isn't going the way you would like."
"Pretty sure I can, and pretty sure I am. Now we need to find this place that we are supposed to be staying at." Jiraiya looked at the paper that the guard captain had given him. "This way," he said after a moment. "It has been a while, but I think I know where this place is." Jiraiya led the group in near silence for twenty minutes until he stopped in front of a four-story building of plain dressed grey stone. There was a sign set into the stone above the steel-banded wooden door proclaiming it to be the Wayfarers Rest.
Double-checking the paper, Jiraiya gave a decisive nod and pushed the door open. The interior of the Wayfarers Rest was huge, almost to the point of seeming larger on the inside than the out, and nicely appointed. There wasn't any gilt or silvering apparent, but the furniture was well made without being flamboyantly so. The three chandeliers hanging above were large without dominating the room, the crystals throwing light towards the front of the room.
A butler of some sort was waiting by a little podium set to one side of the door stepped in front of the group, holding his hand out. "If you will please wait for a moment," the man said, before walking off into a set of double doors in the opposite wall forty yards away, not waiting for a reply.
Naruto, Hinata and Tenten took the opportunity to examine their surroundings in more detail. As had been noted before, the room they had entered was finely decorated without being lavish. Naruto found it to be somewhere between the common room of an inn and the lobby of an upscale hotel. The entrance was set in the center of the front wall, which was paneled in some pale, golden wood with dark grains. The left side of the room was set up in a more business setting, comfortable-looking armchairs, loveseats and couches arranged in small circles around low coffee tables, enough space between each circle combined with the low-volume jazzy soft-rock that was playing that it would be difficult to hear any particular conversation without being obvious about it. The bar that stretched the left half of the room was very well stocked, six shelves of expensive-looking liquors and wines, the levers for over a dozen kinds of draft beer visible.
The right side of the hotel was a restaurant. There were high-walled booths set along the wall, tables ranging in size from only able to seat two for an intimate meal to being able to seat a dozen or more. It took less than a minute to peruse the room and only a little longer to for the maître to return. He was accompanied by a man dressed to be either the owner or a manager of some sort, flanked by three more maître. The manager stopped in front of Naruto's group and bowed low, his folded hands over his knees. "Jiraiya-sama, Hyuuga-sama, Hyuuga-sama, my name is Shugo. Please allow me to welcome you to the Wayfarer's Rest. I am sorry, but I must request for you to submit your passports and honor weapons for inspection."
Shugo gave the four men behind him a slight wave of his hand and why stepped forward, quickly checking that they all had the appropriate stamps in their travel books and that their weapons were still tied. The suites that the manager led the four ninja to were more than a little reminiscent of the hotel that they had stayed in Kiri. There were three rooms, each with a sitting room decorated in the same manner the rest of the hotel had been, with a large queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, surrounded by dark furniture.
"You know, this is a pretty nice place. Kind of surprised that they told us to come here, given the general attitude Iron holds us in."
"Well, Jiraiya says that he does come here every so often, so I would not be surprised if they know him, or something."
"Maybe," Tenten temporized. "Still, nice digs. Wonder how long we are going to be here this time."
"Not long, hopefully. The sooner we can get out of here, the better I will feel."
"I am with you, Hinata-chan. Jiraiya said that this Mifune guy will want to see us soon, so I am hoping that we will be here a couple of days. Pretty much anything less than a week would be ideal."
"A week would be very much on the outside, unless you really fuck your meeting up," Jiraiya said, entering the sitting room with a bottle of amber liquor.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, sensei," Naruto said sourly.
"Hey, I wasn't commenting on your chances of failure, only the consequences. Anyways, I am heading out to try to arrange that meeting. You guys can go out and check the town out if you want, but just be careful not to get into trouble. Would be a little awkward having to bail any of you out when you are supposed to be meeting Mifune."
"We will see what we can do," Naruto replied dryly. "What I want to know is what the bottle is for?"
"Bribe," Jiraiya said with a shameless grin. Jiraiya gave a short wave and ducked out before Naruto or either of the two women had the chance to say anything else.
"Well, at least he isn't wasting time. Onto more important things, you want to tell me what the guards did to make you all sour?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you have been wearing a scowl ever since we entered the city."
"Oh," Tenten said, pausing a moment before her scowl returned. Tenten drew one of her pistols and Naruto saw why. In addition to the wires keeping the trigger pulled back and locked closed there was a plug of wax that had been inserted into the barrel, covered with a thin pat of red wax that had been melted over the end, making it so that the plug could not be removed without being noticeable. "They also took all my ammo and all my gunpowder and ingredients."
"I don't really thing that you can fault them for taking your ammo and powder," Hinata said.
"That isn't what irks me, though. It's that they plugged up my guns with wax. The stuff is going to leave all kinds of crap in the barrel that is going to take forever to get out. And I am going to be hella mad if they lose anything."
"I am sure they won't, Tenten-chan," Naruto said evenly. "Why don't we take a look at the town like Jiraiya suggested?"
"Sounds good to me," Tenten said. Hinata just nodded when the other two looked at her.
"I was planning on meditating and some Dim Mak practice, but that can wait."
"Man, I will never figure out how you can stand to meditate for hours every other day."
"Patience, honey. That and the Dim Mak requires me to maintain balance in my chakra. But like you said, that can wait."
There were several soldiers lounging in the lounge area of the ground floor, but they were not the only members of Naruto's entourage present. "Good morning, Father," Naruto greeted neutrally. Hinata and Tenten said nothing, just looking at the priest with cool eyes. Neither Naruto nor Father Alexander offered the other a hand and neither missed the lack, especially given what had happened during Naruto's one and only Mass. "Is there something you wanted?" the blond ninja asked, ignoring how the hair on the back of my neck stood up and it became slightly harder to draw breath.
"Nothing terribly important," the priest said mildly. "I was just wondering, since you seem to be heading out if you would mind if I tagged along?"
"I suppose not," Naruto said after a moment. The Acolyte gave a small smile and opened the door, gesturing for them to go first. Naruto gave a nod in thanks and stepped into the sunlight. The two girls and the father followed him out, letting him lead then down the street. Other than the looming Mitsudara Castle behind the third wall, there was not much by the way of landmarks, or anything that would draw the attention, so Naruto started taking turns at random.
"So was there anything you wanted from us?" Hinata asked after about a half-dozen streets with an edge to her tone.
"Actually yes. Remember back when you came to Mass once on the way here? And your... episode afterwards?"
"I am pretty sure that none of us have forgotten that particular incident," Naruto responded dryly.
"Yes, well, I said that I would make some inquiries at the library in River about what happened during Mass. I got a reply."
That caught Naruto's interest. "Really? What's the news?"
"It is called the Presence of the Beast. It is a... condition, for lack of a better term, that all Jinchuuriki share, a result from being Jinchuuriki. As a Jinchuuriki, you have one foot in the Blind World, what most people call the material realm, and one foot firmly in the Seeing World, or the supernatural realm. There is not much more known, for obvious reasons, but what is known is that most of the supernatural phenomena surrounding Jinchuuriki and abilities that they possess not directly derived from their... counterparts can be attributed to the Presence."
"Other abilities? What do you mean?"
"Well, like I said, this is not an area that has been thoroughly documented, but the most pertinent example would be your second sight, the specific ability that is what allowed you to witness the Transubstantiation. There are also several anecdotes telling tales of Jinchuuriki or their predecessors possessing resistance to other supernatural abilities, and in a few rare instances outright immunity to powers such as the True Magic."
"Predecessors?" Hinata asked.
The Acolyte turned his gaze to Hinata, giving her a condescending smile. "This era is almost two thousand years old. The shinobi have been harnessing the power of the beings you call the Bijuu for less than a century. Surely you don't believe that you are the first or only human power to do so?"
Hinata did not answer, blushing lightly and averting her gaze. The Acolyte did not let his attention linger on her for long though, clearing his throat and continuing. "The Presence also seems to connect all Jinchuuriki together in some way, but the connection is not strong enough to manifest except when the Jinchuuriki are in close proximity to one another.
"In any case, I am having my contacts in the library continue to search for more information. Whether or not my contacts find anything else, you should consult the other Jinchuuriki about it."
"I suppose," Naruto allowed.
"This isn't anything that could harm him, could it?" Tenten asked.
"The Presence isn't a disease or an infection; it is a condition of being a Jinchuuriki. There is no cure except for removing the Black Soul that occupies his, and that is almost invariably lethal. It would require an exorcist of far more power and talent than I possess to cleanse his spirit. The only harm that the Presence could cause him would be from the unholy nature the Black Soul imbues him with."
"Naruto-kun is not evil," Tenten snapped instantly.
"I did not call him evil, merely unholy. It is not an insult, or a judgment of his personality or character, but a statement of fact. He holds one of the Nine Black Souls, what you call the Bijuu, in place of his own. It makes him unholy, and vulnerable to articles of faith. That is simply how it is."
Tenten frowned and crossed her arms over her chest but said nothing. "Nine Black Souls?" Hinata asked in place of anyone else.
The priest folded his arm over his chest, sighing and lowering his head. "It is not often I have to deal with shinobi, from Konoha or anywhere else, and sometimes I forget how insular you people can be. Alright, I am only going to explain this once, so listen closely. May I assume you have learned about the Third World War?"
Hinata scowled. "We are not entirely unlearned. Of course we do."
The Acolyte gave another condescending smile, this one directed at Hinata. "Yes, well let me refresh your memory, just in case you have forgotten a few of the details. The Third World War, called by some the Apocalypse War or the White War, was the two-hundred year conflict that ended what has alternately been called the Digital or Information Age. Almost nothing is known about whom or what started the war, except that the instigating principles were annihilated within the first decade. Nothing is known of the weapons that were used in the war, except that they were horrendously powerful, creating some of the deadliest land features of the world such as the Battlewaste of Taran at the heart of the Great Thirst of Sand, and the Gullet at the center of the World's Maw in Lightning, as well as the death valleys and the colorfully named thousand-year glows.
"At some point in the war, the laws of reality sort of... took a step to the side. What was once the real and unreal shifted, merged. As a result, the world is a far more... magical place than it had been prior to the war. Belief has power that it never did before, magic has authority over the Blind World that it never did before, creatures of myth, legend and nightmare exist now when they never could have before. The Black Souls are a perfect example of this. Nobody knows their true origins, not even the Black Souls themselves, and there are many theories as to their creation and existence, such as the sages' belief that they are the physical manifestation of our vices, which is about as scientific a theory as any out there.
"Another good example would be the Three Manas. The First Mana, or True Magic, is wielded by wizards and witches. They draw their power from the external world, channeling the power of the land to control wind, water, earth, fire, force, magnetism and a dozen other elements to do their bidding. True Magic is the most versatile of the three, based on the manipulation of energy, in whatever form it may take, the scope only limited by the wizard's imagination. They are typically longer-lived than the average human, and always wield a focus item of some sort to concentrate and direct their power, from a traditional staff to a chain or sword or a familiar of some sort.
"The Second Mana, or sorcery is used by, as you might imagine, sorcerers and sorceresses. They claim to draw their magic from what they call the Outside, what we call the Seeing World. Sorcerers' spells are called many different things, but most often referred to as Songs, Verses or Cants. As the name would imply, sorcerers sing their spells, claiming to speak with the voice of God to enact their will on reality. Their brand of magic is slightly more limited than the wizards, generally more violent, but they do have a few abilities that the First Mana doesn't have, such as a close imitation of flight. Sorcerers are most easily recognizable by the white light their eyes and mouths emit when casting spells.
"The Third Mana is called the Inner Wonder, and is arguably the most dangerous of the three. Magicians focus on illusion and the mental arts, and in my opinion, by far the most terrifying. They specialize in mental manipulation, much as your Uchiha and Yamanaka clans do, and are feared for the same reasons. You cannot trust any of your senses when in the presence of a magician, and sometimes even your memories can betray you. I have only met with one in my life, and I am eternally grateful that I have never encountered another. Magicians consider the Third Mana to be the most powerful magic, so they tend to act and dress the part. Magicians usually wear an enchanted half-mask to protect themselves against other magicians.
"There is a Fourth Mana, necromancy, but necromancers are invariably chaotic evil, and wizards, sorcerers and magicians will often actively hunt down any rumor of a necromancer in their area of influence, sometimes hiring or otherwise recruiting soldiers, mercenaries or shinobi to assist in the attack. Necromancers make a pact with the Grim Reaper itself, what you call the Shinigami, agreeing to trade a portion of their soul for a portion of the Reaper's power, and very rarely, an artifact of the Reaper's. They are the most dangerous type of magic user in terms of the lethality of their spells, wielding the power of Death itself against the living. My advice if you ever come up against a necromancer, run. They are extremely difficult to kill by virtue of allying with the Reaper, and generally can only be killed through overwhelming firepower."
"Is there anything else about the Kyuubi you want to tell us about?" Naruto said abruptly.
"No, I suppose that is everything for now."
"Good." A heartbeat passed and Naruto vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Well, I have to say that I am surprised it took him so long to depart."
"You were?" Tenten asked.
"I was. Frankly speaking, remaining in such close proximity to me for such an extended period of time must have been uncomfortable to say the very least. Between the strength of my faith, and the strength of the Black Soul in him, I would not be surprised if I gave him a mild sunburn or rash if we shook hands."
"Yet one more reason for you to stay away from Naruto-kun," Tenten told him.
The priest gave the two women a careful look. "You two don't like me very much, do you?"
"No shit," Hinata said flatly. "Is there any particular reason we should?" That caused Tenten to blink in surprise at Hinata, the other woman usually not being one to swear.
"Well, first of all, it was thanks to His Excellency the Archbishop that you were allowed to leave the country at all. Second, my presence in your companion's entourage-"
"Our husband," Hinata interjected.
"I'm sorry?"
"He is our husband, not our 'companion.'"
"I was unaware that Higurashi-san shared more with you than a friendship."
"We… aren't. Not yet."
"But they will be when we arrive in Kiri. It is just a matter of time."
"I… see. I can't say I approve, yet it is not my place to judge either. Going back to my original point, my presence in your husband's entourage provides you with more protection than you might imagine. I have already taught you more about what it means for your husband to be a Jinchuuriki than he has learned in his entire life.
"Third, not even your teacher, the illustrious Jiraiya, would have a better chance of controlling or restraining Naruto-san, or killing him in the worst case, should I have to. We Acolytes learn how to handle supernatural threats before we are ever let out of our compounds, my order trains for these threats specifically."
"And what is your order called? All we know of you is that you used to run the Acolyte compound outside of Urashima Military City."
"I am one of the forty Foreign Cardinals of the Church of the Jah's Black Order, also known as the Black Brotherhood."
"That means nothing to us." Tenten had yet to unfold her arms since Naruto left.
The Acolyte sighed. "I am on the ruling council of the organization that was formed from the remnants of, and is the sole legitimate successor to the Catholic Inquisition, reformed after the start of the White War, the Black Brotherhood. The head of our order can trace the lineage of his authority all the way back to High Holy Rome, to the man who was the last Grand Inquisitor of the Inquisition and leader of the Church after the destruction of High Holy Rome during the Third World War."
"So you believe you have the power to take Naruto on, if you have to."
"There are forty Foreign Cardinals, forty members of the Black Order, nominally equal in rank but in reality a meritocracy, but there are only three men stronger than me in the Order."
Hinata and Tenten exchanged a look before facing back to the Acolyte with stony faces. Father Alexander smiled. "And now you consider me a threat for the first time. Suddenly I have become someone you have to be on guard against at all times, someone you cannot trust in the least way."
Hinata and Tenten remained silent. The Acolyte chuckled. "And you are supposed to be kunoichi? I would have thought that you would know better than to take anything I said at face value, especially when I mention Naruto's episode on Sunday. I can say anything and claim that what happened at Mass supports my assertion. Really, have you never been taught to look underneath the underneath?" Another silent exchange. "I do not say this out of malice, but of experience."
"You sure do show your concern in a peculiar fashion," Hinata said after a moment.
Preceptor Hastings shrugged. "I teach as I was taught."
"If you will please excuse us, I think Tenten-chan and I will take our leave," Hinata said with measured tone. The priest smiled again, matching her shallow bow.
"But of course," his tone at odds with his suddenly rigid posture. Tenten turn away and matched Hinata for stride, heading away from the Cardinal.
OoOoO
"You two were out late." Jiraiya was hunched over the bar, a finger of some dark amber liquor loosely in one hand, peering over his shoulder.
"The Acolyte said something to offend Naruto, so we figured that Naruto would appreciate some time alone."
"Musta been something that really upset him. Strolled by with barely a glance my way." The two women traded another significant glance without answering.
"Damn, those three." Jiraiya cast his lidded gaze over the four foot tall liquor cabinet that stretched the whole back wall. "Maybe bring them a something to break the tension?" Jiraiya took another sip of his drink and considered the notion.
OoOoO
"You and Tenten have a nice day?"
"I suppose. Would have been better with you."
"I wouldn't have been good company."
"You can't take what the Acolyte said to heart. He knows nothing about you. Does his opinion or anything he says matter so much?" Hinata asked.
"He seemed rather well informed I thought. And what happened to me does fall in line with what happened Sunday."
"Do you have any proof to support anything that the priest said other than Sunday?"
OoOoO
Naruto looked back from where he had been leaning on a sill looking out the window. "I suppose not, but it seemed a little much to have made up on the spot."
"So it might be what they believe, but it doesn't mean that what they believe is true," Tenten argued.
"He never really claimed it was true, just what he believed. And he really does unsettle me. You have seen how I really try not to be within ten feet of him. I have never actually spoken to him about it, but he seems to try to avoid come closer to me than necessary as well. If he is telling the truth and even seems to know how I affect him, confirming what Jiraiya has said. And if he is telling the truth about one thing, he could be telling the truth about the rest."
OoOoO
"But by the same token just because one is true does not confirm the rest."
Naruto turned around and leaned back on the window sill. "Hinata, everything that he has said has pointed to him telling the truth." Naruto closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "He called me unholy, Hinata. It... isn't pleasant."
"I understand, Naruto-kun, but again, just because he said it doesn't mean it is true."
"I know that. But it is not so easy to brush that kind of thing off all the time."
"Well, just know both Tenten and I are here.
"I have one more question for you though. Do you respect me?"
"What? Of course I do, Naruto. Why would you ask me that?"
"Sometimes it doesn't seem like it. I know that you two are just being funny when you talk about me messing up, but it isn't. Not to me. I am a pretty good fighter, I think on my feet pretty well, and lot of the stuff back in the Academy was fake but the book learning wasn't. I was never a good student. Most of the reason why I cut class back in the Academy all the time was I had a hard time understanding what the teachers were doing. So that made things boring, and I could easily think of mush more fun things to do than listen to a grown-up talk about things I didn't get all day."
"I'm... sorry Naruto-kun. I did not know that you took what I said so seriously."
"I do, and at the same time I don't. I know you don't actually mean it when you say stuff like that, but sometimes some of what you say strikes closer to home then I really want to think about. I care about what you and Tenten think about me, a lot, and it... I really don't want you to think that I really am that dumb."
"Well, for what it is worth, I won't say anything like that again. And I hope I don't really have to say this, but Tenten and I really do respect you. You are the strongest ninja of our generation, and you will be Hokage someday. You do the most amazing things, take on enemies that most other people would have serious thought about fighting without a second thought, and you win. You never doubt yourself; you see a problem, think of a solution and go after that solution with everything you have. This trip is proof of all that, if either of us needed it. Never doubt us, Naruto, our love, our faith or our respect. You have it all."
Naruto smiled and wrapped his arms around Hinata as she hugged him. "Thanks," he said quietly, pressing a kiss into her hair.
"None necessary. I haven't said anything that isn't absolutely true."
"Still, it does feel good to have you say those things. And contrary to what it may seem, I am not always as confident as I might appear. This thing I am trying to do, unite the Jinchuuriki..." He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, hugging Hinata tighter. "Sometimes, I have these... I don't know what to call them, but it's like I take a step out of my own body, and I can hardly believe what it is I am doing. Who the hell am I to go all these different countries, some of which have been enemies of Fire for as long as anyone can remember, and expect them to work together? I am all but daring Akatsuki to come at me, because they will when they find out about what I am doing. Itachi fucking Clan-killer knows my name, knows my face. It terrifies me, the thought of him coming after me, almost as much as the Kyuubi does. Who the hell am I to stand up to a man like him?"
"You are Uzumaki Naruto, that's who. Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, shinigami, savior of Konoha and most importantly, the love of my life and my husband. You do the impossible at the drop of a hat, defeat enemies that anyone else in your shoes would simply try to survive and then make them your friends. You do the most amazing things and think nothing of it. You..." Hinata trailed off, searching for the proper words to describe what she felt. "You and I have been married for almost a year now, but sometimes I find myself breathless with disbelief, that I, Hyuuga Hinata, am your wife. I look at you and wonder what I could have ever done to deserve such a wonderful, amazing, awesome, incredible person like you in my life. You say that you have doubts that you can unite the Jinchuuriki? That you wonder if you are strong enough to defeat Akatsuki? I don't. I have faith in you, and if there ever comes a time where your faith in yourself fails, then believe in my faith in you, because I know that you will never fail without having done everything in your power to succeed."
"I think I can do that, though I wonder if you might be putting too much faith in my abilities."
"I don't. And does Tenten."
"You have talked to Tenten about this?"
"You are our husband. Tenten and I discuss all kinds of things about you."
"Should that worry me?"
Hinata took a step away, turning and crossing her arms under her breasts. "Come on Naruto. How are we supposed to manage you if we don't talk about you?"
"Manage me?"
"We have been over this before. You can't take Akatsuki on alone; you need Tenten and me to beat them. You are going to make mistakes and that means that we are going to have to clean up after you."
"Hey, I can clean up my own messes; I don't need anyone mopping up after me."
"When you are Hokage, you can't take care of everything yourself, you will have to delegate. And that means that you will have to let other people do things you may want to do, or think you have to do. Tenten and I will have to manage those impulses, manage you."
"You know, that sounds a teeny bit sexy, when you say it like that. Managing my impulses."
"Careful there, Honey. You are starting to sound like Ero-sennin."
"Hold on, did you just call Jiraiya Ero-sennin? Not Jiraiya-sama or Jiraiya-sensei, but Ero-sennin?"
"Well, it only seemed appropriate, especially after he gave you this." Hinata sashayed over to where her bags were against the opposite wall and withdrew a certain book. She turned back to him with a dangerous smile, tapping her forefinger against the cover.
"Whoa, I... uh, it really wasn't my idea, uh, having to read it."
"Oh? So you did read it? Cover-to-cover?"
"Uh, not necessarily cover-to-cover. Just the-"
"Just the interesting parts?" Hinata asked, smile firmly in place, slinking back to Naruto, book still in hand.
"Maybe?"
"Well, that is... disappointing. Because there are some very... interesting... parts that you missed then."
"Uh, that certainly sounds...uh…fascinating."
"I am glad you agree," Hinata murmured, wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck and pressing her lips to his. The heat of her kiss caught him a little off guard, but he quickly gave a mental shrug and wrapped his hands around the small of her back. Hinata dropped one of her hands from where it was to take one of his hands and place it firmly on her rear.
"Whoa, Hinata," Naruto said, pulling back a little.
"No, Naruto," she muttered, planting several kisses on his neck.
"Hinata, come on, slow down."
"No, Naruto, I want you now."
"Hinata, just-"
"Oh God dammit Naruto," Hinata suddenly swore, giving him a not-to-gentle shove, stepping and turning away for a moment. "Just what, Naruto?" she growled, turning to face him again. "Just the fuck what?"
"Hey, hey, calm down there, love. I wasn't trying to uh..."
"Trying to upset me? Well good job with that!"
"Yeah, that is one way to put it, I guess," he said cautiously.
"What is it about me that you find so unattractive, Naruto? What is it about me that makes you not want to do more than kiss me? Do you really not want to sleep with me at all?" she demanded.
"Wait, what? What the hell makes you think that I don't find you attractive?"
"Well, every time I try to... initiate... you always push me away. I am your wife, Naruto; does that not mean anything to you?"
"Sure it does, it means everything to me."
"Are you sure? Because it really does not feel like it. Not really. You don't even share my bed, and the most I can ever get you of you is a little make-out time, every once in a while." Hinata whirled away again, pressing a hand to her face and letting out a frustrated grunt. "I don't know about you, but I... I have needs. I want you so bad it hurts sometimes, and I get so goddamn horny sometimes, thinking of what you must do with Tenten when you two are alone, and know this isn't fair, but I... I get jealous. I mean, you lived with her in her apartment before we left Konoha, and... dammit, I don't know how else to say it but I want that. Me and you, together at night. I want you to take me and throw me on the bed and tear off my shirt and squeeze my breast and stick your tongue down my throat and... and..."
Naruto remained back against the wall where Hinata had pushed him, quite flummoxed by her little speech. "I... uh... I am not really sure what to say," he said carefully.
Hinata was blushing heavily, but her gaze never wavered from Naruto's face. "I want you to say that you want me as badly as I want you. I want you to say that I turn you on, that I arouse you, that I make you hard. I want to feel like I am your wife in more than just name. I..." Hinata trailed off, her words finally failing her.
"I really don't know what to say, Hinata. I have never wanted to make you doubt that I don't love you or don't want you, but I was always afraid of pushing you to hard and... I dunno, scaring you off, I guess. I have never really had much in the way of girlfriend experience, and the thought of doing something that you would consider too forward or aggressive or crude or anything that might make you think I was too... common for you. You are the first daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, the head of what is the closest thing to a royal family we have now. I mean, you are a lady. Me? Not so much."
"I know I have told you this before, but apparently I have to tell you again. I love you, Naruto. I love you with everything I have. You are the strongest, fastest, best fighter of our generation. My father chose you, Uzumaki Naruto, to be my husband, and that is not something I would change for anything in the world. You are the son of the Fourth Hokage, and that means that you could never be too common or low for me. You are my husband, Naruto. I don't know how to put it any other way than that. There is nothing you could do that would make me think you are anything but utterly worthy of me. So if you could please take this stupid inferiority complex of yours and stuff it, because I really don't want to have to go through this with you again. Now come and take my shirt off and let's go to bed."
OoOoO
Hinata emerged from her room the next morning wearing a carefully set mask, a slight rosy tinge to her cheeks that was all that betrayed her emotions to Tenten and Jiraiya, the former wearing a very knowing smile.
It was a group of six that approached the castle wall of Mitsudara Castle, the four ninja, the priest and Sergeant Kurosaki.
The four ninja were in the Legion uniforms that Jiraiya had provided them almost a month ago, lacking any sort of formal attire as shinobi did not have anything that could be likened to a uniform other than the flak jackets that chunin and jounin wore. Father Alexander wore the same black and white cassock and collar, with the singular addition of a simple gold cross on a silver chain.
As Naruto had surmised the day before upon entering Mitsudara Town, the castle was not very physically impressive. Built inside the third of the town's three walls, identical to the first two in everything but height, only a third of the first two, the castle was only seven or eight stories tall. The castle sat on a foundation of rounded red stones and white mortar that raised the first floor just a few feet above the narrow moat. The castle itself didn't seem to cover much more than a hundred square yards or so, Naruto guesstimating the size from the width of the front wall and the lack of any annexes or wings that would break the apparent squareness of the wall, foundation and keep.
It took less than a minute to pass the palace gate guard's inspection, a test of the integrity of everyone's peace-ties and a quick examination of everyone's passport entry stamps and photos being all that was required. A dozen guards formed a box around the six of them with a thirteenth leading the procession across the already lowered bridge and into the castle proper. The castle guards were attired in full dress regalia, predictably iron grey coats of a noticeably finer cut and weave than the gate and town guards wore under burnished steel breastplates and simple three-piece zunari kabuto. The flat grey of the Iron character crest mounted above their foreheads stood out in sharp contrast to the polished steel of the rest of their armor.
Each of the guards wore two swords on their hips, unlike the gate and town guards who only bore one, but also carried a somewhat trident-shaped spear, two steel blades about half as long as the center forming the two curved outer prongs. Each of the palace guards wore a steel badge on their shoulders like the gate guards had, in the shape of the Three Wolves instead of a gate. The twelve guards that ringed Naruto wore a small spear pin under palace guard badge, what Naruto assumed to denote their rank as the guard that led the way had a single sword instead.
The group proceeded in complete near silence; the thump of the guard's boots and spears sounding in odd counterpoint of the oddly musical creaking of the wooden floor itself. After an interminable amount of time that was probably no more than twenty minutes and enough turns to do the labyrinthine Final Redoubt proud they arrived at a set of plain brown double doors, beyond which was a room that Sarutobi or Tsunade would have been at home in. All but two of the guards remained outside, the pair that accompanied them in opening the doors before the group and closing them after. The room was not as spacious as Naruto had expected, floor-to-ceiling book- and scrollshelves set into the walls, a large low-slung desk by the rear wall, a man of an age with Sarutobi seated with folded legs on a thick cushion. Wrinkled with age and sporting a long grey mustache and goatee, his black eyes glittered like onyx.
Stopping approximately halfway between the doors behind him and Mifune, Naruto and the others several steps behind, Jiraiya offered a brief bow to Mifune and spoke.
"My Lord Mifune, before we begin, please allow me to thank you for granting us an audience on such short notice."
"It is not often you grace my castle with your presence, Jiraiya-dono. And when you do you usually have good, urgent reason to do so. So if you do not mind dispensing with pleasantries, what may Iron do to assist you? Or is that a question that I should be directing to your apprentice?"
Jiraiya said nothing, giving Mifune another shallow bow and stepped back to the others. Mifune shifted to a more comfortable cross-legged position and set his elbows on his desk, steepling his fingers in front of his face. "So just what is it you require of my country, Captain Hyuuga Naruto, chunin of Konohagakure no Sato and Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune?"
The Governor-General's address only gave him a second's pause before replying. "To be perfectly blunt my lord, it is your neutrality that I have come for today."
"That is a bold request," Mifune stated, both tone and expression mild. "And vague. Who is it you wish me to direct my strength against?"
"No country or person that would necessitate you breaking any treaty or agreement you now hold. I have been told that Iron has one of the most extensive spy networks in the world, so I do not say what I am about to it imply any ignorance on your part, but rather to provide context for my petition this day.
"As I am sure you are aware, there is a criminal organization of nine missing-nin calling itself Akatsuki with the stated goal of abducting the nine Jinchuuriki. Through his own spy network, my master has been able to positively identify each of the seven public Akatsuki members as an internationally wanted S-ranked criminal, with the clandestine leader and what we assume to be his lieutenant presumed to be equally as dangerous. And while we have not been able to learn what Akatsuki wants with all nine Jinchuuriki, the exact details of their endgame could be reasonably considered more or less irrelevant at this point in time, as whatever Akatsuki plans to do once they have all of the Jinchuuriki, war is the only possible outcome. Akatsuki may not instigate the war, but there is no way that any of the Five Elemental Nations would allow any attempt on their Jinchuuriki to pass without an armed response.
"That now brings me to the reason why I have come to you today, my lord. In order to combat the threat that Akatsuki poses to the world, I want to go to the other Jinchuuriki-holding nations and try to bring my fellow Jinchuuriki together and form an organization to counter Akatsuki. But to do that, I need a neutral location to host my group, some place where no one Jinchuuriki-holding country can claim advantage over another. And I think that your country is that place."
If Mifune had been seated in a chair, Naruto imagined that he would be leaning back in it right now, but his surprise was made plenty clear from the way that his eyebrows tried to climb into his hair and the roundness of his eyes. "That is quite the undertaking you have given yourself, Captain Hyuuga, and have come a fair distance already in your quest." Mifune spoke slowly, his tone one of careful interest, his gaze and attention focusing completely on Naruto, scrutinizing him in a new light.
"And I intend to go a great deal farther.," the blond replied firmly, squaring his shoulders and meeting Mifune's gaze head-on. "Your support would ease my burdens and increase my chance of success by more than anything else I have done yet."
"I am sure it would," Mifune agreed with a careful nod. "What I have yet to hear is how assisting you benefits me or my country."
"Before I came to meet you this morning, I was told that I was to give you nothing but the rawest most honest truth so that is exactly what I am going to do. I will freely admit that there will not be any immediately tangible benefit or profit to any arrangement we might come to today. But there will be long-term consequences if I fail. Konoha was barely able to defeat the Kyuubi when it attacked fourteen years ago, and could have quite possibly caused the destruction of Konoha directly or otherwise were it not for the intervention and sacrifice of my father. Knowing that, can you say that you have the strength to stand alone against two of the Nine? Five of the Nine? All of the Nine? Because that is what it's going to come down to, sooner or later, without my group."
"You sound very certain of yourself, Captain Hyuuga. How can you be so sure of what will happen if you fail in your mission?"
"Forgive me for the rudeness of what I am about to say, but you would have to be a fool to believe otherwise."
Mifune folded his hands in his lap and carefully wiped his face of all expression. "That was indeed very rude. I certainly hope that you have good follow-up to that comment."
"And I apologize again, but I can't see any possible future if I fail." Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "I am hardly an expert in international relations, but even I can see the absurdity of calling the international community a community." Naruto paused for a moment, waiting to see if Mifune would reply to that, but he didn't. "The treaty that was signed at the end of the Third Ninja War is hardly more than a non-aggression pact, and it certainly doesn't provide anything for mutual defense or application of unified international sanctions, let alone any sort of international authority. And while I will acknowledge that some of the smaller countries have formed several two- or three-nation alliances, none of the Jinchuuriki nations are part of these alliances, so therefore irrelevant to Akatsuki." Naruto paused again, taking a moment to organize his arguments.
"And I can't imagine you believing that anybody is going to come to the aid of a nation who lost their Jinchuuriki until it is too late. Iron is hardly the most beloved nation in the world, so I would be rather surprised if anybody was willing to accept your help, were you to offer it. And the more Jinchuuriki Akatsuki acquires, the harder they will be to stop, until they cannot be stopped."
Mifune was silent for almost thirty seconds, steepling his hands under his nose again as he weighed Naruto's words. "You paint a dire picture in the event of your failure, nearly cataclysmic in its consequences. And, almost against my better judgment, I find that I think I believe you. I think you have come too far for your quest to be false. And I can't say that I am entirely opposed to the idea itself. It should certainly add some much needed stability to the balance of shinobi nations should you succeed. May I assume that Jiraiya has taken one of you three as his apprentice?"
"I am," Naruto said.
"Then here is what you will do," he informed Naruto, folding his hands on the table and sitting up straight, almost glaring at Naruto as he spoke. "You will send a toad every two weeks to inform me of your progress, whatever it should be. You will not involve me or my nation in any... disagreements that might arise during the course of your travels. I am only giving you the most provisional endorsement for your plan and agree host any group you might form, but do not take that to mean that I will offer you any tangible assistance until you have organized your group. You miss a message or involve me in any matter that I do not wish to be directly involved in, you will say goodbye to any and all support you would receive from me and no longer be welcome within my borders. Am I clear?"
"You are, my lord, though I have to say that I am a little surprised you are not sending a minder with me though seeing how just about everyone else seems to want to."
"I care not for your wellbeing, shinobi. I have no investment in your success or failure. Frankly speaking, I really do not care what you do or what happens to you, as long as I and my nation are not adversely affected. And there is not much that I could do to further ensure your safety, what with your Fire escort and the Acolyte."
"You haven't asked anything about where I am going next either."
"Why should I? I care not for anything you do once you leave my land. You will inform me of whatever you have accomplished with your first message in any case."
"I guess you have a point," Naruto admitted.
"I do have a point," Mifune repeated. "Now, is there anything you require of me?"
Naruto gave a quick look over his shoulder at Jiraiya, who shook his head, doing the same at Mifune. "The palace guards will show you out."
"If I may, my lord Governor-General, what about the Salin district? Super Company hasn't been heard from in four days now. It might be a good way to see just how dedicated this Captain Hyuuga is to his plan, sending him out there.
Mifune fixed Naruto with a brief, contemplative look before answering. "That might be a good, idea, Lin. I had been intending to send the Third Battalion from the Home Legion to Salin to reinforce and investigate after Super Company if there was no word by the day after tomorrow. Perhaps Jiraiya-dono or the Acolyte might be able to use their esoteric knowledge to better identify whatever it is that is causing problems in Salin."
"I'm sorry, but what are you talking about?" Naruto asked Mifune.
"The regional garrison of one of my outlying districts started sending reports of unrest in the region about a week ago. I sent an investigative unit, an oversized company specializing in fact-finding and investigation to try to ascertain just was going on in Salin, the sporadic and somewhat confused intelligence we had been receiving having halted three days ago when Super Company after only a single report when it was supposed to report in every single day. At this point I must assume that any strategically significant Iron forces have been wiped out or otherwise rendered ineffective. I was going to send a larger and more elite unit on Friday, but you and your team might be better equipped to investigate what is going on, Captain."
"What is the civilian population?" he asked.
"Salin is about the fifth most populated district in Iron, out of eight total, being one of the more temperate districts in Iron." Mifune said. "Not much by the way of strategic targets or resources other than its status as one of Iron's best vacationing areas, but the last census taken about four years ago put Salin's populations at a little over half a million civilian residents and about another two hundred thousand military retirees."
"I had intended to travel to Sand next, but I might be willing to at least see what is going on as long as it is not too far in the opposite direction," Naruto offered.
"Salin would only be about a hundred fifty miles out of your way from Sand's capital and Hidden Village, only a day or two out of your way I would think."
"I already told you I don't really care where we go," Jiraiya said at Naruto's silent question. "This is your expedition, not mine."
"I think we should go," Hinata said. "There is no telling what has happened in Salin, but the lack of any communication from what Jiraiya-sensei has all but outsight stated to be among the most capable soldiers in the world may mean that the situation requires someone… special to find a solution. You are the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki; not many people more 'special' than you. And we have Father Alexander and Jiraiya-sensei to help. There can't be many groups better equipped to handle whatever is going on in Salin. At the very least, I think that we should at least pass through to try to find Mifune-sama's missing company."
"You said it yourself; it is not like we are on a deadline to reach Sand." Tenten gave a little shrug. "I can't say that I would be able to rest easy knowing that we did not conduct a cursory investigation at a minimum, especially given how it is so close."
"Well, my wives say I should, so I guess we will take a look around on the way through at the very least."
Mifune cocked his head and gave a small pleased smile. "I am glad you have chosen to render me your assistance. To tell the truth, the fact that the entire district has gone silent is rather worrisome, especially as I do not claim any territory that that is distant enough for a messenger hawk to take more than half or two-thirds of a day to travel from. Not to say that a hawk couldn't be intercepted, but Super Company would be carrying about a dozen. We should have received more than one by now, whoever Super Company's commander is keep sending hawks until he got a reply.
"Now, if you could excuse me, I am occupied with some more immediate matters of rule at the moment. My Captain Lin can take and provide you with the most recent intelligence we have on the area before you depart."
"Absolutely," Jiraiya said and nodded from where he stood with the rest of the group. "We thank you for your time, my lord." The elderly general performed a sharp about-face and strode through the quickly opened doors, pausing just outside to allow the others to catch up and the guards to surround them.
Coming from the front doors of the castle the approach to Mifune's office had been from a long hallway at least a hundred yards long that led nowhere else. Emerging from the room, the man Mifune had called captain made an immediate turn down a hallway perpendicular to the main approach that Naruto could not recall having seen before. It took less than a minute for the man Mifune had addressed as Captain Lin to lead Naruto and the others to what Naruto assumed to be his office, given his apparent rank in the palace guard and how he went to a scrollshelf built into the wall behind the modest desk, taking several moments to locate a three scrolls in a square cubbyhole at the top of the shelf near the end of his reach. The scrolls were not large, creased to be fit in a messenger hawk's leather pouch.
"Those are all three reports we have received from the Salin region over the last week. The first is the initial report from the district capital's Legion garrison. It is not very specific, just saying that there had been several 'weird' incidences reported to the capital from several of the small to medium towns in the district. The second scroll is nearly as vague, saying that three towns had been completely and violently depopulated, any of the three having been fortified enough that they should have been able to last long enough to send word of any assault. Before you ask, whatever force that sacked the towns could not have been more than mid-battalion strength to cross our borders detected. We cannot estimate the precise size or even where they could have possibly come from as no bodies, theirs or ours, weapons, armor or anything that might give the slightest indication of who or what is going on have been recovered.
The second scroll is the only communication the platoon the Salin garrison sent out got off before going dark. According to the lieutenant leading the platoon, none of the towns that have been attacked suffered any damage unique enough to identify the enemy force, our best assumption from the burned buildings discovered that the enemy burns any structure that becomes damaged in the attack. Whatever defensive fortifications the towns possess remain mostly intact, except where they have been breached, dirt, wood and stone subjected to a hot enough flame to incinerate or melt anything the town walls are made from.
"The third scroll is the only one from Super Company after they arrived in Salin. The only thing of note from it is the description of the foul miasma that hung over the only town that they investigated before going silent. The smell alternately described as, and I quote, 'a barn packed full of wild animals that had never had the occasion to be graced by water's touch and their shit or every living thing rotted alive and tossed in the same barn. It wasn't strong enough to impede their investigation, but they were unable to remain overnight."
Naruto read the three reports first as the captain spoke, passing them to Jiraiya, then to Father Alexander and the two girls before Sergeant Kurosaki handed them back to the Iron captain. "And that is everything that we know. I have to say, the company that the Governor-General sent to investigate is one of our most decorated elite units. They should have been able to handle a force up to half again as large as they were. The fact that they have gone completely silent means that the enemy is either very, very good, or large enough that they should not have been able to remain undetected within our borders, both possibilities that are of great concern to the Governor-General. Neither my lord nor I expect or request you to handle whoever or whatever it is that has silenced a significant area of Salin. Get in there, try to figure out what is going on, but stay safe above all. We need information, not more bodies. Iron does not wish to be accused of instigating a diplomatic incident, which is what would happen should you disappear inside our borders conducting an investigation on our behalf. If you cannot find anything to investigate within a reasonable period of time, simply send me a report documenting of anything and everything that could possibly assist whomever takes over the case."
"We will do anything we can to find out what is going on, Captain."
"The Salin reports must stay with me here, but do you wish to have copies?"
"Can't hurt, I suppose," Naruto said. "Impossible to tell just what information could be important at this point."
"My thoughts as well, more or less. If you will wait here for just a moment, I will return with your copies." Two of the guards standing post outside slipped in to make sure none of Naruto's group touched anything as Captain Lin left. He reentered about two minutes later the copies of the reports in a leather envelop with the Iron-kanji-and-circle stamped into the leather. "There is also a map with the towns that have been sacked marked."
Once again, the guards from a box around everyone and followed Lin to the main entrance.
"That was far easier than I was anticipating," Naruto said once they were back in the castle town.
"I don't know why you were expecting it to be different. Mifune was never very likely to turn you down, especially given just how little he has to do. He loses nothing if you fail, and stands to gain quite a bit if you succeed."
"Eh, I suppose," Naruto allowed. "And he got us to go and investigate whatever it is that is going on down in Salin. And for free. What do you think Tsunade would charge for something like this?"
"Well, given the number and caliber of soldiers that have gone missing, I would say it would be an expensive A-rank, a jounin platoon likely formed for it."
"So he is getting a deal out of this."
"One way of putting it. Although it is hardly like he is not without resources of his own to use to resolve his own problems. That is not to say that he does not have a point; if there is something weird going on, we are better equipped than most to deal with it."
"We are at that," the Acolyte agreed.
"Captain Hyuuga, you shinobi are one of our most potent force multipliers, but I hope that we are not biting off more than we can chew. Super Company, the unit that the Governor-General sent to Salin, is not a regular company. They are known to serve mostly as a troubleshooter unit for the Governor-General. They get sent in whenever a situation arises that other less… specialized… units would fail. Collectively, we stand at less than platoon strength, when whatever is down in Salin has very likely destroyed Super Company, a full three hundred men of the best trained soldiers in Iron." Kurosaki shrugged. "My men and I will follow you and your orders, wherever they may lead or whatever they are, sir, as we were ordered to, but I just wish to apprise you of just what we will be walking into."
"I appreciate your input, Sergeant, but we will still be heading to Salin."
"Yes, sir. I will inform my men and make sure that we are as prepared as we can be."
"See that you do." The grey stone shape of the Wayfarer's Rest had come into sight by now, so Kurosaki tossed off a quick salute and headed around the side of the building to where the soldiers and horses were.
"Alright, well we have gotten everything that we need from here. It is still early, so I would like to get some distance on Salin before we have to make camp tonight."
Jiraiya, Hinata, Tenten and the priest all nodded, splitting up into their rooms to pack.
A/N: Hey, Naruto found a sidequest! Wonder what kind of loot he will find~
Lotta things happening here, making this the second longest Shinigami no Naruto chapter, and the longest Jinchuuriki Tails chapter. Next couple of chapters are going to be pretty fun though, at least for me, so that may or may not mean quicker chapters, life permitting.
