Well here's another chapter, also kinda short but I like it well enough.
The hustle and bustle of of the lively village marketplace were the first thing to greet Naruto's eyes as he and Tadakatsu passed through the archway of Honou villages' gates.
The dirt road crunched beneath their feet, drowned out by the chattering voices, bellowing cries of the merchants announcing their respective claims to "Best prices in all of fire country."
Wide blue eyes took in the scenery and Tadakatsu had to chickle at the simple innocence. The boy had no doubt rarely been to many villages outside of Konoha, having been just a gennin. With a fixed economy based on mostly military income with a secondary mercantile enterprise, the hustle and bustle of a village who's entire economy relied on trade could be quite overwhelming for many.
Still, this place, like every other, had its share of 'risks'
"Careful young Naruto." He said placing a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. "Crowds like these are a haven for skilled pickpockets."
The boy's face scrunched, somewhat insulted at the thought that a pickpocket would be able to trick a ninja like him. But he decided to hold his tongue, placing his hands behind his head as they made their way into the village proper.
"Ya know." Naruto ventured, his features scrunching up in the way that indicated he was thinking hard on something as he looked up to the taller male. "You said you were a trader when I met 'cha." Narrowing his eyes he continued. "But I don't see you carrying anything to trade."
The fact that he'd asked this question would normally be a good thing in Tadakatsu's eyes. However, the fact that he'd asked this question after three days of travel was more than a little distressing.
"I do not trade material goods Naruto. I trade information. Traveling between villages allows me to hear things. Things that certain interested parties pay fairly well to hear." He was not even working to hide the nature of his profession, any ninja worth half his bodyweight would be able to work out that his work as an information broker placed him fairly high on most countries most wanted list.
Naruto's features tightened in thought. "People pay to hear rumors?"
He had to fight in order to hold back his groan of despair. Subtlety was obviously not the boy's strong point. Once he'd gotten the information he sought here he would work hard in order to train the boy's mind. Very very hard it would seem.
"Naruto, I need to meet someone here. A woman actually, she's my client in this village. Here." Pulling out a bag of coins he placed them in Naruto's hands. More than enough to buy what he would ask for, and then some. Hopefully the boy wouldn't mismanage it too badly. "Why don't you go into the marketplace and search for some supplies we could use on the road. Food, camping gear and the like."
"Uhh yea sure." He said "But uhh...this is a lot of money old man. I dont think I'll need this much."
'Hmmm, so he has some sense for handling sums of money. I suppose that makes sense, Sarutobi could not have held his hand all the time as he grew up.' "Do not worry, simply give me what's left once you're done."
"Uhhh, alright. But I wont be able to protect you if I'm in the marketplace...Hey I know!"
The bearded ninja watched as Naruto formed a cross shaped seal, and at his side, three puffs of smoke indicated the creation of shadow clones. Startling many of the nearby civilians.
"Uhhh." He began. "No, my boy, that wont be necessary." Tadakatsu assured, making a mental note of the boy's chakra capacity considering that he'd just made three solid clones on a whim, which was extremely impressive considering his age. Still he shouldn't be very surprised. Most Jinchuuriki held great chakra reserves that exceeded most normal humans several times over.
Shrugging Naruto dispersed the clones. "Alright I guess. I'll just head to the shops then." Turning, he began to walk away.
Suddenly he stopped, turning around slowly with an irritated look on his face. "Wait...You're not about to pull an Ero-sennin on me are ya?"
The older man's highly confused face was his answer.
The music from the lower floor of the tea house filtered up through the floorboards, muffled and muted, it provided something of a harmonious backdrop to the tense meeting he was about to partake in.
He slid open the rice paper door at the top of the stairs, the music coming in a little louder here from the open window that offered the mezzanine a birds eye view of the entire tea house.
He saw her sitting there, back to the open window, arms spread out and resting over the back ridge of the leather couch she sat on, one leg crossed over the other, sword leaning against the furniture a little to her right.
He removed his hat, slowly stepping into the room.
She drew a blade, long and razor sharp, she held it unnervingly close to his throat as teal green eyes glared at him. The scar carving its way down her face from the ridge of her brow to her cheek adding to the sharpness of her glare rather than distracting him from it.
"That's close enough."
He smiled, a gentle thing, like that of a brother overindulging a petulant younger sibling. "My dear. Truly? We have known each other for years. Surely you can tell I am no impostor."
She said nothing, her eyes growing icy cold as they fixed themselves on him, the faint hint of a sneer on her delicate features.
The bearded man sighed before he spoke, voice escaping in tones more akin to reciting a litany rather than words.
"We are brothers. We tread in the paths the light dares not follow. We ask for neither blood nor kinship, nor friendship, nor trust nor servitude nor love. Only vigilance."
The sword fell away, the tip, clinking onto the floor as she placed it back into its place, jerking her head once to her right., gesturing for him to take the seat that was as comfortably away from her as possible in the small room.
He obliged, placing himself firmly on the comfortable, soft seat, noting how her eyes followed his every move.
"Let me guess." She began, curt, staring ahead. "The brat's with you. And you find yourself in need of help...training him or hiding him?"
Quick, to the point. She hadn't changed. He sighed. "Training." He answered.
"Good." She barked, a cruel smile lilting her lips. "The boy's useless to us blind, deaf and dumb. I hope you know though-" She paused, turning to face him. "I'm not doing it."
"Oh my dear." He chuckled. "I do believe, you would be too much for the boy. However I did have someone else...in mind...that you may help me locate?"
She seemed to think for a long while. Possibly listing off the people she knew of that could help him, and trying to deduce which one he wanted. A moment later, as her features scrunched into one of distaste, as though she'd just been chewing on something vile; she spat out her words. "Oh I see...you want the old war dog?"
"He would be most helpful. Yes." He admitted.
"Well you'll be out of luck...At least for another eight months." She added as she leaned back in her seat, that grim, dry humored smile tugging at her lips. "He'll be out of contact. At least for that long, maybe he'll even end up dead. Don't think there'll be many tears at the funeral all things considered.
"Then I can only hope for the best." He said placidly. "Where was he supposed to contact you? I'll meet him instead."
"Supposedly he was going to infiltrate. Get into the enemies ranks, bring a group, hopefully some high up the chain to a meeting point at an old abandoned lumber mill, a few miles north of Taka, I'd ambush them. He'd betray, together we'd take them down. You think you can do that with the brat? Be my guess. Free's up my schedule.
"You by yourself?" He questioned gently. "What if it was a trap?"
"I'd fight my way out." She answered, not looking at him. "I'd either die, or they would. Either way, we all have to go eventually. This war was going on long before I got here and it will be going on long after I'm gone."
Her morbidity was unnerving, but he could not fault her for it. It got to them all eventually. And she was dug in deeper than almost anyone else.
There was a crash down below, and Tadakatsu believed it may be a drunk had stumbled into the place, until an increasingly familiar voice drifted up towards his ears through the music and smoke of incense.
"Hey! Hey Old man! Ya in here!"
"That would be you I take it..." The woman asked with acid in her voice, lips once again twisted into something akin to a sneer.
Tadakatsu chuckled somewhat nervously. "Yes, I'm afraid so. The boy is,,,somewhat eccentric but he will learn."
She trailed her eyes upwards, no doubt glancing at the specially angled mirror, carefully hidden within the carvings and patterns on the roof, allowing her to look down onto the boy where he was shouting with the bouncers who were threatening to bodily evict him from the premises.
"He'd better." She snarled searching for the boy through the mirror.
Sharp green found the sun kissed hair and whiskered cheeks across the room and a staggering, lancing pain ripped straight through her head, body jerking as though physically struck before she lurched forward with a groan as everything within her skull came to a freezing, jarring halt.
"Kushina!" The room's other occupant said, standing up, alarmed and worried.
She straightened, holding out her hand in a gesture to stop. As she leaned back on the couch. "I'm fine."
"Are you certain? What was-"
"An old complaint that acts up now and again." She cut him off before she jerked her head back and to the left, gesturing for the exit on the lower floor, a movement that sent stars dancing across her eyes, though she hid it well. "You have your info. Now beat it. Get out of my town."
He hesitated, paused with uncertainty before she turned her gaze onto him again, the twisted, torn skin that was the scar over her face almost glimmering with the angle of the light.
"I said beat it."
He bowed once, nodding before he turned on his heel and proceeded to march down the steps, ready to leave the village.
Kushina sighed through her nostrils, the hard lines of her face only increasing as the Jinchurikki's irritating voice assaulted her ears from down below, followed shortly by Tadakatsu's own gentle tones.
"Hey old man. You done here? I got the fish, and the vegetables."
"Yes Naruto, I do believe the lady and I are finished with our discussion.
"You sure you're not pulling an Ero-sennin on me?"
"Yes Naruto. I am quite certain I would be the first to know if I were doing such a thing."
Once they left, the red headed woman allowed herself a moment to breathe, the pounding headache that had overcome her in the boy's presence dying away with every moment he was gone.
Waiting on a branch of one of the many towering trees of Konoha, Orochimaru sat, his back to the trunk as he glowered out towards the Horizon, watching soon enough as a snake slithered up the side of the tree trunk, coiling around it as he approached the snake ninja's side, its head soon resting on the Sannin's shoulder.
"What word?" He asked briskly, not wasting time with the beast.
"We, have found her." The creature hissed. "Ssshe ressstsss, in a village along the northern bordersss of fire."
The sannin nodded. Dispelling his summon with a wave of his hand before he stood. He needed to go see the woman who's life he'd taken.
Well, here it is. Hope you all enjoyed it, Kushina's appearance sort of came to me and I decided to roll with it, I'm glad I did really.
Anyway read and review the next update should be soon (hopefully)
