Chapter 21

The Ambassador's Guarantee

The portal to another world, Knov decided, looked somewhat like his own.

The apparatus that generated it was surprisingly small; he'd expected something bulky and advanced, but the actual portal wasn't much more than a metal ring on a slightly raised stand and a generator. There were strips of paper wrapped around several sections of the ring, one of them trailing material down the side; all of them were emblazoned with foreign symbols, the language of the Shinobi Union. Several of the symbols glowed the same faint green as the portal; some application of chakra, no doubt.

Mari Kansai, the woman who could hurl lightning bolts with frightening precision and the apparent Representative of the Shinobi Union to West Gorteau, had noticed his surprise when they'd entered the decorated room, so obviously meant to receive visitors, that housed the portal. As Knov had examined the dull green passageway to another world, which faintly shimmered with ocean-like motion, she'd explained that the Portal Engine which enabled travel that was actually located back in the Union provided the majority of the power and processing power necessary for trans-dimensional travel. Ancillary portals like this one only received its instructions and energy, and so didn't need to be quite so advanced. This had been quite purposeful, to allow civilizations even with less developed technology to be able to deal with the Union.

It was amazing, he thought, that the shinobi had managed to create something like this with their chakra. Developing Hide and Seek had taken him years, but this had been a cooperative effort on a much grander scale. They may have been aliens, but they could work together like anyone else.

The portal rippled, and the movement spread from the top right of the luminous circle instead of the center. Knov could swear he saw movement on the other side, shadowed figures moving with a purpose from one side to another. He reached out, wondering what the surface of the gate would feel like. Hide and Seek was like a cold liquid that slipped off the body without leaving a trace: would this be the same?

Mari, who had been standing just behind him on his right, put her hand on his shoulder. "Careful," she said, and Knov paused. He looked back at her, and she elaborated. As she spoke, he wondered why she chose to wear a suit, unlike the other shinobi.

"The portal can be tricky," she said. "People without chakra can pass through without complication, but we've never had anyone with "Nen," she pronounced the unfamiliar word with an odd lilt, "attempt it. We don't think it would be dangerous, but it's very possible it would require further recharging if you did."

"We'd considered that," Knov said. He watched the armed guards at the back of the room, wondering if they understood what was being discussed. "The Association is curious if I could pass through and create a less particular portal of my own. You're familiar with my hatsu."

The woman nodded. "Of course," she said with a grin. "And that would be spectacularly convenient. But we're concerned about the risks." Who was we? The other shinobi, the higher-ups of the Union? Hinata's husband? "Traveling through the portal deactivates any active jutsu, sorry, technique, without fail. Barriers, clones, anything independent immediately disappears, and their chakra travels back to the user." Mari shrugged. "We're not sure why this is the case, Mr. Knov, but it's a constant with portal travel. Since Nen and chakra are so similar, if you were to use the Portal it's very likely all of your existing portals would vanish; your Nen would return to you, and you'd be stranded on the other side."

Knov considered what the woman was saying. Was she telling the truth? It was more than possible the Union just wanted a monopoly on travel to and from their world, a monopoly that Knov could single-handedly destroy. But if she was telling the truth, the risk was unacceptable. Not only would the rest of the force opposing the Ants be denied his Hide and Seek, but his travel through the portal might leave the Union unable to send any reinforcements.

He lowered his hand, backing up a step. He couldn't test the truth, not without laying the lives of other Hunters and the shinobi on the line. There would be time later, when the crisis had passed; for now, as he found himself doing too often for his taste, he'd just have to trust the shinobi.

Mari smiled at him once more, and then refocused on the portal, considering its depths. They stood in silence alongside one another, waiting for some hint of action from it. Twenty mute seconds passed; Knov had always been comfortable with silence, glad to an opportunity for quiet thought, but Mari was clearly different. The woman fidgeted, occasionally glancing at him.

"Do you have something to say?" he eventually asked, and the woman quickly shrugged.

"Don't mind me," she said, and Knov took the advice to heart. Then she continued speaking, and he realized she hadn't really meant it. "I'm just nervous."

"Nervous?" Knov asked, seizing the opportunity. The woman was younger, and inexperienced. She'd probably have looser lips than Hinata and her team.

"I didn't think this position would be that special," Mari admitted. "I took it because it was fascinating, not because I wanted to meet important shinobi." She shrugged once again. "But the Hokage's wife, and now whoever the Union decides to send… I just didn't expect it to be like this."

"Hinata is remarkable," Knov said. Mari spoke about her in a deeply respectful tone; he suspected there was more there than an appreciation of the Hyuuga's abilities. "But surely, as an ambassador…"

"I was trained to deal with other nations," Mari said. "I'm good at it. I enjoy it here, and I enjoy my work." She made eye contact with him, and Knov was struck by her bright teal eyes. "But, I don't think you could understand, Mr. Knov. Hinata's generation is a legend; some of them are like myths, especially if you're from a different Hidden Village. Being here, it's a little overwhelming."

Myths. Knov considered the Representative's words. Either she was easily dazzled, or the shinobi really had experienced a drastic and recent change, like Netero had effortlessly surmised. He decided to dig deeper.

"What do you mean, myths?" he asked. As Mari started to speak, he raised his hand. "I assume you can't tell me everything, and I understand. I'm just curious; Hinata has never struck me as someone like that, despite her eyes." He was curious, really. Despite working with them for a decent length of time, he still knew very little about the shinobi.

Mari spent a moment in thought, and Knov was sure he'd underestimated her. She knew just as well as he did the value of information, and how things might appear if she weren't careful with it. Whatever he received wouldn't be the whole truth.

"Before the Union was formed," she decided, as though reciting a history book, "there were three great wars between the five largest Hidden Villages. Two over territory and resources, and one thanks to an assassination. They were terrible conflicts that took the lives of many ninja, including a significant amount of children. But when Lady Hinata was seventeen years old, there was a fourth great war, the most destructive of them all." That was logical to Knov; nations competed, and the most direct competition was always war. While the Hidden Villages may have had anachronistic titles, everything he'd learned about them indicated states or nations with far more power than any actual 'village.'

Mari sighed. "It wasn't like the others. The Fourth War was a war of ideology, fought by one man against the Villages. He had many servants, but in the end it was one man against the world, and he nearly won. The war lasted two days, and killed more than half of the five Village's shinobi."

Ah, Morel had told him something like; Shino had mentioned a similar conflict to him, fought to control the 'Tailed Beasts.' They must have been important to this man's ideology. The idea was both too bizarre and sensible enough. A single man, opposing the entire series of ninja villages, was on the face of it absurd, but if any one person had amassed that much power, surely they would seek to eliminate their competition? Abstractly, it made sense, and so did the horrid casualties.

"And Hinata fought in that war?" he asked. Mari nodded.

"On the frontlines," she said. "Hinata and her generation won the bloodiest war in history, and they went on to dictate the future of the Villages: taking advantage of the unity provided by the war to establish the Union, rebuilding a new balance of power between the Five Nations. She and her husband were at the front of it."

"Why them?" Knov asked. Because they were the most powerful? Or for some subtler reason? Mari surely understood his thoughts, even if he didn't voice them.

"The Hyuuga Clan, Hinata's family, is a big deal in Konohagakure," Mari explained. "One of the Village's founding clans. She and her family were influential for obvious reasons, and they also had some of the most famous disputes with other Villages, mine included; them setting aside their grudges set an example for the rest of Konoha." She glanced back at the portal; still nothing. "And as for Naruto… in a way, that was definitely because of his power, but it was more than that. Naruto had created a personal relationship with each of the other Village's Kage, and saved most of their lives at one point or another. He ended up being the connection between everyone; the foundation of peace."

A union of nations forged through a personal relationship? Perhaps the Villages were more totalitarian than he'd thought if that were really the case, with one person having so much pull.

"Have you ever met him?" he asked, and the woman shook her head.

"Never. I saw him once, when I was younger; he was visiting my Village," she said, glancing back at the portal. It was pulsing faster, Knov noted, the ripples appearing more frequently and violently. He still didn't know who would be arriving; the messages sent through the portal had only noted that summoning, whatever that was, was too unstable, and that they'd be sending another Ambassador through within the day. "It was from a distance, but still…"

Knov cocked an eyebrow, and Mari shrugged. "It's hard to describe," she said. "People like him are… heavy."

Did she mean Jinchuriki, or just people of Naruto's fame? Knov couldn't be sure, and he didn't want to ask. The portal was pulsing rapidly now, a low keening emitting from its base, like an overheated computer. Knov didn't have to be familiar with the technology to understand that was a sign of activity. Someone would likely be coming through at any moment.

The wide doors behind them opened, and Knov looked over his shoulder, clasping his hands behind his back at the same time. West Gorteau's Chief Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Sun Hanya, had entered the room, along with yet another armed guard. That was the third; was the extra security for a show of force, or was there something he didn't know? The border to East Gorteau was less than fifty miles away, after all. Perhaps all officials were traveling with escorts now.

"The transition is underway," Sun said, the overhead lights gleaming off his forehead. Knov had always found baldness a little unsightly; he was always strangely happy to look in the mirror and find a full head of hair. "Mari, did they tell you who they were sending?"

"No," the shinobi answered as the Secretary glanced at Knov. No doubt he was wondering why the Hunter was waiting to meet the new arrival as well. "They were still deliberating an hour ago. Apparently the Ants have raised up quite a fuss."

The Ants, and the Shinju, Knov was sure of it. For better or worse, the Union's attention was firmly on their world now. He focused on the portal, searching for any sense of familiarity with his own hatsu, or for a glimpse of whoever was on the other side.

Five seconds passed in tense silence, and then the shimmering green surface pulsed. Without any disturbance to the portal, something passed through, trailing a pale mist that resolved into a solid form after a heartbeat.

It was a dog. A two hundred pound dog the size of a large man, with wild white fur, but nonetheless, just a dog. It looked up and Knov and Mari, huffed, and then trundled past them and the rest of the welcoming party, sitting down behind them with a groan. Knov tracked it curiously; the last thing he had expected was an animal, let alone one so blatantly uninterested in them. From her face, Mari hadn't either.

The portal pulsed again, drawing Knov's attention back to it, and another figure stepped through. As the vapor around it faded, a man became clear.

Knov appraised the newcomer. The man was much more in line with his expectations. He was about as tall as Knov himself, and slender as well. Dull red hair, cut short, and an equally red coat fastened with a series of buttons down the chest. His outfit was sleek and professional, with one exception; a tan gourd the size of a child was slung across his back, secured by two rough leather strap across his torso. Knov wondered what the thing held; for some reason, it reminded him of Morel's pipe. Probably a weapon, then.

"Oh my." The words out of Mari before she could compose herself, and Knov wondered exactly who this man was that he'd managed to throw the woman off even after she'd prepared for the meeting. "Lord Kazekage. This is a surprise."

"Ms. Kansai," the Kazekage said, nodding to her, and then to the Secretary. "Mr. Hanya, yes? It's good to meet you in person." The bald man inclined his head. Kazekage, one of the five Kage who ruled the five major villages. The Union had sent one of its most powerful men to appraise the situation?

Not Naruto Uzumaki, but someone nearly as important, it seemed. Knov was both wary and relieved as the man's disconcerting teal eyes fell on him. They reminded him of Mari's, but there was one critical difference.

The Kazekage didn't have any pupils, just like Hinata. But where Hinata's empty eyes were inevitably kind, or focused, the Kazekage's were blank, appraising. It was the first time Knov had met another human and truly felt they were different.

There was a pressure too, emanating from the man. He'd only noticed it when those eyes fell on him. It was as though the gravity of the room had been raised an erg, not enough to actually affect anything, but sufficient to make Knov understand the weight of all his limbs, of how his blood struggled and pulsed through his body. He knew without a doubt this was what Mari had meant when she'd said 'heavy.'

What he didn't know was why.

"And you…" The Kazekage said, stepping forward. "I don't believe I know you. Would you be a Hunter?"

Knov moved forward as well, and the new shinobi raised his hand in greeting. Knov took the handshake without hesitation, a little surprised by the roughness of the Kage's hands.

"I am," he said, finishing the shake. "My name is Knov. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

He dangled the sentence, and the Kazekage gracefully picked it up. "Gaara," he said. "Of the Desert. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Knov. Are you the Association's representative here?" Gaara had a soft voice, but he spoke with firm clarity. Used to being in command, and comfortable with it. The man was definitely a military leader.

"For now," Knov confirmed, taking a step back. He wondered where the man's moniker had come from. He seemed to fair-skinned to live in a desert. "The Chairman of the Association will be able to meet with you shortly, but until he returns, I'll be your liaison."

"Excellent," the man said. He turned his attention back to Sun Hanya, and the pressure on Knov lifted. He wondered if it was even intentional. "I must apologize for the circumstances, Chief Secretary. It would have been ideal if we could have met in a less… pressing situation."

"It is of no concern, Lord Kazekage," the man said. Knov was sure the same pressure that had affected him was weighing on the Secretary, but the man didn't show it; he was definitely trained well. "Though you're right that the circumstances could be better, we are glad for more interaction between our nations. West Gorteau is ready to assist the Union in any way it can."

Gaara of the Desert smiled, and the expression made him look infinitely more human. "We are glad to hear that," he said. "But of course, time is of the essence at the moment. Rest assured, once this crisis is resolved you'll be hearing more from the Union; we'll be needing your help in reaching out to the rest of the world."

The Secretary's face twitched, and Knov smiled. It was a bit cruel, but it was amusing to see the man's obvious ambition of being the sole relationship with the shinobi in the Union get accidentally shot down.

"Now," Gaara said as he turned back to Knov and Mari, "how much can we discuss here?"

"I would prefer if we took our conversation elsewhere, Kazekage," Knov admitted. Knowledge of the Dark Continent was restricted for good reason, and he wasn't sure how knowledge Sun Hanya was. Always better safe than sorry. "With the Chairman's apologies, Secretary."

The man waved him off, quickly recovering. "Hunter business," he said with a smile. "Trust me, I'd rather not know. We only care that the situation is resolved."

"Oh, there's no doubt of that," Knov said, returning the smile. "If you'll excuse us, then." He kneeled down and touched a finger to the ground, the pleasant sensation of cold Nen flowing out of his finger accompanying the creation of another portal. As he tapped the new entry to Hide and Seek, Mari explained his hatsu to Gaara in a low tone. The man nodded, before removing a piece of paper from his jacket pocket.

"Too sensitive for the fax," he muttered back, slipping the paper in Mari's hand as Knov tried to catch its contents in the corner of his eye. Unfortunately, it was written in another language; probably the shinobi's native script, since they had made it clear that they couldn't read the local language. Mari glanced at it, her eyes going wide, before stuffing it into her own pocket and hastily saluting the Kage.

Gaara grinned, and then approached Knov, glancing down at the entrance. "Another portal?" he asked, and Knov shrugged.

"Unless you'd prefer to walk," he said, testing the man's humor. He was rewarded with a chuckle and crossed arms.

"No, this suits me just fine," the Kazekage said, and he stepped into Hide and Seek without hesitation. The white dog walked after him, dipping into the portal headfirst as everyone else in the room curiously watched.

Knov glanced up to Mari as the top of the man's head vanished. "Stay in contact," he requested, trying to make it sound like an order despite having no authority over the woman, and she nodded. "The situation will probably develop rapidly; everyone needs to be on the same page."

Then he slipped through the portal, closing it behind him, and the large room vanished, replaced by a small white one. The Kazekage was waiting for him, arms still crossed. So was the dog.

Why was the dog there? Was it the Kazekage's pet? Knov didn't care to ask.

"Fascinating," Gaara said, looking about the room. "I've never seen a technique like this. Is this a real building, somewhere, or did you create it?"

Knov strode across the room, his master key falling from his sleeve and into the palm of his hand. "I created it," he said. "Though it links to several buildings in the real world, for the utilities. I cannot generate electricity, or running water."

"Amazing," the man said, falling in step behind him. "I'd heard you Hunters had interesting abilities, but this exceeds my expectations." The man's tone grew more serious. "Can I expect the same of the Chimera Ants?"

"Yes," Knov said simply, sliding his key into one of the doors. He turned back before opening it. "This door leads to the capital of East Gorteau, Peijing. It's still not entirely safe. East Gorteau's soldiers still patrol sections of it, and they're subordinates of the Ants now. Not to mention that while Hinata is keeping overwatch, we're expecting the Chimera to send at least some forces to the city eventually."

"I understand," Gaara replied, and Knov opened the door. They stepped out together into the city. It was early in the morning, and a constant dreary drizzle drowned out the morning sun. As before, the dog trundled after them as the portal closed.

"Hmm," the Kazekage said, taking in the skyline. Knov had placed the portal they'd exited from on one of the taller buildings in the city, on the southern edge; one of the farthest points from the palace with the best sightlines. "What an ugly place."

"It's an ugly nation," Knov remarked. Gaara's blank eyes had thrown him off, but the man's polite tone had helped humanize him quickly. "Hinata and the rest are somewhere out there; we didn't know when you'd be arriving, so we didn't set a time to meet. She's to come find us."

"You've been working with her since she arrived," Gaara said. "I hope she's been safe."

"Hunting the Ants is the farthest thing from safe," Knov said. He had to be careful now. This was a true representative of the Union, not someone who was more like a coworker. Whatever Gaara said, and whatever was said to Gaara, was part of the direct dialogue between worlds. "But she has been taking care of herself."

The Kazekage snorted. "I have no doubt of that," he said. They stood in silence, observing the soaked city, before he spoke again. "You're probably wondering what I handed Ms. Kansai. And why I was chosen to be sent." He glanced over at Knov. "I'd prefer you asked questions, really. It's why I am here."

Knov shrugged; if the man was happy to humor his inquisitiveness, he'd capitalize on it. It probably wouldn't be long before Hinata and her comrades arrived, along with the rest of the Hunters; this was a meeting everyone needed to be present for. Filling the time with questions was one of the best ways to spend it.

"In that case," he said, "what did you had Mari?"

"Instructions," the Kazekage said. He stood like a statue, not even blinking at the rain. Knov realized that the water hitting his skin vanished, instead of dripping down his body.

Bizarre.

"The presence of multiple Shinju on this world is… extremely troubling," Gaara said. "Even if they are isolated. That alone would have been enough to draw the Union's attention, but the Chimera Ants, and their King gaining chakra, presents an even more dangerous situation."

"That seems self-evident," Knov said, and Gaara nodded.

"Of course. Forgive me, I just want to be clear. I am here, as Kage of the Hidden Sand and Ambassador of the Shinobi Union, to guarantee that we can cooperate with the Hunter Association to track down the Shinju, and ascertain their threat." Gaara shifted a little to look Knov in the eyes. "And to assist in the suppression and if necessary, extermination of the Chimera Ants."

"Necessary?" Knov asked. "They can't be reasoned with."

"Some of them can," Gaara pointed out. "I've been told several of them have surrendered and been taken hostage. The majority of them may choose to die, but surely we can't execute them just for being Ants."

The man was right, with a couple exceptions. The King and the Royal Guard were too powerful to let live, but the lesser Ants could be spared if they were like Colt, or Ikalgo. Knov just shrugged; the issue was mostly beyond his concern.

"Then are you it?" Knov asked. "The extent of the reinforcements?" He glanced at the white dog, who grumbled. "Along with the dog, I suppose."

"This is Akamaru," Gaara said, patting the dog on the head; it rumbled appreciatively. "He's Kiba partner."

The word raised several alarm bells, most of which Knov was sure were ridiculous. "Partner?" he asked cautiously, and Gaara smiled.

"Kiba's clan, the Inuzuka, fight alongside dogs that are assigned to them at birth," he explained, and Knov let out a silent sigh of relief. "Akamaru has been Kiba's for more than twenty years; he left him behind because of his age, but since it looks like they'll be fighting in the future, Akamaru elected to come along."

"It's…" The dog, no, Akamaru, growled. "He's more than twenty years old?" The dog nodded, and Knov stared at it in suspicion. "And it's still fit for combat?"

"Kiba left him behind thanks to his age, but I'm told he's fitter in a fight than he is sitting around," Gaara said, looking back out to the city. "But I suppose we'll see. And yes, for now I am the extent of the reinforcements." He frowned. 'Though special consideration has been given to the King."

"Special consideration?" Knov asked, and Gaara's frown grew.

"From Hinata's report," he said – when had Hinata had time to make a report? – "the King is far too dangerous for any single individual to engage. The Union is assigning someone to take care of him."

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Knov asked, and Gaara turned his head toward him, his blank eyes narrowing.

"We will see," the Kazekage said. "There are still decisions being made. Naruto is a likely candidate."

That was good enough for Knov, but the Kazekage continued, surprising him.

"Do you know," the man asked, "why we have such an interest in the World Trees, as you call them?"

"They're responsible for your chakra," Knov said, the answer self-evident. "Hinata told us as much. Yours was planted by a visitor from another dimension, according to her."

"That much is true," Gaara acknowledged. "But since we're asking you to trust us, I think you should know a little more about them." As Knov turned, showing open interest, the man went on. "Like you said, the Shinju aren't a native organism. They were brought to our world, and likely yours, by visitors from another world. What Hinata probably didn't tell you, for good reason, is that those visitors are not random travelers."

Ah, there was the twist Knov was looking for. As Gaara spoke, he felt an indefinable perception fall on him. Hinata had finally noticed them.

"The woman who planted the Shinju in our world, Kaguya Otsutsuki, came from a family, organization, clan," Gaara waved his hand, "of creatures just like her. We are still figuring out the specifics of both her and her fellows, but the Otsutsuki were incredibly advanced. Aliens, essentially, that traveled from one world to another, sapping them dry with their trees."

Knov expected something beyond dull surprise to the admission, but managed to disappoint himself. Something like that was unbelievable, right out of science fiction, but at its base it was no different from the actions of hundreds of nations throughout history; when natural resources ran out, people exploited those that belonged to others. These 'Otsutsuki' were no different from oil or rubber barons; they simply stole the nutrients and energy of a planet instead of something usable by a human.

"And so you're wondering why our world didn't suffer the same fate?" he asked, and Gaara shook his head.

"Not quite. When the Union first explored this world," he said, "we found the stunted Shinju, far to the north of here, and dismissed it. In our agent's travels, he has encountered many similar situations; the Otsutsuki's trees fail as often as they succeed, and so we charted this world down as another lucky one." Many? How many places had the Union made contact with? "Imagine our surprise when Hinata informed us there were so many more here, hiding out on a continent kept secret from most of the world. It's certainly an unusual situation."

"Lucky us," Knov muttered. Gaara shrugged.

"I'm well aware that this situation isn't ideal," he said. The words of an Ambassador, but he delivered them so genuinely that Knov wanted to believe him. "We want to do our best to respect your autonomy: both the governments of this world, and the Association's." Several blocks away, Hinata crested the top of a building and waved, shortly followed by Shino and Kiba. Knov wondered where the other Hunters were, shortly before Morel appeared along with Knuckle and Shoot, just a building over; they must have taken the stairs. Akamaru started barking. "Once the situation with the Chimera is resolved, we can talk in more detail about future cooperation," Gaara finished.

If those talks ever came to be, Knov doubted they would be as productive as either side hoped.

The shinobi and Hunters arrived near simultaneously, leaping to the roof and cutting paths through the half-hearted rain. Knuckle, Shoot, and Morel watched the Kazekage with curiosity; the shinobi simply approached him as a friend, Akamaru rising and bolting for Kiba. As the large dog tackled the man to the roof and furiously licked his face, Knov wondered where Palm was. She must have been away from the group, or else she would have come too.

"Gaara," Hinata said, putting her hand out. The man obviously surprised her when he ignored it, placing his hand on her shoulder; the Hyuuga stiffened for a moment.

"Hinata," he said. "Glad you're safe." He looked past her to Kiba, who was currently being mauled, and then to Shino, his gaze lingering on his missing arm. "Shino. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault, Lord Fifth," the man said, even more polite than usual. "It could have been much worse."

"So.." Knuckle asked. "You're the reinforcements?" He glanced at Akamaru, who'd finally let Kiba take a breath. "And the dog too, I guess."

"Gaara of the Desert," Knov said as the new shinobi nodded. "He'll be acting as the Union's ambassador while he's here, in addition to assisting us against the Ants."

"Are you it?" Kiba asked, rhythmically patting his dog. Akamaru's tail thumped against the roof like a wet towel, and Gaara nodded again.

"For now," he said. "Hopefully, I'll be all that's required."

Hopefully indeed.

Kiba laughed, unaware of Knov's thoughts. "Yeah, let's hope. You all caught up yet, or…?"

"Hardly," Gaara said, stepping forward. "We have a lot to discuss."