-June 4th, 348 NE-
-A Small Outpost In The Land of Whirlpools-
Tsunade let out a sigh of relief as she closed and sealed the door behind her. She'd had to travel very quickly to respond to Jiraiya's urgent message, and the multiple days of constant travel had worn even her down. It felt good to be back so she could sleep in her own bed for once.
"Kushina!" she called out, her voice echoing through the small complex of hallways and rooms that had somehow become her home over the last few years. "I'm back!"
She began methodically stripping off her disguise, welcoming the touch of the cool air that filled the outpost. As she did so, she allowed her mind to drift back to what Jiraiya had told her.
~ Scene Break ~
-May 24th, 348 NE-
-Southern Part of The Land of Fire-
Tsunade hissed in sympathy as she saw the terrible state of the man's arm. She could see the signs of extensive work that had already been performed, but the skin was still ruptured in more places than not, and by the way the arm hung she could tell there were several breaks in the humerus, radius, and ulna as well. Her gaze trailed down to what used to be a hand and winced further.
"I'm surprised you didn't amputate it outright," she muttered, shaking her head. "Did your med-nin think they could actually fix this much damage?"
The red-haired man shook his head, his dark brown eyes staring fixedly into the distance. "She insisted on making the effort. It wasn't until Jiraiya-sama came upon us that we held any true hope, however."
Tsunade nodded silently, more focused on her scans than the man's reply. The information she was getting was... odd, to say the least.
"And how exactly did this happen?" she asked.
"An accident while attempting an experimental ninjutsu," he said, a little shamefaced. "I thought it was safe, but..."
"Must have been a powerful technique," Tsunade said musingly. "It looks like something ripped your arm apart from the inside."
The man remained silent, and Jiraiya finally decided to enter the conversation. "Can you fix him?"
Tsunade didn't answer immediately, her eyes narrowed in thought. "This is going to take a lot of work to fix, and I'm not making any guarantees. I'm one of the few med-nin in the world who would even have a chance at restoring functionality to your arm at this point, and even then I doubt it will ever be fully functional again."
"What is your expected outcome?" the man asked calmly.
Tsunade made note of his poise even as she answered his question. "Seventy-five percent mobility, maybe fifty percent in terms of power. Your chakra network is another matter entirely; I don't think you'll ever be able to channel chakra through that arm properly ever again."
That got a reaction, though it was limited to a tightening around his eyes and a slight tenseness in his body.
"Is there anything you could do to increase that? To be honest, I am more concerned about the chakra network than I am the physical capabilities of the arm."
Tsunade activated her Mystic Palm technique again, running another diagnostic to assess the damage in greater detail. She worked for several minutes, and both her patient and Jiraiya remained silent as she worked.
Finally, she looked up and sighed. "Possibly. I'm hesitant to perform the procedure by myself, and to be blunt Jiraiya doesn't have the skill to assist me for most of it. If my apprentice, or maybe even her apprentice, were present it might be a different story, but we don't have time to track them down."
"What happens if you fail?" Jiraiya asked.
"I'd screw up the arm even further, possibly beyond repair."
"But my life would not be in further danger?" the man asked intently.
"No."
"Then do what you must. If the chakra network cannot be repaired, there is little point in keeping a crippled arm. Should you fail I will simply have to seek out other options."
Tsunade shrugged and nodded. "It's your call," she replied. "Unless there's anything else, I'd prefer to get started now."
The surgery ended up taking over two days, split into several sessions. Despite her earlier remarks Jiraiya did prove to be quite useful as an assistant, though she missed the smooth teamwork she and Shizune had developed over the years.
Once everything was finally completed, she left her patient to recover from the surgery while she and Jiraiya moved outside to talk.
"So how did it go?" Jiraiya asked. "Did you manage to fix the chakra network in his arm?"
"As best I could, yes," Tsunade said, her eyes narrowed. "Now you want to tell me what really happened to his arm?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't try to bullshit me about medical matters, Jiraiya. That was not the type of damage caused by an overloaded technique; it looked a lot more like someone tried to turn his arm inside out and then bathed it in acid. The damage was also spread to evenly along his arm, not concentrated around his tenketsu.
"Now tell me what really happened, and while you're at it, since when have you been in contact with those orphans from Ame?"
Jiraiya started, turning to look at her with a surprised expression.
"Please, pervert, I'm not blind. It took me a while to place him, but the contact lenses gave him away. Someone you know, about twenty years younger, with red hair that color and eyes that they need to hide? It wasn't that hard."
"That's my hime," he said, a wide smile on his face. "I only found him a few weeks ago, actually. I stumbled across him and his wife while they were holed up, trying to recover from his accident. As for what really happened, you know everything about that I do."
"Fine," she muttered, crossed her arms. "What's the latest word on Naruto?"
The smile dropped from his face and she felt a ball of worry form in her gut.
"Yeah... it's still being kept quiet for now, but..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He's missing."
Tsunade reached out and grabbed a handful of his shirt, hauling him closer and holding him off the ground as he yelped indignantly. "What do you mean, 'missing'?" she growled.
"Just that," Jiraiya sighed. "Something happened during the invasion of Iwagakure, and both he and Ino Yamanaka haven't been sighted since then. We have reason to believe that both are still alive, but nothing more than that."
He was staring her in the eyes as if to convey his sincerity. She held his gaze for several seconds, but his eyes never wavered. Which, ironically, was how she knew he was holding something back. He always tried too hard not to look at her cleavage when he was hiding something; he still hadn't figured that out, it seemed.
"That's not all, is it?" she asked as she lowered him to the ground.
He sighed again, then nodded. "Something happened to Naruto that day. We only have the evidence left behind, but we're all concerned that his seal might have become damaged."
Tsunade swallowed thickly. "Meaning what?"
Jiraiya looked at her again, a pained expression on his face. "Meaning that Naruto may not be entirely himself, anymore. We won't know for certain until we can find him, but the longer he stays missing the worse it looks. We all hope it's nothing, or at least something small and temporary, but we have to be prepared for the worst."
"That's..."
"Don't start, Tsu-hime!" Jiraiya snapped, his tone unusually harsh. "Don't think I haven't gone over this in my head a dozen times over! No one wants Naruto to still be Naruto more than me, but we have to face reality. Next time we see him, he might not be Minato and Kushina's son anymore. Why else would he stay away from Konoha without so much as a message? Either he's been captured or worse, or he doesn't want to come back."
Tsunade's shoulders slumped as she admitted to herself that the pervert had a point.
"Has he... are they going to put him in the Bingo Book?"
"No," Jiraiya replied as he calmed down. "Konoha has decided to issue a reward for information that leads to his safe return to Konoha, but that's all."
"Thank Kami for that," Tsunade muttered.
"Tsu-hime," Jiraiya said seriously, "you'll need to deal with Kushina once she finds out. I leave it up to your judgment about how much to tell her, but if she encounters Naruto and he really isn't himself, she could be in grave danger. The best thing for everyone would probably be to keep her well clear of it until we know more, one way or the other."
~ Scene Break ~
Tsunade steeled her resolve as she moved deeper into the outpost. This was going to be an unpleasant conversation all around, but she'd long since gotten used to talking Kushina down from acting rashly where Naruto was concerned. The two of them would likely begin searching through the Elemental Nations for any sign of him, but as long as she was there she could keep Kushina from doing anything too reckless.
"Kushina," she called out again. "I've got some news you'll want to hear." She stepped into the training room where Kushina spent most of her time, only to find it empty. The same was true of her bedroom, the kitchen, and the library. It wasn't until she found the stack of recent bounty posters dropped on the floor in the library that she understood where Kushina had gone.
Name: Naruto Yamanaka
Description: Blond hair, purple eyes, 3 lines on each cheek, 5' 6" tall, ~14 years old
Rank: AA
Former Affiliation: Konoha
Known Abilities: Medical jutsu, high chakra capacity, commonly uses earth and water techniques, close-range combatant
Reward: 20,000,000 ryo
Condition: Dead or Alive
Last sighting: Ikazuchi-mura, Land of Lightning
The poster featured a startlingly accurate drawing of Naruto's face and profile and ended with contact information for the organization handling the bounty. She recognized it as one they had used several times themselves, as they weren't officially connected with any of the ninja villages and were more than willing to work with independents who knew how to be discreet.
"Fuck!"
—
-June 5th, 348 NE-
-Land of Wind-
Sasori methodically sorted through the numerous reports he had received from his many and varied sources, carefully examining each one for any useful bits of information. His current focus was on the defection of Suna and the fall of the Wind Lord, an event that was creating shock waves throughout the Elemental Nation's political landscape.
The Land of Wind itself had rapidly dissolved into chaos following the assassination of the Wind Lord less than a month after the revelations about his callous disregard for the well-being of his people and the rampant corruption that had spread throughout his government. The other nations were quick to decry his perfidy and hold up their own benevolent rule as a shining example of how a true noble should behave.
Or how not to get caught, anyway, he thought to himself in amusement.
The Land of Earth, on the other hand, had quickly managed to right itself following the destruction of its ninja village. Iwa's loss should have severely weakened their position, relegating them to the status of a lesser nation like the Land of Hot Water or the Land of Birds. Instead, with the acquisition of Suna's ninja force and its jinchuuriki, Earth had managed to retain its status as a major player in politics.
Sasori took note of a small missive from one of his more effective operatives in Suna, who sent word that the jinchuuriki was showing increasing skill with his powers and had, so far, still refrained from killing any allies. He had his own theories as to why that might be, though he so far lacked any agents that were directly involved with the jinchuuriki.
Another agent sent word that the conflict for the title of Wind Lord was swiftly drawing to a close as Madarame Urahisa leveraged his massive shipping fleet to control Wind's valuable ports, ruthlessly wielding his economic might to cripple his opposition as necessary. His enemies had swiftly found themselves bankrupted or without resources as he diverted shipments and trade to people favorable to his cause. He had also formed a pact with Tomoaki Kon, a powerful noble and military leader who possessed a significant land-based force, that would ensure his control over the inland areas of the Land of Wind as well.
He nodded in satisfaction. He had agents planted deeply within both of those groups, ensuring that his information network would grow even stronger once they took control of the nation. It would be a trivial matter to insert himself into the process when their plans inevitably turned to the rebirth of Sunagakure.
A small frown crossed his face as he reflected on the loss of his birth village. His original plans had called for Suna to revolt against the Wind Lord as the stress of the village's crippled economy and the Wind Lord's constant condescension and antagonism grew to be too much. A few key assassinations and a touch of blackmail would have shifted the power in the court greatly, resulting in Suna becoming the power behind the throne with himself as the one pulling the strings for both.
The loss of the Kazekage had tangled his plans beyond repair. His mind-control seals were delicate creations that required his personal adjustment on a regular basis, and he simply couldn't afford to place them on too many people at once. Left unattended, the bearer's behavior would grow more and more erratic as their mind tore itself apart under the strain. He preferred to use more indirect methods whenever possible, but a prize such as the Kage of a village was not to be ignored.
Without the Kazekage, his influence within Suna diminished greatly. He still had seals on two councilors, one of whom had lost a great deal of influence because of his opposition to Baki, and the other of whom was well into his old age and unlikely to last more than a year or two. The more ordinary traitors and spies willing to sell out their village were not as highly placed, though they could prove of use as he selected new targets for his seals.
Unwilling to simply accept such a major setback, he had changed course and set his agents to sowing dissent within the Land of Wind. One set of carefully forged documents and a carefully timed crisis later, the way had been cleared for the Land of Wind to acquire a new ruler and, soon, a new village that he would be carefully guiding. It would be decades before they could compete with the Great Five, but the benefits of molding the village to his desires from the very start would be well worth the delay.
Sasori pulled out another report, this one regarding the newly formed Ame Protectorate. This, far more than the loss of a Kage or the delay in his plans, was an actual threat. He knew very well who truly ruled in the shadows of Ame, and their plans were simply unacceptable. Left unopposed they might very well achieve their aims, as they already had control of three jinchuuriki and would soon regain their fourth.
His efforts to delay Kisame Hoshigaki in his quest had cost him several agents in Grass and Sound and had proven to be only moderately effective. That confrontation was coming soon, and while he was unsure who would emerge victorious in a true battle to the death, he fully expected Orochimaru would choose to slip away like a snake in the grass rather than see the battle to its conclusion.
Should Akatsuki recover from their recent losses, they would likely turn on Suna next to take control of the Ichibi. Without Konoha to support Suna, it was likely they would be successful in their endeavor. From there, it was a question of whether they would prioritize finding the missing Sanbi and Kyuubi or focus on Kumo for the Nibi and Hachibi. Given their newly aggressive stance, he felt that Kumo was likely to be targeted. Not only were there two confirmed jinchuuriki present, but destroying Kumo would further the influence of the Ame Protectorate as well.
Judging by the progress of their "Guardians," it would take less than a decade before the newly created jinchuuriki would be ready to take the field. At that point they would be essentially unstoppable, and more than capable of accomplishing their goal of uniting the Elemental Nations under their banner.
Completely unacceptable.
Not that he cared for the current nations or villages, or about the loss of life that would result from the destruction of the other village. No, Akatsuki's plan would ultimately deny him the one thing he truly cared about: the chance to improve his art.
Without the constant friction of the Five Great Villages sniping at each other, the skills and abilities of ninja would gradually decline, depriving him of valuable materials and opportunities to test his work. Even worse, the lynchpin of Akatsuki's plan were the jinchuuriki, whose powers relied on the demons they housed and were utterly useless for his own art.
Completely, utterly unacceptable.
He rose and stalked from the room, his irritation spilling over into his control over the puppet that housed his heart. He made his way down the hall and entered his lab, throwing the door open with more force than necessary.
"Quiet down, fucker! I was praying to Jashin to restore my body so I could fucking rip your prissy piece of shit face off with my bare hands, asshole! Have some respect!"
Sasori allowed his irritation to slide away as he focused on the voice. The bodiless head was secured on a shelf surrounded by a series of sealing arrays that were constantly monitoring its condition. It had been over a month since it had been delivered to him, but it showed no signs of decay or even loss of energy.
He calmly walked over and observed the various scrolls that were recording information about the detached head. They merely confirmed what his eyes told him; there was absolutely no change in its state.
"Are you listening, asshole? When I get my body back I'm going to rip your fucking eyes out and use them for-"
Sasori tuned out the voice with practice ease, turning his attention back to the body that lay stretched out on a nearby table. He had initially despaired over the ruined state of it, fearing that it was beyond repair, but as soon as he began reattaching pieces the body healed on its own, leaving the entire form in pristine condition without any scars or wounds to show for the extensive damage it had suffered.
Chakra strings spread across the room, picking up tools and implements of all shapes and sizes before bringing them to hover over the body. Sasori suppressed a shiver of excitement as he set to work. He might soon have to take the field personally to deal with the changing situation, but first...
He was going to craft a masterpiece.
~ Scene Break ~
-June 6th, 348 NE-
-Land of Water-
"Six targets, two are listed in the Bingo Book as B-rank," Kuushou reported as he returned to the camp. "The rest don't even merit an entry."
Ino nodded, standing and stretching her back as she began to prepare herself for the coming battle. She paused when Kuushou put a hand on her shoulder and leaned over to whisper in her ear.
"The one we want is number seven, standing guard on the west side; he's got slicked back brown hair and is wearing two kunai pouches on his left leg."
"Got it," Ino whispered back just as quietly, patting the pouch that contained her sealing scrolls.
Kuushou straightened and turned to look at the Kiri-nin who were waiting patiently around the small camp. "Uma will take the lead," he announced, using the codename for Ino that the Mizukage had decided on, "and I will close in once she gives the signal. I doubt we'll have any trouble, but be prepared to jump in just in case."
Ao shrugged and nodded. "Works for us. I'll be interested to see what the two of you can accomplish out in the field."
A few minutes passed as everyone made their final preparations, and then Ino slipped out of the camp and stealthily made her way to the location Kuushou had described.
There were seven ninja present, two of them standing guard in the trees, one focused on a small fire as he cooked what looked to be a trio of rabbits, and the other four arguing quietly amongst themselves over some sort of scroll.
As Kuushou had indicated, her target was one of the guards, which made everything much easier. It took less than a minute to maneuver into position, and then with practiced ease she activated her Mind Transfer technique and slipped out of her own body to take control of the target's.
Thirty seconds to make sure no one in the camp had noticed anything, forty-five to slip out of sight and then away into the marshy terrain, seven to prepare a delayed activation paralysis tag from her supplies and position the target's body near her own, three to return to her own body just before the tag activated, one to pull a kunai and drive it into the target's heart, and ten to seal the body into a scroll.
She was henged into the appearance of the deceased ninja and back in position guarding the small clearing where his companions were still arguing less than a minute later.
She could feel Kuushou waiting on the east side of the clearing, the feeling of his youki both satisfied and impatient. She pulled a kunai with an explosive tag wrapped around the handle, took careful aim, activated the tag, and launched it at the other guard with all of her strength. She reveled in the feeling of the powerful muscles in her arms tensing and releasing as the weapon blurred across the clearing, traveling far faster than anything she would have been capable of even a few months ago.
The kunai flew true, drilling through the other ninja's back and into the tree in front of him before exploding, shredding both tree and ninja and covering the area with burning debris.
Kuushou entered the clearing a moment later, a swirling ball of chakra in each hand. He lit into the group of four, killing two before they even had a chance to see him coming.
Ino dropped out of the trees and landed beside the cook, who was pulling out a pair of sharp knives and handling them with familiar ease as he abandoned the meal and moved to intercept Kuushou. He spared a glance for her as she landed beside, her own weapons ready and her gaze seemingly fixed on the melee.
"I'll take him from the front," the cook muttered quickly, flipping one knife into a reverse grip. "You get him from behind."
Ino nodded tersely, then waited for the cook to take a step forward before driving a kunai into the back of his neck.
"Nicely done," Kuushou complimented as he approached. His black cloak was covered in blood, and he had several thin lines of it across the mask that covered his face as well. Ino's own cloak and mask were in nearly pristine condition by comparison.
She allowed her henge to dispel, meeting Kuushou's gaze with an easy grin. "As if you expected anything less," she countered.
Kuushou chuckled lightly before turning his gaze back to the ninja they had killed, then looking towards the trees. "And how would you rate our field work, hunter-nin-san?" he asked, his voice clearly amused.
Ao dropped out of the trees, scanning the area with a calm gaze. "Poor," he said finally. "These were hardly difficult targets, but you damaged the one in the trees too much for a positive identification, eliminating the bounty, and the four you hit with the rasengan won't be much use for the med-nin to examine. Only the last target Uma-san defeated was handled appropriately.
"In my day, a team that came in with only one out of six targets in useable condition would have been sent back to the Academy for remedial training. If you expect to make a lot of money in this manner, I'd say you have a lot of work ahead of you."
Ino stared at him in disbelief, wondering if he was seriously trying to lecture them, but Kuushou just started laughing, shaking his head. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he replied, smirking.
~ Scene Break ~
-July 17th, 348 NE-
-Kirigakure, Basement of Kuushou and Ino's Home-
A yellow flash illuminated the basement for a moment, followed quickly by a loud, joyful whoop.
"Finally!" Ino crowed, dancing in place a bit as she raised the hand holding the tri-pronged kunai triumphantly. She turned to face Kuushou, who had looked up from his operating table to watch her with a grin on his face.
"I see you've finally managed the Hiraishin again," he noted.
"As if there was any doubt," Ino scoffed as she walked over to his side, her expression turning more serious. "Does this mean we're ready now?"
"Not quite, but close. The more mastery you have over the Hiraishin, the better, of course, but we also need to get word to Kounori and have Itachi begin his part of the plan."
"What about the Mizukage? Has she bought in yet?"
"Itachi's still working on that, but he's confident that she'll come on board once it's a done deal, even if she isn't happy about it. Kiri has too much to gain to not take advantage of the situation."
Ino suddenly turned and wrapped Kuushou in a tight hug, burying her face in his neck. Kuushou's arms wrapped around her after a few moments, one hand rubbing her back gently.
"I'm going to miss you, little brother," she said quietly, still not moving her head.
His arms tightened around her for a moment. "It will only be for a few weeks at most, Nee-chan," he replied softly. "I promise."
~ Scene Break ~
-August 3rd, 348 NE-
-Kumogakure-
"Holy Vessel-sama," a woman's voice called out quietly. "Please, a moment of your time."
Yugito paused, her fork halfway to her mouth before she slowly and deliberately finished the motion and began chewing thoroughly, her eyes lidded as if all of her attention was on the slice of meat she was in the process of consuming. She focused on her meal in front of her, savoring the bite and letting the glowing sun bathe her form in warmth as she sat at her table outside one of Kumo's more expensive restaurants. This was one of her rare days off, and she had every intention of enjoying it to the fullest.
Still, there was only one type of person that would address her like that, and the slight quaver in the woman's voice and the awe that tinged her words merely served to confirm it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman was clutching a scroll to her chest, her arms - no, her entire body - shaking from barely suppressed tension. Some might have mistaken that as a sign of fear, but Yugito knew better.
She would have preferred fear.
Yugito's first instinct was to simply continue ignoring the woman, to continue eating her meal without acknowledging her words or presence, but usually they kept their distance. One of them interrupting her like this was unusual enough to catch her attention.
Yugito placed her chopsticks on the side of her plate, carefully wiped her mouth with her napkin before placing it off to the side, then slowly turned to face the woman who had approached her fully. She was roughly her own age, perhaps a little older, and wore a simple white robe over dark pants. The symbol consisting of two flames twined around each other that was stitched on the breast of her robe marked her as an official priestess for Kumo's very own cult.
Wonderful.
"Make it quick," Yugito snapped. The woman flinched and immediately folded in half as she bowed deeply. Yugito ruthlessly suppressed the twinge of regret she felt at that reaction; honestly, these people would be easier to deal with if they didn't make her feel like she was kicking kittens every time she so much as looked at them crossly.
"Of course, Holy Vessel-sama," the woman said, still bowing. "The High Priest bade me deliver this unto you, that it may guide your path in the coming days," she continued, offering the scroll she was carrying with outstretched hands. Her arms trembled slightly as she held her position, but she made no complaint even as Yugito just continued to stare at her as the seconds wore on.
Finally, Yugito snatched the scroll out of the woman's hands and nodded. "Fine," she said curtly, tucking the scroll into her pocket with every intention of throwing it away later.
"Thank you, Holy Vessel-sama," the woman said, her face beaming as she backed away, giving another bow with each step. She was moving towards two others who were watching the exchange with looks of awe and pride, no doubt more members of that ridiculous cult.
Yugito kept her face impassive as she turned back to her meal, keeping a wary eye on them until she rounded another corner. She'd barely had time to pick up her napkin before another voice interrupted her.
"Yugito-jounin, the Raikage wishes to see you in his office. Immediately," the ANBU messenger added.
Yugito dropped her napkin back on the table and left a few coins to cover her meal before following after the ninja. Interrupted free time or not, it was still better than dealing with those people.
~ Scene Break ~
"The Raikage is expecting you," the secretary said shortly, waving her in. Yugito nodded and pushed the door open, her focus entirely on discerning why she had been called in.
She found the Raikage sitting behind his desk, his chin resting on his folded hands as he contemplated the man sitting in one of the guest chairs. Kirabi was leaning against the wall nearby, his head bobbing in time to some beat that only he could hear and his lips moving slightly as he muttered one of his rhymes, though thankfully not clearly enough to be heard.
The guest stood as she entered the room, turning to face her with a small bow. "You must be Yugito-sama," he said, his voice a soothing baritone. His tanned and weathered face showed an easy grin as his eyes met hers. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," she said politely, moving to stand opposite Kirabi.
"Chiaki-san has a rather interesting proposition for us," the Raikage said, sounding amused. "Now that Yugito is here, why don't you explain it again." It wasn't a request.
"Of course, Raikage-sama," the man said. "As I'm sure you are aware, I am occasionally employed by certain parties when they feel the need to work outside of... official channels, let us say." The man paused, clearing his throat and glancing around the room. "Could I trouble you for a glass of water? No? Very well.
"Regardless, as I was saying, I have been hired to facilitate an arrangement of sorts between yourselves and my client. They have discovered the location of a prominent missing-nin, but feel that they are not the most suitable to capture or eliminate said target. In exchange for half of the bounty, they are willing to provide the location of the target to you so that you may do with him as you see fit."
Yugito began to see why she had been called to this meeting. She was an accomplished hunter-nin, after all, and her status as a jinchuuriki gave her some significant advantages when it came to dealing with the more dangerous missing-nin.
"Just who is this target?" Yugito asked curiously.
"Naruto Yamanaka, Konoha's missing jinchuuriki," the man said calmly, looking her in the eye.
Yugito recalled that the kid had supposedly gone missing during the Battle of Iwa, and Konoha was quietly offering a substantial reward for his return, alive. Then word had started to get around about just who this Naruto really was, and his value had shot up overnight as other groups issued their own bounties, with quite a few specifying that they had a rather looser regard for his well-being.
She knew for a fact that Kumo was one such group, and highly suspected that Kiri was another.
"If you have his location, then you must have seen him, correct?" she pressed, standing straight as her mind started working. "What was his condition? Who was he with? Was he moving under his own power or as a prisoner? Are the rumors that he lost his mind during the battle true?"
"Am I to understand that you are interested in this arrangement?" the man replied, turning his gaze back to the Raikage.
"Possibly," the Raikage allowed, glancing at Yugito. "We'll need more information before we can commit, of course."
"Excellent," the man said, sounding genuinely pleased. "In that case, I do have some details to offer. At the time he was sighted he was traveling alone, under his own power. I cannot speak to the rumors, but based on what I am told he seemed in good health and perfectly sane."
Rather than being reassured, that information actually put Yugito on edge. She shared a glance with Kirabi, who seemed to be following her train of thought as well.
"While he is wandering the land, is he still wearing his headband?" Kirabi asked, his words spoken to a quick rhythm.
Chiaki Konaka frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "I do not recall that being mentioned either way," he said finally.
"Was he attempting to conceal his identity? What kind of clothing was he wearing?" Yugito asked.
The man held up his hands defensively. "I am sorry that I am not able to answer your questions," he said. "I was only provided so much information, and I have shared everything I have already. The rest will depend on your answer and my client's response, although I will be more than happy to convey any questions you have to them."
"Good," the Raikage said firmly. "If your client is serious about this, they'll need to give us more than what we have now. Yugito will prepare a list of questions for you, so wait a few hours and you can be on your way. And unless you have a hell of a lot more information than I think you do, your clients had better be prepared to compromise on price as well; half of the bounty is ridiculous."
"Of course," the man said pleasantly, recognizing the dismissal. "I'm sure we will all be able to come to a mutually satisfying arrangement." He stood and bowed deeply before heading for the door. "I thank you for your time and consideration, Raikage-sama, Kirabi-sama, Yugito-sama."
Once the door had closed behind him, the Raikage turned to Yugito. "You've heard the reports from Iwa and what our spies in Konoha have gathered. Do you really think you could take him out?"
Yugito nodded. "Kill him, absolutely. Capture is more uncertain. I can take a team or two for backup, but it will depend on how hard he fights back."
"If this boy is as dangerous as they make him seem, you'd better take the kids from my team," Kirabi said. "They'll be as ready as anyone can be, after all the training they've done with me."
The Raikage nodded in agreement. "Approved, and start planning. I'm going to have this Chiaki followed. He's a relatively new name in the information business and I'd like to know more about who he's in contact with; this could all be a plan by the Mizukage to lure us into a trap. Start planning for that, too."
"Taking out the only competition they have left, huh?" Yugito mused.
The Raikage frowned. "Don't count Konoha and Suna out just yet. They'll be looking to drag us down to their level - this whole thing with Yamanaka could be a trap from their side too."
"And if it's not?"
"Then we'll make sure that their jinchuuriki stays missing," the Raikage replied with a dark grin.
~ End Chapter ~
A/N: As always, thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!
