(sniffles) Gaawd I'm sick. (cough) Some language ahead, ye've been warned.
Disclaimer: Naruto and Company © to their respective owners.
Note: Sky Country doesn't exist in the anime or the manga as far as I'm aware. At least I hope it doesn't since I'm sticking it between Fire (Konoha) and Wind (Suna).
Here's the map I used wwwdotdeviantartdotcom/view/18146267
Plus I took the idea of Sun village from this Club httpcolon/narutofanclubdotdeviantartdotcom/ I guess they made it up or what not.
空中 Kuuchuu: sky;air.
空中の国 Kuuchuu no Kuni: Land of Sky (Country of Sky, Sky Country etc.).
日Hi: sun; sunshine; day.
日隠れの里 Higakure no Sato: Hidden Sun Village.
Trade Lines, Chapter 5
"How much longer do we have to stay here?" Naruto grumbled, landing next to Raidou on a low tree branch.
"Until another group of traders passes through." Raidou replied calmly. Hayate joined them, appearing across the road for a moment to announce himself before landing on the same branch.
"The border of Kuuchuu is right up there! Maybe we should just go-"
"No!" Raidou cut the young man off quickly.
"Naruto, if we're caught crossing into Sky, especially at this road, it could be seen as a sign of hostility." Hayate whispered quietly, un-strapping his katana from his back and moving it to his side.
"Hostility? They're the ones attacking trade routes through their own country! And ours!" He was sick of just sitting near the main road that went through Sky Country and connected Konahagakure to Sunagakure.
"We don't know what's going on yet, Naruto. Hopefully it's just a…misunderstanding. That's why we're here."
Hayate nodded in agreement while Naruto huffed in frustration.
"This is bull! Since when do they have a Hidden Village anyway? Higakure…sounds completely made up to me."
Tsunade tapped her fingernails rhythmically on her desk. This had been going on for the past three minutes while Shizune watched on, waiting for her Hokage to reveal her thoughts.
"What the hell is going on?" She muttered finally, speaking to no one specifically.
Sighing, Shizune started to organize the mound of paper on Tsunade's desk into piles according to their nature as best she could.
"You sent a genin team to the Sky Country's Daimyo?" Shizune asked, reading over a report that had been handed off to the Hokage only a couple of hours earlier.
"Ah…Ebisu is a smart man, besides, his group is extremely capable. Although now that I think about it having Konohamaru there might not have been the best idea." Tsunade frowned and picked up another report to read through it again.
"He refused to meet them…I'm surprised they weren't able to gather more information." Shizune continued to read on.
"That's what makes me a little suspicious. Other than the fact I have three jounin unconscious in my hospital and Ebisu and his group were escorted out of Sky." Tsunade scowled and slapped the paper back down. "I have all these grievances from trading companies and lone traders alike. Not to mention this nasty little letter from our sweet Daimyo wondering what the fuck is going on."
First it's reports that local government officials are overtaxing everything coming and going through destined for Fire and Wind. Then it's confiscation of goods and enforcement of taxes by Sky's shinobi."
"Well, that's a lie. Sky has never had a Hidden Village. Why would they have so many nin present now?" Shizune frowned, scanning another report and some testimonials by traders.
"Obviously it's not a lie. Just not the complete truth." Tsunade watched Shizune look through the information. "They must be nin without villages, most likely hired by Sky's Daimyo since he refuses to meet with anyone from here or even Wind."
I don't know what the hell they think they're doing but we don't have the man power for this kind of crap." Propping her arm on the desk Tsunade frowned at the polished wood.
Taking a seat on the other side Shizune continued to shuffle through the paper, stopping now and then to read something completely before moving on.
With the relatively recent allegiance between Fire and Wind new trading lines had opened up. The flow of goods between the two countries had steadily increased by then and with the smaller country of Sky between them it involved all three.
Since most goods would have to pass through Sky going in either direction it boosted their economy as well. Sky was a country previously thought to be weak in military power because of their lack of a hidden village. So a treaty was easily made between all three countries to allow the passage of goods.
"What does the Kazekage think of this?" Shizune asked, looking up. "I'm not seeing any shared information…"
"Gaara? He's hesitant to move in as well. They have even less manpower than we do." Tsunade completely destroyed the orderly piles, finally pulling out a sheaf of papers and handing it over to Shizune. "None of their shinobi have been attacked like the ones you found the other day on your mission."
But he's had the same reports coming in. Plus his shinobi have been denied 'access' into Sky as well unless they're on a mission. However, he tells me he'll get more information to me as soon as he can.He thinks it best if our nin keep their distance for the time being, at least until we've foundoutwhy our jounin were attacked and by who."
"What about Sakura?" Shizune went back to organizing the chaos of paper on Tsunade's desk.
"What about her?" Tsunade asked, fixing her eye on her long time companion.
"Does she know that Hayate's on recon at the border of Sky and Fire?"
"Missions are classified." Tsunade responded, swinging her chair around and looking out the extensive windows behind her. "So of course she knows."
"Hayate hasn't exactly been in top form lately…" Shizune ventured carefully.
"He isn't dead yet."
Shaking her head sadly, Shizune headed towards the door. "You don't have to act like you don't care. It doesn't make you a weak Hokage, Tsunade-sama."
Sakura leaned against the window in the large hospital room. Tracing her finger over the cool glass as she listened to the steady clicking and beeping of the machines behind her. Turning back, she considered one of the new patients quietly.
An oxygen mask covered his face, whilethe rest wasswathed in gauze, only letting a few strands of dark hair to poke out here and there. She leaned down towards his face and whispered.
"Wake up now. Wake up!" He didn't stir.
"I've already tried that. I brought in a bowl of his favorite soup and wafted it towards his face yesterday too. That didn't even do anything. I figured he be hungry by now…" The chuunin medic said walking into the room.
"Do you know him?" Sakura asked, staring at the young girls eyes as she looked on at the unconscious man.
"No. But my friend Fumi knows him, she's the one who told me what his favorite soup was. I told her I'd come get her as soon as he woke up. Well, after the Hokage gets to talk to him of course," the girl added quickly picking up the man's chart and jotting down a few notes before leaving.
"Did you hear that?" Sakura said to the man again now that she was alone. "Fumi-chan knows your favorite soup. So you better wake soon to eat it with her." His steady breathing continued undisturbed by the activity around him. "Wake up…"
A cloud of dust could be seen rising slowly in the dry air just around the bend of the road and was soon accompanied by the muffled sounds of hooves and men's chatter. Raidou moved quickly through the trees towards Naruto's position by the road, signaling for him to stay. Hayate appeared beside them quietly and arched his eyebrow in a question.
Raidou flicked two fingers, motioning across the empty road. Without stirring the fine particles into the parched air Hayate darted to the other side and disappeared without a sound.
Despite questioning the first eight groups of traders and quite a few travelers the trio had yet to come up with hard evidencethat might lead them to even an inkling of what had happened to their fellow nin. They hadn't even heard a rumor of the battle that had taken place nearbynot a few days earlier.
The few traders that even claimed to have seen the Hidden Sun Village's nin were a bit sketchy when coming up a with description or fervently refused to know anything before setting their pack animals into a fast trot away from the Konoha nin. The so-called Sky ninja seemed to be few and far between or something so scary no one would talk about.
"Oh good, more old men that want to ask for an escort on their return trip,"Naruto mumbled. His enthusiasm for interrogation had lagged quickly and the constant waiting was wearing on him. He thought of himself as more of an action ninja then a fact gathering shinobi.
"Quiet," Raidou said and sank back a little deeper into the tree line holding himself motionless.
Asmall group of men leading one open topped wagon and some pack horses came into view, keeping in a close knit group right in the middle of the road. Both Naruto and Raidou jerked their heads up to the tree line at the same moment as what appeared to be four shinobi descended into a semi circle blocking the trader's path.
Raidou held up his hand palm out, Naruto hadn't darted out yet but he wanted Hayate to stay in place. He couldn't see the other man across the road but he was sure Hayate would be able to see the signal.
Naruto leaned forward a little and frowned, the initial rush of adrenaline that made him taunt and ready for action decreased slightly as he observed the four nin. A huge grin plastered across his face and he walked out into the road with arms raised to chest level, palms up.
"Fucking idiot!" Raidou whispered to himself stepping back into the trees even more, trying to hide his presence until he could asses the damage of the young man's actions.
"Oi! Suna-nin!" He called jovially, stopping as they turned, bristling with kunai. The trader's faces turned to complete horror and they grouped closer together.
"We don't have anything to do with this!"
"Please just let us pass!"
"There's going to be a fight again!"
Other various pleas and outcries came from the terrified traders as they saw the two different shinobi look each other over.
"Shut up!" One of the Sand nin cried, quickly hushing the men.
"Konoha!" Another said in greeting, putting away his kunai and raising the hand in a friendly gesture. Even for his obvious lack of thinking, Naruto wisely didn't call his other two team mates out, merely joining the group of nin to see what was going on.
"Why are you stopping these men?" Naruto asked in all honesty, after nodding a greeting to the other three. He figured the man who greeted him was obviously leading the group.
"Just gathering information, were you unaware that we'd be here?" The man looked to be in his forties, the usual garb of head wrap and skin covering clothing replaced by thinner cloth similar to Konoha's Jounin outfits.
"Yes…I last checked in a day and a half ago." His awkward pause was covered quickly. "I almost didn't recognize you with this different clothing." He smiled winningly, winking at the lone kunoichi among the group in turn.
"The weather is milder there, although hotter in a way as well, much like Konoha's til you get to the interior of Kuuchuu." The man indulged him for a moment before glancing at the traders still rooted to the road looking on a little more calmly than before. "What is your name? And I know there are two others with you. They might as well come out, we were informed of your group's doings yesterday."
"Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto grinned and motioned to the trees behind him where Raidou was shaking his head in disbelief.
Raidou appeared beside them and motioned again, signaling Hayate to reveal himself, all three gathered together. Naruto stepped back and frowned at the whispering behind hands as the Sand nin looked at him. Catching the young man's embarrassment Hayate interrupted them to introduce himself to the three nin. Raidou busied himself with the older nin, relieved that they seemed to be on friendly terms.
"Namiashi Raidou."
"Kawara Usagi." They shook hands briefly before getting down to business.
"Come up with anything?" Usagi asked, not that he sounded very interested. Raidou kept his face as straight as possible knowing that being friendly was in everyone's best interest.
"Nothing we didn't already know. You? Have you sighted these Hi-nin yet?" Being from Sand the man seemed to have a permanent scowl but he didn't sound at all ruffled by the half answer.
"We've seen men claiming to be from Higakure but they were merely local police or hired to act the part from what we found through…questioning a few." Both Hayate and Naruto exchanged a glance behind Raidou's back. "But they did mention names," Raidou blinked slowly. "Although most of their information is hazy, they only appear to be temporary pawns for these Hi-nin. Which I do believe exist."
"I see…" Raidou was beginning to wonder how their 'questioning' would affect information gathering. "Your interrogations, are they performed willingly?" Usagi drew his eyebrows together slightly and it was answer enough. "Well then, aren't you worried about Kuuchuu taking some sort of action against you? Do you think you'll be allowed access for long now?"
"Kazekage-sama gave us permission to gather information a little more effectively. I think it's past the time where sneaking around is going to help us." Raidou sighed silently in his head and wondered if they should have checked in earlier this morning.
"Hm." He threw a lookover his shoulder at Naruto and Hayate. "Well, maybe we should question these traders and head back towards Konoha to make another report, we'll make our way from there."
"'Hai," Hayate and Naruto chimed as they walked towards the traders. Usagi jerked his head at two of the nin standing at his back.
"Kiretsu, Sakeme, help out," he rumbled, both nin turned towards the silent group waiting in the road behind them.
"Only questioning," Raidou murmured as both men walked past him. Hayate shot him a warning with his dark gaze while Naruto mustered all his self control, succeeding in containing himself with only a slight smirk. The two Sand-nin gave Raidou dirty looks but continued on without comment.
"What? They're checking in already? How many days has it been?" Tsunade said, motioning the chuunin forward with frantic movements of her hand while reaching over her desk for the report he was holding.
"Hai, only a day and a half ago. They're not in any danger though. They've met up with a group from Sunagakure and immediately headed towards Konoha to report in." The man let the report be swiped out of his hands, standing quietly while Tsunade read the short hand, lips moving along with her eyes.
Sakura was seated in the lone chair across from Tsunade, the chunnin standing at attention beside her. She wondered if his first remark reporting their status was for her benefit. When he'd entered the room without announcing himself to deliver the news she almost jumped out of her seat.
She was still a little angry about being the last to know about the current situation, having slept through Shizune's arrival with the injured nin. Even though all were in stable condition so far she would have felt better if someone had woken her immediately.
She was also surprised that Hayate had a mission so soon after coming around, she wasn't aware of it and realized later that he was quickly thrown in because of the lack of free jounin. She figured he himself wasn't filled in completely until leaving the building with Naruto. Thinking these things over for the hundredth time her fingers started to tap the arm of the chair as Tsunade continued to stare at the piece of paper.
"Call them back in and ask to have the Sand-nin to come with if they are able to." Tsunade sighed finally.
"What is it?" Sakura asked sitting on the edge of her seat.
"Let's just say Sand's presence won't be tolerated in Kuuchuu much longer."
(cough coughity cough cough) There we go. Nothing too fun (meaning hot HayaSaku action) but there will be a little in the next chapter. Notice that little is stressed.
Huge f'ing thanks to Aliora (go visit her here on ffnet) for reading this through and pointing out that I do indeed need a lot of help (which makes me happy though). And to everyone (points at Wildwesternwind) who bothers with comments here and on my LJ. It's a never ending source of amusement and inspires me to keep my act together.
Your Nushi