HIDDEN SAND CONVERGENCE II
The caravan travels through the desert at a steady pace, keeping to their schedule and even being slightly ahead. Making use of his abilities, Maki had Naruto send out the occasional Shadow Clones to scout ahead and warn them of any trouble. The few roving bandits that they encountered were swiftly dealt with, often by Naruto's Shadow Clones alone which made the journey all the smoother.
As Naruto and Maki walk at the front of the caravan on opposite sides of a camel, Naruto turns his gaze to the distance, focusing on seemingly no point in particular.
"Another group of bandits are dealt with. My Clones are coming back with some more gear."
Maki gives a light chuckle. "I have to say, I think I underestimated exactly how useful your Shadow Clones are. Commander Kakashi was right, you're full of surprises."
"Huh?" Naruto turns to look at her over the camel. "You know Kakashi-sensei?"
"Yeah, I was part of the Sealing Corps assigned to the Third Division during the War. I worked closely with him to seal the reanimated."
"That's so cool! So Kakashi-sensei talked about me, huh?" His curiosity gets the better of him. "What kinda stuff did he say?"
Maki smirks. "Sure you wanna know his opinion of a rambunctious 12 year old?"
"Uhhh… maybe not." He hangs his head in dejection. On second thought, he wasn't exactly always a praiseworthy student.
She giggles. "Don't worry, it wasn't just embarrassing stories. He told us you're a man of virtue, moved to action by undying loyalty to your friends. That you can always be relied on when things get rough." He tries to hide his blush by scratching his cheeks. "Just don't tell him I told you, alright? It can be our little secret." She presses her finger against her lips in a shushing motion.
He laughs. "Yeah, sure. So you know about sealing? You know a lot about these Prisms Gaara mentioned?"
"That's precisely why I was chosen for the mission." The Sand Jounin rummages through her pouch and takes out a small booklet, waving it over the camel's back. "Lord Tsuchikage sent us everything you uncovered at the Temple of Stone's Song before it collapsed, and I'm to try and decipher their nature given our new information."
"Right. You gonna have time, though? We're still on guard duty, after all."
Maki nods. "We'll have enough free time to look into it."
Naruto remains quiet for a few moments more, his mind wandering to these Prisms and what Gaara told them. "Y'know, I'm not even sure what I wanna find about them. Gaara said they're important to the Land of Wind and help with its resources. If we somehow put an end to that and people can't benefit from them anymore…"
Maki sighs and steels her eyes forward. "You don't have to worry about that. We know more than anyone just how valuable these tools have been, but that's also why we can't afford to just leave them be if they're going to end up being a danger to us, or worse- a danger to the innocents who live near them. We have to act right away if we're to prevent a disaster."
He gives a light smile. "I guess I can't be feeling sorry if the people actually affected by this have resolved themselves. You're the Sealing expert here. Whatever you say, I'll follow your lead."
Maki leans forward to get a better look at him, a teasing grin on her face. "You've changed a lot from the stories Commander Kakashi told us."
Naruto grumbles.
-x-
Inside one of the camel-drawn carriages, the kids practice their chakra control in the absence of there actually being anything else to do. Kotori gets restless often and quickly. She does have other things to entertain herself with. She still has the Hoyouku clan scroll she got back in the Hidden Cloud, which practically lists most of the things she can use with her ability given time and training. She also has several books kept in storage scrolls about avians; knowledge she needs if she's to increase the strength of her Aviary and achieve her dream of riding an ostrich into battle.
She sighs and leans over the railing that separated the driver's seating from the back of the carriage.
"Is it so difficult to stay focused?" Shoto's closed eyes twitch in annoyance. This is the 9th sigh in 5 minutes.
"Yes!" She shouts, spooking the driver slightly. "Sorry." She mutters and sliders back inside. "Is this what missions are? A whole lotta walking and staring at nothing?"
"It's not nothing." They all turn to the back of the carriage, where Hinata is walking behind with her Byakugan activated. Somehow she looks to both be looking at them but also through them, her attention split between several places. She then deactivates her Byakugan, focusing solely on them. "As guards, we have to be on the lookout for anything that's even slightly suspicious. We must remain vigilant at all times and take note of inconsistencies, much like how we did while training your Transformation."
"Wouldn't they be visible in the desert?" Yokumaru has been creating smaller clusters of crystals in his hands, trying to get a better feel for his jutsu.
Sen chimes in from the other side, her farm half visible from the carriage's covering. "Not quite. If they're well trained, they can hide in plain sight, and if they caught word of valuable cargo being transported they can prepare in advance."
"How do you even hide out here?" Shoto looks around the vast emptiness. "When we trained in the Hidden Stone, we had a lot more to work with."
Sen looks to Hinata with a smile, the Leaf kunoichi seeming to understand what she's about to do. Sen takes out one of her tessen fans and spreads it open, waving it vertically in front of herself. Like a mirage, her body disappears and she's nowhere in sight.
"Huh?" They all perk up and look around, Shoto hanging from the end of the carriage looking everywhere.
"And that's one way to do it."
They whip their heads to where Sen's voice came from- the driver's seat- just in time to see the driver jump from his place, startled for a second time in only so long.
The middle aged man sighs heavily. "You lot'll be the death of me."
Sen gives an apologetic smile. "My apologies." She hops off and retakes her position near the back. "With the proper skillset, you can accomplish a lot but with the proper skillset, you can also fight back."
Hinata pats Shoto, who's still leaning over the edge, on the head to motion him to get back fully inside. "That's why it's important to keep training. If you can find creative ways to use your skills, you can be prepared for almost anything."
Yokumaru opens his palm and stares into it, sensing the chakra he's sensing through it. "What if we can't? If we can't think of something and we get in over our heads."
"I know you'll be able to. All three of you are bright and you've already fought through hardships and overcame obstacles. I believe in you fully." She gives a warm motherly smile.
On the first night of the journey, the caravan set up camp.
The carriages are placed next to each other in a semi-circle with a fire set up in front of them for them to eat and talk until the time comes for sleep to take them. The camels are tied to a large stone structure they'd found and set up camp besides.
The people of the Land of Wind are prepared for the desert's harshness. The covering of the carriages serve a double purpose besides keeping shade during the day. In reality, they're covered in sealing formulae that have fire stored inside them that when utilized correctly can allow the fire to be released in small increments, turning the cloth into a heater. Once the flaps are closed, you can hardly feel the freezing desert night.
Currently, everyone is gathered around the fire. At least the common folk are. The shinobi have been taking turns keeping watch, although having a sensor present has eased that task immensely, even having dozens of Shadow Clones scatter around to scout. It's probably one of the more relaxed missions Maki and Sen have been on; not being as stressed as usual.
Kotori, as usual, does not sit still. From the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of someone still sitting in one of the carriages, not taking part in the relaxed environment of conversations and eating. She spots a boy, seemingly not much older than herself, whittling a piece of wood with a small knife. Curiosity gets the better of her and she approaches, rising from her spot on the ground next to Naruto (or is it one of his Shadow Clones?) and Yokumaru and Shoto nearby share a look, knowing she's up to something to they follow her.
She makes her way to the carriage she saw and pokes her head up, giving a cheerful greeting. "Hello!"
The boy inside yelps in surprise, scuttling back a bit and raising a small wooden puppet in front of him- vaguely humanoid looking with a missing leg. To Kotori's surprise, the puppet actually begins moving on its own, its limbs and body attached to 10 strings of chakra originating from the boy's fingertips. It puts up its fists, ready for a fight.
"Woah! What's that and why can it move?"
"Kotori." Yokumaru taps her on the shoulder but she doesn't even turn around as he and Shoto join her.
"Don't just sneak up on people." The Teshin boy scolds her and peers inside. "I apologies for her."
"Well, don't! Check out the puppet, it's moving on its own!"
They all look inside to see the boy's startled expression now subsiding. He's sat on the flooring, hunched over as if trying to hide behind the much smaller puppet. A girl behind him rises, having been lying somewhere behind him until now.
Shoto sighs. "That's a puppet. Remember, Mr. Kankuro had one, too? That big lizard looking one.'
"Ohhh, yeah." Kotori taps her cheek with a finger.
"Um, hi?" The boy's meek voice is barely audible.
"Hi!" She quickly refocuses on her original target. "I'm Kotori. Who're you guys?"
"Uh." The boy nervously looks between them and the girl behind him. "I'm.."
The girl sighs and pats him on the head, causing the boy to grumble lightly, and gets up to her feet. "I'm Tayuri, this is Sangen. He doesn't do well with people."
"Shoto Teshin."
"Yokumaru."
Kotori hops up onto the back of the carriage and approaches. Tayuri stands in front of Sangen.
"Let's be friends!" Kotori extends a hand. "You guys are gonna be shinobi, right? We are, too."
"So we're gonna be rivals, not friends." Tayuri crosses her arms, which for most would signify that a handshake is off the table. Kotori is not most people and keeps her hand out.
"We can be both. Our villages are friends, although… we're not technically from the Hidden Leaf but we will be as soon as we go there. I don't even really know if we're shinobi right now. We're training for it but I dunno when you start getting to call yourself one, you know?"
Tayuri tilts her head. "You're weird."
"Thanks!" Kotori beams.
"That wasn't a…" The other girl tails off and sighs.
Sangen breaks the mildly awkward scene of Kotori still holding out her hand and lifts his marionette in the air to finally shake her hand.
Kotori returns the handshake and looks down to Sangen who's still sitting on the ground. "Does this little one have a name?" She leans down to be closer to eye level, causing him to scuttle back even more.
Tayuri stands between them, essentially making Kotori stare at her stomach.
"You don't know anything about boundaries, do you?"
"Back home, when someone was feeling down, we'd all pitch in to help. We were all there for each other."
"Yeah, well, you're not back home. I'm all he needs." Tayuri narrows her eyes.
Shoto steps up and places a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. "That's enough, Kotori. If we're bothering them, then leave it."
"But… but…" She tries to give him puppy dog eyes but it has no effect.
"We're guests here." Yokumaru chimes in. "We shouldn't make a bad name for sensei."
Kotori pouts. "Fine. But we're gonna become friends soon, alright?" She hops out the carriage, waving to the two Sand kids.
"No, we're not!" Tayuri shouts back and turns to sit next to her friend. "So rude, that one. Right, Sangen?" She turns to look at him, noticing his gaze is turned to the outside, where the Leaf kids just left. A slight smile on his face, which causes Tayuri to frown in return. He doesn't always, so why is he smiling now, after that girl came in here being so pushy?
"Must be nice, to be that outgoing and make friends that easily." His voice is soft and quiet.
"That's now how you make friends." She hugs her knees and takes one final look at her puppeteering friend before burying her face in her knees. "Sangen, you dummy."
"Hm?" The boy can only watch her in confusion, unsure what he did wrong to be called a dummy.
-x-
Outside, the Leaf kids take a stroll, not far at all from the campsite and well within eyesight of their mentors.
Kotori sits down, puffing her cheeks. "So rude, that one. Right, guys?"
Yokumaru shares a glance with Shoto and sighs. "Do you have to be in everyone's face like that?"
Shoto nods in agreement. "Yeah, you don't have to be friends with everyone, you know."
"Sure I do! Why wouldn't I? There's nothing wrong with wanting to make friends of your own. I've wanted to become a ninja for so long and now I am and I wanna make the best of it. But I still miss everyone in the orphanage. Miss Shina, Takeo, Aki, Yumeji, Rintaro, Kazu, everyone… It still feels kinda empty without them." She hugs her legs, bringing her knees up to her chest.
Yokumaru sits down with her. "I know it's not the same, but you have us, right? I didn't really have a lot of family or friends, and looks like Shoto didn't, either."
The Teshin boy huffs and looks away. "I have plenty of family, I'll have you know. We just… didn't agree on anything."
"I know we're not as hyper as you, but I really love being with everyone as we are now." He gives a bright smile.
Kotori's lips curl up into a smile of her own and she ruffles Yokumaru's hair. "That's really sweet. Thanks."
"And I'm sure Shoto feels the same, right?" He turns his head to look up to his teammate.
"Well, it's not… terrible being like this." He fully turns his back to them.
Kotori chuckles and hops to her feet, gently holding onto Yokumaru's shoulder, and pats Shoto on the back. "So you do like us."
Shoto simply Flickers away.
"Hey, get back here! Don't run away from our love!" Kotori follows him.
Yokumaru chuckles and Flickers after them.
The journey proved largely uneventful. Some bandits did manage to slip by their sensory abilities but were dealt with before they could even reach the caravan. Maki showed great proficiency with her Binding Cloth, locking dozens of them in place with the scrolls on her back and preventing them from moving or really doing much of anything.
Likewise, Sen's genjutsu rendered many of them incapable of fighting, leaving them open for attacks. She carries around several vials of varying scents that she spreads through the air with her tessen, the scents being an activator for her stronger abilities.
So with them specializing mostly in support, although quite capable of offense themselves, that left Naruto and Hinata to take them down, or at least deal with the ones that weren't incapacitated.
One thing that remained constant was Kotori's insistence on bonding with Tayuri and Sangen. The boy seemed overly shy and not very talkative, while Tayuri more than made up for it by keeping Kotori at bay and being very insistent on not being friends.
After several days of traveling with minor combat, the caravan has made it to the settlement. As Gaara said, it's one of the few but precious green territories in the Land of Wind, and where one of these Prisms is located that they're allowed to examine in their free time, as the mission is not quite over yet.
The folk they escorted are loggers, tasked with collecting wood that's to then be transported back to the Hidden Sand from where it'll be distributed as necessary, although much of it will go to the puppet users for the creation of new puppets. With them being such a valuable commodity, that means bandit attacks trying to steal it or take over the settlements. Usually the shinobi stationed there are enough but there's been a recent surge in activity, necessitating more shinobi to be deployed.
Maki ensures that everyone from the caravan is set and has their possessions intact, and leads them to where they'll be staying while they work the woods. Once everyone has been directed to where they need to be, she turns to her team for the mission.
"Alright, I'll check in with our allies already on the scene and we can work out where our team fits in."
Naruto squints his eyes and tilts his head. "Wait, there's already shinobi here? Then what're we for?"
"As back-up." Maki answers. "The Prisms and these lands are invaluable to the Land of Wind and the Hidden Sand so we always have people stationed here for protection, but the bandits have been getting bolder lately and more numerous."
Sen places her hands behind her back, gently swaying back and forth of her heels. "As well as the inclusion of more loggers this year as we've a growing need for lumber. That also increases the area that we're to cover and protect."
"That's correct. We'll need to cover a wider area than usual for the duration of this mission."
"Right." Naruto nods. "And because of my and Hinata's abilities, Gaara didn't really need to send more teams."
"Correct, as well. Your Shadow Clones are worth their weight in gold when it comes to missions like this, and there's a reason the Byakugan has been so coveted by other nations for so long."
Hinata gives an affirmative nod. "I'll do everything in my power."
"For now, rest up. It's been a long journey in the heat. I'll come back to you once I have a schedule, although chances are either of you two," she points to Naruto and Hinata. "Will be out on guard duty at any given time.
For the rest of the day, the group that arrived that day was allowed to collect themselves, with the real work starting the following day. The shinobi have their own dedicated lodgings, serving as a makeshift guard barracks. In order to keep them together, Kotori, Shoto, and Yokumaru are to sleep in the common lodging, as well, along with all the other shinobi. It might not be the most ideal situation for them but it does give them a taste of the way ninja operate while away from home.
The next day, Hinata is stationed to guard the settlement while Naruto heads to the forest to keep the loggers safe from potential attacks.
Once he reaches the actual area where the trees are harvested, he's met by a very unique sight. Where he expected a simple forest like what he'd seen plenty of times in the Land of Fire, here things are a touch different. From the ground grow thick trees as normal, many reaching several metres in diameter and dozens of metres in height, they're not as tall as normal. They have branches, they have leaves, but the most unique feature are the thin and extremely tall trees that seem to be growing from the shorter trees. Each small tree appears to have dozens of tall ones growing from its crowns reaching high up into the heavens.
Naruto looks at this sight with very obvious bewilderment. "Are those… trees growing on trees?"
Sen makes her way up to him and looks at the splendid sight. "Yep. It's a special foresting method we developed long ago, to make the most use of our limited forests.."
"So, which part are they gonna be cutting down?"
"Top part. A special pruning method is used to make sure they grow the way they do for when it comes time to be cut down. After that, they regrow and are cut down every dozen or so years."
"Right." He doesn't really get most of it but it definitely sounds impressive. "So this somehow makes these forests last longer and gives you more wood?"
"They do, yeah. Our ancestors had to experiment with such methods to keep the population fed. But we're not here to admire the forest, best get to our stations."
"Right."
Naruto and Sen double check their radios, make sure their signal flares are in place just in case something happens to the radios and they each head out to their respective corners. As agreed upon, Naruto himself remains somewhere in the middle. He finds a solitary spot where he won't be disturbed and meditates for several moments, absorbing the natural energy, which seems to be plentiful in this area. It's nowhere near as potent as Mount Myoboku but it's also stronger than anywhere else he's been. Once he enters Sage Mode, he sends out 4 Shadow Clones, the limit to what he can conjure while still maintaining his chakra in balance. The plan is for him to stay here and observe the surrounding area with his Sage Mode, while his Shadow Clones reach the edges of his sensory area and extend it all the farther. All 4 of them sit down to meditate once they reach far enough, ensuring that their Sage Mode doesn't run out.
There's one thing in particular that bothers him. Two chakra signatures mixed in with the villagers. They weren't present in the caravan so they're definitely people who were already here. But why are shinobi harvesting the wood instead of being on patrol? He was led to believe everyone who lives here is a civilian. Then again, who is he to judge? If someone has retired and chosen to spend their days living out here, they're more than free to.
This first day proves to be very uneventful, at least for the shinobi. The loggers are doing well. Everyone is packing their items while some of the Hidden Sand shinobi go around where the trees have been cut, large scrolls slung over their shoulders. They place them down directly in front of the trunks, perform the required signs, and everything disappears in the blink of an eye. Storage scrolls sure do come in handy.
Naruto leaves the sealing specialists to gather all the trees while he makes his way to where the main group is gathering. As he gets closer, he hears a very specific melody. A grass whistle. The melody is slow, almost somber but also nostalgic. In a certain way it makes him think of home. Home.
'Home is where someone's thinking of you, right?"
His eyes widen, remembering the song. He knows exactly what it is. He could be mistaken. Anybody could have learned this melody from somewhere, or even come up with it on their own. It's entirely possible, but if he's right…
He rushes forward to the meeting spot, the grass whistle getting louder and louder. He bursts from the trees and looks to the source.
A young lad, around his age, is sitting on the ground, a bit away from the main group who are listening to his playing. His hair is shorter than Naruto expected, reaching only his shoulders, but is the dirty blonde he had in mind. His eyes are an unmistakable purple.
Naruto cautiously approaches the boy, still not entirely sure if he has the right person as much as it looks like him. "Yukimaru?" He calls out to grab his attention.
The boy stops playing and looks at Naruto, smiling brightly. "You're here! I knew if I thought enough about you, we'd meet again. That's because… this place is now your home, too."
Two figures emerge from behind the boy. A tall, slender man with messy brown hair and a woman with straight light blue hair. Both of them stop and stare at Naruto as if they've seen a ghost.
Naruto furrows his brows and takes a single step forward. "Guren? Gozu?"
Name meanings
Tayuri = from 'tayu' meaning 'singer' or 'chanter'.
Sangen = 'three strings', also another name for the shamisen.
(A tayū singer accompanied by a shamisen are the elements to perform a jōruri, traditional Japanese narrative music)
Trivia
Guren, Gozu, and Yukimaru are from the Three-Tails' Appearance arc (Naruto Shippuden episodes 89 to112)