Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 149-A "Sorts of Things"
Patron Release 2021.12.03
Dilapidated temples were fun enough to explore over the course of a day or perhaps even a week but after a few decades they were rather bland. When you had already been present at said temple before it fell to pieces, well, Jundo had been very bored for a very long time.
The chance to tease Kabuto was quite entertaining but she still wanted to see more than her old temple and the warehouse the young man spent all his time working in. The docks near that warehouse were quite active and the city beyond seemed even more lively, both of which would have been excellent choices for the water sprite to flitter about playing harmless little pranks and taking in the sights and energy of the people who lived there-
And then she saw the palace.
Easily the tallest building around, it promised an environment far more luxurious than the city could ever hope to. There might not be as many people within and there was no telling how active they were but after spending so much time tied to that Hishaku she deserved to treat herself a bit.
Plus, the chance to play a prank on whatever royals inhabited that palace was simply too good to pass up. The nobles who came to the temple and used her Hishaku had always been a stiff, stuck-up bunch. It was her pleasure- and her duty- to take steps to remedy that.
As a Kami- lesser as she may be- slipping into places was hardly an issue when they weren't specifically warded against spirits. The palace was one such place open to her but as she made her way through an open window on the first floor she noted that she probably could have made it inside as a purely physical being without too much trouble.
There was a lot less security than she would have expected, honestly. The first floor seemed to bustle with people who really didn't look like they belonged in a palace and the guards at the front door only seemed to glance at who was coming and going before allowing them to pass unhindered.
Was it really that lax or were the guards just really familiar with those coming and going?
She supposed that for her purposes it really didn't matter.
Slipping through the moisture in the air she flickered from place to place, examining the palace. as she suspected the interior was quite nice but it was still...plain. Yes, that was a good word for it. It was all high quality and it looked good together but there was nothing spectacular about it as far as she could tell.
It also really didn't seem like a palace. These rooms on the ground floor were filled with multi-desk offices and small meeting rooms. Only the kitchen seemed grand enough to belong in a palace. It was also hard at work and she found herself almost drooling at some of the smells it was producing.
This had definitely been the right choice.
She was just about to help herself to one of the steaming plates when it and several others were picked up and placed on a tray by a woman with long black hair and a fairly simple dress.
Jundo watched the woman walk away for a second- or, it felt like a second- and by the time she turned back to the other plates there was a group of young women collecting them on trays of their own. Pouting at the lost opportunity the water sprite opted to follow after the first woman, floating through the open kitchen doors and spotting her halfway up the stairs.
There were more guards posted there, strangely enough, but these seemed to take security much more seriously. One man tried to slip past a group chatting nearby and found himself too close to the stairs for the guards' liking. Jundo could hear the growl from across the room and the man looked close to pissing himself as he scrambled away.
She grinned. Maybe this would be more fun than she thought.
Jundo made her way over and slipped up the stairs behind the guards. Not being confined to the ground made things much easier for her. The fact that she didn't actually have to be visible helped too. Of course, there was only so long Jundo wanted to stay invisible for. It just wasn't as fun when people couldn't see you and she happened to be very fond of attention.
With the guards bypassed it was easy enough for her to catch up with the woman carrying the food so Jundo followed along quietly. She didn't want to startle the woman- at the moment, anyway, she might drop the food- so rather than landing on her shoulder or getting too close she instead focused her attention on the second floor.
It was much more lavish than the previous floor, that much was immediately apparent. There were people moving about but in far fewer numbers. Again none of them struck her as the sort to be in a palace with the exception of youing women dressed similarly to those she saw in the kitchens. Servants of some kind, no doubt. They were much more prominent here on the second floor and Jundo assumed that probably meant this is where they had quarters but also didn't dismiss the possibility that those on the second floor were simply more important and as such there were more servants readily available to see to one's needs.
Possibly both.
But the woman Jundo was following didn't stop on this floor, proceeding up the next set of stairs without hesitation. The water sprite rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Maybe these plates were going up to the very top and if things grew progressively more extravagant the higher they climbed, maybe she'd have a chance to mess with some nobles sooner than she realized.
She could hardly wait.
"You've probably overheard by now," Naruto paused next to his bookcase, glancing out the nearby window. "But I will be leaving Nami shortly."
There was near silence in the room, only the ticking of the clock on his middle bookshelf. After a moment another voice spoke up from the bookcase he was next to.
"We had heard though we did not know when, High-Priest." They paused for a second, thinking. "We will ensure Great Ak'Gyun Akishi is informed and one of us will accompany you should you need to reach her."
"Do as you will," Naruto shrugged and then turned away. "But I am not Au's High-Priest."
Being a snake, Ahije couldn't actually frown but somehow his expression would have conveyed something similar. Not the High-Priest? Akishi had been very clear that this man was Au's chosen and she was even now on a mission for him. Something wasn't quite right but..maybe...was this why the Great Ak'Gyun had wanted them to keep out of sight? Because he really wasn't the High-Priest?
She must have known, blessed as she was, so why was she hiding it?
But, then again, who was he to question?
In the end Ahije did the only thing he could and agreed. "Of course. It is as you say, Tsukuyomi-Sama." The snake nodded, though it couldn't be seen hidden as he was on the top of the bookcase.
Naruto hummed lowly and returned to his desk. He kept feeling like he was forgetting things he needed to see to before his departure but going through his journals wasn't helping him figure out what it was. He was fairly confident that all matters were being appropriately seen to by others but the feeling simply would not dissipate.
Perhaps going through them again would help him identify the issue. If not, well, he would just have to depart anyway and hope it came to him. He could always send a clone over- though he'd rather not- to correct an oversight.
He was just starting on his personal journal- the one for Naruto rather than Tsukuyomi or….San. He paused, frowning. He had decided on a proper name for his third clone, he was absolutely certain about that. What the hell had it been?- when the opening of his office door caught his attention.
"Lunch, Naruto." Tsunami let herself into the office and removed the last plate from a tray she was carrying, setting it carefully at the corner of his desk to avoid the scattered papers.
"Ah," He turned to the clock on his bookshelf and was momentarily surprised by the time. "Thank you, Tsunami. I hadn't realized it had gotten so late."
Her smile was accompanied by a fond roll of her eyes. "You never do," She pointed out. "And neither does anyone else up here." For the whole top floor the concept of time hardly seemed to exist which was probably the most frustrating part of her job. With everyone keeping the oddest hours and losing track of time it was hard for her to go about her own duties without interrupting.
Not that anyone ever objected to her shooing them out of a room so she could clean, she'd just prefer to not have to do so. Mistress of the palace she may have been, these were the Daimyo's honored guests and sometimes even the Daimyo himself. It just wasn't proper for her to be exercising any sort of authority over them for the sake of daily chores.
Unfortunately she also seemed to be the only one here who was of that opinion. Everyone else didn't think twice about her being in charge whenever matters of maintaining the palace were involved.
"You could always send someone to notify us when a meal has been prepared." He suggested. "Perhaps calling everyone into one of the dining rooms? It would probably be easier on you and the girls. I'm sure the kitchens would probably appreciate it too."
One of her brows rose as she rested a fist on one hip. "That would require me to send the girls up here to this den of debauchery."
He frowned. "I thought that was just Anko's room?"
"And how many times have I passed you walking about up here in the buff?"
He didn't have a number for that and opted to shrug. "About as many times as Anko's either lost or destroyed my clothes."
"And how often does that happen?" Tsunami challenged.
"...Fair enough, I see your point." Conceded the Daimyo. "But you could always send a Wolf to gather us and then get the girls to help you carry the food." After a brief pause he amended that. "Well, you could just have them carry all the food. There's no need for you to carry anything, you have plenty of them available to help you."
"First, that would still require them to come up here and there's no telling what state you, your lovers, or your physicians would be in even if you were all gathering for a meal." Her look dared him to disagree with her statement but he really couldn't. "Second, if I'm to be present there's no point in me not helping." She continued before he could object.
"Then, there's the fact that I would have to trust your food to one of the girls and as much as I care and feel for them, not all of them are pleased about their situation and could try something." Huh, he hadn't really been considering that. "And lastly," Her cheeks pinked slightly. "I...like...to serve."
"Well in that case I won't take that from you," He promised. "It was just a suggestion."
"I appreciate it and will see about having a Wolf gather you at appropriate times. I suppose they could help me carry the food." A brief giggle escaped her. "I can think of a few who would be more than happy to see any of you in such a state."
He smiled back. "There are some who come to mind." Gods, this really was a den of debauchery, wasn't it? He supposed that was certainly a memorable reputation for Nami's Daimyo to have, though most definitely not his preference. Probably better than a conqueror, though, and it wasn't as if the people of Nami weren't rediscovering the pleasures of life again for themselves now that the country had returned to prosperity.
…..He wasn't about to create a country of debauchery, was he? He should really have someone look into that just in case. Then again, that might draw more people here and the increased business would certainly benefit Nami and his Wolves. There was something humorous about the thought that he may usurp Yu no Kuni's position as the world's greatest vacation destination while he had someone actively trying to take control of it for him.
Maybe that would just make it easier for the daughter of Au. If that was the case he really wouldn't be able to hold it against her, he would have brought that on himself.
"Well, I'll leave you to your work. Let me know if you need anything else."
"Of course, Tsunami. Thank you."
She gave him another smile and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. As Naruto cleared a place for the plate closer to himself and returned his attention to his journal he missed the water sprite that slipped in.
Most unfortunately the woman hadn't left any of the plates unattended once she reached the top floor of the palace, delivering them directly to people who, once again, didn't look like they should be in a palace.
Well, the two women they passed- one with short black hair and the other with long blonde hair- could have passed, she supposed, but their clothing still seemed far too green jacket had done very little to hide the blonde's assets, though, so they got a pass and Jundo's approval.
It was nice to see there were some people with good taste around this place.
When the woman Jundo was following was down to a single plate Jundo knew she had just about missed her chance to swipe some of the food but she followed anyway. Peeking in at the top of the doorway she watched the woman place the plate on the desk where- she assumed- someone was sitting. She could hear them speak to the woman, sure, but most annoyingly the woman was completely blocking her line of sight.
Well, it wasn't all bad- the sight Jundo did get was pretty damned good still- but she did have to wait to see who was there and how much attention they were going to pay to their food. This looked like an office so maybe they would be distracted enough by their work that she could stea-erm...borrow- some of it.
When the two finished talking Jundo ducked back out of the doorway to avoid being seen and only barely managed to slip back in before the woman closed the door behind her. Fortunately by then the person at the desk was occupied moving around the papers scattered about it and not focused on the door.
She would later reflect that it had been for the best because it took her a few seconds to catch herself afterwards.
Jundo had heard his voice earlier and still remembered it clearly but seeing him she still had a very hard time believing a man could be so beautiful. By the greater Kami, if she hadn't heard him talk she probably would have mistaken him for a woman!
His pale skin nearly seemed to glow and his vibrant scarlet hair had her fingers twitching with a desire to see if it was as soft as it looked. As the water sprite stared, though, she began to have the strangest of feelings. The young man at the desk hardly seemed like he had even reached his twenties and yet there was a sense of age to him that struck her more profoundly than his beauty ever could.
Something lingered about him, too, traces of deities whose touch had brushed against him. It tasted like the sun, or maybe just Jundo's memories of summer festivals held in the evening with warm winds and the twinkling of early stars.
Something brushed against her eyes, the lightest touch of silk but cold and wet as if she had been caught out in the rain. The man was a sun, his brilliance burning bright in the emptiness of the universe, and around him rotated the entirety of the world.
But this world had no moon, for it rested beside the man and kept him company through endless years of the spinning world.
Her gaze drifted off to the endless sea of stars but she quickly realized they hadn't been stars at all. Eyes without number stared at the world, the attention of Kami from the humblest to the greatest all focused on the some facet of the blue and green gem. Then, for just a second, they seemed to turn their eyes to her. Dread trembled down her spine and she suddenly felt just as small as her form tended to be.
And then they looked away, unconcerned with the water sprite that gazed out at them.
Jundo turned back to the sun and the moon, aware of just how brightly they shone compared to the multitude of Kami and desperately trying not to notice the way some of those stars blinked away in the corner of her eyes like a shadow had passed between them and left nothingness in its wake. She didn't even want to ponder what that could mean if those stars really had been Kami.
There was a coldness that settled on her shoulders, a chill that grew uncomfortably from the bottom of her belly. Almost without thinking she drew closer to the sun and the moon, hoping their light would provide the necessary warmth to banish the uneasy coldness that had started to surround her.
It did.
The light of the man who was the sun washed over her and warmth seeped far down into her bones. He didn't seem to see her at all but like a giant white eye the moon did, turning to her almost slowly, and she was still in the presence of the sun.
No.
Jundo blinked. Not the sun. The young man. In his office.
And she was much closer than she had realized. Darting up until her hair kissed the ceiling she held her breath for a minute, waiting to see if he had seen her at all. Like the sun, he seemed to remain completely oblivious to her existence. Allowing herself to take a few calming breaths she wondered what sort of spirit had been around him to leave something like that about him but she also wondered if she was perhaps just the slightest bit too far from her Hishaku.
Jundo usually didn't travel too far from it- being bound and all- but she'd never had a reaction like this before. Maybe some kind of combination between the two?
Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be coming back. Unfortunately as she looked back down to the desk it was quite clear that he had absolutely no intention of neglecting the food that had been brought to him. Pouting slightly, Jundo crossed her arms with a quiet, disappointed huff. Well, she could always drop down and ask, she supposed, but not only was that less fun it would also give her presence away before she had the opportunity to play some tricks.
Being known would in no way stop her- unless they immediately warded the place or something- but again it decreased the overall enjoyment she would get from playing them. The additional confusion her vict- erm, unaware participants show after the initial surprise was just as sweet.
When they knew to expect it or had become so used to them they hardly noticed it was more than a little disappointing.
She could just go back to the kitchens to see if she could get anything else but while she was up here on the top floor she'd might as well have a look around and start coming up with ideas for a few pranks. They typically turned out better when she thought of them ahead of time. She had found, though, that impromptu pranks always did bring their own flavor of excitement- one Jundo was very fond of.
During her mid-air inspection of the office, however, she found something that made her forget all about her plans to devise some mischief.
Was that a golden snake?
The ship had hardly settled at port when Juugo began retrieving his cargo. Despite the size of the crate- which was more to hide what it was then to make it easier to move- he had it ready to go before the customs officer could make it onto the deck.
Which was good because he had no intention of allowing them to inspect this particular piece of cargo. While there probably weren't any rules against bringing trains into Tetsu no Kuni- though maybe bringing in foreign hunks of iron to Iron Country would insult them somehow- that was more because a majority of the world didn't have them and no one really expected them to be moved like this.
Tetsu no Kuni could still probably charge a duty on the machinery- and maybe add extra as a luxury good- but the real issue was the fact that it was stolen. Yuki no Kuni might not have announced to the world that someone had stolen a train but anyone who saw it was sure to have questions Juugo really couldn't answer- truthfully- without making it quite obvious he wasn't supposed to have this.
That would both make it harder to go back to Yuki no Kuni later- assuming he somehow got away with this, which was beyond unlikely- and would draw more attention to his travels. Considering he was a man moving about with a gigantic crate he had- or would have- plenty of that as it was. He certainly didn't need any more.
With the strength of the earth flowing through him he settled the hardwood crate over his shoulders, settling it sideways so he wouldn't have to hunch to keep it from scraping the ground. Turning- carefully- he managed not to knock into any of the other cargo on the ship and moved as quickly as he could to the edge of the deck. A quick peek over the railing showed the pier and Juugo hardly needed to consider whether it would be able to support the weight of the engine currently on his shoulder when the boat was already tipping further towards it.
He was sure to go straight through the wood and the train would crush the rest of it, a surefire way to get the Samurai of Tetsu no Kuni on his trail. He didn't mind too much but he was sure Orochimaru, Jirobo, and Tsukuyomi would be of very different opinions.
Juugo was bringing them a train but he had a feeling they'd still be mad at him for bringing Tetsu no Kuni to any of their doorsteps too, especially considering it was supposed to be neutral. Having one of the few truly neutral places after your head was a good way to find yourself in a very bad position globally and just about anyone would be able to get away with any aggressions.
Sorta defeated the whole "being allied with a Greater Country" thing Tsukuyomi had made sure to have going for him as soon as Nami no Kuni was under his thumb.
Wouldn't be getting any favors from the man if he single-handedly ended up ruining that.
Much to his luck, though, the docks weren't in the middle of the bay. Or, rather, they weren't positioned next to one of those that were. Instead their dock connected directly to the mainland and Juugo was almost confident he could make that jump without destroying the pier.
He was not, however, sure he could do so without violently rocking the boat. But if he moved back far enough, it looked as though part of the mainland extended further than the dock and might still be close enough to the ship that he could drop down onto it. Getting the crate up the narrow stairway from the deck cargo area to the second floor where the wheelhouse was settled was going to be a bit of a pain but fortunately the railings only came to his waist and there was no roof to block him from pulling a train up it.
So, really, it was just like when you had to help a friend move his couch up to the second story apartment he moved into after he and his girlfriend split up after a fight about whether or not it was appropriate to use their cursed seals when engaging in sex with other people. One said it wasn't them cheating it was the seal, the other suggested just making it an orgy, things got messy, they both blame each other, and then they take a break. You know, standard Otogakure sort of stuff.
Not that Juugo had personally helped anyone move but Kimimaro had helped someone once and came back with horror stories so Juugo was kind of glad for that.
But it was probably the same. He guessed. So that's what he would compare it to. Only instead of a couch it was a several ton piece of equipment you'd stolen from a foreign nation. Semi-standard Shinobi sort of stuff.
Reaching the second floor he paused quickly to double-check he hadn't forgotten anything- his pockets still felt like they had what little he had set out with, nothing looked like it had dropped from the train's crate, and he had remembered to put his shirt back on after using it as a pillow on the way over. With a satisfied nod he stepped up and over the side of the ship, nearly slipping on the loose rocks at the edge of the mainland and falling back into the sea.
Catching himself- though not without bumping the train into the ship slightly- he was quick to start on his journey south before anyone on board caught their footing and came over to investigate. He still wasn't sure if he should stop by Jirobo in Rice Country or just go straight for Nami to deliver the train personally but both required him to go in a general south-eastward direction from his current position on the northern coast of Tetsu no Kuni. He had plenty of time to decide before reaching either and if it came down to it he could make a pitstop to check in with Jirobu on the way there and then just finish delivering it.
As he picked up speed to a respectable jog he wondered if maybe he should have just found a boat heading straight to Nami. He probably could have hidden the train under an avalanche or something and then just dug it out later when he had secured passage. That probably would have been a smart idea.
Well, he didn't really take the time to think things through, anyway, Juugo was more of an "act now with overwhelming force to immediately solve the current problem" sort of guy and hauling a full train engine halfway across the known world over his shoulders was simply a Juugo sort of thing to do.
Three patrolling Samurai stopped in the middle of the road and took a second to look at eachother. One of them pulled out a piece of cloth to wipe down his visor and another simply removed his helmet entirely and squinted out into the distance. They couldn't blame it on the weather- it wasn't snowing at all at the moment, not a single snowflake, so they couldn't blame it on odd shapes of a storm- and none of them had been drinking today.
Well, no, Commander Youjiki had started drinking when he woke up, everyone here knew that's how he managed to deal with his subordinates, but he was back in town. None of this patrol had been drinking and the thought of Shinobi casting a Genjutsu didn't even cross their minds because they couldn't think of a reason for this to be what they chose for the illusion.
A towering young man jogged along an intersecting road half a kilometer away, a crate many times his size casually slung across his shoulders. From the way he moved he may as well have been out for a simple stroll, his burden didn't seem to have any effect on him at all.
One of them whistled while another asked "What do you think he's got there?"
The third shrugged. "No one's got nothing," He grunted as he returned his helmet to its proper place. "That road is out of our patrol range and I'm looking forward to getting back to my wife at a decent time today."
"What, not a bit curious?"
"Not enough to try to stop him long enough to ask."
The other two shared a look, glanced back at the quickly vanishing figure and nodded in agreement. "We probably should have brought the horses out today." One of them noted.
"And risk losing one of them?" A snort escaped his helmet. "The commander is still ripping into patrol four's asses about the one that ran off on them."
"Nah," One of them shrugged. "That was patrol nine, patrol four lost another just the other day."
"What? Damn. Which one?"
"Susu's what I hear."
"Weren't they talking about breeding her with the commander's Sekitan?"
"Ayup. His son's slated for a promotion in the capital, he was going to gift the foal to him in celebration."
The other two winced.
"Yeah, that would probably explain it. They're never getting out of that hole."
"No one ever does, we just wait for someone to dig a deeper one." It was a fair point.
There was a good reason Commander Youjiki started drinking before the working day started.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 149-B "Bookcase"
Patron Release 2021.12.13
With the strange young man focused on his food and some of the papers scattered about his desk, Jundo took her chance to flit along the ceiling over to the flash of gold she could see atop the farthest bookcase.
From her position over the desk there appeared to be a large golden snake laying there and as she got closer that didn't change any.
There was actually a snake on the bookcase. Jundo was no stranger to exotic pets- nobles visiting the temple sometimes brought them along and she couldn't tell you how many times they tried to use her Hishaku to purify those pets before one of the priests noticed and reprimanded them- but they were generally a bit more well looked after than just draped across furniture out of sight.
Half of the reason for having those exotic pets, she understood, was to be able to show them off. They weren't doing a very good job in this case considering she didn't even see it until she was up at the ceiling.
As Jundo came closer she realized the possibilities of this being a pet were quite slim. It was faint but the taste of the sun lingered around them and she could tell that they didn't truly belong to the physical world. A Kami then, much like herself, and similarly they seemed to be a lesser Kami.
Really, what were the chances? She hadn't encountered many other spirits for a very long time and suddenly she finds herself with some extra freedom from her Hishaku in a place with other spirits.
Perhaps that was to be expected, the water sprite reflected, considering whatever Kabuto was trying to do seemed to revolve around spiritual matters. She hadn't bothered to ask why and she'd been too busy messing with him to pay any attention to his work or the work of those around him.
She did know there was some sort of fire Kami flickering on one of the desks, though, burning an unholy blue and providing a warmth more akin to the burn of freezing so whatever it was it would probably end up drawing more Kami here before too long. She would admit- only to herself- that a good portion of her reasons for leaving the warehouse had been to get away from that flame. It didn't seem as intelligent as she was and as far as she could tell had no way of communicating but something about it made Jundo extraordinarily uncomfortable.
Even for a spirit of fire, she shouldn't have felt so off around it. She really didn't like it.
Whatever that group was doing with spirits, she really hoped they started with that one.
Or…maybe not. She'd leave forming that particular opinion until after she found out what they were up to. If they were trying to turn lesser Kami up to Kami or greater Kami then maybe that would be bad. It already gave her bad feelings as a lesser, adding to it probably wouldn't improve that any.
Though if that fire Kami was kept in the warehouse- or, perhaps, simply didn't have the desire or capability of leaving- what was this one doing here? Granted, she was also here so maybe they had left in a similar manner and ended up finding the young man upon which lingered others.
Come to think of it, this Kami tasted of the sun too, maybe they were tied to whatever Jundo had seen earlier? Or maybe it was just a consequence of spending so much time around that young man. She couldn't quite tell.
Then again, she could probably just ask.
Stepping down onto the edge of the bookcase the golden snake seemed to be sleeping. Jundo thought that was quite the uncomfortable position for a nap but she wasn't a snake so what did she know?
"Hey," She called softly. "You asleep there?"
A crimson eye lazily opened and it took another second for it to focus on the world around it. The snake's body jerked in surprise as it realized it had fallen asleep and it briefly peeked out from above the bookcase to make sure Naruto was still there. Satisfied it hadn't drifted off for too long- it didn't look like Aato had come in to take her post yet- Ahije pulled back and glanced towards the tiny woman at the corner of the bookcase. The small, decorative lip around the edge is what allowed Ahije to hide partially from his perch and it now served as a miniscule seat for the water sprite.
Staring at the woman for a while her words seemed to register. "No," He claimed. "Merely…resting my eyes."
She barely managed to constrain the bubbling laughter that tried to escape by cupping a dainty hand over her mouth, the other reaching out to keep her from falling off the bookcase. It quickly subsided, replaced by a faint giggle she was more confident wouldn't announce her presence to the young man in the center of the room.
"Of course, of course." Jundo agreed easily, humor coloring her voice. From the sound of his voice alone she could tell that this Kami was quite old. Whether that was from being around a long time or because they had been aged when they ascended to a spiritual state of being she couldn't quite say but he already reminded her of some of the older priests from her shrine. "We wouldn't want to strain them too much now, would we?"
"...No, of course not." If a snake could bluster then Jundo was bearing witness to it as he retreated slightly and his coils shifted in embarrassment. After a moment, however, they seemed to realize something just a tad bit more important than the fact that they had fallen asleep. Narrowing his eyes the snake leaned forward slightly- as if to get a better view- and asked; "Who are you?"
"I'm glad you asked!" She grinned. "Jundo-Hime no Hishaku, from the Uwabo Shrine." Jundo gave a bow at the waist from her seated position- one of her favorite ways of messing with Kabuto- but the snake hardly seemed affected by it.
Probably because he was a snake.
That was the only real answer.
"I see." From his tone it was glaringly obvious that he did not, in fact ,see. He hadn't the slightest clue what she was talking about. Honestly, that stung her pride a bit. "Remind me, was that the shrine in Uwabo or the shrine to Uwabo?"
Jundo blinked. "It's the name of the shrine. It's in northern Sado, on Jiro."
The snake continued to stare at her blankly.
"The southernmost point of the Sekikawa kingdom? Under Emperor Mamurogawa?" Holy shit. She hadn't exactly been keeping track of the time but she wasn't that old, was she? How long had it been?
It was probably pretty impressive that as much of her shrine had actually remained standing for all that time. Granted, it had been missing more than a few walls when she had last wandered it but it was still recognizable as building.
Barely.
Maybe it really had been longer than she realized.
"I don't know any of those names." The snake admitted. "But I've also never been much for the physical world."
"Oh?!" That caught her attention. "Have you always been a Kami then?" He nodded.
"Yes, born to The Father." He paused, thinking. "I was but a hatchling back when the temple of Akya-Jin still stood proud. Do you know of it?"
"I can't say I've ever heard of it." Jundo frowned, trying to recall. The serpent only gave a nod of his head, expecting as much.
"It was a very long time ago, I'm not surprised."
Well, at least she wasn't the oldest Kami around. "You must have been around for a very long time then." The water sprite noted and then proceeded to ask; "So why are you on a bookcase?"
"Great Elder Akishi, Blessed Ak'Gyun has ordered us to be on hand should the Hi-" The correction was quickly made. "Should Tsukuyomi-Sama require us."
That actually brought up many more questions and Jundo was momentarily taken aback as she tried to figure out which one was most important.
"Tsukuyomi?" She settled on that one, turning to look at the young man at the desk behind her. It was clear enough the ancient snake was referring to them- or, that's the conclusion she came to- but Tsukuyomi? She knew absolutely that he was no god, though she would not dispute the fact that the feeling of Greater Kami wrapped about him like a cloak. "There were ceremonies for Tsukuyomi at the Uwabo shrine." She made a show of turning back towards him. "He looks pretty young….."
There was obvious question as she trailed off.
"He is known by Tsukuyomi to these people." Was the explanation given. "I hear those closer to him call him 'Naruto'."
"Ah." She wasn't sure how the real Tsukuyomi might take that but that wasn't her problem either. Besides, while the Uwabo shrine tried to maintain neutrality and respect all greater Kami equally, they always had been a bit partial to Susanoo. As long as he wasn't being brought into the matter Jundo felt good enough about leaving it alone. "I guess that clears things up a bit but-" She cocked her head to the side. "That doesn't explain why you're on the bookcase."
"Because Great Elder Akishi ordered it so."
"They ordered you to be on the bookcase?"
"Well, no. Not exactly." He admitted, embarrassed. "But I couldn't find a better place to fit me."
"...Did you have to be hidden?"
"Not…exactly."
She continued to stare at him, one brow slowly rising.
"It is desired by the Great Elder that we should not intrude or impede Tsukuyomi's work. I think not every guest to this office knows of us and he would benefit from that remaining true."
"Okay." She gave an understanding nod. That made sense, somewhat. Still- "Have you asked him?"
"...No."
Jundo hoped her expression fully conveyed just how unimpressed she was at the moment. "That seems like a rather large oversight. Does he know you're back here?"
"Yes, yes he does."
That…had not been the snake.
Blinking in surprise, Jundo turned as much as she could in her sitting position to see the young man in question standing before the bookcase. The snake was ancient- and she hadn't even had the chance to get his name yet- with ruby eyes that showed some of those years but the purple that gazed at her now were so much more she couldn't truly compare them. There were years without number, years far too impossible to belong swirling in the eyes of a human of not even two decades, and their cut was sharp like carefully worked precious stone. They seemed to pierce right through her and yet it was almost as if they didn't see her at all, like she just happened to be in the way of some great and terrible truth he was pondering out in the infinite.
Jundo felt a shiver wrack her body, not unlike the one she experienced in the cold emptiness of the universe where something lurked just beyond the light of the sun and doused the burning stars so casually.
After a second that felt like all the years in his eyes his attention moved to the side where the snake had looked over and Jundo regained the ability to breathe that she had not realized she'd lost.
Not that she actually needed to breathe, it was just a habit and it came with some benefits she enjoyed making use of.
"High- Tsukuyomi-Sama, I apologize if we interrupted your work." The serpent gave his best bow over the side of the bookcase. It was sort of hard to tell considering it would normally rely on the relative position of the body and the snake touched on three different planes of the furniture but it managed to get the point across.
"My work was already done." Naruto waved him off. "I was just reviewing some things." The Daimyo turned his attention back to the other spirit. "But I don't think I've met your friend here."
"...We've only just met." Ahije was quick to cover his own scales. Jundo shot him a quick pout. It had no effect. She was really starting to miss Kabuto, at least he reacted properly.
Spinning her legs around to dangle from the front of the bookcase so she could better face this "Tsukuyomi", she was entirely aware of just how much leg she was now showing and the young man's similar lack of reaction was disheartening.
It's not like she would let that keep her down, though.
"Hello!" She waved down to him. "I'm Jundo-Hime no Hishaku, from the Uwabo Shrine."
"Okay." Naruto nodded. "What are you doing on my bookcase?"
Ahije and Jundo both had the strangest sense of Deja Vu.
"Uh, Mikoto-San?"
The woman in question looked up from her book to see the mistress of the palace standing in the doorway of the upper floor library. She would have preferred to be in Naruto's private library where she had a better chance of seeing him- she wasn't sure if he had ever even been in this room- but as private as his own library was considered it was fairly common for one of his…lovers…to either pull him in there for some fun or, in the case of Anko, ambush him there.
The Tokubetsu Jounin also seemed to have no issues getting started when there were other people in the room so long as she wasn't interrupting anything important of Naruto's and handed out invitations to join them to any woman nearby like confetti.
Mikoto really didn't know how she felt about Naruto being involved with that woman but he seemed to enjoy her company well enough- which wasn't a surprise in the slightest considering he was a young man- and even she had to admit that Anko had mellowed out slightly. More impressively, Naruto seemed to be the one person who could reign her back in so it was probably for the best that those two remained in close proximity.
Still, it was hard to keep what the two might be doing from your mind when Anko seemed to delight in recounting her experiences in vulgar detail whenever she got the chance. Mikoto tried to leave whatever room she was in when those started but even if she didn't hear it told by Anko it wasn't uncommon to hear Anko during the act.
Maybe she needed to look into buying a house in the city so she could avoid it all.
Or, better yet, maybe she could buy a house in the city and put Anko in it. That would spare everyone else too.
"Was there something you needed, Tsunami-San?"
"Ah, I hope I'm not interrupting. I was just wondering if you were busy or perhaps had the time to talk a bit?"
"Is something wrong?" She didn't think she'd shared more than a dozen or so words with the woman in all her time at the palace and for the life of her Mikoto couldn't think of anything they might need to discuss.
"Oh, no, not at all." Tsunami shook her head. "It's just, well- you're a mother too, right? I don't get many opportunities to speak with women around my age and with you being around the palace these days…." She trailed off hopefully.
Was….was Tsunami looking to make a friend? It took a second for Mikoto's thoughts to continue after making that realization. Growing up, Mikoto had kept the same few friends until it had all but dwindled down to Kushina alone and she hadn't even seen that woman in years and was hardly about to call anyone who would abandon her Naruto a friend.
Unless one counted Kisame- which varied hour to hour, she found- Mikoto really didn't have any friends. It was a realization she hadn't expected to make but it would seem she wasn't the only one. Of course Tsunami would approach the person who seemed the most similar to herself.
After a brief pause to think it over Mikoto could admit that she could probably use a friend these days. She spent most of her time just reading or waiting around for Naruto to have some free time and while she knew Tsunami was often busy with her duties around the palace, what time the two could spend together would be better spent than here alone in the library.
"Oh, of course." Mikoto set her book down on the table beside her and gave a sweeping gesture that encompassed the couch she was sitting on and several of the nearby chairs. "Feel free to join me."
Tsunami gave her a bright smile.
Now would come the hard part. Kakashi was going to owe her big for this.
Kisame scratched his head, gazing from one bunch of trees to the next and back again. Why did they all have to look the same? Looking down on the map he'd scribbled down on a napkin- and ignoring the stains of what he thought was Tonkatsu but couldn't quite remember- he stared blankly before turning it on its side and gazing around him again.
Nope, still no landmarks.
He tried again with the same results and then once more. Nope. Still just trees and his hand-drawn map didn't have any trees on it. Fuck.
He wasn't even near a town where he could ask for directions, so he had absolutely no idea what to do beyond start walking and hope to run into someone. Then again, it was probably for the best he wasn't in a town because then the chances were that he'd become hopelessly distracted.
Coming across a traveler on the road would be the optimal outcome. Assuming he could find a damn road to begin with.
Mikoto was going to fucking kill him if she ever found out. First she was pissed that the information he was sending back had nothing to do with what she considered important- apparently that meant Akatsuki movements and not what the members were up to here in the cave- so she had kicked him back towards Nami to take his place. One part of him believed that was so he wouldn't accidentally blow her cover now that he knew. The other thought it was so the people of Nami could hopefully keep him out of trouble.
Realistically Kisame knew it was both.
He hadn't even reached Nami when Mikoto had passed him again- he may have veered off path for just a day or two in his travels- apparently having learned something going on in Nami or to do with Akatsuki movements. Maybe both, Kisame couldn't remember. Either way she was back on her way to Nami and had sent him back towards Ame to resume his task so she could…do whatever it was she was doing.
He really needed to start writing this shit down.
"I don't know, Samehada," Kisame shrugged, waking the blade from its nap. "What do you think?" The sword grumbled groggily in response.
"Yes, I know you don't have any eyes."
It grumbled again.
"And I'm aware that means you can't read a map or recognize landmarks." Kisame rolled his eyes. "Do you have any ideas for me to try?"
The next grumble was much quieter as it slipped back into sleep.
"...Create a commotion?" He mulled it over. "That would certainly bring people to me, that might actually work."
…..Miktoto probably wouldn't be happy about that and he had no idea which country he was in so maybe that wasn't the best decision at the moment. Definitely a solid plan B, though. Now he just needed to come up with a plan A.
You know, other than just wandering off in a random direction.
That's generally what gets him into these messes in the first place, it probably wasn't going to fix anything.
Probably.
For now, though, he really didn't have any other ideas. Wandering it was. He just needed to pick a direction. Kisame gazed about the trees that surrounded him completely and up towards a sky completely blocked by leaves.
It all looked the same to him, how the hell was he supposed to choose a direction when all the directions were the same?
Next time he was forking out for a C–rank so he'd have a team of navigators. He really didn't need the Genin- though they probably had a better sense of direction than he did- but C-ranks were the cheapest way to hire a Jounin. Then again, maybe just a single Chuunin would work better? He'd have to have Kakuzu crunch the numbers for him when he saw the man again.
If anyone knew how to save a few Yen it was that man and Kisame had better uses for his money than paying for someone who could read a map.
Mainly food and…company.
Neither of which he'd had in a while, he realized. Probably because he didn't have any money which was, of course, because he hadn't exactly been working recently.
He really needed to get back to Ame.
"Oh, well, I saw another spirit and came over to say hi." Jundo kicked her legs back and forth. "It's been a while since I saw so many spirits in one area but I've already seen two now in just a few days."
"And what brings you here?" Naruto asked.
She shrugged. "Well my Hishaku was brought here, so I didn't really have much of a choice."
"You are bound to it, then?" He asked but he already knew the answer. "Who holds possession?"
That earned him a small frown. "I don't actually know. Whoever is in charge of them, I guess. I just know Kabuto-Kun doesn't have it and I spend most of my time around him. I've thought about looking for it but I think they're keeping it away from me on purpose and I'm not sure I want to make them mad trying to find it." Kami she may be, she was still bound to that Hishaku and that created vulnerabilities that could make things rather unpleasant for her or even send her from the physical world completely.
It wouldn't be the absolute worst thing, but Jundo greatly enjoyed the physical world and the humans who inhabited it. It would be a pity not to be able to mess with them as easily.
"Kabuto?" Naruto nodded. "I'll have to ask Orochimaru what project he's working on that involves Kami such as yourself."
"Oh?!" Jundo expressed a surprised delight. "You know Kabuto-Kun, then?"
"I have made use of his services before." He paused, thinking. He didn't know what Orochimaru was up to but he was curious. "When you return to Kabuto, instruct him that the Hishaku is to be brought to me so I may examine it."
"Eh?!" She slipped from the bookcase and floated in midair, twisting and turning as if trying to block her body from his view. "Don't you know how personal that is? You naughty boy, you should at least ask a woman's permission before doing something so….intimate." her voice dropped to a seductive whisper and any act of trying to hide from him was instead replaced by her doing her best to lean forward and expose as much of herself as she could. "But you're so demanding and forward…." She made an exaggerated shiver. "I like it."
Naruto continued to stare up at her blankly and she pouted down at him.
"Nothing? Come on, you have to give Jundo-Hime something. I go through all this effort to give you such a lovely vision, isn't that worth at least a compliment? A blush? A sputter? A reward?"
"...Make sure you tell Kabuto that I don't want you around Anko or the others, either."
Her head tilted in curiosity. "What, don't think we'll get along? I get along with everyone."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
She blinked, processing, and then a wicked grin stretched over her lips and she released a suggestive chuckle. "Oh-ho, I think Jundo-Hime is going to enjoy spending time around here."
Naruto sighed lightly. Well, this confirmed it. He absolutely had to bring Anko with him when he left for Yu no Kuni.
He also needed to figure out what the hell Orochiamru was up to.
Mikoto didn't think she could possibly blush any harder but she also couldn't seem to pull her attention away or bring herself to stop Tsunami's recountings of her recent…intimacy. It was fine, at first, when she was talking about Kakashi. It was a little strange considering Kakashi had been almost a son to the Yondaime, her best friend's husband. That made her something like an aunt to him in that way- previously, anyway- and more recently he seemed to be her rival in being Naruto's parental figure.
Still, Mikoto knew Kakashi was good looking enough- even with what little of his face he showed clearly and it wasn't hard to imagine that a civilian would be blown away by a Shinobi's strength and stamina.
He was a Jounin, too, and with all those books he buried himself in Mikoto was sure he had all sorts of things to try out in the bedroom. They might not all be any good, admittedly, but he would have enough to keep things from getting boring. Probably. What Tsunami had described hadn't seemed especially odd or noteworthy, though her descriptive ability was…more than a little surprising.
The woman had a real talent for words and storytelling. Or, that's what she'd thought with that first story, those that had followed blew it out of the water completely.
Anko's retellings could only be described as vulgar, like a hardcore pornographic video, but Tsunami's were like a well-written erotic novel. Not that Mikoto would admit to having experience with either.
That part wasn't a problem, in fact, Mikoto sort of enjoyed it. It had been a long time since she had seen any action and living vicariously through Tsunami's story had been better than anything else she'd turned to over the years but when the woman's focus had changed over to Naruto Mikoto's enjoyment had become mortification.
The sensual properties of Tsunami's retelling, unfortunately, had increased rather than receded and so had their effects on the last Uchiha.
To say she was currently very uncomfortable was a severe understatement but she was still enraptured.
Even though hearing about how Anko had dragged the palace mistress into her room to join a group of them had nearly been too much for her to take.
There were some things a mother really didn't need to know- like every word that had dripped from Tsunami's lips.
Lips she knew- no, better not to think of those things.
"-Oto? Mikoto? Are you still with me?" Tsunami's words were filled with a genuine concern and dragged Mikoto from her thoughts.
"Oh, yes, sorry. Just…lost in my thoughts." Tsunami giggled in response, her own cheeks colored slightly.
"Oh, no, don't apologize for that!" Tsunami waved off her apology with a lazy flick of her wrist. "Gods know I've had the same issue, being able to talk about them with someone is a great help. If I tried with Anko she'd end up just charging off to find Naruto or one of his clones."
"...Yeah." Mikoto shifted awkwardly. "Are you sure you should be talking about these things with me?"
Tsunami looked confused, her brows furrowing and a small frown pulling at her lips. "What do you mean?"
"He's- Naruto. He's my son."
"Oh!" The understanding was quickly dismissed and Tsunami rolled her eyes almost fondly. "It's great that the two of you have been able to become family for each other, Mikoto-Chan, but no one is going to blame you for having those sorts of thoughts. It's obvious you both care for each other and no one is going to try to claim that either of you isn't attractive, it's only natural your thoughts would wander in that direction."
"Wait, no, it's not my thoughts-" Well, it was now thanks to Tsunami's words and she tried desperately to smother them deep down into the darkest corners of her mind. "It just seems like it's inappropriate to speak with a mother about sleeping with their son."
Tsunami shrugged. "Says who? I don't know anyone more appropriate to speak to about it. Besides, it's not like you two are blood relatives at all. If it makes you both happy…." She gave another shrug as she trailed off. "How long has it been for you, anyway? You have needs unfulfilled, Mikoto. Gods know I was in the same boat and I can tell you that Naruto is an excellent choice to change that. Trust me."
Mikoto still seemed uncomfortable and she was still a bright red but she wasn't protesting. Tsunami considered that good progress. It would take more time, but the fish was already nibbling the bait.
Gods did Kakashi owe her for this. She absolutely knew where she was getting that baby she wanted.
In Konoha, Kakashi's feeling of dread returned. Someone had plans for him and he was certain they probably weren't good. He hadn't done anything to piss of Anko recently, had Mikoto figured out what he'd asked Tsunami to do?
He shivered. He hoped not, that was a recipe for disaster. Maybe he should have given the task to Anko instead, at least as a Kunoichi she would stand a chance against Mikoto.
Then again, she was hardly subtle. He was just going to have to hope for the best.
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Until I next have your attention, I remain,
-Eyazahrid