Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 153-A "Cruel Gods"
Patron Release 2022.02.07
There had been a distinct lack of the excess moisture he'd come to regard as normal over the past few days and while he was grateful to be dry- or as dry as one could be in the humid, sea-neighboring hell that was Nami no Kuni- it gave him the distinct impression that something was wrong.
It took an entire morning of this feeling distracting him from work he was actually managing to get done for once- a miracle in and of itself- before he realized what was wrong.
When had he last seen that damnable sprite?
Where had he seen that damnable sprite?
He spent nearly an hour searching the warehouse Orochimaru had more or less appropriated from a local- it would probably be best to ensure news of that didn't make it back to Naruto unless they put together some sort of compensation for the man so they could claim they had merely rented it- before he accepted the fact that she was nowhere within it.
Well, she was a spirit so it was entirely possible she was here and was simply playing a joke at his expense and giggling madly while he frantically tried to find her. The fact that she hadn't popped out to tease him or soak him to the bone gave him more than sufficient doubt for that possibility.
What was far more likely was that she had gone to bother someone in the palace again but there was also a much more horrible option where she had decided to stow away with Tsukuyomi as he left the country.
That would absolutely be something she might do and she had already found her way to him once before, the likelihood of her noticing the small gathering of Wolves about his carriage and deciding to investigate was a tad too high for comfort.
A feeling of dread shivered its way down his spine, the slow drip of icewater through his central nervous system. If she had stowed away not only was there a possibility she might pester Tsukuyomi for the duration of the trip and for gods know how long at the Yu no Kuni base but Kabuto was also very much aware that Anko had been taken along with him.
An Anko that Kabuto had been specifically instructed to keep Jundo away from.
Oh, he was so dead.
Not only would Orochimaru be furious that his price was dusturbed by an entity Kabuto was supposed to be keeping an eye on but Tsukuyomi- the only person he could entreat to save him from Orochimaru's ire if he managed to persuade him well enough- would be displeased that his own orders were failed to be carried out to any real effect.
That wasn't mentioning any irritation he might be feeling depending on how Jundo actually acted during the trip and considering she was with Anko of all people….
Another shiver wracked his spine.
That was an absolutely unholy combination he wouldn't wish on anyone.
Was it too late for him to look into alternate employment options?
He heard Umi no Kuni was nice this time of year.
With over forty years being a Jinchuriki, Roshi of Iwa would have been a formidable foe for even some S-rank Shinobi.
That power had been no match for the might of God.
Pein stalked back into the primary sealing room of the Gedo Mazo, negligently dropping the limp body of an unconscious Roshi to the center of the sealing circle.
Usually the other members of Akatsuki would join in from afar, projecting both themselves and the Jinchuriki towards the cavernous room housed beneath Ame's soil. Pein hadn't really been in the mood for that. Kakuzu and Hidan would still have to join in that way, too far to be reasonably recalled for a sealing, but with the Jinchuriki's body present before the great Gedo Mazo the process should go much more smoothly.
Seals crossed time and space, that was the nature of their existence, but it was no small thing to send the Chakra of an entire Biju- and one like the Yonbi, halfway up the ranks of Bijuu, no less- across the elemental nations to the intended seal.
Even so, that ease was going to be countered by the lack of manpower they had to perform the sealing itself. It was not uncommon for Shinobi to give their lives in the process of sealing Biju normally– the exertion of such tasks was no small feat –and it was for that reason Pein utilized nearly a dozen S-Rank Shinobi to split and shoulder the burden.
They didn't have that luxury at the moment; they were going to have to go slow and carefully. Slowing down helped some but it was a delicate balance because the longer the sealing went on the more exhausted the participants would become. They would have to go fast enough to avoid that and yet slow enough that the delicate sealing process wasn't botched and none of the participants were wounded which would set back the sealing or disrupt it entirely.
That was Pein's job; only he was capable of properly monitoring the sealing to notice such issues, but that was also the single largest cut to the manpower they had available to expend on this endeavor. He only directed the sealing, the actual work of the task was left for the other members of Akatsuki.
That was no issue when there were nine others.
Now there were four and two of them weren't physically present.
To be perfectly honest, Pein didn't actually know how well this would go. It would work, of course- he was a god and he commanded it so- but the price….that was something that escaped even his knowings entirely.
There was a good chance none of the other members of Akatsuki would be able to perform another sealing for some time afterwards, to say nothing of how well they might be able to track or capture their own quarry. It was much harder to capture than it was to kill and Jinchuriki were notorious for not going down to either without titanic effort
They were, after all, the greatest weapons of war to exist these days.
But that was a problem for another day; he would continue to gather the Jinchuriki personally if he had to, though he loathed to keep leaving his city of rain so exposed.
Pausing on the Gedo Mazo's right thumb, Pein took a deep breath to center himself. The other members of Akatsuki- those who would come to his summon- did not need to see the irritation on the face of God. It was beneath a god to lose their composure but the actions of mortals were frustratingly adept at causing him headaches as of late.
Konan, already waiting in her position on the right middle finger, didn't so much as twitch at his return nor did she raise her voice as he calmed himself. That didn't stop him from knowing exactly what she was saying, though; one did not need the eyes of God to see the words her own projected so clearly in the gloom of the cavern.
This is because we took shortcuts.
She wasn't wrong. Finding citizens of Ame- or at least Shinobi who had defected to Ame for whatever reason- with the potential to reach S-Rank would have taken a lot of time and managing to find and train enough of them to fill the organization would have taken even longer but it was absolutely possible- everything was possible when one was God- and would have had much better results.
They– He – had failed to do so, and these were the results.
Pein was grateful for the silence she kept, so the accusation on her lips wouldn't reach his ears. Of course, he didn't expect anything else from his oldest- and only- friend. She was far too loyal to ever bring something like that up in a way that would cast doubt on his divinity- even before the others were present. When she did speak- and she would, later, in the privacy of the upper floors of his tower- she would be very careful to word things as an advisor.
It wasn't something he had at any point required of her but she had done so ever since he had taken over Akatsuki and he really did appreciate it. It would be much harder for him to focus on their goals when his dearest friend, the only other surviving member of the original Akatsuki, openly expressed her doubts.
Her support in this had proven invaluable over the years.
Giving her a single nod that he hoped would silently convey his appreciation, he spent only a few seconds more spinning the ring on his right thumb. The rings were the marks of Akatsuki members, they represented everything Akatsuki was. Feeling the cool metal on his skin never failed to help center himself.
He had delayed enough. It was time to seal the Yonbi.
Huh. There was a lot less rain than usual, Kisame noted. He knew, realistically, that even a place with a name like Ame no Kuni couldn't be rainy all the time. There were bound to be days that were clear, though they would be expectedly rare.
Still, it was decidedly strange to see the city of Ame without so much as a cloud in the sky and he wondered just how long that might last. He certainly had never seen blue skies over Pein's city of concrete and metal. Hell, the rain even seemed to be on a set schedule!
It was beyond odd but when you were a walking shark-man you learned to get used to strange happenings around you. It wasn't like he was really in a place to talk, anyway.
"Alright, Samehada, looks like we found it." The sword on his back quivered out a warble, conveying both impatience and disappointment.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Your idea was great but we didn't need it in the end. We can save it for next time." She grumbled again but settled back into her slumber.
Shaking his head, Kisame resumed his walk down to the village. Huh.
Was it just him or had the skyline of Ame shrunk significantly while he was gone? Where were the towers? It also seemed strangely colorful, now that he thought about it. Cheery, even, to a degree he didn't think he could solely attribute to the lack of overcast sky or near-constant drizzles.
This was Ame, right?
The sound of horses behind him caught his attention and the shark-man grinned at his luck. No need to seek out someone to make sure he was going the right way, someone was finally coming to him. It was about damn time.
Squinting off into the distance he was able to make out the carriage that was steadily approaching. It was going a bit too fast to be considered casual and would probably catch a bit of attention but was still slow enough to suggest it was only in a hurry rather than some sort of emergency.
Well, it also seemed to be a good pace for the horses. Maybe it was just remaining reserved enough to avoid tiring them out too much? Kisame couldn't say, he'd never really concerned himself with horses when he could outrun them. He supposed the point of them, then, would be in not having to run. Being carried to his destination did have a certain appeal and if he was in a carriage like this one with someone else driving he couldn't get lost, either.
That might not be a bad idea for future trips.
But if someone was taking a carriage the chances of them being a Shinobi was quite low so this was probably the best luck Kisame could possibly have. Civilians were less likely to recognize him- well, as a rogue Shinobi, anyway. His appearance was quite distinctive- and were much less likely to put up a fuss. That meant it should be easy enough to confirm he was on the right path and the distinctly un-Ame city he was approaching was indeed the Ame he was looking for.
Something in his gut was starting to tell him it wasn't.
The carriage grew closer and the feeling of being wrong grew with it. He was pretty sure he recognized those drivers and if memory served- though it often didn't- those were unmasked Wolves on that carriage.
Unless they were taking Mikoto to Ame- which meant he was in a lot of trouble with the woman- he couldn't think of any reason for them to head that way.
Shit.
The carriage drivers seemed to recognize him, too, because they started to stop the horses and rolled to an easy stop right beside him. The eyes of the Wolves shone with amusement and not a small touch of pity.
The chances that Mikoto was in that carriage had just jumped up considerably which was both good and bad. Good because it was never a bad thing to see Tobi and bad because she was bound to be mad at him.
That, too, had its good parts but they tended to be outweighed by the negative.
Mainly that she was mad at him. He'd have more chances to enjoy it if that lovely anger of hers was directed at someone else.
One of the Wolves dropped down from the driver's seat and knocked gently on the door before poking their head in. They kept their voices low but Kisame was absolutely certain he'd heard her name in there.
Maybe his luck wasn't all that after all.
Or he had an alternate career path in the form of a fortune teller.
Perhaps both.
Between her crossed arms, cocked hip, tapping foot and the prominent frown tugging at her lips it was easy to see that Mikoto was less than pleased at the moment. At just a glance, Kisame wouldn't understand why she was as irritated as she was- being pulled away from her new lovers to deal with anyone was going to put her in a bad mood- but he didn't need to know the reasons to recognize the state.
Knowing what sort of blade did it wasn't necessary to understand the fact that someone was bleeding out, though it did help when you went to patch them up. Of course, going by that example meant Kisame was a bit disadvantaged in any attempt to fix things even before he started but he generally assumed that was the case anyway.
Par for the course, really.
This wouldn't be the first time he didn't fully understand what exactly it was he was supposed to be apologizing for but it had never stopped him any of the other times either. Honestly, he was pretty used to it at this point.
Then again, he wasn't sure he had ever seen her quite so ticked off at him.
He was sure he'd never seen her in that outfit, though. The black silk of her robe hugged her tightly near the bottom where it was cut quite short- much to Kisame's enjoyment- but the top seemed to hang loose around her shoulders and dip down into a valley he knew he would probably never get the chance to fully see let alone explore.
The embroidered Koi in shimmering red thread were quite well done, too, he idly noted. A sign that the piece was of very high quality but he was much more interested in just how well it complimented her pale skin and a figure that just about the entirety of Akatsuki had fallen in love- or at least lust- with.
He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, mostly to hide the evidence of just how much he appreciated the way her beautiful face expressed that displeasure with him.
Sometimes he really did have to wonder what the biggest curse was – this freakish body the gods had shouldered him with or his peculiar tastes that always had him on the back foot.
Rarely did the thought cross his mind that it could possibly be both. The gods couldn't be that cruel, could they?
Maybe they could.
"Ah, Tobi, good to see you!" He gave a nervous grin, hoping her lips might at least twitch upwards at his greeting. No such luck.
"Kisame." It came out more like a hiss than any words and with the venom dripping from it he was half convinced he'd been introducing himself as a particularly vile expletive for all these years without knowing it.
"Eh-heh," He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yes?"
"What on earth are you doing here? I sent you to Ame almost two weeks ago!"
"...So that city over there," He jerked his head back to indicate the city he'd hoped was Ame but didn't break eye contact with the furious Uchiha. "Isn't Ame?"
He could almost taste the frustration she released in that sigh of hers.
"...I'll take that as a no, then."
By the gods. Mikoto shook her head with a resigned exasperation. What on earth was she going to do with him?
He really did mean well, she was absolutely sure of that, but even Kakashi didn't frustrate her as much as this shark. That alone would be impressive if it wasn't so irritating.
"Kisame," She started slowly, patiently. As if speaking to a small child. "We are well into Yu no Kuni; that's the capital Erai Onsen Kyūden Ichi."
That was sort of a mouthful, she'd have to recommend that Naruto change it when he inevitably ended up seizing control.
"...Oh." Mikoto shifted her weight from one hip to the other, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, Kisame, 'Oh'."
"Heh, oops?" It was the best he could offer at the moment. "So Ame is-" Mikoto was already pointing to the east- well, he assumed that was the east if she was pointing to Ame and he was in Yu no Kuni. He was pretty sure that checked out, though not completely- before he could finish his question.
"Ah, well, guess I got a little off course, huh?"
"Maybe just a little." Wry amusement slipped back into her voice, her irritation deflating slightly because she knew he was at least trying to do as she asked. She really should have asked Naruto to spare a Wolf to help guide him- she'd already known how bad he was at navigation- so this was partly her fault too.
"So…I guess I should start heading that way…?" Kisame trailed off in a question, carefully watching Mikoto's face both for any hint of that being what she still wanted from him and because, well, it was a very pretty face to look at. He wasn't one to pass up the opportunity when it presented itself.
"I'll let you know." The last Uchiha spun around to open the carriage door, an action that guaranteed Kisame wouldn't be moving from his spot and that his attention would remain firmly on her.
That was slightly challenged by his curiosity when the open carriage door revealed three sleeping bodies in a nest of blankets and pillows. Normally it wouldn't compare at all but he was fairly certain the individuals there were all naked and two of them were women.
Kisame was a simple ma- erm, shark.
"Naruto-Kun~" her sing-song voice made all three of them shiver in their nap- something only possible because Mikoto had been pulled from the carriage to deal with the lost fish- and when it didn't pull them from the arms of sleep she leaned down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"Mikoto….need….break….insatia….ble…."
"Oh, darling!" She giggled. "Not right now, I need you for something else."
With noticeable effort amethyst eyes pried themselves open, squinting in what light managed to spill into the dark sanctuary of the carriage. The Daimyo of Nami no Kuni shifted under the fluffy black comforter until he managed to free a hand to help shield his face and peered out into the surroundings.
Kisame could see the exact moment where he was both noticed and recognized. The pause between them didn't go unnoticed, either.
"Kisame?" He said the shark-man's name but the question was undoubtedly directed towards the barely dressed woman he craned his neck to meet the black eyes of.
"Yes, darling, it looks like he got a little lost. What did you want me to do with him?"
Naruto only blinked once before snuggling back into the pillow-covered floors and adjusting the blanket above him slightly.
"Are you planning to use him to satisfy yourself?" he asked, seemingly unconcerned with whatever her answer might be.
"What?!" She looked absolutely scandalized while Kisame perked up. "No, absolutely not!"
Kisame's shoulders slumped.
"Then send him to Ame or back to Nami, I just don't have room for him."
"What, you don't have room for five in that carriage?" Just because he needed to go back to work didn't necessarily mean Kisame wanted to go back to work.
"We have five." Almost as if summoned the pile of blankets the three were under shifted until a head of black popped out to blearily peer at her surroundings with crimson eyes.
"Are we there yet?" Yawned Kurenai.
Kisame spent a few seconds looking between Naruto and the women around him before his shoulders slumped forward even more. "Dude," he whined. "Save some for the rest of us, will you?"
"I seem to simply be picking up the slack." Naruto returned dryly. "If you want to pull some weight and seduce someone be my guest."
Gods knew he could use the chance for a break.
The gods also knew that there was no chance of Kisame managing that with any of the women in that particular carriage so Naruto was out of luck. The bone-weary Naruto knew that too, which is why he returned to what little sleep he could grab before Mikoto climbed back into the carriage.
Forget monsters under the bed, Mikoto was a monster in the bed and one day- when he managed to escape- he was going to track down whoever had caused this.
Mostly to ask what the fuck they were thinking and partially to thank them. Anko had never been as placid as she was after Mikoto got a hold of her. Mostly because she was exhausted but Naruto would take what he could get at this point. A quiet, calm Anko was a rare thing indeed.
"It's called the silk exercise," Temari explained, holding up a small square of the smooth fabric. "And it's how we teach basic Chakra control to all of Suna's academy students.
"No." Tayuya smacked the hand holding the fabric away and raised a few pages of sheet music. "It's called the note exercise and it's how we train basic Chakra control with all of Oto's academy students."
Tsunami glanced between the two Kunoichi and hesitantly raised one questioning hand before the disagreement could turn into anything more physical. "Erm….what, exactly, is Chakra?"
The two blinked at each other before turning back to the mistress of the palace and then back again. "Huh, well, I guess we should start with something more basic." Temari realized.
Tayuya just looked confused. "What do you mean more basic? That's day one of the academy."
"Day one? You have to know what Chakra is before you learn to access or manipulate it." Temari raised one brow, arms crossed. "That's why Shinobi Theory takes up almost the entire first year."
Tayuya's head tilted to the side. "...Shinobi…Theory….?"
"You didn't have it?" Temari's other eyebrow joined the first when Tayuya shook her head.
"Never heard of it. We started day one with the note exercise and if you didn't get it down within a week you were re-assigned to the labs."
That seemed…harsh and a little bit wasteful, Temari thought, but what did she know about Otogakure? Every village did things differently, that must just be one of those differences.
"Well, I guess if you're not suited for a Shinobi lifestyle Orochimaru has more use for you working the lab."
"Working?" It took a second for Tayuya to recognize where the miscommunication was and then correct it. "Oh, no, you were sent to the lab as a participant in whatever experiments Orochimaru-Sama was currently running."
Tsunami and Temari shared a look before their stares returned to Tayuya who couldn't quite make out what swam in their eyes. "What? What's up with you two?"
Tsunami stood up from her seat on her bed and opened her arms towards the young woman.
"...What?"
"Do you need a hug, Tayuya-Chan?" She offered.
"What? No!" She turned to Temari for help but received a similarly confusing offer instead.
"I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to, Tayuya."
"What the hell is wrong with you two? I'm fine!"
For some strange reason neither of them really believed her.
A solid thunk echoed through the room, drawing Ino's attention from clan paperwork to the matriarch of their dominant clan. "Kushina-Sama?" She asked, setting the report of Yamanaka earnings carefully down on the desk. With funds from the Uzumaki they had been able to branch out a bit and start a handful of very small businesses throughout Konoha, aiming more for variety and a wide range of markets than committing to any one area in hopes to start bringing something back into the clan coffers. It was slow going and they were barely scraping by in the black but they were finally making progress again. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm so tired of this." The woman groaned, her face still planted into the solid wood of the desk. "The Yamanaka is backed by the Uzumaki, why is progress so slow?"
Probably because while the Uzumaki still held great status among the clans they had very little influence over the civilian populace whom their businesses tended to rely on, Ino thought. She kept those opinions to herself, though, no need to insult the woman who was currently in charge of her clan.
Ino had more than learned her lesson with this woman's son, thank you.
Fortunately Kushina continued before Ino was forced to respond. "This was supposed to be a quick way to help Naruto and prove that there was still a benefit to rejoining the family, not this never-ending project to rebuild a greater clan from scratch."
With a huff Kushina straightened back up in her seat. "No offense, Ino-Chan," Ino mentally prepared to be offended. "But I'm about sick of this clan of yours."
"It's certainly a challenging battle, Kushina-Sama." Ino agreed neutrally. The woman in question cracked a small smile.
"And there you are acting so professionally about the matter, despite whatever feelings you may have. You really will make a great clan head."
"I've had plenty of opportunities to learn and grow, Kushina-Sama. I certainly didn't get here on my own." Mostly it was because of things Naruto had done but Ino wasn't about to bring him into the conversation. There was no telling what direction that could go in.
Kushina's smile widened. "If I can get Naruko to be half the clan head you're going to be then I know the Uzumaki will be just fine." The smile dropped. "And that's part of the problem."
"Kushina-Sama?"
"I'm spending all this time on the Yamanaka and trying to sort out the Uzumaki rather than teaching Naruko what she needs to know. She's still gaining experience as a Kunoichi but I really should be starting to let her get used to managing the clan as soon as possible."
"That sounds reasonable."
"What I mean to say, Ino-Chan, is that I'm done."
"Kushina-Sama?" Ino had some idea what this could mean but she almost didn't dare to hope she was right about Kushina's intentions.
"You were managing before I came in-" Not well, with their financial situation, but they were getting by. "And I'm sure you can continue without me. Whatever I poured into those businesses of yours, keep it. We can work out some sort of regular tribute to the Uzumaki when you're more on your feet or an arrangement to come to aid-" Kushina, stopped, another idea taking center stage in her mind.
"No, no, you and Naruko can work something out. You'll be the two leading the clans in the future, it's only right. I'll give her some guidance and then let the two of you come to an arrangement, I'm sure Inoichi would agree with that too."
"If that's what you feel is best, Kushina-Sama." It took no small amount of effort on her part to remain that careful neutrality when inside Ino was cheering in triumph. Finally, freedom!
Well, not completely, but certainly more than her clan had enjoyed for some time now. It would be good to be able to go back to making decisions without having to stop and consult with- and get the approval of- Kushina every time she wanted to do something for the clan.
"Oh, yes, I think this will work much better. Don't overlook your father for advice but as far as I'm concerned the Yamanaka is yours again, Ino-Chan."
Kushina pushed herself up out of her chair, feeling freer than she had since she had first taken on the Yamanaka clan as vassals of the Uzumaki.
"Of course, Uzumaki-Sama. I hope Naruko's instruction goes smoothly." Ino's well-wishing was met by a brilliant smile from the Uzumaki matriarch.
"I'm sure it will, Ino-Chan, thank you."
And without looking back Kushian practically fled the office to enjoy one less monumental task on her plate.
Ino didn't waste a second. As soon as Kushina was out of view she jumped up from the desk and headed to find her father. There was far too much she needed to get done now that Kushina wouldn't be constantly peering over her shoulder and with her decision to let Naruko work out how the Yamanaka vassalage would work going forward she didn't have to worry about Kushina swooping in and taking her work for the ancient Uzumaki clan.
Her father, as expected, was in the guest house where he and her mother had taken residence after giving control of the clan to Ino back when they still feuded with Naruto. It felt like an eternity since then, it was hard to believe it hadn't actually been all that long ago.
"Hime?" Her cheer must have been showing on her face and it evidently had him on the back foot.
"Kushina's leaving Yamanaka matters to me again; Naruko will be arranging the details of the vassalage from now on." She cut straight to the good news, it wasn't really that important right now but he needed at least a basic understanding of what was going on if he was going to be able to help her with what she needed done.
"Really?" He was understandably surprised but there was no time to celebrate.
"Tsume. Visit her. We need to start working with the Inuzuka immediately." She gave her orders as concisely as she could at the moment. "I'm heading to see Hinata with the Hyuuga, I should be back soon."
He blinked at the urgency in her words but a grin quickly spread across his face.
That was his little princess.
Inoichi was so damn proud.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 153-B "Fluffy Nest"
Patron Release 2022.02.14
What Takigakure no Sato had going for it- and what many of the larger villages had either forgotten or simply ignored entirely- was the fact that it was, you know, actually hidden. Some of the other greater villages were a bit difficult to actually reach- with Sunagakure winning that competition squarely- but everyone still knew where it was.
No outsider really knew where Takigakure was. There was a general idea, of course, a vicinity of about a kilometer wide where Shinobi were fairly certain the village resided but no one knew for certain.
Granted, a good portion of that was because no one had really searched that hard for it. With a few exceptions in roving bands of bandits who had heard of the Hero Water and wanted it or other minor villages who wanted to get a head start eliminating future competition most groups just didn't give Takigakure any thought.
And, to be perfectly honest, they were okay with that. Between the Hero water and possession of the Nanabi they were pretty secured in their strength and could be expected to hold off any aggressors long enough for their allies to reach them so they weren't really in danger and there wasn't a single other minor country that could match the fact that Taki was the only one with a Biju of their own.
Seeing as there weren't any unclaimed Biju wandering around, there was little chance of any of the other minor villages ever getting their hands on one so Taki was quite comfortable in their place as the greatest of the minor villages. The fact that they were allied with Konoha, arguably the strongest of the villages considering they had never been defeated, well, it hadn't escaped anyone's notice over the years.
None of that really mattered to Warane at the moment, his focus was mostly on the fact that he didn't know how to find the damn place to carry out Akunaki's orders.
Which meant he was pretty much just wandering around the area Takigakure should have been and hoping one of them approached him before the Iwa Shinobi arrived. He didn't know what state they were in or how fast they were going, though, so there was no telling how much time he actually had before they got here. They weren't here now, so if the Takigakure Shinobi wanted to show themselves now that would be great.
If there were any around he really should have been able to detect them- he was ANBU trained and they were a minor village with only a Jounin or two to their name. Nothing here should be able to sneak up on him.
But if he didn't detect them did that mean he was in the wrong place or had they just been forced to hunker down so he didn't locate them when they tried to move.
Oh, wait.
"So, um, I've got a message I'm supposed to deliver but you probably don't want me knowing where you come from so I'm going to head three kilometers back the way I came and wait for a minute before coming back to give you guys time to get….situated…or whatever." To be perfectly honest Warane felt pretty damn stupid talking out into the air like that. Hopefully there were Takigakure Shinobi close enough to hear that and who worked with him on this or else he was going to feel really stupid.
Of course, option B was to just make a ruckus and hope it drew them out but he was sure neither Akunaki nor Tsukuyomi would very much appreciate that course of action.
Well, no, maybe option B was to go back and personally ensure the Iwa Shinobi would take a while to get here to buy himself more time or perhaps just kill them so that there were no longer Iwa Shinobi in Taki no Kuni and then his mission was- technically- complete.
He had successfully warned Taki about Iwa Shinobi in Taki if there were no Iwa Shinobi in Taki and he didn't warn them. You know, because they weren't there so there was nothing to be warned about. He was pretty sure that, mathematically, that equaled out somehow.
He wasn't exactly sure how, but it did give him something to occupy himself with as, true to his word, he traveled three kilometers back, paused for a minute, and returned to the clearing near the massive waterfall Taki no Kuni took its name from.
Warane wasn't sure why the capital wasn't around here- unless the constant pounding roar of the waterfall had grown too annoying for the country's nobles which was, honestly, the most likely reason now that he considered it- but if the capital of Taki no Kuni wasn't around here then surely Takigakure no Sato had to be.
Oh, well, that actually didn't fully check out and Warane frowned behind his mask. Everyone- by which he meant Shinoi from the greater villages mostly- accepted that the village was somewhere around here but that alone was probably perfectly good reasoning for it not to be here.
Huh.
Well, whatever the case, what was here at the moment was a pair of Taki Shinobi. Chuunin, from the looks of it.
"Oh, good." Warane sighed in relief. "You guys need like a dropbox or something. A bell, maybe. Getting in touch with Taki is a pain."
"People we want getting in touch with us know how." One of them answered, arms crossed. "What do you want, Wolf?" The words were brave enough but it was clear in the eyes of both Taki Shinobi that they were more than a little nervous about the presence of Nami's forces here in their own country.
That was fair, the Wolves had a very particular sort of reputation when it came to the lesser countries.
"There's a squad of Iwa Shinobi out and about in the woods," Warane jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to point behind him. "We thought you might want to know ahead of time, assuming you weren't expecting them that is."
The Taki Shinobi shared a look and turned back to him. "I can't say that we were, though I can hardly claim to know everything happening when it comes to Takigakure's leadership." They were accepting what he said, at least, but it was hard not to notice the suspicion that hung about them. "But thank you for your consideration.
"Of course, Nami and Taki are both on good terms with Hi no Kuni aren't they?" He continued, not actually needing an answer. "It's only natural for us to look out for the friends of our friends."
"...Yeah…" From her voice alone it was plainly evident that the Taki Shinobi didn't really agree. Her companion's expression said he felt very much the same "...Sure."
Warane shrugged. "That's what my boss told me when she sent me to warn you, take it as you will." He was about to turn away when he paused. "Oh, and if you end up needing any assistance, well, there may or may not be a group of Wolves nearby on our way east so, you know, feel free to call on Hi no Kuni or her allies. We should be close enough to respond for a bit longer."
"If there's a group of Wolves heading to the east…."
"Exactly." His grin was carried beyond the mask on his voice.
"I'll bring the matter to Shibuki-Sama, he'll decide." There was notable distaste in her words but that was none of Warane's business so he didn't even consider asking about it. "If we need you, we'll send a hawk with a red ribbon towards Kagayaku Machi. You should be able to see it if you're heading east, no?"
Warane mentally went over what he assumed would be their path. Unless they decided to drop Sakura off in Konoha before proceeding to Kirigakure then their path would be way too far east to see it within a day. They were more likely to stick to the northern border and then down along the coast to Nami for a boat or up to Shimo no Kuni and through the Haran Bay.
"If he decides in the next half a day or so, sure. We're going much more east than south." More than he probably should share but if they needed to reach the Wolves in a timely manner…
"Then you would suggest…?" Her eyebrow rose up to fish for information Warane supplied with another shrug.
"Well, I suppose if there was a group of Wolves headed much more east than south at the moment then they would be fairly likely to see a hawk with a red ribbon making its way to Yu no Kuni's capital, don't you?"
She nodded once to show her understanding of his suggestion. "We'll send it there, then. Just in case."
"If there are Wolves that way they'll be sure to keep an eye out." A sudden thought struck him and he hastily added. "Just, you know, make it easy for any Wolves who may or may not be out there to get a hold of you all, yeah? We won't be much help if we can't find you."
"I'll consider it."
That was probably the best he was going to get from the Kunoichi so Warane took it. It wasn't like he wanted to see that hawk anyway, he'd much rather continue on to see just how many of them there were in Kirigakure these days. For some strange reason, though he had this feeling he would be making this trip at least one more time.
Damnit.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.
This was not a good start for Midori squad and, through the transitive property, not a good start for Iwa's eastern forces. The only good thing was that the southern forces should remain completely uneffected regardless of how much Kokkiri and his squad fucked up.
It was hardly any consolation.
Dragging Fuburo over to the side of a tree he rested him against it as gently as he could. He was the only one of the group to be rendered completely unconscious- that had been one hell of a kick Kokkiri realized on reflection- and thus the only one not able to patch themselves up.
Bending over the man's leg he inspected the cut, noting both how easily it had sliced through the wire protective mesh that was sandwiched between the fabric and how shallow the wound was. Enough to hurt, certainly, and the bleeding would grow to be a problem if left unattended for too long but it hadn't quite dug deep enough to hit anything vital.
Kokkiri knew that was no accident.
Not that he had any doubts their assailant would have killed them if given the opportunity- she was absolutely capable of doing so- but it had been in their favor that her only objective had been to get the Kunoichi they had captured back. Her attacks had only been to draw their attention away from the girl and make it more difficult to pursue. If she wanted to kill them her moves would have needed only fractions of a second more each but those would have added up to enough that someone could have possibly found their bearings and reacted.
That had, evidently, been more of a risk than the woman had been willing to take. Considering that girl had probably been a Genin and how easily the woman had pushed their shit in she was probably the Jounin instructor of the girl's squad. That would go a ways to explain the protectiveness too.
To be perfectly honest, they were probably just lucky that there hadn't been a Jutsu that crashed into them. The wounds they'd sustain from a Jounin's Ninjutsu would have been much more substantial and they would have absolutely no chance of finishing this mission.
Kokkiri was also aware that the luck was more that he was near the girl than the Joinin's choice of attack. He would have been far enough away to possibly dodge the attack and it would have left him near her quarry but she had drawn their attention by speaking- not a very shinobi-like thing to do, really, he should have realized there was a reason for that- and then became such a threat that he hadn't even considered the fact that they had a captive.
That had all been very much planned and he wouldn't hear otherwise.
Now he just needed to figure out what the hell they were going to do in the aftermath. If that had been a Taki Jounin- he hadnt' seen any headband on her, though he'd been a bit more focused on the flashing steel coming at him- and her Genin then Akatsuchi's instruction had already been royally fucked and Taki was not only likely to not side with them later but they would also be on their guard and reach out to Konoha about the issue.
That alone would be enough to start off a new Shinobi World War much earlier than Ōnoki had wanted and it would eliminate any element of surprise they were hoping to use to put themselves in a good position from the beginning. If there was anything a Shinobi hated it was entering a conflict on anything close to resembling equal footing, especially when it came to something like a full-out war.
If he and his squad pulled through this shit there was a good chance they'd all be facing disciplinary action when they returned home.
That is, if they had indeed been from Taki. There was still the possibility that they were Kusa or even unaligned Shinobi. Those were rare but not unheard of. For his sake and the sake of the team, he really hoped they were.
He also hoped they wouldn't flee towards Taki for shelter, that would also be bad for them.
Godsdamnit, this whole situation was getting worse and worse. They should have just left well enough alone and pretend they were off to complete a mission somewhere else. What the hell did they think they were going to get from a Genin, anyway?
That had been a pretty big group in that clearing, though, and they were all really fast. As fast as that woman, in fact, and it was entirely plausible that she had been one of them. So, who were they and how was the girl connected to them? Kokkiri didn't have any answers and he really didn't like it.
"So, what are we going to do?" He recognized the voice of Guyai without having to turn away from Fuburo's leg.
"Oh?" His raised eyebrow was conveyed over his voice. "Now you want to listen to my suggestions?" Kokkiri's ears barely caught the soft curses Guyai muttered under his breath.
"...Yes." He grumbled. "None of us have any ideas."
"We don't need ideas," Kokkiri shrugged. He finished tying the bandages and stood up to face the rest fo hsi battered squad. "We need to follow orders. We'll push forward as planned and deal with the fallout as it comes."
They shared a look and shrugged. "We bear the weight." Lijo muttered.
"We bear the weight." Echoed the rest.
Sometimes the most simple choices were the right ones.
Only time would tell for this one.
The gods knew Kokkiri's fingers were crossed.
It took much longer than she would have liked to admit- an embarrassingly long time, if we were being completely truthful- for Akishi to recognize the feeling tugging at the corner of her awareness. Perhaps, though, she could be excused for missing the slight hint of the Father when she resided in such close proximity to an active Sunshrine.
She wasn't about to.
Her first thought was that it could be one of the two serpents she'd left with him in his palace. That made the most immediate sense. Either he'd sent one of them to gather a report on her progress, provide additional instructions, or because he needed her for some other task.
Perhaps he even needed her advice in matters of great importance, that would be something becoming of someone as honored as a great elder and something she would be pleased to provide for the future High-Priest of Au.
But the taste in the air was far too potent to be one of the lesser serpents. Yes, they were children of Au and had spent the entirety of their existence upon Mt. Aogi basking in the light of the sun but even taking that into consideration they were small and weak, like little candles in the afternoon.
This feeling here was closer to a raging bonfire in the dusk, nothing compared to the summer sun but providing significant light and heat against the backdrop of the night. In fact, if she really thought about it perhaps the light was more akin to that of a full moon in the dead of night.
Thoughts of the moon, of course, were only going to direct her towards a single person and Akishi found her entire form freezing as if the sudden stillness would make it easier for her to confirm the source of this feeling.
It couldn't be, could it? What could he possibly be doing out here?
Her body swiveled to better face the distant feeling but she couldn't shake the permeating certainty in her human chest that this was the High-Priest oh so close to the first temple of Au the mortal world had seen in millenia.
A sudden nervousness trembled down her tail as dread pooled in her stomach. Had she made a mistake somewhere? Was she not making progress quickly enough? Perhaps her lack of regular updates had him assuming she had failed and so he had come to complete the task himself. That last thought turned the uncertain feeling into a shudder that wracked down her scales and a coldness that settled over still-unfamiliar shoulders like a cloak.
Did his lack of faith in the children of Au really extend to such depths? Could his opinion of them possibly drop lower than it evidently was? And if it really was that low, would her actions here even manage to elevate it?
No.
No, she couldn't think of it like that. He had already agreed to take up the role of High-Priest if she succeeded so that was going to happen.
But….Au had chosen a snake, hadn't he? Would he really honor his word and take up a mantle he obviously had no desire to shoulder?
That was a deep, dark hole she really shouldn't travel down.
But if it wasn't any of those what else could it be? Maybe- maybe he had more faith in them than he had let on and expected her to have completed his assignment by now? While there was a slight worry that she wasn't actually done yet, she allowed the brief glow of thinking he might actually believe in her to suffuse her form.
And then she quickly dismissed the thought as a flight of fancy. There was no way in all the hells humans could imagine that he actually believed in her abilities so much that he had assumed she was done and started heading her way to claim his waiting country.
It was a nice thought, of course, but much too far removed from reality for her to honestly consider.
But why else would he be coming this way? It had to be due to her and her actions here in Yu no Kuni, didn't it? Was there any other explanation available? For longer than she probably should have she considered using some of his stored blood to call on Great Au for further assistance in accomplishing her task. She doubted her father would help her in this- his willingness, not his ability. Never his ability- and even if he did the High-Priest was bound to be displeased. Everything would be for naught if he decided she hadn't been able to do as he asked.
The test was for her, after all, not for Great Au.
She also didn't know what she would ask Great Au to do in order to quickly advance her plans for taking over this country and anything she did this rushed was likely to create additional complications that would come back to sabotage her efforts. Even if she got away with things immediately and was able to present the High-Priest with the country he had ordered her to secure for him she would lose all credibility when those same issues made themselves known to him.
That simply wasn't acceptable.
Neither, she reflected, was the fact that she was still working on this. Even if she couldn't call on Aufor aid at the moment and on the off chance Naruto wasn't on his way she still needed to speed up her efforts here in Yu no Kuni to secure the country and, most importantly, secure her father his High-Priest.
Akishi might actually have to take a more active role on the front lines of this project to make that happen, even if she had to personally seduce a member of the Daimyo's family to open up a few new doors for the others to slither through. It was beyond distasteful for the Elder Serpent but at this point she just wanted to be done.
Of course, what she really needed was some way to properly impersonate the members of that royal family. It was a pity none of her servants were Shinobi, that Henge of theirs would have proven damn useful.
A knocking on the wooden door of the carriage drew his attention away from his much needed rest and back to the waking world. Mikoto had eventually succumbed to a sated weariness not too long ago and the others- who had more or less been napping in brief shifts while the woman was otherwise occupied- were only too eager to take advantage of the presented opportunity for uninterrupted rest.
A rest Naruto currently found himself being dragged away from.
Damnit, he knew it was too good to last.
He held onto a fragile hope that- like last time- this might be intended for someone else and he would be able to return to sweet unconsciousness only for that to be dashed when a low "Tsukuyomi-Sama" squeezed through the door to meet his ears.
With a soft groan he opened his eyes and took stock of his surroundings. Anko was currently partially atop him but that seemed to just be her feet. The rest of her was sprawled out over Kurenai and Katsuri who had taken a place on the floor next to him and seemed to be gripping the Tokubetsu Jounin like a blanket.
Probably because most of the blankets were currently tangled around Anko's legs as they tended to do. That did explain how he had managed to keep a hold of his for so long, he had just been fortunate that her legs draped them over him.
Mikoto, the lovely monster that he had recently learned she was, had chosen to curl up on one of the benches in a position of such innocent contradiction to the wicked, insatiable beast that lay within that he nearly laughed. Where had that peacefully napping Mikoto been over the course of their journey?
Assured that his movement was unlikely to cause any issues with the other occupants, Naruto gently dragged himself from under Anko's legs and sat up against the door. A quick check told him that he had- miraculously- managed to both retrieve his pants at some point and put them on before collapsing into the sweet embrace of slumber. Reaching up for the handle he cracked open the door and leaned towards the new opening slightly so he could see the Wolf waiting patiently on the other side.
"Yes, child?" He asked before smothering a yawn. "What is it?"
"My apologies, Tsukuyomi-Sama" They started. "But we've arrived. I thought you might prefer to move to your prepared rooms and take advantage of more comfortable bedding."
Naruto actually had to spend a few moments considering that. It did sound nice- very nice, in fact- but it would also require him to move and that was just about the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. In the end, it was the fact that he really should have a carriage sitting out near the base they were trying to keep secret that prompted his decision and with a sigh he relayed his appreciation to his Wolf. "Thank you, child, we'll be out shortly."
With a nod the Wolf took a step back from the carriage, though he stayed put until Naruto fully closed the door again before leaving to relay his lord's decision to the others. There had always been the chance of him deciding to stay in the carriage- in fact, there had been bets on the matter- so in addition to letting the others know what to expect in the next few minutes it would serve as a perfect opportunity to collect his winnings.
By the time he returned to the carriage with slightly heavier pockets Naruto had managed to fully withdraw himself from his sanctuary and rejoin the rest of the world. The Wolf was just barely able to make out a second Naruto as they slipped back into the carriage. He didn't question it.
Giving another yawn, Naruto afforded the Wolf a soft, tired smile. "Alright, let's go."
"Yes, Tsukuyomi-Sama." They hesitated for a second. "Did you want a tour of the facility or did you want to save that for when you've had a chance to…recuperate?"
The Wolf was given the opportunity to watch Narutos' face as he deliberated over the two options. What he wanted to do was obvious but when it came down to it there was no telling when- if ever- he'd actually manage to recover, especially with Mikoto in the vicinity. The others could only distract her from him for so long, after all, and it sure as hell wasn't easy.
Looks like his return to sleep was going to have to wait a bit.
His resigned sigh was answer enough for the Wolf who gave a nod. "I'll let Ganju know to keep it brief."
Naruto managed the energy for a slightly larger smile that he hoped properly conveyed his appreciation. "Thank you, child."
"And this will serve as your bedroom, pops." Ganju threw open the door and gestured to the small space. It was by no means extravagant but it looked comfortable. That's all Naruto could really bring himself to care about at this point.
Fortunately this temporary base was rather small- especially considering the scope of Orochimaru's usual subterranean structures- so the tour had only been a handful of minutes that let Naruto know where everything was. Storage, kitchen, where the wolves were bunking between shifts of either guarding or working on the proper base, and most importantly his private quarters.
What would have been clinically cold floors and walls had instead been absolutely covered in heavy rugs and the bed that took up a majority of the room was actually just a massive pile of pillows, cushions, and an assortment of colorful blankets that had been put together like a fluffy nest. Right now Naruto was pretty sure it was the greatest thing he had ever seen.
"Ganju, you're a lifesaver." The Wolf in question didn't know why that was but he also wasn't about to decline any praise for his efforts either.
"No problem, I hope you enjoy."
"Oh, I will." Naruto was absolutely sure of that. Striding forward he reached the edge of the nest and allowed himself to collapse forward. He was only awake long enough after landing to feel his clone gently set down the women he had retrieved from the carriage, his chains clinking as soft as windchimes.
Then the darkness claimed him, dragging him back to his sweet oblivion.
It didn't last long.
Light washed over him, the soft scent of flowers in the air and a hard surface replacing his new bed. He opened a single eye to confirm. Yep. Karura's garden. A mournful sigh escaped him at the lost opportunity to experience nothingness for a few sweet hours but he pushed himself up anyway.
At least his body would have a chance to rest and he did owe Karura some private time considering all his attention had been firmly fixed on the physical world during his trip.
When stepping into the throne room adjoining the gardens revealed a collection of those he had placed seals on all lounging on a collection of pillows similar to what Ganju had prepared Naruto realized that time might not be as private as he expected- or Karura had hoped for- but a smile tugged at his lips anyway.
He was always grateful for the chance to spend time with the strange collection of people he called his family-
-Even if it was going to cut into his sleep.
It was, in the end, a small sacrifice to make and Naruto paid the price happily.
Happy Twosday, or what's left of it. Thanks goes to my Patrons for their continued support of my work.
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Lord High-Inquisitor
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Until I next have your attention, I remain,
-Eyazahrid