BORUTO'S MASTERS – COMMUNICATION STONES
Near New Khugai, South-East Aturia
Shikamaru, Ino and Choji return to their groups camp near New Khugai, their accommodation hardly adequate. Gone are the days when the 1st Hokage was on their side, creating wooden structures for them as a temporary residence, instead they live in tents which are seldom sufficient to keep them dry. As they make their way into the centre of the military camp it is very much different from the first time a pocket-worlder entered this camp. Back then it was Naruto and Hinata, walking unperturbed as a thousand eyes rested on them, now no eyes are lingering.
Since the rebellious students of Headmaster Sora went their separate ways, they have all been comrades, no matter where they come from, no matter what their power is. There are very few pocket-worlders among this group and they have not yet mastered their elements. However, Ino-Shika-Cho have not used their power to earn respect. This trio of shinobi serves the rebellion against Furst Jonas as they served the Hidden Leaf before, as the most versatile team of the lot.
Shikamaru stops outside the tent in the very centre of the encampment, suggesting to Ino and Choji that they go and find Temari, saying that he has the situation under control. His two teammates leave and alone as the former administrator of the circle, he enters the tent that has effectively become their command centre.
Inside he instantly met by the gazes of the occupants. To his left he notices Sheer, to his right Peterson, those who engineered most of the assault on the Hidden Leaf before Naruto came to their rescue. Near him, the dark-haired shinobi occupant of the room turns to him and embraces him tightly, naturally, this is his teacher's daughter, Sarutobi Mirai. Lastly, across the table in the middle of the room, sat with his head buried in maps and books, is the leader of this struggling group, General Clyde.
Clyde raises his head from his books, "Hello Shikamaru, have you got something for me?"
Shikamaru smirks, "General, you look like you haven't slept in four days."
"I probably haven't so right now I am in the mood for some good news. Please Shikamaru, tell me, did you find anything during your journey?"
"I went into the darkest places in the city of New Khugai and I noticed that something has been out of place lately. Some crimes are becoming more common, some less common, but it was happening at a much greater rate than usual. Either someone new was fighting crime in the city, or someone old wasn't."
"Do you know which?"
"I do," Shikamaru answers, "I don't know why she was doing it but there was an aristocrat, making things difficult for the more violent people in the city. So, I thought perhaps that she could be of use to us."
"You aim to use her?" Clyde asks.
"I met with her. I told her that I was a pocket-worlder and that I could help her if she wanted to fight in a rebellion against Furst Jonas. She expressed interest in joining us."
"That's great news," Mirai says.
"I disagree," Clyde says flatly.
"But why?"
"It's probably just paranoia, but the people at the top of the empire are not fools. There is one who can read the minds of others. There is one who runs all the experiments in the laboratories. There is another who can predict your every move before you've made it. Then there is Furst himself, a man so obsessed with understanding how things worked that he gave up on everyone else to pursue his interest. Any of these four rulers could have come up with a trap for us, many aristocrats are probably trying to 'join' the rebellion as we speak. We can't trust them just because they say they want to join us; we need something more."
"Naruto would trust her," Shikamaru argues.
"That is the difference between Naruto and us," Clyde explains, "When Naruto speaks his words go to a place that ours cannot reach. When he speaks to you, the words go to your soul, not to your head. Through conversation Naruto can ascertain your true nature, would-be traitors turn into allies in front of him, but we do not share that power. If an aristocrat were to attack us right now, it would be over for us. We would die."
"Clyde is right," Sheer nods, "Frankly that's a risk that we can't afford to take right now. Realistically we need to gather allies that we are confident that he can defeat, that's the only way to negate the risk of betrayal."
Shikamaru groans, that means only class 6 warriors or lower. That's not a favourable pool to be drawing from. Furst Jonas is a class 10 warrior, he is not someone that can be defeated by an army of class 6 warriors. Without the aristocrats they cannot win. It would seem that if that is the way they must proceed they may have to wait for a very long time before they can raise the army they will need. They always knew that this was going to be an uphill struggle.
"I know my word doesn't count for much, but I'm the only one who met her," Shikamaru says, "Personally, I am convinced that Lan-Fen was sincere in her offer to help us."
"Did you say Lan-Fen?" Clyde asks.
"Yes, she told us to meet her at her estate for some key information about how the empire is communicating. If you would let Ino, Choji and me go, I'm sure the result will be good."
"Did she have a red teardrop mark under her left eye?"
"Yes, that's her."
"You know her?" Peterson asks his commander.
"For obvious reasons she is known as the red teardrop. She served with distinction during the last conflict but was never known to be particularly attached to any cause. She did little to resist Furst when he usurped the throne, I don't think she cared one way or the other. Lan-Fen would take the path of least resistance. Trying to win the empire's favour would be unlike her. I wonder why she is doing this."
"It can't do any harm to find out," Mirai says as she walks over and places a hand on Clyde's shoulder.
"I agree," a man says behind Shikamaru.
The Nara clansmen jumps, turning around to see the tidy General Elliot behind him, once Lara's second in command. He wonders just how long Elliot has been stood there, moving so little that he could escape the attention of a seasoned shinobi. Regardless, he remains the second-in-command of the Homeworld military. He is a good man to have on your side.
"OK," Clyde relents, "Go to her, hear what it is she has to say, look for any and all signs that she is working for the empire and if you have even the slightest doubt you just run. I'll trust your judgement though Nara Shikamaru. If you still believe she is being sincere, you bring her back to us. She will become our strongest recruit to date."
Shikamaru nods, "I won't let you down."
He leaves the tent to gather the others, knowing that this could be team 10s most successful mission yet, or it could be the one where they die.
Three Nights Later, Lan-Fen's Estate
Shikamaru, Ino and Choji walk behind a man dressed in what they can only assume must be formal attire for this part of Homeworld. Outside New Khugai in the nation of Aturia, such a long way from the academy which they fled. They have travelled so far, farther than would have been possible in their pocket-world. It seems that every time they have a grasp on reality the world becomes just a little bit larger.
The man leads them into a large sitting room. Lan-Fen awaits them, sat on what must be the most uncomfortable chair in the room. She leans forward, elbows pressed down into the table as she observes Shikamaru and the two others he has brought with him. She feels more at ease now being able to see them, unlike previously where the two of them remained outside while she and Shikamaru talked. She invites the three of them to sit at the table with her and they accept.
"Hello Lan-Fen," Shikamaru says, trying his best to keep his tone friendly, "I've discussed your case with my superior and am here hopefully to invite you to join us permanently. Is that still what you want?"
"Of course it is. You don't trust me, do you?" Lan-Fen asks.
"I've been asked to observe you," Shikamaru admits with a shrug.
"That's fine, then how about I drive the conversation while you can try and understand my intentions. You are offering me the chance to join you, but just who are you exactly?"
"We are a small group of rebels currently separated from our allies, but we are well organised and preparing to fight the empire. Currently our group is being led by the new Head General of the Homeworld Military, General Clyde."
"General Clyde?"
"Yes."
Lan-Fen slams her hand into the table, "Is that it?"
The three shinobi lean backward in shock and fright.
"You three most be joking," Lan-Fen continues, "This world has been dominated by Furst Jonas for years now. Nobody has been able to break his hold on power, not even Headmaster Sora himself. Now you come to me, you act like you're some big rebellion against the emperor, and you use Clyde's name. That's pathetic. General Clyde is a small name, you surely didn't hope that mentioning him would make me join you. It looks like I've been wasting my time, I shouldn't have bothered to ask you to come here. Forget it, let's go our separate ways."
"Wait," Shikamaru raises his hand, "What a drag. I have a bigger name to offer."
"You do?"
"I don't know about this, but have you heard the name Uzumaki Naruto."
"The man with the bounty?"
"That's him."
"What about him?" Lan-Fen asks.
"Uzumaki Naruto is the one this whole rebellion is structured around," Shikamaru explains. "He is our friend, our leader, our Hokage. He defeated General Clyde and General Lara in our pocket-world and brought us here. He mastered the element of 'life' and trained under Headmaster Sora himself. I must admit I don't really understand everything about your world, but I do understand people. The way people look at Naruto, I know he's something special, even here. I was supposed to make sure you were sincere, but now I hope you can tell that I'm telling the truth. Uzumaki Naruto is the man who will free your world."
Lan-Fen remains silent for the next few seconds. In those few seconds Shikamaru swears that he can hear the beating of his heart, like prayers bouncing off the walls of his mind.
"Alright," Lan-Fen says, "I don't know about this Uzumaki, but I know that you think he's something special."
"Thank you."
"I would like to join your group and help to coordinate a rebellion against the emperor," Lan-Fen declares.
"I believe you are sincere; I would like to welcome you to the resistance," Shikamaru says, extending his hand.
Their hands meet and with a strong grip they shake on what they hope will be the first of many deals made in this conflict. There are many aristocrats in Homeworld, many just as powerful as Lan-Fen and many stronger still, but she is a perfect acquisition to begin with. She is the first soldier in what will need to be the most powerful army ever assembled.
"Can I ask why?" Ino says, "Clyde said that you usually don't involve yourself in things like this."
"The general is right," Lan-Fen admits. "Things have changed recently for me."
Lan-Fen nods to a window in the corner of the room and the three shinobi approach it. The window leads into a much larger room below where a man cradles someone very small in his hands. The room has been recently redecorated and the walls painted in bright colours showing an idyllic village like setting. The ceiling has been painted with a white orb for the moon and a glowing yellow orb for the sun.
This is a child's room. This is a room for Lan-Fen's child.
"That's an adorable child," Choji says, "You must be delighted."
"Do you have children?" Lan-Fen asks.
"Yes, we all do."
"It must be different in your pocket-world where warriors like yourselves can have children," Lan-Fen explains, "Here we are not so lucky. Aristocrats and other soldiers are not supposed to have families, it's not a rule from the top but an unwritten rule that we all follow. Our children often share our talent and potential and if they do it will only be so long before they are dragged into the military and they are made to forget about us completely. There is no such thing as family for the fighters in this world."
"You wanted to keep your family together," Shikamaru smiles.
"Naruto would like you," Ino adds.
Lan-Fen nods. "I want the three of you to see this," she says, before throwing what looks like an ordinary rock on the table.
The three shinobi return to their seats and inspect the object closely, awkwardly trying to avoid being the first to turn it. Shikamaru, entrenched in his analysis is the first to reach for the rock, turning it over in his hands and feeling it for any consistencies or inconsistencies in its texture. Why does Lan-Fen think this rock is remarkable. After a minute, the members of team 10 admit that they can see nothing out of place about this stone.
Lan-Fen reaches out and picks up the stone, lifting it to the side of her head she squeezes it.
"Are you sure?"
The three shinobi jump up out of their seats. That voice was in their head, Lan-Fen's voice. Just like the communications they used during the 4th shinobi world war only much clearer. Its as if they shared a mind with Lan-Fen for just a moment.
Lan-Fen puts the stone down. "Let me explain my divine ability. Fundamentally, I can inspect items and find out useful bits of information on them. For example, if an enemy dropped a sword, I may be able to find out where he came from using my divine ability, or I may be able to find out his preferred sword technique. Sometimes I pick up things to sharpen my abilities, such as this stone that an imperial guard member dropped. Do you know what it is?"
"I have no idea," Ino, the communications specialist admits.
"This is what they call a communications stone. All you have to do is squeeze this in your hand and think of a message and that will be transmitted straight into the mind of your chosen recipient."
"You can choose anyone?" Shikamaru asks.
"I believe it is limited in the distance it can cover, so you probably won't be able to speak to Uzumaki with this but speaking to General Clyde may not be impossible."
"That's remarkable."
"Don't be too happy about it, so far we've only got this one stone. The enemy is issuing them to all their forces, that means that they will be able to effortlessly communicate over long distances using message chains. Perhaps some stones may even have a longer range than this one. While knowing this information is good, we are still at a huge disadvantage."
"Don't worry Miss Teardrop," Choji grins, "I'm sure Shikamaru has already thought of a plan to fight back against it."
Lan-Fen smiles, it seems like these pocket-worlders may be useful after all.
Near the Outskirts of CheoCheo, North Aturia
"It's him, it's Uzumaki, send a message to the colonel," an imperial guard captain calls out to his team.
"Colonel Zahra," the captain sends the message by his communication stone, "We've found Uzumaki Naruto near the outskirts of CheoCheo."
"Are any of the other Colonels with you?" comes the reply.
"Just captains."
"Good luck then."
As the colonel's voice disappears the captains are suddenly intercepted by a man showing speed and power beyond his years. As his feet land on the ground a small yet visible shockwave echoes through the earth around him before shaking the trees like the wind. He cleverly used the forest like terrain covering this mountain to hide his presence like a pocket-worlder, the environment was his shield and his approach was silent.
This is Ming Dai.
Ming Dai lands a quick blow to the stomach of the captain who sent the message before charging towards his three comrades. Two of them approached while the third backed off, only to bump into the chest of the 4th Hokage. A second later, he heard the wind whooshing past his ear disguising a small whirring sound as a rasengan clouted into the back of his head, taking him down for the count.
The two who ran towards Ming Dai fared no better, each being disposed of quickly by his powerful 'strength' filled blows. During the time has been on the run his strength has not waned in the least, on the contrary, he seems to have grown stronger than ever before. The imperial guard should have expected no less from the student of their greatest enemy.
"Are you OK?" Minato asks.
"Yes, I'm fine. It was just a weak patrol," Ming Dai says.
Ming Dai looks into past the trees at Naruto as Himawari and Kushina inspect him to make sure he was unaffected by the fight. Naruto is still meditating on his element unfortunately and patrols have managed to strike the defenceless 7th Hokage before. Ming Dai knows that they shouldn't be worried about him, last time he was injured 'life' energy came from behind his eyes and healed the rest of his body. Unless Naruto is killed no injuries should be able to hold him down, but they can't help but be concerned. There is too much that Homeworld is depending on Naruto for to let him die, so they are extremely diligent during this time when he is most vulnerable.
"What's this," Minato says, leaning down and picking up a stone one of the captain's dropped on the floor.
What the 4th Hokage doesn't know and what other shinobi a long way south of here have only just found out, is that this is a communication stone.
"I saw one of the captains clutching onto that stone," Himawari says.
"Which one?" Ming Dai asks.
Himawari points to the gentleman curled up in a ball at Minato's feet.
Ming Dai walks over to the captain in question, lifting him up by the scruff of the neck and slamming his back into the nearest tree trunk.
"What is it!?" Ming Dai screams into the captain's face.
"I won't tell you. We know all about you people, you won't hurt us for the information."
"Worth a try," Ming Dai shrugs throwing the captain back onto the floor.
"What do you think we should do Himawari?" Kushina asks.
Himawari's visual prowess have been a cornerstone of the group's movements ever since Naruto began to meditate on his element. She has not only shown that she has keen eyesight but also good observational skills and a knack for not only seeing things but understanding what it is important to see. She is the one who spotted this stone, so the group naturally defers to her on what to do with it.
"Destroy it," Himawari says.
Ming Dai immediately crushes the stone in his hand, an intimidating sight for the captains on the floor.
"We should use my flying thunder god technique to escape from here," Minato says, "We don't want them telling anyone which direction we went."
Ming Dai agrees. Minato throws a group of ten kunai into the air, each going in a different direction. Ming Dai places his hand on Minato's shoulder and the 4th Hokage uses Kurama's chakra to join with Kushina, Himawari and Naruto. In a flash of gold, the group disappears having successfully eluded another attempt on their lives by the imperial guard.
Another step on their journey to Taigai, Aturia's capital.
They have finally crossed paths with one of Colonel Zahra's teams. In defeating this group, they have made an enemy more dangerous than they realise. There are things that happened behind closed doors in the imperial guard and without knowing it they have just stepped on a land mine.
Elsewhere the world's mightiest predators are beginning to emerge hungry for the their greatest hunt yet.