Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 154-A "A New Youth"
Patron Release 2022.02.22
Perhaps they should have gone more south than east, at least for a while, because the likelihood of running into Hi no Kuni patrols was actually reduced by being further within the country. It was the borders they tended to watch the most carefully.
Borders Akunaki and her Ravenous Wolves were now having to skirt along, slipping north into Ta no Kuni to avoid yet another patrol. Iroh had really ramped those up, it would seem, because Akunaki was seeing three or four Samurai patrols for every Shinobi patrol when it used to be one to every six. She supposed the fact that it kept a good number of the swordsmen in close proximity to Kaze no Kuni along the western border was a good enough reason to deploy them without being too obvious.
Or, perhaps, the presence of forces on that western border had lead to the increased patrols as Samurai commanders found ways to keep their men from being idle and ensured their keep was well earned.
Either way, the significant increase to the patrols was pushing them well into other countries to avoid them. Shinobi were most likely to run into them, naturally, but a Samurai was more likely to notice signs of their passing afterwards. They were, after all, trained as a counter to the Shinobi. Shinobi weren't always on the lookout for other Shinobi- unless they were currently on a mission- but a Samurai's daily focus was on ensuring they stayed as far away from their lords as possible.
They were always looking for Shinobi and some of them seemed just as capable of tracking them as any Konoha tracking team. Chakra definitely played it's part as an equalizer there, she was sure.
Hi no Kuni Samurai, especially, would prove an issue due to their familiarity with how Konoha Shinobi preferred to move, one of the many reasons for the existence of the Shugonin Jūnishi*. It was why Akunaki was now giving the borders such a wide berth. It may end up becoming an issue later when they had to pass through Yu no Kuni this way- unless the managed to slip down towards Konoha before then- because Tsukuyomi was very clear about the fact that he didn't want them to suspect the presence of the Wolves among them but for now they should be just fine passing through Ta no Kuni.
Nami no Kuni wasn't allied with Ta no Kuni and neither was Hi no Kuni but Orochimaru carried considerable influence with Ta no Kuni and its Daimyo and would be able to smooth over any issues.
And if he couldn't, well, Akunaki figured he could just as easily smooth over the entire country and the world wouldn't suspect anything out of the ordinary. Sane people didn't try to rationalize all the things the Snake Sennin did, they just accepted it and tried to minimize the damage. For being such a snake the man was hardly subtle when expressing his displeasure.
Kind of like Tsukuyomi himself, now that Akunaki considered it. They really were scarily similar.
Her thoughts on the matter were abruptly derailed as a curious sight drew her attention. A young man with his shirt tied around his waist was carrying an absolutely massive crate over his shoulder like it was nothing as he tore through the muddy fields of rice paddies.
Despite the awkward terrain he hardly seemed to be slowed down though considering the fact that he wasn't being pushed down to his knees indicated he probably was utilizing some form of chakra-aided standing with mixed success. That was fair, Kaze no Kuni had sand-walking and water-walking was a common advancement to surface clinging throughout the elemental nations but Akunaki had never heard of mud-walking.
It must have been a terribly strange technique and Akunaki briefly mused that it was entirely possible he had figured it out while making his way through this place- something supported by the dried mud that clung to his pant legs all the way up to mid-thigh.
The young man craned his neck to get a better look at the group and seemed to slow ever so slightly, a frown tugging at his lips. After a few more moments of deliberation his speed decreased drastically and he adjusted his course so that he would meet up with them.
Lifting a hand to the Ravenous behind her, Akunaki brought them to a stop and continued on herself to see who the man was and what he might want.
"Hey" The man did his best to greet them while maintaining his burden. Now that he wasn't running he seemed to rise through the mud slightly until he was standing on the surface of the water. That's probably what Shinobi in this area did normally, Akunaki reflected briefly, but her attention quickly returned to the young man before her. His face said he was young, anyway, the rest of him seemed to be more than fully grown in comparison. "That uniform of yours, pretty sure I saw it at one of the bases once. Wolves, right?"
"And if we are?" Akunaki raised a challenging brow. Their uniform was fairly plain for a Shinobi, something that could be worn by any village- save Suna, who would shy away from the darker colors due to the sun- and any unaligned Shinobi wandering the world to ply their trade. It was obviously a uniform in their case, though, considering they were all wearing it so perhaps that's what caused the young man to reach his conclusion.
"Well if you are I'd like your opinion on something." He shrugged his load and gave a half-hearted gesture towards it with his free hand. "I'm working under Jirobo to gather things for Orochimaru to gift to his prince and this is one of them, I'm just not sure if it should be brought back to Jirobo or if I'm better off just heading straight to Nami to drop it off."
"That might depend on the gift," Akunaki returned evenly. "Though Orochimaru was in Nami when I left about a week ago, so you could bring it directly to him that way."
"Oh? Is he?" Juugo shrugged with both shoulders, one moving noticeably more easily than the other. "I don't hear much about what's going on at the best of times and I've been busy in Yuki no Kuni for months."
"Yuki?" Akunaki's eyes shot up to the crate and widened slightly. "Is that…"
"A surprise?" Juugo offered. "Yeah, it is. So you think straight to Nami is better?"
"...Yeah, I would just head there with it." She paused. "Why didn't you just get a ship to Nami?" Yuki no Kuni didn't trade a whole lot with the outside world, keeping most of their goodies for themselves, but they did export some of their natural resources and minor factory products in exchange for materials and foods that simply weren't available on that island of theirs. Ships didn't go between the two places constantly but there were some pretty regular trips being made in either direction.
"I had just stolen a train." Juugo explained dryly. "I didn't have time to wait around for a ship headed towards Nami. I had to rush the ship I did get as it is, otherwise I would have only been reaching Tetsu no Kuni about now."
That was fair. Perhaps not the most thought-out heist if that was the case but he was obviously making it work.
Still, there was something major he seemed to be overlooking.
"You'd already stolen a train." She pointed out with a shrug. "Why not a boat too?"
She could see the moment the idea clicked into his head and he realized the simple solution that had been present. "That would have been a much better idea." He muttered, agreeing.
Despite being a Shinobi- technically, Juugo was really more like the train he carried than anything else Akunaki could think of- his first thought hadn't been to just keep stealing. Obviously Oto had forgotten to impart the unofficial first rule of being a Shinobi: If it's not nailed down, take it.
Or maybe, considering Oto Shinobi existed to serve Orochimaru's needs, that had been very carefully kept from the curriculum so that things necessary for experiments wouldn't constantly go missing.
Fair enough, in that case.
"It still is, technically. There should be a port on the northern shore of Ta no Kuni if I remember correctly, we can grab one there and head to Nami with it." Akunaki offered.
"We?"
"We-" Akunaki gestured to herself and the Wolves slightly behind her. "-Were already going to grab a ship in Nami on our way to Mizu. We'll just keep hold of this one after we drop you off, there will be less questions that way."
Juugo didn't know why there would be questions- had he missed something while in Nami?- but he also knew better to ask. If Orochimaru was so fond of this Tsukuyomi that one of his overseers was tasked solely with securing suitable gifts for him, then chance were he was the sort of person up to things you were better off not knowing if you had any intentions of sleeping at night.
The gods knew Juugo had seen plenty in Orochimaru's facility and he had hardly been exposed to anything that could even be considered mild by Orochimaru standards.
"We'd have to go all the way around Kaminari no Kuni like that, it would probably be faster for you to just continue towards Nami."
"It would be, yes." Akunaki agreed. "But if you came with us we'd eventually be heading into Hi no Kuni with that and it's going to catch their attention." Hi no Kuni wasn't allied with Yuki no Kuni but they would know immediately that it wasn't supposed to be there and would attempt to confiscate it. That is, if Juugo stopped and cooperated. That was unlikely, but that only left running which became a chase and would result either in attacking Hi no Kuni Samurai- and possibly Shinobi, too- or leading them right to Nami.
Neither option was going to please Tsukuyomi and Akunaki had absolutely no desire to displease her lord.
"So if I don't come with you?"
"You'll still be heading that way eventually," The Ravenous pointed out. "The issue here isn't who's accompanying that package so much as it is the package itself."
"I can just head north for a ship."
"And we can help you secure one." She jutted her chin towards the crate. "That's going to Tsukuyomi, so I have a vested interest in ensuring it reaches him."
"I suppose that's a good point." Juugo frowned slightly. He was pretty sure that these were Wolves and he was also fairly confident in saying they genuinely want to help him with this but after getting this far by himself it seemed like getting help would only devalue the effort he had put into these last few months.
Then again, the sooner this was done the sooner he could make things up to Kari and that was a situation better resolved sooner rather than later. The longer he made her wait the harder it was going to be and the more trouble he'd be finding himself in.
And he really wanted to see her again, preferably on good terms.
In the end, that's what did the most convincing.
"Well, if we're going north I suppose I should stop in with Jirobo to let him know it's secured and that I'm on my way to deliver it."
"That's fine." Akunaki nodded. "We'll escort you to whatever outpost he's holed up in and I'll send a few ahead to have a ship ready for us."
"I guess we have a plan." Juugo lifted his shoulder sharply to lift the crate by a few inches and quickly ducked his head beneath it to change shoulders. While he adjusted his burden to be a bit more comfortable Akunaki signaled for the Ravenous to rejoin them. They continued to give the young man curious looks but kept any questions they might have about him or the situation to themselves.
Well, the Ravenous who were Wolves did.
"Holy shit," Left Sakura's lips as she stared up at the massive crate. "How the hell are you balancing that thing? No, wait," She found herself with more pressing questions. "How the hell did you get that through any group of trees without knocking them all down?! There should be a trail of devastation leading right to you!"
Juugo found himself blinking in surprise at her declaration. He'd never even considered the space needed to fit the crate and she was right that it should have been knocking into things…
Slowly turning around Juugo was met by untouched trees more than wide enough for him to pass through but much too narrow for the packed train. He knew with absolute certainty that's the way he'd came but he hadn't gone over the trees and they seemed just fine.
….Huh.
Turning his attention down to the little cherry sapling he gave a shrug. "I like trees." He tried to explain. "...and I guess they like me too."
"Oh." Sakura was quiet for a few seconds. "Do you have the Mokuton?"
"I don't think so."
"Have you tried?"
"...No."
"We're going to try." Sakura declared. Juugo could only nod.
"Sure." He had a feeling that Kari would probably like this girl.
"Where am I?" Is what it asked or, rather, that's what Orochimaru inferred from the confused expression that had twisted past the pain of that body's original body. The language that left a throat sore and torn from nearly an hour of screaming was garbled and guttural but some parts of it were familiar to Orochimaru's ears.
Familiar as exceedingly archaic forms of his own language, perhaps, but familiar nonetheless. The one currently speaking probably possessed a fantastic amount of historical knowledge from times and places Orochimaru had never even heard of but unfortunately the same language that told him that also served as a barrier from being able to obtain it himself.
What a tease.
Focusing his killing intent on the body, Orochimaru stepped out from the shadows of the room. The being froze. Even if it couldn't die the body it was in could and recognized, instinctively, the threat to its continued existence. Excellent, it looked like he did have some basic manner in which to restrain them. He'd need to find a better way, of course, and perhaps a way for the Jutsu's user to live and pull the spirit into a different host- if only so he didn't have to keep teaching people how to use it, it was a purely practical matter- but this was still progress and that pleased Orochimaru very much.
Considering he couldn't understand it, there was also a very good chance this spirit couldn't understand him either. Nevertheless, Orochimaru began speaking to it, his voice calm and very much in control. He wanted this new spirit to understand exactly who was in charge here.
"Welcome." He greeted it. Blue eyes- which he was sure had been brown when the jutsu was first performed- snapped to him. "I don't know where you may have been residing for however long it's been, but you are currently in the physical realm once again."
"I am Orochimaru." He pointed lightly to himself. "And that body you were in is- was- Gaiso." Actually Orochimaru didn't know what his name had been, he couldn't be bothered to learn it, but this would give him something to call the spirit. "So I will be referring to you as Gais-"
"Atame" There was a slight growl and sputter to the name, something Orochimaru attributed to the no doubt bloody throat of the host body more than the language of the current speaker, and the Snake Sennin found himself raising a brow.
"Atame?" He asked. When the spirit used its new body to point to itself and shakily nod Orochimaru gave a nod of his own. "Atame, then. Good." Well at least it seemed intelligent enough to manage basic communication. If he kept this one around he'd have to find a better way to interact with it but this at least proved that it was capable of higher thought and could infer meaning despite not sharing a language.
Orochimaru briefly glanced to a corner of the room where he could just make out the flickering blue light of the strange fire spirit he had summoned the other day. The bodies of this morning's other attempts had been dragged over there and the little spirit seemed especially interested in them. The Snake Sage was personally wondering if it would manage to inhibit one of them so he let it do as it pleased.
Unlike this new spirit - Atame, he reminded himself- that one didn't seem capable of communication. Whether that was due to the limitations of its physical form- not having limbs or a face wouldn't make it easy- or a lack of intelligence Orochimaru was unable to fully determine. Perhaps if it did manage to get into one of those dead bodies he'd have his answer.
Maybe it had something to do with the age of a spirit or having an anchor helped them somehow. The fire was, as far as he knew, created rather than summoned. Arguably more impressive, if he did say so himself but it came with obvious drawbacks.
Oh well, he was going to be immortal. He could keep the spirit around for a few centuries- hell, maybe a few millenia if he didn't misplace it in that time- and see if it developed more evident sentience in that time. A long term project would be a good thing to have as he passed enternities.
And speaking of anchors, Orochimaru bent down to collect the piece that had been the focus of this Edo Tensei -idly noting that the intended sacrifice that was to host the spirit was still dead. Next time he'd try it with two sacrifices- and held it out to the spirit.
The rusty bit of metal- perhaps an ancient sword or some sort of craftsman's tool- was slowly snatched up as Orochimaru lowered his killing intent. Atame examined it, eyes widening in recognition, and then tenderly cradled it in new hands.
Orochimaru was fairly certain that by possessing the physical anchor he could exert control over spirit but he didn't yet know how to properly implement it and this spirit seemed cooperative enough. Providing the anchor was sure to foster some good will and even then it was still an experiment. How free was a spirit who had their anchor? When he next summoned a spirit and kept the anchor secretly would it be as free? Less free? What if it knew he- or, rather, someone else for the purposes of the test- had it?
There were so many things to try, this was actually starting to become more exciting than working on his new body.
Mostly because he had decided to go with many, but still.
Hmm, on that note he did need to get a clone or two working to create that summoning Jutsu. Some sort of body contract and an outfit contract or was there a way to separate the contract into subclauses and include one for every combination of clothing he had? He'd need at least a clone on the Jutsu side and one working on it from an organizational standpoint.
He'd get to that in a bit.
"Come, Atame." He beckoned. "I'll show you to your room." The spirit at least understood that Orochimaru wanted it to follow him as he started walking to the doorway and after only a moment of hesitation it did. Yes, definitely cooperative enough. He'd see if that remained the case.
Orochimaru passed the corner with the flame on the way to the door, pausing for only a second to note that the blood that had been leaking from the bodies was nowhere to be seen and instead the floor around them had been replaced by small scorch marks. Strange, it hadn't seemed to burn anything else before. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly. All the bodies appeared to have small burns along their skin but they also seemed…smaller…than he remembered. With a shake of his head he dismissed it.
It really wasn't that important in the end, they had already been dead.
As he continued on he did make a mental reminder to measure the spirit at some point for his records because unless he was mistaken it was slightly larger than it was earlier. Well, that or it was just burning more brightly. Perhaps there was a way it could communicate if it was intelligent enough to do so. He'd have to look into that later too.
Tenju and Haru knelt in the darkened room, their siblings to either side of them. They had considered themselves strong once, certainly stronger than many of their fellow Oto Shinboi, but they had been shown a new strength by these Wolves of Tsukuyomi: The strength of the pack.
This was more than just teamwork- a concept almost completely alien to any resident of Orochimaru's myriad of bases and underground labs- it was a shared commitment to a singular idea, a singular person, that drove these Wolves to heights that could only be matched by the tightest knit ANBU teams.
Orochimaru- through his higher ranking subordinates- had passed down tales of Konoha's ANBU; Shinobi among Shinobi, they were the cream of the crop and it was no secret that they weren't considered to be anywhere close to that.
Rather, they hadn't been. The Wolves had quickly corrected that.
Months of nonstop conditioning had broken them down just to build them back up and the only periods of rest they had been given were filled with lessons of this Tsukuyomi and the empire he had built up around himself.
They seemed to speak of him simultaneously as a deity and as a young man who had risen from living on the streets to being a Daimyo. None of his fellow Oto Shinobi had been able to determine which one it really was.
It was those kneeling here with them that had finally come to understand. Tsukuyomi was a god because he had started as nothing, built himself up, and in the process had brought salvation to these beasts who called themselves Wolves.
He was their god for his actions and, through them, those who had once been Oto Shinoi were similarly lifted up from the darkness of hidden labs and dens of snakes to instead rest in the light of the moon and stalk the earth finally as predator instead of prey.
So too had he become their god, and thus they had grown from sickly serpent- mere worms- to Wolves.
They had not even seen the man who had found the Wolves as injured and lost pups and raised them up into proud beasts, who took over a country to establish a seat for his rule unopposed, and then reduced a greater village to naught but ash, but just as he had saved the Wolves from a life of nothingness he had saved them from their fates seeing out Orochimaru's will until they were no longer any use to the Snake Sage.
When one understood the might of Orochimaru and the terror they could so easily inspire among the Shinobi who bent their knee to them it was easy to see how someone who demanded her complete loyalty and devotion could be considered a god.
Of course, not all those trained by these Wolves had come to understand this. Their faith was weak, their doubts still held strong, but that was to be expected. The Wolves had walked with this god for years and had been gifted the opportunities to witness these things first hand. To them his divinity was unquestionable.
Those who had come to believe through them had only their own faith to look upon to glimpse the divinity of Tsukuyomi but for them it had been enough. Even that small glimpse of light was sufficient to open their eyes to the truth.
The others had not been so fortunate. When they gazed upon the Wolves they saw one form of Tsukuyomi's might and nothing else, they couldn't perceive that which was not before them. In time, perhaps, they would come to see the truth and join their siblings as Tenju and Haru now were.
"You kneel now as the former servants of Orochimaru, taken in and trained by the pack of Tsukuyomi." Her voice was rich and full, bursting with the passion and reverence she held for the subject of their devotion. "Pick up your masks and know that as you don them you shed the scales of a serpent and replace them with the visage of a Wolf. Let the warmth of your new fur comfort you, your new pack stand behind you, and your new teeth aid you in your service to your lord."
"May Tsukuyomi's will be done." The group of new Wolves chorused without hesitation. The older Wolf smiled down at them like a proud parent.
"May Tsukuyomi's will be done." She repeated just above a whisper. "Father, your will has been done."
This would probably be even easier with Chakra Kin mused, bringing her foot down from the heavens like the judgment of a wrathful god. The poor boulder she targeted- easily twice her own size- stood no chance and crumbled without resistance.
"Hey, watch it!" Dosu narrowly dodged shards of flying stone, twisting his body to either side without stopping and continuing through the newly created minefield of jagged rock with nimble fingers.
"Are you not Youthful enough for the extra challenge?" Kin accused with a grin, moving to punch the next stone.
"My Youth burns brightly," Dosu shot back. "But it is most unyouthful to try interrupting my training."
"Yosh! You are both very Youthful, my students!" Sitting cross-legged on Dosu's feet, the absolutely insane Wolf Naruto had lent them beamed brightly behind his mask. "Kin-Chan, you should at least offer some warning if you're going to increase Dosu-Kun's training. He is already focusing on many things and it would be most unyouthful if an injury delayed his training."
"Hai, Youth-Sensei."
"And Dosu-Kun, surely you understand that when Kin-Chan is overcome with Youth her focus remains squarely upon her task. We must learn to forgive her oversight in the midst of passionate training."
"Hai, Youth-Sensei."
The Wolf nodded, satisfied by his student's agreement. They were good kids but the passions of Youth could overwhelm even the most disciplined. Even he was no exception. "Very good, my Youthful students, you will soon be ready for the next Chuunin exams."
Covered in dust, Kin turned to meet Dosu's eyes just barely above the ground as he continued his laps on his hands. Ready was putting it mildly, they would quite likely crush through the competition like a Biju through a ricepaper wall. Dosu had already managed to get to the last round once with just his own techniques and now he had strength and speed that, quite honestly, was probably encroaching on Jounin levels.
Two laps around Ta no Kuni was just their morning routine and they usually had time to warm down and make lunch by eleven. Granted, Youth-Sensei had them up by four but considering they often trained until nearly midnight they both thought that was pretty damn good. That was to say nothing of the fact that Kin had collapsed half a lab when she stubbed her toe the other week.
The overseer had been less than pleased but he'd take a damaged lab over having to listen to Youth-Sensei apologize for their abundant Youthfulness and profess the merits of Youth. Kin and Dosu had simply become used to it and it wasn't like they could really deny the results.
Some Jutsu would have been nice but the only one they had actually managed to wheedle out of the man was a fire jutsu renamed- or they suspected it had been, anyway- the Youthful Flames. Wakawakashī honō no Jutsu didn't sound all that impressive or intimidating until you had a man in spandex shouting it at the top of his lungs as he set himself on fire.
That proved to be absolutely horrifying and Dosu couldn't wait to use it to permanently scar some Genin at the next exam. Kin had rolled her eyes at that but the amused smile that tugged at her lips told him she was looking forward to watching the spectacle.
They had sort of wanted Jutsu more along the lines of utility and defense but Youth-Sensei either didn't know any or wasn't willing to share them. Either way, the next exam was sure to be the most Youthful Chuunin exam the elemental nations had ever seen.
"Aha, my Hip Rival, what challenge shall we have today? Perhaps-" Gai froze in the middle of his sentence, struck by a sudden sense of overwhelming Youthfulness. Normally Kakashi would appreciate that silence, but he was more than a little distracted when the Hip cried out in terrible agony.
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
He spun to face his self-appointed rival, non-Sharingan eye blazing with all the power of the Hip he could muster.
"What did you do?!" He accused, grabbing Gai's chest by the jumpsuit. "What. Did. You. Do?!
"Not me, Kakashi-Kun," Gai smiled serenely. "The power of the Youth grows beyond the walls of Konoha, spreading the light of burning passion to the masses." A single tear trailed down his cheek. "Isn't it beautiful?"
No, this couldn't be happening, how was the balance tipping in favor of that? Even when Gai created a little mini-me they had remained roughly balanced by Kakashi's exceeding Hipness.
Unless…..
"Where is your apprentice, Gai, what is he up to?"
"It's too late, Kakashi, he has already passed on the torch to others. Nothing will stop it now."
Kakashi grimaced behind his mask. "We'll see about that." He needed to secure an apprentice of his own and fast. What a horrible time for Naruto to be away from Konoha, he would have to find someone else to start passing on his Hipness to before Youth's weedy roots took hold in the wider world.
But who the hell else possessed the natural aptitude for Hipness necessary to begin training?
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 154-B "Red Ribbon"
Patron Release 2022.03.03
"Godaime-Sama!" Yet another Chuunin burst into Asuma's office and he could already feel the migraine growing as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew what was coming next. "The Daimyo is here in Konoha!"
He let loose a deep sigh. Yep, that's what he had been expecting.
"Did he suddenly appear in the middle of the village with his family again?" He asked, his attention moving back to his paperwork. At this point he was fairly certain Naruto was just doing it to taunt him, some sort of message along the lines of 'It doesn't matter if you kick us out, I'll still go about Konoha as I please as if I had never left'.
Naruto would certainly be petty enough to rub that fact in his face. He also didn't doubt it would serve as a way for Naruto to remind him that Asuma had no real power or authority over him- even in his own village.
He'd be lying if he claimed it didn't get under his skin.
A lot.
And Gai was still adamantly refusing to take the damn hat. Bastard.
"Uh, no, Hokage-Sama, he just passed through the south gate."
Asuma's head shot up from his work, his attention fully grasped. "Naruto came in through the south gate?"
"Er, no, Hokage-Sama. Not Naruto. Fire Daimyo Iroh."
…..What?
What the hell was he doing here, and unannounced, even?
Asuma had a funny feeling he was about to find out. He actually found himself wishing that the Chuunin had brought news of Naruto wandering around again, the universe sure did love its jokes.
He had said that they would deal with the consequences as they came but, to be perfectly honest, that was more bravado than anything. Kokkiri knew that they were pretty much fucked when it came to carrying out Akatsuchi's orders to the letter. That didn't mean things were completely hopeless, of course. Just, well, mostly.
They were a single squad of Iwa Chūnin against a village. Sure, Taki was a minor village but it did still possess a handful of their own Jounin- and perhaps to make up for the smaller numbers their Jounin tended to be skilled, well-rounded individuals comparable to the Jounin of any greater village- who would be more than a match for them plus they possessed the Nanabi which was no doubt held within a Jinchūriki.
Much like the actual location of the village, the identity of their Jinchūriki was widely unknown which meant they could be going up against anything from an emotional child- which made for a poor Shinobi but an excellent Biju weapon to throw at enemies- to one of the individuals who had grown into a quality Jounin and was highly capable of utilizing the Biju's Chakra to enhance their own combat abilities.
Either one of those would be very, very bad for Kokkiri's squad.
And now there was a good chance they knew Iwa was coming.
Gods be damned.
All they had to do was keep Taki out of things- that was as easy as keeping communications from reaching the village. That had been absolutely doable by Kokkiri's team but it mostly counted on them not knowing Iwa Shinobi were present. Now- assuming Taki was actually notified, but Kokkiri didn't think he was quite that lucky- there was a good chance that it would be Taki sending out information.
They could still try to intercept that but it was also magnitudes more dangerous for Iwa's plans.
And there was still that small matter of them knowing they were there which put them at immediate risk if Taki decided they really didn't like that.
Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done about it now. The dice had been cast and they had to march onwards to meet their fates.
Kokkiri Just really hoped they hadn't jeopardized the entirety of Iwa's efforts with this blunder.
To say Fu was particularly liked by her village of Takigakure would be a massive lie without the barest hints of truth. While considered necessary to maintain their position at the top of the minor village foodchain, Fu represented the Nanabi which, while an amazing asset gifted to them by the Shodaime Hokage, had wreaked havoc on their village.
There were some elders who had wondered if the Shodaime's hand of friendship and the offer of the Nanabi had truthfully been an attempt to destroy them from within to repay them for the attempted assassination they'd charged Kakuzu with all those years ago.
Most of those same elders figured that it wasn't the Shodaime's style. It was the Nidaime's, though, and he would have absolutely convinced his brother to offer one of the greatest Biju to a minor village knowing that if it did get loose- and, wouldn't you know it, keeping the Seven-Tails bound was no small task- they would be ill-equipped to deal with it.
There was no way to ever know for certain but it was the consensus and something that afforded Konoha's late Nidaime no small amount of respect from the village of Takigakure. Some thought that Taki had allied with Konoha all those years ago after the Shodaime had made peace using the Nanabi as an offering, Very few knew that Taki hadn't agreed to anything until the Nidaime took the hat and re-sent the very same proposal for an alliance his brother had included with the Nanabi.
But just because Fu was looked at less than kindly didn't mean she was neglected. Taki, being a village with limited resources, specialized in maximizing the efficiency of everyone and everything that it counted as a part of its arsenal. They weren't about to take poor care of a weapon as potent as a Jinchūriki and they sure as hell weren't dumb enough to mistreat them.
A Jinchūriki wasn't a Kunai, it could absolutely wield itself and it was capable of both emotional responses and higher thinking. Those were all things that meant it could very easily turn on you. Granted, that was one of the reasons Taki wasn't fond of Fu but they made sure to provide a modest house with ample gardens so she could support herself outside the village.
They didn't have to see her, there was little risk of the village being damaged if she lost control, and she served as the first line of defense for Takigakure. All in all, it was a fairly agreeable arrangement for all parties and while Fu was often alone she had semi-regular contact with anyone traveling to or from Takigakure, many of whom would spare a few minutes to check on her or tell her of a recent mission.
What was not common, however, was for them to tell her she was going to be a part of a mission.
It wasn't one that was going to take her from the sparse forests and rocky hills of Takigakure but an opportunity to work with others wasn't something she was often presented with. It wasn't one she was willing to turn down, either, especially when it was really Taki Shinobi joining her on her mission.
There was a potential threat on its way to Takigakure and they were there to help her defend it.
Fu might not see the village often- she visited once a month to check in with Shibuki and collect things she couldn't grow in her gardens- but she was determined to ensure these foreign Shinobi wouldn't have a chance to lay eyes on it at all.
Her fellow Shinobi- which was not something she often had the chance to say- were of much the same opinion.
It was time to defend their home.
The Godaime Hokage had just enough time to rush home and collect his Hokage robes so he could be ready by the time Hi no Kuni's Daimyo reached the Hokage Tower. As far as Asuma was aware only his father had ever bothered to wear the damn things regularly and they proved to be both surprisingly heavy and overly stuffy.
Auma's current theory was that Hiruzen wore them because he was constantly cold in his old age but he'd kept that entirely to himself.
Robes collected- clean and wrinkle free, a benefit to not actually wearing them ever- and hat in its proper place- his head, not the nail on the wall he usually hung it from- he was already seated in one of the nicer meeting rooms when Iroh was escorted to meet with him. He'd even taken the risk of pouring himself a cup of tea from the service his secretary had placed down just as he arrived.
Risk because it would give him one less thing to do if he needed a minute to think over a response. He didn't even know why Iroh was here so every advantage he could secure for himself was much appreciated. In this case, however, he had opted for the benefit of seeming ready rather than the benefit of being able to delay.
At least he still had the option to drink his tea if he needed a few precious moments to contemplate something.
"Daimyo-Dono." Asuma gave a nod from his seat but didn't rise, instead gesturing to the empty seats at the freshly polished table- his secretary was getting a raise- in invitation.
Iroh slipped into the seat at the other end of the table, placing himself directly opposite to Konoha's Godaime Hokage, and two Samurai that must have been newer- Asuma didn't recognize them- took up positions flanking their lord.
Asuma bit back a grimace. Not a friendly chat, then, otherwise Iroh would have gone for one closer. His suspicions were confirmed with the Daimyo's own greeting.
"Godaime-Dono." Not calling him Asuma or inviting him to call him Iroh as he'd done in the privacy- or what passed for it in such a place- of the Daimyo's palace was another bad sign. He had to wonder what the fuck had gone wrong this time.
….Unless.
Asuma's next grimace was harder to hide, though he thought he had managed admirably, as he realized this might have been about him and the Wolves. It had been Iroh's decree that they were welcome in Konoha and Asuma's…invitation…to leave technically went against that.
Unless he had missed some major development, this was very possibly about that. This actually would have been a good day for Naruto to be wandering around his village, unfortunately the last he heard of that happening was nearly two weeks ago now.
Was it weird that he was more suspicious that Naruto wasn't here where he didn't want him? Why was it that him being where he shouldn't simply felt normal? Perhaps he had just become too used to Naruto popping up to spite him.
"Welcome to Konoha." The Godaime offered. "I must admit, I hadn't heard anything of your plans to visit."
"Hmm," The Fire Daimyo hummed in contemplation as if it was the most curious thing. "Strange, I seem to have had a similar issue when I hadn't heard anything of your little dispute with one of my noble houses."
Ayup. Definitely the Wolves. Damnit all.
"Dispute?" Asuma questioned, leaning back slightly to project a sense of ease. "I'd say we came to an agreement, personally." That's what he'd initially thought, too. Hell, he'd considered it a victory. He hadn't won a damned thing, Naruto was still going about his village as he pleased and there was no telling how many Wolves were slinking about in the shadows left in his wake.
At least before you could see his Wolves; he liked this even less.
Now he understood why his father had been so adamant about digging up ROOT. If he thought having a second group operating autonomously in Konoha was bad when they served as an eyesore it was even worse when he couldn't keep an eye on them.
Iroh's eyes narrowed and Asuma wasn't sure if that suspicion was to his words or for something else but after a second the man spoke. "An agreement where you cast them from the village I allow to exist within my land? He asked. "The very same village I gave them permission to continue operating in as it was their home?"
"Daimyo Naruto is still seen here in Konoha regularly." Asuma defended easily. "The Wolves were just feeling a bit restless and more than a little cramped."
"And when was he last seen?"
Asuma's grimace was less hidden this time. "It's been perhaps a fortnight since word of a visit has reached me." He admitted. "Of course, that only means no one saw him and brought it to my attention. As it is, no one seems to see him enter anyway."
There was a brief look of alarm on the Daimyo's face at that information but it was quickly schooled into something more dignified.
Asuma was starting to think there was more at play here than he was currently privy too. He didn't like it.
"No one has seen him," Iroh asked. "Or no one has reported seeing him?"
Asuma remained silent, which was answer enough.
"I see." That was…more than a little troubling.
If Asuma was telling the truth.
If he was covering for the fact that, as he said, the two of them had come to an agreement, then who knows what was actually happening. If not, just the fact that Naruto had enough support in Konoha to bypass security meant he needed to keep an eye on his own guard to ensure none of them started to favor him similarly and, if he was managing to get around them, then he needed to up his own security just in case.
Konoha was a bit more lax with security considering the amount of civilian traffic they received but getting past it regularly without issue was frankly ridiculous. If he could slip through their fingers, what were the chances he could slip through Iroh's own palace undetected and slit his throat?
Granted, Iroh didn't think that was the angle the young man would go for- it was far more likely that a member of his family would be taken and held as leverage for whatever plans he did have- but it was also something he couldn't overlook.
"So if he hasn't been here in Konoha, are you aware of his whereabouts?"
"Nami, I would assume." Not that Konoha actually had any spies in that area to confirm. The Wolves were aggressive and Nami was not his country, so he didn't push it. So long as they stayed over there separated by that thin strip of the southern Kaizoku sea he was content to leave them be.
He was much more concerned about any of their movement in other parts of the world, after all.
As he should be.
"Strange," Iroh commented, waving one hand lazily as if the whole idea he was about to plant in Asuma's head was easily dismissible. "I have servants in Hanahime tending to my residence there and yet there hasn't seemed to be any Daimyo arriving or leaving."
Asuma felt his blood run cold. Typically a Daimyo was not an easy thing to hide. Even here in Konoha the populace knew that the Daimyo had arrived before he made it to the tower, the words spreading like wildfire and families pouring out into the main thoroughfare to watch the gilded carriage make its way to the heart of Konoha.
Even if that wasn't quite the same in Nami, surely there were servants returning to their homes who would mention the presence of the Daimyo and that would spread enough to know they were in residence. The fact that it apparently hadn't meant either Naruto was sneaking in and out of his country- bizarrely likely -or he wasn't in Nami at all. That second option was decidedly worse, considering the last time he wasn't in Nami or Hi no Kuni he was occupying himself by burning Kirigakure to the ground.
Maybe he should have assigned Yugao- and possibly her team- to keep tabs on him. She would have had her chance to make up with the young man she had helped train and he would have known that he was being kept from getting into trouble. Or, at the very least, he would have a little forewarning so he could prepare for the fallout.
Then again, with loyalties split as they were, that probably wouldn't have helped anyway.
But that didn't matter anymore now that they didn't know where he was.
Unless Iroh was lying. Was he trying to get Asuma to start worrying about where Naruto was while the young man sat in Nami occupying his time with his pet Shinobi? What purpose did that serve?
Well, Asuma supposed that kept him from paying too much attention to Iroh, to start with. That was the first, most obvious answer. Was the man planning something or were his reasonings a bit deeper than that?
He could be trying to hide something or he could be trying to keep Asuma busy because he thought the Godaime might get up to something. Considering Iroh's rapidly expanding…well, empire was probably the correct word. The Hi no Kuni empire was gaining huge influence and amassing wealth and power that hadn't been seen since long before the clan wars and Iroh as a pseudo-emperor was in a position that many others would want.
Was he thinking Asuma and Konoha might try to wrest control over this new superpower from the capital and the noble courts? Asuma had no intentions of doing so- he didn't even want to be Hokage as it was- but on reflection he couldn't exactly fault the man for being cautious.
Shinobi were opportunistic bastards, yes, and that probably reminded him of the backstabbing politics of the noble courts but Shinobi also tended to hate politics.
Then again, maybe that's what had Iroh worried. Shinobi were more likely to slit your throat than to try something backhanded in the courtrooms. Fair enough.
But if that wasn't the case, where was Naruto and what was about to go wrong next?
Or, worse, what if it was somehow both?
A feeling of dread snaked down his spine like ice.
Did he really think he was lucky enough that it wouldn't be both?
Something was wrong. A worrying feeling settled in Kokkiri's gut as he and his squad continued towards the area Takigakure was believed to sit. This went deeper than nerves or anxiety from an important mission, even accounting for how poorly it had already gone.
He spared a quick glance at the rest of his team but they seemed more focused on their recent defeat and the resulting wounds than anything more than their immediate surroundings. Their sour expressions and occasional pained grimaces as they slunk through the sparse forests told him they probably weren't considering the future of the mission at all.
That was hardly reassuring when things had already gone quite sour.
"Look alive, people." He whispered. "We don't stay focused and this will only become worse."
He was answered by scowls and the feeling of imminent doom only grew. Why couldn't he have been on Kiiro Squad? Not only would he not be in this mess but he wouldn't have to account for a Jinchūriki unless Taki's was very, very lost.
Before he could reprimand them for not taking things seriously he realized what was wrong with sudden clarity. These lands weren't his usual stomping ground but he had spent enough time on the eastern border of Tsuchi no Kuni to know some of the wildlife that should be nearby.
And yet, there was no sign of any of them.
Kokkiri had just enough time to widen his eyes and start slowing down before the trap was sprung.
With a flash of blinding light his team scattered from the sound of Shinobi abandoning the stealth of their hiding places to speed toward disoriented intruders. Not that it helped much, they couldn't see a thing and instinct was only going to take them so far.
Running was Kokkiri's first thought. No doubt it was that of his team too. Their mission was compromised, there was no way they could go against Takigakure on their own. Best to regroup, inform their commanders, and await further orders.
And then Kokkiri felt it, the bubing, burning Chakra of a Biju unmistakable in its malevolence.
Takigakure's Jinchūriki was here, his team was split, and they had walked right into an ambush.
A morbid certainty settled about his soul with an eerie calm. He was about to die. His whole team was about to die. Well, some might be taken for questioning but then they would still likely be killed.
And he couldn't even see what was about to end his life.
How shameful.
He narrowly dodged a trio- he assumed it was a trio, anyway, that's how most people threw them- of shuriken with only a few shallow scratches as he fell through a bush and darted as far away from the feeling of Biju Chakra as he could.
He was half expecting that Taki had used that specifically to lay secondary ambushes but either they hadn't considered that or simply didn't have the manpower with them at the moment to execute such a plan because he was not immediately swarmed by another group.
Not that it helped all that much.
A Kunai- identified by the larger displacement of air and the much more solid thunk when it hit what he could only guess was a tree- whized over his head and helped him avoid crashing directly into a trunk for long enough that his vision started to clear. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing.
And, a second later, it didn't matter anyway.
A blade of water burst through his chest and Kokkiri spun to face his attacker before a follow up could hit. It wouldn't. Kokirri blinked as gravity continued to exercise its dominion on his body and couldn't help the grudging admiration he felt.
He hadn't realized it was even possible to throw an elemental blade without it falling apart.
His back crashed into the ground and what was left of the water blade was forced further out of his chest.
Idly, he noted that the color seemed wrong.
It took another precious second to realize that was because of the blood.
He nearly found himself chuckling at his own stupidity, fortunately the darkness claimed him before he could do anything so undignified.
Good, at least he would still have that.
Fu glanced about the clearing, noting with no small amount of satisfaction that her dust had kept a majority of them right where they wanted them. One had managed to keep his head enough to make a run for it but from the sounds of things beyond the bushes it didn't seem like he had managed to get far.
He wouldn't have anyway, considering Fu could fly and the forests here provided far less cover from above than those of a place like Hi no Kuni.
Seiyo made his way to one of the nearby trees and reached into a hollow to retrieve a caged messenger hawk. Removing the cover from the cage and a second strip of fabric from around the bird's eyes he accepted a scroll from Amao and tied it securely.
Keenly aware of the nearby Wolves who would be keeping an eye out for such a hawk- which was news to Fu- he made sure to tie a small white ribbon around one leg so they would know they weren't needed.
Fu stopped paying attention as he headed off to find a suitable place to send off his bird, knowing that he wouldn't settle for anything but the best for his beloved messengers when there wasn't an emergency.
"Good job, Fu." Amao gave her a small smile. "I think we have it from here if you want to head back home." A second later she added; "Unless any of them had something you wanted. We were going to strip them down for now and divy up the belongings later but if you had your eye on something we can do it now."
Fu glanced back the way Seiyo had wandered off, probably looking for a hill or a tree with a branch far enough above the canopy to give his bird the easiest launch possible. "You could take them to my home." Fu offered. "We can go through their things there."
Her suggestion earned another smile. "Sounds good, it will let the bodies stay close while we report our success, too. We'll have to see what Shibuki wants to do with them."
She turned to relay the new plan to the rest of the team when a tall blue shark stumbled out of the brush. Fu didn't miss how Amao stiffened at the sight of the black cloak with red clouds.
She was surprised, however, when Amao ordered her to run.
"What?"
The sharkman looked equally confused. "I'm not that scary, am I?"
Meiru and Dami scrambled back to the clearing, standing beside Amao and, much to Fu's astonishment, before herself. Were they trying to….protect her from this man? It seemed such a strange thought.
"Shut up, Akatsuki." Amao ordered. "Jiraiya-Dono warned us about you, you're not getting your hands on Fu or the Nanabi."
At this the shark's attention seemed to be caught and his eyes immediately zeroed in on Fu. "Nanabi?" He asked. "Is she the Jinchūriki?" He seemed both surprised and pleased to hear this and the Taki Jounin bristled.
"You're not getting your hands on her, Hoshigaki."
"Well," He admitted. "I wasn't really planning on it. I was just on my way to Ame for some business and got a bit off course." This time he actually wasn't far off the mark, he'd just gone a bit too north and needed to continue west across half of Taki and Kusa no Kuni to get there.
There was no one more surprised by the fact that he was, though he would never admit that most of that was thanks to the drawing Mikoto had scribbled on the back of his hand. He would have to get something similar as a tattoo sometime.
"...But," His previous statement was quickly amended. "I suppose if she is the Nanabi Jinchūriki I should probably at least try to grab her to make up for my absence." One hand reached for the handle of his squirming sword. "So if you'd be so kind as to hand her over, we could save you a lot of trouble, a lot of pain, and quite possibly your lives."
"It's not happening." Amao glanced back to Fu again over her shoulder. "Fu, run, get to Shibuki, let him know Akatsuki is here too." This was Hoshigaki Kisame, as well, so there was a good chance they would need the hero water to stave him off. Granted, they would need that for just about any Akatsuki member but with Kisame it was especially vital.
Even then it would probably be a pretty even match.
This man had so much Chakra he was practically a Biju himself- it was likely only due to the presence of Fu and her Chakra reserves that kept him from being noticed -and that was going to be something hard to counter. Taki Jounin may be skilled but he had so much raw power it wouldn't really matter.
They just had to hope they could hold out long enough for Shibuki to send reinforcements.
"Technically the Nanabi isn't my job. I was assigned the Kyuubi with my partner and it's the Yonbi who's my real target but I'd really hate to head back empty handed when such a perfect opportunity has presented itself." Samehada was lifted from his back and a grin spread across his face. "But I'm also glad I don't have to give up the opportunity for a fight, I haven't had a chance to cut loose since the end of Kiri's civil war and I could really use the exercise."
Fu only briefly considered running. From how everyone else was reacting this was a powerful opponent- one so powerful they believed him more than a match for her and them combined and that made her especially nervous- but she also liked Amao and knew she had more raw power than any of the Jounin there. If anyone should be running to gather reinforcements it wasn't her.
"Send one of the others," Fu ordered. "You'll need me to hold him off."
Amao grimaced, knowing Fu was absolutely correct, and nodded. "Hato, see if you can catch up to Seiyo and add this to the report before he sends it. Then head to Shibuki and let him know the situation."
Kisame still hadn't moved. He liked to think he was polite enough and they were keeping the Jinchūriki nearby so he didn't have to chase after her so he could afford them this small courtesy in return. Besides, he wanted reinforcements to show up- that meant more fighting.
"If you're sure, Amao." He paused for only a second. "Do you want the red ribbon?"
Amao stiffened. She hadn't even thought of that. If the Wolves were still nearby….
Did they really want to use them?
Did she trust them enough to fight alongside them?
Would they even get here in time? Taki was a bit away but at least it was stationary. The Wolves were actively traveling away from them. In the end, she supposed, what did it actually hurt to call them back. If they did arrive before Taki they could use the backup and if they arrived later either Kisame would have been driven off or Taki was in a bad position anyway and would really need the promised support.
She cursed quietly and gave the order. "Do it."
With a nod he darted off in the same direction Seiyo had gone and Kisame watched lazily, stretching his shoulders and giving his beloved Samehada a few warmup swings to loosen himself up.
"I do hope he's coming back," He commented. "It's been so long since Samehada here has had a chance to sample a full spread." Kisame's shark head tilted to the side, contemplating. "Then again, a Biju is already a treat, she might actually get a chance to feel full for a bit." His grin split across his face. "This is going to be fun."
"Fu." The warning came from Amao. "Don't hold anything back. Call upon as much of the Nanabi as you can and don't let up."
Fu nodded. "I'll call out when I use it," She promised. "You know what to do."
The Taki Jounin there knew what she meant and Guyure reached up to ensure the tinted goggles were still hung around his neck without looking away from the S-Rank Shinobi in their lands. When one worked with the Naanbi Jinchūriki they were an absolutely invaluable tool.
"Yeah, yeah, they know what to do and you have a plan." Launching himself forward Kisame brought Samehada down in an overhead swing that crushed the earth between the scattering Taki Shinobi. "I've given you long enough, let's get down to business. I'm way late as it is."
Not that Kisame cared about punctuality, he just didn't necessarily want to get into more trouble. Mostly with Mikoto but Konan had a mighty scary glare on her too and considering she was the only one still in Akatsuki that he really liked, well, it would be very unfortunate for her to be mad at him the whole time.
He would like at least one person there he could talk to.
And she smiled at him sometimes- albeit rarely- and he was going to need that with Tobi gone.
Kisame would admit that he was a bit curious what their red ribbon was for- he assumed reinforcements but they were sending the Jounin for that, so perhaps not- but he would ask later if he needed to give them a breather.
For now, it was time to have some fun.
Shugonin Jūnishi* – The Twelve Guardian Ninja
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