Land of Forests border
Naruko leaned back on the boat as she glanced at her surroundings, uninterested. They had been sitting for hours, as the raft drifted through the meandering river, surrounded by swamps and jungles. The water was mud brown, and she wouldn't dare drop her hand there. Tiny tadpoles spread in all directions because of the boat's ripples. Blankly looking forward, she soon spotted a milestone in the distance. Getting closer, the writing became clear, and one chunin spelled it out,
"'Land of Fire-Forests border.'" No fences, no lines, no fortifications, just a milestone. That was enough because you were inside a stinky swamp.
But what were they doing? Patrol duty, of course. Numerous reports of rogues entering from across the border had reached Konoha, so they sent a border guard to look after that. (Or so they think).
"So we just float around the river today?" Another chunin asked sarcastically. The squad leader, a Jonin with a rather timid face, answered him,
"Of course not, we'll return to the camp in a while." The leader was a skilled but unamusing man. His dry, straightforward replies didn't reciprocate the humor.
"Quite a few rogues crossing the border, that's what they say," Naruko commented, a comrade object,
"Doubt that." All eyes turned to him. He was a skinny man with tanned skin and a thoughtful expression. Adjusting himself, he continued,
"If it were the case, they would've contacted the Hidden Forest Village first. But no. I think this is a pretense to put troops on the border." Everyone was puzzled,
"Meaning?" The man sighed as if disappointed by their lack of intuition.
"Meaning the Hokage is threatening the USC. Or worse, attacking it." Everyone stayed silent. It was a serious matter. The squad leader remarked,
"We'll see."
Another few moments passed in silence. The boat neared the milestone which was pressed into the soft, clayey soil. Pressed by boredom, one chunin stood up and prepared to jump, pressing his foot on the boat's safety bar. Intrigued, none tried to stop him. Only the Jonin leader, recognizing what was happening, warned the shinobi,
"Don't attempt anything. This is a patrol mission and-" Before he could complete his sentence, the Chunin leaped forward. The boat tumbled onto one side due to the added weight, but soon stabilized.
Balancing himself on one of the tree branches, he jumped down and held the milestone tightly. Chakra channeled to his hands as he pulled the small stone sculpture out. Grinning at his comrades, he shouted,
"It's an invasion!" Using all his power, he flung the stone forward. It tumbled a bit and finally settled ten meters across, sinking into the soft ground (albeit upside down). The squad leader was infuriated as he threatened his subordinate,
"You imbecile! Get it back or I'll report you!" The chunin in question only rubbed his palms and smirked slyly at the angry Jonin. His peers couldn't hold their laughter.
Only the skinny squad member remained calm. Smirking, he remarked,
"It's gonna move much farther man, much farther."
Land of Fire Capital
"Fire!"
Maximus launched the arrow, it whizzed through the air like a bolt and caused an explosion upon impact. Around them the ground was charred black, a result of constant jutsu and explosions performed under practice. He'd been training for a month with Matsumae and had learned a lot. The most obvious improvement was his aim, as he could shoot dead-center up to one hundred meters, it got tricky beyond that. He'd learned to lace his arrows with lightning and fire chakra and manage the amount used (Arrows with more speed and arrows that explode upon impact use varying amounts of lightning chakra.)
It was noon, and Maximus had to squint his eyes while judging the aim. They were attempting a two-hundred-meter shot, but it didn't quite land accurately. The sensei commanded,
"Try again." Maximus objected
"But the Lightning chakra explodes. I just need to land it nearby." Shigehira shook his head and explained,
"You can't rely on this all the time. What if you have to snipe enemy shinobi without being detected? The sound of an explosion will attract every shinobi within seven hundred meters. You aren't always gonna be blasting apart foes on the battlefield. Sometimes, missions are more secret and need silence." Maximus understood and turned to attempt another shot.
"Wait, let me show you something." The sensei took the bow and quiver, wrapped chakra paper around the arrow, and readied his aim. Closing his left eye and tightening his grip, he let loose.
The arrow swooshed and landed on the grass bed in the distance. Nothing remarkable, just a normal shot.
"What was that?" The sensei smirked,
"You'll see."
However, before they could continue training, an attendant approached them briskly. He was visibly tired, walking through the long city streets and across this meadow was a bit much for the older servant. Upon reaching the clearing, he bowed to Matsumae and handed him a scroll. Maximus was puzzled and curiously glanced at the attendant and the paper.
Shigehira ran his eyes through the letter, his expressions turned serious. With an acknowledging nod, he dismissed the servant and turned to his pupil.
"Urgent business, all of you shall return to the leaf."
"What happened?" The sensei looked away, gazing at the city on the horizon. After a deep breath, he replied,
"Doing what a shinobi's supposed to do." As Maximus understood the reply, an explosion scared the attendant, who fell on his back.
Maximus turned and looked around nervously, Matsumae laughed loudly. The servant got up and looked indignantly at the sensei, while the pupil also showed his disapproval. The man controlled himself and started explaining,
"Just a trick I made years ago. Although very unstable, gets triggered by the slightest disturbance." The attendant walked away while Maximus gazed at the city.
"Sure, sure. Let's get back sensei."
Konohagakure
Aureus twiddled his thumbs as he waited for the older diplomat. The Roman embassy was a spacious building with a library of records and many small offices, one of which was housing him. Candles flickered in the corners. The room was in the back part of the building and hidden from sunlight.
Promptly, the old ambassador entered. He had a bald head and a completely white beard, with a meek face that gave a timid man's impression. But he was no humble old man, but a diplomatic negotiator who could go to any height to reach his goal. Smiling at Aureus, he took his seat facing him. The younger man sat down too.
"Greetings, Aureus Mercurius. I hope you've been well?" The man nodded in acknowledgment and replied,
"Good enough, sir," Cutting to the point, "What about the task?" The old man opened a lower drawer and pulled out a folder. Throwing it on the desk he replied,
"Everything you need to know about the important folk. Likes, dislikes, past events, everything you need to get close." Aureus picked up the folder and glanced over the pages. Hiashi Hyuga, Tsume Inuzuka, Asuma Sarutobi, and all the big people had a dedicated page.
"Hiashi Hyuga has been causing us trouble lately, he opposes the military alliance and any wars. Remember, without Konoha's support we can't win." Aureus looked up,
"What am I supposed to do?" The diplomat pulled out another folder and presented it to his subordinate,
"Pass these to the Hokage and everyone who opposes war."
"What is it?"
"Something to convince them." Aureus opened the second folder. Breezing through the pages, he suddenly realized the motive and possible effect of these.
All these documents were forgeries to display USC's weaknesses: poor-quality equipment, inefficient supply lines, bad infrastructure, and overstretched forces. These files testified to the political purges in Kiri and Suna and the lack of good captains in the confederation. No domestic weapon industry and a blockade will starve them to submission in two years! The forgers used official seals and high-class language, these fakes were almost indistinguishable.
This was bait to make Konoha commit to the cause. The forgery was seemingly flawless, but its success was yet to be seen.
"Now here's your task," Aureus's attention returned to the diplomat,
"You'll attend a gathering of all influential folk two days from now, chat with the big guys. Once you've built trust, and gained their confidence, you pass these documents to a 'trusted' councilor. Understand?"
"How will I explain having them?" The ambassador smirked,
"You won them in an auction by rogue shinobi, don't you remember?" Aureus smirked back. Holding the files he prepared to leave,
"Be careful, boy. You're brave, but it won't help if you're caught." The younger man turned,
"What if I am, caught?" The diplomat leaned back,
"Then we don't know you. You're just a merchant earning extra cash by doing this, and we can't guarantee anything." Aureus thought about it, the older man continued,
"You're not a snitch, are you?" The young man turned back and walked out as he remarked,
"Never was."