A/N: You can blame both playing Gemini and tax time for this delay. I wanted to submit this in March.
In any case, I hope this chapter is to your liking.
…
[Somewhere in Bloomburrow]
Sasuke's vision was blurred as he stirred awake, the sound of thundering footsteps bringing him back to consciousness.
As his vision cleared, he was quick to note the appearance of thick, wooden bars in front of him. A further inspection of his surroundings revealed even more wooden bars that held him with barely enough room to sit. Indignance filled him with the realization that he'd been confined in a cage. In the surrounding area, he noted that he was surrounded by leaves, and that his cage was off the ground, dangling from a limb.
"Oh good, you're awake," Kakashi noted, half-relieved half-miffed as he looked at Sasuke's awakening form from the cage hanging next to his.
"Sasuke-kun!" called out the voice of Sakura.
Outside the cage, he saw the entirety of the party sent to capture the bandits also in cages. Across from him, Sakura was kept in a more conventional birdcage, fitting for her transformation into a finch, while Hinata and Hanabi were confined in a larger cage meant to contain the two of them. Kurenai's viper form meant that a cage was impractical, and so her body was coiled up, her head secured to her body like a whip. Shino sat in a smaller cage simmering in his anger at being turned into a rat, was contained in a cage that was surrounded by burning sticks of what Sasuke surmised to be some sort of insect repellent. Akamaru and Kiba were kept in separate cages across from each other, with Akamaru warranting a bigger cage since he was the largest of the animals compared to Kiba's raccoon form.
The last thing he remembered was Maud, the Badgerfolk mercenary sending her fist into his face, before promptly sending him into darkness.
"I hope you've learned a lesson," Kakashi sniped, the expression on his otter face not at all happy about the situation they were in.
"How did we end up in these cages?" Sasuke asked, still groggy. His duck feathers fluttered as he shook himself awake.
"I don't know, all I know is that the second we activated our Byakugan, we were put on a clock," Hinata explained, her rabbit ears downcast in disappointment, "We tried to end the fight quickly before we ran out of chakra…"
"…and the more of our chakra-enhanced Jūken techniques we used, the faster we drained our coils." Hanabi finished, rubbing a rabbit paw on the back of her head, while her twin sister massaged her in the back.
"Add to this, it's not easy to cast a Genjutsu when you're a snake," Kurenai bit back like a talking whip, still very miffed about the situation she was in, "You need hands to form hand seals, after all."
"I was able to command my insects," Shino replied, stewing in his anger at being transformed into a rat and his kikaichū reduced to a mere flea infestation, "However, while I was able to use minimal amounts of chakra to command them, even then my chakra drained at a rapid pace."
"Not to mention that sluggish feeling I felt when I tried to mold chakra," Sakura noted from her small cage, preening her finch feathers reflexively, "It was like trying to mix a vat of barely-melted molasses."
"By the sound of it, it looks like we all have problems trying to use chakra," Kiba noted, depression on his racoon features, "Now I probably could have remained at least nominally effective…I probably wouldn't have access to my clan's transformation Jutsu, but I could've still worked as a cavalryman of sorts if Akamaru and I weren't caught up in their trap.
Akamaru whimpered in his cage, no doubt the source of Kiba's depression.
"I agree," Kakashi noted, "Though I think something about this world is disrupting our ability to mold and use chakra altogether."
A raspy raucous interrupted all thoughts. It was Maud, a fanged, triumphant smile on her badger features, stepping onto a platform below the cages, accompanied by three other badgers. On her person were Sasuke's chokutō and Kakashi's restored tantō, proudly worn on her belt and in full view of their owners. "Sorry about the…spartan accommodations, but you could have just turned and left like we asked. Again, you're lucky that our employers wanted this to be a non-lethal job…and my band of mercs and I are nothing if not professional. So when our squirrel bosses said that they wanted non-lethal, you bet your ass we're gonna deliver; won't stop us from beating you senseless, though."
"Well, you caught us," Kakashi said, playing along, "Now what?"
"Now? We're off to see our bosses," Maud replied, "They still gotta touch base with us for the last job we pulled, and so they'll decide your fate. Basically, the eight of you have until we get to the meeting place to…rethink your life choices."
"I can't imagine the public of Three Tree City are going to approve of your burglary in our world." Kurenai added.
Maud looked down at Kurenai's cage, her muzzle pulled back in a fanged snarl…genuine anger as her fur stood on end. "Who says we're doing this for approval!? We're only doing this because it was necessary!"
"So it's true," Kakashi replied, earning a glare from Maud, "You're only doing this because of the food stash that was destroyed."
"Three Tree City's on the brink of anarchy, and the people living there don't even know it," Maud replied, "I don't know how you people would handle a food shortage, but we're just a missed meal away from anarchy! If the truth gets out about what happened to that food cache, there's gonna be chaos…and not the kind that my crew can profit from, either. And the second we stop providing food before our bosses, the Squirrelfolk in charge of that stash, fix the problem? The jig is up. So hell yeah, we're doing it because of that food stash…because honestly? Between starvation and jail time? I'd much prefer jail time."
"Surely there had to have been another way," Sakura countered.
"If there were, I'm not seeing it," Maud snapped, "You've been here in this world, so you must know that we barter around here. You want a job done? Trade four carrot cakes, maybe a fish pie, and good to go. You want a meal? You owe someone a favor or maybe a few ingots of iron. Simple and effective…you know what everything's good for, there's no debating.
"But you? A few grey leaves and it gets you a few oranges? Seriously! I can't see how those pale leaves you use to trade stuff for could've been used outside of buying things. In fact, I don't see them as anything but glorified kindling for the barbecue or as something to wipe my butt with. We come to your shops and barter with our goods? They'd turn us away as filthy animals before we could say a word, and you wouldn't take our stuff because you only take leaves and nothing of practical value."
Maud took a calming breath and sat down on a nearby stool at the platform. There was no doubt she was on the first watch. "Given how our contract simply states that only non-lethal takedowns are allowed, I would've taken you to our dungeons and locked you there 'til the job's done…that's if it were up to me. But unfortunately, the ball's in the squirrels' court; so you have until we get to our bosses to think long and hard about your life choices."
…
[Tsunade's office, Hokage Tower, Konohagakure no Sato]
Tsunade massaged away the pulsating migraines flaring up in her skull, sighing in exasperation.
Not long ago, Inuzuka Kiba had rode in with the report that Team Gai had been found, after having traveled through a portal located somewhere in Senju Park. The rescue team she'd organized had been turned into small woodland creatures upon crossing the threshold…evidently some kind of weirdness involving the world they'd entered. Team Gai themselves were turned into cute, woodland creatures, but were otherwise okay, which was a relief. Kakashi had sent Kiba back asking for orders; whether to continue the mission or to just bring Team Gai back. Feeling that the thieves were still a loose end that needed to be addressed, Tsunade told Kiba to relay her message that they had two days to mount one more search in Bloomburrow, before they were to return to Konoha with Team Gai…preferably alive.
With that done, Kiba made his way back to Senju Park, no doubt to relay her orders to the rescue team and Team Gai. Whatever the case, it was very likely that after the mission, that specific corner of the park was going to be fenced in and patrolled to prevent another theft by the animal-people of Bloomburrow…that being said, she did feel bad for the people on the other side of the portal. If the rumor Team Gai had heard was true, then the raids on those supermarkets became understandable: losing a food cache was no small matter for any human community…but for the animal-people of Bloomburrow, it'd probably be downright catastrophic.
Having resolved the matter of Team Gai's rescue for now, she had to turn her attention to a different interdimensional matter.
Eliana had walked into the Hokage's office with a spellbound Ino in tow not too long after Kiba left, reporting that she'd been assaulted by a gang of twelve rogue ANBU. Perhaps it was the military discipline that had been hard-coded into her from her time as a Boros warrior that ensured the Ravnican angel told Tsunade of what had transpired. Responsible too, as she didn't just disappear from the scene of the crime, she simply waltzed straight up to the office, and was sitting in front of her with Ino sitting right next to her, her white wings folded behind her. Evidently, she flew to the Hokage Tower, and entered from the roof.
In all honesty, Tsunade had to give Eliana credit for her restraint, as Ino's alibi reported that the angel had initially tried to dissuade the rogue ANBU from attacking, trying to get them to leave her alone. The angel's warnings fell on deaf ears, but Eliana never threw the first punch - mostly dodging attacks, if not using non-lethal blows at first. The angel didn't lose her temper until after it became clear that the Root ANBU still didn't get the message, but her blows aimed to cripple and maim, rather than outright kill her attackers - even when she summoned her spear. In the end, the conflict resulted in twelve maimed and utterly humiliated ANBU…assuming of course, they were still capable of shame after what Danzō put those poor souls through.
The mental image of what Eliana had done to those ANBU had elicited a question in Tsunade's mind: Just what kind of training did Boros Legionnaires go through?
While she didn't approve of what he did, Danzō's attempt to subvert Tsunade's authority gave her a glimpse as to how dangerous Eliana was, and how fortunate it was that the angel had such ironclad discipline instilled into her. She felt the shudders down her spine at the mental image of Eliana's younger years as a bloodthirsty warmonger, meting out justice for even the slightest infractions with ruthless efficiency. It was for this reason that she was thankful the angel had retained her soldier's discipline even after she'd found compassion through her calling as a healing bard.
"I can't blame you," Tsunade began.
"Nor would I blame you," Eliana continued, "You're gruff, but honorable - you wouldn't have sent those attackers after me."
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "But one thing disturbs me: your threat. You're not seriously considering following through on it, are you?"
Her silence was telling…the angel was more than willing to follow through on her threat of waging war against Danzō and his Root operatives should he dare to escalate this already messy incident. It was confirmation that the warmonger was still in her, buried deep inside of her under layers of ironclad discipline, experience, and compassion, just waiting for the right provocation to be unleashed. Eliana had demonstrated extraordinary self-control and restraint in her fight, but even that had a limit, and Tsunade had no sympathy for the fool who crossed that line.
Tsunade sighed in exasperation. "While I can appreciate that you were not the one who threw the first punch, I'd have to ask that you do not turn my village into a warzone."
"That would depend entirely upon the coward who sent those assassins after me." Eliana countered, her soprano firm, "I didn't want this war, but they forced the issue."
Tsunade had taken a harder edge this time. "Regardless of who started this feud, I will be the one to end it. As a former law enforcer, Eliana, I'm sure you understand my position…as Hokage, law and order is among my duties, and as such, I cannot have a blood feud going on in my village. All I ask is for time for me to resolve this matter."
"That is all I ask," Eliana replied, "But that craven still needs to be brought to heel. The longer they are allowed to act with impunity, the more dangerous they become."
"You have no idea," Tsunade uttered under her breath, "I assume you're going to need a new disguise before you leave the building?"
"That would be most helpful." Eliana graciously replied.
Tsunade then turned to Ino. "I hope I don't have to tell you that Eliana's presence here in Konoha is top secret?"
The poor girl's expression was a mixture of fangirling awe, and terror…undoubtedly because a lot of aspiring Kunoichi wanted to be like her. "O-of course, Tsunade-sama!"
Satisfied that the girl was not going to say a word about the angel, she dismissed her gently with a wave of her hand, leaving Tsunade to her thoughts.
She really couldn't fault the angel for this - it was self-defense, after all. Add to that, those ANBU were not under the Hokage's command, but were members of Shimura Danzō's Root cell. It did not reflect well on Tsunade's leadership that such a thing happened on her watch, and she wondered what Hiruzen-sensei was thinking when he let the last Shimura have so much power for his Root cell. Even worse, it was very likely that those two old bats Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura could very easily have had a hand in the matter…the only problem was proving it.
Not quite her place considering she was a foreigner, but Eliana was still right: Danzō wielded too much power for far too long. Something had to be done to, at the very least, put him in his place.
But for now, she had clothes to lend out. It wouldn't do to have a magnificent being such as Eliana to draw eyes when she was supposed to be a secret…as such, she needed to help her reconstruct her hunchback disguise.
"Shizune, we've got time. Help me pick out some of our rattiest clothes…we've got a disguise to rebuild."
…
[Outskirts of the Squirrelfolk village]
Naruto had known this corner of the plane was a paradox from the moment he set foot in the forest, given the amount of Green and Black mana that the Squirrelfolk homeland was swimming in.
To see it up-close, to smell the richness of the loam, the leaf litter, the decaying wood so clearly at ground level was another matter entirely. His involuntary transformation into a mouse the second he entered the plane of Bloomburrow only served to enhance his senses, sharpening the contrast enough that he was able to smell a faint hint of tar from the distant tar pit.
While Squirrelfolk bones were prominent in the forest floor, he was able to make out the exposed bones and carcasses of other, much larger creatures. Boars with large tusks and cracked skulls; large cats locked in an eternal repose; gigantic moose antlers poking out of the ground; even the rib cages of a few bears. Of note were the remains of a small wolf pack he'd spotted nearby bearing the markings of their last battle on their bones consisting of shattered fangs, bite marks upon limbs, all proof that they hadn't gone down without a fight.
Signs of death were everywhere in the Squirrelfolk territory, so much so that Squirrelfolk spellcasters had displayed a penchant for necromancy. Indeed, all it'd take to ruin their day was one particularly skilled and bad-tempered Squirrelfolk necromancer to sic an army of the dead upon them. Though Naruto was certain that everyone in the party was capable of handling themselves, it really wouldn't do if they had to survive a night of battling the reanimated dead.
And yet, life still flourished in this place of death. Blackberries the color of the deepest, darkest pit; blueberries a vibrant shade of indigo like the midnight sky; raspberries and strawberries a vibrant bloody red; and that was before one considered the number of wildflowers that grew here. Unsurprisingly, a lot of foragers were not wanting for work in this part of the wood, given how much they could pick. The relationship with Mother Nature had always been of give-and-take, and this was made all the clearer by the fact that several of these delectable berries, some of the most beautiful flowers, even the tallest trees fed off the remains of the dead within plain view.
Close by, he saw the titanic skeletal remains of a bear looming over his murine form like some god of the forest…a titan among the bones scattered about in the graveyard, a patch of flowers growing under its rib cage, each budding flower an imitation of fur. Even in his murine form, Naruto estimated that the bones of this particular bear were too large and heavy to belong to a mama bear…very likely a male. Still, curiosity won out as he experimentally touched the incisor of the bear's bleached skull with his mouse paw, Naruto felt a sudden surge of power flooding his senses so suddenly that he recoiled out of shock.
"What the…" Kurama barked in his mind, the jolt having snapped the fox out of its slumber.
"You felt that?" Naruto asked mentally, thankful that he hadn't drawn the attention of his party members. The jōnin commanders aside, he had no idea how the genin of both the search party and Team Gai would react to the knowledge he contained the Kyūbi no Yoko within him
"Yeah," Kurama confirmed.
"And…?" Naruto pressed.
"I'd have to see these critters alive to be sure, but the fact remains: none of these creatures are ordinary." admitted the fox, "In fact, much as I hate to admit it, but these animals are powerful enough that they might as well have been Bijū if they were still alive."
To elicit such a response from Kurama, the bear had to have been powerful in life. Was this creature a Calamity Beast? One of those beasts that heralded the change of seasons, these elemental embodiments of nature that the Animalfolk of Bloomburrow feared?
"Something wrong, Naruto?" Yamato asked, his voice almost a croak thanks to his transformation into a red-eyed tree frog.
"There's a lot of power remaining in these bones," Naruto explained, "Makes me wonder how powerful these creatures must've been when they were alive."
"Best not to test that," Yamato advised, "Besides, we have a job to do."
Naruto nodded in agreement. The destroyed food stash had to be located somewhere in this region…and quite frankly, what better place to hide something valuable than to stash it in a graveyard? Especially considering that it was fairly easy to keep supplies in a food stash topped up in this morbid forager's paradise.
The six of them searched the woods for a good half hour, until they heard a shriek ripping through the air, startling the two teams.
Six Squirrelfolk leaped from the bushes, terror in their eyes as they ran in their direction.
"CALAMITY BEAST! CALAMITY BEAST!" one of them shrieked, getting closer, "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! A CALAMITY BEAST IS COMING!"
Before anyone could ask exactly what was going on, a titanic form pounced from the bushes, and snapped up a Squirrelfolk from the ground. The unfortunate victim struggled in its jaws, before it tossed the squirrel into the air and swallowed him in a single gulp. Satisfied for now, it stared at the gathering of transformed Shinobi that were staring back up at it.
Its body emanated an unearthly muted teal glow, with darkened fog emanating from its darkened fur like a ghost. To be sure, it was a very large creature, being about the size of an adult dragon…about as tall as a three-story building in comparison to everyone's diminutive animal forms. The creature had an overall canine body plan, but its features were too sharp and feral for a domestic dog, its body was far more lupine, but Naruto eyeballed its frame to be too small and slim to be a true wolf. It was more coyote than outright wolf.
Everyone flew through hand seals, while Naruto gathered mana while drawing Yami-ō from its sheath. Black mana was still unavailable to him, as he hadn't unlocked this color yet…but there was an abundance of Green mana in the area for him to take full advantage of. Mono-green magic it was then…at least the odds were better here than in Nami no Kuni, where he had to make extra effort to gather Green mana.
…
[Unknown Location]
The Sand Siblings and Baki had never seen anything like it.
Everywhere they went, they saw banners flying crests that consisted of a strange emblem superimposed in front of an open book, all set on a two-tone red and white livery. The buildings themselves looked like they came from another era…as if they had stumbled upon an archaeological dig site. Dominating their view was a deep fissure in the ground, with buildings placed precariously atop tall spires; cutting across the pit was a long, stone bridge. One thing they knew, however, was that they were in a desert…the place may have been foreign to them, but there was no mistaking the sun-scorched climate, nor the dryness of the sands that crunched beneath their feet.
As they strolled in the city of ruins, the Sand Siblings saw various people going about their business. Elephant-people towering over short and stout humans, owl-people sitting overhead poring through lengths of parchment, and of course normal humans of all varieties. All of them united by the red and white they wore on their attire. White robes with red trim over leather armor with golden metal plates, red vests over white shirts, and everyone carried scrolls on their person. Were it not for the sheer variety in their attire, they would've mistaken the locale to be a sort of Hokage convention. All in all, they looked exactly like that strange-looking individual who defeated Gaara, the one who changed his outlook in life…Uzumaki Naruto.
The hustle and bustle of the crowd revealed snippets of what kind of place they'd found themselves in.
"I'm sorry, my watch is broken, may I ask what time it is?" asked a desperate elephant-person, trunk moving with every word, "I've got a Cryptorelicology exam coming up, and I can't afford to miss it!"
"Great! I'll see you in class soon!" said a dark-skinned human in red leather armor, "Just as soon as I'm done plumbing the depths of the pit."
"Are you keeping up with your martial arts practice for Applied Hoplology?" an owl-person asked, feathers ruffling as shook his head, "Professor Cao's not gonna like it when he finds out you've been slacking while he's gone!"
"Oh no, my parents are gonna kill me for getting an 'F' in my anthropology exam!" whined a short and stout human.
"Has anyone seen Professor Ghostforge anywhere?" asked a red-skinned humanoid, "I've got something I wanna show him!"
While they were unsure of exactly what the people surrounding them were talking about, the snippets of dialogue that they managed to catch implied that they were in a place of learning.
The mission they had to investigate the desert for clues to a new bandit gang's hiding place had led them to an oasis. Who would have thought the mission would take them to the place where the vigilante statue had started its killing spree on bandits. Their entry into the portal had taken them to this apparent educational institute, with students focused on their daily lives…no doubt worried about their grades in class instead of the possibility of a war.
And yet, scars of war were evident in this land. Craters marred the land from explosions, remnants of blood -and oil!- splatter, as well as demolished buildings. And yet, the destruction only served as practice to several of the students and the apparent professors, all of whom Gaara saw using some sort of Jutsu to repair any and all damages inflicted upon them. Whatever they did to repair the destruction, these people in red and white were able to fix buildings as if they were literally winding back the clock on them.
"And who do we have here?" boomed a voice from behind.
The Sand Siblings and Baki were startled by the huge frame that stood behind them. The speaker was a tall humanoid with green skin in a red, high-collared jacket over a white and gold-accented shirt as a counterpoint. He wore brazen pauldrons in the shape of tented open books on his shoulders, and even carried a massive textbook and a pair of scrolls at his waist. In his hand, he carried a gnarled cane…which made sense considering that his eyes were pearly-white from blindness, and his slender muscular frame had the wrinkles of old age. His large nose was flat against his bearded face, framed with long hair that was decorated in brass ferrules that gave the appearance of scrolls…if he'd had horns, the Gaara would've mistaken this individual for an oni, as he had a pair of prominent fangs peeking from his lower lip.
The old oni took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Interdimensional visitors? Here on campus? And the subtle hints of your scent is somewhat familiar…yet completely different."
Baki was quick to take control of the situation, his tone civil to avoid offending the oni. "I'm sorry, mister…"
"Plargg," answered the oni gruffly, his attention upon Baki, "I'm the dean around these parts, meaning that the teachers answer to me."
"Plargg" Baki replied, testing the name, "If I may, would you please tell me about this place."
"You are in Lorehold College," explained Plargg, "One of five campuses in Strixhaven University. If you're here, I can only imagine that you're here to enroll these kids into our school."
"We came here investigating rumors of a new bandit gang forming, and found a portal that took us here," Baki supplied, "Our arrival was merely out of curiosity."
Gaara stared at the old orc, as he stroked his beard in thought. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to remember exactly who your scent reminds me of and…" Plargg's voice had trailed until realization had crossed his wizened features. "Uzumaki Naruto! That's right! Your scent reminds me somewhat of Uzumaki Naruto!"
Upon hearing mention of that name, Gaara's eyes widened in shock. "Why do you know that name?"
The oni's pearly blind eyes bored into Gaara. "He was a student here in our humble institution, of course…before he started gallivanting across the multiverse on an odyssey to find his way home. Why do you know that name?"
"He defeated me in battle, and changed my outlook in life," Gaara admitted.
Plargg snorted in amusement. "So he found his way home after all. I have no doubt that the boy is still shaping his own story as he should."
"What are you talking about?" Gaara asked, "What story?"
"You'll have to ask him that when you see him again, boy," Plargg replied, "It is his story to share…but I have no doubt that when the day death finally comes to claim him, he will have penned a grand epic with his life. I look forward to seeing what stories he'll tell as a spirit…what lessons he will teach to the generations that follow."
Plargg turned away. "I've an office to run. If you're interested in signing up for classes, you may follow me—otherwise, I would advise you to leave the way you came."
"And why would anyone want to come to this school?" Baki challenged, stopping the dean in his tracks.
"To prevent the onset of stagnation," Plargg replied simply, as though stating the obvious, "Perhaps the curriculum covered in Lorehold does not apply directly to your world, but all education helps to build a future. And besides, I had said that this college is only one of five here in Strixhaven; if delving into the past is not for you, then there are other colleges that might agree with your view of the future. Follow the line of light towers across the bridge, and you'll find yourselves at the center of the university; the counselors there will get you sorted. But if you are still not convinced, and you still believe that you need no education, then I'd advise you to leave the way you came; it's not polite to disturb the students while they are preparing for class, and I will not suffer wasted time."
…
[Elsewhere in Bloomburrow]
Maud yawned, her fangs bared as the badger napped not long after the changing of the guard, not even bothered by the thunderous footfalls of the walking hedge they'd used as a vehicle. Her support team of badgers took turns watching over them, while playing a sort of board game that'd get Shikamaru interested.
Throughout their trip, Hinata had noted the guards changing hands. First Maud and her badgers, then the black squirrel with the paddle studded with glass shards identified as Wisteria and her retinue of squirrel warriors. After that, a brown-furred rabbit archer Ciaran with an iron carrot for a sword and a longbow, with a team of rabbit archers on hand. Once Ciaran and his archers were done with their shift, it was back to Maud and her badgers. There were no raccoons among the guards; given the fact that raccoons lived in walking topiaries, it was very likely because they were necessary as the 'drivers' of this chariot as it were.
Always in fours, and always the best fighters…and for good reason: of the Shinobi who had been apprehended by Maud and her crew, Hinata and Hanabi put up the best fight. While Hinata and Hanabi's chakra drained like a sieve, they were able to last a little longer than everyone else by a few seconds, their Jūken strikes managing to take out a few of their adversaries nonlethally before they too tired out from the chakra drain. The male badger with the rock-headed hammer however, seemed a little friendlier, but still not one that Hinata wanted to get on the bad side of…not after he slammed hers and Hanabi's heads together to knock them out.
Neither she nor her twin sister had a timepiece on hand…the faint ticking of a wristwatch's gears could very easily be picked up by a sensor ninja with sensitive hearing, and so no Shinobi went into battle wearing one for fear of being detected. Given that this world of Bloomburrow was populated entirely by animal-people, it was probably a good thing that they didn't bring watches…it was likely that at least some of the people of this world might be able to hear their timepieces. It wasn't accurate, but observation was the only tool they had in their belt to measure time. By Hinata's observation, the guard rotation took place a little too frequently for it to be an hour, but not so frequently that it was every five minutes or so. By her estimation, the changing of the guard happened every twenty to thirty minutes…which meant that between the time of their capture and now, they'd been traveling for around two and a half hours and some change.
Hinata looked towards the leporid form of Hanabi, the twins sharing a silent conversation with each other. A nod towards Maud's slumbering form was all it took for the younger Hyūga twin to get the message—after taking her glance and thinking for a moment, Hanabi's response was to nod in the negative. Hinata raised her hands, a slight tilt and her expression communicated the question mark over her head before Hanabi glanced upward and pointed her finger in the same direction. Looking upward and following Hanabi's finger, Hinata immediately spotted the bats who were sleeping overhead, dangling over the Shinobi like furry brown pears. One of them yawned, revealing a set of razor-sharp teeth for chomping on insects, their ears twitched for the slightest hint of a breakout…no doubt ready to alert Maud, who would in turn alert the mercenaries should they attempt to escape. Doubly so given the wooden bell that was hovering over her shoulder; a frantic ringing of the bell would cause the improvised convoy to stop right where they were, sending reinforcements into the hedge.
The sudden halt of the footfalls had informed Hinata that they'd stopped.
"Sunnova…and I'd just started my nap too," groaned Maud, stretching before looking up at the bats. "Lucca! Nero! Time to get to work!"
The bats both yawned and spread their wings. "You got it, boss!" replied one of the bats.
The twin bats spread their wings, fluttering out of an opening in the mobile shrubbery. Left to their own devices, Maud and her crew took the opportunity to stretch…the cracking of bones filling the air as they warmed up. "I hope you ladies and gents have thought long and hard on your life choices by now," said Maud, unholstering her turnip-headed mace and using it for stretches before putting it back in her frog, "we're close to the meeting place our employers told us; now you're gonna…"
Maud was interrupted by the rapidfire calls of "boss!" that increased in clarity by the second. Hinata detected a frantic tone in the speakers' voices…and the fact that they were coming through the 'window' and were mixed in with the fluttering of wings told her that the bat twins had returned. And not with good news.
Maud looked up, and found the bat twins Lucca and Nero (Hinata wasn't sure which was which) diving through the window, their wingbeats frantic as they tried to catch their breath.
"Boss! It's bad!" started one bat.
"Real bad!" continued the other.
"We went to the meeting place to announce your arrival…" continued the first bat.
"…but we saw no squirrels!" added the second bat.
"But we did see signs that a Calamity Beast was in the area!" both bats finished at the same time.
"Ah dammit!" Maud cursed, "That's gonna be trouble! Looks like our bosses are gonna need rescuing. Did you find them?"
"No, but we did hear the sounds of battle in the distance…a buncha Animalfolk are fighting them!" replied one of the bats.
"Great, more pursuers," Maud added, "Looks like you people on the other side of the portal are a lot more persistent than I realized."
"Let us out!" Kakashi called out, turning everyone's attention to him, "We can fight!"
"And let you guys arrest us afterwards?" Maud challenged, stomping towards Kakashi's cage, "Tevis must've conked you on the head harder than I thought. You do remember that your silly little weaving arts don't work here?"
"Do you really think you can afford to not take us up on my offer?" Kakashi replied, "Whatever it is that's got you all scared, you are going to need all the help you can get!"
Maud stared at Kakashi with no small amount of animus, but Hinata saw the way the gears in her head turned. That Kakashi was wearing his hitai-ate over his eye told her that he was using his own charisma to try and convince her to set them free.
"Let 'em out," she finally commanded, raising a hand before a badger with a battleaxe could protest, "They wanna help, let them. What do we have to lose?"
"You heard the boss, cut 'em loose!" replied Battleaxe.
The four badgers lumbered onto the branches, cutting the two shinobi teams free. After returning Kakashi's tantō and Sasuke's chokutō to their respective owners, Teams Kakashi and Kurenai were released from captivity, the bonds holding their cages cut. It was very heartwarming to see Akamaru and Kiba reunited. Kurenai was cut free from her bonds, hissing both in relief and menace at her captors before joining her teams. The insect repellent sticks were removed from Shino's prison, allowing him to walk out and stretch…no doubt overjoyed that his fleas were allowed to breathe again.
"We're letting you go to help us out." She then bared her fangs in a predatory grin. "After that, it looks like we're going in for round two…assuming we survive this."
"This also assumes your bosses are still alive."
Maud let out a hearty chuckle. "Looks like we're in for a wild ride either way." She then turned her attention to the bats. "Tell Vee and the drivers to head towards the meeting place; we're gonna be doing battle with a Calamity Beast!"
…
[Squirrelfolk Territory]
The battle between Teams Yamato and Gai in their diminutive animal forms against the gigantic coyote of mist had begun with both teams on the defense as the coyote charged them.
Naruto and Yamato worked together to create a woven wooden wall to slow the beast's charge. The coyote broke through the barrier, but its momentum was slowed, allowing Naruto to join Haku, Tenten, and Hyōhime in peppering it with long-range attacks. Neji, Gai, and Lee stayed behind as their defense, while Yamato aided by hampering the beast's movements.
The fight had quickly devolved into a brutal slog almost from the very beginning, leaving Naruto, along with Tenten and Hyōhime, as well as Lee and Gai doing most of the fighting. Throughout the fight, Naruto had noted that much of both teams gradually lost stamina much faster as they used their Jutsu. Not only this, but he also noted the inefficiency of the Jutsu cast - Yamato's Mokuton, for example, seemed anemic compared to back in their home plane, his contribution to the woven wooden wall being full of holes. Had Naruto not summoned a wood wall in conjunction using a Green mana cantrip, the coyote's charge would not have been blunted.
Rock Lee and Gai had less trouble being Taijutsu masters, but even they were winded after a while, their movements becoming sluggish and their strikes losing power. If Naruto had to guess, it was because both Rock Lee and Gai were not as reliant on chakra to win most of their fights…to his understanding, the only technique that Lee used that was even remotely chakra-based was to open the Hachimon. However, the lack of manpower meant that both Lee and Gai had, much like everyone else, had to pick up much of the slack in actually damaging the coyote.
Out of everyone in Team Gai, Neji had the most trouble trying to wield his clan's trademark Jūken techniques, being drained almost as soon as the fight started. The same was true of Haku and her Hyōton jutsu…but between her and Neji, her drain was far slower, possibly due to the fact that she wasn't wielding a dōjutsu.
Tenten, however, relied mostly on weapon-throwing and unsealing her weapons, but Naruto was quick to note that her Sōshōryū no Jutsu required her to use chakra in order to keep her in midair, and so even she was getting winded. And Hyōhime was largely an archer, with a number of archery-based jutsu…including her trademark "Yashigure no Jutsu" wherein she was able to turn one arrow into a hundred. While both were largely ranged damage-dealers, they both had to be more conservative with their chakra expenditure, no doubt because they noticed what was going on with everyone, as well as experiencing the faster chakra drain for themselves. All in all, it was as if this world were actively penalizing the Shinobi for using their Jutsu. Perhaps this was what it was like on the day of Kurama's incursion—a day that should have been one of celebration in Naruto's life became a day that gave him bad memories of his birthday.
Whatever had happened at the start of the fight had caused much of both Team Yamato and Team Gai to tire out faster. By his estimation, they should not have used up as much chakra as they did, and yet for some reason, much of both teams had suffered from chakra exhaustion relatively quickly. Naruto's reliance on mana, and Tenten and Hyōhime's focus on ranged combat were their only saving grace. It was also due to the decrease in numbers that Naruto had to compensate by summoning creatures using only Green mana as a base…largely to protect their recovering teammates. For this reason, he was able to summon an Old Ghastbark just in time to protect his comrades from the coyote's attempts to get at them as they tried to recover their chakra. The treefolk warrior from the double-faced plane of Lorwyn (or Shadowmoor, depending the phase) was not a very efficient attacker due to its slower speed, especially because -as it was very literally a sapient tree!- it was rooted to the ground. It was, however, still a very big and tough defender, being able to block the coyote's attacks and punch back with its limbs. It was also the first creature that Naruto could think of that could very easily defend the recovering teammates.
Naruto used a Green cantrip to encase Hyōhime in a tough cage of gnarled roots, just in time to save her from a bite by the coyote. Lee and Gai tag-teamed to punch the coyote across the face, providing her with an opening to fire an electrified arrow at the attacker, while Tenten threw her blades at full force to try and deal appreciable damage to it. Despite keeping their Jutsu usage to a minimum, Naruto was quick to note that even they were getting tired out…possibly due to whatever it was that was hampering their ability to use chakra. Before long, he would be the only fighter left among everyone else, as he was using mana this whole time…doubly so as there was plenty of Green mana in the area to borrow, which meant that he didn't need to dip into his mana reservoir.
As if realizing who the true threat was among the gathering of animals before it, the coyote made a beeline for Naruto, designating him as a priority target.
In response, Naruto gathered White mana from his inner-realm—luckily, it was cheap as far as mana concerned, but it still drew upon his inner reservoir of mana.
"Boon of Safety!"
Naruto created a barrier of light that stopped the coyote's pounce in midair, knocking it back. As it recovered, the barrier shattered like glass; not a good defense, but more than strong enough to buy him time and space to pursue the coyote and slash at its ankle with Yami-ō. The tachi had shrunk to match its owner's size, allowing Naruto a good grip on the handle for the leverage needed for a power-strike. The edge of his tachi sliced through mist-shrouded fur—it wasn't a devastating cut, but it was more than enough to cause pain to the elemental.
The coyote howled in pain, before attempting to snap at Naruto with enough speed that he was barely able to use a Green mana to create a duplicate of himself as a diversion, creating space needed to evade the attack. He'd left the site of the attack just in time to watch his doppelganger explode into splinters as the coyote bit into it, giving Tenten and Hyōhime a chance to pepper it with more projectiles. After spitting out a piece of wood, the elemental beast glared daggers at him.
Naruto readied Yami-ō in one hand and Green mana in the other, ready to fight back as the coyote pounced when a massive form crashed through the forest. He watched what could only be described as a walking topiary barrelled into the battleground, tackling the coyote. The impact of the tackle was enough to send the canid flying, smashing into a tree trunk.
The multi-legged topiary lowered its legs, allowing a menagerie of Animalfolk to disembark…their evident leader a battle-scarred badger in gnarled root armor wielding a turnip-headed mace. However, they were quickly joined by the gathering of Teams Kakashi and Kurenai, who teamed up with said menagerie.
Between the reinforcements that had just arrived, the Old Ghastbark that Naruto had summoned, and the walking topiary's intervention, the coyote knew it had been defeated. Knowing that it was outnumbered, it let out a howl of anger and dissipated into mist as dark as its fur leaving behind the grey squirrel it had swallowed in a single gulp, dazed but barely worse for wear.
"Looks like we got here just in time," noted the badger with the turnip mace, "Shame too, was lookin' forward to takin' on a Calamity Beast…even a lesser one like that Driftgloom Coyote you guys were just fighting."
Naruto lowered his blade. "If that thing is 'lesser', I'd hate to see what you guys consider a 'greater' Calamity Beast."
"Well, it looks like we came all this way for nothing," replied the badger, turning her attention to the Shinobi, "That said, all sixteen of you came all this way to arrest the twenty-six of us. We've still got good odds against you."
Naruto had a pretty good idea what she meant. This badger was the leader of the supermarket raiders who robbed the supermarkets near Senju Park. She was also right; experience had taught him that while quality was a force-multiplier, in the end, it was quantity that won fights…especially when said quality was dented by weariness. Add to this, aside from himself, the majority of the Shinobi sent to arrest the raiders depended on chakra…which meant that due to the increased chakra drain they'd likely all experience, he'd be the only one capable of fighting them all.
"Stand down, Maud." commanded a mellifluous tone behind Teams Gai and Yamato, belonging to the grey squirrel.
As she walked past the two Shinobi teams, he got a better look at the squirrel they rescued. Naruto noted that she was dressed like a scholar—her leathery robes looked like they'd been made with leaves, though they were still arranged in a manner as to look high-class. And much like her people, her attire incorporated the use of bones…specifically, squirrel skull pauldrons, a rib cage corset, and rib cage spikes attached to her tail. She didn't look like the sort that could handle herself in a straight-up fight, but there was no denying that she was made of iron…given the capabilities of the squirrels, Naruto would not at all have been surprised if she was a highly skilled necromancer.
"You do realize that we're gonna be facing jail time on their side of the portal if we let them go, don't you, Willow?" the badger countered, looking down at the squirrel, "We can take them on!"
"And I have no doubt you'll win," Willow argued, "After that, you'll take them on again and again, until one of these days they send in a party that finally catches, if not kills you. I know you're not going to go down without a fight Maud, that's the way you are—but we all knew that we'd have to face the music with them one day for our thefts…might as well do so now."
Maud looked at the Shinobi teams, a thoughtful look on her face as she considered her options. "Much as I hate to admit it, the boss-lady's right…I may win this time, but you're gonna keep sending bodies our way until you do arrest us. But I'm also not the sort that likes to go down without a fight; doesn't sit right with me to just surrender. So how about this: a non-lethal duel, right here, right now—your best fighter versus my best fighter. No weaving, no tricks, skill against skill alone. I win, you guys go home…but if you win, we surrender and turn ourselves in. Simple?"
"I'll do it," Gai barked, his answer coming before Naruto could volunteer himself, "I may be tired, but I'm still youthful and ready for a fight."
He came to a stop before Maud, who then looked up and down at Gai, before grinning at him. "Well aren't you a handsome devil? I've always wanted to fight badger-to-badger. You want a fist-fight, I'm assuming?"
"You know it." Gai answered assuredly.
"Y'know what? You're so handsome, let's up the stakes: if I win, the rest of you can leave…but your badger-friend here will stay here as my personal manservant." Her tone took on a flirtatious edge as she regarded Gai, who looked flustered. "And I'll show you the…perks of such a position if you'll let me."
The flirtatious wink she fired at Gai had come as such a surprise that Naruto thought the jōnin's fur took on a pinkish tinge…mostly from embarrassment. The moment was brief, but the jōnin-turned-badger managed to get himself into an orthodox fighting stance, Maud doing the same.
The duel had commenced with an exchange of punches and kicks. Gai had retained his agility from when he was human, but Maud had turned out to be far more agile than her natural badger bulk suggested. That said, the fight was still close due to the fact that Gai had been tired out from the earlier encounter with the Driftgloom Coyote, but he was still able to execute a good set of flurries. Maud's agility meant that she was able to meet him blow-for-blow, reducing the effect of Gai's punches and kicks by taking them on her shoulders and back before countering.
After more than three minutes of exchanging blows, the duel had gone on without interruption. Both fighters were winded, though Maud appeared to be drawing strength from the fight while Gai's exhaustion became more pronounced. In the end, it came down to a single move. Maud moved in, ready to dole out another flurry of punches before Gai ducked, her belly to his shoulder and both hands gripping onto her legs. Gai's badger-legs powered his ability to lift Maud off her feet, before slamming her back to the floor—with his opponent taken down, he was quick to sprawl over her, knees pinning her down by her shoulders, fist ready to come down on her face.
"Do you surrender?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I surrender." Maud grumbled, her expression brightening as he helped her up, "That said, nice move, handsome."
"Y…you weren't bad yourself." Gai replied, unsure of what to think.
The mission to apprehend Maud and her supermarket raiders, along with their employer Willow, was a success. Now all they had to do was get back home.
…
[Somewhere in Hi no Kuni]
Finally!
Jiraiya had found exactly what he was looking for!
The so-called "Omenpath" that would have led to Ravnica—the supposed 'sprawling ecumenopolis' that the angel Eliana was said to hail from. The rift into the world took on a triangular shape, like a triangular hole that was rent into reality then hung in place for anyone to enter.
Whatever this thing was, wherever it went, it was a threat to the tenuous stability of this world. He would have to find ways to close it…even if he had to grill Naruto on how exactly that could be achieved. And yet, he had a feeling that this was a door that, once opened, can never be closed—still, he had to try, the stability of the world depended on it.
As he looked into the swirling rift contained within the triangle, he felt that pull towards it…the desire to walk in and explore the world on the other side. He had to tamp it down with his sense of duty, for after seeing this portal with his own eyes, he knew then and there that there was no killing the curiosity that had grown from a seed to a tree in an instant.
Jiraiya turned away, pulled out a scroll from a pocket and unfurled it to reveal a map of Hi no Kuni. He'd been marking his progress ever since he started his search in the outskirts of Tanzaku Gai…not even the flaming golem that was Cao had detracted him from his mission to gather intel. Taking out a brush, he marked the location of the Omenpath to Ravnica.
His job done, Jiraiya put the map away, then made a beeline towards Konoha…he needed to get there fast, before that desire to walk into that portal engulfed him.
…
A/N: And we're done.
I don't think it was a satisfactory fight episode, but at least it's done.
That said, I'd like to hear what you think might be a fitting punishment for Tsunade to sentence Maud and her crew…as well as Willow. So far, I'm betting they're either gonna be put in a zoo, or they're gonna be put to work to reimburse those supermarkets they knocked over.
There will be more visits to the Omenpaths, and more opportunity to have everyone in Shinobu be humbled by just how vast the multiverse is. So far, the only nation we haven't seen interacting with an Omenpath is Kirigakure, and by extension Mizu no Kuni. But rest assured, they're gonna get their chance to visit…I just gotta figure out who to send to the Multiverse next, and where to send them.
In any case, you can be guaranteed that Naruto's going to attend his first Chūnin Exams…albeit in Sunagakure. That's right, he's going to the Ma no Sabaku (Demon Desert, to the Uninitiated), the only question I'm wondering is when.
…
Vocabulary/Translations/Notes:
None today.
…
Cards used:
Driftgloom Coyote {3}{White}{White}—Creature - Elemental Coyote
Power/Toughness: 3/4
When Driftgoom Coyote enters, exile target creature an opponent controls until this creature leaves the battlefield. If that creature had 2 power or less, put a 1/1 counter on this creature
…
Old Ghastbark {3}{Green/White}{Green/White}—Creature - Treefolk Warrior
Power/Toughness: 3/6
…
Boon of Safety {White}—Instant
Put a shield counter on target creature. (If it would be dealt damaged or destroyed, remove a shield counter from it instead)
Scry 1.