Actually, the whole thing was kind of silly as far as Toltiir was concerned. So he'd changed things.
It was still called Hoshigakure, it was a valley within a mountain range, and it was property that nobody had really wanted on the border of two other kingdoms. Then the meteor had crashed and things had changed.
Now instead of some chakra-based radiation thing, and a meteor the size of a child's head, the meteor had exploded overhead, with a single surviving chunk driven deep underground.
Instead of chakra amplification though, it was entirely different. Everyone who manifested a ninja power had a single power that they could use - an entire village where no two people had exactly the same talent. If one LEFT the valley though, the power would begin diminishing immediately. Within a month, they'd be forever powerless. Unable to regain those powers even if they spent their whole life never crossing the borders again. If they left and then returned to the village before their power had run out - it would eventually recover. Probably.
That made Hoshigakure enormously powerful but enormously limited. While it was true that Deneb could make plants grow to enormous size, since she couldn't do anything about getting them to market or use it offensively beyond their borders - that meant relying on others. Seven foot long carrots that tasted just like small carrots though, they DID sell. Especially if Altair used HIS ability to slow decay rates.
So Hoshigakure would not figure into the Great Shinobi Nations thing, though they justifiably thought of themselves as pretty darn special and people weren't likely to invade. Any ninjas sent into the area would likely be found and turned back, any armies crushed, but they also couldn't invade anyone else.
Then there was the Land Of Iron and its samurai. Or any number of other groups out there. Pirates, techies, ranchers, martial arts restaurant owners, and so on and so forth.
All of which was beside the point, considering what was going on THERE.
"The secret of the Hyuga clan women is that they," began Hiashi Hyuga, "is that they mature early and develop fairly... well."
"Well?" asked Naruto.
"Yes," said Hiashi Hyuga, taking a deep breath and letting out slowly. "They develop...well. Oh and that they are sexually insatiable."
"Eh?" asked Naruto, well aware that her FATHER was discussing such with a potential suitor.
"That's not all of course," said Hiashi, his manner suggesting he was talking more to himself than anyone else. "Once they choose a mate, that's it. If you ever show the least bit of affection in return, they'll latch on and you'll never be rid of them."
"Errr," said Naruto, backing away slightly.
"And with the Byakugan, if you ever have an affair - she'll know about that," continued Hiashi.
"Did I leave the stove on or something?" asked Naruto as he backed away from the clan elder who was apparently addressing the rising moon.
"Of course, if she's anything like my wife was, she won't be particularly jealous. No, far worse, she'll join in," said Hiashi. "And if you DON'T have an affair, she might arrange something."
"Uhm, yeah," said Naruto, continuing to inch away.
"By all the gods, the triplet lingerie models!" said Hiashi, clutching his heart. "Strawberry syrup! Not to mention the marshmallows!"
Naruto twitched, trying not to let his imagination go there. Trying not to ask.
"Or the little chocolate coated malted milk balls," said Hiashi Hyuga. "Are you up to such challenges, young gennin?"
"I don't think so," said Naruto, who had previously thought his Centerfold Jutsu was risque and was now realizing that it might simply remind people of things that caused his imagination to veer over a cliff and crash in some dark abyss.
"Wise, very wise," said Hiashi, nodding. "Very well, Naruto. Try to keep from awakening that monster that is the sex drive of the Hyuga clan females, at least until the proper time and when there are no missions for at least a couple of weeks. Awaken it at your own peril."
"That's because while things around the Springs might be damaged, even you with your abilities can't destroy the Springs themselves," said the old woman as she poked at the cookfire. "What would be the point of keeping the young ones around here to die needlessly trying to defend easily replaceable things?"
"You heard about the others then," said Itachi. It was not a question, merely confirming something he'd suspected as soon as he'd noticed the area had been abandoned at the first sight of his approach.
"True," said the old woman, now picking up a long spoon to stir the broth.
"Why did you remain then? Expendable?" asked Kisame with a sneer.
"Me? I'm just an old frail woman too slow to be able to get out of the way of such great warriors as yourselves," said the old woman with a chuckle.
"Besides, you're in the middle of making a red sauce and at this stage if you simply left - it'd burn to the sides of the pan," noted Itachi. Not that he bought the 'frail old woman' excuse.
"Well, that too," admitted the old woman.
"The great power that you guard is NOT one of the jinch?riki," stated Itachi.
"Oh my no," admitted the old woman. "Not one of THOSE at all. It's the Spring itself that contains great power."
"Great power huh?" asked Kisame, his sharklike features giving him a great sneer. "If you drink it, does it do anything special?"
"No, drinking it is quite safe," said the old woman. "However, if you bathe in its waters - it will change your life forever."
"Oh?" asked Kisame. "It bestows its power upon those who bathe in it?"
"No," said Itachi. "If it did, they wouldn't have fled at the sight of us."
"You're also making a mistake, but it's a common one," said the old woman, pausing in the stirring of her pot. "We're not here to guard the spring. We're here to guard the unwary FROM the spring."
"I see," said Itachi.
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(Posted Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:57)
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