Exploiting a loophole or downright cheating - that was a ninja attitude. When in Rome, after all.
"Wait a minute," said Naruto as they were sitting in a hotspring and relaxing. "We're avoiding a group of S-Rank Missing-nin and going TO an entire village of missing-nin?"
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "I told you I put up privacy seals so we can speak without being overheard. Even so, don't raise your voice - they aren't THAT strong."
"I know you're old but I didn't think you were senile," said Naruto.
Jiraiya sighed. "Okay. I still don't know that much about Akatsuki or WHY they want the Tailed Beasts. All I have are a few rumors and possibly misheard comments. I do know that the main group is composed of S-Rank criminal missing-nin. Tell me - is every missing-nin going to be an S-Rank criminal? Is every criminal going to be one that crosses the line into monster category?"
"They aren't?" asked Naruto.
Jiraiya lay back in the hot waters and closed his eyes. "No. The vast majority of criminals justify themselves in their own way. Bandits turn to banditry because it's an easy path to wealth, or so they tell themselves. Or because they don't like to take orders or have problems with local authorities or something along those lines. Some are just plain desperate. Some villages, like Kiri and Iwa, treat failure on a mission as tantamount to being a traitor. I know of at least one Kirigakure missing-nin who just couldn't handle a mission where she'd been ordered to kill not a local politician but all members of his family. Including the children. Because it would hurt that politician more and send a message to his supporters."
"Ah," said Naruto, wondering if he'd ever get a mission like that and if he could do that.
"In fact, she's one of those in this village. One of my contacts in the spy network. Which is one reason I'm going to introduce you." Jiraiya shifted around a little as he felt muscles relax in the hot spring. "Genin level and not really that important in the scheme of things. After five years, Kiri dropped the reward for her head as they had more important matters."
"But a whole village of 'em?" asked Naruto.
"Most of them have stories like that," said Jiraiya. "Or they're petty criminals who got caught and were run out of town. Or they were of clans that didn't get recruited into the hidden village system or just didn't like the choices back then."
"Why not?" asked Naruto.
"Some didn't trust any of the Kage at that point," said Jiraiya. "Some didn't like the way the villages were run or couldn't let go of grudges against one of the clans that DID join a village. And so forth and so on."
"That really doesn't explain much," grumbled Naruto.
"We're heading to a village of criminals and lowlifes, where we will be in disguise but almost everyone else will be as well," said Jiraiya. "So practice your henge. You'll need to be able to maintain it for a decent period of time."
"That technique?" asked Naruto.
"There's a reason they teach those three techniques in the Academy," said Jiraiya. "Henge, Kawarimi, and Bunshin. Those three techniques alone can give you a chance to survive even against much more powerful opponents."
"But you can't hurt anyone with those," noted Naruto.
"They're not about attacking anyone, they're about getting away," said Jiraiya. "Against a much more powerful opponent, running away is very often a perfectly reasonable and valid option."
"So why here first?" asked Naruto.
"Because if someone is looking for us, they're looking for you and me. They won't be looking for a party of three," said Jiraiya.
"Someone's coming with us?" asked Naruto.
Jiraiya held up a tag and sent a pulse of chakra into it. The seal glowed with a yellow-orange light briefly. "They'll be here shortly. I just sent a signal to a matched tag in their possession. A contact of mine whom I rescued from certain death that involved a whole lot of classified details."
"Yeah, right," said Naruto.
"Not only classified, but I have trouble believing it and I went through it," said Jiraiya. "When and if you make Hokage - you'll have access to the file then."
"No 'if' - I will, believe it," responded Naruto, though there was a bit of curiosity in his voice at this point.
The door shuffed open, and someone else entered the bathing area.
Naruto eyed the newcomer, then Jiraiya. He noted Jiraiya had half-opened one eye and looked at the towel-clad figure settling into the spring a few feet away. Then that eye met Naruto's and there was a slight nod.
Naruto tried to act like he wasn't studying the other bather, but he didn't pull it off.
This was, in fact:
(Posted Sat, 25 Apr 2015 05:17)
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