"Oh, sorry Yzma. I was just checking with my minions."
Yzma frowned at that little reminder that her butler/cook/minion had a summoning contract and therefore minions of his own. Even if they were squirrels, rats, gophers, and similar critters. "I need to know what is going on as far as my plans."
"Well, they've been out causing chaos and general mischief," said Kronk. "They've trashed Naruto's apartment, but, uhm, how do I put this?"
"Yes?" asked Yzma.
"It was already pretty trashed before they got there," said Kronk. "There were casualties too. I lost two minions to a clever trap he had laid using expired milk."
"Hmmm, he may be more clever than I gave him credit for," said Yzma. "As unlikely as that seems."
"Well, it IS a ninja village," said Kronk.
"Any more casualties to our cause?" asked Yzma, not really caring about the lives of squirrels except as an indication of how dangerous this place was.
"Well, none since the last report, though several of them seem kind of traumatized by that girl with the pink hair," said Kronk.
Yzma was about to say something about Kronk knowing words like 'traumatized' but held off for now.
"Oh, and none of them will go near that Akamichi compound," said Kronk, remembering a detail. "We lost a few there. And the forest near the Nara compound is heavily trapped. Most of which my little allies can avoid, but some are pretty nasty."
Yzma sat back in her temporary throne, tapping her nails against one armrest as she thought. "Any sign of the Orange Storm?"
"I kinda preferred the 'Mandarin Platoon' myself," said Kronk.
"I think you're the only one," said Yzma drily.
"And no, one of my allies saw him vanish, but his girlfriend is still in the hospital," said Kronk. "Squee has been able to infiltrate and has sabotaged her medication a couple of times now."
"Excellent," hissed Yzma, who regarded herself as a Master Villain and intended to play that role to the hilt. "Tell him to go wild."
Kronk saluted. Squee would enjoy that.
Squee waited until everyone was asleep and the nurse was away, then made his way to the clipboard next to the girl's bed. Exchanging one sheet of paper for another caused some momentary rustling and he stopped in fright, but there was no followup movement and he retreated as quickly and quietly as possible as soon as the task was done.
Yes, the evil pink-haired one would suffer. He might be the runt of the pack, but he had two major advantages over most of his brethren. One, he had color vision. Two, he could read.
Squee's eyes glinted malevolently as he snuck out the window and dashed towards the safety of a tree.
"He's not able to move?" asked Kurenai of the nurse.
"No, he's completely immobilized right now," said the nurse.
"N-Naruto-kun," said Hinata, sounding quite concerned.
Naruto's eyes flicked towards Hinata, but inside the tube and with a respirator in place, he didn't say anything that could be heard from those present.
"I see, and he'll be in there for how long?" asked Kurenai.
"Four hours," said the nurse.
"Tenten, Hinata, you'll be on guard duty," said Kurenai.
"I really don't think that's necessary," protested the nurse.
"Nothing against your hospital," said Kurenai. "This is part of my responsibility as the leader of this mission."
"Are we guarding him from outside threats or keeping him from leaving?" asked Tenten.
"Both," said Kurenai. "He can hear us?"
"Yes," said the nurse. "Though he can't respond until his jaw is healed."
"Then this is as good a time as any," said Kurenai. "Naruto. We are here at the bequest of the Princess of Najirea, who is apparently here."
Lots of bubbles suddenly came from Naruto's respirator and he went from relaxed floating to where his back was pressing against the back of the tube and he was looking around for potential threats.
"Heartrate and respiration rates up. Administering sedative," said a device connected to the healing tube.
"Okay," said Kurenai as Naruto's panic went away and he just sort of drifted off to sleep. "Any chance we can get one of these to take with us? There are times that function would be very handy."
"Sorry," said the nurse.
Kurenai nodded, having expected that. "Now, you two. Be on the lookout. This Princess Kodako is a VIP and guest of our own host. That does not mean she gets to take Naruto home as a souvenir."
Tenten and Hinata nodded to show they understood.
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(Posted Tue, 18 May 2010 16:36)
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