He didn't know that at 09:30, his absence was reported.
As of 10:45, the Hokage knew that the jinchuriki of the Kyubi had been deliberately setup for failure and flunked out of the Academy. He also knew that Naruto Uzumaki had last been seen flying SSW at roughly 50mph and at an altitude of roughly 500feet.
By 10:50 - his ANBU knew that he was very very unhappy. The appropriately Kage-level amount of Killing Intent flaring up merely underscored that little fact.
By 11:22, Mizuki was found trying to use the chaos to sneak off with a scroll of kinjutsu. Mizuki very quickly learned that he had just become the scapegoat for everyone who wished to survive the next management meeting. That he actually was guilty of everything merely cemented his position as Designated Target.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, had finally gotten himself and his forces settled - he called for the witness. He had to be calm and unthreatening in order to get information out of this particular source.
Hinata Hyuga volunteered the information anyway. Her only real regret was that Naruto hadn't somehow realized her concern for him and taken her with him.
It wasn't until 13:15 that two ANBU were dispatched to try and track down Naruto Uzumaki and bring him back. And to try to get him back willingly at that.
Because, frankly, if he could fly at that altitude and speed - there was no telling what other special jutsu he might have. And that he'd managed to keep pretty much secret - almost like they were ninja secret techniques or something.
Naruto, however, was entirely ignorant of the whole thing and merely glad to be out of the village and going off on his own. There was an entire world out there for him to see before he settled down and started perfecting his magic.
Forest and forest and more forest.
Naruto settled into the depths where forest intersected river and looked around. Finally he decided this was a good enough stop to rest, drink water, and try to fish.
"Fireball!"
Of course, he didn't have a rod and reel or any of that sort of thing, so he had to try alternative methods.
After that, a brief nap and taking care of other bodily necessities, he was good to go and using Raywing again. It wasn't the only flight spell he knew, but it was simple and reliable and fast.
Again he went over the forests and rivers, which eventually became hills and then more mountainous, until he finally reached the coastline.
Then West along the coast until he spotted a city, at which point he dropped the technique to walk there. No reason to do anything that might draw attention to himself after all.
She COULD have started complaining about this mission. She was new to ANBU, only having been there for six months since being accepted. Prior to that she was a chunin.
"Aogera."
She glanced to the side at her companion for this mission. "I hope you have tracking skills."
"For someone who is airborne? Not so much," said Aogera. "You?"
Aogera shook her head slightly.
"Why us?" asked Squirrel. "I've only been with ANBU for four months."
Aogera started moving again, pondering as she went. After an hour's travel she paused to relay the theories she'd worked out. "We're both young girls, less than a year of experience in ANBU. I haven't done much 'wet work' - you?"
"Two missions," said Squirrel. "No civilian targets."
"Infiltration missions?" asked Aogera.
"Fourteen," answered Squirrel.
"That's it then," said Aogera, her bird mask cocking slightly to the side as she considered it. "Most likely. Neither of us have the edge that some of the more experienced ANBU have. We're only a few years older than the target. Since this is a live retrieval, looking less threatening would be a plus."
"Ah," said Squirrel.
Aogera's long curved bird beak stayed cocked for a moment before she reached up and removed the ceramic mask, revealing a half-mask underneath that covered most of her face.
"Why?" asked Squirrel.
"Easier to breathe, and if we run into the child, we can look a bit less threatening," said Aogera as she stowed her distinctive woodpecker mask away. "We're going to have to speed up. No telling what kind of range he has on that flight jutsu."
"True."
"Be nice if he could teach me that, be really handy," noted Aogera. "Let's go."
It was nice to be in a crowd and not have hostility being directed towards you.
Kids running through the street, merchants calling out fresh fish or other products, and not one glare at him as he walked along - just another twelve year old kid.
"LET ME GO!"
Naruto stopped at the cry and glanced in that direction.
"Ah, c'mon girl. We just want a little extra service," said one of the rough-looking guys.
"You can't refuse us," said the second. "You know what happens if you turn down the Dolga Gang!"
"What's the 'Dolga Gang'?" asked Naruto, stepping up to the scene.
"Huh?" The bearded one with a scar that barely missed his eye looked down. "A kid? Beat it, kid. You're way too young for this conversation."
"No, seriously, what's the 'Dolga Gang'? Are you bandits?" asked Naruto.
"'Bandits'? No, kid. We USED to be bandits. Now we operate out of a ship - so we're even better than that. We're PIRATES." The long thin guy brandished a couple of knives.
"Oh, I see," said Naruto, nodding wisely as he flicked his eyes from one bandit to the other. Five of them. "One thing before I go."
"Yeah?" asked the bearded one, most of his attention on the struggling girl whose arm he held. "What's that?"
"FLARE ARROW!" Five arrows of red light appeared and slammed into targets.
"Eh?" asked the girl as the grip around her forearm loosened and bandits started hitting the ground. "What?"
"Low level trash," summed up Naruto. "Anyway, moving right along."
"Are - are you a ninja?" asked the girl.
"Nah. Wandering hero, Naruto Uzumaki!" declared Naruto. "Are you a princess?"
"Waitress," said the girl.
"Oh. Well, close enough," said Naruto. "Know anywhere I can get a meal nearby? Preferably ramen?"
Shikaku Nara considered the Hokage briefly. "Who'd you send after Uzumaki?"
"Woodpecker and Squirrel," said the Hokage, motioning to the chair.
Shikaku settled gracelessly into the chair. "Which Woodpecker, you've got two."
"Aogera."
"Huh," said Shikaku.
"Precisely. Those two HAVE heard of diplomacy. Better at infiltration and information-gathering than intimidation." The Hokage checked the little sack that Shikaku had put on the table, withdrawing the rice bowl and sniffing at the contents briefly.
"Yoshino knows your tastes," said Shikaku. "So. A flight jutsu."
"Something that gave Iwa unparalleled mobility to its elite forces," agreed the Hokage.
"How much was he concealing from his teachers?" asked Shikaku, wondering if the child had deliberately failed.
"Quite a lot, but the failing point was actually a jutsu he never quite managed - bunshin." The Hokage tapped a single red folder off to the side of his "outbox" for finished paperwork. "Hinata Hyuga apparently admired his tenacity and ability to develop entirely new jutsu when he failed to get the Academy lessons down. The only one at the Academy who had a clue other than her was Iruka Umino. Unfortunately he is quite a stickler for the rules and failure to produce the Academy Three is still a failure."
"Academy needs to be overhauled if someone not even a genin can do this sort of thing and still fail, while those who pass are often not ready for reality as a ninja. Not volunteering."
"Agreed." The Hokage set down his rice bowl. "Where do you suppose he would go?"
"Any sign he has any knowledge of his heritage?" asked Shikaku. "If so, the ruins of Uzushiogakure. He IS an Uzumaki after all."
"No, no sign of that," said the Hokage.
Shikaku was silent for a few moments as the Hokage ate, looking contemplative. Finally, he reached a conclusion. "He was last seen going in which direction?"
"South-Southwest."
"He'd pass over the Land Of Rivers," noted Shikaku. "Not much there until you hit the coast, and then there's a couple of minor villages and one decent-sized port city."
"Providing he doesn't go off in a different direction," said the Hokage.
"The port's in Land Of Rivers, halfway between the Land of Fire and the Land Of Wind. Fuusha Shi, isn't it?"
"Yes, hopefully the two will catch up to him before he reaches that port as it will become significantly more difficult to find him if he reaches it."
"Anyway, we're Fuusha Shi because of the large windmills we have here to catch the breeze coming off the sea," pointed out Yui.
Naruto nodded, having noticed the windmills while a good way off from the city. "So what's with this 'Dolga Gang' anyway?"
"OK! Where's the brat that thinks he can mess with us?!"
"And..." Naruto waited until the lead one had stepped on the scroll he'd put there a few minutes ago. "There. Baneful Polymorph!"
Poof!
"Baaaaa?!" exclaimed the sheep that had been at the front of a pack of pirates.
The pirates looked at their former leader, now a VERY confused looking sheep, then at the kid walking towards them and trying to crack his knuckles.
That he was scowling because his knuckles were refusing to crack dramatically and not because of his annoyance at them was not something any of the pirates knew.
"RUN AWAY!" "NINJA!" "MONSTER!" "BAAAAA!"
They were prepared to live and die as pirates. Living and dying as a sheep was somewhat less attractive.
"Wait a minute!" called out Naruto to the fleeing pirates. "Come back! I haven't humiliated you guys yet or turned anyone into something unnatural! Oh bother. They're not listening."
"Actually," said Yui, "I think they heard you."
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(Posted Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:45)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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