"Then it's true?" asked one of the women, leaning forward eagerly. "There is a fuuinjutsu master Uzumaki?"
"How did you even hear about that?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"The talk has spread widely," said the spokesperson for the group. "We heard about it in Belltower village."
"Belltower?" asked the Hokage. "That's in Hot Springs."
"Yes?" asked the spokesperson.
The visitors were treated to the sight of the Hokage closing his eyes and rubbing his temples as if he had a headache coming on. "Well, that explains the influx of shinobi... Captain!"
One of the ANBU guards stepped forward. "Sir?"
"Put the word out, the likely target is Naruto Uzumaki," said the Hokage.
"'Target'?" asked the spokesman.
"Yes, there are six other groups here looking for Naruto," said the Hokage, feeling very tired and put upon.
"I didn't think there were that many retainers of Uzumaki clan," noted the woman who'd spoken earlier.
"No, I suspect these are here to kill him," said the Hokage.
"Protect The Young Lord!" shouted one of the younger girls.
"Ibiki?" said the Hokage as more ANBU blocked the group from doing a mass exodus.
"Sir?" asked a bemused-sounding Ibiki Morino.
"Find out if they are who and what they say they are," said the Hokage, indicating the group with Uzumaki whirpool symbols on their admittedly raggedy/worn gear.
"I know what to do if they are not," mused Ibiki aloud. "What if they are?"
"If they are?" asked the Hokage, raising an eyebrow. "Then we welcome them and give some ANBU members the time off they've earned."
Outside space/time:
Toltiir stretched his tail in order to scratch the top of his head with it. "That's odd. When did I do that? Was it when I sneezed? Or hiccuped. Maybe when I... Hmmmm. Oh well, who cares they're there now."
Toltiir checked their pasts and found that each of these were descended of refugees from the destruction of Uzushiogakure. Therefore of differing ages and skills. All were united in that they were retainers of the Uzumaki clan and had believed that the main branch of the Uzumaki family had been slain.
Now, with the rumors of an Uzumaki fuuinjutsu genius getting out - they had come to investigate and possibly fulfill that obligation.
They were Analogues, reflections of others from another universe entirely, but who had (as far as they themselves or the world around them was concerned) always been there and completely adopted to this setting.
Analogues of:
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(Posted Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:36)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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