There were things like air and gravity that could be overlooked when setting up such a place. There were details like water, magical ambience, defenses against Things From Beyond, stability of access points, the energy sources for whatever you had going, and many other details. Get just one wrong, and your extradimensional island became a death-trap. Get more than one wrong and you had a problem that might actually come after you even after you'd escaped.
Even if the witch/wizard/sorcerer/engineer did everything right and then addressed all the little details that cropped up - things could still go downhill.
Toltiir was familiar with the concept. He'd been around for awhile and there were a number of universes where those who had mastered either magic or technology or both to an extent had created little vacation homes or refuges or something similar that could do what he wanted.
In most cases, all you had to do was wait a few centuries and the current owner passed on and then it was just a matter of sweeping out the cobwebs and updating the software. Or spellware. Or whatever.
Over here - an invisible flying castle. Not too shabby, mostly self-repairing, had an impressive library. Toltiir had a feeling that someone had used something similar somewhere in the multiverse, but it WAS kind of a classic.
Over here - another wizard had gotten ahold of a set of Doctor Who DVDs and had built himself a sort of ersatz TARDIS. It was just a door that could be moved from one place to another - slap it up against a wall and then open it to reveal the entry to a large set of rooms and tunnels. From the outside (though you had to be capable of seeing through folded n-dimensional space) though it kind of looked like one of those hamster habitat things.
Here was an entire asteroid that had been set up with a self-repairing dome that contained a lake and forest and medieval castle. Whole thing had been put together by a Star Fleet engineer who had wanted to build the ultimate "summer house" - and had died a happy man several decades later.
There was a pocket-universe with several different ecological zones all together. This particular universe was big enough to have a sort-of sun and a major continent surrounded by ocean. Cities and towns and a single large castle in the center. No people - but that could be fixed. What wasn't to like about this?
Toltiir considered those after having rejected nearly seven hundred others. One, which had been a world where elemental and nature nymphs of various types had been getting bored since their previous Master had left for a quick business trip and never returned - had been sorely tempting.
Maybe he could stick Ranma Saotome in there for a quick laugh later.
After some further thought, the ersatz TARDIS and the Star Fleet asteroid were discarded as well. The abandoned colony and the flying castle lasted a bit longer, but then he had to turn his attention back over the list.
Ah. Here was one. Pocket universe type which had been using the World Seed mechanism, so it was growing at about five feet every year. Initial set up was a continent-sized world with a "sun" that orbitted the plate-shaped world. Large island full of fun creatures and odd plants. Castle - though it was actually more of a single large tower and four other buildings surrounded by a high stone wall. Library. Living quarters. Hmmm. Yes that'd do. Sort of an Thousand-And-One-Nights motif going in the buildings and general design. Less pseudo-Northern European and more Ali Baba. Though it sort of met the Valley of Gwangi?
Oh. The original wizard had been one of those Collector types. Bringing in all sorts of exotic creatures from all sorts of exotic universes and trying to provide a habitat so they didn't die off. Okay, that could provide some amusement. Just imagine the first time Sasuke Uchiha ran into a Gazer Beast. Or if Sakura Haruno was kidnapped by an Abominable that would pat her and pet her and squeeze her and do her hair and love her like she was his very own...
Oh yes. This would do nicely.
Have to add to it though. How could it not have... or even one of those... or...
Now, where to get a Caretaker.
Oh. Perfect. One of the variant pixie races. Now to just manipulate things a little bit in the past so that one of them was a sort of expy.
Done.
The Hokage peered closer at the creature on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto?"
"Oh, I need to introduce you," said Naruto, realizing what the Hokage was staring at. "This is the Third Hokage, he's in charge of the whole village!"
The little girl sitting on Naruto's shoulder stood up and bowed, revealing tiny little wings. "It is good to meet you. My name is Minori. I tend the shrine of the Great Castle!"
"Oh, is that so," said the Hokage with a nod. Looked and sounded to be about Naruto's age, not that this was necessarily true with someone who clearly wasn't human. "You're a summons then?"
"Uhm, sort of, I guess?" asked Minori.
"What castle are we talking about?" asked the Hokage.
"My Castle," said Naruto, shrugging. "Apparently I now own a castle and a lot of land."
"That's right! He's the claimant!" said Minori, settling back down into a seiza position on Naruto's shoulder. "Because he was the first human there, he gets the Castle and the library, and everything! I'm the descendent of the first castellan so I know all about this stuff. Mostly."
"I think perhaps I ought to see this for myself," mused the Hokage.
"If you say so," said Naruto, throwing an arm out. An oval of aquamarine energy appeared in midair.
Seeing the shape of a brick wall on the other side of that oval, the Hokage nodded. "Cat. Falcon. Accompany me."
"He's back!" said a little man just a bit taller than Minori.
"He's back!" said another little man.
"He's back! He's back!" echoed in different voices from various parts of the castle.
"Ah," said the Hokage.
"Check out this view, Jiji," said Naruto, his cloak billowing around him as he half-leapt half-floated to the top of one wall. Apparently ignoring the swarm of little winged beings circling the area.
The Hokage and his two ANBU simply disappeared from the courtyard to appear on the wall and look out.
In another space and time, watching the proceedings, a cat switched on the Jurassic Park soundtrack and just enjoyed watching the reactions of the three more experienced shinobi.
"Hokage-sama," said Falcon, looking out over the vast tropical forest and seeing some form of long-necked lizard munching on foliage. "Do I understand correctly in that Uzumaki-san is a new Academy graduate who is about to be tested for a genin team?"
"By Kakashi Hatake, who has never passed a genin team," noted the Hokage.
"I would like to request a transfer from ANBU to become a jonin-sensei if Uzumaki is failed, because sending him back to the Academy would be idiotic," said Cat.
"Hey," protested Falcon, who'd intended to say much the same thing.
A large winged lizard-thing flew over the forest briefly, screeching at something below.
"Mitarashi would LOVE this place." Falcon looked around. "It's like the Forest of Death turned up to 11. How many of those plants could have medicinal properties? How many of those beasts could be trained or provide something useful?"
"There's an ocean over there, you can just see it through the trees. I wonder what the fishing is like?" asked Cat.
Noting that Naruto had landed some distance away, probably to give them room to react to this vista - the Hokage made a gesture for him to approach.
"You think this is something, you should see the library," said Naruto after he got closer.
"'Library'?" asked the Hokage.
"'S-Class Secret'?" asked Naruto with dismay. "B-but why?"
"Because this needs to be carefully evaluated," said the Hokage. "There's a 'portal of return'?"
"Yes, level 3." Minori pointed off to the side. "It'll take you back to the exact place you entered from. The only way to get here though is if Lord Naruto opens a gate."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "You may utilize some of the jutsu you learn here. We can always use the story of 'inherited scrolls' passed down to you. However, we will need to consider the ramifications of this castle and land carefully and try to keep it from becoming too well known."
"Awwww," complained Naruto, seeing his dream of returning to Konoha with Awesome Power getting shot down.
"Awwww," complained Minori.
"No, you can stay with him," said the Hokage. "You might actually help."
"Okay, teams," said Iruka.
"All right!"
Iruka glanced up at the pixie. "Minori."
"Sorry."
"Ahem," said Iruka. "Team-"
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" asked Sakura.
"You just noticed?" asked Iruka.
"She's been watching Sasuke all this time," grumped Naruto.
"Oh, is that her boyfriend then?" asked Minori.
"Other than very observant," added Sakura, still staring at the creature. "This isn't some pervert-jutsu of Naruto's, is it?"
"No, and sit down," said Iruka. "Ahem. Team 6. Hakuya Mitsumine, Kobeni Yonomi, and Mashiro Mitsumine. Jonin sensei is Haruto Karakida."
"How did you end up on my team?!" asked Kobeni of Mashiro. "You're not even in the same year!"
"I cheated!" admitted the little girl.
"Team 7. Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and..." Iruka stopped. "Huh. Someone must have changed it. Didn't expect to see Kiba on Team 7."
"I have to work with that mutt?" asked Sakura.
"Urf?"
"No, I didn't mean you, Akamaru," qualified Sakura.
"Team 7's jonin is Kakashi Hatake," said Iruka.
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(Posted Tue, 25 Feb 2014 15:24)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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