"Of course, our allies in Waterfall are appreciated," admitted the Hokage. "And truly, if we could - we would allow you access to the device at this point. Unfortunately we no longer have access to it."
"Do you expect anyone to believe that?" asked Riiku.
"Keep in mind, this is my village and you are a guest here," warned the Hokage.
"I am a representative of Waterfall, and am merely trying to express the concerns of a ninja village dealing with other ninja villages," pointed out Riiku. "That IS the reaction I'm going to get to that statement."
The Hokage hmphed and made a gesture to one of the guards, causing Riiku to reflexively stiffen for a moment. Though killing the messenger was considerably more likely if he'd been sent to Kiri, he'd wondered if he'd screwed up something enough to get a suicide job the moment he'd been assigned this.
The box was fairly plain, with the interior lined in puffed up silk. On that silk were two pieces of crystal.
"That is?" asked Riiku, rewarded when blue light fitfully played within the depths of the slightly larger chunk.
"This is the Intelligent Device known as Jack," said Hiruzen Sarutobi. "There is no one within our own village who knows how to repair much less make such a thing."
"Then where did it come from in the first place?" asked Riiku, studying the crystal without making a move to touch it.
"We believe it was the result of an accidental summoning jutsu," said the Hokage, sitting back and drawing a deep breath from his pipe as he apparently considered the ceiling. "Such things are tweaked every so often, sometimes with bizarre results."
"Ah. And you're showing me now, just in case Waterfall comes across such knowledge?" The Waterfall ninja nodded. Made sense, the offer was clear to him - find a way to fix it and Waterfall would be allowed access. Not to mention that the information about the thing being inoperable now would likewise circulate. Providing this was accurate information of course. "How was such a thing damaged? I would think you would have it heavily guarded."
"An infiltrator, a deep cover jonin-level operative who was listed as a chunin of Konohagakure," said the Hokage. "If we had evidence of whose he was - we would already have responded. Unfortunately he knew a self-immolation technique that he used when cornered."
"Such a technique would indicate..." Riiku considered that, leaning back and going through his own memories of battles past. "Fire Release, I take it?" There was a Water technique that enveloped the caster and then changed the water to acid, but that technique was lost over a decade ago - wasn't it?
"Yes, though the fire was black, and could not be doused by normal means," said the Hokage, not apparently looking at the foreign nin but actually studying him carefully. He therefore saw when the nin put it together.
"Ah," said Riiku, nodding once.
"Not Itachi Uchiha - he would have been recognized and the bits of skeleton that remain indicate the agent was shorter." The Hokage shrugged ever so slightly. "The investigation is... ongoing."
Riiku nodded once. Amaterasu, one of the high level Uchiha techniques. Black flames that consume everything. Not perfect though - otherwise there would be no skeletal remains either. So there are Uchiha still around besides their last loyal Uchiha and their renegade, or at least WAS. Still if there was one, there might be more. No doubt Sarutobi gave that information away because now we'll be on the lookout as well, and may forward on such things in return for other favors or agreements. Which means... most likely they are giving me truth or at least part of the truth. Lying about such things wouldn't benefit them as much as if it were true.
"Now, if you don't mind," said the Hokage when he'd judged the foreign nin had chewed over that thought sufficiently. "You have come with your village's concerns. I understand that you are a small village surrounded by bigger ones, and that you are right to be concerned about the specter of war. Let us all hope that it remains just that - a specter with no substance."
"That would be preferable," agreed Riiku.
"So Jack's busted with no chance of repair?" asked Sakura, the little girl looking quite upset at this.
"Yes," agreed Iruka. "At least at present. Repairing it may be possible in the future, but we only understand a small amount of what is necessary to make such a thing. Even the greatest fuuinjutsu expert we currently have, Jiraiya, is stymied."
Sakura nodded, hesitating a bit. "Iruka-sensei? How can I study fuuinjutsu?"
"You might want to check with Naruto," said Iruka. "He's already gotten his hands on several books on the subject and has been studying that art. Though frankly I don't think studying or even sitting still for a long period are his strengths."
"Hai, Iruka-sensei," said Sakura, sounding determined.
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(Posted Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:07)
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