Female human in general shape, sort of. Kind of. If you ignored the metal skin.
"Uhm, you're..." Naruto began, trying to remember what the cat had said about her.
"Not human," said Hinata, having activated her Byakugan. "Similar, but I'm seeing metal inside and out and no chakra system at all."
Hiashi Hyuga noticed it the first time he turned on his Byakugan in the presence of his daughter, which meant it was during her evening practice in the Jyuuken style.
An amulet around her neck, under her shirt. Which he wouldn't have noticed at all had it not had its own independent chakra network.
Upon confronting her regarding that, she'd stammered out a story which sounded more like the result of a genjutsu from a particularly demented mind. Except that inexplicable physical artifacts were not in keeping with genjutsu.
His first impulse had been just to confiscate the object and seal it away. On finding out that the village's jinchuriki was involved, he reluctantly put that aside in order to bring it to the attention of the Hokage.
Because if it affected That Boy then it was not a matter of internal clan security, but something that involved the village as a whole.
The metal girl was another artifact left behind by the same event/trespasser/meddler.
The Hokage was flanked by an ANBU on one side, and Ibiki Morino on the other as he listened to the story - several times as each individual interview took place. First from Hiashi, then directly from Hinata, then finally from Naruto.
"Very well," said Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage, as he stirred at the end of it all. "Unless there is anything to add?"
"Affirmative," said the metal girl, despite not having a visible mouth.
The Hokage raised a single eyebrow by a millimeter.
"You wa shock," said the metal girl.
"Not really, it was obvious that you were following conversations," said the Hokage.
The metal girl went into her own shocked-pose.
"You are what exactly?" asked the Hokage.
"A servitor of my princess, the 19th Lord of Uranos' Kingdom's Tempest Domain, Drossel Juno Vierzehntes Heizregister Fürstin von Flügel," said the metal girl, changing her pose to what she deemed as appropriate for a lady of a high court presenting herself before a foreign royal.
"Never heard of her," noted Naruto.
"She has ruled from her palace for two thousand eight hundred years," said the metal girl, a trace of pride in her voice.
"And your duties to your princess are?" asked the Hokage.
"I'm a file clerk, class three," admitted the device. "My name is Inka."
"A file clerk," asked Ibiki.
"No tenketsu, no chakra, but you have something else," noted Hiashi, his Byakugan blazing.
"Why did you stay when it looked like you'd gone back wherever you came from?" asked Hinata, the question having been bugging her since the machine-girl had stepped up.
"My Lady is curious about humans," said the machine. "This seems a good opportunity to learn of them."
Some people might get to be the leader of a ninja village without developing non-combat skills. Hanzo the Salamander, for example, had a reputation for having no "people skills" at all.
On the other hand, there was Hiruzen "The Professor" Sarutobi who had arguably been one of the strongest shinobi of his day. The day when he could unleash his strongest ninjutsu and summon swarms of combat apes to overwhelm his enemies may have passed, but he could still count on some of those noncombat skills.
When those skills failed him, such as with his student Orochimaru, the fail was spectacular. When he rather more often succeeded, it was less spectacular perhaps because nothing ever blew up in his face.
"This is all to be considered an S-Class secret," said the Hokage. "No one is to mention this or discuss this without the presence of myself or Ibiki. To anyone."
"Awww," said Naruto.
"One year," mused the Hokage. "Maybe. If an entity that apparently exists independent of time can manage to keep track of such a thing. One year to prepare."
The others in the room waited, only Naruto fidgeting.
"Naruto, you and the young Hyuga may discuss when in private the possibilities of these 'wishes' in the future," said the Hokage. "However we will meet in eleven months to discuss the issue."
Hiashi stirred himself slightly. "You are taking that part seriously then?"
"Yes, until proven otherwise, however unbelievable it might be," said the Hokage. "Inku. As a foreign diplomat, you will be allowed some work within the village to gather non-classified information in return for the same regarding your people and your species."
"As I had hoped then," said Inku.
"Jonin Hiashi," said Hiruzen. "As Hokage, I try to stay clear of any orders regarding the running of individual clans per our laws as such. Therefore I am merely suggesting that you allow Hinata to learn from and use Brisingamen, assessing the skills taught by the device and what the potential of such a thing might be. I will send a summons to Jiraiya, who is the most talented seal master we have as well as someone who has investigating things outside the normal scope of activities within our village. He will examine both Naruto's seal for tampering and Brisingamen."
[Understood.] The device glittered briefly as it spoke.
"I will also request, and this is just a request from one clan-head to another, that you allow your daughter her friendship with Naruto Uzumaki, as I think both of them could use a friend and it will allow them to speak with one another regarding their plans for the return of this... entity."
Hiashi stirred again, frowned, but finally nodded.
"There is, I think, a very real possibility that this intruder will NOT return," said the Hokage, almost as if he was just thinking out loud. "The very oddness of its appearance and interaction with the children seems nonsensical. It may simply move on and forget entirely about our universe. That might be best actually..."
"As I am counting on the return of that entity to return me to my proper universe, this one hopes that you are mistaken in that regard," said Inku softly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage, considered the ceiling of his office briefly before:
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(Posted Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:00)
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