As Orchid had immediately pointed out - those who could understand and follow deals and agreements could be worked with. Konohagakure didn't like Kiri or Kumo for example - but had various agreements and treaties with both. Didn't mean that both sides didn't look for and exploit loopholes, but they DID keep to the letter of those agreements.
"So we're going to be near water the whole time of this mission?" asked Naruto thoughtfully after dismissing 'Spike' to Sakura's relief. Though she HAD gotten a bit more comfortable with the large creature after several hours of travel.
"Well, yes, it's an island," said Kakashi.
"Hmmm. Okay," said Naruto, pulling out and considering a scroll. "Just a second."
Naruto summoned something, but other than a brief surge of water, nothing was immediately visible.
"Now, just so you understand," said Naruto, raising his voice to just short of a shout. "No eating boats or people or pets unless they're a designated enemy."
The water burbled and there was a brief glimpse of SOMETHING just below the surface. "Contract terms understood."
Sakura was silent for a moment before the thing moved deeper, with the impression of trailing tentacles and teeth. That voice sounding as if it came from several different mouths with slightly different voices but all with a liquid quality to it. "Do I want to know what that was?"
"No," said Naruto, thinking about it. "No, you probably don't."
"Ah," said Sakura, nodding. "Didn't think so."
"Well, the test of this 'Hellfire' shows some promise, but one of the ingredients is a little hard to get," said Ibiki Morino. "The tests on the sample Orchid produced are interesting."
"A clinging fire that burns especially hot." The Hokage looked over the tests. "Interesting, but I think this 'Simple Healing Potion' is rather more useful."
"Perhaps," said Ibiki.
"Inoichi Yamanaka states that several of the herbs gathered from that location are doing well, while some others fail to survive transplanting attempts," noted the Hokage. "Any notable side effects on the three I authorized testing on prisoners?"
"None," admitted Ibiki. "Per your request I only used criminals of particularly heinous crimes for the first test. Anti-fatigue seems similar to a soldier pill in effect, including the expected accumulated fatigue after it has worn off. As it is not superior to soldier pills, I'd recommend dropping it. Simple Healing Potion stimulates cellular regeneration, restoring minor wounds or giving the rough equivelant of a day's healing to larger ones. As you say, very promising. The 'Anti-poison' though - THAT is very promising indeed. Broad spectrum anti-venin superior to anything we currently have."
"Good," said the Hokage, meaning it. These reports were MUCH more interesting than some of the things that regularly crossed his desk.
"Speaking of which, Death Orchid filed a report. She was attacked by some foreign ninja, doton (Earth Release) techniques, high poison resistance, tissue sample taken," said Ibiki. "Waiting for full analysis as the initial results were 'severely abnormal' according to the lab. Probably a missing-nin originating from Iwagakure but no match so far. Two civilians killed by the intruder who then attempted to ambush Orchid in her home."
"Someone killed two civilians in her home and she wasn't able to kill them?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi. He knew her skillset and tendency. "Family?"
"Two maids who performed weekly cleaning hired by the grandson," said Ibiki.
"Ah," said the Hokage. If it HAD been her grandson, he'd have expected Death Orchid to quietly disappear and a trail of bodies to start appearing somewhere.
Lord Pein considered the big picture. The goal before him required many small steps. Anything that could reasonably be an obstacle should be eliminated. "This 'Death Orchid' is someone you know of?"
Tobi's mask regarded the sky briefly. "Assassin. S-Class but old and sickly and far weaker than she was in her prime. Honestly expected her to die before now."
Lord Pein frowned slightly. "So - something to eliminate?"
"Considering her age and the report of a recent illness, I would have expected her to already be dead," said Tobi. He was much much more powerful now. He was not the brash genin who pranked an old woman and had his buttocks handed to him on a silver platter. He was now a Power in the world and she was still just an old woman. A SCARY old woman who was a battle veteran. Whose skills were such that robes and mask aside, she would probably recognize him in a heartbeat. And know how to fight someone with the Sharingan. If he struck and she somehow survived...
"Something?" asked Pein as Tobi went quiet.
"No. Best to concentrate on the job ahead of us. Even if it is Death Orchid, there is nothing she can do to slow our progression," said Tobi.
"Uhm," said the boatman. "We're going pretty fast."
"Yes," said Kakashi.
"I'm not running the engine," noted the boatman.
"Better this way, quieter," said Kakashi. "Ninja, you know."
"Ah," said the boatman. "Uhm, that's a group of mercenaries coming in that boat over there."
"So - enemies?" asked Naruto.
There was suddenly an ominous feeling in the air and a slight dip in their forward speed.
"Well, yes," said the boatman.
Their speed momentarily dropped to coasting along through the water.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"DEAR KAMI! IT'S GOT MOUTHS THERE?!"
"FRIKKIN LASER BEAMS?!"
Sudden silence in the mists after the bright red and green flashes illumined the mists. Their forward speed slowly picked back up after a few moments of that silence.
"Can I throw up now?" asked Sakura, sounding fairly weak and shaken.
The boatman looked where there had been a distant boat in the mist a few moments ago. Now there was nothing.
"I wouldn't recommend it until we're on the shore, Sakura." Kakashi considered a few moments. "You know, if you had the heads, you could check a bingo book for any bounties available on enemies."
"Really?" asked Naruto. "Huh. Hadn't thought about that."
"It's an important consideration," said Kakashi. "Glad I could make this a Teaching Moment."
Sasuke looked out into the mists. He had to kill Itachi himself, his vengeance demanded it. But maybe he could borrow the whatever-that-was. That would be almost as satisfying.
Finally the shore was visible, to Sakura's obvious relief. Also the boatman's relief and Tazuna's visible joy.
"You've been pretty quiet, Tazuna-san," said Naruto as the man stumbled onto the shore.
"I have just learned that there are some things more terrifying than missing-nin out to kill you," said the old man as a VERY nervous boatman guided his boat back out onto the waters.
Kakashi paused for a moment.
Naruto went alert.
"What?" asked Sakura, glancing towards the water.
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(Posted Sat, 24 Jan 2015 16:28)
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