章 17: Chapter 17: Secrets in the Mist Part I
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Hmm….."- Flashback
Chapter 17:
Secrets in the Mist Part I
Sasuke had come to know something about the man known as Jiraiya in the last day that he had been traveling with the man: the man was the very definition of a pervert. That wasn't to say that the Uchiha hadn't suspected this already. But spending more than an hour with the older shinobi did give him a better idea of just how perverted he really was. It also made the young Uchiha wonder just how Naruto had survived being with the man for two and a half years. Then again, he shouldn't be one to talk. After all, most people would say the same thing about him and Orochimaru. But that had been different. At the time, Sasuke hadn't put much thought into the man's, if he could even be called that, more questionable habits. All he had cared about was obtaining power as soon as possible. Now that that wasn't the case with Jiraiya, Sasuke had picked up much more than he had done with Orochimaru.
Currently, the unusual duo was walking down one of the more well traveled roads in the Land of Fire in the direction that was the island nation of Uzu. This was the first place that Sasuke had picked, something that Jiraiya didn't need to ask why since the man had already gotten the same summary as the Sandaime Hokage. But it went without saying that the whole reason Sasuke had picked Uzu was to see if he could catch a glimpse of what his idiotic blond friend was up to. Hamura hadn't shown up before him again and neither had the Sennin for that matter. So he couldn't really ask either one about what the blond was up to. And even then, there was a part of Sasuke that just wanted to see Naruto. After having finally come terms with how he felt and what he was going to do from now on, it only seemed appropriate.
"So," Jiraiya began as he walked next to the shorter Uchiha, "this Naruto really does become my student in the future right?"
Eying the man, Sasuke realized that that was the one thing that Jiraiya seemed the most interested in. Not even Orochimaru's future betrayal peeked his interest as much as that particular detail.
After a few moments, Sasuke nodded. "Yes. I don't really know the circumstances of how it happened or how you two behaved with one another, but I do know that he came to care about you a lot. I can only guess that it was the same with you. I only met you once before I left Konoha, so I can't really say."
Rubbing his chin, Jiraiya said, "Still, this whole situation between you two does seem so surreal. I mean, just last month I never would have imagined that I would be walking with an Uchiha who's really from the future and wants to save the world. The only thing in my mind had been to end the war as soon as possible."
Glancing at him, Sasuke asked, "Yes, just what is your reason for that? You seem to want that the most out of anything else. I would have thought that you would just want for Konoha to come out on top."
Shrugging, the white haired jonin replied, "Well, it's not like I don't want that. It's just that there are other things that I feel like I should be focusing on right now."
"Such as peeping?"
A small lecherous smile appeared on Jiraiya's face at the thought. "I can't say that the thought doesn't sound appealing all right." Quickly shaking his head, though, he added, "As fun as that is, that's not really what's on my mind right now."
Now Sasuke was interested. With a raised eyebrow he asked, "Then just what is it that you wish to do once the war is over?"
Looking up at the shining blue sky, Jiraiya replied, "You're the first one I'm going to tell this to. Not even Sarutobi-sensei knows. A couple of months back, I received a prophecy from the great Sage toad. He told me that I would one day bring up a student that would either save or destroy the shinobi world. Quite a burden on your shoulders, don't you think?" Jiraiya chuckled for a moment before sighing. "He said that I would travel the world and write books, which was where I would one day meet my faithful apprentice. But with the way things are right now, namely the war, such a thing is impossible. The village needs me, and I can't just abandon it. Not only that, but I can't really travel freely either. All the nations have become increasingly harder to get into because of the war. It's one of the reasons why I've been spending so much time in the field. I'm pretty sure Sarutobi-sensei is glad that I decided to do this with you. But I also have my own reasons for accompanying you."
"You want to meet Naruto," Sasuke stated calmly while looking ahead. He didn't need to glance towards Jiraiya's direction to know that the man had just nodded.
"Yeah. From everything that you've told me, then this boy definitely fits all the criteria. I just want to confirm it."
It would make sense. Sasuke already knew just what the blond was capable of. Not to mention the natural talent he had of attracting people towards him, even if they were his enemies in the beginning. Gaara would be the perfect example of this. Sasuke could still vividly remember just how the red haired boy had been when they had first met. Needless to say, after Naruto had kicked his ass, he had gone through a complete change.
"But I guess I shouldn't get my hopes up too much," Jiraiya said after several moments. Seeing how Sasuke was looking at him with a confused look, he elaborated. "Uzu isn't exactly taking in visitors right now either. Not with how they just openly declared themselves as taking a side in the war. Their clan head left a few days ahead of us, so they're no doubt already preparing themselves in order to advance towards Kumo. Their ports are probably closed already."
Well, that would suck. The man could have at least filled him in with that little detail before they had departed. That way Sasuke wouldn't feel to dishearten if they really couldn't get into the island nation.
"I've been meaning to ask you about that too," Jiraiya said, changing the subject as he pointed at Sasuke's now bandaged left hand. "You didn't have that the last time I saw you before we left the village. I can feel chakra coming from it too. Just what is it?"
Sasuke glanced down at said arm for a moment. That was the only thing about his appearance that had changed in the past several days. He was still wearing his usual clothes while carrying a backpack with all the supplies that he was going to need while he was away, like a toothbrush, clothes, and the like. As far as Sasuke was concerned, he didn't need to hide the fact that he was an Uchiha. Even if that meant that he was instantly categorized as a Konoha shinobi. Which would be kinda preposterous since he was still an eight year old boy. At any rate, he had never hidden his clan's symbol before, and he didn't feel the need to do so now. Anyone who was stupid enough to try and kidnap him or anything of the sort would be in for their surprise of a lifetime. Jiraiya already knew that Sasuke could defend himself, so he didn't see the need to tell him not to either. And it wasn't like they were going to sneak into Iwa or something like that. Right now, Sasuke just wanted to get a sense of the world that he was now in.
"It's…nothing," Sasuke finally answered at last. "It's just something that I've felt like doing. Nothing more."
Jiraiya glanced at him for a few seconds, obviously not believing what he had just say. It was something that Sasuke did have to give credit to the man. Despite how much of a perverted idiot he acted, or really was, the white haired man was also extremely smart and keen. He could just sense when there was something that wasn't right. Like with what Sasuke had just said. The boy already knew that he had lied to the man, but this matter was something that he wasn't willing to divulge to anyone except with Naruto. He was still trying to figure out just what to make of it, not to mention that he would need to keep it hidden while in the academy. That was going to be a pain. It was a good thing that it had happened right before he left too. This way, he could come up with ways to get around with the fact that his whole left arm and hand was bandaged. He could just say it was for taijutsu…or just say nothing and play it all off like he usually did. Yeah, the second option sounded better.
Jiraiya simply sighed. "Whatever you say, brat."
That was another thing Sasuke had gotten used to already, being referred to as "brat" on a daily basis. While in some instances the Uchiha might have found it annoying, he knew for a fact that Jiraiya didn't particularly mean it as an insult. It was just the man's way of saying that he didn't dislike you. Besides, for all intents and purposes, he was a brat again. It was an idea that Sasuke hadn't fully come to terms with yet, but the boy had found himself caring about the detail less and less everyday. After all, he still had all his powers and skills. With that alone he was a happy Uchiha. It meant that he really didn't have to take crap from anyone. Sure, it wasn't the best way to look at it since the thought itself was kind of rash. But it was just another thing that Sasuke didn't particularly care for.
"So, you and Naruto are close, eh?" Jiraiya said, switching topics. Glancing at him, he added, "I mean, from what I know about you, I would find it odd to want to see someone you're not close to, especially if that person is in another country altogether."
Sasuke sighed. That was one of the few things that he hadn't mentioned to either Jiraiya or Sarutobi. At the time, he hadn't found it to be a particularly important detail. But since they did need to kill some time before they reached the next town for a break and lunch, Sasuke didn't really see a problem with sharing.
"You could say that. A lot of things happened."
Jiraiya snorted at that. "You don't say? Being friends with a rogue shinobi isn't really on anyone's top to do list."
Sasuke shrugged. "You'd be surprised at how stubborn the idiot can be. Once he sets his mind on something, it's virtually impossible to get him out of it. Only Sakura could do that from what I remember."
Jiraiya hummed, a thoughtful look on his face. "I just can't see it. I mean, you did tell me how he's the future son of Minato. That kid is nowhere near as…..hyperactive as you make Naruto sound like to be. And why Naruto anyway? He's named after ramen for pete's sake! It just doesn't fit with Minato's image."
Ah, that was right. Jiraiya had already mentioned to him how he had been planning on taking Minato as an apprentice. Apparently the boy had caught him in one of his peeping investigations just like Sasuke had had. Supposedly, the two had hit it off. From what Jiraiya had told him, apparently the man didn't find the blond boy to be as annoying as other talented kids were at his age or grew up to be. The boy valued comrades, trusting others to be alongside him despite the fact that he might even be leaps and bounds ahead of them. Jiraiya had found it admirable. Sasuke supposed that the future legendary shinobi had gotten interested in him for similar reasons. But he was different. He came from the future and already had the experience to match it all up. Minato was still an innocent boy. Gifted, but innocent.
Shrugging again, Sasuke answered honestly, "Don't look at me. I didn't even know that he was Naruto's father until recently." If he wanted to count the days straightforward, then it wouldn't even be a month since Sasuke had found out. But his sense of time wasn't all that correct anymore since he was now in the past…best to just not go there.
Jiraiya continued to ponder the idea all through their walk while Sasuke's mind was stuck in a whole different matter: his clan. Or more specifically, his grandfather and the others. It went without saying that Sasuke had informed the man before he had left of his hasty planned trip. It would have caused too many problems with his clan if he didn't. Not that there weren't going to be any since Jiraiya was taking him, barely an academic student to the rest of the world, out of the village and into the shinobi world which was currently engulfed in a war.
At the very least, Sasuke could say that the man had been more than understanding when he had told him.
Flashback: Start
Sasuke was standing before his grandfather with a calm look on his face with said man looking at him with a surprised look with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Both Kazuki and Fugaku stood a few distance away behind Sasuke. The four Uchiha were currently inside the house in what was basically the boys' personal dojo. Kenshin had a simple pair of black and gray Uchiha robes with the clan symbol presented proudly in the back. The clan head had just returned from the final talks with the war council about their plans. Things would become a bit more hectic in the village as a result, but those things didn't concern Kenshin at the moment. No, Sasuke did.
"You want to leave the village, you say," Kenshin repeated in a tone that didn't say whether he was for or against the idea. "Well, I must say, this is quite the surprise. Just when did you have the pleasure of meeting him?"
Seeing no reason to lie, Sasuke answered truthfully, "While I was sightseeing one afternoon. I caught him peeping in the women's bathhouse. I don't know why, but he took a liking to me." Okay, so maybe he wasn't telling the complete truth. But it wasn't a complete lie either.
"Father, you must know how ludicrous this sounds," Fugaku stated while walking forward a couple of steps and shaking his head. Woah, ludicrous? The boy really did know some words. Both Sasuke and Kenshin looked at him as he added, "It's not safe out there at all."
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at that. So, his father did care about him after all. At the very least it was enough for the boy to actually feel the need to speak up. Kazuki was also looking at his older brother with a raised eyebrow.
As for Kenshin, the man did smile a bit at hearing his son saying such a thing. "While I agree with you, son, this is Sasuke's decision. If the Hokage sees no problem with allowing such a thing, then neither do I."
It was such a funny thing for Sasuke's grandfather to say that since Sarutobi was completely against the idea. But he didn't need to know that.
Frowning, Fugaku then asked, "Then what of the council? I don't think they're going to accept this."
Okay, so Sasuke already had been suspicious of the fact that his father was smart in his own right. After all, the boy was going to be clan head of one of the most powerful clans in the shinobi world one day. But Sasuke was really taken back when Fugaku asked that question. It just showed that the boy was already aware of the politics that took place in the clan. If there was a word that Sasuke could describe what he was feeling, it would be proud.
Kenshin chuckled. "You don't have to worry about such a thing, Fugaku. Despite what they may like to think, they don't have any real power. They're only there to advice, nothing else. They can't go against with what I decide. They may whine about it, but that's pretty much it. So if it means that I have to put up with them for several days for Sasuke's sake, then I don't mind."
Sasuke looked at his grandfather in surprise. It was a big thing that the man was giving him. And that thing was his trust. He was trusting Sasuke's own judgement in whether he should go or not. It was at that moment that Sasuke realized why his father and uncle were the way they were despite still being only eight. It was because his grandfather taught them how to make their own decisions based on their judgement alone. It had helped the two boys be more mature than they otherwise would have been if they had an overprotective father. That wasn't to say that Kenshin wasn't protective of them either. The man simply understood that, in the world they lived in, cuddling his kids would only affect them even more down the line. In an odd kind of way, Sasuke looked up to Kenshin in that regard. In Sasuke's opinion, the man was a great father.
Kenshin then looked at Sasuke, placing a hand on the young boy's shoulder as well. "That being said, I do want you to be careful out there. Jiraiya can be a bit…odd at times. But he is a good man. And on the way to becoming a legendary shinobi as well. Makes sure you stick close by him, all right? I know I haven't told you this before, but I already consider you as my own child. Understood? I'm sure Fugaku and Kazuki feel the same way."
"The old man's right," Kazuki said as he came up behind Sasuke, bringing his arm around him just as Kenshin retracted his hand. "It'll be sad if you don't come back and leave me with moody pants over here. Besides, we haven't had our match yet. I still want to kick your ass. Got it?"
While Sasuke smiled, Kenshin sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "Boy, watch your language."
Kazuki merely chuckled before taking a few steps back. "Sorry. But I couldn't help it. It sounded so cool in my head."
Sasuke turned to look at his father who was watching him with a straight look.
"Just don't die," the boy said before walking out of the room without saying another word.
Kazuki whistled at his brother's retreating back. "It seems Fugaku-chan is gonna miss you too. So sweet."
In what had been the longest of times, Sasuke actually laughed out loud. A genuine laugh at that.
Flashback: End
"Ooooooooohhhhhh, seems like this place has a mixed hot spring. Hehehe. Change of plans, brat. We're staying here for the night."
Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes as Jiraiya said that with what was the most perverted look that the Uchiha had ever seen. The duo had reached a town, the name of which Sasuke had already forgotten since he hadn't been paying much attention at the time, where Jiraiya had asked for a local map. Immediately the man's eyes had been drawn to the fact that there was a hot spring in the small town for both men and women.
It went without saying that Sasuke didn't really get the point of Jiraiya's obsession with women. As far as Sasuke was concerned, most of them weren't worth his time. And he didn't mean that to say that he was too good for them….well, actually that was exactly what he was saying. But the boy didn't mean that in a negative way. Then again, if Sasuke actually bothered to think about it a bit more, he would realize that it would have a negative meaning regardless of how he said it. At any rate, what Sasuke was referring to was the fact that most women were just weak, plain and simple. They would rather bury themselves in clothes and makeup than actually better themselves. That wasn't to say that Sasuke didn't think that they shouldn't do that either. The boy just felt like there should be a limit to everything was all. Then again, maybe his views were a bit bias since he had grown up with girls who didn't care at all about being actual kunoichis and had "loved" him sorely for his looks. That was what irritated Sasuke the most. Just how could one love a person when one didn't know him? It was irrational. Not to mention the fact that he simply didn't think many girls would understand his way of thinking.
Shaking his head, Sasuke decided to drop the subject. Hanging around with Jiraiya had made him start thinking about something that he rarely did. It was a topic that Sasuke hadn't touched ever since he had left Konoha. After all, at the time, killing Itachi and then destroying Konoha had taken precedence. And now saving the shinobi world was number one on his priority list. A complete one eighty from his first goal, but meh. Such was life.
"We should keep moving," Sasuke said as he followed behind a whistling Jiraiya. "I want to get to Uzu as soon as possible."
"Uzu isn't going anywhere," Jiraiya replied, obviously not changing his mind about the matter. "Besides, this is one of the things that I have to teach you as your new master!"
One of Sasuke's eyebrows twitched. "That was only as a pretense to get me out of the village," he retorted. "I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than you already."
"That may be," Jiraiya said with a nod, not really caring about what Sasuke had just said, "but there are many other things a master teaches his student. It's not all just about combat. I mean, you do want to be popular with the girls, right?"
'That's something that I already am without even trying,' Sasuke thought. And he wasn't just boasting, cause really. He would never boast about something like that. He had only been in the academy for about a week now and there was already a fan club in his honor. It was something that made Kazuki laugh every time that he brought it up, which also made Inoichi cry. But there was just no way that he was going to tell Jiraiya that.
Seeing as that he wasn't going to change the man's mind about staying in the town, Sasuke stopped on his tracks. "Then I'll be walking around."
Jiraiya did pause at this. Looking back at him, Jiraiya had a contemplating look. "Make sure you stay in the town then. I don't want there to be any trouble here. We'll be staying at this hotel, got it?"
Memorizing where it was that Jiraiya was pointing at on the map, Sasuke merely nodded before walking off in the opposite direction, carrying only his blue backpack with his hands in his pockets.
Jiraiya kept his eyes on him longer for a few more seconds before he turned back towards his destination: the hot springs!
Many took steps away from him as his perverted giggles reached their ears, especially the women.
Stay in the town? Yeah, right. Like Sasuke was really going to follow that. It seemed as if his cold attitude had really come in handy this time around. It made him seem like someone who would actually follow an order when they were told to. It was too bad that Naruto didn't have the skills to pull off such a feat.
Walking to the outskirts of the town, Sasuke hid his backpack on top of one of the tallest trees that he could find before heading back down. Looking around to make sure that no one was following him, Sasuke bit his thumb before going through a series of hand seals. Bringing his hand down, Sasuke grinned.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu."
With a puff of smoke, a small purple snake appeared in front of Sasuke who was still grinning. "Are the preparations ready?"
"Yes, Sasuke-sama," the snake answered with a small wiggle. "We can summon you to the nearest port as soon as you're ready."
Sasuke continued to grin. Perfect. The young Uchiha wasn't stupid enough to realize that something like this would happen when he was traveling with Jiraiya, the well known pervert. So, he had made the necessary precautions to ensure that he wouldn't be stuck in different towns along the way as the man tried to get laid.
Flashback: Start
Sasuke didn't need to look twice to know that he was currently being glared at. Not that it should surprise the young Uchiha in the slightest. After all, the last time that he had seen Manda, the snake boss had been killed simply because Sasuke had used him as a shield against Deidara's ultra secret technique. To make matters worse, the powerful snake summon hadn't done it from the bottom of his heart. No, Sasuke had simply used his sharingan to put the summon in a genjutsu and make him do it. But knowing that the snake wouldn't have cooperated otherwise, Sasuke hadn't seen any other choice at the time. But hence, that explained why said snake boss was currently glaring at him as he stood before the great White Snake Sage in the infamous Ryuchi Cave. It was the first time that Sasuke had bothered to set foot in the place. But now, he didn't really have any other choice.
"I must say that I am surprised to see you here, Uchiha," the Snake Sage said in a calm tone. Unlike Manda, the giant snake didn't seem to have a problem with having Sasuke in their home. "You didn't strike me as the type to want to learn senjutsu."
"That's because I don't," Sasuke replied instantly. He didn't need it. He already had other things that were just as powerful and wouldn't require the delicacy that senjutsu training did. Not to mention what had become of Kabuto as a result of learning under this snake.
"Then why are you here?" Manda asked, his glare still present. "If you think that you can just demand anything from the great Sage, then you're sorely mistaken."
Shaking his head at that, Sasuke answered, "I'm not here to demand anything. Instead, I've come only to ask for your assistance."
Seeing Manda about to chew the boy out, the White Snake said, "I see. Then if it's not senjutsu that you are interested in, then just what is it that you wish to ask of us?"
"Because of our contract, you already know what happens in the future," Sasuke began calmly. Through his peripheral, he saw how Manda hissed angrily at the reminder. Not putting the matter much thought, Sasuke continued, "I am here simply to ask you if you could please allow me to have your home as a training ground for me. There are certain techniques that I wish to master and can't do so if I'm inside the village." Even if he did have the infamous training ground forty four. "I also ask that our contract remains so that I may still call upon you in combat should the need arise."
"This is most surprising of you, Uchiha," the White Snake said in a surprised tone. Looking down at the boy, he added, "From what Manda has told me, I was sure that you would have tried to control me through your genjutsu."
Sasuke shrugged. "In the past, I have no doubt in my mind that I would have attempted such a method. But I've come to realize that the way I was doing things wasn't exactly the best. It's why I've come to ask you instead."
"And if I refuse?"
Shrugging again, Sasuke answered, "Then I'll just have to find some other way to train."
Even Manda was watching Sasuke differently now. That wasn't to say that the snake boss was in any way forgetting what the boy had done to him. It was more that he was surprised at how different the Uchiha was from the way that he was the last time that they had talked. Which was during his death.
The White Snake hummed for a few moments as he studied the young Uchiha boy for a few moments, his gaze looking as if it was cutting all the way through his soul.
"You must certainly surprise me," the sage said at last. "Not only have you somehow traveled to the past, but you've also seemed to have gotten a lot out of it."
Sasuke didn't reply, knowing that the powerful leader of the snakes had a point. If it hadn't been for coming to the past and starting this crazy adventure, Sasuke wasn't too sure just how things would have ended up between him and Naruto. No doubt the idiot would have opposed his plans since it had involved killing him. But still. It did make Sasuke ponder sometimes. Would he have won the battle like last time? Or would have Naruto?
"You will have our aid, Uchiha," the White Snake stated. "I'm most interested in seeing just where your path will take you. And the best way I see it is to have you close around. Not to mention the fact that we do indeed have a contract. We don't take such things lightly. Is that understood, Manda?"
Said snake could only bow his head, knowing that he couldn't refuse his leader. Not that he would ever want to. Besides, something in that arrogant Uchiha must have really changed if even the White Snake Sage said it so. Manda knew that his boss didn't make such statements lightly. That didn't mean that he forgave Sasuke, however. Not by a long shot.
Sasuke bowed as well. "I thank you for your understanding."
At least, he had been successful. Now, he had his summons and a perfect place to practice his new jutsu. He had just killed two birds with one stone.
And Sasuke already knew that he was going to be making use of this pretty soon.
Flashback: End
Sasuke knew that having had reconcile with the snakes like that would pay off one day. Not that he hadn't meant it. But just thinking about how he could move along things faster did make Sasuke smirk a little. He had never been one for having much patience, after all.
Looking back at the town, the name of which Sasuke still couldn't recall, the young Uchiha did feel a bit guilty about leaving Jiraiya behind for a split second. Shrugging the thought away, Sasuke knew that the pervert had had it coming. While the man might still consider all of this to be part of his vacation time, Sasuke knew that for him it was far from it. The Uchiha already knew how much work would have to be done for all of the Shinobi Nations to come together in peace. As far as he was concerned, he hadn't even begun to do anything in achieving that yet. He didn't think that Naruto had done so either. But maybe he was wrong? Either way, it wasn't like he was going to be leaving Jiraiya for good. He would be back by nightfall at the latest. That should give him enough time to secure some transportation and maybe even get permission into the island nation too. But Sasuke felt that maybe thinking that was being too optimistic. Oh well, he would just need to find out for himself.
Looking back down to the small snake summon, Sasuke said, "All right, let's go."
Nodding, the small snake disappeared in a small puff of smoke just like the way he had appeared. A few moments later, Sasuke also disappeared in the same fashion, leaving no trace behind that he had ever been there.
Having had bought a black robe in order to cover his features with the money that Kenshin had given him, Sasuke walked calmly towards the harbor in one of the bigger port towns along the coast in the Land of Fire. Even Sasuke knew that it would too problematic if he stood out since he was by himself. It was a different story when he had been with Jiraiya.
Kenshin did suddenly come to Sasuke's mind, however. His grandfather had told him before he had left how he was returning to the front in a couple of days. Basically, Sasuke knew he wouldn't be seeing much of the man when he got back, especially if the war continued to drag on. It also reminded Sasuke of how Kazuki and Fugaku had been totally against the idea, even if the former hadn't expressed it as much as the latter. It just made Sasuke recall what Fugaku had said and how he still didn't know much about them yet. It was something that he would need to rectify soon. That rang true for his mother, even though he really had no idea how to start there. The girl was just…odd. Sasuke didn't really know how else to describe her. To Sasuke, her actions didn't make much sense. But that just went to show him how much he had really known about her, especially since it was already obvious to him that she didn't want to be engaged to Fugaku, a feeling which was mutual as well.
At any rate, he would worry about such things when he was back in the village. He currently needed to see one idiotic blond. Reaching the harbor, Sasuke spotted a couple of ships docked. In his head, though, the Uchiha was trying to analyze the situation in a calm fashion. Just how did the Uzumaki clan allow people into their village anyway? Not only that, but how did they get things from the mainland as well as trade? He hadn't put much thought to that before, but now that he was here, it would be better if he did.
One thing was certain to him, however. And that was the fact that Naruto's clan at least needed to have some ships in the harbor for such things. Or maybe a whole navy through a company that they owned. Either way, he needed to find a ship and fast.
Walking into the harbor, Sasuke looked around him, trying to find anyone with red hair. At the moment, the harbor was quite flushed with activity. So to a normal person it might have been harder. But thankfully Sasuke was an Uchiha, so he had a keen eye in observations. In other words, it didn't take long for Sasuke to discover that there weren't any people in the harbor matching the descriptions to that of an Uzumaki. He had spotted a couple of redheads, but they were simply just that. They had no connection to the grand and powerful clan whatsoever.
Just about reaching the end of his patience on the matter, Sasuke then decided to just ask one of the other captains around. And thankfully, the young Uchiha was able to find one such man without anyone else around by one of the docks close to the end of the harbor.
"Uzu?" the man repeated incredulously. Seeing Sasuke nod, the man scratched the back of his head as he said, "Kid, you're not going to find too much luck in getting there now. Before, they did own a dock here. Still do actually. But the ones running it left with their ship in tow. Apparently, they decided to take part in the war or something like that, so there are no more ships to be admitted into the island anymore. They're just going to come and get supplies themselves I think. I dunno. It's not really my concern anyhow."
Perfect, just perfect. Sasuke couldn't keep the look of irritation from showing up on his face as he walked away from the man. The Uzumaki clan had already left. They had probably waited for the clan head to arrive before leaving too. Dammit. If only he had been faster in leaving the village, then this wouldn't have happened. And he couldn't really just run across the sea to get there. Well, he could. But that would just cause to many other problems that Naruto most likely didn't need right now. As he walked out of the harbor, Sasuke turned his gaze to the small shape of the island he was trying to get to in the distance. That was where the idiot currently was. Sasuke was so close, but he couldn't do anything else to just cross the little distance he needed to get to his destination.
On the flip side of that, though, he had at least been able to confirm that coming here would only get him nowhere. He and Jiraiya could head to another place instead of losing time coming here. So, that was good at least.
Sighing, Sasuke was about to head back to the town he had ditched Jiraiya in before something caught his eye in the distance. Or rather, someone did. Turning towards the opposite direction of the crowded street that he was now in, Sasuke was able to spot what looked like a Root Anbu member. But that couldn't be right? After all, why would someone from Danzo's organization be out here in the open? If there was anything that that man prided himself in, it was secrecy. There was just no way that he wouldn't teach his Anbu that lesson. Hell, even regular Anbu knew of that. It was the whole point of being in Anbu. You were literally shrouded in secret.
Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke decided that he had nothing to lose if he checked things out. Besides, it could just help him kill some time before he met up with Jiraiya again. Odds were the man was deep in his peeping. And Sasuke couldn't go back to that.
With that in mind, Sasuke began to walk towards where he had seen the Anbu heading to. It wasn't long before Sasuke was able to spot the Root member again, which all but confirmed that he had indeed been correct. Keeping his distance, Sasuke was able to see how the Root operative was talking to a man who looked like a simple civilian in front of a shop. Needless to say, Sasuke was confused beyond belief at the current situation. Like he had said before, there was just no way that this was the way that Danzo's men did things. Because if they did, Danzo would have been discovered long ago. But Sasuke did pick up another interesting detail, however. All around them, the men and women walking about the street didn't even bat an eye as they walked by the two men. Okay, that was just as suspicious. Was seeing Anbu such a common fact for them or what?
Having had enough with not knowing what was going on, Sasuke decided to put the little gift that Hamura had given him to good use.
This could just lead him back to Danzo again. And that was something that Sasuke could never pass up. Smirking, Sasuke's sharingan spun to life.
It was spying time, Uchiha style.
"You Root Anbu do have balls," the male civilian said with a chuckle. He was currently leaning against the wall of the shop with his arms crossed in front of him. "I mean, I never would have pegged you bunch as being bold enough to conspire against your allies out in the open, in a town where they may even have spies themselves as well."
The Anbu in front of him didn't look as amused as the man did. Then again, it was hard to tell with the mask. "You don't have to worry about such a thing," the Anbu replied in what could only be categorized as an emotionless tone. "The people here already know of our presence since we have many dealings with the Uzu shinobi who come to the shore for business. Even if we tried to do anything in secret, there wouldn't be any point. Danzo-sama controls the whole city. The Hokage hasn't been able to keep too much of a watch in 'unimportant' areas such as this. Uzu doesn't have anyone on here either. They're naive for those reasons."
The male hummed as his gaze traveled to the people walking about on the street. "Makes me wonder just how I was able to get in, then. Maybe your boss only lets those from other villages that he wants to….."
The silence from the Anbu told the man more than anything he could have said. Chuckling, he added, "Well, since I'm a good guy and all, I'll just keep that to myself for now. It'd be better if we didn't dwell too much. No matter what you say, I don't really like coming out here in the open. Even if it is 'common' to the people of this town."
The Anbu didn't say anything. Instead, he simply waited for the man to say what he needed to. While it was true that such a meeting like this wouldn't cause any problem with the populace, the Anbu wasn't one to risk such a thing. He had been trained to handle things in the shadows, not to come out here in the open. So even if he wasn't showing it, he wasn't all too comfortable with their meeting dragging out any longer than it had to, just like the man in front of him.
"The Mizukage says he's in," the man stated without any hint of humor in his face. "We've been waiting for a long time to get those annoying pests out of our waters too. As long as Danzo comes through on his end, we won't have a problem being there to lend you a hand."
"Then I shall inform Danzo-sama of this immediately."
Chuckling, the man said, "Yeah, you do that. And while I'm at it, I'm going to get out of here now. You tell me if there's anything else you want to talk about. But really, don't."
If the Anbu could, he would be extremely disgusted by the behavior of the Kiri ninja. But since such actions had been literally killed out of him, the Anbu simply vanished back into the crowd without another word. They had said all that needed to be. Quick and effective, the way of the Root.
The man soon follow the Anbu's example with the intention of getting wasted tonight. He didn't see a pair of red eyes following him from the other side of the street.
So in all retrospect, Sasuke wasn't one hundred percent sure whether his plan was the best one or not. Some might have gone back to Jiraiya to ask what they should do. But having gone so long as he had with following his own instincts, Sasuke didn't even think about doing such a thing for a second. He had already come up with a plan of his own, which, if he succeeded, would give him a straight ticket to where he wanted to go now.
Walking behind the man with several people between them, Sasuke made sure to watch the Kiri spy's every move. The man already seemed to have several moves up his sleeve, and Sasuke wasn't going to take the chance of waiting for this whole thing to blow up. He needed to be careful about this, quiet. Because if everything went right, then he would soon have the man's identity.
It didn't take long for the man to stop at one of the nearby bars. Seeing this, Sasuke t'ched. There was no way that he could make a move against him while he was in there. Sighing, Sasuke looked up at the sky to see that it would soon be getting dark out. He didn't want to spend any more time here than of what was required. His blood was already itching to kill the Mizukage, but the Uchiha pushed that impulse down. He wasn't going down that path anymore. That didn't mean that he wasn't going to teach the Mizukage a thing or two. Looking around for a few moments, someone caught the Uchiha's eye.
Smirking, Sasuke had another sudden idea. For a moment, the boy thought that he was starting to become more like a prankster than anything. But refocusing on the task at hand, Sasuke walked back the way he had come from.
He needed to summon his snake in crime. He also needed Jiraiya's money. Lots of it.
"And you're sure that you weren't seen?" Sasuke asked as he wrote down a check for a million ryo. The Uchiha wasn't sure just how much money Jiraiya had in the bank, but it wouldn't matter anyway. It would just be enough to entice anyone.
The small purple snake from before nodded, a small smirk on his face. "Yes, Sasuke-sama. The man was too busy trying to talk to some females in the hot spring to notice me getting inside his clothes. It was nothing."
Sasuke nodded, pleased with the results. Pocketing the checkbook, Sasuke looked at the check in his hand for a moment before he placed it in his pocket as well. There was some amusement dancing in his onyx colored eyes at the moment. It had been a while since he had done something as amusing at this. Looking back down at the small snake, Sasuke said, "Good job. You can go now, Oba."
The now named Oba nodded before disappearing in another puff of smoke, happy to have been of more assistance to Sasuke.
Looking back towards the port town, Sasuke knew that it was game time. The sun was already descending down the sky. Patting the check in his pocket, Sasuke made his way back towards the bar that the man had entered. Hopefully that woman was still nearby too.
"Oh, Tai-kun, that sounds amazing!"
The man, now named as Tai, basked in the attention that he was receiving from the woman who was sitting next to him in the bar. He had been at the bar for a couple of hours now, drinking drinks after drinks. But he had always been a hard drinker since he was young, so it took a while for him to actually get drunk. And he did have to say that he was feeling a bit tipsy already. And the woman next to him in the tight dress was smelling really good right about now too. If he had been sober, however, Tai would have questioned just why the woman had instantly made for him the moment she had spotted him. Regular women didn't do that. They preferred for the guy to come to them with the best that they would throw being a sultry look, if one was lucky enough.
But since his mind was already clouded deep enough in the wonders of alcohol, he didn't question such things. Instead, he simply let himself enjoy the night as the woman laughed at another one of his made up stories of how he had killed a couple of powerful shinobi in the past. Truth of the matter was that he didn't really possess any powerful jutsu. But what he lacked in ninjutsu he made up in his espionage skills and genjutsu, which were best for distractions at best. Both of those skills had saved his behind numerous times in the past, though. So it went without saying that in a straight fight, he would lose. But he was a shinobi. There was no need to fight fairly. If he won, that was all that he needed. Screw concepts like honor and the like. Who needed them anyway? Women and alcohol was all that he needed. Money was nice too.
It wasn't long after that that the woman began to drag him out of the bar and into the dark streets outside. Many of the other men that had also been present watched them go with pure looks of jealousy, wishing that they could trade places with him.
But Tai didn't pay much attention to them as he soon started to make out with the unknown woman in some alleyway. Letting himself be pushed against the wall, he waited for the woman to continue, his eyes closed. After several seconds of not experiencing her touch, Tai opened one eye to see that the woman was no longer there. He was alone in the alley. Had he just been duped? But still feeling his wallet in the pocket of the green shorts that he was wearing, Tai immediately ruled that possibility out. Then just what-
His eyes immediately caught a figure standing at the end of the alley, his looks obscured by a cloak that he was wearing. It was then that Tai realized something. He realized just what the woman had been after. He also realized just that he hadn't bothered to ask himself why such a fine woman had come on to him just like that.
But realizing that asking such things were now pointless, Tai simply sighed. With the way that he was, he knew that he wouldn't get too far. He was far too drunk for that.
The last thing he saw was a pair of spinning red eyes.
It didn't take Sasuke too long to find the room that Jiraiya had rented for the night. All he had needed to ask to the receptionist was if there was a perverted man with crazy white hair staying in the hotel. She had told him where immediately.
Opening the door with the key that the receptionist had given him, Sasuke sighed as he came to the sight of Jiraiya passed out on the floor, snoring as loud as possible. It only made him wonder just how so many idiots got to be such powerful shinobi. The world was funny like that, he supposed.
Dropping his backpack by the door, Sasuke walked towards the snoring Jiraiya as the man cuddled with his pillow. Standing above him, Sasuke kicked the jonin a few times. "Wake the hell up, idiot. We have to go."
Jiraiya slowly opened his eyes, a sleepy look on his face. And this was the man that had been fighting out in the war for a long time? Just where the hell were his keen senses?
Not dwelling on it forever, though, Sasuke said, "Get up. We have to move. I've just stumbled on something big."
Yawning as he stretched, Jiraiya said in response. "Oh? So is that what you did when you left the town after I specifically told you not to?"
Sasuke blinked for a few moments. "You know?"
Shrugging as he stood up, Jiraiya scratched his hair as he replied, "Of course I know. Did you really think I was going to trust you to follow my instructions? Don't be an idiot. I've been along too many stubborn people to not know better. One of which is me"
"Then why didn't you try to stop me?"
Shrugging again, he answered, "Because I also know that you're not the kind of guy to get into useless mayhem. If you were, that would be a different story. So? What is it that you found out?"
While wanting to know just how the man had been able to keep tabs on him, Sasuke nonetheless replied, "I went to the closest port from here, the one that we were heading to before you decided to goof off for a whole afternoon."
Seeing the man only shrug yet again at his accusation, Sasuke continued, "There, I found one of Danzo's Anbu talking with some Kiri spy. In the open too. Apparently Kiri might be on the plot too. I'm not one hundred percent yet if it might be related to what I found out with Danzo."
Realization dawned on Jiraiya. "Oh, so that's what my contact was talking about."
For the second time, the Uchiha blinked dumbly. "What?"
Sighing, Jiraiya said, "That was another reason why we were heading there. We could have chosen another place to hitch a ride to Uzu, you know. But anyway, apparently Danzo's Root have been making bold moves there lately. They've been seen talking to quite a few people recently. In the open to boot, just like you saw. It's one of the reasons why we're ahead of that one eye bastard. He doesn't know that I'm keeping tabs on him. If he did, then you most definitely wouldn't have seen what you did today. So we have the advantage for the moment."
It was now that Sasuke understood that having Jiraiya with him as an ally was definitely a huge help to him. But also realizing something else, Sasuke said with an annoyed voice, "If you already knew that, then why the hell did you just do nothing all day!?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "It wasn't nothing. It was research! Besides, the information was there. It wasn't going to leave or anything. Sometimes you just need to relax."
Sighing, Sasuke moved back towards the door. "Whatever. Just get ready. We have to move. I've already set our entrance."
Raising an eyebrow, Jiraiya asked, "Going? You don't mean that we're going to-"
"Yes, we are," Sasuke interrupted. With Sasuke being faced away from him, Jiraiya wasn't able to see the Uchiha's sharingan spin to life.
"We're going to Kiri."
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