Chương 11: PART 3.
For many generations, the families involved were widely recognized throughout the Shinobi world. Their stories transcended borders, crossed mountains and only the most extraordinary stories managed to reach foreign lands, becoming legends on other continents.
Three families, each with unique abilities; three families that were closely united, both in the past and in the present, and would be in the future.
These families were collectively known as the Ino-Shika-Chou.
In its beginnings, this name was used to refer to the specialties of each family. However, over time, the name became even more important and came to designate a single group composed of a representative of each family.
An Akimichi was part of this trio: the strength and size of the group. Their abilities were shocking, and to add even more power, they had a secret Jutsu passed down through generations.
A Yamanaka completed the group: the sensor. Their mental and sensory abilities were exceptional, although their dominance varied among family members. However, its use was always complicated.
Able to track the Chakra of others and communicate information to their team telepathically, the Yamanaka also mastered a secret Jutsu that allowed them to take over another person's body.
Finally, a Nara took his place in the trio: the mind of the group. The members of this clan were renowned for their analytical and intellectual acuity, and their ability to work in perfect harmony with any partner.
In addition to their abilities, the Nara were also known for their medicines derived from deer antlers, and their intelligence was rumored to increase from generation to generation. It was not surprising that it was expected that one day a Hokage would emerge from this illustrious family.
These three members complemented each other, giving rise to an extremely famous and respected trio in the Shinobi world.
However, a secret was kept between them, a tradition that only a few in their village knew about. It was a ritual, a ceremony that marked the growth and maturity of the members of the prestigious trio.
From previous generations, it was known that when starting their ninja studies, the children of this clan, heirs to a revered tradition, had to pierce their ears and wear the earrings of their parents, former members of the trio.
Upon reaching adulthood and officially becoming ninjas, only one person had the power to decide if they were ready for the next step: a Sarutobi. It was a unique honor, reserved for the wisest and most experienced in the village.
A Sarutobi was in charge of forging new earrings for the current Ino-Shika-Chou, symbolizing his growth and independence in the Shinobi world. With these new earrings, young people shed those of their parents, thus marking their entry into adulthood and their own destiny.
They would be the ones who would one day give those same earrings to their own children, continuing with the sacred family tradition.
When remembering that day, the memories acquired a crystalline clarity. They were steeped in grief and resentment, with no room for forgiveness. They had ruled out that possibility from the moment their sensei closed his eyes forever.
The Ino-Shika-Chou, future legends, each known for their individual talents. The grace of an angel on earth, the nobility of a great man, the wisdom of a shadow... However, fortune was not smiling on our trio this time. Despite having survived the war and learned, they were still just children.
At seventeen years old at most, sixteen mostly, Shikamaru Nara seemed to be the oldest of the three. Despite their youth, they were already Chunin, ninjas with a high enough rank to act directly under the orders of the Hokage.
However, that rank was heavy for them to carry in their current state of mourning. The person who had taught them the value of life and camaraderie had been taken away from them. Their minds were completely absorbed by that thought, no matter what comments they might make about the places they passed through.
They ran in silence for a long stretch of their journey, without uttering a word. They rushed to increase speed, driven by the urgency of their mission. They had been sent as messengers by Hokage herself, bound for the Kazekage of the hidden village of the Arena.
Although a messenger bird with an encrypted message or a skilled courier could have been used for the task, the situation required their skills to protect the scroll from third parties. The message could not run the risk of being intercepted in the air.
They would arrive in a maximum of three days, but a ninja could always reach his destination by overcoming the limits of fatigue. Absorbed in their thoughts and not yet ready to speak comfortably without someone else present, they found solace in the steady pace of their career.
They just commented on the state of the road from time to time, making sure they weren't followed. They nimbly leaped between the branches of the huge trees to increase their speed, meticulously controlling their breaths to maintain a steady pace that would allow them to continue without stopping for lack of air.
They continued like this for hours, without stopping for a moment. Kakashi-sensei had a reputation for quickly reaching any place he was sent, and Shikamaru had witnessed that ability on more than one occasion with his master as the protagonist.
In the fateful mission that ended his master's life, Shikamaru was forced to run relentlessly. He learned from his teammates that the other teams were in the same situation, and that the nationwide search had been exhaustive, with few ninjas available at the time.
Reaching the windlands in one day was not impossible, but they usually took breaks due to the worry of getting into the Arena.
This time, those breaks were not contemplated, and Shikamaru did not wish to stop now either.
"What's that?" Ino, the blonde teenager, asked his classmates.
Shikamaru, who was leading the race, looked up when he heard the question. He waved his hand to stop their advance, and within seconds, his heels briefly slid over the earth.
The road was desolate, and the sun was hidden behind the clouds. It was anticipated that sunset would arrive in no more than three hours, and they needed to reach the windland before then.
"What's what?" Chōji asked, scanning the forests with his eyes along with his two friends. "I don't see anything strange, we are alone."
"Yes, because it is hiding." Ino pointed out. "Look."
Shikamaru followed his partner's line of sight. Although he remained calm, he felt somewhat worried about what they might find. He carefully observed the indicated place.
On each side of the road stretched forests, common for the Shinobi who used to jump between their branches. They were running to avoid attracting attention, but something caught their attention.
On one of the trees a human figure could be distinguished. For a moment, Shikamaru looked familiar. The figure remained standing on a branch, but disappeared as soon as the three became aware of its presence.
"That's..."
Shikamaru could not complete his quiet guess, as the person emerged with the wind in front of the Ino-Shika-Chou Trio.
They were briefly surprised, but upon recognizing the newcomer as an ally, they were able to breathe a sigh of relief.
It was Captain Yamato, a respected companion and disciple of Kakashi-sensei. He had led the Kakashi team in the absence of the aforementioned White-haired.
"Yamato-san." Shikamaru called out to him in his characteristic dejected and weary tone, but showing formality in his words. "What are you doing here?"
As he said this, his two companions came over.
"I'm a wood clone, here to ensure your safety." Captain Yamato reported calmly. "How did it go? Haven't they been attacked?"
The trio of young men looked puzzled, but they shook their heads in unison.
Yamato breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good..." He sighed. "I just wanted to tell you that my real body felt some anguish a few hours ago. I think they should hurry up and get to the village. I will accompany them."
All three nodded. Yamato's presence, while surprising at first, now seemed more than logical given the circumstances of the message.
The call had been sudden, as if the Hokage's decision had been made at the last moment.
With a lump in their throats, they suppressed any worry. They had to hurry if they wanted to meet Yamato properly.
(~~~)
They had spent hours searching, and the results were barely satisfactory.
Kakashi had spent much of his time exploring the interior of the forest. However, when Sai returned from his aerial search with Sakura, he decided to shift the focus outwards.
Now they were walking through the woods, near a little-traveled road. The three teenagers followed in Kakashi's footsteps, dodging the branches that blocked the path and dodging the roots that poked dangerously out.
"Hey... Where are we going, Kakashi-sensei? We've been searching for hours and still haven't found anything." Naruto complained. He had been silent for a while thanks to Sakura's reproaches, but he had finally reached his limit. "Grandma said it was a hidden village... but how can you hide a village with so many people?, Wow..."
Sakura growled in response, frustrated by Naruto's complaints.
With her lips pressed together and her eyes wide open, Sakura turned to the blond man, who seemed to be tired of wandering around the forest on a mission that was supposed to be important.
"You heard what the Fifth said, didn't you?" She asked. But the Uzumaki only grunted in response.
Sakura sighed in exasperation.
"They're experts in space-time Jutsu! When the Fifth mentioned that, and that they were skilled in other areas, she meant that very possibly their village is hidden from our view thanks to some such Jutsu. Pay more attention!"
Haruno's determined face came fiercely close to Naruto's. Despite the difference in height, the blond shrank a little at his partner's strong scolding.
Meanwhile, Sai remained oblivious to the exchange. He had just pushed a thorny branch out of his way, and for the first time in several minutes, he decided to speak. His attention was focused on Kakashi.
"The Hokage mentioned it, but I wonder..." The white-haired man looked over his shoulder at the pensive Anbu, interested in his reflections. "Hmm... they could be using Genjutsu, or tapping into an ability similar to what happened in Konoha."
Sakura and Naruto turned to look at him.
"An invocation?"
"No, maybe something that makes us believe in something that is not, different from Genjutsu."
Their search was meaningless if they didn't know where to look. But if the pale theory turned out to be true, then it might be possible that the entrance to the village was more apparent than they initially thought.
It had given much to think about when the word "hidden" was mentioned. But that might just be a way of expressing how obvious reality might be.
Kakashi stopped his walk. As he pondered, he began to mentally mark the most likely points where an ordinary person might have passed. They had searched the entire area without finding results, although they had found signs of life, which was comforting.
The unfortunate thing was that the footprints were scarce or the little garbage found did not lead them anywhere.
The white-haired man turned to look at the woods stretching beneath his feet. At that moment they were ascending a steep path, from where they could see distant trees.
He went over all the points he had considered in his mind and came to a conclusion. Instead of continuing to search, he considered that the most sensible thing to do was to wait for someone to come forward.
"They have asked Konoha for help because their ninjas are disappearing." Kakashi analyzed. The silence that followed indicated that he was being listened to attentively. "There have been few mysterious disappearances among the common people of that village. Therefore, if their safety is more or less guaranteed, it is likely that there will be more civilians from that village loitering around here."
"Exactly!" Sakura exclaimed enthusiastically. "We have found traces, but they have not led us anywhere. Maybe it's because there isn't a single entry. There may be several, where only civilians can enter."
"If they are kept hidden, it is thanks to the power of their techniques." Sai added. Naruto was looking at his companions, following the conversation with interest. "Ninjas may have a different entrance than civilians, or they may simply not go outside often. Therefore, only civilians enter and leave freely."
Kakashi nodded, pleased that he didn't have to explain everything himself.
Three of the four were deeply satisfied with his theory. Whether they were elaborating more in their minds or planning another strategy, they remained silent. However, the blond Uzumaki kept his eyes closed, trying to match the serenity of his teammates by crossing his arms in a gesture of false tranquility.
Although he did not fully understand the discussion, he preferred to appear understanding. Despite this, his tense expression betrayed his falsehood.
"And now what do we do, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.
Naruto maintained his façade of calm, daring himself not to show nervousness under Sai's piercing gaze, who refused to take his eyes off him.
Kakashi made a sound of reflection. He glanced sideways at one of the most traveled paths, the one where they had found nothing before.
Maybe they should take that path. But the entrance to the hidden village was hidden in a place not so far from that route.
(~~~)
The screeching of the wheels added fatigue to the journey.
The cart was mainly constructed of wood, except for a few parts of the wheels. Recently, the introduction of metal in certain carts had gained popularity, making it easier to transport foreign goods. This innovation was welcomed by him, a merchant with no fixed home to return to.
He lived off the sale of his products and the orders entrusted to him. Sometimes it grew its own food for sale, while at other times, it offered its transportation services to local farmers. Over time, his reputation as a reliable deliverer spread throughout large centers, earning recognition for always delivering on time.
This time, it was no different.
With both hands, he pushed the cart full of food. He used the two wooden arms that protruded from the front of the cart to make the journey easier, and from time to time, he would peek out the window to make sure the goods were in good condition.
Another reason why he was recognized was his ability to avoid robberies. He knew the places frequented by criminals, possessed knowledge of self-defense and had developed his own method to mislead them. Sometimes he would leave red herrings with his cart and then take a different course, known only to him.
Today, he was delivering fruits and vegetables that in any other car would have gone bad before they reached their destination. However, he had good legs and was willing to walk all night and all day to do his job. Although they gave him directions to follow, he already knew the meeting point.
He had visited this village on more than one occasion in his forty years of life.
And just like everywhere he worked, he had friends who hired him regularly.
He held his breath as the cart's wheels bounced as he passed over a stone. The last thing he wanted was for his wares to go bad.
He looked anxiously over his shoulder and exhaled in relief to see that the watermelon was still in place in the window. It was a trick he used to improve his skill on the road.
He placed the heaviest merchandise in the window and if it moved, even by an inch, he knew that he had to work harder to maintain his balance. If I managed to turn right correctly, controlling the weight, everything would be fine.
"What a fright!" He muttered to himself.
He continued on his way, following the road for at least fifteen minutes, as he was accustomed to. As he began to reconnoiter the way home, the merchant turned to the right, veering off the road and into the woods.
He was about to step into the ditch, and all his work would literally go to the ground if he lost control of the cart. However, his countenance showed absolute calm, letting himself be carried away by the familiarity of the surroundings.
When he took two steps beyond the ditch, the forest in front of him seemed to crystallize. A strange ripple in the air didn't capture his attention, and as he crossed the boundary between reality and his friends' home, the air ripples intensified.
These waves were only perceptible on the other side of the ditch, as if it were an invisible wall that prevented anyone who passed by from seeing the other side of the barrier.
The merchant crossed without mishap, and when the wheels of the cart were about to cross the dangerously steep ditch, there was a surprise for him, although he was already quite accustomed to this phenomenon.
The forest stage disappeared as soon as he opened his eyes. The wheels that crossed the ditch were no longer on it, but on a perfectly manicured floor, made of concrete and smooth enough that not even an experienced merchant would trip over his wares.
The atmosphere suddenly changed when crossing the well-known barrier. The sun shone warmly on the concrete road, and on either side, the merchant was enjoying the woods surrounding the entrance to the hidden village.
After about five minutes of travel, he arrived at the entrance itself. An imposing wooden door stood before him, flanked by two guards dressed in leather suits and armed with scythes. However, they did not adopt a defensive posture when recognizing the merchant.
A smile was drawn on the faces of both of them, but only one of them addressed the merchant in a friendly tone.
"Yuu-san, he's back!"
The merchant stopped in front of the door, closing his eyes and responding with a smile that denoted comfort and camaraderie.
"Who would take care of deliveries if I am absent?" Someone has to do the work.
"You're right." The highest guard nodded. "How has the road gone for you?"
"Of course. I have not come across anything out of the ordinary." the merchant casually reported. "Everything is the same as always outside, so you don't have to worry."
"What a relief..."
The guard's breath carried with it a hidden regret. What deep concern did such a heavy sigh provoke in someone of his appearance and appearance?
His companion, more taciturn, though undoubtedly interested in Lord Yuu's well-being, ignored the incident with imperturbable calm. Going to a corner of the door without uttering a word.
Behind a tree, with no pretense of concealment, was the key to open the imposing door. A kind of small steering wheel, with a sturdy wooden handle sticking out of it. The guard placed both hands on it and, with palpable force, began to turn the crank.
He would move forward, then down, and then take a step back and apply all his strength again, lifting it up to start the cycle once more.
With each turn of the steering wheel, the repetitive sound of chains bearing a heavy weight became more prominent. The doors opened, but the two men in front of them remained unperturbed. It was a routine task for them.
The two huge doors opened without any mishaps, and the guard manning the steering wheel stopped. It was the signal for Mr. Yuu to continue his work.
"We'll be here waiting for your return." Have a pleasant stay. The first guard smiled at the merchant as he handed him a small piece of paper.
Mister Yuu accepted the paper authorizing his visit with a slight nod, without even taking a look at it.
"That's how I will!"
With every step he took within the territory of the village, the existence of which was practically unknown to the outside world, the air became fresher and the peculiar character of its inhabitants became more apparent.
The main street stretched out before him, flanked by a series of shops offering food and souvenirs. His cart did not attract much attention among the locals, who were accustomed as they were to receiving only such visitors.
That village was only visited by merchants who were absolutely trusted by the high commands.
Mr. Yuu moved freely through the streets. Here they did not fear attacks, but rather the arrival of people with positive energy. They were all dressed in red, taking advantage of the cool breeze with clothes that exposed the skin.
Young women preferred red tops, either long-sleeved, short-sleeved, or sleeveless. Some chose to show their belly, while others preferred a more demure blouse. Their pants, usually gray or black, were wide and light to allow air to enter.
The reason for this choice was the belief rooted in the village that one of the founders of the Republic of Trozani was a woman whose longevity and prosperity emanated from her connection with the nature that surrounded the place.
When the Republic was established, a barrier created by the main architect of the clan's founding was erected. This individual was a master in the art of sealing and other similar techniques, and his legacy lived on in the form of the aforementioned barrier.
This barrier protected the well-being of the place chosen to live, keeping it safe from any external damage. Here, rain and heat did not penetrate, unless the weather guardians guarding the barrier allowed it, or the residents themselves modified it with their ninja skills.
Therefore, the air in this area was pure and rejuvenating, free from the pollution of war, as they arrived before the conflict of the Third Great Ninja War broke out. As time went on, more people joined them in search of a safe place to live, away from danger.
However, the only condition for residing in this place was not to leave it freely. To avoid this problem, the barrier password was changed daily, using different hand positions.
Only those civilians who had authorization could use them to leave. Newcomers, like Mr. Yuu, enjoyed a certain freedom thanks to an established pact, whereby the barrier recognized them and allowed them access when they were scanned.
If he had any object with him, he only needed to touch it so that everything connected to it could enter.
This work was not only lucrative for him, but also conferred on him the unique privilege of an outside merchant with knowledge of this place.
(~~~)
"Gh! I'm ... drowning in here! GAH!"
"Tch... Me too... I can't breathe..."
Sakura suppressed her cough. She didn't want to risk being discovered.
The wagon continued its course, and they began to hear the sounds of civilization. Naruto was in a corner of the cart, almost next to the window. What should have been the door of the merchandise cart was actually a curtain that barely hid what was inside.
They had recently passed the guards without any problems, and they could not afford to simply peek under the supposed curtain.
The blond was struggling to breathe due to a pineapple that was piercing his abdomen. He was running out of air, and as Sakura struggled in front of him for oxygen, her strength forced him to sink into place, now not only with a fruit almost piercing his stomach, but also with the hairy one blocking the only available oxygen escape route.
"Whose foot is this?" Sakura asked in a whisper, brushing her hair away from her face.
"It's mine..." Naruto complained. "I can't get comfortable..."
"Don't be conceited, Naruto! You're taking up space if you keep stretching like this!"
"But how do I do it, Sakura-chan?" The blond tried to peek out, but fell back on his back, impeding his opportunities to get air. "I can't...!"
"You'll be..."
"Oh."
The girl with the green eyes opened her eyes to the vegetable area. There, Sai peeked out from behind a box of vegetables, his face equally expressionless, but with an innocent tone.
"Are you the one on top of my foot, Sakura?"
"...Huh? Y-Yes..."
Sakura went blank for the brief revelation. The three teenagers tried to adapt to the movement of the cart so as not to alert the experienced merchant.
"Hm, I see." Sai replied. "I suppose that, since it is not a box of goods, I can move it."
"Excuse me?"
La Haruno frowned, bewildered.
Sai looked her straight in the eye.
"Your butt." He argued. "It's as flat as the surface of a box."
"..."
There was an awkward silence. Sai and Sakura stared at each other, as sunlight dimly filtered through the window and curtains of the cart. The soft creak of the wheels accompanied the charged atmosphere.
Even someone as brazen as Sai could sense the tension in the air.
"You..." Sakura was about to reply, when Kakashi's voice intervened.
"It's time to get off." Let's do that before we get any deeper into the merchant zone.
As the cart approached a closed street, the merchant tightly clenched the vehicle's arms to prevent sudden movements. What he did not know was that throughout the journey he had transported four ninjas hidden among his merchandise.
With feline agility, the ninjas leapt from the cart, gliding undetected by the merchant, whose experience could not sense their presence.
Under an elevated bridge connecting two commercial buildings, Naruto was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. He inhaled deeply, almost sucking in Sai, who pulled back to the side so as not to be swept away by the blond ninja's sudden air fit.
Naruto was delighted by the freshness of the surroundings and the pleasant weather. The breeze was cool but not cold, providing a calm and relaxing feeling.
"So, this is the hidden village, huh?" The adolescent Anbu commented.
"She's truly beautiful... it has an air of antiquity." Sakura added.
She gazed in awe at her surroundings, admiring the yellowish walls and decorations that evoked the windland. Some details even reminded her of great nations, something that did not go unnoticed by her.
"This city remains hidden from the eyes of the outside world." Kakashi reflected, cautiously observing his surroundings to make sure they weren't discovered. "It is possible that time here passes differently, giving rise to the creation of their own customs."
The Jōnin gave a meaningful glance to Sai, who maintained an imperturbable expression, ignoring the piercing gaze Sakura threw at him. Despite his intelligence and audacity, he seemed to fear the strength of the hairy woman more than being discovered by any other individual.
When Sai caught the message implicit in Kakashi's gaze, he nodded in the direction of the leader. His move to search for his belongings activated Naruto and Sakura.
"What's going on? What's going on? What will we do?" Naruto asked, eager for answers.
"It was the leader who summoned us." Kakashi replied, his tone full of caution. "But we must proceed carefully. If they are responsible for what happened in the village, we do not know what actions they will take if we fall into their hands."
"So, what is our plan?" Sakura joined in, showing determination in her voice.
"We must find it on our own, it is the safest thing." Kakashi recommended seriously. "If he has really summoned us, we will not represent a threat if we present ourselves directly. However, we also have reasons to be cautious."
"I understand." Sai replied, nodding in agreement.
"Well... Sai, can you take care of the work for me?"
There was a quick movement of the scroll by the paler young man. Sai nodded again in response.
Activating his technique, he quickly traced with the tip of his brush on the paper. Almost instantly, small lumps of ink came to life, emitting screeches to confirm their existence.
Ink mice nimbly slid through cracks in the walls, others slipped through the sewer, and a few slid across the pavement of busy crowded streets. Sai had initially considered using a bird, but after reflecting on the circumstances of the place and noticing the absence of birds, he decided that it was not a suitable option.
They crossed a barrier that seemed impenetrable, even to birds.
Sai decided to stick with the ink mice to avoid attracting attention.
"What's next?" Naruto asked, impatient to move on.
Kakashi used the time to reflect on his next action. He wouldn't change his mind, but at least he wanted to act with conviction.
"The guards here don't seem to be Shinobi." He observed. The teenagers leaned out slightly to confirm the observation. "There should be Ninjas here, but I haven't seen a single one..."
"That confirms that they were not lying." Sai opined. "If your Ninjas are disappearing, it's understandable that you don't want to risk losing any more."
Naruto, who was listening as he peered out from behind a wall, frowned as he turned to his Sensei.
"Where could they be then? It doesn't look like they're resting."
"You're right..." Sakura nodded, her arms crossed, showing her uncertainty.
As each pondered on their own, Kakashi took a few steps to peer past an alley. Large towers rose, connected by lofty bridges. These places were not frequented by ordinary people, at least not the upper levels.
Perhaps they were surveillance buildings or restricted access.
Kakashi frowned slightly as he examined the towers he could see.
"There's not even a Ninja watching." He observed. "If we consider your Ninjas to be special, you should keep them in a safer place, where they can do their job without running the risk of disappearing..."
"And that place is...?" Naruto asked, approaching Kakashi with the same concern as Sakura.
The Jōnin looked at his former students and Sai with a serene expression, typical of him when he knew something important was happening.
"The Ninjas must be in the most important building in this city; Where they can be watched." He revealed. "They stand next to the person who asked Konoha for help: the leader of this city."
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