Kugutsu no Shinigami

| 25 | Infiltration

A man strides down a long road, winding through several countries in the dead of night.

A massive Gunbai remains, stationary, on the stranger's back. Its long shaft is wrapped in black bandages and the fan itself is widespread, vermillion in colour with six black tomoe spread around the edges.

The stranger wears a horo, a travelling cloak used by samurai that would be draped over their shoulders. Traditionally, this would stretch to the back, but this one drapes downwards, an inch worth of the fabric pooling at his feet.

A small, jagged edge juts out from his left side, unnoticeable until acknowledged.

The white-haired man perseveres through the weathered terrain, before coming to a halt at the border of Hi no Kuni, as conspicuously displayed on a sign.

Two blurs of grey streak through the surrounding trees near the traveller, before plummeting down to impede upon his chosen route.

"State your business in Fire Country, stranger," one of the masked ANBU demands, wearing the Inu Mask.

"My name is Tsumetai, and I journey to Konoha in hopes of becoming a shinobi," the now named Tsumetai responds in an even tone.

Inu removes an insignificant notepad from his breast pocket, before asking the following question. "What are your previous affiliations with any hidden villages?"

"I don't know. For all of my life, I was raised in Tetsu no Kuni. Consider my presence a voyage from the samurai to test the waters of the shinobi."

The words speak of a challenge, but attacking could prove disastrous for Konoha, the two ANBU think in unison. If we do, we risk bearing the consequences of a war against the samurai, something that Konoha may not win.

"You may pass." It is prominent that no further words were to be spoken.

"Thank you," Tsumetai nods, before continuing onwards, a productive day's trek necessary before he could arrive at his destination.

~~~

Naruto, under the guise of Tsumetai, strides through the Konoha gates in the puppet.

He had opted to oversee the infiltration mission personally; sending another ninja under his command may just prove a fatal mistake to the secrecy of Yamigakure, and another life.

Besides, it would be beguiling just to mess around with Sasuke, especially with the katana skills that Naruto had received from Itachi's Sharingan, the most debilitating of styles having been from a kenjutsu master from the Land of Iron that the latter had slain years ago.

It made sense that his origin was from the same country; it made the process of integrating into Konoha's evergrowing community much smoother.

Additionally, when the time came, he would be able to attribute his sword style to that fact.

He glimpses the two eternal gate guards of Konoha, namely Izumo and Kotetsu, and is allowed passage after showing the note given to him by the ANBU.

Back in the cesspool.
Back in Konoha. The gullible idiots.
Everything leads back to Konoha.

Naruto thinks bitterly, still in Tsumetai.

The mysterious man walks through the streets, and a muffled groan originates from him as he glimpses those that he didn't need to.

Team 7. A jovial team, with them all conversing happily, their spirits high.

Great. Just what I needed.