East Gate…
Naruto casually checked his gear while waiting for the diplomat, Angel chasing a butterfly nearby.
"Hey, Mouse?" Angel asked, remembering to use his code name for once. Naruto looked over and tilted his head. "Weren't we supposed to see Yakumo tomorrow for a picnic?" Under his masks Naruto paled; the sickly girl may have her chakra sealed and hit like a leaf, but her temper was fierce. Quickly he wrote a letter and ran through some hand signs.
"Summoning jutsu" and instantly a medium sized panther arrived.
"Hmmm, yes? What is it?" The panther asked in a slightly irritated tone.
"Nobu, please deliver this to Yakumo…chan. She's at the place I showed you." Nobu hissed.
"I'm a battle messenger, not a go between for couples. Summon my apprentice Fai if you want this done."
"But I've literally seen snails run faster than Fai. Please, Nobu? For me?" Staring at one another Nobu eventually caves.
"Alright fine, but only because I can't stand Fai's laziness. Already Akira's squad mocks us battle messengers." Nobu muttered the last part and bounded off with the letter in a bag attached to his middle.
As he ran, Nobu appeared to stretch in long bounds, covering twice his length with every stride. Angel chuckled as she sat by Naruto's feet.
"Slower than snails! Why is Fai on the messenger squad anyways?" She asked.
The battle messenger squad was essential to the clan. They were known for delivering every message, written or verbal, through the toughest of situations. Nobu himself had originally been feared by the Tiger clan before the merge after he slaughtered twelve of their ranks to protect his cargo. His apprentice, Fai, was a wagon sized tiger who dreamed of being like Nobu. Unfortunately the young one was better suited for guarding the clan or heavy assault but the elders wished to let the tiger try.
"Sometimes an impossible dream is impossible to let go of, no matter how foolish" Naruto said finally. Angel cocked her head.
"Huh?"
"Er, it's nothing." He assured her. Naruto straightened as the man they'd be escorting walked up.
"You must be the ANBU guy the Hokage assigned? I'm Sota, nice to meet you." Naruto eyed the man wearily; Sota Yukimura, age thirty one and official diplomat for the country of Wave. Average build, brown hair and chestnut eyes and a traveling kimono just barely above commoner standards. Overall the man checked out, but his casualness around trained assassins was…unnerving. However Naruto was on a mission to ensure Konoha got five percent more for missions taken for Wave clients and hesitation would not help his cause.
"A pleasure to meet you, Yukimura-san. You may call me Mouse, and this is Angel."
"Er, this may be a stupid question but aren't you a little…short to be an ANBU? I was told they were the elite, and you sound like a child." Sota said casually but it was clearly an attempt to test the boundaries of the blonde's temper.
"I assure you my height or suggested age doesn't impede my ability to negotiate, guard, or hide bodies." Naruto replied cheerfully and Sota sweated nervously.
"Right. We should be going." Naruto grunted and made several clones, one of which picked up a startled Sota.
"It's so we travel faster" he explained to the man. "This way we'll reach Wave within a couple of days."
Border to Wave…
"Wow." Was Naruto's intelligent response to seeing the bridge connecting the island nation to the rest of the continent.
"Wow is right, Mouse-san; Tazuna finished this beauty a few months ago after Konoha ninjas fought a demon swordsman! We call it the 'Bridge of Hope' as it revived our land." All around them merchants and travelers crossed the bridge on everything from foot to carriages.
"Oh? That's nice" Naruto said indifferently. He didn't know why but Kota Yukimura had given him a bad vibe the closer they got to their destination. Not being able to explain it just made his defenses stay up more.
It's my ability.
'Huh? Kurama! Long time no thought' Naruto joked. Inside the seal Kurama rolled his eyes and resisted an unrefined groan.
I can sense negative emotions like none other. Once you faced yourself gaki you too became able to sense the dark emotions in others like beacons. This disgusting swine you're guarding reeks of it. I don't know what he's planning but I don't like it. The fox growled at the thought of the man in front of his container. His chakra was undeveloped and Naruto could effortlessly overpower him but Kurama learned the hard way that inferior creatures had the annoying ability to enslave their betters through luck or other methods. Madara and that damable fourth were perfect examples.
'Sota is planning something' Naruto agreed while observing how the ambassador glanced nervously to and fro. 'Thank you for the new skill, Kurama. Without it I might not have been able to discern what this swine was feeling.' And he wasn't lying; Sota could mis project his intentions like a well trained assassin- not something an average civil servant would be capable of doing.
Hmph. Whatever gaki. Just be careful. I refuse to have my container fall to such a swine. After this… useless human political crap of a mission we'll train in refining your sensing. Right now you're limited to those within a few feet of yourself and my power is limited as you refuse to release any of my chakra while in your mask.
'You know why! It's that or face Dragon-sama and I for one don't want to tick off a man who supposedly slaughtered a Kumo shinobi with a SPOON last year before I can even dodge him.
"Ouse, Mouse! Yoo-hoo, anyone home?" Sota moved his hand as if to wave it in front of the blonde's face but instead was caught in a vice grip.
"Yes I'm here, Yukimura-san. Please, let's continue to your country's council, I would prefer to complete this mission as quickly as possible."
"Aww, already bored with me?" Sota teased, even as his aura took a slightly sadistic spike. Naruto suppressed a shiver.
"No, but let's get going."
"Sigh, you're no fun. And what's with your cat?" He pointed to Angel who was bounding away towards the town as per their agreement before the start of the mission.
"Oh nothing; Angel just likes hunting so she's probably off to fish or catch a squirrel. She'll find us later." Sota Yukimura nodded hesitantly but didn't question it.
Angel raced away towards their target's house according to the map provided. Akira and Habiki had already been summoned during a 'bathroom break' by Naruto, along with a few clones. They would scout the area and once Naruto arrived that evening they'd begin planning how to carry out the actual assignment.
Away from Naruto…
As Angel set off on her mission another group of shinobi were preparing their own.
"Danzo-sama will have his weapon soon. Follow the Jinchuuriki from a distance until he leaves Wave. We'll strike then." A shadowy figure ordered into his headset from a hidden vantage point. The binoculars focused on his target, the Root agent observed their inside man guide the Jinchuuriki towards the trade and treaties council. The man was part of Root's civilian infiltration corps; though never taught to access chakra each member was able to masterfully manipulate the public sphere wherever they were sent. Surly gaining the Jinchuuriki's trust- or at least putting him at ease- would be child's play.
"Right, Fu-sama." A monotone voice replied and signed off.
Meanwhile a black crow observed everything before poofing away to inform its summoner of these new developments.
Back with Naruto…
"Ah yes, these terms are certainly…opportunistic. What makes you think we should offer Konoha more than other countries for missions? Five percent more at that?" A rather plump official snootily asked, pushing up his glasses as he read Konoha's proposal. After three hours of answering questions and reading Konoha's response the council was attempting to weasel their way out of paying more. Naruto twiddled with a kunai from his pouch and hummed, giving the impression that he simply didn't give a damn.
"Nothing, really. Except for three simple reasons that make six percent seem reasonable. One" Naruto drew two more kunai and embedded one into the wooden desk he sat at, causing all twenty of the officials to flinch. "Konoha is the nearest Shinobi village not entrenched in war. Two" another kunai and more flinches "our military is second to none; we are called the best of the five for a reason. And three…" Here he slammed the remaining kunai hilt deep into the wood using a bit of wind chakra. "Well let's just say we are not just sunshine and roses like our civilians and genin like to believe- we are still shinobi, after all." He let that sink in. The message was clear: agree and pay up, or their lives could become much less …pleasant in the 'new Wave' of prosperity they enjoyed.
Of course, Konoha wouldn't do that as long as Wave didn't hire ninjas from other villages- if they did all bets were off- so they could argue the price without repercussions or break the agreement. Konoha didn't really need Wave but having another mass client would be invaluable in the long run economic wise.
Not that they needed to know that. The political books Naruto read were hand picked by Dragon himself, and though able to be diplomatic the man was known for his love of direct tactics and hidden messages. It was only fair that Naruto followed in his footsteps.
"…I see. Come back in ten days, Konoha-nin. We'll have more to discuss then." The fat man told him, eying the kunai in slight fear.
"Thank you honorable councilmen." Naruto stood and bowed and turned towards Sota. "I'll be in the provided lodgings" the blonde said stiffly and with a flick of chakra was gone, as were the kunai much to the amazement of the council.
"I didn't see him grab them!" One- a fishing representative- exclaimed.
"Ninja. Back in my day we didn't need them" an ancient looking trade official muttered. "Wave was so peaceful back then…"
Naruto walked slowly through the obviously still recovering nation. Reports from Kakashi's team spoke of mass poverty and buildings in shambles. Now the citizens were gaining back weight and buildings showed signs of recent repair. It was heart lifting to witness the town's spirit as children ran care free and most faces carried grins. But Naruto wasn't there to sight see, he had reconnaissance.
New Wave Shipping and Trade. The ornate store front that shared a building with the bank appeared innocuous but was run by his target. Equipped with a couple of disguised missing ninja- chakra levels about chunin but clearly not well controlled- that stood in the front and a few samurai inside, impersonating the man he was after effectively would be difficult if he merely used his henge. No, it was going to take profiling him and then becoming him. The Konoha contact was working as the former accountant's secretary, Naruto just had to sign the will and business over and off the man in a way that left no clues.
Simple, right? Glancing at the sky he was slightly relieved with how dark the island got. Replacing with a shadow clone several building tops away he made his way to Angel's location.
Deep within Konoha, two days later…
"Sir, Fu's team is in place to capture the Jinchuuriki as he exits Wave." A blank masked operative informed a tea drinking Danzo. Said man chuckled darkly.
"Excellent. Once the Jinchuuriki arrives I'll place him under my control seal."
"Danzo-sama, won't that alert the Hokage if the weapon doesn't make it back from the mission?" Danzo resisted the urge to punish the agent below him for their question.
"Quite right, but the Jinchuuriki won't be missing for long. Once Suna and Orochimaru make their foolish attempt on Konoha I'll activate the seal in the chaos. Hiruzen will fall and it will be because of his little pet."
"Of course, Danzo-sama."
"Now leave me. And inform Sai I expect better reports. Being on the outside has dulled his ability to record in detail it seems." Danzo griped as he glared at the rather pathetic scrap of information from his young ink user. He'd have to punish the boy after Hiruzen's reign ended and he could mold Konoha as it should be.
With Dragon…
"Heh, so Danzo-teme thinks kidnapping my subordinate will be that easy, eh?" Dragon chuckled and gave his crow a pat. "I think he'll be quite surprised when Mouse brings them back in scrolls. Still, I suppose sending an agent 'on vacation' to Wave wouldn't hurt. But who?" He mused aloud, looking at the profiles of available ANBU.
"Dragon-sama, Wolf and Fox have caused a riot in the hospital involving the Akimichi clan head." An ANBU reported from the hallway. Dragon face palmed but headed over to see what his two bakas did now.
What he didn't expect was Fox's mask's pink whiskers- much like Mouses' red ones-to have smatterings of cake and Wolf's uniform to be covered in syrup and confetti, both screaming about whose fault it was.
"Mind telling me why you two resemble a birthday party?" Dragon inquired, mask hiding his smirk as the two agents screamed at his arrival, latching onto each other.
"D-D-Dragon-sama, how nice to see you" they greeted in unison. Dragon withheld a snort.
"What am I going to do with you?" He asked instead.