Yes and no? Less like Siddhartha Gautama (the first Buddha who rejected the material), and not really any different then the Buddha (which is more a spiritual state of being that everyone is at various levels of awareness of). Kinda like Brahmin. To borrow one train of thought for reincarnation, everyone's over-soul is continuous throughout life and death, but the awareness of it while 'living' is not. Noburo has managed to keep some of his awareness between lives, but evidently not anything approaching all or he would actually be a Buddha and/or retain those features specific to the soul that some of his past lives have had, like when he was a Bleach-style Shinigami.
Snapping Turtle [Naruto SI]
- Thread starter Chairtastic
- Start date
- Location
- Ireland
In that case he would become a Buddy Buddha, becoming the buddiest of Buddha Beings. The Buddyha.
Svn0One
Lazy Reader
- Location
- Made a Box Fort
- Pronouns
- He/Him
don't know why this made me laugh, but it did
NexysDhyArchen
Throne Breaker
What musical was that update referencing with Tsunade?
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
Chicago! A city I dislike but probably want to live in someday.
- Location
- [REDACTED]
Specifically, this song from (the musical) Chicago:
Mixed feelings about the Sannin jobbing, but quite enjoying the story so far.
Mixed feelings about the Sannin jobbing, but quite enjoying the story so far.
- Location
- [REDACTED]- United States of America
He'd be the Anti-Buddha. I mean what Buddha rejects Nirvana and the escape from Samsara so thouroughly that they return to the mortal coil? The ultimate freedom from suffering through this cycle of rebirth forever and ever... Anyway one interpretation of Nirvana is blissful non-existence which would fit in this story if by escaping Samsara meant true death some would reject it I'm sure. I know in a similar position I would with the caveat that I might revisit how I'm feeling about endless reincarnation through the different realms after a few dozen more lives.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
It's an interesting dichotomy, Noburu's insight into reality can probably either massively help a monk or totally fuck them over, I think. They both took in the highest truths of the world in some form or another, but where Buddha says "Existance is suffering, escape it," Nobu calls Buddha a cuck.
And yeah, he's an anti-buddha since he rejects nirvana. Possibly anti-bodhisattva depending on the exact definition?
And yeah, he's an anti-buddha since he rejects nirvana. Possibly anti-bodhisattva depending on the exact definition?
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
"Existence is suffering, escape it." Nobu escapes suffering by working to change the status of the multiverse so that existence is no longer suffering. "Wait. That's illegal."
Modus_Tollens
SCREAMING.
- Location
- ALSO SCREAMING.
Its more that its impossible. You can make it better to a certain point, sure, but for it to be sufficiently changed for suffering to not be a thing... you have essentially brought nirvana. Just by a slightly longer path.
Where you want for things, now they are not just satiated but removed. A man might sleep but need not. A man might eat but need not. A man might never be lonely because he can touch the memories of all who live beneath the night sky, his own memories there to be lived anew by those under one where stars no longer burn, in a timeless and wordless conversation. If an act is done it is because it is chosen, empty of the demands of reward or punishment. All reward is already there and punishment has become a nonsense concept.
I doubt your choosing a longer path has made you worthy of that nonsense concept in their eyes. It might take you many kalpa of time but your road leads the same place. Time is irrelevant and so your act is harmless.
Axel
Tenno Wax
- Location
- Italy
- Pronouns
- He
The fact is that that is their opinion, becoming buddha you only escape, while the others remain stuck.
Instead he takes the longer path but actively tries to help those around him
- Location
- Paradise, Hawaii
Obviously 'someone' did bad stuff, to attach her Grandfathers face on their body, but it has not happened, yet.
Would something similar have happened to her grand-uncle? If so, where on his body would said face be attached? The other side of the chest?
How established is ROOT at this point? Raiding Orphanages and young Genin?
Where is Kabuto & his mother?
Would something similar have happened to her grand-uncle? If so, where on his body would said face be attached? The other side of the chest?
How established is ROOT at this point? Raiding Orphanages and young Genin?
Where is Kabuto & his mother?
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
As has been said on the other forum -- it's such a Madara thing to do that no one can definitively rule it out, even if it hasn't actually happened yet. So the net effect is that it's treated as if it has happened by everyone. His reputation is being destroyed, bit by bit. Probably going to happen faster, now that Jiraiya knows about it.
Tobirama didn't actually have a lot of friends. One of the few that the public at large knew about was Ryukotsusei. And he'd put it on his back -- so he didn't have to look at it every time he put on a shirt.
They're just starting up. But once the Third Shinobi World War hits -- hoo boy. Hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your grandma.
Kabuto's only 19 by the time of Naruto the anime, so he won't be born until seven years before Naruto -- about eight years off from the story. Nono is only nine years older than Kabuto, so she's still a baby.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It says something about me that what came to my mind when reading this wasn't the source material, but one of the parodies. Not sure what it says about me, but it's sure saying something!
Modus_Tollens
SCREAMING.
- Location
- ALSO SCREAMING.
A lot of that is inference. The act of stepping away from immediate nirvana robbed the protagonist of actually knowing what "they" are thinking, both due to a loss of omniscience and not being able to bring a theoretically infinite memory with you into a brain made out of meat. He's guessing based on an initial impression and the fact that he keeps reincarnating with some degree of inherited memory.
Everyone becomes unstuck eventually, even if it takes multiple kalpa: ie the amount of time it takes every star in a universe to burn out. It doesn't matter if you are one of the rabid dogs condemned to the cold of the deepest level of Naraka, eventually you will be free of the wheel. All suffering is an ephemeral thing, the meniscus of a soap bubble that heralds an infinite nirvana. On the largest possible scale it doesn't actually matter.
Its an inhuman scale, but that is to be expected.
Axel
Tenno Wax
- Location
- Italy
- Pronouns
- He
Indeed, but instead he choose the opposite.
He decided to sacrifice his own time to advance those near him.
It is basically the opposite of "sacrifice one to save one hundred" he lowered himself, and in doing so he tried to made those near him better.
In the largest scale noting changes, but in the smaller one he might as well made a difference in how many kalpa some people would need to become unstuck
Ch 29
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
Ch 29: Keep You Honest
---
Mercenary-nin Kanzaki
She'd let the caravan management know so they could be prepared -- but there wasn't much to be done. Kimiko confirmed that one of the Swamp Country ninja clans had narrowed in on them -- at range, where they mostly observed. Sayaka wasn't a sensor, she couldn't pin down exactly where they were or their strengths. But Kimiko could keep an eye out for them, and counted at least thirty individuals.
When the caravan moved, it was with their hunters in the trees, in the waters, and in the mists all around them. Sayaka used water clones to help set up her traps at every camp site, along with sparing use of the hidden mist jutsu so the nature of her traps remained unknown to the enemy.
Some of the management team held out hope that the ninja just wanted to watch them while the caravan passed through their territory. Sayaka held no such belief.
Thirty plus ninja of unknown strength versus a battlefield control chunin and twelve mundane warriors? She didn't need to be a Hoshigaki to see a juicy fish waiting to be eaten. They could overwhelm her, as their presence kept her from creating in-depth traps around the camp -- and the defenders would be useless against ninja.
So why didn't they attack?
Days turned into a week, and they continued to hunt the caravan.
"They move closer every day," Kimiko muttered as her eyes rotated in different directions. "Some of them by centimeters, some by meters. But still, they come." The chameleon's colors shifted with her concern. "It won't be long now."
Sayaka wrapped the last of the trip-wires she'd intended to set and wiped the sweat from her brow. All around them was the mist which had been the trademark of her village. Now an antique. "We have to be ready for when it happens," she said and started back toward the caravan.
"They are coming," Kimiko said, breathless.
Sayaka processed what she'd heard, and snapped her hand to her nodaichi. As she turned, she drew the weapon. Her steel was deflected off the blade of a kunai. She glimpsed her enemy before she lept back. A tall figure in grey pants and a long-sleeved shirt with a white haori, gloved hands, and a mane of bright blonde hair with a featureless forehead protector. The swamp-clan kunoichi regarded the much younger former Kiri-nin and narrowed her eyes.
"Little girl," the swamp-clan ninja said with a curious tone, "I have some questions. If you answer them, my clan and I might let you go."
Kimiko flared her colors in a threat display, she stood on Sayaka's shoulder with her eyes in motion to find new threats. "They are moving all around us, I see three obvious weak points in their formation -- all of them are likely to be traps for burrowing ninja."
The swamp-clan kunoichi spun her kunai around on her fingers. "That chameleon is really observant." She focused on Sayaka again. "Answers for this problem going away. Seem a fair deal?"
Sayaka ran the numbers in her head. Just because they had surrounded her didn't mean they hadn't already started the attack on the caravan. But none of her alarms had been triggered -- none of the warning tags she placed on the wagons registered blood being spilled. "...Ask your questions," she said, but kept her sword drawn.
"Your caravan is one of dozens which have passed through our lands," the kunoichi said and swept her arm across the swampy surroundings. "My clan has plundered most of them -- we're doing quite well for ourselves. But the caravans keep coming, no matter how many of them meet their doom. Why is that? What is going on that these people will risk their lives for profit?"
Sayaka didn't know where to start with that. But she couldn't risk being off-guard, so she answered dispassionately, as if it had happened to someone else. "The daimyo of Honey and Noodle countries are being married. Since the daimyo of Water Country died -- they are absorbing Water Country's lands into theirs to form a new country -- Soup."
The swamp clans kunoichi's eyebrows shot up. "Water Country will cease to be? A nation that bridges the continent to the subcontinent? Now this senseless waste of life makes sense." She looked away and cupped her chin in the crook of her thumb and pointer finger. "This Soup Country will become very rich, very quickly. Hmmm…." She looked over at Sayaka again. "And what of Kirigakure? They have agreed to this?"
That stung more than she cared to admit, and from how the swamp-nin's eyes narrowed a bit she saw how it affected Sayaka. "Kiri's ninja have been banished." Her hand shook a little before she steeled her resolve. "They're gathering in Wave to make a new village."
"And those who choose not to go to Wave?"
"Will become mercenary-ninja, as we both are."
The kunoichi nodded and spun her kunai between her fingers. "Seems like the market is about to become a lot more competitive. Is that why you're going in that direction, little girl?"
Sayaka tensed and didn't answer.
"That's a Kirigakure flak jacket. So let me guess, you were out on a mission when the news broke… so you're hoping to get to this new village when they're willing to accept anyone and everyone who shows up just to get off the ground." The swamp-clan kunoichi grinned, self-satisfied. "Did I hit the mark?"
Not exactly, Sayaka thought as she narrowed her eyes. But too closely for comfort.
"They are closing in on us," Kimiko said as she continued to look around. "There are less here than my initial estimate -- the others must be elsewhere."
"So I'm right." The swamp-ninja nodded to herself. "Well. With Kirigakure splintering like that -- I think now is as good a time as any to get out of the solo game and sign onto a village."
The mist began to dissipate, and Sayaka could see how thoroughly surrounded she was. There were easily a dozen or so ninja -- all dressed like the kunoichi but in different colors. Their hair was all of uniform length and style -- equally spikey -- but of wildly different colors. Some of them seemingly unnatural, wigs perhaps? Their forehead protectors had no allegiance shown.
Something clicked with Sayaka, and she raised her sword up higher. "You said you've raided dozens of caravans all bound for the wedding."
"Mhm," the kunoichi with the blonde wig said as a smile grew across her face.
"You had to hear about this from some of them. They'd tell you anything to make the killing stop."
"Mhm." Her smile grew wider.
"Then you'd figure out what was really happening from the consistencies in the stories."
"You're coming closer to the big question."
Sayaka and Kimiko looked around wildly. There was only a dozen ninja around them -- thirteen including their spokeswoman. Where were the rest? Were they waiting to attack the caravan?
"You didn't need to stop and ask me for anything." Sayaka gave voice to a gnawing fear which had grown in her since she pieced it together. "Why am I alive right now?"
The woman smiled wider just a smidge, unhinged for a moment before it melted down into a smug tone. "Uemon," she said and gestured around her. "That's our clan. We are known among the swamp clans for our use of poisons. Specifically inhaled poisons."
Oh, Sayaka thought as Kimiko's colors rapidly changed with her shock. "So… I'm already dead, I just haven't started to feel it yet?"
"Them's the breaks." The kunoichi of the Uemon clan said with a shrug. "Your chameleon friend doesn't have worry though." She winked at Kimiko. "This poison only works on humans. But…." She leaned forward and dropped a small cork-stopped vial out of her sleeve into her hand. "I have an antidote. Which I will helpfully provide to you." She tossed it to Sayaka, but Kimiko caught it so Sayaka didn't have to take a hand off her blade. "For being honest."
Her heartbeat began to speed up, her coat suddenly seemed to grow heavier than she recalled. "What's the catch?"
"What catch?" The kunoichi shrugged. "My clan's already poisoned all the caravaneers back there. Soon their goods will join others in my clan's sudden riches." She spread her arms wide, and the ninja around them chuckled. "But… you seem to be heading to Wave. We're going that way too, since none of us want to compete with every Kiri hotshot for a job." She put her hands on her hips, clearly pleased with herself. "So how about we join up, and head that way together?"
Sayaka's vision began to cloud. Her ability to see the ninja around them deteriorated rapidly. "W...why?"
"My clan doesn't believe in squandering talent." Her voice began to drag in places -- perhaps Sayaka's hearing was off. "Your traps kept us away for a while, until we worked around them. You did good, little girl. That's reason enough."
Kimiko nudged Sayaka with the vial, the chameleon had uncorked it and offered it to her to drink. Sayaka opened her mouth and let the chameleon pour it in. The effects of the poison didn't reverse immediately, but she stopped feeling worse every moment. "Y-you killed my ca-ravan."
"Yep. Neither you or they liked each other very much. But if you want to die to avenge their honor -- by all means." The kunoichi spun her kunai into a stabbing position. "Come at me."
Sayaka looked at Kimiko, as if she had insight. The chameleon's colors shifted, and she met Kimiko's eyes. "You failed in your duty to keep them safe, but there was no option but failure," the chameleon said, soft. "They should not have tried to cross the swamps without more ninja. They should have taken a ship at the capital of Swamp Country, and not died. But they didn't. Dying for them would accomplish nothing."
Slowly, Sayaka lowered her sword. She looked around, at the ninja who surrounded her. "So… what do we do first?"
The kunoichi advanced on her and extended her hand. "Kokoro Uemon."
Sayaka took it and shook, weaker than she would have liked. "Sayaka Kanzaki."
"To answer your question, the first thing we do is get you a wig -- because your bald head keeps catching the light."
It hurt because Sayaka knew it was true.
--
Third Hokage
Hiruzen flipped between pages in a book, a recent purchase from Jiraiya's publisher. He'd finished his work for the day and felt he'd earned some relaxation time. However, he was rudely interrupted by his door being opened without his invitation. Three people stode into the office of the Hokage as if they owned it, and uniformly had displeased looks for Hiruzen.
Two were his teammates of old. Homura Mitokado, a taller man with glasses and a hair style similar to Hiruzen's. He had little ornamentation and was humble when not agitated. And Koharu Utatane, his inverse, a woman dressed in the latest fashion from twenty years ago and with heavily ornamented pins thrust through her hair bun. Between them was Hiruzen's friend, the one-eyed and heavily scarred Danzo Shimura, all in black as ever.
"What are you playing at, Sarutobi," Homura demanded.
"Hmm?" Hiruzen looked down at his book and then showed them the cover. "It's a choose your own adventure story my student wrote."
"Not that!" The bespectacled council member glared. "You have had Anbu watching the Hyuga long enough for them to notice. Both Jiraiya and Orochimaru have left to the village -- long enough for our enemies to notice!"
"And our watchers have confirmed," Koharu smoothly added, "that Princess Tsunade and Jiraiya have both met up with Orochimaru at Wave. An explanation is owed."
Danzo silently watched Hiruzen, his face blank.
Hiruzen arched his brow and gestured for his secretary to close the door behind his guests. "Orochimaru was dispatched on a C-class mission with his genin team to establish contact and peaceful relations with Otogakure. I'm sure that was in the mission log." He got nods of confirmation. None dared bring up the topic of Kushina's place on Orochimaru's team, or the existence of the team at all. "I received notices from Orochimaru that certain information from Otogakure, if it became widely known, could lead to conflict with the Hyuga clan. He has not provided details as to what." Hiruzen didn't blink under the glares of his fellows, and leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped. "A little while later, Orochimaru sent notice that Otogakure had accepted the terms the daimyo had approved of, and they were officially an ally of Konoha and Fire Country. However, a day later he sent an emergency message that one of Oto's two jinchuuriki's seal was FUBAR, and requested Jiraiya's aid immediately."
"Orochimaru is skilled enough at seals to make repairs," Koharu said, and waved her hand dismissively. "What else did the message say? What else did Orochimaru request?"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed -- that was an obvious bit of bait. "The message was just that. However," Hiruzen said as he pulled a scroll from a drawer in his desk. "I received a request for clarification from Tsunade -- she apparently received a request for help too. My advice to her was to reinforce Orochimaru as he requested."
"You didn't demand more information?" Danzo spoke up, at last. His one eye remained emotionless as ever.
"No." Hiruzen responded and met Danzo's gaze equally as emotionless. "Per the law, information that could lead to clan-based conflict must be relayed to the Hokage by word of mouth -- not written down."
His teammates made unpleasant faces. That particular law was put into place by the Second Hokage, when tensions between the clans were at their highest. By all rights, it should have been repealed after the village's unity became stronger -- but Hiruzen had made no effort to do so.
"Hmm," Danzo said. He averted his gaze and walked toward the windows which lined half the Hokage's office. "Not long ago the chemical lab logged a blood test done comparing an unknown sample to Orochimaru's DNA. We don't know how this sample was obtained -- or where it is. Near as we can tell, it was conducted by Orochimaru himself." The man's reflected eye locked with Hiruzen's own. "But we have logged the results. A partial match -- indicative of a family relation. Shortly after this, Orochimaru is assigned a genin team, and deployed on a political mission with rather generous terms of alliance." Danzo left the room quiet for a minute while they processed what he'd said. "Are these events related, Sarutobi?"
Hiruzen raised his eyebrow and glanced at his teammates. "It's a relatively simple matter. We found extended family members of Orochimaru's while in Water Country, and confirmed they were bound for Wave after Kiri was dissolved."
"Ah." Danzo nodded. "So when will they be brought to Konoha?"
"They won't be."
"Allowing them to remain in Oto is out of the question," Homura said with a dismissive wave. "We can't have relatives of one of our best and brightest in another village's hands. Our alliance can end as easily as it was formed when the next war comes."
"Homura, think on it a little more," Koharu said and patted her teammate on his arm. She directed a narrow-eyed expression at Hiruzen. "Sarutobi said that one of Oto's jinchuuriki required repairs to their seal? And Orochimaru was related to someone in Water Country? It's rather obvious, now that I say those two next to each other, isn't it?"
"One of his relatives is a jinchuuriki." Danzo correctly guessed. "Which just means the case for them being brought to Konoha is stronger."
Hiruzen rolled his eyes upward like he was considering the facts. "Well they refuse to come to Konoha while you're alive, Danzo. So if that's what you want…."
"...May I ask why?"
"Your reputation precedes you." Hiruzen shrugged. As if that explained everything, and neatly covered everything he wasn't going to tell them. "They will remain in Oto. We need to accept that."
"...Keeping a jinchuuriki captive is not impossible," Homura said after a silence followed. "Orochimaru's… unfortunate relative could be made a prisoner of ours, until their attitude changes."
"Which would turn Orochimaru against us," Danzo replied, as if it were obvious.
"And I wouldn't allow it, anyway." Hiruzen arched his brow at his teammate. "Why are you so dead set on this? Oto is just starting out, and Wave is tiny. They could not hope to escape our shadow within our lifetimes."
"Orochimaru will be the next Hokage, most likely," Koharu responded and slashed her hand through the air. "We cannot afford to have foreign influences affect the Hokage, as it could lead to a greater resource expenditure than is appropriate. It opens the door to corruption, and could spiral into the loss of Konoha's prominence."
"So you argue a slippery slope exists?" Hiruzen shook his head. "I disagree. I think having such a strong relationship outside the village extends our influence just a little wider than it would otherwise. No one expects Nadeshiko to ally with us, after they are given such a position of prominence." He took a long breath, to steel himself for a discussion he really should have had earlier. "And it is not certain that Orochimaru will be the Hokage."
"One of your other students then," Kotaru rolled her eyes visibly. "The risk is reduced, but not eliminated."
"No, not Jiraiya or Tsunade. I'm compiling a list of candidates, and right now Orochimaru is in the top three. But there are other, better candidates."
His teammates looked absolutely flummoxed. Danzo, however, narrowed his eye dangerously. "Who?" He demanded.
"That is need-to-know information. I'm currently doing my own evaluation before I bring the topic up to the jounin commander and the daimyo. Both of whom have a vote in the selection process." He looked at them with a hardened gaze. "While none of you do."
An air of tension filled the room as the council glared at the Hokage, to different degrees.
"When the candidates are finalized, it will no longer be need-to-know information. You will have to wait."
"You say it's need-to-know, but admit that Jiraiya and Tsunade are not on the list." Koharu accused the Hokage. "What are you getting at?"
"He thinks we'll go after candidates we don't approve of," Danzo muttered. "I'm glad to see we have so much trust between us, Sarutobi."
"You have your answer. Until further information comes to my desk about the situation in Oto, you know everything I know." With that done, Hiruzen picked up his book, and resumed his reading. "I trust you can see yourselves out."
He expected Koharu and Homura to be as furious as their faces implied, but Danzo seemed relatively calm for the way the talk ended. Though Hiruzen got a terrible feeling, like when he was a child and would provoke a hornet's nest.
He then stopped in his reading to wonder why exactly he'd thought it a good idea as a child to provoke hornet's nests. He remembered Danzo being involved most of the time -- but the details were fuzzy.
He flipped a final page in his choose your own adventure story, and frowned. "Dangit. The chest was a mimic. Back to page one…."
---
I'm trying to gradually work in enough details and traits to make it seem like the shinobi continent and the sub-continent have sort of distinct cultures. How am I doing? Is it noticeable? Hopefully with the Uemon in Oto, I'll be able to show it more as the story goes on.
By the way if anyone knows what 'Uemon' translates to, hit me up. I've only found it in Hiragana and can't be certain of the translation.
---
Mercenary-nin Kanzaki
She'd let the caravan management know so they could be prepared -- but there wasn't much to be done. Kimiko confirmed that one of the Swamp Country ninja clans had narrowed in on them -- at range, where they mostly observed. Sayaka wasn't a sensor, she couldn't pin down exactly where they were or their strengths. But Kimiko could keep an eye out for them, and counted at least thirty individuals.
When the caravan moved, it was with their hunters in the trees, in the waters, and in the mists all around them. Sayaka used water clones to help set up her traps at every camp site, along with sparing use of the hidden mist jutsu so the nature of her traps remained unknown to the enemy.
Some of the management team held out hope that the ninja just wanted to watch them while the caravan passed through their territory. Sayaka held no such belief.
Thirty plus ninja of unknown strength versus a battlefield control chunin and twelve mundane warriors? She didn't need to be a Hoshigaki to see a juicy fish waiting to be eaten. They could overwhelm her, as their presence kept her from creating in-depth traps around the camp -- and the defenders would be useless against ninja.
So why didn't they attack?
Days turned into a week, and they continued to hunt the caravan.
"They move closer every day," Kimiko muttered as her eyes rotated in different directions. "Some of them by centimeters, some by meters. But still, they come." The chameleon's colors shifted with her concern. "It won't be long now."
Sayaka wrapped the last of the trip-wires she'd intended to set and wiped the sweat from her brow. All around them was the mist which had been the trademark of her village. Now an antique. "We have to be ready for when it happens," she said and started back toward the caravan.
"They are coming," Kimiko said, breathless.
Sayaka processed what she'd heard, and snapped her hand to her nodaichi. As she turned, she drew the weapon. Her steel was deflected off the blade of a kunai. She glimpsed her enemy before she lept back. A tall figure in grey pants and a long-sleeved shirt with a white haori, gloved hands, and a mane of bright blonde hair with a featureless forehead protector. The swamp-clan kunoichi regarded the much younger former Kiri-nin and narrowed her eyes.
"Little girl," the swamp-clan ninja said with a curious tone, "I have some questions. If you answer them, my clan and I might let you go."
Kimiko flared her colors in a threat display, she stood on Sayaka's shoulder with her eyes in motion to find new threats. "They are moving all around us, I see three obvious weak points in their formation -- all of them are likely to be traps for burrowing ninja."
The swamp-clan kunoichi spun her kunai around on her fingers. "That chameleon is really observant." She focused on Sayaka again. "Answers for this problem going away. Seem a fair deal?"
Sayaka ran the numbers in her head. Just because they had surrounded her didn't mean they hadn't already started the attack on the caravan. But none of her alarms had been triggered -- none of the warning tags she placed on the wagons registered blood being spilled. "...Ask your questions," she said, but kept her sword drawn.
"Your caravan is one of dozens which have passed through our lands," the kunoichi said and swept her arm across the swampy surroundings. "My clan has plundered most of them -- we're doing quite well for ourselves. But the caravans keep coming, no matter how many of them meet their doom. Why is that? What is going on that these people will risk their lives for profit?"
Sayaka didn't know where to start with that. But she couldn't risk being off-guard, so she answered dispassionately, as if it had happened to someone else. "The daimyo of Honey and Noodle countries are being married. Since the daimyo of Water Country died -- they are absorbing Water Country's lands into theirs to form a new country -- Soup."
The swamp clans kunoichi's eyebrows shot up. "Water Country will cease to be? A nation that bridges the continent to the subcontinent? Now this senseless waste of life makes sense." She looked away and cupped her chin in the crook of her thumb and pointer finger. "This Soup Country will become very rich, very quickly. Hmmm…." She looked over at Sayaka again. "And what of Kirigakure? They have agreed to this?"
That stung more than she cared to admit, and from how the swamp-nin's eyes narrowed a bit she saw how it affected Sayaka. "Kiri's ninja have been banished." Her hand shook a little before she steeled her resolve. "They're gathering in Wave to make a new village."
"And those who choose not to go to Wave?"
"Will become mercenary-ninja, as we both are."
The kunoichi nodded and spun her kunai between her fingers. "Seems like the market is about to become a lot more competitive. Is that why you're going in that direction, little girl?"
Sayaka tensed and didn't answer.
"That's a Kirigakure flak jacket. So let me guess, you were out on a mission when the news broke… so you're hoping to get to this new village when they're willing to accept anyone and everyone who shows up just to get off the ground." The swamp-clan kunoichi grinned, self-satisfied. "Did I hit the mark?"
Not exactly, Sayaka thought as she narrowed her eyes. But too closely for comfort.
"They are closing in on us," Kimiko said as she continued to look around. "There are less here than my initial estimate -- the others must be elsewhere."
"So I'm right." The swamp-ninja nodded to herself. "Well. With Kirigakure splintering like that -- I think now is as good a time as any to get out of the solo game and sign onto a village."
The mist began to dissipate, and Sayaka could see how thoroughly surrounded she was. There were easily a dozen or so ninja -- all dressed like the kunoichi but in different colors. Their hair was all of uniform length and style -- equally spikey -- but of wildly different colors. Some of them seemingly unnatural, wigs perhaps? Their forehead protectors had no allegiance shown.
Something clicked with Sayaka, and she raised her sword up higher. "You said you've raided dozens of caravans all bound for the wedding."
"Mhm," the kunoichi with the blonde wig said as a smile grew across her face.
"You had to hear about this from some of them. They'd tell you anything to make the killing stop."
"Mhm." Her smile grew wider.
"Then you'd figure out what was really happening from the consistencies in the stories."
"You're coming closer to the big question."
Sayaka and Kimiko looked around wildly. There was only a dozen ninja around them -- thirteen including their spokeswoman. Where were the rest? Were they waiting to attack the caravan?
"You didn't need to stop and ask me for anything." Sayaka gave voice to a gnawing fear which had grown in her since she pieced it together. "Why am I alive right now?"
The woman smiled wider just a smidge, unhinged for a moment before it melted down into a smug tone. "Uemon," she said and gestured around her. "That's our clan. We are known among the swamp clans for our use of poisons. Specifically inhaled poisons."
Oh, Sayaka thought as Kimiko's colors rapidly changed with her shock. "So… I'm already dead, I just haven't started to feel it yet?"
"Them's the breaks." The kunoichi of the Uemon clan said with a shrug. "Your chameleon friend doesn't have worry though." She winked at Kimiko. "This poison only works on humans. But…." She leaned forward and dropped a small cork-stopped vial out of her sleeve into her hand. "I have an antidote. Which I will helpfully provide to you." She tossed it to Sayaka, but Kimiko caught it so Sayaka didn't have to take a hand off her blade. "For being honest."
Her heartbeat began to speed up, her coat suddenly seemed to grow heavier than she recalled. "What's the catch?"
"What catch?" The kunoichi shrugged. "My clan's already poisoned all the caravaneers back there. Soon their goods will join others in my clan's sudden riches." She spread her arms wide, and the ninja around them chuckled. "But… you seem to be heading to Wave. We're going that way too, since none of us want to compete with every Kiri hotshot for a job." She put her hands on her hips, clearly pleased with herself. "So how about we join up, and head that way together?"
Sayaka's vision began to cloud. Her ability to see the ninja around them deteriorated rapidly. "W...why?"
"My clan doesn't believe in squandering talent." Her voice began to drag in places -- perhaps Sayaka's hearing was off. "Your traps kept us away for a while, until we worked around them. You did good, little girl. That's reason enough."
Kimiko nudged Sayaka with the vial, the chameleon had uncorked it and offered it to her to drink. Sayaka opened her mouth and let the chameleon pour it in. The effects of the poison didn't reverse immediately, but she stopped feeling worse every moment. "Y-you killed my ca-ravan."
"Yep. Neither you or they liked each other very much. But if you want to die to avenge their honor -- by all means." The kunoichi spun her kunai into a stabbing position. "Come at me."
Sayaka looked at Kimiko, as if she had insight. The chameleon's colors shifted, and she met Kimiko's eyes. "You failed in your duty to keep them safe, but there was no option but failure," the chameleon said, soft. "They should not have tried to cross the swamps without more ninja. They should have taken a ship at the capital of Swamp Country, and not died. But they didn't. Dying for them would accomplish nothing."
Slowly, Sayaka lowered her sword. She looked around, at the ninja who surrounded her. "So… what do we do first?"
The kunoichi advanced on her and extended her hand. "Kokoro Uemon."
Sayaka took it and shook, weaker than she would have liked. "Sayaka Kanzaki."
"To answer your question, the first thing we do is get you a wig -- because your bald head keeps catching the light."
It hurt because Sayaka knew it was true.
--
Third Hokage
Hiruzen flipped between pages in a book, a recent purchase from Jiraiya's publisher. He'd finished his work for the day and felt he'd earned some relaxation time. However, he was rudely interrupted by his door being opened without his invitation. Three people stode into the office of the Hokage as if they owned it, and uniformly had displeased looks for Hiruzen.
Two were his teammates of old. Homura Mitokado, a taller man with glasses and a hair style similar to Hiruzen's. He had little ornamentation and was humble when not agitated. And Koharu Utatane, his inverse, a woman dressed in the latest fashion from twenty years ago and with heavily ornamented pins thrust through her hair bun. Between them was Hiruzen's friend, the one-eyed and heavily scarred Danzo Shimura, all in black as ever.
"What are you playing at, Sarutobi," Homura demanded.
"Hmm?" Hiruzen looked down at his book and then showed them the cover. "It's a choose your own adventure story my student wrote."
"Not that!" The bespectacled council member glared. "You have had Anbu watching the Hyuga long enough for them to notice. Both Jiraiya and Orochimaru have left to the village -- long enough for our enemies to notice!"
"And our watchers have confirmed," Koharu smoothly added, "that Princess Tsunade and Jiraiya have both met up with Orochimaru at Wave. An explanation is owed."
Danzo silently watched Hiruzen, his face blank.
Hiruzen arched his brow and gestured for his secretary to close the door behind his guests. "Orochimaru was dispatched on a C-class mission with his genin team to establish contact and peaceful relations with Otogakure. I'm sure that was in the mission log." He got nods of confirmation. None dared bring up the topic of Kushina's place on Orochimaru's team, or the existence of the team at all. "I received notices from Orochimaru that certain information from Otogakure, if it became widely known, could lead to conflict with the Hyuga clan. He has not provided details as to what." Hiruzen didn't blink under the glares of his fellows, and leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped. "A little while later, Orochimaru sent notice that Otogakure had accepted the terms the daimyo had approved of, and they were officially an ally of Konoha and Fire Country. However, a day later he sent an emergency message that one of Oto's two jinchuuriki's seal was FUBAR, and requested Jiraiya's aid immediately."
"Orochimaru is skilled enough at seals to make repairs," Koharu said, and waved her hand dismissively. "What else did the message say? What else did Orochimaru request?"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed -- that was an obvious bit of bait. "The message was just that. However," Hiruzen said as he pulled a scroll from a drawer in his desk. "I received a request for clarification from Tsunade -- she apparently received a request for help too. My advice to her was to reinforce Orochimaru as he requested."
"You didn't demand more information?" Danzo spoke up, at last. His one eye remained emotionless as ever.
"No." Hiruzen responded and met Danzo's gaze equally as emotionless. "Per the law, information that could lead to clan-based conflict must be relayed to the Hokage by word of mouth -- not written down."
His teammates made unpleasant faces. That particular law was put into place by the Second Hokage, when tensions between the clans were at their highest. By all rights, it should have been repealed after the village's unity became stronger -- but Hiruzen had made no effort to do so.
"Hmm," Danzo said. He averted his gaze and walked toward the windows which lined half the Hokage's office. "Not long ago the chemical lab logged a blood test done comparing an unknown sample to Orochimaru's DNA. We don't know how this sample was obtained -- or where it is. Near as we can tell, it was conducted by Orochimaru himself." The man's reflected eye locked with Hiruzen's own. "But we have logged the results. A partial match -- indicative of a family relation. Shortly after this, Orochimaru is assigned a genin team, and deployed on a political mission with rather generous terms of alliance." Danzo left the room quiet for a minute while they processed what he'd said. "Are these events related, Sarutobi?"
Hiruzen raised his eyebrow and glanced at his teammates. "It's a relatively simple matter. We found extended family members of Orochimaru's while in Water Country, and confirmed they were bound for Wave after Kiri was dissolved."
"Ah." Danzo nodded. "So when will they be brought to Konoha?"
"They won't be."
"Allowing them to remain in Oto is out of the question," Homura said with a dismissive wave. "We can't have relatives of one of our best and brightest in another village's hands. Our alliance can end as easily as it was formed when the next war comes."
"Homura, think on it a little more," Koharu said and patted her teammate on his arm. She directed a narrow-eyed expression at Hiruzen. "Sarutobi said that one of Oto's jinchuuriki required repairs to their seal? And Orochimaru was related to someone in Water Country? It's rather obvious, now that I say those two next to each other, isn't it?"
"One of his relatives is a jinchuuriki." Danzo correctly guessed. "Which just means the case for them being brought to Konoha is stronger."
Hiruzen rolled his eyes upward like he was considering the facts. "Well they refuse to come to Konoha while you're alive, Danzo. So if that's what you want…."
"...May I ask why?"
"Your reputation precedes you." Hiruzen shrugged. As if that explained everything, and neatly covered everything he wasn't going to tell them. "They will remain in Oto. We need to accept that."
"...Keeping a jinchuuriki captive is not impossible," Homura said after a silence followed. "Orochimaru's… unfortunate relative could be made a prisoner of ours, until their attitude changes."
"Which would turn Orochimaru against us," Danzo replied, as if it were obvious.
"And I wouldn't allow it, anyway." Hiruzen arched his brow at his teammate. "Why are you so dead set on this? Oto is just starting out, and Wave is tiny. They could not hope to escape our shadow within our lifetimes."
"Orochimaru will be the next Hokage, most likely," Koharu responded and slashed her hand through the air. "We cannot afford to have foreign influences affect the Hokage, as it could lead to a greater resource expenditure than is appropriate. It opens the door to corruption, and could spiral into the loss of Konoha's prominence."
"So you argue a slippery slope exists?" Hiruzen shook his head. "I disagree. I think having such a strong relationship outside the village extends our influence just a little wider than it would otherwise. No one expects Nadeshiko to ally with us, after they are given such a position of prominence." He took a long breath, to steel himself for a discussion he really should have had earlier. "And it is not certain that Orochimaru will be the Hokage."
"One of your other students then," Kotaru rolled her eyes visibly. "The risk is reduced, but not eliminated."
"No, not Jiraiya or Tsunade. I'm compiling a list of candidates, and right now Orochimaru is in the top three. But there are other, better candidates."
His teammates looked absolutely flummoxed. Danzo, however, narrowed his eye dangerously. "Who?" He demanded.
"That is need-to-know information. I'm currently doing my own evaluation before I bring the topic up to the jounin commander and the daimyo. Both of whom have a vote in the selection process." He looked at them with a hardened gaze. "While none of you do."
An air of tension filled the room as the council glared at the Hokage, to different degrees.
"When the candidates are finalized, it will no longer be need-to-know information. You will have to wait."
"You say it's need-to-know, but admit that Jiraiya and Tsunade are not on the list." Koharu accused the Hokage. "What are you getting at?"
"He thinks we'll go after candidates we don't approve of," Danzo muttered. "I'm glad to see we have so much trust between us, Sarutobi."
"You have your answer. Until further information comes to my desk about the situation in Oto, you know everything I know." With that done, Hiruzen picked up his book, and resumed his reading. "I trust you can see yourselves out."
He expected Koharu and Homura to be as furious as their faces implied, but Danzo seemed relatively calm for the way the talk ended. Though Hiruzen got a terrible feeling, like when he was a child and would provoke a hornet's nest.
He then stopped in his reading to wonder why exactly he'd thought it a good idea as a child to provoke hornet's nests. He remembered Danzo being involved most of the time -- but the details were fuzzy.
He flipped a final page in his choose your own adventure story, and frowned. "Dangit. The chest was a mimic. Back to page one…."
---
I'm trying to gradually work in enough details and traits to make it seem like the shinobi continent and the sub-continent have sort of distinct cultures. How am I doing? Is it noticeable? Hopefully with the Uemon in Oto, I'll be able to show it more as the story goes on.
By the way if anyone knows what 'Uemon' translates to, hit me up. I've only found it in Hiragana and can't be certain of the translation.
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Vaalintine
Wild Wondorous Wolfalope
Those Swamp Ninja seem pretty dumb to me. They're going to join yhe village that they ultimately just robbed? Just... how is that supposed to even bot end with them losing all of their stuff and getting killed?
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
The caravan was going to the marriage of the daimyo, not Wave. So they would have robbed Soup and Nadeshiko, not Wave and Oto.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
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So bald girl learns of the power of wigs. ninja wigs look real and also contain worrying amounts of supplies!
Hope Hiruzen is ready for whatever Danzo pulls, on instinct he's probably going to try to stir some shit up, lol.
Hope Hiruzen is ready for whatever Danzo pulls, on instinct he's probably going to try to stir some shit up, lol.
Vaalintine
Wild Wondorous Wolfalope
Yeah, but they robbed the land that Oto is going to be the ninja village of. That's why the whole bandit thing seems counterintuitive.
Chairtastic
Anything's a chair if you're brave enough
- Location
- Breakfast nook
- Pronouns
- He / Him / It
No, they didn't. Oto is the ninja village of Wave -- and right now, it's biggest and most populated settlement. Nadeshiko is the ninja village of Soup Country. All the caravans they've robbed are bound for the Honey side of what will soon be Soup Country. They haven't settled on a capital site yet -- no one wants to live in the Water Palace, that place is haunted.
Oto needs more power anyway so I doubt they'll care about the past banditry of their recruits. Hell considering Oto is made from the craziness of Mist that kind of nasty background is basically standard for their ninja residents.
One of the ways it can apparently be read is 右衛門. Contains the Kanji for Right Defense Gate. I think the meaning there is fairly obvious in that it means gatekeeper or something similar.
Is it spelt うえもん? It's a name I've heard before, so while when put into kanji the individual kanji will have meaning and you they can even be read a certain way odds are it doesn't really mean anything in particular at least in the modern day. Plenty of people have names that don't really mean much, you'll see for example the rice field kanji all over the place but the people won't have anything to do with fields of any kind.
One of the ways it can apparently be read is 右衛門. Contains the Kanji for Right Defense Gate. I think the meaning there is fairly obvious in that it means gatekeeper or something similar.
- Location
- England
Right hand. As far as I know, Japan doesn't have the "left handed = evil" thing going on. No 'dextrous' or 'sinister' etc.