Kusagakure1Hidden Grass Village
The warden of Hōzuki-jō2Demon Lantern Castlehad just met with Toroi's squad to personally escort them
Much to their surprise
"On behalf my village and squad, I apologize for the sudden visit Mura-dono"
"It is alright. We've been expecting you, Toroi-dono" (Mura)
"You...were?" (Toroi)
"Yes. We're almost to my office. Please...follow me" (Mura)
As Toroi continued to probe Mura for information, Osoi observed in silence. Focusing on every word Mura muttered, keeping constant track of his facial expressions
With something gnawing at him, Funsui whispered to Ronri
"Hey, Ronri. Does that guy seem...off?" (Funsui)
"I think anyone working in this place would be, off. What are you getting at?" (Ronri)
"I don't know, I just can't put my finger on it" (Funsui)
"Did you scan him?" (Ronri)
"From the moment we arrived. I...don't think he's under a Genjutsu but...there's this lingering feeling. I just can't put my finger on it" (Funsui)
"Well, until you have an answer, don't bug me. Walking while maintaining this technique isn't exactly easy" (Ronri)
Ronri's small messenger lizards had infiltrated the prison, as he utilized his unique Ninjutsu to share senses with them. Toroi wanted to be sure Kusagakure wouldn't try anything while the warden kept them occupied
{Hmm...so far, so good. Activity is normal, the guards are doing their jobs. Everything seems to be okay. Though, I thought there'd be more of them for a prison of this size} (Ronri)
"Here we are, please come inside" (Mura)
"This is a nice office, very spacious" (Toroi)
{No guards with him. I doubt they'd trust us that much to leave their warden unattended with foreign shinobi. And yet...} (Osoi)
"Thank you very much" (Mura)
Mura took a seat as his desk and gestured for Toroi to sit in front of him. As the latter complied, Osoi stood behind him while Funsui and Ronri remained by the door
"Once again, I'd like to say we're here on behalf of both our Lightning Daimyō-sama and Raikage-sama respectively. This matter is in regards to..." (Toroi)
{No abnormal chakra in sight. But...I can feel chakra signatures popping up out of nowhere. As if they're passing through something, could this place have barrier here?}
"Now that I'm standing still, any requests?" (Ronri)
"The northwestern area" (Funsui)
"On it..." (Ronri)
Closing his eyes, he doubled his efforts and directed one of his lizards
"See anything?" (Funsui)
"It isn't there yet, but nothing appears to be out of the...wait. There are a lot empty prison cells" (Ronri)
"What? How many?" (Funsui)
"Too many. I take it back, something's wrong" {Could they have already moved the prisoners?} (Ronri)
FLICK! WEAVE!
Ronri put his hands behind his back, secretly forming hand seals. Increasing the power of his technique. The small creature moved with haste as it passed several prison cell blocks
{A small corridor, with guards coming out of it. This must be what Funsui was talking about} "Hm?!" (Ronri)
{Oh, I don't like that look} (Funsui)
"Funsui, I need you to focus on the chakra signature by one of my lizards. Particularly, an isolated one in the area you mentioned" (Ronri)
"Right, as if keeping track of the humans wasn't hard enough, now I gotta worry about lizards. Haah, fine. Gimme a sec" (Funsui)
"Be quick about it..." (Ronri)
FLIP!
"As you can see on this document, our village leaders are currently in discussion as we speak. However, it doesn't mean we're issuing any demands or whatnot" (Toroi)
"Mmm...okay..." (Mura)
{Barely a reaction, after hearing how prideful he was, it's hard to believe he hasn't reacted yet} (Osoi)
{Perhaps he's considering his options?} (Toroi)
"..." (Mura)
GRUNT!
"I've memorized the chakra signature, where you going with this Ronri?" (Funsui)
"I can see some guards putting a prisoner on a gurney. They're taking him to the location you mentioned. I can see a suspicious gate leading downwards" (Ronri)
"So I was right, there is a barrier. Will your technique still work?" (Funsui)
"I don't know, but my lizards aren't stupid. If the connection is cut, they'll either retreat or hide. Stay focused on my lizard" (Ronri)
"Haaaah...hope this works" (Funsui)
"Hope we don't get caught" (Ronri)
"That to" (Funsui)
Kumogakure
"Tetsuo-dono! Like this?!"
"A little higher, but exercise caution! Without that cooling system, this whole endeavor will have been for naught!" (Tetsuo)
"Thank god you're here, the various trips you've made in recent months have sped up production significantly"
"Happy to oblige Dodai-dono" (Tetsuo)
Within a facility A provided to Dodai and his division for work, Tetsuo Mori arrived with his bodyguard Shō and several engineers. His entourage went to work putting together the finalized generator for the "Network" project
The Daimyō's assistant Tekkan and his shinobi guard Tenga were also present, the former not missing a single detail of their work for future reference
"It's a bit smaller than I expected"
"That's the whole point Tenga-kun. This is just the first prototype, with time, Mori Sp. will manufacture advanced power sources. Built smarter, smaller, and far more efficient" (Tetsuo)
"If another village wanted a generator of this output, it'd have to be built at least six times bigger" (Dodai)
"Ehhh...more like four times, but you get the idea" (Tetsuo)
"Amazing..." {If the Daimyō's had that, our communication system capabilities could reach new heights} (Tekkan)
"It's a nice feeling isn't it, knowing we got our money's worth" (Tenga)
"DAMN STRAIGHT!" (Dodai, Tekkan, Tetsuo)
"H-Hehe..." (Tenga)
AHEM!
"Won't be long now. We just have to make sure everything goes right with other branches before we start" (Tetsuo)
"How long will that take?" (Tekkan)
"Boys!" (Tetsuo)
"Sir. Given our work, along with the current rate of progress of Dodai-dono's division members at the other locations, we estimate approximately 31 hours"
"Well, looks like we're gonna be here for a while" (Tetsuo)
"Tekkan-dono, will you be staying?" (Dodai)
"As if I'd leave. There's no way I'm missing this" (Tekkan)
Getting his answer, Dodai walked towards his office door
"Then the next thing on my list is getting the coffee" (Dodai)
"Now we're talking" (Tetsuo)
"Heh! One moment, we've got the best flavor in all of Kumogakure ready and waiting" (Dodai)
{Almost there, R-dono} (Tetsuo)
Hōzuki-jō
Everything is wrong...
I'm acting like it's not, but it is. In this office, I'm here, I'm speaking, I'm working and yet...everything is wrong. Ronri's no doubt scouted out this entire prison with his lizards. But he, nor Funsui have signaled me
Osoi continues to advise and interject only when needed. But the person before me, the warden Mura, it's like he's not even here. I've explained what Kumo wants, even provoked him a couple of times, and still...
"That is acceptable. We haven't released any prisoners" (Mura)
"But isn't the prison up to capacity? We heard rumors this is why your village has opted to end its services for the east" (Toroi)
"We're...fine. There's nothing for you to worry about" (Mura)
Everything is wrong...
It's like I'm speaking to a dead man...I can't do anything drastic here. This feeling has gripped my heart. I feel worthless, hopeless...I don't know what I'm doing anymore
I don't like this. I don't like this at all. Please, Ronri, Funsui, anyone...do something
I shouldn't stay, I won't stay, I can't stay...I have to go. I don't know why, but we have to go. Duty keeps me down, like an anchor, keeping me on this chair
Legs aren't moving...
I talk, and I talk, and I talk, and I talk...I know I'm talking!
All I'm doing is talking! It's like I'm not even here, as if my soul has left my body
Everything is wrong...
{What in our ancestor's name...is this?!} (Ronri)
"What's wrong?" (Funsui)
"My lizard found this secret bunker, with tons of people...prisoners inside. I can't make out what they're doing to the convicts. What is that stuff?" (Ronri)
"What kind of...stuff?" (Funsui)
"I don't know...I'm seeing a bunch of, pills? Medicine for the prisoners? It's dark, and there's a lot of blood on the floor. Wait..." (Ronri)
"The hell?! Is it some kind of maximum holding cell? Like a solitary confinement wing?" (Funsui)
"No...this is illegal. We have to tell the captain-! Wait, I see two people...different. They're wearing masks with...words on them. Red, and...Ba-Balance?" (Ronri)
{Red? Balance? The hell is that about?} (Funsui)
"Uh?!" {Shit! It was seen! That one in the mask...he's-!} (Ronri)
ZING!
"Urgh!" {My lizard was killed!} (Ronri)
"Ronri?!" (Funsui)
"I was caught...ugh! We need to leave now!" (Ronri)
"Captain! It's a trap!" (Funsui)
"?!" (Toroi & Osoi)
Everything is wrong...Everything is wrong...Everything is wrong...
"T-T-T-T-Trap?" (Mura)
SLICE!
"Captain we-eh?!" (Osoi)
{Did he just cut himself?! And from his wound-?!} (Ronri)
"He's under a Genjutsu!!" (Toroi)
"The door's been sealed!" (Ronri)
"What?!" (Funsui)
Everything is wrong...Everything is wrong...
GURGLE!
"What the f**k?!" {Huh? This feeling...his chakra is-!} (Funsui)
"His body's expanding, what's that stuff covering him?!" (Ronri)
{There's no mistaking this feeling...!}"It's a bomb!" (Funsui)
"U-UUGAHHPP...T-T-TRA-PPPPP" (Mura)
"?!" (Osoi & Ronri)
WEAVE!
"Suiton3Water Style...!" (Funsui)
"Shit! Jiton: Jakuhō no Sōjin4Magnet Style: Conserving Bee Twin Blades...!" (Toroi)
{Musai...forgive me...} (Osoi)
Yes...
"TTTTRRRRR...AAAAAA...PPP!!!!!!" (Mura)
"Oh god..." (Funsui)
"NOOOOOO!" (Ronri)
BOOM!
Everything...is wrong
Kusagakure1Hidden Grass Village
The warden of Hōzuki-jō2Demon Lantern Castlehad just met with Toroi's squad to personally escort them
Much to their surprise
"On behalf my village and squad, I apologize for the sudden visit Mura-dono"
"It is alright. We've been expecting you, Toroi-dono" (Mura)
"You...were?" (Toroi)
"Yes. We're almost to my office. Please...follow me" (Mura)
As Toroi continued to probe Mura for information, Osoi observed in silence. Focusing on every word Mura muttered, keeping constant track of his facial expressions
With something gnawing at him, Funsui whispered to Ronri
"Hey, Ronri. Does that guy seem...off?" (Funsui)
"I think anyone working in this place would be, off. What are you getting at?" (Ronri)
"I don't know, I just can't put my finger on it" (Funsui)
"Did you scan him?" (Ronri)
"From the moment we arrived. I...don't think he's under a Genjutsu but...there's this lingering feeling. I just can't put my finger on it" (Funsui)
"Well, until you have an answer, don't bug me. Walking while maintaining this technique isn't exactly easy" (Ronri)
Ronri's small messenger lizards had infiltrated the prison, as he utilized his unique Ninjutsu to share senses with them. Toroi wanted to be sure Kusagakure wouldn't try anything while the warden kept them occupied
{Hmm...so far, so good. Activity is normal, the guards are doing their jobs. Everything seems to be okay. Though, I thought there'd be more of them for a prison of this size} (Ronri)
"Here we are, please come inside" (Mura)
"This is a nice office, very spacious" (Toroi)
{No guards with him. I doubt they'd trust us that much to leave their warden unattended with foreign shinobi. And yet...} (Osoi)
"Thank you very much" (Mura)
Mura took a seat as his desk and gestured for Toroi to sit in front of him. As the latter complied, Osoi stood behind him while Funsui and Ronri remained by the door
"Once again, I'd like to say we're here on behalf of both our Lightning Daimyō-sama and Raikage-sama respectively. This matter is in regards to..." (Toroi)
{No abnormal chakra in sight. But...I can feel chakra signatures popping up out of nowhere. As if they're passing through something, could this place have barrier here?}
"Now that I'm standing still, any requests?" (Ronri)
"The northwestern area" (Funsui)
"On it..." (Ronri)
Closing his eyes, he doubled his efforts and directed one of his lizards
"See anything?" (Funsui)
"It isn't there yet, but nothing appears to be out of the...wait. There are a lot empty prison cells" (Ronri)
"What? How many?" (Funsui)
"Too many. I take it back, something's wrong" {Could they have already moved the prisoners?} (Ronri)
FLICK! WEAVE!
Ronri put his hands behind his back, secretly forming hand seals. Increasing the power of his technique. The small creature moved with haste as it passed several prison cell blocks
{A small corridor, with guards coming out of it. This must be what Funsui was talking about} "Hm?!" (Ronri)
{Oh, I don't like that look} (Funsui)
"Funsui, I need you to focus on the chakra signature by one of my lizards. Particularly, an isolated one in the area you mentioned" (Ronri)
"Right, as if keeping track of the humans wasn't hard enough, now I gotta worry about lizards. Haah, fine. Gimme a sec" (Funsui)
"Be quick about it..." (Ronri)
FLIP!
"As you can see on this document, our village leaders are currently in discussion as we speak. However, it doesn't mean we're issuing any demands or whatnot" (Toroi)
"Mmm...okay..." (Mura)
{Barely a reaction, after hearing how prideful he was, it's hard to believe he hasn't reacted yet} (Osoi)
{Perhaps he's considering his options?} (Toroi)
"..." (Mura)
GRUNT!
"I've memorized the chakra signature, where you going with this Ronri?" (Funsui)
"I can see some guards putting a prisoner on a gurney. They're taking him to the location you mentioned. I can see a suspicious gate leading downwards" (Ronri)
"So I was right, there is a barrier. Will your technique still work?" (Funsui)
"I don't know, but my lizards aren't stupid. If the connection is cut, they'll either retreat or hide. Stay focused on my lizard" (Ronri)
"Haaaah...hope this works" (Funsui)
"Hope we don't get caught" (Ronri)
"That to" (Funsui)
Kumogakure
"Tetsuo-dono! Like this?!"
"A little higher, but exercise caution! Without that cooling system, this whole endeavor will have been for naught!" (Tetsuo)
"Thank god you're here, the various trips you've made in recent months have sped up production significantly"
"Happy to oblige Dodai-dono" (Tetsuo)
Within a facility A provided to Dodai and his division for work, Tetsuo Mori arrived with his bodyguard Shō and several engineers. His entourage went to work putting together the finalized generator for the "Network" project
The Daimyō's assistant Tekkan and his shinobi guard Tenga were also present, the former not missing a single detail of their work for future reference
"It's a bit smaller than I expected"
"That's the whole point Tenga-kun. This is just the first prototype, with time, Mori Sp. will manufacture advanced power sources. Built smarter, smaller, and far more efficient" (Tetsuo)
"If another village wanted a generator of this output, it'd have to be built at least six times bigger" (Dodai)
"Ehhh...more like four times, but you get the idea" (Tetsuo)
"Amazing..." {If the Daimyō's had that, our communication system capabilities could reach new heights} (Tekkan)
"It's a nice feeling isn't it, knowing we got our money's worth" (Tenga)
"DAMN STRAIGHT!" (Dodai, Tekkan, Tetsuo)
"H-Hehe..." (Tenga)
AHEM!
"Won't be long now. We just have to make sure everything goes right with other branches before we start" (Tetsuo)
"How long will that take?" (Tekkan)
"Boys!" (Tetsuo)
"Sir. Given our work, along with the current rate of progress of Dodai-dono's division members at the other locations, we estimate approximately 31 hours"
"Well, looks like we're gonna be here for a while" (Tetsuo)
"Tekkan-dono, will you be staying?" (Dodai)
"As if I'd leave. There's no way I'm missing this" (Tekkan)
Getting his answer, Dodai walked towards his office door
"Then the next thing on my list is getting the coffee" (Dodai)
"Now we're talking" (Tetsuo)
"Heh! One moment, we've got the best flavor in all of Kumogakure ready and waiting" (Dodai)
{Almost there, R-dono} (Tetsuo)
Hōzuki-jō
Everything is wrong...
I'm acting like it's not, but it is. In this office, I'm here, I'm speaking, I'm working and yet...everything is wrong. Ronri's no doubt scouted out this entire prison with his lizards. But he, nor Funsui have signaled me
Osoi continues to advise and interject only when needed. But the person before me, the warden Mura, it's like he's not even here. I've explained what Kumo wants, even provoked him a couple of times, and still...
"That is acceptable. We haven't released any prisoners" (Mura)
"But isn't the prison up to capacity? We heard rumors this is why your village has opted to end its services for the east" (Toroi)
"We're...fine. There's nothing for you to worry about" (Mura)
Everything is wrong...
It's like I'm speaking to a dead man...I can't do anything drastic here. This feeling has gripped my heart. I feel worthless, hopeless...I don't know what I'm doing anymore
I don't like this. I don't like this at all. Please, Ronri, Funsui, anyone...do something
I shouldn't stay, I won't stay, I can't stay...I have to go. I don't know why, but we have to go. Duty keeps me down, like an anchor, keeping me on this chair
Legs aren't moving...
I talk, and I talk, and I talk, and I talk...I know I'm talking!
All I'm doing is talking! It's like I'm not even here, as if my soul has left my body
Everything is wrong...
{What in our ancestor's name...is this?!} (Ronri)
"What's wrong?" (Funsui)
"My lizard found this secret bunker, with tons of people...prisoners inside. I can't make out what they're doing to the convicts. What is that stuff?" (Ronri)
"What kind of...stuff?" (Funsui)
"I don't know...I'm seeing a bunch of, pills? Medicine for the prisoners? It's dark, and there's a lot of blood on the floor. Wait..." (Ronri)
"The hell?! Is it some kind of maximum holding cell? Like a solitary confinement wing?" (Funsui)
"No...this is illegal. We have to tell the captain-! Wait, I see two people...different. They're wearing masks with...words on them. Red, and...Ba-Balance?" (Ronri)
{Red? Balance? The hell is that about?} (Funsui)
"Uh?!" {Shit! It was seen! That one in the mask...he's-!} (Ronri)
ZING!
"Urgh!" {My lizard was killed!} (Ronri)
"Ronri?!" (Funsui)
"I was caught...ugh! We need to leave now!" (Ronri)
"Captain! It's a trap!" (Funsui)
"?!" (Toroi & Osoi)
Everything is wrong...Everything is wrong...Everything is wrong...
"T-T-T-T-Trap?" (Mura)
SLICE!
"Captain we-eh?!" (Osoi)
{Did he just cut himself?! And from his wound-?!} (Ronri)
"He's under a Genjutsu!!" (Toroi)
"The door's been sealed!" (Ronri)
"What?!" (Funsui)
Everything is wrong...Everything is wrong...
GURGLE!
"What the f**k?!" {Huh? This feeling...his chakra is-!} (Funsui)
"His body's expanding, what's that stuff covering him?!" (Ronri)
{There's no mistaking this feeling...!}"It's a bomb!" (Funsui)
"U-UUGAHHPP...T-T-TRA-PPPPP" (Mura)
"?!" (Osoi & Ronri)
WEAVE!
"Suiton3Water Style...!" (Funsui)
"Shit! Jiton: Jakuhō no Sōjin4Magnet Style: Conserving Bee Twin Blades...!" (Toroi)
{Musai...forgive me...} (Osoi)
Yes...
"TTTTRRRRR...AAAAAA...PPP!!!!!!" (Mura)
"Oh god..." (Funsui)
"NOOOOOO!" (Ronri)
BOOM!
Everything...is wrong
