It was finally the next morning, and I had to get my true job started as soon as the Kazekage was ready to check what I was planning to do.
In a certain sense, I felt nervous. Not enough to really doubt my current abilities and what I had in mind to do for the tasks before me, but enough to feel like I had to be extra careful to not leave any mistakes behind while applying the ink over the walls. After dealing with the surprise caused by learning that Kiara could now will herself between her original form and her newest human form, I knew that I couldn't exactly have her around while I was busy with this important job. Despite her protests, which were muffled by her eating some food as a human (which she mentioned was 'better' since she wasn't limited by a beak), and allowed me to convince her by promising her I would have kept her much longer once I was done with the work I was going to be focusing a lot on. After a few moments of fake crying and a back-breaking hug, I was finally granted some much needed silence to not mess things up with the current situation I was in. It wouldn't take long for the Kazekage to finally summon me right to where the indoor farm had been created. It was fairly easy to follow the guard sent to lead me around, quickly arriving at our destination without any issues. What I found there was… perfect.
It was now clear to me, even more than it had been the day before, that the Kazekage was really rational and extremely attached to discipline when it came to building-creation. A perfectionist of sorts which was quite the helpful boon to not have to headbutt over proportions since the room looked perfect to house all the sections required for a functional farm. I spared just a quick look around to confirm this, and then I proceeded to chat for a while with the three men that had been hired for the task of watching what I was doing, understanding all the elements tied to it, and writing down all the useful things tied to my work. In a sense, I was giving a lesson to an old man and his apprentices, which was logical since Suna didn't have a major grasp in seal. So, my burden seemed to almost double out of nowhere due to this, but not in a totally upsetting manner. I spoke, calmly and clearly, allowing some pauses mid-work to not just give them instructions on the matter, but also allow them to scribble down some advice on how to 'train' with seals and those were, in most cases, already known to their sensei. Yet, the man admitted he didn't have a chance to impart them with this kind of teaching. I didn't stray from the main goal despite my genuine interest to not bash too hard on the current elderly that tied their experience of Seals to mere experimentation.
Not when the Kazekage was really putting out a strict behavior in keeping me 'at work'. It wasn't like he told precisely this to me, but his posture and gaze just screeched of discipline and that any digression wasn't going to be ignored or condoned. Not that I blamed him for being this tense, especially when compared to his second-in-command that was just keeping track of my words and what I was doing to make sure this wasn't some sort of trick. I might have given them a good impression diplomatically-speaking, but backstabbing wasn't exactly an element unknown to diplomats, especially those that were normally regarded as ninjas. I didn't plan to give them any further reason to suspect me of this kind of stuff, so I was eager to get all the seals drawn and ready to work and get the experts studying the case to get all the notes they needed to replicate this predicament as best as possible. And while I had more than once said that the seals were the primary element to get this kind of farm to work, it wasn't the only element I had asked about to get the entire experimental process working as properly as possible.
"I believe that… I'm done here," I hummed calmly, sparing a thorough look around to see if all the seals were now well written and ready to start working. It's been two hours already, and I knew we were far from done with this. "Yes. Now, I think we can move on to… the dirt I requested for you to retrieve, Kazekage-sama."
The man slowly nodded, sparing a skeptical look while ordering the two shinobi assigned to that task to bring forth the kind of dirt I had wanted for the occasion. It wasn't something that was retrieved by the Land of Fire, but rather from the Land of Earth. Numerous scrolls were brought forth, most of those filled with numerous kilos of dirt that was specifically the best for this kind of situation. Those were going to be used to fill up about three quarters of the entire room, right within the rectangular perimeter which was meant to house said dirt and create the small section of fields needed to get the farm working. There were small rectangular lines between each area where water would then be left to course once the dirt had been properly placed down by the workers recruited for this job. So, while the men and women assigned to the task started with their work, I was finally asked the question I expected from either the Kazekage or his second in command.
"Shimura-san, I don't believe you have explained properly why you requested this kind of… well, dirt." Shamon half-inquired through these words, and I gave him a solid nod.
"I suppose you would want to know what's the difference between asking from the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth when it comes to dirt, right?" I asked first, smiling as the bald man nodded. "The dirt in the Land of Fire isn't naturally adaptable for this kind of situation. Not when it has to be contained to solid rock as it seems to 'weaken' it somehow. I would say that due to a lack of natural disposition, that kind of dirt wouldn't yield the same results and that something like the dirt coming straight from the Land of Earth is much more adapted, 'experienced' in a way, to grow fruits even in sturdy confinements. Hence why I requested it in this circumstance."
"I can see your point here. For a moment… I thought there might be a more worrying reason for it," The leader of Sunagakure explained. "You see, Konoha might be our ally now but… that doesn't mean it could extend to the future."
I could already notice through that indirect jab what the Kazekage was alluding to, but… I could agree with him.
"A fair worry, Kazekage-sama. But while I might be experienced in combat, I doubt I would manage to leave this place alive. Konoha doesn't seek to alienate its allies, especially those that the village has sworn to aid in return of aid coming at them in time of need. We are bound, and it would be foolish to even consider severing that tie."
"But for whom?" Shamon inquired curiously.
"For the one that would be unlucky enough the next war," I admitted somberly. "It will happen."
"Sunagakure will stand against our common enemies, Shimura-san. Especially if it is Iwa going to cause this enormous mess once more," The Kazekage bitterly replied. "We will not allow for another conflict to be as brutal and vicious as before. Suna will prosper… and Konoha shall stand with us in the path of victory and success."
"The same guarantee Konoha extends to Suna, Kazekage-sama." I returned politely before shifting my attention back to the workers and their hard work.
Roughly half an hour later, and I looked over at the artificial fields created for this very unique circumstance. The ground level was proper, offering the plants enough room to grow roots and properly form thanks to the water that was now being placed in the small open-roofed tubes passing through the entire perimeter and the sunlight that passed through the small openings by the ceiling above our heads. It was there that I finally activated the seals and… everyone in the room tensed up in surprise at the change of temperatures. Their eyes widened, grasping the novelty of finally feeling 'relief' against the torrid heat that they had to face on a daily basis. It was there that I prevented a serious interrogation by bringing up that the cooling seals could be used on all buildings if those were adapted to fit the sizes of the buildings in question. I could see some hope and some distrust, but I knew they were still going to try and be successful about it. And yes, I was inwardly gloating as smugly as a guy like me could at their shocked looks.
Danzo Shimura, Sunagakure's best buddy for creating indoor farms, AC and bringing chicken wings upon Suna's cuisine. Can I get a round of applause? No? I guess my brain is devoid of split personalities like Kumoko and Katarina. Pity.
Ignoring my foolish plight for voices inside my head, I went back to the current situation as there was only one thing left to do. And it was to instruct the hired farmers to know how to handle the indoor farm on their own. Most of the people that were there to work at it, at least those working the fields, had a decent control in chakra. Some were people that were labeled as unfit for combat duty or that had retired in a little while. They were all surprised when I finally explained why I had asked for this type of individuals first and foremost rather than normal civilians.
"I will teach you how to use Chakra to grow your plants as quickly as possible without risking anything and gaining the maximum profit out of this. Understood?"
Several of them nodded, others were baffled by what I just said and… I guess, rightfully so. It was partially unheard of people that could use chakra to actually speed up the entire process, but, then again, it was also unheard of Shinobi becoming farmers due to how much warring there had been in the last few decades and how farming was generally a civilian-dominated job. So there was still a fair amount of skepticality at my genuineness… which eventually faltered as soon as I went through the basics and helped people with their current tasks. I taught all of them to work in precise lines, with each field being theirs to individually work on in an organic system of work. They listened without hesitation after they saw me taking all the equipment needed for a farmer to start going through the simple but tough work and gave them a proper example by working by myself. I had spent days working with my own workers at the Shimura-owned farms, so I knew what I was doing here and I knew what to say to get the others to follow my instructions without any confusion or need to ask questions. The result was that, by the end of two more hours, four cooled-by-seal clay caskets had been filled with wheat. It was the test product, with many already planning out specific zones for wheat and others for fruits, vegetables, and spices.
The Kazekage was immensely impressed by the result gained here today and he decided to be a little more 'kind' when it came to the ensuing lunch where I found a few more plates of delicious meals set just for me. Really obvious as a minor 'thank you', but I accepted it nonetheless. It wasn't the reward I was offered that mattered to me, it was the one that was expected to be granted when Konoha would open up ideas to give both itself and Suna (and perhaps Kiri) a chance to progress into a bright future. I was mostly convinced we were done with this as I had pretty much wrapped the whole ordeal in a lovely package to grant a greater stand between Suna and Konoha. I was going to leave by late afternoon so I could rush back home by dinnertime. I wasn't planning to be discourteous with the Kazekage, but he understood I had a family that was already worrying a lot about me leaving for this business trip and I wanted to be back as quickly and politely as possible.
Just as I finished my little routine of checking the village with human Kiara on top to chirp at my ears and ask me to try some of the small snacks offered by the vendors around, we ended up arriving back at the Kazekage's main building to get all the paperwork signed before leaving so we could get back home for good. The documents were all signed, there were no hard feelings due to my proper behavior through the entire visit. I was chatting calmly with the Kazekage and Shamon about planning some ways to open a bigger trade route between the two villages while leaving the building when… something unpleasant and confusing happened. Something really, really bad considering we stopped to find numerous guards had been slaughtered right before the staircase that led to the village. A sole figure stood, bearing an unfamiliar demonic mask but with clothes that seemed familiar and yet not. A chilling shiver went down my spine and… soon the figure spoke with a distorted voice.
"I found you." Blank, neutral, unforgiving. I tensed up and so did the two older men.
Whoever this guy was, it wasn't the 'assassins' that were meant to kill the leader of Sunagakure and… he was after me.
"Wh-Who are you?" The Kazekage exclaimed, a brief stutter as he too was shocked not only by the side but the strange vibe tied to the stranger. Shamon was not that far from that mood himself, the puppet master mustering his creations as he prepared to move and defend his lord from any attacks.
"I'm… Nobody you can hope to win against."
The confidence wasn't missed, and I swiftly tried to use the emergency seal to call forth Matatabi… only to realize it wasn't working. The strong attacker noticed and sighed.
"Shimura Danzou-san, it's rude to try and invite people that have no say in this matter. After all… I'm after you."
This- This shouldn't be possible. The only way a seal could be tampered to this degree, so much that it didn't work completely, was only doable by disrupting the seal on one of the two ends. I doubted it happened in Konoha… but I could tell that there was one moment where he could have struck and… it wasn't possible. Not when I had too many seals for him to be able to get through and reach my sleeping form. Yesterday night, there was also Kiara. Her sensorial ability was nothing to scoff at and rivaled some of the top notch ninja right now, and yet she didn't pick this intrusion. I gritted my teeth, realizing that due to this very feat, the man wasn't… a normal human being. I doubted it was even possible for humans to be able to achieve that absurd feat.
"You noticed now? The futility of any resistance against this assault, Danzou-san?"
The kick struck through any defense I got and slammed onto my belly. Had it been a touch stronger, it would have breached into the skin and stabbed deep into my stomach. My eyes widened in shock as I felt breakfast and lunch rushing up to my throat. I rolled on the ground, gritting my teeth and pushing the disgusting sensation back in my belly. My throat burned as the stomach's acids went back to its original location but still left me horrified by what had just happened. I almost barfed everything I had yet to digest, the attack almost putting me out of commission. I looked up from the floor, seeing something as horrifying as the realization I had before getting attacked. The Kazekage fell to one knee, right hand grasping at the left shoulder, a large part of the flesh having been chipped away in a single hit. I barely saw the masked figure blur behind Shamon, with two punches being used to break his right leg and arm. The bald man screamed in pain, but another punch, this time hitting the back of his head, had him slam onto the ground and create an indentation with his body.
For the first time ever in my long ride in this world, in what felt an absurd moment to actually feel this very clear sensation, I couldn't help but feel true fear while seeing how easily the masked man dispatched these individuals. I had faced so many individuals and entities that I 'won over' one way or another with what I knew. But this… this was different. I faced Madara, and while I stopped from facing his Susanoo, I knew I still wouldn't have stuttered with my actions. I wouldn't have hesitated to dodge or attack the construct which would have been difficult to beat with what I had in that fight. But now? Now I could feel that this man wasn't even trying and I knew he could beat Hashirama and Madara at the same time. Maybe even Tobirama if he joined that one-sided massacre.
W-Why does someone like this even exist? When did Kishimoto insert something so powerful?! After Kaguya? Did they really put some BS characters that could keep up this well? HOW?!
I saw his attention back at me, and I barely moved in time to stop its following rush up to me. I recoiled in pain, rolling away as the figure granted just a returning kick which I barely blocked with my arms. The attack left bruises on the limbs and I could tell I couldn't block another of those strikes without getting my bones broken in the process. This wasn't the best situation to be in, and my wounds weren't getting any better. The rolling had cut parts of my shirt, leaving some small injuries that weren't exactly going to heal on their own and that weren't going to leave me without any distraction due to the pain. I stood up again, this time taking a stance and trying to beat the fright by willing my body to react. What ensued I could call a partial success. At best. The assassin ran back to me, a blur that I managed to dodge early on, but that still strained my defense by dropping hit after hit in an effort to overwhelm me with fast punches alone. Much to my chagrin, he almost succeeded, and backed away only when he realized I had the time to produce a few hand seals and produce a point-black Great Fireball Jutsu. The fireball missed its target, or rather the target absurdly shifted out of the way before backing away from direct confrontation.
"Impressive. Despite your terrified state of mind, you are still fighting. You are indeed a peculiar individual, Shimura Danzou-san."
"F-Fuck off," I replied as kindly as I could with the suffering I was enduring. He didn't mind, rather taking a moment to stare on the side and… see more Shinobi rushing in to aid the Kazekage, the man busy trying to bring Shamon away from the proximity of the fight while holding his best against the pain he was in.
I tried to recover as much as I could from that instance, but I could tell my body was just taking a beating from the way the assaulter flawlessly cut his way through his opponents without employing any chakra or weapon. Only Taijutsu. And it was terribly precise despite how 'light' his steps were at the moment.
W-Who is this guy!?
[This is our enemy.]
Kaguya's voice appeared in my head out of nowhere, and yet it answered the question once and for all. Our enemy? It felt so abrupt to think that this was a character Kaguya actually knew about and… perhaps this was why she was preparing. He was the spearhead for something much worse and it left me shocked to imagine anyone stronger than that. Still, that brief intervention wasn't just a vocal one as it also brought something else to make me realize that something was being done to help me around. My right eye started to hurt a lot. I hadn't been hit anywhere on my head, so it felt odd for me to feel any pain there but… something happened. My reserves started to suddenly pour chakra onto it, and I could see something I was meant to. Chakra Pathways… Byakugan? No. It was limited to just the pathways. Or so I thought.
Feeling a degree of confidence at this being a good enough boost, and that there was something else that I hadn't noticed about it, I rushed forward while the figure was busy defending himself. He noticed, swatting away with a neck-cutting strike the remaining four Shinobis fighting him, adding to the pile of dead corpses behind him. He braced himself, almost bored and disappointed by this attack from his bodily language and… yet that seemed to change when I finally struck a kunai deep in his knee-joint in his right leg while he tried to hit me again with a kick. His attacks were now slower, and while my body was far from optimal shape, I was keeping up. And I was doing my best to return favor after favor. That didn't deter the attacker from keeping this battle going, and in fact had him increase his speed and power to neutralize my current advantage. But at this point, I had done the best I could to reduce his pace by hitting legs and arms. I focused really little on damage-delivery as I didn't have the confidence in managing to keep that successful rush going if he got the chance to pick up the heat and work around this brief boost. It was indeed brief since it was burning my chakra away way faster than any technique in my reserves. I was breathing tiredly by the time I had him slowed down to the utmost, forcing him to rush once more to try and kill me at once rather than play around some more.
[Brace… I will grant you a little gift.]
Kaguya's voice left no room for protests and I merely nodded to myself as I felt something form from within my chest. An urge, a need, words pended by my lips as I prepared to finally strike. The masked attacker got close enough for me to move in attack and… I pushed both my open palms towards him and aimed those in a way that would have pushed him up in the sky. And then I spoke terrifying words that didn't even feel mine to pronounce while my reserves burned roughly half of the chakra within their entirety through that unexpected 'gift'.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The figure tried to move away, but even he knew that he couldn't move that fast out of the immediate gravity push. Reality morphed, distorted even, as gravity in front of me was suddenly turned into a propelling element that shot the attacker away as strongly as the chakra invested allowed. And he sure flew out of sight as the attack proved to be powerful enough to 'slap' him well out of Sunagakure's bounds. I saw the frame rolling around mid-air, unable to reduce the speed in which it was moving and… I fell on my knees. My eye stopped to burn as intensely as the chakra infusion seemed to outright stop the moment I saw the dangerous opponent brought out of the way as quickly as possible. Kaguya gave me something, but I could tell it wasn't the Rinnegan despite the fact I used a Rinnegan-only ability. No, the eye thing… it wasn't anything I had heard about before. Not Byakugan, not Sharingan and definitely not the Rinnesharingan. So I was quite clueless about what had just happened, yet glad that it happened as quickly as it did. Still, I focused on regaining some control over my breathing, just so I could stand up and walk up to the Kazekage.
Another round of guards approached, shocked by the sheer brutality displayed, but surprised when they saw me kneeling down to heal their leader's most prominent injury the best I could. There was no questioning, but I was at least given a solid 'thank you' from the man as soon as he could be moved to be properly treated by doctors. Both the Kazekage and Shamon lived, but I grimaced a little bit as I had to wait an hour before being able to properly summon Kiara, my reserves needing this much to refill as I ate some food to fill those up faster, and get going. The Phoenix had keen eyes and swiftly inquired about what had just happened to me.
"I kind of got attacked by a scary assassin. So, I know this is a big request but… can you please fly faster as we get back to Konoha?"
Despite her own irritation at putting too much effort in racing through the skies, Kiara could perceive I was really recovering from the most frightening situation yet and, before giving me an answer, she turned back to human and pulled me in a big hug. As much as I didn't ask for it, I didn't exactly shy away from it. I just saw a deadly scenario- no, I've been there and… it had been worse than the war. Much worse. I fought an unknown opponent that was insanely strong enough to put a Kage-level ninja out of commission with ease and I could tell this wasn't going to be the last time I met him. His words echoed as I allowed Kiara to carry me across the desert, my eyes losing focus as I felt his words heavily burning within my mind. Same for Kaguya.
"Shimura Danzou-san, it's rude to try and invite people that have no say in this matter. After all… I'm after you."
[This is our enemy.]
What is even going on right now? What did I just stumble upon?