The Switcheroo

Pakura closed her eyes and tapped into Lin Feng's sensitivity towards world vitality through the bond.

Her sensation expanded until it covered nearly the whole of the country of Wind's capital.

In her mind, she could see the people as clumps of energy.

Those who had active chakra stood out as beacons in the sea of ordinary people and Sarutobi Hiruzen was a veritable bonfire.

A bonfire compressed into the core of his being due to the chakra restraining technique he was using to pass off as an average person.

Yet, his technique wasn't attuned to defend against the spying of one who had tapped into the forces of the world.

She watched him make his way through the defences of the castle like a hot knife through butter, exchanging guises every so often.

He was a beggar, then a castle guard, then a servant, then a ninja…

He was like an infinitely mutable piece of clay… he could be anything, he could be anyone.

He was worthy of his position of Hokage and the title of the God of the shinobi world.

His finesse in the art of deception and espionage was among the very best.

She turned to Kaguya by her side and said, "The Hokage is on his way here."

She turned her white eyes to her and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Pakura's eyes blazed with fighting intent. "I have conceived my soul sutra and yet I am not able to condense the forms. I think that an intense fight is what I need in order to find the turning point."

Kaguya gave her a disdainful look, she said, "Fool. Your mindset has been fixed in a barbaric state where the solution to any cultivation problem is a tough fight. While that might have worked for chakra, the soul is much more intricate."

She shook her head, "There are no shortcuts and if you try to rush things by using your incomplete sutra in a battle, not only will it not be helpful, it may cause your soul to fissure, turning you into an idiot."

Pakura deflated. "So, what do we do? Call Lin Feng?"

Kaguya shrugged. "You can call him if you want… but I'd like to solve this on my own. Let me show you how to use your brain for once to solve your problems. But let him know the situation… I would prefer some backup if we fail… after all, the opponent is the Hokage. The leader of a time."

Pakura informed Lin Feng through the bond and he readied himself to teleport to her location at a moment's notice.

Kaguya restrained her soul and her appearance morphed into the original appearance of Lady Shin, a brunette with long hair and dark brown eyes.

The two women waited.

…

Taking on the guise of a servant boy tasked to bring the Lady Shin and her guest some refreshments, Sarutobi Hiruzen made his way to the location of his target.

Pushing open the sliding door, he bowed respectfully, keeping his eyes on the ground as he made his way towards the two occupants of the room.

He tensed his muscles as he approached, ready to strike out like lightning and capture the kunoichi who was seated in a seiza by the Lady's side chatting with her while ignoring him.

He nearly lashed out when the kunoichi suddenly addressed him, "To what do we owe the presence of the Hokage himself?"

Immediately dropping his transformation jutsu, he completed the hand seals for the summoning and in a puff of smoke a three-metre-tall ape was standing by his side.

With a tacit understanding born of years working together, the ape transformed into a staff, quickly duplicating itself and covering the walls and ceiling of the room in an impenetrable lattice.

Adamantine Prison.

No matter how the kunoichi had discovered him, no matter what trap lay in store, now, he had the initiative.

For, very few people could claim to be in an advantageous position when trapped in a confined space with the Hokage.

But, right before he could follow through with his action to capture the kunoichi, he froze when he noted the current situation.

The kunoichi had taken Lady Shin hostage and had her kunai pointed at her throat. The veins near where the kunai touched her skin bulged blue indicating the venom that was already in her system.

He forcefully depressed his urge to capture the kunoichi instantaneously with a seal as he had no assurance of neutralizing the toxin before it took the Lady's life.

A lot of thoughts flashed through Sarutobi's mind before he asked, "Why do you threaten the life of the wife of your liege lord?"

The kunoichi sneered, "Your goal is me."

"How are you so sure?"

"Anyone with half a brain could figure it out from the current political situation. There is no way Konoha wants to anger the Wind country by abducting Lady Shin on the cusp of a war."

He turned to the Lady Shin, "Madame, how do you feel being taken hostage by your own subordinate?"

The Lady was calm, "Actually, you misunderstand. It was I who proposed that she take me hostage. This was the only way I know how I can protect my guest. With my life."

Sarutobi changed countenance. "I had heard of your excellency through the rumour mill… but in the flesh, the rumours don't do you justice."

The Lady said, "Your flattery will get you nowhere… I believe it is in your best interests to leave before the palace guards notice your blockade here and take action. Or, you can choose to capture my guest anyway… but then, you will be responsible for my death."

"What if I capture you both and put you in stasis with seals?"

"Then you will be responsible for my abduction. Either way, Konoha gains an enemy in the Wind country's samurai forces."

"How would anyone know it was me?"

"She has a channel of communication to the Kazekage… he is on his way."

Sarutobi sighed. "Fine… you win. Tell the Kazekage that I anticipate our meeting on the battlefield."

With a puff of smoke, the Adamantine prison was relieved and Sarutobi body flickered away and Pakura could sense him making his way out of the palace rapidly.

…

Kaguya immediately contacted her through her soul force and spoke without making a sound. "He was talking in order to delay time… he has planted a space-time seal on the floor where he was standing. If I am not mistaken, the boy Minato Namikaze will pop out as soon as he detects you giving me the antidote."

Pakura didn't react to her soul communication while saying out loud, "That was terrifying! The Hokage lives up to his reputation."

Kaguya continued through the soul channel. "Connect to your husband and get him to transfer some Void Force through the bond… I'll modify the seal so that Namikaze pops up right in front of the boy. Then he can deal with him."

Out loud, she said, "Give me the antidote… I'm about unable to support the toxin."

Pakura nodded and emptied the contents of a vial into her mouth and the bluish tinge in her veins began to retreat.

With a yellow flash, a handsome blonde man appeared in the middle of the room, where Sarutobi had stood.

His blue eyes widened as the Void warped around him and he disappeared.

…

In the middle of the desert, there were several gigantic columns of sand perforated to look like flutes.

The air seemed to warp around them as an invisible energy flowed methodically through the constructs.

It was a three-dimensional formation with Lin Feng in the middle.

In a flash of yellow, a blonde man popped into existence.

He immediately tried to use a jutsu to escape but space seemed particularly solid in there and he failed.

"Damn Sarutobi Sensei… now what trouble has he gotten me into. I'm never giving him another hiraishin tag again." He muttered as he turned around.

Lin Feng cracked into a smile as they came face to face. "Hello. I'm the Kazekage… I've heard nothing but praise for your technique…"

He stepped forward… and appeared beside Minato ignoring the intervening space, causing Minato to jump away in shock.

"I'm quite the teleporter myself, you see?" said Lin Feng with a smile.

"I was just curious as to how you shaped up."