Chapter 14: The Deal

< after the events of the last chapter >

[Ryo's P.O.V.]

After resting for a while we decided to enter Amegakure. We'd left everything that could reveal our identity as Konoha-nins at the resting spot and decided to disguise ourselves as refugees seeking shelter inside their safe walls.

The guard was pretty suspicious of us but a little genjutsu from Kagami-sensei did the trick and we were able to enter quietly. It was quite the depressing sight inside. The streets were full of homeless civilians trying their best to build make shift shelters to shield themselves from the rain.

I could see a lot of construction sites. They were building a sort of skyscraper in order to be able to provide housing for the numerous refugees that had gathered here. The plan was simple, Kagami-sensei and I would go around the village looking for traces of the missing Konoha-nin as well as finding a possible enemy base.

Eichi and Mikoto would play orphans and try to get information through other refugees or the Ame-nins. With everyone aware of their duties we seperated into two teams. We would meet again at 8 p.m. near the same entrance we used.

< 17/8/33 | 3 weeks after Team 0's arrival in Amegakure >

"Kagami-sensei, I can feel 23 people inside that house but... 5 of them feel extremely weak like they were about to die." , I grimly told Kagami-sensei what I found out with my oberservation haki.

We had been strolling around for a few weeks without any results already until we stumbled upon two cloaked man entering a remote alley. What made it even more suspicious was the fact that they were trying to conceal their presence.

After following them for a while we arrived at a rundown house. In fact, the whole district looked awful, a perfect place to hide a base.

"Tsk. Can you tell how long they have left?" Kagami-sensei asked worriedly.

"If left alone probably a few hours but... one of them just lost his voice Kagami-sensei!" I hurriedly answered.

I had explained to Kagami-sensei that my ability let's me hear the voices of everyone around me and that the silencing of a voice meant death.

He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again activating his sharingan.

"Let's go, Ryo." Our abilities combine allowed us to easily enter anything we wanted. With my haki we were able to easily avoid any enemy while Kagami-sensei's sharingan would discover any trap and hidden corridors along the way.

We avoided killing anyone for now as we were unsure if they even were enemies or not. But when we arrived at the room with the now 4 near death people we got our confirmation. The five bodies were chained to individual beds. They were Konoha-nins clearly visible by their head-band with Konoha's symbol engraved on it.

But before we could approach them I felt three presences coming closer. After warning Kagami-sensei, the both of us vanished inside the walls thanks to {Earth Release: Hiding in Wall}.

The three people entered the room, two men and a woman. The two men had no visible clue to which force they were part of, but that woman was different.

She wore a green headband along with a dark brown cloack covering her entire body. Her purple hair reaching her shoulders and two small earrings, one on each side.

Chiyo from Sunagakure! Damn this was bad, she's a poison expert and her puppets are tricky to deal with.

"Lady Chiyo are you sure we can trust that man?" asked one of the man behind her.

"Trust? Only a fool would trust a powerhungry fool like him. Look at these people here, they were all so called comrades of his but because they refused to serve under him, he got rid of them.

If I hadn't saved them, they'd be dead already. But it seems one of them didn't make it anyway." narrated Chiyo.

She saved them? Why?

All of a sudden Kagami-sensei left his hiding spot knocking the two men out and holding a kunai at Chiyo's throat. He looked at me and whispered:

"Anyone else coming our way?"

It all happened so fast I barely registered what he'd asked me.

"Ehh... N...No, they are all further away." I stuttered.

"I see close the door and warn me the moment someone comes closer!" Kagami-sensei's eyes were glued on Chiyo now.

"Hmpf... to let two enemies inside our base what a blunder. Are you his people? No you don't have masks on. Seeing that you didn't kill these two I assume you want something from me is that it?

I'm sorry to disappoint you but I won't betray my village you know." Chiyo lazily asked.

What's with here? Why wasn't she scared?

"I don't care for you village... Chiyo, right? The only reason you are still alive is because you saved them. Now answer me. Who was the man you were talking about and why did you save them?" Kagami-sensei asked coldly.

"Hoho how scary indeed. Hahaha. But I don't mind answering that. I don't know the mans identity. All I know is that he has somewhat short black hair. He always wore a pure white mask on our meetings so I don't know how his face looks like.

As for your second question. I saved them as a precaution. They were part of the masked man's group and were apparently discarded because they weren't agreeing on his actions anymore.

Now I'm not sure... But! these people might know the identity of the masked man. We do have a deal with him for the moment but that doesn't mean I trust him." explained Chiyo.

"And why are you telling us all of that so readily?" I asked suspiciously. Chiyo started giggling and answered casually:

"Well you see, if you people are here then that means Konoha already suspects there being a traitor so I see no advantage to continuing to side with him.

Those four will die soon if I don't continue treating them and without them you'll have to continue your search for the traitor. How long will it take you until you find another clue? Will there even be another opportunity before he gains what he wants?

So let me propose you a deal my dear Konoha-nins. We don't want to wage war. We HAVE to! We don't have enough fertile soil to feed all our people. My people are suffering from hunger! All we want is being able to feed our own citizens.

So in exchange for saving their lifes and getting you the information you need to find your little traitor, I want fertile lands."

"That...That's not something I can decide on my own. Besides how can I be sure that you're telling the truth?" answered Kagami.

"They should be able to wake up in a couple hours if I continue my treatement, you could ask them then. However if you can't accept the deal then I won't heal them in the first place. In that case it would save us both a lot of time if you'd just kill me now." Chiyo said with a serious look on her face.

Kagami-sensei stood still for what felt like an eternity before finally opening his mouth:

"The Lord Hokage did tell me that I had full authority to do whatever was necessary in order to accomplish the mission, right Ryo?"

I simply nodded at him before he continued:

"Alright. Chiyo, if you are able to heal them and they are indeed able to share the identity of the traitor then I promise you that Konohagakure will lend Sunagakure a portion of our lands to cultivate.

That's the best I can do and even this will have my head ripped off by the elders."

"That's already more than I had hoped for. But we'll have to write a contract I don't trust you Konoha-nins. You can't even trust each other as it seems so don't expect me to do it."

Kagami-sensei nodded to that and removed the kunai from Chiyo's throat. He looked at me telling me write down a contract with the mentioned terms and to remain vigilant about our surroundings.

Chiyo held her part of the deal and regularly healed the remaining four Konoha-nins until 2 hours later the first one woke up.

"Wh...Where am... I?" said the still weak shinobi.

"You're safe now. My name is Kagami Uchiha. I believe you might have information about a possible traitor in Konoha? Can you remember anything of importance?" Kagami-sensei answered.

"Ko...no...ha? Oh no! We have to... get back... to the village. The Lord... Hokage... is in danger!" he weakly said while trying to move his mess of a body.

At this Kagami-sensei was visibly shook:

"What do you mean 'in danger'! What do you mean!"

"He... he wants the title... he wants to... take his... place. You need... to stop him! To stop... Danzo Shimura!"