76. Shimogakure

MrProper

"Achoo!" (Tai)

"Cover yourself up more, otherwise you'll catch a cold!" (Rei)

"Even if I covered myself from head to toe, I'd still be sneezing!" (Tai)

"Keep it together, our destination isn't that far" (Tango)

Team Tango rushed through the Land of Lightning, quickly passing its southwest border into the Land of Frost. Their destination, the nation's capital, Shimogakure1Hidden Frost Village

"Sensei, I know this is our first mission outside our home country but..." (Rei)

"What is it?" (Tango)

"What can you tell us about Shimogakure? Or more precisely, why my cousin's squad came here" (Rei)

Rei was concerned about the current lack of intel. Team Tango's missions have always been focused near Kumogakure. Even when they did take place far from it, they'd never be forced to leave the Land of Lightning. Except for Tango, it was the team's first time stepping foot outside their home country

"Kumogakure is quite far from the central continent, placed high within the northeast mountains" (Tango)

"Yeah...because we're in the mountains, our village is very isolated. Second only to Kirigakure2Hidden Mist Village, which is composed of various islands in the southeast sea. What does that have to do with anything?" (Rei)

"Shimogakure is the first village that connects us with the mainland. Unless you travel by boat, any shinobi heading to or from Kumogakure will always have to pass through it" (Tango)

"Yeah, but according to reports you showed us, Yugito-sama's team WAS on a boat. So why would they spend time near Shimogakure?" (Suzu)

"That's the real mystery here. They were simply tasked with removing criminals festering on the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water, far away from Shimogakure" (Tango)

Rei was already unsettled about venturing into uncharted territory, but hearing this only made him even more nervous. If there was one thing he hated the most after coming to this world...it was unknown variables

Tai gave his own theory for the unusual actions of Yugito's team

"Um...could it be they decided to dock in Shimogakure because traveling on foot might've been faster?" (Tai)

"No, there's been no confirmation of their boat docked anywhere in Shimogakure. If it were any other village, that thought might be sound but...Shimogakure is somewhat unique" (Tango)

"?" (Tai)

"The climate in this land is not only cold, but very unpredictable. After passing through Land of Frost, the Land of Hot Water is next...far to the west. But before you can get to that border, you have to pass a series of snowy mountains" (Tango)

"That doesn't sound so bad" (Tai)

{This guy CLEARLY doesn't understand when it comes to this annoying world...anything that can go wrong, WILL go wrong} (Rei)

"Due to the horrid weather, the landscape of the mountain paths change CONSTANTLY. Avalanches, blizzards, ice storms, and even some Earthquakes, the path is never the same" (Tango)

"...Oh..." (Tai)

"That's why we don't have a map of the area...but why didn't they continue on their boat?" (Suzu)

"That's what Kumogakure wants us to find out" (Tango)

"Okay...but if we're not taking a boat...how DO we get past the snowy mountains?" (Tai)

Tango smiled and looked back at the team

"That's where our good friend Tekkan comes in" (Tango)

"?" (Rei, Tai, & Suzu)

"Let's pick up the pace!" (Tango)

Dashing in the cold land, lights came into view. The team had finally made it to the village, arriving at its eastern gate before being stopped by guards

"HALT! Identification!"

"At ease! We're shinobi from Kumogakure!" (Tango)

"I can obviously tell from your attire! What is your purpose here?!"

"We have business with your Daimyō. He should be expecting us" (Tango)

{Expecting us? Could a carrier bird have arrived so quickly? It seems very unlikely considering how fast we moved, and this country's freezing weather} (Rei)

Tango passed the guard the same paper slip Tekkan gave him before the team departed. Taking a minute to read it, the guard turned around and nodded to his colleagues

The gate opened and the guards lowered their weapons

"You may proceed. The Daimyō-sama should be in his office. It's the tallest building in the center of the village, you can't miss it"

"Thank you. Come on guys, let's go" (Tango)

"Tekkan really came through for us" (Tai)

♦♦♦

Waltzing through the village, the Genin were surprised to find the housing and surrounding structures exuding wealth. It was hard to believe a village located in such a cold, desolate place would appear so prosperous

Arriving at a tall building, the group entered only to be greeting by several inquiring employees. After stating the purpose of their visit, one of the employees directed them upstairs to an office where the Frost Daimyō was waiting for them

"Ah! You lot are pretty fast. I just off a call with your Daimyō's assistant. Please, sit" (Frost Daimyō)

"Thank you sir" (Tango)

{Call? But this world shouldn't have phones yet right?} (Rei)

Directing them to the center of the room, the team sat side by side on the long couch in the room. The Daimyō sat on another couch right across from them. Now face to face, he was the first to start the conversation

"Tekkan-dono said you were here to investigate the activities of rogue criminals near the border with the Land of Hot Water" (Frost Daimyō)

"Yes, the peace treaties with Konoha are going to be signed soon. As a Daimyō, you should obviously be aware of how important it is for the last of the Five Great Shinobi Nations to join the armistice" (Tango)

"...Well, I certainly do understand we're at the precipice of having peace for the first time in a long time" (Frost Daimyō)

"Yes, which is why we are seeking a 'Timesaver', we wish to see this matter done with haste" (Tango)

{So Tekkan neglected to tell the Daimyō about the missing team. Smart, wouldn't want to start a diplomatic incident NOW of all times. But what is this "Timesaver" thing?} (Rei)

"Normally I'd say no but, I've already made a deal with your assistant. But the quickest I can promise you is two hours" (Frost Daimyō)

Tango lamented, he wanted to move quickly but understood it wasn't his place to complain. The fact the Frost Daimyō even promised to help foreign shinobi is already much

"That's acceptable" (Tango)

"I'm glad to hear that. My people have already arranged lodging for you in this building. Three rooms over to the left of this one, it's a very nice waiting room" (Frost Daimyō)

Everyone stood up and prepared to leave the office

"One of my men will take you to your destination when the Timesaver is ready" (Frost Daimyō)

"We'll be ready to leave whenever" (Tango)

"Still, a Timesaver of all things..." (Frost Daimyō)

"?" (Tango)

As the team stepped outside, Tango was the only still in the room as he turned towards the Frost Daimyō sitting down at his desk

"...it's hard to imagine some thugs at the border would warrant the Raikage's attention. So much that he would send a team and even have the Daimyō's assistant negotiate for my help" (Frost Daimyō)

"...Just goes to show how much our leaders value this armistice I guess" (Tango)

"True, true...it's just...there's this funny story going around about squabbles between shinobi and vandals near the The Land of Hot Water's border. These rumors started about three days ago if memory serves me right" (Frost Daimyō)

"The Land of Hot Water does have the shinobi village, Yugakaure3Hidden Hot Water Village" (Tango)

The Frost Daimyō squinted suspiciously at Tango, trying to read his facial expressions and thoughts

"Yes, but that village hardly has any shinobi at all, not to mention skilled ones. The shinobi of this rumor have been said to be at least Jonin level. That land doesn't have many shinobi of that level...makes me think these shinobi belong to some other nearby nation...wouldn't you agree?" (Frost Daimyō)

"If these so called rumors were true...perhaps" (Tango)

The Daimyo stood up and looked out his office window, his back turned towards Tango

"Well, if it really is a shinobi nation, I would hate to be them. If said high level shinobi were caught active during the signing of an armistice between two of the great nations...it could very much lead to war" (Frost Daimyō)

"...No one would want that" (Tango)

"More accurately, no one who can't afford to have that happening. Fortunately, this nation isn't one of them" (Frost Daimyō)

"..." (Tango)

"..." (Frost Daimyō)

After a brief moment of pause, the Frost Daimyō turned around and presented a bright smile on his face

"Your guide should be here soon, please enjoy all this facility has to offer. Also, on your way out, be mindful of said rogues near our border. They've been a real pain for us recently" (Frost Daimyō)

"...If we happen to encounter some on our way out, they'll soon realize they choose the wrong path in life" (Tango)

"Of course, of course...not asking for anything...just giving a nice 'heads up' so to speak. It's been a pleasure talking with an understanding shinobi such as yourself" (Frost Daimyō)

{...You sly bastard} (Tango)

♦♦♦

Tango nodded at the Frost Daimyō before leaving the office with his team. Finding their room, they went inside and as per Tango's orders, began searching for bugs or listening devices of any kind

Once he confirmed the room was secure, Tango began to speak

"Well...this just got more complicated" (Tango)

"Care to elaborate?" (Rei)

"Yeah, I was even more lost than usual after listening to you two" (Tai)

With an annoyed look on his face, Tango heaved a heavy sigh

"Long story short, the Frost Daimyō is well aware it was an elite shinobi team from Kumogakure causing trouble near the border. And that we were sent to check in on them" (Tango)

"So...that talk about problems near his country's border was..." (Tai)

"He pretty much said, or rather threatened to reveal this little detail to the world if we don't deal with the criminals near his border" (Tango)

"He'd risk starting a war for some free labor from shinobi?!" (Suzu)

"If that were to happen, wouldn't his nation suffer too?" (Tai)

"Well that's..." (Tango)

"Didn't you guys hear him?" (Rei)

"?" (Suzu & Tai)

"He clearly said his nation is one that CAN afford for that happen" (Rei)

"!" (Suzu & Tai)

"Astute as usual Rei, that brilliant intellect of yours rarely misses anything" (Tango)

"There's still much I don't understand, like how his tiny nation can afford provoking Kumo and starting war, not to mention those 'Timesaver' things you were talking about" (Rei)

"Fortunately, those two subjects are connected. As I said about Shimogakure, no, the entire Land of Frost itself has a terrible cold environment. The path in particular to Yugakure is a snowy mountain range that keeps changing. One path never stays the same for long because of the storms" (Tango)

"Changing...paths?" (Rei)

"And the only way through is with one of these 'Timesaver' things?" (Tai)

"Shimogakure doesn't have a strong shinobi presence, nor can it attract customers and merchants because of its awful weather. So...how does the land gain income?" (Tango)

"..." (Rei & Tai)

"By selling knowledge of the safest travel routes" (Suzu)

"Exactly. Shimogakure has pathfinders who scout ahead and survey the environment. Along with those who specialize in predicting the weather and climate, they arrange all of this data to accurately approximate when the next safest path appears" (Tango)

"So they sell that information to travelers and shinobi who need to pass the through this village" (Tai)

"Which probably happens a lot considering this land connects Kumogakure to the mainland" (Rei)

"Not only that, but their environment is used like a shield against any invaders. It's a horrible spot for a battlefield, war would probably never reach their doorstep, that's why he's not afraid to risk creating conflict" (Suzu)

The group lamented at the fact they were at his mercy. Even if Kumogakure decided to invade Shimogakure in retaliation for the Daimyō's selfish actions, other nations would definitely get involved. These travel routes, while dangerous, would be very valuable to infiltrators

"Multiple paths appear at the same time and they charge different rates from fastest to slowest. The 'Timesaver' is the most expensive, but also the quickest one" (Tango)

"Doesn't seem that quick if we have to wait two hours" (Tai)

"That's probably a lie. He just wants to make our situation clear, that he's the one calling the shots. That man is coward, I doubt he'll go through with his idle threats but as Kumo shinobi, we're not allowed to take that chance...and he knows that" (Rei)

"Ugh! That jerk!" (Tai)

"There's nothing we can do about it, we're just shinobi. Only those in a place of power like the Raikage or Daimyō would have the upperhand. Besides, his threats will only have meaning as long as Yugito-sama and her team are still MIA. Once we find them, we'll be in the clear" (Tango)

"Speaking of the Daimyō, how exactly did Tekkan contact him? I heard him mention the word 'call' when he spoke" (Rei)

Tango looked at Rei before smirking

"All the Daimyō's in world have access to video technology that allows them to communicate in real-time" (Tango)

"?!" (Tai & Suzu)

{That's right, I forgot video chats came out of nowhere right before the 4th World War Arc in the Manga. But those videos were...} (Rei)

"But the technology isn't that great. The call can only be maintained for a short time, and it takes a whole room full of giant clunky batteries to use" (Tango)

"..." (Suzu)

"Batteries huh..." (Rei)

"Still...that's some impressive tech" (Tai)

"Why do you think people like to work for Daimyō's, they're the ones who make the most money out of anyone. The world of politics is dirty...but wealthy. It's the same with the Frost Daimyō, he probably got a good deal from Tekkan in exchange for his help, but saw the opportunity to get more when he met us" (Tango)

"...I'm in the wrong line of work" (Tai)

"Hahahaha! Any shinobi whose ever been near a Daimyō has probably thought the same at least once. Alright, that's enough for now. Save your strength, we've got a long road ahead of us to Yugito-sama and her team" (Tango)

Suzu sat down and Tai moved towards the edge of the room, holding his shivering hands out

"Right...I'm parking my butt right by this nice, warm fire chimney" (Tai)

"I'm gonna hit the kitchen, I'll be back" (Rei)

"Pff...figures with that black hole of a stomach. Try not to eat all the food Rei" (Tai)

"Bite me" (Rei)

"He's got the right idea, we're gonna have to give it all we've got to rescue our comrades if skilled ninja like them are in trouble" (Suzu)

Rei left the room, on his way he held his head and pondered

"Haaa...what a mess. I just hope we're not too late. If Akatsuki really is behind this, I doubt even Notitia will be able to count all the ripples that'll emerge if Yugito's Bijū4Tailed Beast is stolen ahead of schedule. Still..."

"...Batteries...Daimyō's...looks like the time table for my project with Tetsuo is gonna need a little pick-me-up" (Rei)