"All right, all right," sighed Naomasa—the detective—slumping his shoulders in resignation. "I'll see what I can do about the media and the public and try to keep... this under the rug."
In a dark, seemingly empty room, time seemed to stand still. The air was thick with dust, swirling faintly in the dim light that barely seeped through the cracks of the tightly shut windows.
The silence was absolute, broken only by the occasional creak of the old wooden floorboards, groaning under the weight of neglect. Shadows stretched across the walls, their shapes distorted and unfamiliar, as if the room itself was alive, watching, waiting.
Suddenly, a figure appeared, materializing out of the shadows as if stepping through a veil. Two other figures flanked him, their presence as sudden and unsettling as his own. The first, clad in gray, stood with the casual posture of a man bored by the world, yet his body was coiled like a spring, ready to explode into action at the slightest provocation.
"Relax, it's me," said the gray-clad figure, his voice dripping with disinterest. His expression was one of perpetual boredom, but his sharp eyes betrayed a predator's alertness.
"I thought we agreed for you to knock first, Teikei," snapped the brown-clad figure, a kunoichi whose sharp features were twisted into a frown. Her voice carried an edge of irritation, though her stance was as tense as her companion's.
Teikei, a Chunin from Kirigakure, had been assigned to this operation for his unparalleled sensory abilities and mastery of stealth, particularly the Hiding in the Mist Jutsu. Like many from Kirigakure, he was bloodthirsty and sadistic, harboring a deep disdain for bloodline abilities.
Secretly, he was a staunch supporter of the Mizukage's Bloody Mist era, often taking missions as a spy for factions opposing its reform. His presence was a constant reminder of the dark undercurrents that flowed beneath the surface of their uneasy alliance.
"Fuck off, Aiko," Teikei retorted, his tone mocking. "It's obviously me. After all, no one else would be stupid enough to sneak into this dump."
Aiko, the kunoichi from Iwagakure, was a prodigy of the Demolition Brigade. At just fourteen, she had already earned her place as a Chunin, mastering Explosion Release and earning a reputation for her fiery temper and unyielding pride in the Will of Stone. Her village's stubbornness and resilience were etched into her very being, and she had little patience for Teikei's provocations.
Hearing his taunting tone, especially from someone of another village, Aiko's chakra flared, her hands twitching as she took a step toward him. "You bastard—"
But before the confrontation could escalate, the air in the room grew heavier, the oppressive silence thickening into something almost tangible.
The temperature seemed to drop, and a cold, suffocating pressure settled over them. Both Teikei and Aiko froze, their blood running cold as their bodies instinctively tensed.
The source of the phenomenon stood at the center of the room, his presence commanding and unnerving. Clad in white, the squad leader of this joint special operation—now gone disastrously wrong—was Takeda Yotsuki, Jonin of Kumogakure and clan leader of the Yotsuki clan.
His sharp, calculating eyes swept over his subordinates, his expression unreadable but radiating authority.
"Teikei," Takeda said, his voice low and measured, cutting through the tension like a blade. "Report."
"... in the end, he didn't relent," Teikei finished reporting the whole ordeal to Takeda, sweat still pouring from his forehead from the pressure exerted by the man. His voice was steady, but the tension in the room was palpable, the weight of their situation pressing down on all of them.
Takeda sat in silence for a moment, his expression unreadable as he processed the information. On one hand, the Uzumaki were undoubtedly masters of seals, their expertise unparalleled.
If nurtured, the boy could be an invaluable asset, capable of achieving miracles like the one that had brought them to this strange world.
But on the other hand, the kid was unrelenting, his loyalty to his clan and his refusal to cooperate making him a difficult—if not impossible—ally to win over. It was understandable, of course. His entire clan had been hunted like animals, and trust was not something he would give easily.
The room was quiet, the only sound the faint rustle of leaves outside the cave and the occasional drip of water from the damp walls. Aiko broke the silence, her voice tinged with desperation. "What do we do now? I mean, I don't see how we return without him. Even summons aren't responding."
Her words hung in the air, a stark reminder of their predicament. They were stranded in a world that wasn't their own, cut off from their villages, their allies, and even their summons. The situation seemed hopeless, but Takeda's next words cut through the despair like a blade.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair before hanging his head slightly. "That's alright," he said, his voice calm but firm. "There's still hope for us."
The two shinobi turned to him, their expressions a mix of confusion and cautious optimism. Aiko's brow furrowed, while Teikei's sharp eyes narrowed, both waiting for him to elaborate.
After all, it was highly unusual for the kid to cooperate if they didn't find the heir. And speaking of the baby, there was no information about him—no trace, no leads. It was as if he had vanished into thin air, taking with him any potential leverage they might have had.
As Takeda lifted his head, he saw the confused gazes of his team. His eyebrow twitched slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"You forgot there's a bunch of seal masters alive after the teleportation, didn't you?"
The words hung in the air for a moment before sinking in. Teikei's lips curled into a feral grin, his earlier frustration replaced by a spark of excitement. Aiko, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing as the weight of their situation seemed to lighten.
"Of course," Teikei said, his voice low and eager. "If we can track down one of the others, we might still have a shot at getting back."