Maya - a Naruto Fanfic

54. Plot Squared

"All shinobi are the same, kid, but I'm looking for someone and I think you can bring me to him."

"Well, that doesn't sound ominous at all." Atsushi frowns, tucking his hands in his pockets and leaning his shoulders back easily.

"Why I want to find him is none of your concern. Just know that helping me is in your best interests."

"We're going to need some confirmation of that. After all, you're a total stranger." Atsushi quirks an eyebrow up, and the stranger... Laughs? Satoru frowns, and tightens his grip on his kunai.

"Oh relax, bodyguard-san, I'm not going to hurt your precious master." His gaze fixes on Satoru, who quickly decides that being watched by those golden eyes is not unlike being stalked by a bird of prey.

"Why don't you tell us your name, then we'll tell you ours, and we can talk about this properly?" Atsushi suggests, still holding his own kunai behind his back.

"Sure. I'm Takadoshi, and you're Atsushi and his servant Satoru. Don't look so alarmed, I've no need to harm you." Takadoshi gives them a crooked smile, his eyes still ice cold.

"But you have been following us."

"After a fashion, I suppose I have." He slings a pack off of his shoulder and it drops to the ground with a thump. Out of it rolls a heavy glass ball.

"How do you have one of those?" Satoru asks, trying to pull back Atsushi, who is already edging towards the ball.

"That's none of your concern-"

"Those are native to Kukangakure, correct?" Atsushi cuts in.

"Yes." Takadoshi gives a curt nod.

"But you're not from Kukan - I can tell, their eyes are usually blue or green or grey, never a warm tone such as gold. The same goes for their hair - it's almost always black. Kukan guards them carefully, the last person one was given to was Konohagakure's first Hokage, and no one's heard about it since." Atsushi rambles, carelessly picking up the ball and turning it over in nimble fingers. Satoru would smack him, but he has no idea what will happen if the ball is dropped.

"This isn't theirs. I have never been to Konohagakure." Takadoshi admits.

"Which begs the question; how on earth did you get this?"

"I got it from an old friend from Kukan."

"That's not possible, no one has left Kukangakure in decades, and you can't be older than 20."

"Your point?" Takadoshi raises an eyebrow, still smirking. There's something he isn't telling them, and there's nothing Satoru hates more than not knowing something. He's about to snap when Atsushi takes him by the arm and leads him a little way away, throwing a quick excuse over his shoulder.

"Satoru-"

"No."

"You didn't even listen to what I have to say." Atsushi looks more than a little hurt, and for a moment Satoru feels guilty. No - his masters safety comes before his feelings.

"I don't have to. It would be unwise to travel with a complete stranger whose motives are unknown to us."

"But he's going to the same place we are, and he could help-"

"What makes you think he will? Whoever this man is, he has a strong dislike of shinobi, why would he help us with our mission?"

"Well," a soft voice drawls, "you could always ask nicely." They spin around to see Takadoshi stood not a foot away, that predatory smirk still fixed on his lips.

"We can't do this alone, Satoru."

"We can."

"Alright, we can do it better with help." Atsushi does have a point there, but Satoru will be damned if he admits it. He looks between the two, eyes narrowed. His long-time friend watches him hopefully, if with more than a little apprehension. Takadoshi's face is devoid of any emotion besides mild and detached amusement in that constant curl of his lip. Satoru sighs heavily, and Atsushi's face lights up.

"Well, Takadoshi-san," he spins around on his heel to face their impromptu companion, grinning widely, "I look forwards to our partnership. May it be mutually beneficial." He bows, quick and low, long hair flopping forwards and back with the jerky movement.

"Likewise." Takadoshi inclines his head slightly at the pair.

"Before we begin," Satoru interrupts, "it would be helpful to know just who it is you're looking for."

Takadoshi tucks his hands in his pockets and leans his shoulders back, regarding them lazily from beneath half-closed lids. After a moment of just staring at them, no doubt calculating the risk they would pose to whatever plan he had in mind, he finally speaks.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

A/N: my favourite thing is seeing what reading lists you guys added my story to, it makes me feel all warm inside. Seriously, I'm really glad you all like this!! So I'm not sure whether to continue this all the way up to Naruto's leaving in one book or split it so it seems shorter. Thoughts?
Ta-ta~