The medical bay of the Southern Border Fort was a place of quiet desperation.
Ryugo laid on a stiff cot, his torso a canvas of bandages and healing salves. But it was not pain that made him restless, but the capture of Ameruyi. This had been an unexpected development of a mission that should have been a flawless success.
He remembered the attitude of the Takeda vice-commander Zenitsu. It was suspicious.
A Jotaki medic-nin had visited earlier, her hands glowing with soft blue chakra as she accelerated the tissue repair. The deep gash in his flank was now a sutured closed wound. The bone-deep holes from the Emi clan jonin's wind jutsu, however, was harder to mend.
The door slid open with a soft hiss.
Goto Haribako and Yumi Hakkō stood there, their usual confident demeanors subdued. They still wore their genin gear, spattered with mud from patrols. Behind them, their teams hovered, faces etched with concern.
"They said no visitors, but we bribed the orderly with some of Yumi's less-lethal fermented bean paste," Goto said, attempting a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. He carried a small, cloth-wrapped bundle.
Yumi pushed past him, her sharp eyes scanning Ryugo's bandaged form. She let out a low whistle. "Damn, Captain. The rumors didn't do it justice. They're saying you took on an Emi jonin and lived to tell the tale"
"Whatever...Speaking of tales, have you seen Tetsu?" Ryugo replied in modesty
"Debriefing with Mumei and some Shikabane high-command shinobi", Goto said, entering fully and placing the bundle on a small table, "He said you had a plan"
"We do," Ryugo said. He pushed himself up slowly, ignoring the protest of his muscles, "It involves not doing anything stupid for the next two days."
Yumi's playful facade cracked. "Ameruyi. Is it true? They have her?"
"Yes"
The single word hung in the sterile air. Sora, Ren, Kota, and Makura—the genins of Teams 41 and 42—exchanged grim looks. They had trained with Ameruyi. They knew her fierce, unyielding pride.
The idea of her as a captive was viscerally wrong. She was a true genius, a monster of her own.
"What can we do?" Goto asked, his voice now completely serious. He unwrapped the bundle. Inside were two simple wooden bowls filled blank rice. Some dried meat and sauce were mixed with it, giving it a very appetizing look. Ryugo was almost drooling.
Yumi continued: "We're not Dark Hall. We're Corps genins. But we owe you. The tactics you taught us… they've kept us alive on our last three patrols. Name it"
Ryugo looked at them.
Goto with his senbon umbrella strapped to his back, Yumi with her ever-present gourd, their loyal, capable teammates.
They were assets. Not in the cold, calculating sense of the word, but in the very real sense of shinobi he could trust at his flank.
"Stay ready," Ryugo said, accepting a bowl of broth. The warmth was a comfort. "If the exchange happens, it will be a tense standoff. Commander Batto will bring his forces for show of strength, but he won't risk a battle over a single kunoichi, not with the political climate. If things go wrong…Let's just say it will be good to have you around"
Yumi's eyes gleamed. "A hidden card. I like it. We'll be your shadow. Just give the signal"
Goto nodded. "We'll coordinate with Tetsu. He knows your mind better than we do"
They didn't stay long. The visit was a breach of protocol, and they had patrols to run. But their presence was a tangible thing—a reminder that Ryugo's influence had extended beyond Team 11. He had allies.
After they left, Ryugo finished the broth and closed his eyes. He accessed his status.
[Status: Ryugo Kagutsu | Lv. 31 Chunin (1550 / 4100)
Chakra: 41% (Recovering) | Condition: Severely Injured (Healing)]
The A-rank mission rewards had been immense. Two levels, a mountain of Ryô, and enough Dark Hall promotion points to give him a fast-track towards jonin rank. He thought he did not care, but Ameruyi represented not just a teammate. She represented connections with the Takeda clan, a trustworthy teammate, and more importantly, two whole months of training. She had taught him most of the kenjutsu skills he took pride in, skills that allowed him to best a jonin.
Leaving her in the enemy's hands was not an option at this stage.
He spent the next hour in focused chakra meditation, circulating his energy to accelerate his healing. The Jōtaki medic had warned him against strain, but idle waiting was its own kind of poison.
The door slid open again, this time without ceremony.
Commander Batto filled the doorway, his bulk blocking the grey light from the corridor. Compared to Ryugo's black hair, yellow-amber eyes, childish face and slender body, Jonin Batto looked like a barbarian. He had long, wild blond hair and a build so big that it looked unnatural. Rumours had it they had crafted his armour set specifically in the Tsuchigomo Foundry because the standard sizes did not fit him.
He stepped in and closed the door, his expression cold.
"Team 11 Captain Ryugo Kagutsu"
"Commander Batto", Ryugo answered respectfully. He did not stand up, but bowed his head slightly.
He had his own prejudice against him originally. He was a civilian shinobi with no special ability, and his level was quite average for a commander of the Southern Border. However, he had acted in his favour, doubling his rewards from the mission by elevating it to A-rank. And more importantly, he supported his request to save Ameruyi.
Had he been a rule-driven commander, Ryugo would have had to either give up on Ameruyi, or launch a rescue mission on his own, both of which would have left a bad taste in his mouth.
Batto didn't sit. He stood at the foot of the cot, his arms crossed. "The communiqué has been sent. Via a captured River Country trade bird with the correct… persuasion. The drop point is a ruined shrine in the no-man's-land three miles southeast of here. We'll have it by dawn."
Ryugo waited.
"They agreed to the exchange", Batto continued, his voice a low rumble, "The evidence is too damning, and this is enough to justify a full-fledged war. If it reaches the Daimyo's court, even the old Tanikage would not be able to escape punishment. More importantly, Tanigakure is not in a position where they can afford warfare. The first shinobi war left them wounded, and they have not recovered yet"
"I assume the Council of the Rain will not accept Ameruyi's release alone in exchange for the evidence, right?" Ryugo said. "We need to control the terms"
Batto's lips twitched in what might have been approval. "You've been reading Hitori's scrolls on diplomatic blackmail"
"Reading is one of my hobby"
"A good one. Words can teach lessons that would otherwise be paid with blood. It is the plan" Batto uncrossed his arms, "Here is the question, Kagutsu. You may have one, but you fought a jonin, and I would understand if you were to faint at any moment. The medic says you need a month of rest. The exchange will happen in forty-eight hours at most. Are you fit to lead the retrieval team? This is not a question of courage. It's a question of whether your presence will increase the odds of success or get your teammate killed. Sometimes, retreat is the best option"
Ryugo met the commander's gaze. He didn't bluster. He assessed himself coldly, as he would a tool.
His body was wounded, but functional. His chakra was low, but recovering. His mind was clear. His greatest weapons—the Raikōgan, his strategic calculus—were unimpaired.
More importantly, Ameruyi would be expecting him. Tetsu would be expecting him. The plan was his. Handing it off, even to a competent jonin like Batto introduced variables. And there was Zenitsu's attitude. The fake smile. The sugar-coated congratulations.
"I am fit," Ryugo stated, "I will not engage in direct combat unless absolutely necessary. My role will be observation, verification, and execution of the trade protocol. Tetsu and a small escort of your steadiest chunins will be the visible force. I will be the hidden hand. Team 41 and 42, under your command, have completed joint training with team 11. They will be good to have too"
Batto studied him for a long moment, then gave a single, sharp nod. "Good. Zenitsu is demanding to lead the party. I've told him he's too hot-headed, that his personal stake clouds judgment. He's a Takeda—he'll likely come anyway, but in the background. You will have operational command of the retrieval while I negotiate terms with their commander. Don't make me regret this."
"I won't, sir"
"One more thing. The evidence scroll… I reviewed the contents. The depth of Tanigakure's economic planning, the targeting of specific crop strains… it's not the work of border hawks. This came from the top. Their Kage is old, and his village is infamous for its lack of successor. This smells like a power play by a faction within their council, using us and Suna as pawns"
He paused: "Let's be careful. They don't have enough numbers to face us all, even if they have more hidden cards. Tanigakure is weak. But ambition can be dangerous. In case things get too intense, retreat with Ameruyi. The Dark Hall Tower would give me trouble if you were die in a nameless carnage of a battlefield"
He left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Ryugo lay back, Batto's final words echoing. A faction within Tanigakure. Ambitious, ruthless, and clearly willing to use unconventional warfare.
A bold faction in Tanigakure? Ryugo could not say with certitude, but he was ready to bet that the five registered players in Tanigakure were related to this damned trap.
'I need to be more careful next time...', Ryugo thought inwardly, not expecting to face hurdles so soon
And more importantly, he knew that the shinobi world was not prepared for the betrayals, plots and strategies to come.
The solution to these problems did not change one bit.
He just needed to become stronger. More than ever. To survive.