Chapter 28.1- One Thousand Hands

FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE SECOND GREAT SHINOBI WORLD WAR

By general consensus, they would be steering clear of the Land of Whirlpools for this mission so that meant they would have to sneak past the Land of Hot Springs. The Uzumaki clan, in the wake of the attack and their planned exodus to Konoha’s aegis had activated a series of protections around the island that basically made that entire area impassable to all but those who held the blood. The whirlpools that had once been tamed to act as a safeguard for the island itself had been turned loose on the entire area and so travel through the area was nearly impossible. It had destabilised shipping lanes that had been in use for decades.

It was just a helpful amount of good luck that most of the Land of Fire’s trade with the Land of Water had consisted of foodstuffs that were easily rerouted to the Land of Wind or the other minor nations instead. Without that, they’d have had to explain the situation to a very pissed off Daimyo. The loss of those shipping lanes also meant that trade between Lightning and Water had been on the rise. Skilled captains could still make the journey by taking the long way around the disputed islands. It was those islands where the meeting that they had been sent to destabilize was set to take place.

They hit the border as the sun began to set and Danzo signaled for them to stop. Shori did it, feeling none the worse for wear from the journey. It had finally happened, he realised. He had finally become old enough to fully enjoy the benefits of that famed Uzumaki vitality. He never noticed it within the village since long runs like this one were rare. He barely trained endurance since he was sure his genes would handle that in time, and he was proven right. He took a seat against a tree trunk and unsealed a pack of rations once it was clear that Danzo intended them to stop for the time being.

‘We will rest for a few hours to allow night fall more fully and then will make our way in’ Danzo signed to the four of them. Shori nodded, accepting the message and took another bite of his nutrient bar. He turned to his Sensei and found the man on the opposite end of the clearing eating his own meal and seemingly studiously ignoring him. Orochimaru and Danzo were exchanging whispers off in their own world, so he decided to turn his mind inwards.