For Hire

They traveled on top of the water going upriver. Natsume followed in the middle of the group of shinobi without any fear. She already determined the strength of the leader was lower than hers. Additionally, she excelled in group combat. After traveling for half a day, the group began scaling the cliff and arrived in a lush green field. The wind caused the blades of grass to move simultaneously creating a beautiful scene. In the distance, she could see the stone walls and a large castle.

The land around the castle was bustling with activity. Many civilians were hawking their wares or buying supplies. It was a large market and Natsume could even see vagrant shinobi like herself shopping. The security was extremely tight, and she could even detect a very powerful chakra signature on the walls. However, she didn't peer too deeply so as not to alert them. She was taken through the market and to the first tower on the wall. At the base of the tower was a small room.

Natsume was seated and left alone for a while. The room was designed in a way to confuse the senses. It seemed to be some sort of interrogation room. However, she remained calm and meditated. Her session was interrupted by the door swinging open and a muscular, bald man with several scars on his face walked in. She opened her eyes and glanced at him momentarily but ultimately didn't take the initiative to speak.

The man walked over and sat down across from Natsume. He looked at her up and down and grinned. "What skills do you have?" His town was mocking but she expected as much. The Daimyo's likely encountered vagrant mercenaries often and couldn't just hire anyone since it would affect their reputation.

"Infiltration." The sides of Natsume's mouth turned up as if she had made a joke. The man didn't understand at first but after a moment it seemed to click. He kicked the chair out from under him and jumped back while flaring his chakra. Natsume was quickly surrounded by several shinobi. However, seeing that she made no moves and kept her arms crossed, he began chuckling.

"Very clever and brave. But do you think you can escape after threatening the Daimyo?" The scarred man seemed to be offended by her joke, but she didn't have any reaction. Natsume expected some resistance, but she knew that only by having a strong impression would she be utilized. She stood up slowly causing the nearby shinobi to flinch.

"Come find me when you are ready." Natsume said as she suddenly turned into a puff of smoke, only a large rock in her place. One of the shinobi in the formation was missing. She had fooled them successfully and already fled the scene, several miles away by the time they realized what happened.

"Quick, track her down!" They reacted too late allowing Natsume to silently slip away. The scarred man destroyed the rock out of anger. He went straight to the Daimyo's castle to report what happened. Meanwhile, Natsume already found a cave to hide in. She looked around and felt the place was very familiar. The roof of the cave was not completely sealed, it had some cracks letting light through.

It took three days for the Daiymo's shinobi to find her. However, they didn't immediately approach, and she didn't make any efforts to flee. Later that evening, the scarred man arrived and threw her a scroll. Natsume caught it casually but didn't read it right away. The man grunted and explained.

"The Daimyo is impressed and will give you a chance. Future cooperation will depend on how well you complete this mission. You will not be paid in advance." After finishing his short speech, he signaled to the other shinobi, and everyone left the cave. Natsume waited until she couldn't sense anyone and then checked the scroll with her sharingan. Seeing there were no traps, she unraveled it and read the details of the mission.

The details of the mission were very simple. A small clan on the border of the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth had a significant decrease in contribution and has not responded to the Daimyo's summons. Natsume was tasked with investigating the clan and reporting any suspicious activity between them and the Land of Earth. Most of the clans would migrate and have no specific alignment to any one Daimyo.

However, this was typically reserved for the major clans or stronger minor clans. Small clans without a unified surname were more dependent on a power to support them. This was also the primary source of the Daiymo's personal army. This seemed to be the case here. The clan was supposed to contribute a shinobi every year based on their population growth, but they have had no contact since last summer. They suspected the clan had changed allegiances.

This was not the kind of clan that would have a deep history in the shinobi world, so she didn't expect to learn anything. However, this was an opportunity to form a deeper relationship with the Land of Wind and to make contact with the Land of Earth. She had no qualms about working for both Daimyo's simultaneously. She expected to be followed and reported on, but they wouldn't assign anyone too strong so she could easily slip away from them. Her ultimate goal was to access the archives of the two Daimyo's. If she could track and infiltrate any major clan's archives during her missions, that would be a bonus.

Once she confirmed the details once more, she put the scroll away and vanished from the cave with a body flicker. The Land of Wind was the largest total land area but was mostly uninhabitable due to the desert. She had long expected to travel through the Land of Wind, so she had plenty of water stored in scrolls. After a day of travel, she reached the edge of the desert. Natsume pulled out a set of desert robes and began her long trek.