Digging an elbow into Jinrei's ribs surreptitiously, he nodded agreeably and replied, "Actually, that was the object of the mission - a fuinjutsu master in Lightning Country had discovered a way to make a stable viewing matrix this big, and we were supposed to find out how. Since he's a civilian and lives well away from Hidden Cloud it was only considered a B-rank mission, and the two of me went without further back up. Because of that, we didn't have to hide our abilities this time."
The screen before them flickered to life, slightly grainy and in faded colors but overall better than most of the smaller ones she'd seen. It showed the two Haruno hiking into a mid-size town with typical Lightning architecture. They were in civilian clothes, carrying the large fur bundles of trappers, and had dyed their distinctive hair two unremarkable shades of brown.
As they were stopped by the gate guards and hassled until a sufficient bribe was paid, Jinrei said sarcastically, "Ah, the action-packed life of a ninja. New experiences abound at every turn!"
Seeing Ino's questioning look, Kenshiro whispered, "Another tradition... Most missions are actually pretty dull without the tension of doing it firsthand, so mocking our mistakes and the people we meet helps keep it lively."
Sure enough, after the two had sold their furs and checked into an inn, Kenshiro zinged his remembered self as one body folded onto a cushion in front of a low desk, pulling out some papers and writing tools from his much-smaller pack. "Behold my ultimate instant-kill technique! Accounting no Jutsu!" Despite herself, Ino couldn't help but grin along with him.
"The viewers have started to become popular among the wealthy and upper middle class of Lightning Country," he explained. "Because of the frequent bad weather, any free time is better to spend indoors. Their seal-crafters have taken advantage by making eye-seal cameras that link to dozens or even hundreds of viewers at once, and then have actors, puppeteers, jugglers, and so on perform in front of the camera. Sometimes, mercenaries or low-level ninja are hired to have exhibition matches. Of course, these viewers can also replay performances captured by a recording seal."
Ino nodded attentively, ignoring the twin on the big viewer for now, who'd left the inn and his studious double again and headed for the market district.
"Some Fire Country nobles have begun to get interested in them too, but the seals can't stay connected over so much distance. The viewers remain expensive, though," he continued, "so the people who have less money can't afford them. Also, the eye-seal cameras linked to so many are much bigger than usual, so there's not a lot of room for a big audience around the stage for the performers, to pay for their ongoing acts."
"Recently, a sealing master named Kaden came up with a way to solve both problems at once. He made a huge viewer like this one, and put it in place of the screen at a movie theater. People who can't afford a viewer of their own pay admission just like at a regular movie and watch the live performance on the screen like we are now. Jealousy towards the nobles is reduced, and better performers can be paid. It's an effective result."
"The mission was requested by a Fire Country noble, who wanted to set up a similar arrangement here before the Lightning merchant groups backing the plan there could establish themselves enough to expand. Essentially, we needed to either learn to copy the sealing method perfectly, or capture someone who was able to perform it and bring him back."
"Pish, easy!" Jinrei interjected, before throwing some popcorn at the screen and shouting, "Hey! Stupid old fart, watch where you're driving that cart! You almost ran me over!"
The Kenshiro on the screen had jumped easily out of the way, of course, and had then crossed the busy market street to enter an upscale shop. The attendant was dealing with another customer already, so he inspected the eye-seal cameras that were on display, then ...
Ino had to laugh as he blatantly made the triangle seal for Shintenshin and peered around the shop through it as if looking through a camera. She recognized the slight shudder as the clerk got possessed, but the Haruno who'd used the technique simply shrugged and started to watch a couple of Cloud chuunin dueling on one of the shelved veiwers.
A quick flash of the twin still at the inn showed him smiling as if remembering something, prompting another sarcastic comment from Jinrei. "Oh yeah, when they hear about the invincible Accounting no Jutsu back in Konoha, the babes are gonna be all over me... Mmm, Kurenai-sempai!"
"Hey!" Ino scolded, on behalf of females everywhere. "Will you knock it off with the perverted stuff, already?"
Back at the shop, the clerk finished the other sale and apologized for the wait. Memory-Kenshiro inquired after a long-ranged, durable viewer that would fit in a pack, to which the clerk explained he'd have to speak with the craftsmen in the back room. The reason for maintaining the deception was obvious, of course - they were standing in a shop that sold cameras and screens, after all. The view followed as he stepped into a large workshop and looked unobtrusively around, smiling weakly at a bored-looking Cloud chuunin nearby, who sneered and went back to standing around and watching Kenshiro in the shop standing around and watching Cloud chuunin fighting on a stage somewhere.
"Yes, the thrilling shinobi lifestyle!" Kenshiro repeated. "Go to exciting places! Meet exiting people! Kill them in exciting ways!" Contrary to his words, the possessed clerk did not jump into an orgy of bloody violence, instead walking calmly past the table where another assistant was getting ready to put a small veiwer device into an ornate gilded frame. He made his way to the back of the shop to talk to a man putting the final marks on a seal pattern that covered a plastered wooden panel that Ino guessed would barely fit through the average doorway.
They talked for a few minutes, then Kaden called over to his shop assistant, who laid aside the frame he been about to attach and instead went and got a much plainer one. The possessed clerk turned back to the master and... Shintenshin again! But he was still acting posessed... Kaden told them he was going out for a bit, and to bring out the trapper's veiwer as soon as it was ready, then left through a back door. The clerk went back out front, and chatted about the duel on the veiwer until the device was ready and the sale made, only showing the telltale disorientation of being released as Kenshiro bade him goodbye and left, looking down at the stack of ryo in his hand with a slightly dazed expression.
"I... There's no way!" Ino protested, overcoming her shock at last. "Okay, two minds, lots of practice, you can keep multiple bodies going at once. But Shintenshin again from a possessed person!?" The very thought was mindboggling... "To be able to jump hosts like that, it's the ultimate perfected form of the technique! The clan has been working to create a jutsu like that for *generations!*"
Suddenly, the assertion that if they'd shown their skills before Ino would have had an arranged marriage set up already wasn't so farfetched - hell, there was precedent, she might have been married to them outright on her tenth birthday! She stared at the pair with awe, shock, and not a little fear, arms crossing of their own volition to guard her chest. The Kenshiros on the screen were fitting the still-possessed Kaden with a disguise so he could simply leave town with them, but her attention was riveted on the two boys beside her.
Kenshiro smiled reassuringly and patted her knee, while even Jinrei looked apologetic. "You don't need such a look," he told her, peering around his more social self, "I'm not a total asshole. The Haruno clan has even more reason to be aware of psychology than you Yamanaka, so we know better than to try to force this kind of shit."
"You don't have to worry about getting blackmailed, Ino-san," Kenshiro said, picking up from his other self, "Even if the elders find out somehow and try to railroad things, we won't cooperate unless we all decide it's what we want. In the mean time, though, we can help you practice keeping your body active while possessing someone. We have a lot more chakra to hold the jutsu longer, and practical experience we can pass along since we know you'll keep the secret."
Well now. That was an entirely different kind of proposal, and one a little more to her liking... Sasuke-kun may be the only boy for Ino, but training her special family technique like that! *And,* a little devil in her own mind pointed out, *even if they are forehead-girl's brothers, they aren't too hard on the eyes. Bonus!*
Would you like to know more?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naruto setting and characters created by Kishimoto Masashi
Jinrei, Kenshiro and Kaden created by ClassicDrogn
Jinrei - silver(?)+spirit
Kenshiro - sword+white
Shintenshin - ?
Married at ten - while not recently, arranged marriages between members of ancient clans like theirs have been recorded as finalized as young as two years of age, though that subsequently led to a war between the Yamanaka and a no longer existing clan when the toddler died of a childhood disease and no replacement was offered. After that, the limit of ten years was enacted to attempt to guard against a repeat.
Kaden - electric charge
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Omake: Roll Titles!
(feel free to paste this to the top of your local copy, if you like...)
In a slightly off dimension
A step to the left or three
(Tra la la!)
Yamanaka girl, young and blonde and cute
Met two Haruno in black and red suits
Her family wanted them to suck some face
But she had other opinions so they went to mental space!
(Ninpo: Shintenshin no jutsu!)
Just to make it feel extra weird
They're always linked in the head
(Tra la la!)
And then they're the twin older brothers
Of her ex-best friend
Ninja roll call!
Jinrei! "I'm inside!"
Inoshi! "I'm her dad!"
Kenshiro! "That's me!"
Inoooooooooo!
We'll replay a past mission
To help explain our mind
(Tra la la!)
And to explain why Ino's clan
Thinks we're really quite a find
(Tra la la!)
As for their plans to wed her off
Such political hacks
Just repeat to yourself "Free choice," Ino,
"I should really just relax!"
For Mystery Haruno Theater 3000!
(bwong!)
Ino was gaping, eyes blank and blue with shock, and Kenshiro elbowed his other self in the ribs. "Told you she'd think it was weird," he muttered sotto voce.
END OF LINE
======= C'mon, don't be a Nara! Say something!
Please?
-CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
For the next 72 hours, Itachi intoned, I will slap you with this trout. - Spying no Jutsu, chapter 3
"In the futuristic taco bell of the year 20XX, justice wears an aluminum sombrero!"hemlock-martini
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
The screen before them flickered to life, slightly grainy and in faded colors but overall better than most of the smaller ones she'd seen. It showed the two Haruno hiking into a mid-size town with typical Lightning architecture. They were in civilian clothes, carrying the large fur bundles of trappers, and had dyed their distinctive hair two unremarkable shades of brown.
As they were stopped by the gate guards and hassled until a sufficient bribe was paid, Jinrei said sarcastically, "Ah, the action-packed life of a ninja. New experiences abound at every turn!"
Seeing Ino's questioning look, Kenshiro whispered, "Another tradition... Most missions are actually pretty dull without the tension of doing it firsthand, so mocking our mistakes and the people we meet helps keep it lively."
Sure enough, after the two had sold their furs and checked into an inn, Kenshiro zinged his remembered self as one body folded onto a cushion in front of a low desk, pulling out some papers and writing tools from his much-smaller pack. "Behold my ultimate instant-kill technique! Accounting no Jutsu!" Despite herself, Ino couldn't help but grin along with him.
"The viewers have started to become popular among the wealthy and upper middle class of Lightning Country," he explained. "Because of the frequent bad weather, any free time is better to spend indoors. Their seal-crafters have taken advantage by making eye-seal cameras that link to dozens or even hundreds of viewers at once, and then have actors, puppeteers, jugglers, and so on perform in front of the camera. Sometimes, mercenaries or low-level ninja are hired to have exhibition matches. Of course, these viewers can also replay performances captured by a recording seal."
Ino nodded attentively, ignoring the twin on the big viewer for now, who'd left the inn and his studious double again and headed for the market district.
"Some Fire Country nobles have begun to get interested in them too, but the seals can't stay connected over so much distance. The viewers remain expensive, though," he continued, "so the people who have less money can't afford them. Also, the eye-seal cameras linked to so many are much bigger than usual, so there's not a lot of room for a big audience around the stage for the performers, to pay for their ongoing acts."
"Recently, a sealing master named Kaden came up with a way to solve both problems at once. He made a huge viewer like this one, and put it in place of the screen at a movie theater. People who can't afford a viewer of their own pay admission just like at a regular movie and watch the live performance on the screen like we are now. Jealousy towards the nobles is reduced, and better performers can be paid. It's an effective result."
"The mission was requested by a Fire Country noble, who wanted to set up a similar arrangement here before the Lightning merchant groups backing the plan there could establish themselves enough to expand. Essentially, we needed to either learn to copy the sealing method perfectly, or capture someone who was able to perform it and bring him back."
"Pish, easy!" Jinrei interjected, before throwing some popcorn at the screen and shouting, "Hey! Stupid old fart, watch where you're driving that cart! You almost ran me over!"
The Kenshiro on the screen had jumped easily out of the way, of course, and had then crossed the busy market street to enter an upscale shop. The attendant was dealing with another customer already, so he inspected the eye-seal cameras that were on display, then ...
Ino had to laugh as he blatantly made the triangle seal for Shintenshin and peered around the shop through it as if looking through a camera. She recognized the slight shudder as the clerk got possessed, but the Haruno who'd used the technique simply shrugged and started to watch a couple of Cloud chuunin dueling on one of the shelved veiwers.
A quick flash of the twin still at the inn showed him smiling as if remembering something, prompting another sarcastic comment from Jinrei. "Oh yeah, when they hear about the invincible Accounting no Jutsu back in Konoha, the babes are gonna be all over me... Mmm, Kurenai-sempai!"
"Hey!" Ino scolded, on behalf of females everywhere. "Will you knock it off with the perverted stuff, already?"
Back at the shop, the clerk finished the other sale and apologized for the wait. Memory-Kenshiro inquired after a long-ranged, durable viewer that would fit in a pack, to which the clerk explained he'd have to speak with the craftsmen in the back room. The reason for maintaining the deception was obvious, of course - they were standing in a shop that sold cameras and screens, after all. The view followed as he stepped into a large workshop and looked unobtrusively around, smiling weakly at a bored-looking Cloud chuunin nearby, who sneered and went back to standing around and watching Kenshiro in the shop standing around and watching Cloud chuunin fighting on a stage somewhere.
"Yes, the thrilling shinobi lifestyle!" Kenshiro repeated. "Go to exciting places! Meet exiting people! Kill them in exciting ways!" Contrary to his words, the possessed clerk did not jump into an orgy of bloody violence, instead walking calmly past the table where another assistant was getting ready to put a small veiwer device into an ornate gilded frame. He made his way to the back of the shop to talk to a man putting the final marks on a seal pattern that covered a plastered wooden panel that Ino guessed would barely fit through the average doorway.
They talked for a few minutes, then Kaden called over to his shop assistant, who laid aside the frame he been about to attach and instead went and got a much plainer one. The possessed clerk turned back to the master and... Shintenshin again! But he was still acting posessed... Kaden told them he was going out for a bit, and to bring out the trapper's veiwer as soon as it was ready, then left through a back door. The clerk went back out front, and chatted about the duel on the veiwer until the device was ready and the sale made, only showing the telltale disorientation of being released as Kenshiro bade him goodbye and left, looking down at the stack of ryo in his hand with a slightly dazed expression.
"I... There's no way!" Ino protested, overcoming her shock at last. "Okay, two minds, lots of practice, you can keep multiple bodies going at once. But Shintenshin again from a possessed person!?" The very thought was mindboggling... "To be able to jump hosts like that, it's the ultimate perfected form of the technique! The clan has been working to create a jutsu like that for *generations!*"
Suddenly, the assertion that if they'd shown their skills before Ino would have had an arranged marriage set up already wasn't so farfetched - hell, there was precedent, she might have been married to them outright on her tenth birthday! She stared at the pair with awe, shock, and not a little fear, arms crossing of their own volition to guard her chest. The Kenshiros on the screen were fitting the still-possessed Kaden with a disguise so he could simply leave town with them, but her attention was riveted on the two boys beside her.
Kenshiro smiled reassuringly and patted her knee, while even Jinrei looked apologetic. "You don't need such a look," he told her, peering around his more social self, "I'm not a total asshole. The Haruno clan has even more reason to be aware of psychology than you Yamanaka, so we know better than to try to force this kind of shit."
"You don't have to worry about getting blackmailed, Ino-san," Kenshiro said, picking up from his other self, "Even if the elders find out somehow and try to railroad things, we won't cooperate unless we all decide it's what we want. In the mean time, though, we can help you practice keeping your body active while possessing someone. We have a lot more chakra to hold the jutsu longer, and practical experience we can pass along since we know you'll keep the secret."
Well now. That was an entirely different kind of proposal, and one a little more to her liking... Sasuke-kun may be the only boy for Ino, but training her special family technique like that! *And,* a little devil in her own mind pointed out, *even if they are forehead-girl's brothers, they aren't too hard on the eyes. Bonus!*
Would you like to know more?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naruto setting and characters created by Kishimoto Masashi
Jinrei, Kenshiro and Kaden created by ClassicDrogn
Jinrei - silver(?)+spirit
Kenshiro - sword+white
Shintenshin - ?
Married at ten - while not recently, arranged marriages between members of ancient clans like theirs have been recorded as finalized as young as two years of age, though that subsequently led to a war between the Yamanaka and a no longer existing clan when the toddler died of a childhood disease and no replacement was offered. After that, the limit of ten years was enacted to attempt to guard against a repeat.
Kaden - electric charge
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Omake: Roll Titles!
(feel free to paste this to the top of your local copy, if you like...)
In a slightly off dimension
A step to the left or three
(Tra la la!)
Yamanaka girl, young and blonde and cute
Met two Haruno in black and red suits
Her family wanted them to suck some face
But she had other opinions so they went to mental space!
(Ninpo: Shintenshin no jutsu!)
Just to make it feel extra weird
They're always linked in the head
(Tra la la!)
And then they're the twin older brothers
Of her ex-best friend
Ninja roll call!
Jinrei! "I'm inside!"
Inoshi! "I'm her dad!"
Kenshiro! "That's me!"
Inoooooooooo!
We'll replay a past mission
To help explain our mind
(Tra la la!)
And to explain why Ino's clan
Thinks we're really quite a find
(Tra la la!)
As for their plans to wed her off
Such political hacks
Just repeat to yourself "Free choice," Ino,
"I should really just relax!"
For Mystery Haruno Theater 3000!
(bwong!)
Ino was gaping, eyes blank and blue with shock, and Kenshiro elbowed his other self in the ribs. "Told you she'd think it was weird," he muttered sotto voce.
END OF LINE
======= C'mon, don't be a Nara! Say something!
Please?
-CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
For the next 72 hours, Itachi intoned, I will slap you with this trout. - Spying no Jutsu, chapter 3
"In the futuristic taco bell of the year 20XX, justice wears an aluminum sombrero!"hemlock-martini
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows