Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Journeys We Make

In Search of a Burglar

A dry desert wind blew over the land. The gale smashed against a stout rock wall, failing to reach all the way through the opening leading within the massive, crater-like opening where Sunagakure stood tall like a clay jug on the long dinner table. A mountain range of sandstone wrapped its reach around the ninja village, leaving just a single, narrow yet long pass to reach the village by unless one felt adventurous and flew over the range straight above the village roofs.

"So, this is Sunagakure? I'm not impressed," Endo grumbled. "Nothing but dirty mud houses as far as the eye can see."

"I felt a little disappointed the first time I saw it too," Mana smiled. "The artist in me must not have been too impressed by the identical gourd-shaped houses all built on the same foundation, on the same level, and from the same materials. Though in time, the toughness and longevity of this village have left their mark on my soul. Throughout all those years, thick and thin, the village has only grown in size and thickness. It's the same here as it is back home."

"I guess..." Endo shrugged, easing up his grumpy exterior. "How can we know that the locket we're looking for is actually here?"

"It might not be," Kakashi replied. "Still, this is the thickest concentration of civilization in the entire quarter of the continent. If someone knows a thing or two about the locket–they'll be here."

"Finding this locket won't be a piece of cake," Shige-H raised a fair point. "I'm going to see if I can find us a place to stay overnight."

"I'll go pay Gaara a visit," Temari said boldly. "Maybe he or one of his assistants knows something? As the man in charge of the place, there are few better places to start from."

"Well, it pays dividends to have the Kazekage's sister on the team, I suppose," Kakashi teased the young woman. "I'll scout out for some of the ANBU's old contacts from the less friendly days of our villages. We'll be lucky if some of them are still active after all those years of peace. Even luckier if they'll have intel about the locket to barter for."

"What are we supposed to do?" Endo grumbled. "We've got no acquaintances here. We're literal aliens not just in this country but this universe."

"People may be hostile to us while talking to us, but they still might let something slip when they're talking to one another. I'll go snoop around in alleyways and corners, see what reaches my ears." Skaven sighed and pulled his hands out from his pockets. The young man looked a bit disappointed that he'll have to do some actual work around these parts.

"I'll do what I do best... Dazzle," Mana smirked, taking an elegant leap atop a stack of wooden material crates and calling out to the crowd while flicking flashy lightning sparks from her fingers.

"Fine, I'll scout the crowd, see what Mana's adoring audience are whispering to each other about..." Endo growled and pushed his body off the muddy wall. Brushing shoulders against curious bystanders, Endo shuffled into the crowd and began contributing to the success of the team.

"I can help, Skaven!" Damisan raised his finger up. The prosthetic protrusion let out a rubbery, mechanical noise as its joints rubbed together.

"Forget it, there's no way that I'll be able to mix into the crowd with a guy like you hanging around me. Not to mention your ridiculous whirligig-legs. Go fix your prosthetics and do some maintenance while this is happening." Skaven dismissed Damisan with a wave of his hand while removing himself from the vicinity.

"Mana? Can I help you with your show in any way?" Damisan looked up. His puppy eyes shined through his mask after his vizor snapped open.

"No offense, Damisan, but you'll be distracting my audience. I'm afraid that you're way more outlandish than even my smoke and mirrors." Mana rubbed the back of her neck while weaving hand seals with her free hand for a collective illusion for the crowd. As much as she didn't want to refuse Damisan, she just knew that the moment that a man with cutting edge, futuristic armor plates and Scientific Ninja Tools prosthetics stepped onto her crate–she'll be the pretty face assistant in that show in the eyes of the audience.