Can Pokemon into Naruto? 34 (Patreon)

Can Pokemon into Naruto?

Chapter 34

-VB-

I blinked in surprise at the ragged procession of what should have been an extravagant noble caravan.

And the fat man walking at the head of the caravan instead of sitting on what I assumed was his palanquin. 

“Hear ye all who have ears to hear!” a sharply dressed man spoke from the fat man’s side. “I speak on behalf of the Tokudaiji Clan, one of the founding clans of the Land of Fire!” 

The villagers who had all gathered to see what was going on quickly went down onto their knees. I also slowly knelt. 

“Our lord, Tokudaiji Kan, has come to your village in search of the rumored healer! The healer should present himself now if he is here!” 

Ah, shit. 

I let out a sigh.

I stood up hesitantly and made my way up to the front of the crowd. 

“Here I am,” I said. “Healer Karu at your service.”

“Kneel!” the herald shouted at me, his face red with obviously some kind of indignation I did not understand. 

I did not kneel hastily but I still knelt. 

Then the fat man raised his hand. “... I am Tokudaiji Kan,” he spoke slowly. “And you are the healer?” 

“I am.”

“... You look very young,” the scuffed but still standing and healthy looking man, Tokudaiji Kan, noted. 

“Yes. I am young.”

Tokudaiji-dono sniffed. “I have a need for your service,” he said and then gestured to people behind him. “We were ambushed on our way to visit you. Some of my men are dead but some are still alive. I would have you heal them if you can. You will, of course, be properly compensated.”

I nodded slowly. “Very well, Tokudaiji-sama. Please, bring them to my hut outside the village.”

-VB-

Kan looked at the young healer.

Far too young. Too young to have been the source of all of those miracles that he has been hearing rumors about. 

However. 

His ability to mend and heal seemed to be genuine. He brought out medicines that eased the suffering of his samurais and attendants without using the opioids that were so common in court. He assessed his patients thoroughly, and even had tools for situations Kan did not expect. 

What he also did not expect were the creatures the healer kept around him. 

In particular, the giant, black clay statue unnerved him. 

It couldn’t be a living creature with a clay body yet it had many eyes that opened and closed, tracked those near and far, and moved its arms. 

It also couldn’t be a puppet; he’d seen the thing eat berries.

He’d seen chakra puppets before, those used by the puppet masters of the Land of Wind. Compared to those puppets, the black clay statue moved too fluidly and like a regular living thing. 

Those details didn’t alarm him.

The world was wide and weird, and he, through the wealth gained by his means and that of his clan, had seen many weird things. So a living clay statue? A bit out there but certainly within his realm of imagination. 

‘Father, your guest has questions.’

That.

The clay statue talked into his mind directly! No words. Mere presence, words, ideas, and intent. 

The healer looked up from where he finished bandaging the last of his attendants and saw him waiting. 

“Ah, sorry. It took a long time, didn’t it?” he asked Kan.

Kan sniffed. “I am not so impatient as to interrupt you when you are doing exactly what I asked. But I do have questions.”

“Please, ask away.”

“What manner of creature is this?” he asked as he gestured to the clay statue. 

“Oh, him? He’s a Claydol. A living clay doll. But his name is Robute.”

Kan stared at the healer, unimpressed by the name. 

“... Why does someone like you live out here in the countryside when you can be a powerful and well connected individual within centers of power?” he asked. This, he was curious about.

Healer Karu shrugged. “I have no desire to deal with nobility, ninjas, and other nasties.”

Kan blinked. “Rather forthcoming, aren’t you?”

“You do not look like a man who wants to be lied to,” the healer replied. “And you haven’t put up courtly demands or anything like that, so I also think you want this conversation to happen naturally.”

Well. 

That wasn’t quite what he was going for. He was just too tired to care, but he wasn’t going to let the healer know that. 

Rule two of court life: never let the other side know what you truly desire unless you specifically need them to know.

“So if I were to invite you to join my clan as a retainer…”

“I would decline, Tokudaiji-sama,” the healer said not casually but definitely without any deference. 

“Even if I were to offer you land and title?” 

The man didn’t say anything but he could almost feel the man’s rejection. 

‘If I may…’

Kan glanced at the clay statue. Or “Robute.”

What a weird name. It was just as weird as Claydol.

“Speak, spirit,” he replied. 

‘For what purpose do you seek father’s service?’ 

Kan blinked. “What else, spirit? I seek his service because he is a talent I wish to hold, use, and reward. It is the responsibility of nobles to seek to enrich the land by enriching ourselves.”

‘So you would not enrich the land for its sake?’

“Don’t be daft!” he laughed. “Humans are too selfish for that. We seek what we seek because we are selfish, even when you think you are not. I enrich myself through my means and my clan because I desire more! When a farmer under me produces more, I reward him with a greater share of the crops. When a merchant working for me brings in more profit, I give him both more responsibilities and more benefits. When a woman gives me good advice or bring me information, she becomes my favorite. When one of my sons helps me and my business while the rest are all eager to see me dead and steal other sons’ inheritance, he’s probably my best son and thus I favor him even more! Life is simple if you throw away all of the semantics when you are pursuing your goal. And my goal, Healer Karu and Spirit Robute, is to be filthy rich because money and power go hand in hand.”

The two looked at him, awed by his honesty and forthrightness with his wisdom.

As they should be.

“And how would I help with that…?” Karu asked hesitantly. 

“I would have you treat me and my family as well as loan out your service to those who have done me favors. Oh, and the daimyo, of course.” Then he paused. “And perhaps even your ability to make these odd creatures and spirits.”

“And if I still said no…?”

Kan raised his hand up and scratched his chin.

“... Since you have done me a favor with healing my men, I will … look over your rejection.” Then he slapped his hand down onto his knee. Ow. “However! If another noble were to come to you and if you accept their offer, then I will be upset! And you will be angering the Tokudaiji Clan who recognized your worth and offered you a hand!” 

He nodded slowly. “I will keep that in mind, Tokudaiji-sama,” he said and bowed. 

“Good! Now, I saw a few of your creatures running around. Do you have any that might be a good match for me?”

---

‘Robute.’

‘Yes, father?’

‘I don’t think he’ll leave if we don’t at least offer something.’

‘I agree.’ A pause. ‘Cleo has been feeding the local wildlife with your medicine. Maybe one of those would be good for the fat man? One of the bear couples has had a cub.’

‘... what?!’