A/N: Hey, yeah, I know that my author name is ZhouMak, and my OC is named that, too, but my name is based on his, this isn't a selfinsert. Besides, if I tried to live in Naruto world, they would kill me out of spite.
Disclaimer: Yeah, all this, not mine. Except for Zhou Mak. He is totally mine. OK? Good.
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NARUTO: CHAINS
CHAPTER ONE: FIRST LINKS
A figure stepped through the dying leaves of autumn. He paused, placing his hand on the leafless skeleton of a tree next to him as he took in the view. The tails of a green, nearly black trench coat billowed in the wind. The high collar almost obscured the brown hair of the wearer. His voice came forth, quiet and subdued, "Interesting, here the leaves change color, but do not fall. It looks as though the whole of the forest is aflame. No wonder, after all, this is the land of fire, and hiding in these leaves is Konoha. Well, I had best consult my papers to gauge my chances of staying here."
A smooth, dark hand emerged from the over-long sleeves of his coat and reached inside it. When it returned, it had two pages clasped in between the slim fingers. The figure let out a sigh, "Great, this was the place that Iwa needed me for; I hope they do not have much on me. But, this is also the place where I will most likely get lodging, since they still probably do not much like Iwa. And this bounty paper will have to go, nobody is going to want to think that I am hunting down their Hokage. Boy did he give Iwa trouble."
The figure knelt down on the ground, dug up a small pit with his kunai, and placed the paper within, he covered it with a rock and some leaves, then struck a match, and watched it burn. Once he was confident that the paper was sufficiently destroyed, he filled the whole back in, rock and all. Standing up straight once again, he wandered slowly into the village.
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He walked to a giant gate, and prepared to deal with the guards once they recognized his colors and the kanji on his shirt. He wasn't prepared for what did happen, however.
"Hey, you'd better let me through! We just finished a mission and I gotta report to Old Man Hokage! So move it!" The speaker, as you can all well guess, was a blonde fool jumping around in an orange jumpsuit. Standing behind and next to him was a young boy in a blue shirt with a red fan on his back and a pink haired girl with a red dress. Standing off to the side was an older gentleman, wearing a green vest and a half-face mask that inspired an intense hatred in our mysterious figure. This sliver haired person also wore his headband off his head like an eye patch, further cementing the feelings of loathing from the man in the green trench coat.
The pink haired girl and the boy with the fan on his back both said nothing, one out of pure exasperation, the other out of indifference. The guards ignored the orange eyesore that wouldn't shut up and addressed the man in the trench coat. "Hey, we haven't seen you before. Name and affiliation, now."
The trench coated individual thrust his hands back into his pockets and removed a sheaf of papers before handing one to the guards and stating proudly, "I am Zhou Mak, and I have no affiliation. Allow me to meet with the Hokage to remedy that situation." Zhou Mak spared a glance at the children next to him, each trying to assess him in their own ways. Zhou Mak however, looked at the blonde child before speaking to him, "Boy, who are you? You cannot possibly be of any use. Blonde hair and orange clothes only serve to get you killed."
The orange-clad child looked up at him, the girl behind him groaned and the boy just gave a small "Hnn," in annoyance. The blonde grinned, opened his mouth, and shouted for the whole world to hear, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be the next Hokage! Believe it!"
Fighting the urge to wring Naruto's neck, Mak asked about the rest of them.
"I'm Haruno Sakura, and this is Uchia Sasuke-kun," volunteered the bubblegum haired girl while she gestured to the black eyed boy with the fan on his shirt, "and that's our jonin-sensei Hatake Kakashi." She smiled nicely at him, glad she had done something nice for a stranger.
Kakashi finally looked over from his book at who said his name. His eye met the green trench coat and the kanji on his chest and the book went down. The only ones to notice were Mak, who raised his eyebrows, and Sasuke who looked between the two of them. Nothing more was done, because the guards felt the need to interrupt.
"Alright, these papers check out, but you're going under ANBU escort—."
Kakashi cut them off, "No need, guys, my team and I will escort him." Sakura and Naruto were slack-jawed. Kakashi offered help to no one, especially not someone he just met. Sasuke was equally surprised, but showed no emotion. Zhou Mak didn't trust Kakashi, but had little choice, so he went with them. The group had walked a little ways into town, when Kakashi alerted his team.
"Naruto, Sakuse, Sakura, I want each of you to go ahead of Mak, I'll follow behind," Kakashi ordered. His answer was a resounding "Hai!" The students walked in formation, completely unawares of what Kakashi wanted to do. "Where do you think you're going, Mr. 'Chainer?'" said Kakashi as he put a restraining hand on Mak's shoulder.
"I have disowned that name, and if you do not let go of me," Mak spun in Kakashi's grasp, "I will tear you in half. I do not have time for your puny suspicions; I have bigger things to do. Let me see the Hokage, and possibly get instated here." Mak turned again and started walking off, Kakashi on his tail.
"After everything you did, do you possibly think the Sandaime would let you stay here? After that fiasco in Iwa? After the claims of—."
"Did you say Saindaime? What happened to the Fourth? I did not think anyone could take him out. Why is he not still instated?" Mak flung the questions at Kakashi, not caring that he interrupted the infamous Copy-Nin.
Kakashi thought to himself, Well, if he doesn't know that, then he's not a spy. I didn't think that five years would bring him back. Damn Chainer. If he steps an inch out of line, he's dead. I'll make sure of it. "Well, I think I'll let the Hokage inform you of that particular event. We had best get going, my students are beating me there, and I'm not a big fan of not being there when they need me." Kakashi started walking off. He heard Mak 'harrumph' behind him, then Mak started walking as well.
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"And then Zabuza asked for a kunai, and I gave it to him, and he ran through all the mercenaries, and cut off Gatoh's head. Kakashi and I did a bunch of Kage Bunshin, and Inari showed up with a bunch of villagers, and we all scared the stupid mercenaries away. Then we waited until the bridge was finished, and we came back. That's it, Old Man Hokage!" shouted Naruto, finally finishing up the report, and sitting down.
Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto sat in the three seats before the Hokage's desk, Kakashi was leaning in the corner, nearest the door, preparing himself for the commotion that he expected from the new ninja, which never came. The Hokage excused the team, and while in the office, Kakashi dismissed them.
Zhou Mak sat on one of the chairs just outside of the Hokage's office, patiently awaiting his audience with the 'Fire Shadow.' He heard about Team Seven's most recent exploit, courtesy of Naruto's over-loud voice during the debriefing, and was less-than-impressed. If Kakashi was not there, then those kids would not have had a chance. Pathetic, they needed at least another eight months of training, then a month of survival training. Sasuke can handle a combat situation, but only so far. Naruto, that orange eyesore, cannot do squat unless he is pissed off, but when he is like that, he is a loose cannon. Sakura is the closest to being an actual ninja, but she is not taking any of this seriously. If that is the way Konoha is training their ninja, then the next village that comes along is going to tear them apart. He was roused out of this thinking by Team Seven walking out of the office, and Kakashi telling him that he could enter.
The first words out of the Hokage's mouth were, "Sit," and "Talk." It unsettled Mak, which was the intention.
Mak was quickly losing face before the person who would most likely be his boss for the rest of his life. Mak resolved to leave this meeting with a good impression, but in order to do so; he had to treat it like a mission. "I assume that Kakashi has informed you of me?"
"All he said was that Chainer was waiting for me," answered the Hokage, who interlaced his fingers and sat them on his desk, the Hokage that Naruto reported to, all but gone from his visage. This was the Hokage that dealt with the life and death decisions every single day, the one that did the hard work of the job.
"I have since refused to go by that name. Please call me Zhou Mak. I am here to provide assistance to Konoha any way I can," said Zhou Mak, in as commanding a manner as he could.
"Odd request for a spy." As much as Mak wanted to interrupt the Hokage, he decided to wait until the Hokage questioned him again. He didn't have to wait long. "How did you get here? You have no supplies, or clean papers, and a very high profile. Escaping Iwa should have been impossible for you, much less getting as far as Konoha, even knowing how to find Konoha should have been impossible. I have no reason to believe that you have any but the worst of intentions for this village, so you best have some damn good proof, before I call the ANBU and Ibiki."
Mak didn't know who Ibiki was, but figured that if a person as important as the Hokage knew one of his special service ANBU by name, the man in question was especially good at whatever it was he did. "Iwa wanted me gone, I had become a liability and they knew it. They tried their own methods, but failed, so I left as soon as I could. Two weeks ago, I left after my final instruction for the boot camp I ran, they probably only knew I was missing four days ago. As for my lack of supplies, I was able to find shelter and food on the trip. My papers are signed by the men in Iwa, and are supposed to be good in all countries. Finally, my profile is high only in the Fire Country, everywhere else, I am an enigma." Mak leaned back, and even allowed himself a small, internal smile, I am in the clear now. There were no holes anywhere, and I answered all the questions he asked. I hope I am safe.
The Hokage looked…not as impressed as Mak felt he should have been. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that? Why would the men in Iwa sign your papers if you were a liability? They would have just killed you outright, any ninja village would, Iwagakure is no exception."
"Yes they are." Mak had to keep the words said on this subject quick and to the point, he didn't want to expose something about himself that would condemn him later, especially the reason that Iwa wanted him in the first place. "They called me in as a specialist, they could not afford me to be outright killed, even more so because of what they called me for. They also decided that my methods warranted my extermination."
The Hokage looked at him, expecting him to go on. When no explanation seemed forthcoming, the Hokage asked the question that Zhou Mak didn't want to hear. "What did they want you for, and why did they think you needed to die because of it?"
Mak sighed, and answered the question to the best of his abilities, "I cannot tell you explicitly what it was. That information is of greater value than even my life. Is there nothing I can do to ensure you that you have my fealty?"
The Hokage leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Mak did not know what to expect, but hoped that it wouldn't be a shout to this 'Ibiki' person.
"Well, there is something you can do for me." Mak knew that this was gonna suck. Nobody began anything nice with that tone of voice, or by stretching 'well' to last an extra five syllables. The Hokage smirked, he didn't miss Mak's face drooping, and continued, "If you want to prove yourself as a ninja, you can act as a bodyguard and caretaker, yes?"
Mak blinked in surprise, That is all? What is the catch? There is something more to this than he is letting on. Mak's eyes narrowed as he nodded his head.
The Hokage knew better than to draw this out, so he finished, "There is a shinobi in this village that require surveillance, more than the ANBU can reliably give. Your mission, henceforth, is to act as a guardian of this person, treat him well, since I assume that you have no place of residence here, I will provide a stipend with which you are to procure a new home. Go to this address, alert the ninja there of your mission, and begin packing to find a new place to live. If you complete this assignment, then I will instate you as a shinobi of Konoha." As he finished, the Hokage stood up, scratched out a note on a piece of paper, and held it out towards Mak.
Mak stood up and said, "I am sorry Hokage, but I cannot accept this mission if I become a ninja as a direct result. I will be happy to accept it, but only if I do not, or ever, become a ninja."
The Hokage raised his eyebrow, "You don't want to be a ninja, but you want to go on missions? Can you explain this, it is a most interesting set of circumstances you desire."
Without looking up, Mak began his reasons, "If I am a ninja, then I must be listed in Konoha's Nin Book. If I am so included, and Iwa finds out, then they will come for me, and from the looks of things, Konoha could not survive another attack," Especially since Iwa would use those units. But I will not tell them that. "Also, I was never a ninja in Iwa, nor do I have any inclination to become one here. So I cannot be a ninja. Sorry if this displeases you, Hokage."
The Hokage looked at him, deliberated a few moments, and said, "Well, we can cross that bridge when we get to it, you have four days to locate a residence that falls within this price range, and to move the resident of this address in with you. I'd also suggest getting some different clothes, the Iwagakure crest isn't welcomed well in the village. Good day, Zhou Mak, I look forward to working with you in the future." The Hokage extended his hand, and Zhou Mak took it, finally feeling comfortable in the presence of the village leader.
Mak took his leave just after, and the Hokage nodded. Kakashi dropped from the ceiling. "What do you think about him, Kakashi?" asked the Hokage.
Kakashi looked out the door and replied, "I don't trust him, I never will, and I think your doing this, if I may be blunt?"
When aren't you? thought the Hokage, who just nodded his head for Kakashi to continue.
"I think doing this to him is horrible. It's like a sick prank. If it had happened randomly, I'd assume irony, but to do this on purpose?" Kakashi sounded like he was pleading, but he didn't ask for anything directly.
The Hokage responded, his brow furrowed, his voice on edge, "He needs it, someone has to take care of him, and no one will volunteer. I have to make do, and this may work out better than I had hoped. If Iwa tries anything, we have some information on them. Speaking of which, I'd like for you to do some background checking on Mak. If he's anywhere as skilled as Chainer was, then we have acquired a very valuable ally."
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A/N: Okay, that's all for you for now. I hope you like it, and if anyone can guess what Mr. Mak's new job is going to be, you get a virtual cookie. If you liked the story, let me know, if you didn't, let me know, if you are indifferent, let me know. I'd love to hear what my readers think. Remember, the audience is always right!!
Next time: Mak meets his new charge, and isn't happy. Settling in is a challenge. Romance? Already? (Not like it hasn't happened before.)