Land of Wave Kage
The hotel I slept in was cramped, small and owing to the late hour of the evening, dark. It represented the epitome of the haunted hotel, and if the situation hadn't been so dire, Akihito would have been amused Gato would go for such a cliched tyrannical ruler. Then again, he mused it wasn't exactly Gato's style to supply unwanted guests with any degree of comfort. His mind wandered back to how he had ended in such a miserable hotel in Land of Wave.
The plan for the raid on Konoha trade routes had been flawless- least in theory. All of their reports suggested that leaf shinobi activity focussed on protecting the village and defending Konoha representatives, defences would be minimal, especially since land of demon's trade route wasn't considered a vital target. Still, they had hoped find something, anything really, that would help them- not starve.
Ultimately, they walked into right into a trap. A very elaborate, highly planned trap that reeked of one thing: treachery. Someone had betrayed him and relayed the details of the plan. More than a few leaf shinobi had been waiting for them, and even that blasted Hatake Kakashi had made an appearance.
Most of the strike team had been dead. Akihito assumed that even the traitor had been during the ensuing fight. He couldn't care less. Had the traitor, whoever, it was really known what konoha were really, they should of seen it coming. On the other hand, Akihito Kiro 'The masked trade disrupter' Konoha's new nemesis, and last hope of the Orochimaru's abandoned orphans couldn't just die. No, he had to just abandon his friends. It was with no small amount of pride of pride that Akihito realized it had taken a full dozen of them to take him down. Since he escaped Orochimaru's underground lab, he had become an impressive S class ninja in his own right, but with the odds stacked against him; he knew he was bested,
Hence the reason, why I'm stuck in this small, drafty room overlooking an incomplete bridge. The place didn't seem like it belonged to any of Konoha's/gato's undercover agents nor was there any aura exhibiting genjutsu. A loud angry shout brought his attention back to the present.
He had no idea why these 'rebelists' were having a so called secret meeting below him, nor did he really he first found out he was secretly amused, until he realized how futile their plans really were.
As they continued planning on the hopes of konoha's shinobi saving them, he considered killing them, taking their dead lifeless bodies to Gato and gaining a bounty of some sort. However, he could understand the helplessness of their situation. Afterall, he did survive on the bare minimum of food for a while. In the end, he honestly couldn't care less. It was, however, disturbing how dire the situation got after 2 weeks.
The hotel door creaked open. Why was it most shinobi doors creak? Akihito wandered absently, finding it odd he would think of such a thing in his current predicament (Bare minimum money and a week without food).
With baited breath he inched closer to where the door would be, hesitant to make a sound. When he got closer he could hear the ragged breathing of the now known Tazuna . He let a sigh, whether that be relief or anticipation, he didn't know. He didn't know why he was anxious to know what 'rebellists' were planning.
Maybe it was the fact misery loves company. As hopeful their aspirations were, there faces betrayed their optimistic outcome.
He didn't know if he was going stir crazy or if the isolation was finally getting to him, but somehow, he felt the need to talk, about anything. The weather, Gato, the still incompleted bridge. Breaking the ice would be the hard part though. So he said the first thing in his mind.
"Oh, if it isn't a little secret meeting!" As soon as the words left Akihito's mouth, he felt like slapping himself.
That had to be one of the most inappropriately used line of the decade, scratch that the wasn't even a come-on, simply a query as to why a dozen villagers were underneath the hotel now named 'Sheraton'.
He heard about how easily someone could turn hostile, but deary me, he wasn't expecting the angry glares of a dozen villagers holding household knives pointing at him. Well, maybe he secretly.
"What is it to you stranger?" Tazuna asked without batting an eyelid.
Akihito leaned back against the wall. From the way his voice slurred he could tell he was drinking, suggesting he or someone within the village were about to do something drastic. How I hate talking to drunks. "Ah, just wondering how the bridge master along with some notable villagers, ended up here in a dreary, damp, if i may say it smelly place. With just one single lamp in the middle?"
He laughed. A very frightening laugh coming from his slurred throat. "We screwed up. That's why we're here. I'd think, someone like you would understand.
"Oh my, that's rich coming you." Akihito smirked with a mock bow "I'm surprised you can even dress yourself"
Tazunu coughed "What's your name?"
Akihito turned a curious eyebrow. Not that it mattered.
"Akihito Kiro, Masked trade disruptor S class ranked criminal- not that it matters" He smiled while admiring the gasped breaths of these 'rebelists'.
"Ah" the single syllable was laden with fear, something that he, in his pronounced drunk position shouldn't be capable of producing. "Come to watch us suffer then, eh?"
"Don't flatter yourself" Akihito snorted in disdain. "I'm not here by choice"
"I could tell," he shot back in the same fearful tone "Those rags are a dead give away"
"What's with the fearful act today? Where was that optimistic outcome enlisting the help of Konoha shinobi, perhaps you can't pay for it?" Akihito shot back in an amused smirk.
Tazona chortled. Was that a chortled? It certainly sounded like one. Or maybe it was his choking on the bottle of sake that this bridge master found humour. "We can at least hope" He said in a gruff voice.
"Of course" Akihito replied dryly "I do admire your courage, going in to that ghastly forest, braving gato's ninja's after you. For that, I'll protect the village & the bridge work until you come back.
If he could see Tazuna's daughter, he would be certain her look would have frozen him solid "Do I look like I enjoy this, Akihito? An S ranked criminal helping a village for no reason at all?"
He shrugged again, more so for his benefit than hers "My reputation precedes me" Akihito said in sarcastic tone.
"Akihito…." She growled
"That's my name don't wear it out!"
"I'll kill you!"
"Aye, Aye, what's that I hear gato's guards are coming."
Tsunami was quiet for a minute, and Akihito wondered if she died of fright. When a gargling sound rose from her body. In the dim light he could barely, tell that she was shaking, even as the sound grew louder, until he realized, to his shock that she was indeed laughing.
"Shush, Tsunami everything will be fine. Inari will be safe, Tazuna will go to Konoha and ask for help" A villager bent down at the half laughing, half crying women.
'Pitiful villager' Akihito thought while walking outside the basement door.
"Will you protect them?" A semi-sobered up Tazuna rushed towards me.
"Of course, I am bored after all" He replied in a non-committal tone.
Akihito wanted to make several attempts at conversation. But decided against it. Owing to the lack of light in his room and due to his fatigued state he briefly wondered whether that women left this hotel.
It was a long night for Akihito. Even after two weeks, he still couldn't fathom that this was the best hotel within the village. There was no mattress, or any furniture of any kind, just a hard cold floor and a bunch of straw bushes that was to be my supposed mattress. To think, some of the villagers lived like this sent shivers down his spin. Even Orochimaru treated us better, bearing all the experiments.
Sunrise eventually came and revealed to Akihito from the overlooked veranda that Tazuna was about to leave Konoha.
Tazuna's eyes briefly shifted to look at Akhito; however, his only response was a sigh.
Akihito smirked. "Don't worry about the village old man, I am a hero after all" Akihito shouted. Surprising a little child which looked from Tazuna to him.
Tazuna let out a wery smile "I trust, you'll keep the village safe Akihito".
As the Tazuna's shadowy appearance vanished towards the southern gates of the village Akihito decided to do a quick tour around the village.
Akihito found that the land of wave had not changed much from the old rusty map he received from Tazuna earlier. The Blacksmith's weapons seemed rather bleak with heavily inflated cost for basic weapons. To his right he spotted some small shops which sold various of trinkets including clothes. Off the main street, a fair amount of construction was underway from Gato's consent of course. Deciding, he would sit down he approached a local bar.
The decor of this place, looked rather vibrant somewhat to Akihito. It seemed glamorous. Akihito figured he would need to get used to. Akihito approached the bar where a young women was serving a coffee to an elderly gentleman.
"Good morning, sir," the barkeep welcomed Akihito. "May I get you something on this fine afternoon?"
Akhito ordered a light lunch and inquired about a copy of today's Konoha's times. The barkeep handed a copy of the shinobi paper to Akihito and invited Akihito to sit at the bar as his lunch was prepared.
Akihito sat down and opened the paper. Akihito was glad he sat down when he saw the picture on the front page "Zabuza spotted near land of waves" Things had become much more complicated for Akihito.
The paper contained an unusually high mix of failed assassinations. The paper also covered quite a bit of activities going on in Kiri. Regarding the infamous graduation ceremony and various businesses on the up.
Akihiko started small conversation with the barkeep. Akihiko told the, named barkeep Yuki that he lived in suna and was looking to move away from that village. The barkeep mentioned the newly constructed houses were being sold by a small retail office down the street. Akihiko said he would consider it.
Akihiko walked out of the bar looked up towards the ironically big, yet small roomed hotel and smirked. The land of waves is truly an interesting place.
Akihiko walked through the new houses. Since he knew it was a saturday and no work was going on. Akihiko looked at the newly constructed houses and was amazed by the materials used. Truly Gato, loved to torment the citizens of wave.
Akihiko heard footsteps approaching from behind and controlled his instinct to go into a defensive stance "May I help you sir?" a light toned woman's voice asked.
Turning casually, while noticing the wedding ring akihiko replied "Can you tell me about these houses, miss?"
"Mrs. Nanoko"
"Akihiko"
Akihiko spent the next hours discussing the houses and various options available. Akihiko found out that Mrs. Nanoko reminded him of a long since forgotten friend Tsunade. She did not treat Akihiko like an 18 year old. Akihiko figured the haunted look in his eyes and the strain of planning raids took a visible toll on his charming, yet handsome appearance.
Akihiko told his pre-planned story about being raised in a small village on the outskirts of suna. He figured this would help cover his accent and slang.
Akihiko had to hold a smile when house prices were discussed. Akihiko was used to making his own bases, never using a single currency. But by trying to portray the respectable citizen he had to part with some cash.
Akihiko selected a four bedroom cottage on the outskirts of the village. This came with the best furniture the land of waves could offer.
Akihiko quickly finished his transaction to purchase the house Mrs. Nanako efficiently finished her paperwork. Since Akihiko did not have a storage vault within the land of wave, he figured he'd buy one the next time he went for a trip round the village.
The next morning Akihiko ate his breakfast at the same bar. It seemed odd that Yuki wasn't here. But thought nothing of it.
After eating, Akihiko walked towards the village and gasped when a small child kicked him from behind.
"What are you doing here?" the pint sized midget demanded
"Good morning. My name is Akihiko. I would like to ask why you kicked me? May I ask your name?"