Chapter 1

Saito stepped out of the hotel that he was staying at, admiring the night's star-filled sky. He pulled out the small card that Yugito gave him, which only had a name written across its surface. The man was somewhat discouraged with what little information was given, but figured that he should be grateful that Yayoi and Yugito were willing to tell him anything at all. Deciding to head to the market place first to see if anyone knew of this Tazuna person, he quickly made his toward the plaza. He had barely made it a foot away from the front entrance, when two figures leapt down onto the ground and began to follow him at a safe distance. They were soon joined by a cloaked individual with a Kirigakure forehead protector, who had been watching Saito from a window in the shop next to the hotel. The individual fell in line with the first two, and scoffed towards the retreating old man in front of them.

"So do we actually believe that this guy exists, sensei?" the figure with the Kirigakure headband asked, the voice indicating that he was male.

"Whether he is or not, we will take him out along with Saito." answered the tallest of the trio, his deep masculine voice booming with authority.

"Besides, if we actually kill this so-called 'Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei', Iwa and Kumo will be in a bidding war for his head. We really can use the money anyways, considering all of the pay cuts that we're taking." added the final cloaked figure, the voice indicating that she was a kunoichi.

"I guess you're right, but I'm getting bored just waiting here on standby. I want to get this over and done with."

"Just be patient, Torike. We'll be seeing some action very soon." replied the sensei, as the trio passed by a large tree, where his two other subordinates finally rejoined the group.

XXX

Despite what Saito originally though, finding Tazuna wasn't all that hard. Just about every person that he asked knew the man. And when he asked where he could meet him, they all pointed him towards the same place, a bar. Now, as he stood in front of the drinking establishment's front entrance, Saito began to have second thoughts of the person whose name was on Yugito's card. But, he didn't come all this way just turn back at the last possible second. So with a deep breath, he walked through the doorway, and was relieved to see a normal looking bar. He looked around before he walked up to the bartender.

"Can I help you?" the middle-aged man asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Tazuna. I heard that he does business here." Saito said, figuring that he had nothing to lose by asking the man directly.

"His office is in the corner." answered the bartender, pointing to a door. Saito thanked the man and walked over to the office. He knocked on the door and entered when he heard a voice telling him to come in. The office was large in size, and had several small scrolls sitting in various bins and slots. A man sat at one of the two desks with a bottle of sake and a saucer in his hands.

"Hello there, my name is Tazuna, contractor extraordinaire. How can I help you?"

"Yes, I was referred to you by someone who thinks that you can help me." was all that Saito said.

"Do you have plans for something?"

"It isn't that type of help Tazuna-san." Saito pulled out the card and showed it to him. The old bridge builder looked at it, a frown marring his normally calm face.

"That woman, I wish she wouldn't give out my name like that. It's just like that Nadeshiko situation all-over again." he muttered.

"So, can you help me?" Saito asked urgently.

"Yeah, yeah, I can get you in touch with him. Don't worry about finding him; he'll find you." Saito gave him a small bow and left the room. Once the door closed, Tazuna took another hearty sip of his drink and sighed. That brat was becoming too big of a pain; he was the super bridge builder, not some secretary.

XXX

It had been two days since he had talked to Tazuna, and Saito still hadn't heard from the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei. He was starting to get impatient; he didn't have time to waste, his village needed immediate help. He was planning on visiting Tazuna one more time to arrange an actual meeting place, but as he got up to leave, he suddenly noticed that something different about his room. While he was not a highly skilled shinobi, he'd managed to survive the wars because he was always attune with this surroundings. But what was surprising to the veteran was that it had taken him so long to notice the disturbance. It wasn't a genjutsu, as he was extremely good at detecting those, and he would have noticed it a lot sooner. If he were to describe the situation, it was as if all the sound was taken out of the room.

"That's pretty good, I didn't think that you would have noticed it so soon." said a voice. Saito was quickly on the defensive, flipping out a kunai he kept hidden in his sleeve, and crouching down in preparation for a sneak attack. His eyes darted across the room until his eyes landed on a shadowy figure in the corner, partially hidden in the darkness of the room.

"Show yourself!" ordered Saito. The figure complied, and slowly stepped out of the darkness.

"Interesting stance you've got there. I would be hard pressed to…" the mysterious figure paused to get a good look at his supposed client. "Wait a minute, have we met before?" Saito was thrown off by the stranger's sudden change in tone. It was only until he got a good look at the man that he recognized the person, although he didn't lower his guard.

"You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

"Oh yeah, you're that old guy who was with Yayoi a year ago. How have you been?" asked Naruto with his usual tone.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! Just what are you doing here?"

Naruto adopted a confused look. "Well, aren't you the guy that wanted to talk with me?" Saito's face took on a shocked expression.

"You're the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei?!" Saito exclaimed disbelievingly.

Naruto just smiled sheepishly. "I knew that name would get me into trouble. Now I've got Konoha, Iwa, and Kumo looking for me."

"Hold on a moment, what exactly did you do to the room? It's like there's no sound in here."

"Oh, that? I've set up a sound-proof barrier just in case there were more of those guys around." explained Naruto. "I was informed about a five-man team of Kiri-nin that was looking into this room. I thought that you were setting me up for trap to get the reward on my head."

"Damn it, I thought I was careful."

"Don't sweat it, I've dealt with those flunkies already. One of those guys couldn't hold his liquor to save his life, and started talking about the reward they were going to collect after they killed me. To tell you the truth, I thought that this was a set up, but when Tazuna showed me the card, I knew that she wouldn't send you here to kill me. How is Yugito these days?"

"She's well, and helping Yayoi with the fight for Kumogakure. But she's taken on a much more minor role, considering that those people are after her." answered the old man. "I heard that you've actually helped them a couple of times as well."

"Only when I can." The two fell into a comfortable silence, before Naruto broke it, his voice dead serious. "So, Yugito sent you to find me? That means that something serious must have happened to you. Why don't you tell me the details over dinner at Tazuna's?"

XXX

After a delicious meal provided by Tsunami, Naruto and Saito excused themselves so that they could talk in private. The two of them went outside and stood on the docks so that Tazuna and his family wouldn't overhear them. Saito looked at Naruto, his happy charade replaced with a more serious one.

"I know that I am asking for a lot out of you, Naruto, but I could really use your help." explained Saito. "I couldn't ask Yayoi or Yugito because they're already busy with their own rebellion. That's why I went through all of this effort to seek you out."

"But I just don't see what I could possibly do to help you or your village." replied Naruto. "You're asking me to take down someone who managed to kill a Kage-level kunoichi, when I barely managed to kill one S-rank shinobi about a year ago. And on top of that, your army isn't prepared to start another civil war. Plus, I doubt that the resistance is just going to willingly allow a stranger to join their forces, even if you do vouch for me."

"I understand that, but I still could really use your strength and skills. The fact that Akira has already sent a team to eliminate you and me is proof that he fears what you can do to his reign. Please Naruto, Kirigakure needs your help."

Naruto remained silent for a moment, before speaking once again. "What about those with kekkei genkai? You said that Akira is using them. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"I'll explain it as best as I can. Terumī Mei was a powerful and kind woman who wanted to end the evil that the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, started. Even though she believed that Yagura was being controlled by an outside force, she was still willing to fight and overthrow him and his rule. She used her influence and kindness to unite those who wanted to end the senseless violence into one grand army. Everyone who had been affected by the bloodline purges rallied behind her to challenge Yagura and, through their efforts, finally overthrew the Yondaime." Saito's voice took on a more graver tone as he recalled what Kaede told him. "But somewhere along the way, Akira began to poison the minds of those who had kekkei genkai. I don't know what was said, but was convincing enough for him to gather quite a few followers. And then, when Mei killed Yagura, Akira made his move and killed her; his supporters soon followed suit and killed her allies. With Mei gone, he anointed himself as the Godaime Mizukage, but things in Kirigakure didn't change for the better. To this day, Akira uses those with kekkei genkai as his enforcers to instill fear and control amongst the populace. It's become too unbearable to watch one of the Five Great Hidden Villages gradually decays into poverty with each passing day."

Naruto said nothing, preferring to contemplate on what he had just learned. He sympathized with Saito, and was angered by Akira's atrocities; it heavily reminded him of when he saw Nami no Kuni on his first C-rank mission. The fact someone similar to Gatō was in charge of a large hidden village like Kirigakure made him sick to his stomach. But, he also knew that taking part in a huge debacle like this would only make himself a bigger target to his enemies. He already had two major shinobi villages hunting for his head, and one that was constantly watching him, and Naruto didn't want to give them any further incentive to take action against him. But, on the other hand, whilst he knew that interfering would be a mistake on his part in the long run, he also knew that he couldn't just stand by and allow Akira to continue. With a deep sigh, he turned his attention back to Saito.

"Alright then, let's go to Kirigakure. We're going to kill this pitiful excuse for a Kage, and get your village back." Saito was overjoyed and began to thank him profusely.

XXX

Naruto was busy packing his equipment within his home, which was actually the hideout that once belonged to Zabuza and Haku. He had found the place by mere chance, but it proved to be quite profitable for him as it was stocked with jutsu scrolls, weapons, and training manuals. He was just about to recheck everything that, when he suddenly heard someone enter through the front door.

"Naruto? Naruto, are you here?" Tsunami's voice called out.

"I'm in here!" Naruto responded. The woman followed to where she heard his voice and entered the training room. She smiled when she saw him packing.

"So, you're going to help him after all? I'm glad." she said.

"I can't just stand by and allow things to continue in Kirigakure, but I don't know if I can help them." explained Naruto. "I'm joining up with a bunch of downtrodden shinobi who are practically fighting against an entire hidden village. I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Naruto, I have complete faith in you. You just have this knack for making the impossible seem possible. That's why I keep telling you to take Yayoi's offer. Other than the fact that she obviously likes you, she's offering you a place in Kumo's forces."

"I know, but I'm happy with what I'm doing right now. I get to help those who are in need, and not be held back by stupid village rules or regulations." countered Naruto.

"Are you sure?" asked Tsunami. "I remember back when you were still a young boy, and your eyes were once filled with ambition. Are you telling me that's changed? I understand if you still feel a small sense of loyalty towards Konoha, even after everything they've done to you, but it shouldn't keep you from accomplishing what you truly want in life. You're destined for so much more that what you're doing right now, Naruto, and I'd hate to see so much potential go to waste." Naruto stopped packing, silently standing still as one his most frequent internal debates resurfaced once again. Whilst he did like his current life, he still dreamed of becoming Hokage from time to time. It was something that he had striven for ever since he was a child, and he'd be lying if he said he'd completely given up on his dream. He let out a tired sigh, making Tsunami feel sorry for the blond. It wasn't her intention to make him feel bad, but she just wanted him to live a happy and fulfilling life. She quickly decided to change the subject, remembering the other reason she had in coming to see the young man.

"Naruto, there is another reason as to why I'm glad that you're going to Kiri."

"Oh?"

"Did you ever find the man who stole that sword from Zabuza's grave?" Naruto's eyes narrowed with anger as he recalled that fateful day. He had just returned from helping Yayoi, when Inari ran up to him and told him that he saw someone walking away with the Kubikiribōchō, Zabuza's sword. The young boy told him where the culprit went and he immediately gave chase. Unfortunately, the man in question had boarded a ship to Tetsu no Kuni and was long gone before Naruto could catch up to him. Not one for giving up so easily, Naruto took the next boat to Tetsu no Kuni to confront the man, only to just miss him once again. Since that day, he kept his ear to the ground, in hopes that he could gleam any information about the thief and the stolen sword.

"No, I haven't, but I haven't stopped looking." said Naruto.

"I have a feeling that you may find him in Mizu no Kuni." replied Tsunami

"How can you be so sure?" Tsunami just smiled. What she said left the young blond speechless for quite some time.

XXX

Kirigakure no Sato, once a great and strong ninja village, feared for their many kekkei genkai, was no more. What was once a force to be reckoned with, was now nothing more but a pitiful shadow of its former self. As a result of countless years of civil war and in-fighting, the village had imploded on itself; everyone wanted to be in power and no one could be trusted, not even well-known friends or clansmen. And it all started through the actions of the Yondaime Mizukage, Enkai Yagura, jinchūriki of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. His reign brought forth an age of fear and death, especially to those who wielded a kekkei genkai.

Appealing to the demands of the citizens and shinobi who actively despised those with special abilities, he created death squads to hunt and kill the so-called "vile monsters" with no remorse. Clans were wiped out, and newly dug graves were becoming the norm, just like in every cliché horror movie known throughout the world. Many attempted to hide, but they were eventually found and dealt with permanently, by either the death squad or their bigoted former comrades. But just when it seemed that all hope was lost, one ninja stood up to challenge the tyrant Mizukage and his appalling methods. Her name was Terumī Mei.

Wielder of the Yōton and Futton kekkei genkai, she rallied numerous supporters under her banner to oppose Yagura, from those with kekkei genkai of their own, to those who wanted a better life. She gained support from those outside and inside Yagura's circle until she had amassed a grand army, and launched a full-on assault on Yagura. The fight was a long and bloody one, but in the end, Mei's resistance prevailed over the Sanbi jinchūriki. Everyone was ecstatic and ready to welcome a new era for Kiri. But just as soon as it was coming, however, it was swiftly taken away, by a person from within Mei's own circle no less. That person, that betrayer, was Akira.

No one knew how he managed it, but Akira killed Mei when she least expected it, her death acting as the catalyst for the utter annihilation of her most loyal supporters at the hands of Akira's followers. Those who survived the coup were hunted down and slaughtered like animals. In the end, he became the Godaime Mizukage and brought a new wave of pain and suffering with his reign. And soon everyone was oppressed once again, but this time, both citizens and shinboi believed that Kirigakure would forever be cursed as village ruled by fear and bloodshed.

XXX

In the Mizukage tower, the sound of flesh being torn by steel could be heard from outside the office, the ignored screams and pleas of mercy frightening away those who passed by. After the Godaime and risen to power, it became a known fact that failure was met with death. Inside, four people watched as the five lifeless bodies hit the ground, their blood pooling underneath them. Out of the four still-living people, only one looked satisfied, whilst the other two looked unimpressed, and the last one was enraged. The furious one snapped his attention to the man that was leaned up against the wall with his arms folded, glaring at him with his one good eye.

The man being glared at was wearing a long sleeved, navy blue turtle-neck sweater and, navy blue baggy pants, with a standard Kiri jōnin flak jacket worn over the sweater. He had a pair of black leather gloves on his hands, and black sandals covering his feet. He wasn't wearing his hitai-ate, but strapped to his back was the sword of Momochi Zabuza, the Kubikiribōchō. Strangely enough, the man looked a lot like Zabuza, except his features were a lot softer and smaller than the deceased former Kiri-nin.

"So, Shin, could you please explain your failure?" demanded the angry man. Shin merely looked disinterestedly at the man wearing a formal kimono, and a blue cloth mask that covered his entire face. Despite it having two eye holes, he knew that the man behind the mask was half-blind.

"It's not my fault that they failed, Akira. Maybe if you actually paid your soldiers properly, they wouldn't do something so stupid for extra money." scoffed Shin, which only served to make the man even angrier.

"You are to blame for this failure because you yourself chose these men to hunt down Saito! Do not think that you are above everyone else under my command just because you carry the blade of your brother! I allowed you to live instead of killing you like the others, so you had better show me some damn gratitude by properly doing the job that you are given!" shouted Akira. Shin narrowed his eyes before he scoffed once again, and left the room without a single word. Akira clenched his fists at the blatant disrespect his subordinate displayed, wanting nothing more than to strike down the Momochi whilst his back was turned. He turned to other man, who was chuckling at the entire scene that played out before him. He wore a gray shirt and pants, similar to an invigilator's uniform, which was covered by a beige colored trench coat with short sleeves. He wore a Kumo hitai-ate around his forehead, and had a very angular face, complete with a cocky grin.

"Perhaps you should give this assignment to me, Akira. I promise to permanently deal with this Saito and Bōrei for you. That is, for a fee, of course." he said.

"You and your partner are an even bigger wastes of space than he is!" spat Akira. "The two of you can't even find one old man! Perhaps Akihiro was blowing smoke out of his ass when he said that you two were his best!" The man frowned at the criticism whilst the woman glared at the Mizukage. She was dark skinned beauty that had her hair tied up in a braid. She wore a standard battle dress, a Kumo flak jacket, and sandals that covered her entire lower legs. Completing her look was a ninjato strapped to her back, and her hitai-ate tied to her right arm.

"What did you think was going to happen?! Did you really expect that no one would react this badly when you told your village that you were planning on giving away something as important as the blades of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū?" she spat.

"I don't give a damn about your excuses! If your boss wants the blades so badly, then go find Sanzouba Genji! With both Genji and Saito out there, my rule can be challenged! So stop wasting my valuable time, and do your fucking jobs!" The two Kumo ninja looked thunderous and looked like they wanted give their client a piece of their minds, but instead opted to say nothing and left his office, making sure that they slammed the door loudly.

With no one to direct his anger at, Akira cursed loudly as he whipped the scrolls off his desk. The objects slammed violently against the wall, and clattered onto the ground. He just couldn't believe how quickly things had taken a turn for the worse. With a huff, the Godaime turned to gaze out the window of his office, which was large enough for him see the entire village, and snarled when he caught a glance of his own reflection on the transparent sheet of glass. Ever since that last fateful encounter with that bitch, Mei, he was forced to hide his face with the damned mask. It always served as a constant reminder of his scorned love for the woman. Even after she was long dead, his anger still burned red whenever he thought about her.

But for now, he had more pressing issues to worry about; three large and dangerous ones to be precise. The first one was Genji. He had tried to get the old ninja on his side, but the plan backfired on him spectacularly when he revealed his plan to give the legendary blades to Kumo. The old veteran had killed his guards and then stole the scroll which held five of the seven legendary weapons, with both the Kubikiribōchō and Samehada already missing for obvious reasons. Since then, Genji went into hiding, only briefly appearing to help the citizens like some pathetic, comic book hero. And to make matters worse, no one was willing to give up his location because of his deeds. Even the threat of death wasn't enough to convince the people to give up their "hero". As a sign of good faith, Akihiro had sent two of his best to get the weapons. So far, he was unimpressed with their progress.

Then, there was Saito. He never did like that old man, as he was one of Mei's favorites. It wasn't his prowess as a ninja that she liked, but the connections that he developed in his years as a shinobi. It was through those connections that Saito managed to gather supplies and men to help their fight against Yagura. As long as he was alive, Saito could easily challenge him for the right to rule Kiri, and he would be damned if he gave up the power that he had gained, especially to the bastard who stole the heart of one he loved. Despite all of the denials from him and Mei, he never believed that they had a strictly platonic relationship. It was why he had sent the son of a bitch to that prison in the first place.

And then there was the final, and most severe, problem of all: the Kiiroi Senkō no Bōrei. He knew of the Yondaime Hokage's legend; even in Kiri, Minato Namikaze was feared by several shinobi. And if there was someone out there that matched Namikaze's skills, then that man was undoubtedly dangerous. Hell, even Akihiro was weary of this mystery man, even though he still wanted him dead for constantly aiding Kumo's own rebel forces. Just the thought of Saito somehow getting a shinobi of that caliber to join forces with him sent chills down Akira's spine.

But it didn't matter to him in the long run, as he would do everything he could to keep his power. The feeling he got whenever his people looked at him in fear was intoxicating, and he refused to give that all up to anyone: not to Saito, not to Genji, not to this recently formed resistance,and definitely not to this 'Bōrei'. He was going to be Mizukage for a very long time.

XXXXX

Authors' Notes: Well, here the new chapter of this story. Thanks as always goes out to Tao Naruto for the help with this chapter. Enjoy.