Within the Order of the Cage's headquarters Hyousuke sat troubled, he didn't ask to lead a revolution. He was a simple man that wanted to live off the land with a family, his died in the war making him a child raised by the poor community that rushed to his aide to watch become mature, married, then murdered. Those with the Kekkei Genkai brought destruction everywhere and who better than he, dying at the hands of his cursed child to show the dangers? Especially when his boy was a puppet seen consorting with a demon and another afflicted child. He felt that Haku was taken away to the evil lairs from fairytales he was too busy to use to read. "You are the most precious person on earth to us, Haku and I will protect you no matter what." He used to say over his crooked crib that took weeks to make. What happened to his little boy? Could he ever be saved?
"Hyousuke?" A voice called. He was due for another speech. He was show pony of the revolution, testament to simple values, hard work and now family. He joined the clones of his wife and son. While these were not ice users their power was over Hyousuke's heart, and locked him away without protest in Cage's grasp.
His new pet on the other hand was much more unruly. He had no idea where if it really was from the same place as him but it still was monstrous. If he wasn't supposed to tame it he would've tried killing it months ago. He grimaced as he saw its shadow swim in the reinforced tank that stretched through half of the walls.
It was the last week of the month and while he denied feeling anything, Zabuza still couldn't shake the creeping emotions he had lately. Zabuza was devoted to his ambitions, a demon willing to make a throne of those fallen by his blade friend of foe. But what was there now? He wasn't even in the same dimension, died twice and may be stuck forever doing missions and trying not to get caught up in drama.
Gaia wanted to challenge him at every turn, Flores always tried to be way to close, Willow and Adrianne wanted adult friends and thought they could relate being parents and loving weaponry, Nikki was a mousy runt, and after finding a wolf mascot costume in Derrick's closet that time they went to a club he didn't know what to think. At least Haku was happy making friends on this island of misfit toys at least. He still needed something to reach for and these little people with their docile little lives will never understand.
"You alright Zabuza?" Nikki asked. It was early, 3 am at least and she changed. A black shirt with a rabbit skull and crossbones, outlined in pink, pink arm warmers with human skulls and crossbones, pants with a wide pink ribbon drawstring and a pattern of purple pink and grey rings with a pink polka dot string headband. Haku was still asleep and he stumbled in on her doing god knows what witchcraft in the ice palace.
"What do you even reach for around here? Don't any of you have ambitions?" Other than trying to bore me for eternity he thought.
"Art and helping others for me. What about you?" She said handing him another jar of ointment for his back without a thank you.
"Exactly." He sighed inspecting the jar.
"I guess maybe you should think about things you like and see what you find. I heard Anouke needs more help with sharpening weapons." The thought made a smile creep under his bandages, he loved sharpening weapons, especially when thinking about the battles that would dull them again and Anouke was appreciative because she felt she could trust someone else around the dangerous arsenal. For whatever lied ahead he'd need to learn more about them especially if he was going to take down whoever brought more shinobi back.
Meanwhile Haku was trying but failing miserably to sleep. He was drawn to the ice palace and without anything else to do he decided to investigate. As the resident water and ice user he felt most capable. In the amulet room he saw Nikki meditating, eyes snapping from completely black to their usual human green.
"Hey, sorry to wake you up." Nikki greeted him.
"I don't mean to intrude, I just felt drawn here for some reason."
"The aqua amulet stops giving off spiritual energy more frequently, so I was trying to contact the de Aquas but I think I summoned you and possibly Zabuza." She said pointing to a divination diagram in an ominous black and red book. It explained that the De Aqua would be in the same dimension as another operative and to try summoning both the old and new aqua when there wasn't spiritual energy.
"There has to be over a hundred people her counting us." Haku said thinking of Ambrosia, the field operatives, scouts, processing, Dr. Iman and others he's seen in the halls.
"Plus other areas we haven't shown you yet. Imagine searching this grain by grain." She said picking up two handfuls of sand and letting them slowly slide down.
