Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.


"Can you just stay for the festival?" Naruto pleaded. "It's only two weeks away."

"Sorry, Naruto, but I can't. Without chakra, it will take me a week to get to Ame, and a further three weeks minimum to get to Mizu no Kuni after that. That's already a month of travel time - even though I wish I could stay, I just can't."

"Cheer up, Naruto, he'll be back before you know it," Satoshi said - there was a faint sense of resignation in his words and Raiden knew Satoshi would miss him just as much as Naruto would - just as much as he'd miss the both of them.

"And if you do well in school I'll teach you a jutsu when I get back."

Naruto looked excited and Raiden didn't really want to ruin that by telling him it wouldn't be above a C-rank, though he had yet to decide which one. He still had to prepare for his trip - Tsunade had finally let him out after another day and a half of observation. Given his current ban on chakra, his seals were out - manual carrying it was, which meant he'd need to get everything he needed out of his seals. Which, in his infinite wisdom, were etched into his belt.

He shrugged, pulled it off, and handed it to Naruto, who looked completely baffled.

"Can you channel a bit of chakra and touch here and here?" He asked, pointing at two different seals. Naruto still looked confused - Raiden remembered at that age he'd known practically nothing about seals - but did as he said anyway, and a pile of stuff fell out at his feet. Which included (but wasn't limited to) an old bedroll, a handful of ration bars, a few packets of food and chakra pills (one of the pills was one of Sakura's monstrosities), a canteen, water-purifying tablets; basically anything he'd need to survive off the land. Those things all came from the first seal; the other had contained empty storage seals, which had unfortunately fluttered all around Naruto and were completely disorganized. He really only needed the chakra storages - if Naruto charged them with nine-tails chakra, he'd have what amounted to a portable life-support system.

He took his belt back from Naruto and buckled it back on, then grabbed a backpack that fit snugly (that was good, it meant it wouldn't shift when running) and started tossing things in. He'd leave tomorrow morning, and if he packed now he'd be able to leave earlier.

"Are you going to see me off tomorrow, Naruto?" He asked. "I'll be leaving early."

"Of course!" Naruto looked scandalized. "I'll say goodbye even if I'm asleep!"

Raiden laughed and Satoshi cracked a smile; he'd be sure to wake him up in the morning to say goodbye before he left.


"Good morning, Naruto!" Raiden said cheerily. He would have pulled up the blinds on his window, but the sun was only just beginning to rise and it wasn't light enough to help wake him up. Naruto mumbled and pulled his pillow closer to his chest - somehow he'd ended up facing the opposite direction he'd gone to sleep in, with the covers in a heap in the opposite corner of the room.

He knelt closer to the bed and shook his shoulder gently. "Wake up, kiddo, I'm leaving soon."

"…Huh? Rai?" Naruto sat up and blinked blearily. His head drooped forward, but Satoshi came in a second later.

"Food!" He was holding a cup of ramen and the smell seemed to wake Naruto up a bit. He started to drool and was at least awake enough to wipe his mouth on his sleeve. It was progress.

The ramen did smell good, and Raiden's stomach growled. Satoshi gave him a flat look and Raiden smiled sheepishly.

"Good thing I made three, then," he said, and deposited the cup in Raiden's hands. A moment later he returned with two other ramen cups and handed one to Naruto, whose eyes had cleared though he still looked tired.

Naruto slid down from his bed and they sat in a triangle on the wood floor, all slurping ramen. Naruto finished first and placed his cup in the middle of the space and Raiden was done soon after and plunked his cup on Naruto's. They both watched Satoshi expectantly and he stopped eating and scowled.

"How am I supposed to finish if you keep staring at me?" He asked, and Raiden and Naruto looked at each other and burst out laughing. He finished and stacked his ramen cup on the three of theirs, creating a mini-tower of disposable ramen cups. The three of them looked at it for a while, not really knowing what to do with it, then Naruto poked it and it fell over.

Raiden sighed and picked it up; he'd toss it in the trash while Naruto got dressed. Satoshi followed him out and they waited for Naruto to get ready - which took less than a minute and Raiden had suspicions that Naruto hadn't brushed his teeth. He let it drop, though, because he did have to leave - he'd waited long enough as it was, but he'd wanted to let Naruto have the opportunity to say goodbye; Satoshi too.

He grabbed his pack and stood, and Naruto and Satoshi did as well - they accompanied him to the gate, where he stopped. He gave Satoshi a fist-bump and a reassuring smile, then knelt down and hugged Naruto.

"I'll be back soon, don't worry. And I'll be as good as new!"

He pulled back and Naruto put on a brave smile, though his eyes were watery. "And don't forget you promised to teach me a jutsu!"

"Don't worry, I won't."

Satoshi stood quietly - he wasn't one for big emotional displays. But he offered Raiden a smile, which he returned, before stepping out of the village. He held his hand up in a wave, but didn't look back.


It was different, knowing he was alone now. He'd been lonely during his childhood, always longing for acknowledgement, but though he hadn't known it his parents and Kurama had always been with him.

The long, empty, road stretched before him, and since the road had left Konoha's forests it had only been grasslands. They extended out as far as he could see, and that and the cloudless expanse of blue sky made him feel small and powerless.

He laughed without any humor. He was alone, and he was powerless. He missed Kurama. He missed everyone, really - those who he'd left, those who had died. Kurama, his parents, Jiraiya, the Old Man, Tsunade, Kakashi, his teammates, Konohamaru, his friends -

He'd never see them again.

Not as he remembered them.

They were all gone.

He let out another choked laugh and wondered why because there was nothing funny about it. He could die on this road - a wild animal could attack him, he could fall from a tree, he could die and he would be all alone.

And it was his fault.

If he'd been better, faster, stronger during the war everything would be different. His friends would all be safe, Tsunade would be complaining about paperwork, Shizune would be trying to keep her away from the sake, Kakashi would be reading his book and giving them pointers while watching them train - or maybe he'd be training with them. Teuchi would be making ramen, assisted by Ayame and Iruka, and - it had been a few years - maybe there would be a little kid toddling around.

But imagining only hurt more; it was why he'd kept himself so busy after arriving in the past. His vision blurred and he swiped under his eyes with his thumb, brushing away the tears before they fell. More took their place and he let them fall - there was no one around to see him cry, so he might as well.

In just a few months he'd joined a rebellion, fought in a civil war, helped win said civil war, met two cousins - one of which he hadn't even known he'd had - become the ambassador between Ame and Konoha, helped create an alliance, cast suspicion on Danzou, made a friend, told the Old Man who he really was, gotten interrogated by a Yamanaka, had his most trusted friend get absorbed by his other self, and almost died. Several times.

By keeping himself busy he'd not had time enough to think about it - but that also meant he'd not had time to properly grieve and work through things. This little quest of his - it wasn't just about physical healing. It was about spiritual healing, too.


"By the Sage, Raiden, what happened to you?"

He dropped his travel pack and slumped into one of the chairs. Traveling without chakra was more tiring than he'd expected - though that also could be that he was still pretty weak.

"Oh, just a life-changing revelation. Some clearing of emotional baggage. Oh, and I might have lost the bijuu that was previously inside me and collapsed a chakra coil or two. No biggie, really."

Yahiko gaped, Nagato's jaw clenched, and Konan's lips pressed into a thin line.

"How are you still alive?" She asked. He knew she didn't mean to sound callous, but it was a miracle he was alive so he didn't blame her.

"Tsunade-baa-chan patched me up, but it's temporary. In order for me to really truly get better I need a permanent source of bijuu chakra."

"Raiden, I swear, you're just trying to be confusing. Just start from the beginning, please."

"The beginning?" And not for the first time, he wondered whether keeping them in the dark would be more beneficial or painful in the long run before deciding that after all they'd done for each other they deserved to know. And then he remembered what Itachi has said to him - However strong you become, never seek to bear everything alone. If you do, failure is certain. And his decision was made.

"Very well then. The beginning: it started when the nine-tailed fox attacked Konoha and my father, the Fourth Hokage, sealed it into me on the day of my birth."

"Wait - how is that - ?" Yahiko began.

"Space-time jutsu," Nagato explained - he'd always been quick on the uptake. "Just - listen."

So Raiden explained a bit about how he grew up, and the devastation of the War, and about how he'd returned to the past. And then, background established, explained his current situation. The silence once he'd finished lasted a good few minutes, his three friends - though they were really more like family - taking in and processing his story.

"So you need bijuu chakra," Nagato stated, "and the only bijuu currently without a jinchuuriki is the three-tails in Mizu?"

"Yes."

"And you think you could seal the three-tails into yourself?"

"It's possible."

"I say go for it," Yahiko said. "What is there to lose? Good will with Mizu? Even if they figure out we have their bijuu, they're not in a position to do anything. They'd be fools to attack in their current state, not even considering our recent alliance with Konoha."

Sometimes Raiden forgot how tactically smart Yahiko was; despite his goofy attitude he was amazingly intuitive.

"Rest here for a couple days and restock. After that, I'll head out with you until we reach Mizu."

"But - Nagato - " Raiden protested. "You have a village to run…" He trailed off, taking note of the three in front of him. Nagato's expression was what he'd heard others describe as 'set in stone', and Konan and Yahiko were smiling faintly. "All right. Fine."

And he did have to admit, it was probably a good idea. With both Yahiko and Konan still in Ame, the city would be fine. And, loath though he was to admit it, likely wouldn't last against any opponent higher than B-rank. In the case of that happening, Nagato would be able to protect him.

"Now that that's settled," Nagato said, "It's time for dinner. You'll be joining us, Raiden, and then go to sleep."

Raiden complied without much fuss. Though it was occasionally completely humiliating when people mothered him, it still warmed something inside him. It was a validation that they truly did care. That he had a family now.

His friends from the past had occasionally been like family - but they'd done so much less than they could have, he realized that now. The Old Man and Tsunade had been busy with their duties as Kage. Kakashi-sensei had been haunted by his own past and could barely take care of himself adequately. Sakura, once he'd failed to bring back Sasuke the first time, had meant well but then her false confession… she had never really gotten to know him. Sasuke - well, he didn't have the best role model, but most brothers didn't try to kill each other. And Hinata - he'd never really known how to act around her.

There were two people he'd really seen as family: Konohamaru and Jiraiya. Konohamaru had been an amazing younger brother; he'd listened eagerly to whatever he'd had to say, and never shunned or hated or disliked him, not after that first day together, not even when he'd learned about the fox. And at the chunin exams - though he'd been a bit disappointed at not gaining the rank, he'd also never been prouder.

And Jiraiya, for all his faults, had instilled in him the most important things, the values he'd incorporated into his nindo. He'd taught him, paid attention to him, made him feel appreciated and loved. And the brief moments that he'd finally been able to meet his parents…it was the same warmth he felt when he was with the three of them, and Satoshi and Naruto.

"You guys…" he trailed off, unable to vocalize what he was feeling, but somehow they understood.

"It's stir-fry tonight," Yahiko said. "I'll make sure to give you extra vegetables to keep your strength up."

Of course, there were also the times when family members lived to annoy each other.


"Time to go, Nagato," Raiden announced cheerfully the next morning - though it could barely be called such as it was still dark enough that he could barely make out the wall opposite. And of course, Nagato was still asleep. But they had to cross the entirety of Hi no Kuni, so the sooner they left, the better.

Nagato groaned in protest. "What time is it?" He asked, blinking and rubbing his eyes.

"Five-something?" Raiden answered, and Nagato frowned.

"Raiden, I am not leaving until seven at the earliest."

"But we have a whole country to cover!" He pointed out, and Nagato yawned.

"Raiden, I have a bird summons that will get us there in two days."

He stopped short. "Oh yeah. Forgot about that." Nagato sighed.

"Might as well get up, then, since I'm already awake." Raiden smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry."

"You should be - now I'm going to make you ride in its beak."

"Oh no, not the beak!" He said it mockingly, but that actually really didn't sound fun. "What can I do to avoid that terrible punishment?"

"Make breakfast," Nagato answered, chucking his pillow at him.

"Yes, O Great Nagato-dono," he said, bowing deeply. "I shall prepare the best breakfast ever eaten by man!"

Nagato growled and Raiden ducked out quickly, grinning, before Nagato decided it was a good idea to throw something more injurious, like a kunai or shuriken. Or maybe a sandal. He was chuckling to himself as he made his way to their kitchen and turned on the stove. Omelettes sounded good for lasting energy and nutrients, which he desperately needed after a week of not being able to eat nearly anything and another week soon after with only ration bars and whatever he'd found to supplement them.

So Nagato was then gratified when he came downstairs to see a very nice omelette waiting for him. And then Yahiko appeared - Raiden thought the smell of food had woken him - and then Konan, who he suspected was woken by the noise Yahiko made when he got up.

The second omelet finished cooking and he put it on a plate in front of Yahiko, who couldn't function until he'd gotten some food in him, and started on the third.

"Thanks, Rai," Konan said once she got hers.

"Don't thank me, thank Nagato," he deflected. "He bullied me into it."

"Thank you too, then, Nagato."

Nagato shrugged and finished up, heading over to the sink and washing his plate as Raiden finished making the last omelette for himself.

It was quiet but comfortable; he relaxed in the homey atmosphere as he ate his omelette. It seemed like a trivial thing, but peacefulness was a hard thing to come by. Yahiko finished a moment later, looking far more awake, and went to help Nagato wash the dishes.

"Good luck," Konan said, and he turned towards her, an inquisitive look on her face. "You're going to need it."

"Probably," he agreed, shrugging. "But my luck has always pulled through when I really needed it."

Nagato and Yahiko had finished the dishes by this point and had both disappeared into their rooms - Yahiko to get dressed, most likely, and Nagato to grab a pack. Konan had dressed before getting breakfast, so they continued to talk until the both of them reappeared.

"All ready to go then?" He asked, and Nagato nodded. They headed out together and started walking - it was probably best Nagato didn't summon his bird in the middle of the city, as it was rather large and the buildings were rather close together.

Once they'd reached the outskirts of the city, though, he performed the jutsu and a massive bird appeared - and boy was it ugly. Its head and beak were massive, almost out-massing its body, and it quirked its head with such a jerky motion. It gave him the creeps. Nagato grabbed him and jumped on, and the bird took off with a screeching squawk.

Raiden clapped his hands over his ears and glared at Nagato, who looked completely unaffected. "This is a demon bird!" he said as soon as the noise went away.

"This demon bird is saving you weeks of travel," Nagato pointed out, logic impeccable. "And it's only for two days."

Raiden sat. He still didn't like the bird.


It had been two weeks since Nagato had dropped him off at the border of Mizu; two weeks on his own, trying to find Isobu - which he hadn't, but because of his handicap he'd only been able to search the part of Mizu connected to the mainland.

He'd managed to find a good routine - at least one that would allow him to cover as much ground as possible. He'd wake up, take down his camp - really only his bedroll - and start walking. If he was lucky he'd find some berries or something to eat; if not it was food pills and ration bars. As it began to get dark he'd strike camp, catch fish - rivers were plentiful in Mizu - and meditate into Sage Mode and try to sense Isobu. Then he'd sleep, having been exhausted by the day's traveling.

Now, though, he needed a boat. It was possible he could walk across the water, as he wouldn't actually be expelling the chakra, but he didn't want to risk it, so a boat it was. He knew from the previous night's meditation there was a town nearby, and he headed toward it - it was fairly large, and there was a good chance someone there had a boat he could buy. Because renting probably wasn't the best; there was a good chance it would get wrecked along the way.

So he trekked in the direction of the village - it wasn't too far away, thankfully - and found a man on the outskirts- an old fisherman - with two boats. One was floating, tied to a mooring on a small dock; the other was pulled up onto the sand.

"Excuse me, sir!" He called, and the old man, who was unwinding the rope of the ship in the water, looked up.

"Yes?" He asked warily - with the civil war having just ended, random travelers were something to be suspicious of. But it couldn't be helped.

"Do you need that boat?" He asked, gesturing towards the boat on the sand. The old man scoffed.

"She ain't been seaworthy nigh on five 'r so years, boy. You c'n 'ave 'er cheap."

He should've realized that. But he could always work something out - "What if I help out, then we can work together and get her seaworthy again?"

"She needs part of her hull replaced, a new rudder, and to be entirely re-caulked."

It would cost time - another two weeks, at least - but he did need a boat, or else he'd not be able to explore the other eighty percent of the country - and there weren't exactly regular ferries. So he made a deal with the fisherman - he'd help the old man fish in the morning and the late afternoons and evening they'd work on the boat. He even got a place to sleep - though it was just the floor, at least there was a roof.

Sixteen days later he left in the newly-repaired boat, sailing southeast to the nearest of the surrounding islands. The boat small light, and fast - it would save him time, probably enough so he'd be able to search an island every day.


Kenji watched the stranger sail away. There had been something familiar about him - something that had reminded him of Honoka. It was something in the color of the hair, the shape of the face - there was a similarity there he couldn't ignore. His personality was similar, too; down-to-earth and simple, yet upbeat. Both of them - they did what they had to do, worked hard, and generally maintained a good attitude about it.

He needed to let the Rebellion - actually, they weren't a rebellion anymore, they'd finally managed to depose Yagura - he needed to let them know about the boy. And not just because of the familiarity of his features, but also because he'd been awfully suspicious. He'd needed a boat for travel, but he'd not said where he was going or why, nor had he mentioned where he'd come from. He'd been dressed in sturdy, nondescript clothing, without any identifying marks.

Kenji huffed, he'd not planned on going into the town proper until the end of the week, but the sooner the new Mizukage's people knew about him, the better. He went to the bar in town, which during the war had served as an information outpost for the rebellion, and he figured it still would be - the Mizukage, powerful though he was, couldn't be in all places at once, and needed to know all about what was happening in his country.

So he informed the barkeep of the boy, who would pass the information on to other members of the group and they'd send some shinobi to track him. It would be fine.


Raiden's routine had changed very little from what he'd been doing before - wake up, sail or row to the next island, strike camp, meditate in Sage Mode. If the island was big enough, he'd spend two or even three days to make sure he covered it all. In the three weeks since he'd gotten the boat he'd made his way through the southern and eastern islands and was approaching the biggest northern island, which would take at least five days just on its own - it was a quarter the size of the main island.

How long had it been now? He counted it up in his head and was surprised to realize it had been just over two months since he'd left Konoha. Just over two months since Tsunade had healed him - and one more, according to her prediction, that he had until his chakra coils started to collapse again. It was a bit worrying - but there was nothing he could do about it besides what he was already doing. So he moored his boat, pitched camp (set out his bedroll), ate a ration bar, and started meditating.

Still no Isobu, but there was, however, a small town on the edge of the island, a kilometer or so from where he'd moored the boat. They shouldn't be a problem; it was better he just got some sleep.


A scuff woke him moments before he was forcibly restrained and though it was dark he could make out a figure dressed in dull shades of dark green and blue and wearing a mask. Hunter-nin. There was another one holding his arms behind his back, and there was probably another one or two of them somewhere around, just watching. He sighed.

"Who are you?" The one in front of him asked.

"Raiden."

"What is your purpose here?"

"Well, I'm trying to find a cure for my terminal condition."

The hunter-nin he could see made a hand sign and there was a crinkling noise behind him - paper - and Raiden's eyes widened.

"Wait - no - !"

But the seal - a chakra inhibitor - had been placed on the back of his neck. On an ordinary person, it would have no effect. On a shinobi, it would prevent conscious control and restrict chakra flow to the minimum necessary for survival. On Raiden -

A burning started in his gut and his chest tightened, restricting his breathing. He drew his knees up and hunched over in an attempt to ease the pain; it didn't help.

The weakened flow of chakra through his coils had lessened the pressure keeping them properly inflated. If this kept up for much longer his coil would collapse and if he couldn't get to the chakra tags in time he'd die within a couple hours.

"My bag - " he wheezed, now barely able to talk. "Please - need seal tag - "

Because of course if anything counted as an emergency, this did. He wished he'd had more time until he'd had to use it, but he couldn't change it now. He coughed once, then again, and managed to catch his breath. "I'll die."

One of the other hunter-nin appeared and pulled a tag out of Raiden's bag and placed it over the chakra inhibitor. Nine-tails chakra flooded into him, burning away the inhibitor in the process. Raiden deepened his breathing gradually until it felt almost normal, then explained.

"I can't use chakra right now. There's something here that can cure me, but I can't survive with less than a full volume of chakra in my coils - one is partially collapsed."

The first hunter-nin nodded, then made more hand signs and everything went black.


He woke up later alone in a cell and groaned. Thankfully they hadn't put on another chakra inhibitor, but he'd been tied up securely - thin cords circled his wrists and ankles - the latter having some slack so he could walk - and ninja wire wrapped pinned his arms to his torso, tight enough that if he tried to break free it would cut into his arms and chest. At least they hadn't killed him yet - though that was probably because they wanted to interrogate him. They'd also propped him up, which was nice.

He waited a little while - maybe fifteen minutes, maybe half an hour, it was hard to tell - and the door opened. A man walked in - was it one of the hunter-nin that had captured him? Apparently not; the man's eyes widened in surprise.

"He was right… you really do look like her…"

Wait. What? Was it possible they'd kept him alive for more than just interrogation? The man walked close and Raiden watched him warily; but he took out a kunai and sliced through the wire. He rolled his shoulders in relief.

"Come on, we're going to see the Mizukage."

That was confusing. Normally protocol was to go straight to T&I - at least that's what it was in Konoha - and he'd thought it would be especially so in Kiri because she would have so much to do that delegation would be a necessity. Perhaps it was something to do with his resemblance to this mysterious 'her'?

The man put a blindfold on him and he was led out of the cell and down a hallway, then out of the building - they made a few detours and he just followed until they stopped and the blindfold was pulled off. They were in front of a door; the man knocked and a muffled - but strangely familiar - voice told them to enter.

The man opened the door and Raiden just about tripped as he saw the new Mizukage. It wasn't Mei Terumi, as he'd expected, the one who, as he remembered, had finally managed to depose Yagura. No, it was the one who in his time had failed, and eventually died ignominiously, a shinobi without a village? But he had changed things, hadn't he? And who was to say what he'd changed hadn't had other effects? One of which being the identity of the Mizukage. He shrugged mentally and turned his attention to the others in the room. One was Ao - the Kiri nin who'd been the Mizukage's right hand in his time, and the other was - from what he could see, she had her back turned - a younger woman with her red hair in a thick braid. He squinted at her - their hair was almost the same color. That was odd; that shade of red was usually only found in members of the Uzumaki clan -

She turned to face him and he drew in a quick breath that she mirrored; the shape of their faces were almost exactly the same, though she had a bit rounder jaw and narrower eyes. But their cheekbones, their noses, they were the same. It was downright weird.

"Hey, why's he tied up?" she asked pointedly. Apparently she wasn't aware of his current prisoner situation then. "And why does he look like me?"

"Don't ya know?" he asked cheerfully. "I'm a prisoner! They found me wandering around the country, so I'm obviously a spy for another nation." He smiled at her, a big fake grin. "Except for the part that I can't use chakra or I'll die."

She frowned. "What's your name?"

"Raiden Uzumaki, at your service. I'd greet you properly, but…" he held out his bound wrists in front of him and shrugged.

She looked horrified. "I - I'm Uzumaki, too - they can't treat you like this, you're family - "

"All right, Honoka, settle down," Zabuza said. She looked about to retort, but he signaled something and she clenched her jaw. "Family he may be, but he has yet to properly explain himself and what he was doing in Mizu and sending out strange chakra pulses - for weeks."

Raiden was inwardly rejoicing; he'd found another family member! Granted, he wasn't in the best situation, but his family had just grown by one and even with his situation she was already defending him.

"So why are you here?" Zabuza asked. "Explain in detail. And truthfully."

The truth was a bit fantastical. He'd do an edited version instead.

"I was previously a jinchuuriki. My bijuu was taken by a masked man." That was technically true; he'd had Kurama's yang half taken during the war. "My chakra system started collapsing, but due to my Uzumaki heritage I was able to survive until I got healed by Lady Tsunade. It was temporary, however, and to survive I need a supply of bijuu chakra for my system to repair itself - in effect, I need to become a jinchuuriki once again. I happened to know that you have a bijuu floating around - the late Mizukage was one - so I decided to go for it."

Ao butted in, looking angry. "You want our bijuu?"

"Yes."

"And what possessed you to think we would just let you take it?"

"Not it. Him," Raiden said pointedly. "Truthfully, I'd hoped you wouldn't notice, but I now realize that was a long shot. But if that failed, I could offer you information. And, temporarily, certain services - perhaps recovering certain blades? And your other jinchuuriki?"

Zabuza frowned, the bandages around his mouth crinkling. "Untie him."

Raiden sighed in relief and rubbed his wrists - the cords around his ankles were taken off, too. He glanced over at Honoka, who looked excited.

"Honoka, you're keeping a watch on him until I decide what to do with him," Zabuza said.

Raiden had one small point he wanted to make before they left. "If that's so, Mizukage-sama, I have two requests: first, may I have my belongings back? The tags I have in my pack are chakra stores that help keep me alive. And second, can you decide within a week? That's a bit before my chakra tags will run out."

He bowed, and Zabuza, looking annoyed, agreed and shooed him out - Honoka, too. The man who'd brought him there was waiting outside, and Honoka notified him of Zabuza's order to collect his things.


AN: I wasn't expecting anything in this chapter to happen. Really just playing it by ear at the moment.

Oh yeah - Honoka is kind of canon. She appears in Shippuden ep. 227 (as a ghost, actually) but the abandoned facility didn't look that old, and hey, who's to say she wasn't part of the Kiri rebellion before she helped in accidentally creating evil creepy death-summons?

Also, sorry about all the line breaks but I had a lot of ground to cover and I'm kind of terrible at transitioning still.