Kai walked quietly behind Sasuke, holding Curse on a leadrope she grabbed out of the hideout before they left. Suigetsu splashed around in a puddle in front of them.
"Hey, I forgot to ask you, it was your squad, wasn't it?" He said, bringing himself out of the water. Kai wished he'd put some clothes on. "You were the ones who brought down my predecessor, Zabuza Momochi, weren't you?" He started laps in the puddle, which was the size of a small pond.
"So tell me, whatever happened to his sword, the Executioner's blade?" Suigetsu asked. Kai and Sasuke stood quietly. Kai hadn't spoke since they left, but finally was able to keep herself from sniffling. "What, cat got your tongues? Come on," Suigetsu swam closer to them "You tell me where the blade is, and once I get my hands on it, I'll agree to join your team."
Sasuke started walking again, and Kai scrambled to catch up to him. "Get dressed." He called to Suigetsu.
They traveled back to where Team 7 shared their first big mission. Kai glanced around nervously, feeling out of place. Curse walked behind her, getting looks from some of the people around them. They stopped in front of a bridge. Sasuke was looking up, reading it. Kai glanced up.
"Hm, the Great Naruto Bridge. Wow, what a weird name." Suigetsu walked up next to Sasuke. He took a sip of his water and turned to Sasuke. "Say, did Master Zabuza put up a good fight?" Sasuke glanced at Kai. She looked down, remembering how that was when they activated their sharingan. She wasn't sure if it was a good fight or if they were just that weak.
"What's the matter Sasuke? Sasuke-"
"Nothing's the matter." Sasuke started walking forward. "Let's go."
They walked to the top of a hill, where they had buried Zabuza and Haku together. Kai held her hands together close to her chest, closing her eyes in respect for a moment. Suigetsu stood in front of the wooden crosses.
"It's not here. Sasuke, are you sure this is the right place?" Suigetsu turned, looking at him.
"I am."
"Well it's not here, so what's the deal?" Suigetsu put his arms out.
"I don't know." Sasuke said. Kai kicked at a rock on the ground.
"It's been over three years. Someone probably took it." She said. Suigetsu turned to her.
"Well look at that, she speaks." He said, grinning. "I can't believe you were that upset-
"Fuck off." Kai growled, glaring at him. He raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't realize you had a violent side, you were always so obedient."
"I said fuck off!" Kai threw a punch at him, only to be stopped by Sasuke. Suigetsu laughed but Sasuke turned and looked at him first, making him be quiet.
"Suigetsu, leave her alone."
Suigetsu watched Sasuke carefully, before putting his hands up in defeat. "Whatever." He turned and started walking. "Since Master Zabuza's blade is gone, so is any chance of me joining your team."
Curse snorted as Kai muttered "good", only to receive a glare from Sasuke. She glared back. He put her hand down and followed Suigetsu. Kai cursed under her breath and followed, pulling Curse's lead rope as he followed behind her.
They walked on the bridge, Kai following behind as Sasuke and Suigetsu walked in front of her.
"What are you going to do?" Sasuke asked.
"What else can I d? I'm going to look for the sword." Suigetsu said. The blade of the seven swordsmen of the mist was passed down from generation to generation. That's the tradition. I was all set to become one of those swordsmen. That's what I was training for. So it only makes sense that if Master Zabuza is gone, I'm the only one who should inherit his executioner's blade." A stranger bumped into him, and Kai stopped. "Why don't you watch where you're walking, idiot." He reached out his hand but Sasuke grabbed his wrist and stood in front of him. The man, with gray hair and a purple hat, turned.
"Hm. What you got a problem, buddy?" He turned, leaning forward. "Want to make something of it?"
Sasuke turned, glaring at him. Curse snorted and stomped his hoof at the stranger. The man stepped back and turned around, muttering something. "Just watch it." He said, and mumbled as he walked away: "This place is crawling with idiots."
"Man, you are way nicer than I am. So, it looks like you owe me for not starting trouble. How we gonna settle up?" Suigetsu said. Kai glared at him.
They walked to a small yogurt shop where the waitresses stared at Sasuke and Kai glared at them and Suigetsu. Curse was waiting outside patiently and Kai checked back over her shoulder occasionally.
"Hm, oh- man this yogurt is so great. It's been ages since I've had anything this good. I was locked in that tank for way too long."
"Is that why you're wasting my time now?" Sasuke asked.
"How should I put this, your the one in such a hurry, not me." He said, waving a spoon at Sasuke. Kai spun her spoon in her yogurt, barely listening. She stared at the swirls absentmindedly. She glanced up to Suigetsu looking at her. "You gonna eat that?" He said, pointing at her yogurt.
"Hmph." Kai muttered, pulling the yogurt closer and taking a bite. She galred only for Suigetsu to glare back.
Suigetsu turned back to Sasuke. "So why are you gathering all of us together anyway?"
"I'll tell you when we've all assembled."
Suigetsu thought about it. "All right, let's go conquer the world! You're not gonna say something like that, are you?"
"Do that on your own time." Sasuke muttered. "I'm aiming for something much bigger." Kai glanced at Sasuke when he said this. He didn't look at her. Suigetsu sighed.
"If anyone else started saying that, I wouldn't believe it for a second… but with you… I think maybe it's possible. And that's the strange thing."
The only strange thing around here is you, asshole. Kai thought, going back to swirling her yogurt. The waitress came up, holding another yogurt on a tray.
"The Great Naruto Bridge, was it? Ever heard of a large blade near that bridge?" Suigetsu asked her. She hesitated.
"Well.. oh, maybe there was…" She looked at Sasuke and got more tense. Kai thought about acting like her and Sasuke were a thing so the girls would stop looking at him like they did but she decided otherwise. "What about it?"
Suigetsu leaned closer. "He's looking for that blade." He said, pointing with the spoon and grabbing the yogurt from the tray. As soon as those words came out the girl panicked.
"Huh?! S-Someone might know about it! I'll go ask!" With one last squeal she ran back to the other girls. Screaming could be heard in the back.
"You're quite the ladies' man, eh?" Suigetsu said. Kai huffed and Sasuke glanced at her. A warning to straighten up. Kai turned away and finished her yogurt. The girls all came running back and swarmed Sasuke, which made Kai scoot closer to the wall.
"I know!"
"Tazuna…"
"Who lives by the riverside…"
"...would know!"
Sasuke was quiet for a moment. Kai let her self relax slightly. Tazuna? The old drunk was still alive? Then again, he had a change of heart once they had gotten back. She looked at Sasuke. "Nii-san?"
"Let's go." He said, getting up and setting down some money. Kai glared at the girls, who stepped back to let him through. Over their excitement Kai heard a few say good luck. If only they knew.
They reached Tazuna's house pretty quickly. Kai left Curse nearby and scurried up the bridge leading to the house.
"Who is this Tazuna?" Suigetsu asked.
"The carpenter boss who built that bridge." He said. They reached the house and Kai stayed back, letting Sasuke and Suigetsu do the talking. She watched the fish swim below the wood.
"The boss isn't here right now." The man said as he sawed at a piece of wood.
"Do you know where he went?" Suigetsu asked, hands over his head. Part of him wanted to push Kai in the water. He refrained.
"To the Land of Lightning to build a bridge. He took Inari with him." Kai looked up, hearing about Inari. That little squirt was probably growing up pretty quickly, huh? "He won't be back for another year."
"The land of lightning, eh? That's pretty far." Suigetsu said, looking at Sasuke. Sasuke didn't answer.
"Do you know of a large blade that was left near the Great Naruto Bridge?" He asked.
"Oh, that." The man wiped his face of the sweat and Kai realized just how warm is was getting. "Tenzen Daikoku took it. He originally came here to capture the ninja who wielded the blade." Kai scoffed, getting a glare from Suigetsu. She narrowed her eyes back and stood up, stepping away from the water. "But after learning the ninja was dead, he took the blade with him instead."
"Arigatou." Kai said, bowing. The man smiled.
"No problem." He went back to work and the three walked back off into town. Kai led Curse on the lead rope once more.
"Damn it, Tenzen Daikoku, eh?" Suigetsu said. "He was the aide to the lord of the Land of Water. Apparently, many of his men were killed during Zabuza Senpai's coup d'etat in the Hidden Mist. I guess he had a grudge from back then." Suigetsu finished as the same man from before bumped into him. Kai stopped, partly blocking the man's path. Curse snorted, as Suigetsu and Sasuke turned.
"Where the hell do you think you're-?!" The man started but stopped. People around them watched.
"Hey, we were just looking for you." Suigetsu said. The man went to run but Suigetsu grabbed him by the collar and they quickly took him into an ally way. Kai stood on watch, rubbing down some sweat off of Curse and checking the saddle bags she had picked up. She ignored the commotion behind her.
Eventually, Sasuke and Suigetsu walked out. "Let's go." Sasuke said, motioning for Kai to follow. Kai nodded and followed behind them until they reached the forest with a castle building. There they waited until dark. Sasuke got up and went to head in. Kai got up as well.
"No, you stay with Suigetsu."
"But-" Kai started but Sasuke was gone. Kai crossed her arms and stood away from suigetsu, who snickered in the corner.
"What's the matter, big brother not letting you tag along anymore?"
Kai waved her middle finger at him, before moving where he couldn't see her. He laughed before leaning back and waiting.
The next morning they stood watching as hundreds of men rode into the castle.
"What's going on?" Suigetsu said. Kai turned to make sure Curse was okay as he stood grazing in the treeline behind them.
"It seems another powerful clan plans to attack Tenzen's castle tomorrow." Sasuke said, walking up. "With an army that numbers in the tens of thousands."
"Oh… is that true?" Suigetsu said, rubbing his head. "Oh well, whatever. The more confused the enemy becomes, the better my chances. Be it several thousand or tens of thousands, it doesn't matter to a Ninja like me. I'll sneak in tonight and take the Executioner's Blade."
"How about making a wager?" Sasuke said. Kai looked up, confused.
"A wager?"
"On who gets the Executioner's Blade first."
"Huh? I never expected you to have a playful side!" Suigetsu grinned. Kai gave Sasuke a questioning look. "Let's do it. Sounds like fun."
"Then it starts now." Sasuke said. "Kai, with me."
"Hey, isn't that a bit unfair?" Suigetsu cried. Kai walked over next to Sasuke.
"If you're the tough ninja you say you are then it won't make a difference." She said, sticking her tounge out. Suigetsu glared in response.
"Oh, there's only one rule. We don't kill anyone." Sasuke added, before disappearing. Kai followed suit.
"Oh come on." Suigetsu muttered. "They're too nice." He disappeared as well.
They appeared in the middle of the horses, surrounding themselves. Kai looked at all the horses, her back to Sasuke's.
"No killing, including the horses." She said quietly. He didn't answer. One of the men spoke up, maybe the leader.
"Who the hell are you? You're suspicious!" He said and charged the two. They dodged, Sasuke jumping in the air and kicking the man while Kai made quick work of the saddle and bridle. The horse took off, leaving the man on the ground. The two took out all the men before being joined by Suigetsu and walking into the castle.
"You really mean now then, huh?" Suigetsu muttered.
As they walked closer, wooden objects flew out at them. Kai glanced at Sasuke as he used a quick fireball jutsu to get rid of them.
"Gotta hand it to you, Sasuke!" Suigetsu said. By the time the fireball was gone, so were the siblings. "What the-? He's gone?!"
"Nii-san, why did you make a wager?" Kai asked as they stood in a tree watching Suigetsu fight the men who charged out.
"I have my reasons." Sasuke said, and Kai took that as a sign that it wasn't her business.
They made their way into the castle, walking up the stairs where Kai noticed a big man was holding the Blade and another man was standing there looking terrified.
"You're the one from yesterday!" The man said, looking at Sasuke. "He's the one! He's the one who kill Mr. Zabuza!"
"Pointing fingers awfully quick." Kai muttered.
"All I did was bring the blade back from the grave!"
Suigetsu laughed, turning to the man after looking at Sasuke. "I'll give you some points for that. That's a pretty good lie for a villain like you to come up with."
"Suigetsu." Sasuke said, tossing him a water bottle.
"How thoughtful. I was feeling a bit dehydrated." Suigetsu said, taking a drink. Kai rolled her eyes. It wasn't thoughtful because they cared. "I think you're under the wrong impression here. I wasn't particularly close to Mr. Zabuza."
"But the thought of the senpai from my village," Suigetsu tossed the man who was holding the blade out the window. "Having such pathetic rumors about losing to weaklings like you is, you know?" Suigetsu held the blade to the man's head. Kai went to step forward but Sasuke stopped her.
"D-do you think you can get away with this?" The man cried.
"Well, you'll have to pay for this…right? I think I'll test this on you." Suigetsu put the blade closer.
"Forget it." Sasuke spoke up. "What's the sense in killing someone like him?"
Suigetsu smiled, waved the blade over the man's head, and cut the four main pillars.
"I've cut through the main pillars, so you'd better get out of here. I'll spare your life." Suigetsu walked towards Sasuke. "Out of respect for you, Sasuke."
As they walked away, the man spoke again. "Sasuke…? That's… Sasuke who killed Orochimaru?!" He cried. Kai flinched hard, stopping. Sasuke moved his hand. Kai noticed and walked forward again, clenching her fist tightly.
"Say, you're famous. They know your name even around here." Suigetsu said. Kai held her head down as the castle collapsed behind them. Something about being a rogue ninja, not following any rules, felt weird to her. They stopped back to grab Curse and began walking to their next place. Kai kept quiet and ignored Suigetsu as they got closer. She had a faint idea on who would be next, and she wasn't excited about this one either.
God, she wanted Kabuto…