Okay! So, this time around there's only one chapter, but within good reason.
First off, I'd like to say that there will be NO ItachixKro. I mulled it over and have decided that they'll remain merely close friends.
Second off, and here's the main reason I'm only doing one chapter this time around, Kro's story will be coming to an end in the next few chapters. I'd say one or two. Now, I know that some of you may think the end to be a bit abrupt. That some of you may have been anticipating Nastafiles to be this magical world with beautiful descriptions and for the whole group to go from various towns gathering information and meeting new people, saving lives here and there. But you see, that's not how Kro operates. If you haven't noticed by now, I'd be a little disappointed, but Kro is a very impulsive man. He follows his instincts without much thought on many things. Changing plans that he throws up into the air at a moment's notice, sometimes going back to the original plan just because he realized that it was better than the new one he replaced it with. Of course, he can be patient and he does have the ability to plan- hence why he was able to force Sarutobi into the whole deal and manipulate it as such, let alone raise Naruto into the fine man he is. But think of it like this, my dear readers, if it were you who were forced to live for hundreds of years, not knowing who you really are or where you really came from, and then suddenly the truth is given to you on a silver platter, would you wait long? If you were forced to take multiple round about paths just so you could get what you wanted whilst remaining a person of your word, would you wait any longer when your goal is right within reach? Or would you take the bull by the horns and rush in despite the fact that doing so could take your life from you?
Kro is done waiting, and he wants his god damn revenge. So no, he's not going to go from town to town playing hero. And no, he's not going to relax and sit down and try to figure out his feelings for Naruto- he doesn't have to, he knows what the feelings are and what they mean, but they're not less confusing and frustrating- because he has something else that at the moment matters more. And no, he's most certainly not going to bother with finding a rebel army looking to down the current King. All of these things are a waste of his time, keeping him from getting what he wants- what he fucking deserves.
Anywho, that's why this story will be a bit faster paced, and seem rushed from the next chapter to the end. Don't worry my lovelies, there will be NarutoxKro that happens before the end, but it's not going to be extremely fluffy or angsty.
Alright, I'm done. Enjoy!
Chapter 34: Of Blowing Chunks and Disappearing Acts
"Kro," the bland voice cuts into what had at one point been his dreams. However, from dreams to moments of black silence is what it's turned into. It's not like he can dream with the situation at hand anyways. He does not open his eyes as he addresses the fearless person.
"What?"
"Naruto is throwing up again," the voice returns, "Isn't there something you can give him that will get him to stop? Hearing his retching is annoying" However, when the voice gets no answer, it tries again. "Kro are you listening? Oi". The owner of the voice finds himself scowling deeper than he normally does, more than just a little annoyed by the situation. He's really going to ignore him? Seriously? Again? A pale, slim fingered, hand reaches forward to grip the larger man's shoulder with the intent to rudely jostle him and further pull him from his rest. If there's anyone, it's the hand's owner that really deserves sleep. Having his room suck next to that idiot's while he's freaking sea sick is more annoying than when he was stupid and loud. And that's saying something.
However before his hand can make contact with the body part mentioned, a new one comes into play. A larger palm wraps around his wrist, halting any other movement. Fleshy and warm despite one not expecting it to be, the hand's grip on the wrist is tight and unyielding. The shackle around the wrist makes no noise even as the few chain lings attached brush against one another. The silent command for the owner of the first hand to not try that action again is absolute as an annoyed golden eye opens and looks over the once targeted shoulder. It can easily see in the darkness that greets it, daring such ink to try and take its vision away. "Do I look like a medical ninja to you? Sasori gave him the best treatment he could and the idiot's system runs too fast through actual medication for it to take affect. He'll have to deal with it".
"I don't care if he has to deal with it," the first voice replies a little too blandly, "I care if I have to deal with it. I'm bunking right next door to him and hearing him dry heaving and cursing his own existence every hour or two is grating on my nerves".
This golden eye now narrows, "So you decided to wake me up when I still have no solution to his plight? You're an absolute idiot, Sasuke".
Sasuke's left eye twitches, the only sign of his actual annoyance. "I figured you may have actually managed to find something to help the dobe. Is that so bad?"
"Yes".
It has been only a day since the Akatsuki was brought to its knees, though no one- the former members, that is- saw hide nor hair of Zetsu. Whether he went into hiding to wait for the next great mastermind to appear or if he simply died in the blasts of the multiple fights, it is unknown. Though really, none of them care. As the results were, Kisame had up and decided that dying was better than becoming a vampire's slave- not that he would realize he was such, but still- and nearly took Zabuza down with him. The fatherly swordsman had used his body to shield Haku from Kisame's final, suicidal, attack. It caused him to loose his legs, though Haku had managed to freeze the wounds closed before he could bleed out. Kro's blood could heal just about anything on a human, from gashes to lacerations to mere paper cuts. However, this is only because that kind of healing would have happened eventually anyways. His blood can only make stronger what is natural for a human. Luckily, though, Zabuza's legs were not a lost cause. The pain of the wounds themselves and then the wounds healing over rapidly was enough to put him out for a while, however. The master swordsman is currently under Haku's diligent care, rotating between himself and Itachi as they took turns sleeping. Sasuke and Sasori have kept to the basic duties of sailing a ship through the ocean, keeping an eye on the direction Kro had set their course for. Naruto, apparently having horrid sea legs- or rather, none at all- has been throwing up and dry heaving since shortly after they left the Elemental Nations.
Kro however has been attempting the chore of sleep. For the first time in a very, very, long time he has found himself in actual need of rest for his entire person. It would appear that taking on that other form is extremely taxing on his body regardless on how long he holds it up for. Although, 'attempting' is the key word in this situation. Due to Naruto's current issue, Sasuke has decided that he take every chance he can to whine about it to Kro regardless of the orders for him to be left alone. It would appear that Sasuke doesn't give a shit about the vampire's exhaustion due to his own.
"Either fix it or deal with me bothering you more," the raven haired boy demands with narrowed obsidian orbs.
"Go bother your brother," Kro returns.
But Sasuke's eyes roll, "He's placed a barrier of sorts around himself. A genjutsu ring that protects him is warding me off. I don't want to have to deal with genjutsu at the moment but I do want to sleep". His damn brother had set that up after Sasuke had so kindly woken him up for the fifth time that evening. And don't get him started on Sasori.
"Go sleep in the crow's nest," he issues then. However, Sasuke doesn't move. His presence in the room, and knowing it's there, bothers the exhausted vampire. All he would like to do is sleep and go back to being his ever powerful self. At the moment, his entire body hurts, it aches and groans even when he breathes- thus he stopped breathing- and yet even then it still hurts. Talking is an issue too. It would appear that the blood cells themselves seem to be in pain, and he hates it. He feels human, a sick and disturbing feeling that angers him to the core. Him? Human? Never. He should never feel this way. And yet. This is fucking ridiculous he grounds to himself. He knows the source of it all, that change of forms, and dislikes the surprise of it. He should have known that there would have been a drawback for all that intoxicating power. He should have, and yet he didn't. He was so focused on killing Madara- Obito rather- off that he didn't pay attention to what may happen to him. If someone were to come and stake him with silver, it probably would actually work, his body is so weak. Or, if it didn't, then silver toxin certainly would instead of just knocking him out or making him sick. A weakness. The aftermath of changing into that form is a weakness. He listens with finely tuned ears as Sasuke becomes bored with just standing there and leaves, shutting the door silently.
In the mean time, Kro focuses again on the matter at hand while he still can. He'll be awake for a few more minutes at most before exhaustion takes him away again. A weakness, as mentioned, this result is. No one must know about it. Not even Naruto. For even one person to be knowledgeable that he, Shishaue Kro- Vasile, Rege Sange or Niciun Suflet, whomever he is- has a weakness is more than just taboo. His lip curls up to expose white teeth and fangs that extend in his silent rage. He is not God, he knows that, and therefore he is not invincible. However he is the closest thing to it damn it. And he likes it that way, to be thought of as an all powerful creature that cannot be stopped by one man or even an army of men. Because, shit, it's almost the truth. Call it insecurity, call it his ego- which mostly it is- but he refuses to be referred to as someone with any sort of weakness. And thus a secret it shall remain.
Kro's yellow eyes bare their gaze up at the ceiling of the Captain's quarters and do nothing but stare. There is nothing else for him to do. Itachi is currently asleep, and Naruto is heaving his guts out- or trying to- for what would appear to be the thousandth time since they've set to sailing. It would be at least half a year to Nastafiles, where they would have to find a port town to dock and get their land legs before continuing on. He isn't worried about having to stop at other islands along the way, what with all of them having the ability to seal things away into scrolls and with him having opted that 'borrowing' food and clothing that would last them a good two and a half years without rationing. If they had had to stop, it would have taken at least a year and a half if not more to travel to the far away land. However this is not the case, obviously. He pauses in his thoughts, focusing on their arrival. He supposes that he should take on a different appearance once they get to Nastafiles. He has no mind for being discovered as the current King's long lost and very wanted older brother whom is out to kill him and his family for revenge. No, that would be no good. And so, he'll have to think of a new look. Something drastic from his own, but not so drastic that it's hard for the others to recognize him. He groans verbally, cursing in a language unknown to the humans on his ship, as he rolls onto his back and flings his arms over his head in an attempt to get more comfortable.
"What I wouldn't do for a fucking coffin," he utters lowly, his jaw aching and pulsing with each word. It is something that actually does fit with the Vampire stories that people have heard through out the years back in the Elemental Nations- and probably else where as well. In fact, it's probably the only thing other than the information about silver that is true. Vampires prefer to sleep in coffins tailored carefully to their size, and which change as they grow from child to adult. Even babes of their kind sleep in coffins, not bothered by sleeping in a box. He does not know if it is a habit that had just been passed down from generation to generation, ingrained into their very beings, or if it is because of something else. There are multiple ways as to how a Niciun Suflet can remain strong, drinking fresh blood being one of them. Another is to maintain a coffin with the land of their birth grounds within it. Not even he knows why this works, however it does and that's all he really cares about. That, and the fact that it gives him back his strength far faster than draining multiple bodies of blood does. All he has to do is sleep for a few hours, and he's good to go. Blood does give him an energy boost, however going through the trouble of drinking all that blood- which changes in amount depending on how much energy and power one must recover- is something not even he can do all in one sitting. Far more effort is required.
The downside, though, about maintaining a coffin is that one must lug it around where ever they go. Even sealing and unsealing it into a scroll is more of a hassle than its worth. One of the reasons why he didn't bother to make himself one upon regaining his memories. While he still had amnesia, he hadn't the slightest clue about coffins. Shit, even if he did, he didn't have the dirt of his home land available to him. He does not mean merely his country, either, but literally the very town- or where ever he was born- where he had taken his first human-esque breaths. He wonders, then, what it will be like to sleep in a coffin for the first time in hundreds of years. Will he like it? Will he take time to adapt? Will he hate it? Or perhaps it will be like walking into an old friend's embrace? Deciding that it is okay to try and sleep again, with Sasuke having opted to give up for now, he closes his eyes for a third time that evening.
Finally, rest takes him.
(Skip forward 10 months)
Atop the crow's nest, a beaming figure laughs upon spotting something he thought he would never see again in his life. It brings more joy to him than the thought of free all you can eat ramen, which if one knew him well like the other passengers of the ship do they'd realize that it's something worth great value to him. His happy blue eyes gleam in the sun's sinking rays, it having opted to shift to the other side of the planet for morning duties rather than stay up above his head the whole time. "Land! I see land!" He cries down for all to hear before his gaze once again turn to the mass of earth. Unlike the others, Naruto did not adapt to the ways of sea life very quickly. It had taken him four days to get over his sea sickness, and then another three to get used to the constant shift of the boat when it was time for bed. Add one more week to getting his sea legs and you get a rather frustrated young man. On top of that the others had made the mistake of believing him when he insisted that he knew where they were going upon being given the helm. That was the worst of ideas ever, as he had been given the duty of taking first shift and assuring their course to be clear. Not only did he forget to get Sasori up in order to trade shifts, but he also had somehow managed to get them turned so far around that they lost a good four months. Kro had nearly caved his head in, in his anger, at that. And then there was the part where he nearly tore the main sail when a particularly strong storm was coming, and he was taking too long to furl it up to keep it protected. And then- Oh, well, it's best not to continue down the list. For the first number of months, easily half of the ten that they've been traveling, he had been a complete mess. The only jobs he could do well was cook- surprisingly- for the 'crew' and help keep the deck clean. He wasn't permitted to do anything else until Kro could beat into him the ways of working a ship. That took an additional month.
The young Uzumaki leaps his way down from the crow's nest, landing nimbly and lightly on his feet on the lower deck, the air around him causing his clothing to ruffle and shift. He stands to his full height, a total of six foot two, his broad shoulders rolling in his excitement to go see his 'Captain'. His hair, which is only a bit longer than it had been and now fully resembles his own father's style, is shifted out of his eyes as his bangs lightly tickle his vision as he goes. He passes Sasuke, whom in their time of travel has also had something of a final growth spurt, how towering over his elder brother by a few inches and standing at equal height to Naruto himself. The young Uchiha is sparring said brother, exchanging blow for blow with the elder one and smirking while doing so. These past ten months have given the two once torn by Obito's- Madara's- plans and the doings of their former village much time to catch up on lost years. Sasori is no where to be found, probably below the deck working on his puppet stuff as he tends to stay away from the others, keeping to himself but every now and then seen playing shogi against Itachi or Kro- where they got a shogi board, Naruto will never know. He didn't pass Haku nor Zabuza either, but he knows that they are at the very front of the deck, Haku training with his father figure in order to better support the stronger fighters.
He makes his way up the steps to the higher deck that holds not only a second mast, but also the kitchen- his kitchen- where food for all is kept. Kro's blood supply, though dwindling, is kept in the far back of the fridge where it dare not get too close to the food that Naruto and the others eat three times a day. He then makes his way around the kitchen, around the second mast, and to the back of the ship where the shade is at its darkest. He grins upon finding the very man he had been looking for. Laying on the wooden surface with a distinct look of relaxation, the young blond stops to look at the man before him. He had changed his appearance a few days ago, giving the lot of them the chance to get used to the new look, in order to not be found out right away by the authorities or anyone else that would be out to get them upon realizing that Kro- or Vasile, as he is known as to them- has returned for his revenge at last. In place of familiar golden locks, Kro now bears silver hair situated similarly to his normal hair style. Horns of obsidian protrude from atop his head, hinting at the 'fact' that he may be anything other than vampire. His skin is still pale, and he still does not wear a shirt, however he does wear a thin black fur-lined hooded jacket, it being kept open to show off the red 'dyed' bandages around his abdomen. His pants are black, and around his wrists are still the shackles that hold back his awesome power. Sensing Naruto's presence, a single neon purple eye opens, the pupil slitted and the waterlines black by nature rather than makeup. The figure sits up, drawing his hands from behind his head to show two inch long claws, all black in color like his horns. Apparently this is what demons from Nastafiles can look like, horns and all, far different from the 'demons' back home which were really just suffering tailed beasts.
"Naruto," his voice, like his hair style and his basic way of dress, has remained the same. The unfamiliar visage is deemed familiar the moment Naruto hears that baritone sound come from the disguised vampire's lips. He stands, "You've spotted land?" He had heard the young man cry out his glee, but he might as well as confirm the information.
Naruto nods, "Yea! Come see!" He grabs the elder male's wrist and drags him fearlessly. This is something that has changed between Naruto and Kro. In the time that they've spent together living close quarters again, Naruto has grown brave. Far more brave than he had been after meeting up with him in Konoha for the first time in about three years. Back then, he hadn't known how to handle himself around his crush, to say the least, though he did his best to not be phased. However, once more used to him, if not more so, Naruto has begun to actually touch the vampire here and there. Simple brushes of the fingers against the other's palms or arms, the casual knocking of their shoulders or bumping of their feet when sitting together, these things he has done in hopes that maybe he would get some sort of reaction. He had only gotten one once, however it was minimal and honestly could have been a fluke. But if there's one thing that Naruto will never fail at being, it's persistent. He's yet to give up on the man who he used to only think of as his brother.
Kro stares down at the smaller hand around his thick wrist, grunting as he's drug from his sitting position to his feet and towards the front of the ship. He had planned on going there in a few moments anyways, but it would appear that Naruto didn't feel like waiting for him to arrive on his own. Where as Naruto, unknown to Kro, feels more confident in himself with the time they've spent constantly around one another the vampire does not feel the same. Strangely, thoughts that hadn't once been there have begun to show their ugly heads rather often. Thoughts of Naruto that should not be popping into his head. For example, there are times when he trains with Sasuke or Haku. Often times, Kro finds himself closely watching the mock battles that they run through- be it one on one or two on one or even an all out brawl- carefully watching their movements. Not Naruto's but Sasuke's and Haku's. Watching where their hands go, specifically, and how close their faces get when in a dead lock or when their fingers lace when wrestling over who is stronger. Each time either young Shinobi got too close to the blond Kro would have to turn himself away from watching lest he tear out the humans' throats.
Such sensations were unknown and confusing to Kro. Why would he care if their spars got to rather close quarters, or if Haku or Sasuke touched far too low for Kro's liking due to a missed or dodged or blocked blow? Why would he care that Naruto's attention was on anyone else but him? It confuses him to this day, even. And then there's the alarming bouts of gentle...Emotions he feels towards the young blond. The urge to hold the kid when a storm hits and brings back his sea sickness, or the want to simply pin him by sparring as well, and stay there. The urge to run his hands through those spiky locks when they are dozing together, or simply watch over the boy while he sleeps? He doesn't understand why his blood rushes when, like now, Naruto touches him in any way. Simple contact like the brushing of hands or bumping of shoulders, all of these things make his blood boil but not in a bad way- or, he doesn't believe it to be negative. And this frightens him. Why isn't it a negative sensation? Why does he feel these urges? One time, he had even dared to actually start a pure wrestling match- no blows thrown or anything- as though they were a pair of pups in a litter. It was out of fucking nowhere that that happened! Shit, at that time he had even been chuckling in time with Naruto's grunting and laughter.
Recently, he has has the urge to do something he hasn't had the desire to do in a very long time. He dares not follow through with it, and he dares not admit that it's a frightening aspect, actually doing the action. But still, even as he is pulled wordlessly to the helm instead of the front of the deck, the yearning is there. The strong desire to step back, put is weight into a pull towards himself and drag the blond against his chest. From which point he would mesmerize the boy with merely a gaze and drag him back to the shadows and then...And then kiss the human senseless. Such an urge grows stronger as he takes note of it, sending a shiver down his spine and through his legs as though attempting to lock them in place to begin that little plan.
Confusion, dangerous thoughts indeed.
He had tried to distance himself from the kid, pretend to be sleeping every time Naruto came to ask him for a spar, or to be working on plans for the up coming infiltration of his former home. He has even gone so far as to grab Itachi and randomly spar him, focused only on the man with whom he shares a different kind of bond with, just so Naruto would take the hint and leave him alone. He doesn't want to feel these strange, yet frighteningly familiar, urges for the boy he raised into a man. He doesn't want to have these feelings. Not now, when such a large issue in his life is going to be taken care of soon, or ever really. They alarm him and honestly he has no need for them, he doesn't think.
"See?" Naruto urges. There he goes again, knocking elbows with him to get his attention as he points straight forward, "Land!" And it's gotten surprisingly close since he turned to get the 'Captain'. He looks at the neon purple eyed 'demon' and questions, "Is that Nastafiles?"
Kro's eyes narrow as a massive amount of energy washes over him, his senses having spread far and wide in search for anything not human but not animal either. He finds what he is looking for, finding hundreds if not thousands of different creatures within his range before releasing his focus. "Yes," though he doesn't recognize the port town they're coming upon. Then again, he had fallen off a cliff when he left and was out cold for who knows how long until finally waking up in a cave with amnesia. Before then, he had yet to explore all of Nastafiles plus this could be a new port town- as new as it can get for him- so that is why he had searched like he did. And one of those reasons is why he doesn't recognize the place. "We'll dock at this port here and rest for the evening and then set out for gathering information".
"What kind of information is it we'll be looking for?" Itachi questions, appearing at his friend's free side as Naruto stands on the 'demon's' left.
Kro glances to his black eyed best friend, looking the man over to find him a bit roughed up from the spar with his little brother but no worse for wear. "Anything pertaining to the King of these lands. How the people are treated, what the government itself is like. What the economy is like as well will be a help. Are the people happy? Or is there a rebellious army we could side with before killing my baby brother? Or maybe it'll be an army looking to protect him from my wrath".
"Sounds easy enough," Zabuza, from leaning on one of the railings, allows, "Are we going to split up again?" It'd be easier if they did, that much is certain. Given the fact that they are a group comprised of seven men unknown to these lands. Being Shinobi- highly ranked ones at that- each and every one of them, adapting to the new environment and learning the laws there will be simple. Smaller groups will be harder to spot and track, even if more vulnerable.
Sasori had come to the surface of the ship shortly after Naruto had made a cry of good news. How could he miss that shrill voice of his that made his ear drums ring? Never the less, he is situated along the side of the mast, the way down into the hull where most of their belongings and their rooms are situated being near to there. "I agree," he nods, "Smaller groups of two or less would be best, Kro".
Kro looks to the light brown eyes of the puppet master, before looking ahead again, his eyes trained forward and his hands keeping them on course. "I understand your reasoning. However before we go, I will have to provide you with what knowledge I can". He pauses, and then admits, "However it may be out dated, so I will have to find a different source".
"As in draining someone, right?" Sasuke states blandly as he sits on the stairs that lead to the higher deck, "Think you can do that just after we arrive? People will suspect us if you do that". His onyx gaze turns up to his leader, looking over the silver haired male carefully to once more make certain that he remembers the new look upon a moment's notice if need be.
At this, Haku speaks up, "Are you suggesting a less obvious way of interrogation?" He can't think of one, to be honest. "I also believe that splitting up after being given the ways of these lands is best. We will also be able to further turn people in our favor if need be, or simply gather more knowledge before attacking the King and his men".
"Tsukiyomi would do just fine. Right Itachi?"
The elder Uchiha agrees, "Yes, but we don't know who or what can avoid the abilities of the Sharingan. We're in a new land with new creatures. If there is a beast out there that can hypnotize vampires with merely their voice, then certainly there is a being who can cause our Sharingan to be useless".
It is at this point that Kro interjects, "There is. They're simply called Illusionists, but they're a type of demon that specialize in just that- illusions. I wouldn't be surprised if they can make the Sharingan and its Genjutsu look like child's play". Even more, they could probably throw the jutsu back into Itachi's face- what with him being the only one capable of using the Tsukiyomi. His purple gaze turns to the land that they've swiftly come upon, and issues orders for the sails to be furled as they take position at the nearest open dock. There, he and the others make certain that the ship won't go anywhere- actually, he could care less if it goes somewhere, but Naruto had insisted on tying it up- and officially hitting land. His hand, before he knows it, is reaching out to grab the blond boy's shoulder before he can tip over. After having sea legs for so 'long', of course it'd take a moment for him to adapt again.
The port town is actually more like a city, a place with tall buildings made of concrete and metal, glass windows covering the sides, that spot the land here and there, and shorter ones that are merely shops or fish markets. Further into the city he can assume that some of the shorter buildings are other places like cafes or stores and other such things. The sight makes him narrow his eyes, displeased with the industrial outlook his home had adopted. What further angers him, is the spotting of vehicles running on things like oil and the like. Something that his parents and the other older beings of Nastafiles had vowed never to let touch the continent. What the fuck happened to that method of thought? He can only assume- or rather, he only wants to assume- that it was his brother's doing. After all, the war had brought forth Kro's full over the whole continent, and then his brother stole that throne from him. His upper lip curls in displeasure even as his feet hit concrete and Haku just barely misses getting run over by a car.
Just like the ones from a certain other place- one which is filled to the brim with nothing but humans and normal animals, nothing supernatural- these cars work on fossil fuels, something he knows his former home to be filled with. The cars are sleek and shinny, silent in their movements. With a sigh, Kro shakes his head and treks forward when the way is clear, ignoring Naruto's curious cries of 'what the hell was that thing?!' and heading for a bar. He doesn't feel like explaining technology to the lot of them, he really doesn't. And so, he won't. Each of them is smart in their own right; they'll figure it out eventually. And if they don't, that's on them. He leads the way forward, not caring for any one member of his small army if they get lost. If they're smart, they'll stay focused. Goliath. That's what the sign at the docks had called this place. Thinking back, he recalls it to have been nothing but a small gathering of houses and shacks for fishermen and their families. Some farmers lived there, but other than that it was a quiet place. When had it become so bustling? His shoulders draw back, tense as he fees fingers brushing against his left fleshy hand, warm and inviting though he dare not reach out and grasp the owner of that hand. His currently violet eyes slide to the side to find Naruto walking evenly with him despite the curious glances his throws this way and that, taking in as much information. Kro can see the questions roaving around in his head, though he doesn't dare ask.
The streets, once dirt but now made of asphalt, are well taken care of despite the constant water spray that hits them for being so close to the shore. Markings divide the long strip of black into two sections, cars passing one another on either side of these lines whilst going in different directions. There are men, on the actual docks, loading and unloading other ships, getting them ready to sail to some unknown destination. People of all species and genders pass him without a second thought, not seeing him as his real self- because right now, this new form is his real self, not a simple illusion like a Henge or anything of the sort- which pleases him. On his left are some of the skyscrapers, between which are nestled fish and clothing shops, stores for actual fishing and others for recreational activities on the beach not far from the actual port. He looks over his shoulder to make certain that he hasn't lost anyone, finding the Uchiha brothers walking directly behind Naruto and Kro, while the other three bring up the rear. All are carefully taking in their surroundings, adapting the best they can without having any real information. Which is impressive but not surprising. A Shinobi's job half the time is to be able to adapt and expect the unexpected. While shoving them into a city like this may be a little much for even his top notch warriors to handle in one go, they're not even letting him see them sweat. A pleasing sight.
He picked a good batch.
Turning forward again, Kro's eyes zone in on what he had been looking for. A bar that doubles as a small in. He assumes that they're no longer that popular, and instead hotels with bars instead of the other way around are far more easily found. However, he doesn't want a place with high security that even he isn't familiar with and filled to the brim. He wants a place where drunkards crash, where tired men from the sea beg fore boarding, and where eyes do not linger out of strict mistrust of everything around them. Plus, he doesn't have the currency of this place, even if it were the same as it had been, and therefore it'll be on him to make certain that they get rooms to rest in via hypnotizing the poor bar master. The shack is a simple place, one comparable to the simpler bars back in the Elemental Nations rather than those in popular towns.
Before he enters, however, he stops and turns to his small army, addressing them, "We'll be bunking here tonight. Make certain not to draw eyes to you. Hide in the shadows, talk with strangers, do whatever it is you must in order to make certain that you are not suspected of being someone hostile. Understood?"
"We understand," Sasori allows blandly, "When do we begin our information gathering?"
"Immediately. Fuck waiting until tomorrow. Gather information like you normally would, use whatever subtle methods necessary. I'm tired of waiting," he admits with a grunt, shoving his hands into his pockets, "If it comes down to it, we attack the castle as soon as the day after".
Surprised, Itachi interjects, "Is that not a bit risky? You had first wanted to do things slowly. You wanted to gather information and corner your brother bit by bit, did you not? What changed?"
"Does it really matter what changed?" Sasuke disagrees, seeing Zabuza nod once to agree with him, but it would appear that Haku doesn't like the idea of rushing in basically blind. "Think abut it, Itachi, the sooner we attack, the sooner we can live peacefully. The sooner we can find a place to settle down and restart the Uchiha family- continue on with our lives and put the past behind us. Why wait when we're here, we're strong, and we're ready?" He doesn't care if he's blind when he goes into a fight. Again, it's a Shinobi's job to adapt, and half the time when on a mission- from what he remembers of when he was with the Leaf Village- you end up going in mostly blind anyways. Oh sure, you have all this information that you can use to make dozens of plans with, and all of them could go perfectly if you plan them correctly. However, no plan goes perfectly, there is always a surprise lurking around the corner. So what's the point of planning? He had had a plan for killing Itachi, yes, however it was nothing full proof and he expected it to go right out the damn window the moment the fight actually began.
"We are in a land that not even Kro is familiar with any more," Haku points out, "We don't know if his brother has an army waiting for us, or if we're being watched even as we speak. We don't know if there's already an army waiting to attack the King in a few hours. We don't know, so it is unwise to act. Even the barest of plans would be nice. We don't even know how large Nastafiles is. How long will it take to get to the castle? What will we do for food, shelter, and water while we travel? Will we go as one large group, or as multiple small ones? Who will go with whom? Which way do we go? There is too much that is unknown for us to act and know that we will come out alive".
It is at this point, that Sasori speaks and directs all attention to something vital that it would appear that each of them forgot to think about. "When do we ever know when we will come out of something alive?" It's a valid question, and one that lingers in the air like a poisonous mist. And it's true, he notes, that they never know if they'll come out of something alive, battle related or not. Death is easy to come by, even for men like the lot of them. At any given moment, they could drop dead for unknown reasons- or known ones- without any sort of notice. Certainly, having a plan for something is always good, but at the same time not all plans are perfect. Death is the most unpredictable thing one can come across, seeing as even if you plan for it you could still end up having to wing it. And in all honesty, "Did any of us come alone thinking we would certainly survive through this?" he didn't, and he's fine with that.
Surprised by the normally silent red haired puppet master's morbid words, Haku's gentle brown eyes are wide with shock. "...I...I had at least hope that-"
"You hope, not know. Those are two entirely different things," Sasori continues. Out of all of them, other than Kro he is the oldest- the one with the most life experience- death and life are never certain. You, a powerful Shinobi, could be downed by mere weakling fresh out of training simply because you had underestimated them. Or, you could crush them. However, I know that you and your master are both familiar with the former statement," it is at that point that his eyes flicker to Sasuke and Naruto. It was they whom had stopped the swordsman and his apprentice in their tracks in the first place. Zabuza had nearly been killed by Kakashi for underestimating the men who at that time were mere brats. He had underestimated his grandmother and Haruno Sakura while they were fighting him for the Godaime Kazekage's sake, and look where that landed him. Alive, yes, but only because someone stronger than he intervened at the last moment.
"Well I don't really care," Naruto utters loud enough for the bickering others to hear, his blue eyes determined to make them- Kro most of all- listen. "I'm not really one for plans myself. Every time I make one, it ends up being thrown away the moment the fight starts anyways. But this time, I really do have to agree with the thought that we need one. And contingency plans too, just in case something goes wrong".
Itachi smiles to the blue eyed male, "I agree completely with you, Naruto-kun".
Sasuke however shakes his head and scoffs, "I don't". This earns him a look from his former team mate. What, you wanna say something, runt? Got a problem with me for agreeing with Kro? I'm not surprised you don't understand his method of thought; you've never hated someone so much that you want to kill them even when they're your own brother".
This makes Naruto's eyes widen, "No, I don't understand. Because Kro- the man I called brother- was never forced to do anything like that to me. But so what? It's because he's important to me that I want to make sure that he makes it out of the fight alive". This causes the young Uchiha to twitch. Kro is that important to Naruto? So what? Kro's important to Sasuke as well. He's the man who saved him from killing his own sibling, and Sasuke doesn't mind going through with what he wants to do without question. He's that loyal to the vampire. "I want to make sure all of us do, so that one day we can meet up again celebrate our victories later".
Haku smiles, "I too would enjoy finding peace and later celebrating with you all. It would be a wonderful way to look back and see just what hardships we've pulled through to make us stronger".
Zabuza, having for the time being taken Sasori's job of being the quiet one, finally speaks, "Man Haku, you're so sappy. Seriously?" But alas, he digresses, intending to speak the words he has in his mouth in the first place, "We can argue about having a plan or not later. Right now, we better go inside because Kro did that about seven minutes ago". He points, and watches comically as Naruto screams his surprise. Apparently no one but Zabuza noticed the hidden vampire leaving with a scowl on his lips.