The Hyuuga's Black Eye

by TheParagonPariah

AU POST-EPILOGUE! The war is over, and peace has been introduced to the ninja world. However, one cannot live in a world of light without finding a few shadows. Follow the tales of a young Hidden Mist child named Jiyuu as he slowly becomes a hero for the new generation, and unlocks the unknown powers of the Byakugan! OC CENTRIC, SOME ROMANCE, BYAKUGAN UPGRADES!

63. The Crack of Lightning

A/N: Ah...this took me a while to proofread, only because it's one of the longest chapters I wrote in a while. This was just as fun to write as it was to read, I rarely feel that way. I hope you all enjoy! :)

---

Sometimes, one can find inspiration for living life in the most dire of places. At the edge of Lightning Country, life was peaceful for a small clan by the name of Jinsoku. Unfortunately, times were just too hard for some, and they sought opportunities for a good life elsewhere. One such family had made their way to the Hidden Mist years ago for such a reason, a man and a woman with their four-year-old daughter. Upon reaching the docks and hoisting their belongings onto land, they knew that their destination may not have been as grand as they imagined. Cold, thick mist blanketed the port town, theft seemed to be quite rampant as vendors chased children holding armfuls of vegetables, and the paranoid father could swear he smelled blood in the air. Regardless, they had arrived, and as they made their way through a marketplace, the daughter paused at a shop to view the various toys that were on display.

"Mother, can I go look at the toys?"

The mother, who's arms were full, took a single look at her daughter, the man inside who was cleaning and organizing, and back to her daughter. "Only for a moment, dear. Do hurry, we need to move along."

"You'd let her be by herself in this Kami-forsaken place?" Her husband's angered words were whispered, as he did not wish to attract much attention to themselves. His wife smiled at him, relaxed as ever.

"Sweetie, she'll only be a moment. Come, let's see if we can pick up anything for dinner." The woman looked at her daughter, and nodded. "Only a moment, understand Warai? Your father and I will be just down there," she said before tilting her head in the direction she aimed to go.

The conformation to go inside was all she needed, and pure glee stretched across her face. "Yes, mother!" She spun on her heel and darted inside the shack. Her parents remained outside to see how the shopkeep would react, and both were relieved to see him greet her with enthusiasm. From there, they made their way to a street vender a few shacks down to pick up some vegetables.

Warai played with the dolls she had seen inside the shop, constantly reminding herself out loud that she was only allowed to be inside the shop for a moment. However, she lost track of time. A moment, according to her parents, was a minute. She had been occupied for five, and upon realizing, she carefully placed the toys back where she had found them, waved goodbye to the man, and made her way for the exit...but she stopped in the doorway. A simple glance down the road was all it took for the girl's psyche to become twisted and broken.

Her parents laid dead in the middle of the street, both in a pool of blood with two Hidden Mist shinobi standing by them. They spoke to each other rather loudly, and Warai noticed that all the vendors nearby were trying to act as if they did not notice.

"Damn immigrants," one of them said. "Y'know, they would've probably made it deeper into the village if the idiot husband didn't say they were of the Jinsoku Clan."

"Yep, but they didn't make it far at all" the other replied, cleaning his teeth with a toothpick. "If the Mizukage doesn't want people with special bloodlines in this village, then he won't get any. Now let's get these bodies out of here, they're going to make this place look unsightly."

Before she could be caught staring, Warai was pulled back into the store by the shopkeep. He closed the door and looked down at the little girl, his face solemn. "You shouldn't stare at the shinobi like that, child. They'll think you're one of them."

Warai's focus was dead ahead, at the door that the man blocked. She stared at nothing, whole body frozen with her hair appearing to stand on-end. And then, after a moment, the shock had worn off. She collapsed to her knees, and started bawling as any child would over the death of her parents. She didn't know how long she stayed in that shop crying herself to sleep, but she knew the shopkeep was kind enough to close up and allowed her to stay where she was. He had seen these cases all too often, and knew the best thing for Warai to do was let her sorrow run it's course. When she had finished, she passed out from exhaustion; the shopkeep set up a small area for her to sleep, just a large open crate lined with thick blankets, and laid her in it.

Tonight, she would be allowed to sleep here, and he would use the back room to rest here for the night instead of heading home. Walking around the streets at this hour with an unconscious girl in an adult's arms was...suspect. But when she woke up, it would be her decision what she wanted to do.

---

None of the three moved. Warai knew that when one was outnumbered, it was usually best to wait for someone else to make the first move and then counter attack. Her body was unmoving, stuck in her fighting stance. She would not move for anything, not even the sight of death and destruction around her would deter her. These were sights she had grown up around, sights that molded her into a battle-hardened kunoichi. It would take far more to shake her.

"How amusing," Aunt cooed, hands on her hips. "This hag seems like a professional. About time."

Keeping his sword out to his side, Yaju's nutty smile faded away. His muscles twitched with anticipation, yet he was trying his hardest to not rush in like a fool. "Be careful, babe. She's cut from the same cloth that I was, she's a kunoichi from the Bloody Mist days."

"Ohhhh, a real fighter then?"

"All of us are."

Looking Warai up and down once again, she let out a passive 'hmph' and charged in. Her speed was insane, yes, but would it be enough? It certainly seemed to be the case, as she was already laying a fist into Warai's face.

Or rather, that's how it appeared to be. Warai did indeed get hit, but she didn't move. In fact, Aunt's fist phased through Warai's entire head. The lizard woman went wide-eyed, utterly confused by just what was happening. Then, her answer was granted. She felt a distinctly powerful attack hit her in the jaw, one with such power that it lifted Aunt off her feet and flung her past where she had started her attack from. Aunt slammed against the interior of her own barrier, and fell to the ground on a knee. She could taste blood in her mouth, and spit some out on the earth before her.

Warai was not where Aunt had struck. Instead, she was far to the side with her leg lifted in the air above her head. Static rolled down her limb, and she brought it down before getting into her fighting stance again. The strike had hurt a little, as she used her bad leg for it, but she could tell that it had been effective nonetheless. "You'll need to try harder than that," she stated, voice lacking in any sort of playful tone. She was all business right now.

Aunt stood up and wiped her mouth, her demeanor becoming serious to match Warai's. "Alright hag, you're faster than you look. It's been a while since someone fooled me with an after-image. I wasn't paying attention to your chakra with my Byakugan...maybe I should."

"It won't do you any good," Warai countered. "I survived in the days of the Bloody Mist by practicing taijutsu and claiming my physical speed was the result of training. The truth is, I'm from a small clan far out in Lightning Country: the Jinsoku Clan."

To this, Aunt frowned a little. "I get it," she muttered. "So, you were born with a kekkei genkai. Swift Release, if I remember."

"That's right. Ever since I began learning how to use chakra, I discovered my kekkei genkai. I wasn't a stupid girl, I knew that the only way for me to not be killed was to act like it was all a result of taijutsu-practice. And as you can see, I'm still here."

"Well, looks like you made things interesting," Aunt mumbled. She looked to Yaju, and tossed her hair. "Babe, what should we do? Combination attacks?"

The large Hoshigaki glanced at her, then to Warai. "Sure. Just don't get in the way of my sword. In my current state, I'll lop you in half if you get in the way."

"Can do, babe."

Warai tightened her fists, wand waited for the right moment to strike when both shinobi charged her from either side.

---

Theft had been rampant in the Hidden Mist, and it was only after being orphaned that Warai understood why. Much of the theft was perpetrated by children, ones who managed to escape being killed by Mist-nin for having a kekkei genkai. She was no different.

"Get back here you little runt! Hey, hey! Someone stop that brat!"

The little blonde girl, dirt smudged on her face and forearms, darted through little gaps between shops and through alleyways as her beige rags flapped in the wind behind her. She was smiling, this was all like playing a game to her...a dangerous game where she knew it would be best to not get caught, but it was fun nonetheless. She saw another shopkeep react to the man she had stolen from, and looked to get in her way as he parted his hands and blocked off an alleyway she was running to. Chuckling to herself, she jumped clear over his head and landed right on her feet, continuing to sprint and maintaining her momentum. She could hear more shouting behind her fade out as she cut corners here and there behind the shops, and after a few more minutes of running, she had fled the shopping district.

To the east around a mile away was a short bridge connecting one island in the Hidden Mist to another, and it was here that Warai came with her small bag of stolen vegetables. Snow was falling in this area, and she understood it meant that the water down below was frozen. She jumped off the bridge and landed on, indeed, frozen lake water. She let a long, loud 'phew' escape her and become hot fog in the air, and the young girl brought her stolen goods along with her beneath the bridge. She plopped down on the ice cross-legged, and stuck her head in the bag to see what she wanted to eat first. She decided to pull out a head of cabbage, and chomped into it like a savage.

This little area beneath the bridge was her 'home' for two years. In the seasons where the lake was not frozen, there was usually just enough space on the pile caps for her to sleep, eat, and remain dry, as it was placed well above the water. When the water was frozen, however, she was granted the freedom to actually move around on the lake and enjoy more space...but she would never sleep on it's surface. She made that mistake once, and almost drowned when the lake began to crack apart and thaw. On one of the pile caps was a small bag, another item she had swiped, though this was taken from a kid who was supposedly a genin at the shinobi academy...or rather, a kid looking to become a genin. Inside were scrolls about chakra usage, chakra control, killing techniques, vital areas of the human body, basically everything a kid needed to know to become a genin. When she wasn't thieving, she was practicing the usage of chakra, because Kami knew she had nothing else to do.

Taking more massive chomps from the cabbage, Warai looked off at the frozen surface of the lake. This was fine for her, she decided. She could easily live life like this, just taking food and living under a bridge. Nobody could catch her, she wasn't like the common thief. She could use chakra, she knew how to jump higher and run faster than any other six year old. But she had seen adult thieves in the marketplace, too...and the Mist-nin were far more aggressive when it came to them. Warai may have been fine now, but she knew that the older she got, the more likely it would be for shinobi to start coming after her...and if they found out she was a Jinsoku, she would be killed.

Just like mother and father...

Like magic, Warai instantly stopped chewing and fell quiet, her soft and saddened eyes shifting down to the torn-apart cabbage she was eating. It had been two years since that faithful day. Her parents came to this land seeking opportunity, yet all they found was their end. The young girl refused to simply die, as the shopkeep who kept her safe on the day of her parent's death had suggested. 'Many people here are just like you,' he said. 'You need to choose whether you want to live or die.' Well, she chose, but she also saw that this wouldn't last forever. The more she thought about it, the more bitter she became, glaring at the cabbage she held.

The Mizukage was to blame for all of this. She knew it very well, this whole 'kill the people with special bloodlines' ordeal was his doing. If Warai decided she had any goals in life, anything else would be secondary to killing the Mizukage. But she couldn't touch him, that was impossible...

...unless...

Looking over her shoulder at the bridge's pile cap behind her, and glanced at her stolen bag of shinobi learning materials. A small idea popped into her head, a small infectious idea that grew larger and larger. There was no doubt in her mind about what action she should take. She looked back at the cabbage in her hand and started eating it with the ferocity of a lion with fresh prey. She would join the shinobi academy, learn all she could about becoming a kunoichi, climb the ranks, and get close enough to the Mizukage that she would be able to kill him.

As soon as she finished eating, she would find the closest academy and apply. She knew, with her head-start in terms of knowledge, she would be accepted with no trouble.

---

Every missed sword swing from Yaju cut the air so violently that everything within the barrier shifted around. Every missed strike from Aunt had the potential to leave holes in a human body. Every time Warai avoided these attacks, she ended up somewhere behind both of her foes, peppering in small strikes before retreating to the opposite side of the barrier. This time, however, she was becoming a little cocky. She saw Yaju charge in for another swing of the sword, but this time she ducked beneath it. Warai buried her fist into his stomach, winding the large man, and then struck his hand that held onto Widow's Bane. She had hoped he would release the weapon, but his hold on it was stronger than she imagined it would be.

She saw Yaju attempt to grab her with his free hand, so she intercepted it with her own two, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him down. His face met with her elbow, and an electrical pulse knocked him back a few steps. Like clockwork, Warai knew that Aunt would approach from behind, and leapt up to avoid a wild charge. She dropped down, stomping her foot onto the tail of the lizard to keep them pinned. Aunt spun around like a wild animal, ready to strike with a wild-flying fist. Warai parried by pushing the assaulting limb up, and threw a side kick to Aunt's liver. The damage was intense, she could see Aunt writhe in pain from the attack, but it wasn't enough to rupture anything. Aunt regained her footing best as she could, and pulled her tail out from under Warai. The blonde backflipped off the fifth limb and landed on her feet, instantly using Swift Release to blitz in front of Aunt and grab her by the hair. Aunt had her head pulled down low, and her nose met with the rising knee of Warai. Electricity rolled from Warai's attack into Aun't face, and elicited angered grunts from the Abyss-nin. Warai went for a second knee, and it did connect, but Aunt managed to endure the blow and grab her by the forearms.

Surprised, Warai was quick in her attempt to get free, but Aunt wouldn't release her. Aunt let out a barbaric yell and turned around, lifting Warai into the air like a rag doll and slamming her body against the ground. The impact broke the concrete floor, and Warai gasped in pain. Aunt was not finished, turning around and repeating the process, again and again. Only after she could see Warai was planning some sort of sneaky counter attack with a knee strike did Aunt finish, spinning in a full circle and flinging Warai towards Yaju. The blonde saw Yaju aim his swing and let the sword slice through the air, but it wasn't enough. Warai positioned her body in such a way that she barely missed being cut (she could feel some strands of her hair get lopped off), and took advantage of her momentum to delivery a flying punch to the face of the Hoshigaki. He stumbled, but his face didn't show that he registered pain; instead, he appeared to only grow more frustrated. He tried to grab her, but she was already past him, landing on the ground in a sloppy way. With a roar, he brought Widow's Bane down onto Warai, but with the aid of her bloodline technique, she was out of harm's way long before his sword slammed against the ground. Dirt and wind flew everywhere in the barrier, and the settling dust showed the Hoshigaki that once again, he missed. He grit his teeth, and slowly turned his head to Warai.

She was a safe distance from both Abyss-nin once more, knelt down and still very much not dead.

"All that strength is useless if you can't hit me," she spoke, still serious as ever, yet her choice of words was very specific.

"You're taunting me," he growled, pulling his sword from the ground. "You're taunting me, in your current predicament."

"I wouldn't dream of doing that," she retorted. She stood up and got in her fighting stance again. "It's very unprofessional, you see."

"When I get my hands on you, you dumb bitch, I'll-"

"Keep quiet, babe."

The words from Aunt got Yaju's attention, and the large man quickly faced the lizard woman.

"Midori, you can't-"

"I said keep quiet, babe."

The now-named lizard woman, though bruised and leaking blood from her nose, kept herself calm and focused her vision on Warai. She looked at her up and down, each second passing revealing something new to her. Her Byakugan, thankfully, was revealing the world to her.

That leg of her's has bone shards embedded in the muscle, I'll need to target that. She's breathing hard, and those slams against the ground broke some ribs. She's also beginning to sweat...she's talented, but out of practice. She hasn't had a REAL fight in a long time, and it shows...but she's not trying to fight, she's letting me and Yaju make the first moves and then she takes advantage. I can do this, but...

"Yaju, put your weapon away."

The man, naturally, seemed very confused. Before he could open his mouth, Midori looked to him.

"Babe, I'll kill her, but I need a little space to do my own thing. Sit this one out for me, 'kay?"

Naturally, a Hoshigaki didn't like being told that they couldn't fight, couldn't kill...but he was not an idiot. He knew that this meant she had figured out something that he hadn't, and it was best to just let Midori do her thing. With a huff, he placed Widow's Bane against his forearm and sealed it through a small cloud of smoke. His body shrank back to it's normal size and musculature, though the difference wasn't that large.

"Make this quick, we need to leave in a few minutes."

Nodding, Midori placed a single foot towards Warai. She held her arms down at her sides, though slightly parted from her body with the back of her hands aimed towards the blonde. Small claws poked through her fingertips, and a glistening liquid formed around them. The Mist-nin took up her stance once again, this time her full attention on the lizard woman.

"Don't worry babe. I only need five."

---

"Here. Don't let this make you think you're special. Now get lost."

The young girl was stood in front of a small table just outside a classroom, clothed in rags and smudged all over her body and 'clothes' with dried blood. She was quiet when a forehead protector was handed to her, and she took the item in hand to examine it. She felt the cold metal plate with the Hidden Mist symbol etched into it, and ran her rough thumb along the soft, warm material that it was attached to. This...this was what she had been working towards in the academy. The rank of a genin. She had overcome many hardships to get here, many nights spent training and practicing alone under that bridge where she lived. Her final exam had been the grand finale, where she was ordered to kill her classmates in order to both survive and graduate. There was a time limit of ten minutes, and she had used up every single minute to it's fullest. She was one of five students who passed.

"Well?"

The voice of the chuunin teacher who handed her the forehead protector made the girl slowly look up at him. Her eyes were glazed over with a lack of emotion, the true eyes of a killer. He, however, had a face that was dominated by scars, and he did not seem to care about the dead eyes of a genin.

"Are you waiting for a gold star or something? I said get lost, runt."

She stared him in the eye only a moment longer, then looked down at the forehead protector she was holding. She felt the cloth one more time, and turned about face from the teacher. She began to walk down the long hallway of the academy and head for the exit, tying the headband around her neck as she moved. It had been a journey to reach this point, but it was a journey she was willing to go on. When it came time for the final exam to take place, she had acted without mercy. She broke the necks of kids she ate lunch with, crushed in the skulls of boys who liked her, pulled out the innards of girls who did up her hair in a pretty way during breaks in class, and tortured anyone who had called her a little troll that lived under a bridge.

Whether they laughed with her, or at her, none of them were laughing now.

She was part of a small group that passed, less then a handful. While the others were traumatized by what they had to do, heading to their nice warm homes in their nice warm clothes with headband in their hand and tears rolling down their cheeks, Warai was stoic as can be. She did not care about having to kill the people in her class, because they were not real to her. They did not matter, they served no purpose to her when it came to her goal of revenge. Now that she was a genin, she had to admit that she had no clue what to do from here. There was no large meeting afterwards, no class to sit down with and congratulate each other on passing, no family for her to go show off her new piece of attire to; there was no direct method of reaching the Mizukage from here, at least not an obvious way to her. Thankfully, she was stopped halfway down the hall by the voice of that very same teacher.

"Wait."

She halted, and glanced over her shoulder at the man. He gestured for her to come back with his hand, and she did so just as slowly as she had walked away. When she was close, the handed her a piece of paper. She took it without question, but a single look at the thing surprised her...somewhat. The writing on this was shockingly neat for any Mist-nin to do themselves, and the paper itself was thick and sturdy, unlike the thin frail scraps she would have used in class to take notes.

"Maybe I was wrong about you not being special. I almost forgot, that's an invitation for you to see the Mizukage personally."

The mention of the title made those emotionless eyes light up like stars in the night sky. She snapped her head up to the teacher, and the light furrowing of her brow showed she demanded an explanation.

"You graduated top in the class, and outperformed the few who graduated with you. That invitation means you've been summoned. You need to be at the Mizukage's office tomorrow morning, six a.m., sharp. If you don't know where the Mizukage's Tower is, find out. That's where the office is, naturally." He gave her a small, dismissive wave of the hand. "Now, get lost."

Wordlessly, Warai slipped the invitation into her bloodied rags, and turned away to walk down the hallway once more. Her stride was a little faster now, as she was given direction in her goal once again. She pushed the exit door open, and planted her bare feet into the snow. Cold, yes, but nothing she wasn't used to. She had considered going 'home' and washing the dried blood off in the river, but she had better plans. She would instead walk right down to the Mizukage Tower, and wait around until morning. It was a few islands over, the walk would take time and the falling snow would make her journey a little more harsh. But she was a kunoichi now, a killer who had to endure unfavorable conditions. She would walk across the water and through the parts of the Hidden Mist she had never been to before, all to continue improving her diligence as a kunoichi, as the one who would kill the Mizukage.

She did just as she planned, and began a long walk that ended with her standing at the base of the Mizukage Tower, at three in the morning. She had not slept, and it resulted in shadows developing under her dead eyes and a twitch when she moved any muscle, but she did not care. She walked to the guards and showed her invitation, and the response was immediate.

"You? Really?" One of the guards looked her up and down, and sneered. "You look like a hoodlum. Get lost before I-"

She slipped a kunai out from her rags, and brought it up till the tip was resting against the man's groin. He shut up right away, and Warai glared at the second guard. Her free hand pulled down her rags just enough to show off her forehead protector hung from her neck, which both men saw right away. And, now that she was closer to the torches stuck to the sides of the entryway to the Mizukage Tower, it was clear that dried blood stained her body. She lowered her kunai and hid her arm back beneath her rags, a permanent frown now etched onto her young face. The second guard was laughing after all the pieces came together, and the first guard who had his junk held hostage was not amused.

"Ahhhhh, that was great," the second guard let out, scratching his head and chuckling. "Don't do it again kid, I almost killed you for attacking him. Go on in, but you'll be waiting a while for the Mizukage. Meeting's not till six."

Her frown deepened a little at the short warning to not threaten other shinobi, as if it held any weight with her. "Fine," she muttered, glaring to the first guard one more time before entering. She heard them mumble about how the 'new graduates are brash' before the door shut behind her, and she didn't care to stick around and hear the rest. She made her way up the stairs, and after a quick climb and many stares from people passing her by, Warai ended up in front of the Mizukage's office. Or, rather, the door to it.

She found herself breathing hard for some reason, and her frown grew even more. With a quick motion, she flung the door open and stomped inside the office...to find nobody. The place was empty, which, to be fair, should have been expected. She was rather early, after all. But it was fine, she would stand in the office and wait for the Mizukage to show up. She had nothing else to do.

As the hour drew close, the door opened and Warai turned to it. A boy was stood there- no, he looked more like a teenager. He had a scar, and carried a strange staff on his back. He, too, appeared to be a genin. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, before Warai brought her attention back to the empty desk of the Mizukage once again. The boy remained silent behind her, and it creeped her out a little.

"Are you waiting for the Mizukage, too," she asked in a half-whisper, not really wanting to overwhelm the silence of the room with her voice. She needed to hear a response from this boy, only to confirm he wasn't some kind of robot.

She didn't get a vocal response. Instead, the boy walked around and stood right in front of the Mizukage's desk, folding his arms and staring right through her.

"I am the Mizukage," Yagura answered. He saw the deathly appearance of the girl shift to complete confusion, pure surprise. He understood, yet he would not address it. "You're a little early. You weren't supposed to be here for another ten minutes or so."

He would never see it, but beneath Warai's cloak-like rags, she began to fiddle with a kunai, eventually gripping it as hard as she could with one hand. "I guess," she said. She was quiet, relaxed after that, and so was he. She was here for business, here to size up her prey. Him? He was the Mizukage? He was only, what, half a foot taller than her? She imagined taking the kunai she held and ramming it through his back, like his shinobi did to her own parents years ago. The mere thought of it got the girl in a bit of a murderous state of mind, but she would quell her desire. She only survived this long because she had a good head on her shoulders, and common sense reminded her that this runt was still the Mizukage, for whatever reason. Only the most powerful can reach that status...

Yagura tilted his head a little, his gaze looking the fresh genin over from head to toe. "...you're Warai, aren't you?"

"...yes."

"...yes, sir..."

The blonde felt the creases in her face deepen. "...yes, sir."

"I heard plenty about you. You're the homeless girl who just graduated, killed many of your own classmates during that graduation exam with your bare hands."

"Yes, sir."

Yagura leaned his back against his desk, and a very small, troubling smile formed. "And how did it make you feel?"

"I didn't care. I did what I had to do...sir."

He seemed to like the answer, as a quiet chuckle came from him after hearing it. He didn't ask her anything else for the remainder of time, nor did she bother saying anything. She just stared at him, and he began looking over three folders with some papers that had been placed on his desk; it was funny, the chair he now sat in made him seem much taller.

A few minutes before six, the door opened again. In walked two boys closer to Warai's age, which she turned to see and size up for herself. One of them looked very...fidgety, like a scared cat. His eyes kept darting back and forth, and he wore a porcelain facemask with two small eyeholes, along with a jacket that seemed very warm and had a clear lack of hiding spots for weapons. This boy, she understood, would never last long without support from others.

The other boy was far more...interesting. He was actually shorter than her, though he carried the same dead aura that she did. He, too, wore dirty and worn-out apparel, though he had a normal shirt and pants on, no need for additional rags to help keep warm. His eyes were beady, and he wore his headband sideways on his head of short, spiked black hair. He smelled of blood.

This boy looked at Warai the same way she was looking at him. They stared each other down in silence before the Mizukage garnered the attention of all three.

"It looks like everyone is here," he said. On the desk, he had three assessment papers laid out, and they watched as his eyes looked over each of them, then back to the respective child.

"Chisai Okubyomono, age twelve. Recently graduated after being held back a year. Smartest of your academy on the Eastern Island of the Hidden Mist, and passed the final exam by sneaking in all sorts of weapons on the big day and learning about each student's weakness...killed around half the class."

The masked boy seemed to tremble like mad when he had been spoken about, as if he didn't think people would know that he had been observing his classmates like that. But Warai understood that the teachers at the academy were smart, very attentive. They would never miss a single student sizing up everybody else. What did surprise her, however, was the fact that there were multiple academies in the Hidden Mist. She knew there were a few on her own island, but perhaps the number was far greater than she imagined.

"Warai, no last name. That means from now on, you'll be known as Warai of the Mist. Age eleven. Decent grades, not the most social of students, fantastic with independent study of shinobi arts. Passed the final exam with flying colors, killed more than 75% of the class. All of it done with your bare hands, too...interesting. You might have potential to be one of the few good taijutsu-specialists the Hidden Mist has to offer."

Warai only gave a small blink in response to her performance report. It sounded about right. She could hear the masked kid mumble a little when he heard about how she used her hands to do the dirty work, no doubt fearful of her. The smaller boy did not say a word, he didn't even glance at Warai...and that, she had to admit, was surprising.

Yagura paused on the last paper, looking up at the smallest child before looking back at the paper. Again, he grew a small, troubling smile.

"Zabuza Momochi, age nine. Not...even...a student."

"..."

Yagura's smile lingered, and even grew a little. He looked like a child who was pleased with a received gift. "...you little monster, you killed over a hundred Hidden Mist Shinobi Academy students in a fit of rage, because they spoke ill of you. You did that all by yourself, with only a sword."

The air in the room dropped by several degrees, and even Warai felt sweat form on her forehead. She and the masked boy slowly faced Zabuza, who only kept his attention on the Mizukage. Over a hundred students, alone? And he wasn't even a student himself? And this kid was YOUNGER than her...Kami, she didn't know how he even...

"Absolutely incredible," Yagura continued, looking down at the paper. "I'm glad to see you got the official headband I personally had delivered to you. I need more demons like you in my shinobi force. Keep fighting like that for us, and you'll become one of our Seven Swordsmen for certain. You'll fight till all your enemies die, yes?"

Zabuza responded with a stiff nod.

"Good." He gathered the papers together, and folded his hands on his desk. The smile faded, and he glazed over each genin with his eyes. "Now, let's talk business. You three aren't here because you did well on an exam, obviously. You three are here because of how you carry yourselves. Being a killer is good, but you three bring more to the table than just bloodied hands. Chisai is analytical, Warai is a fast learner...and Zabuza is a fantastic killer. You three, together, are going to make up an elite group of genin. You three will live together, eat, sleep and train together, and you all will share your particular talents with each other to grow as a unit. You'll be sent out on serious missions, ones your fellow genin couldn't possibly manage as they are now...but you three, with a hand-picked jounin leader that I will select, will grow into the very best we have to offer for your generation of shinobi."

The three remained silent, and Warai narrowed her eyes some at the village leader. He walked to each of them, and handed each of them a smaller variant of the standard Hidden Mist shinobi attire, clean and pressed with a flak jacket inside a plastic package. Warai held it in one hand, examining the contents before looking back up at her target.

This was no time to strike, especially not with this 'Zabuza' around. He would kill her.

Yagura folded his arms, and gave them all one last smile. "Congratulations, you are all official members of Team One. Report back here tomorrow morning, same time. You'll be introduced to your jounin leader. Dismissed."

---

The mist around the barrier grew thicker. True silence befell the two kunoichi, one stood still while the other waited patiently for the first attack to be launched. Though she did not show it, Warai's bad leg was really hurting now. It felt as if pins and needles were piercing her to the bone in her thigh, a painful sensation that was slowly spreading to her lower leg. She was keeping less weight on it to compensate, but attacking and moving with it would be harder from here on out. She was also starting to breath a little heavier, as well; a telltale sign that she was most definitely past her prime.

Even so, the blonde was stood in this barrier with her opponent, one who clearly lived through their own share of battles. This, Midori had to admit, was impressive. But the time for compliments was not at this moment, so her praise would have to be spoken another time. Right now, the lizard woman had a single goal, and it was to bring her opponent down before reinforcements started to show up.

Rolling her fingers, Midori pumped more chakra into her Byakugan, making more veins appear. "...actually...all I need is one."

She blasted forward, kicking up the ground behind her as she launched from where she stood. Her hand position was unusual, no fists drawn back or anything. She looked like she was ready to fight using a variant of a martial arts Warai had never seen before, but the kunoichi was ready. Warai blurred to the side, a trail of lightning following her body as she moved. To her surprise, she witnessed The Aunt's eyes snap in the direction she was heading, and instantly, the lizard woman stamped her foot against the floor to brake, and flew towards Warai once more. She swiped her hand towards Warai, like a cat trying to scratch with it's claws. Warai was far enough away to avoid the swing, and blitzed away from Midori again, but her opponent seemed to be far more alert this time around. Again, she came to a violent halt and pursued once more.

She's trying to anticipate my movements. Even if I threw her off, there isn't enough space in this barrier for me to play defensive and evade at the same time. I need to put her down, and to do that, I'll need to close the gap.

"Swift Release: Hundred Pound Rush!"

Warai disappeared once more, but The Aunt found herself dumbfounded to see the clearly-pained Warai blur towards her. A strike so heavy that it winded Midori got her in the side, lifting her off a foot momentarily. Many more strikes of the same caliber slammed against her, and the attacks had been so fast that the lizard woman could only barely see just what was happening. Warai was bouncing around the walls of the barrier at a speed that could not be reacted to. Midori, in a fit of anger, threw out a wild swipe of her hand, but it was in vain. A final strike was delivered to her in the back of the head; Warai reappeared, surrounded by static, before Midori could hit the ground face-first. Her leg felt like it was on fire, and she knew it was starting to tremble visibly, but she remained standing nonetheless. The kunoichi folded her arms with her back to the enemy, glancing over her shoulder at the downed Abyss-nin.

"Is that all you can do? Stand up!"

On command, Midori slammed her fist against the ground beside her, and shoved herself to her feet. She slowly turned herself around, revealing that she looked a little more disheveled than when this battle started...and she was finally showing signs of light bruising. She glared at Warai as if it could give her an advantage, but of course, Warai only responded by facing her opponent once more.

"Five minutes? That was a bold statement to make. I haven't even begun to get serious, and you expect to kill me in five minutes?"

Her enemy huffed in response, and looked down at her hands. She did this in silence, and Warai wondered if her opponent was contemplating surrender...but then, she knew that this was related to something completely different when The Aunt began chuckling. She held up a single finger to Warai, wagging it back and forth with some 'tsk tsk tsk's being added in. The claw that protruded from her fingertip had the smallest speck of red on it, and that was all Warai noticed before the claw receded back into Midori's finger.

A very light, almost nonexistent stinging sensation was coming from a small place on Warai's forearm. She looked, and saw the faintest of scratches...but also noted that the underling skin of the small scratch was paling.

"That's right, five minutes," Midori taunted, slamming a fist into her palm. "I can secret a toxin through claws I keep hidden, or the scales on my body. This toxin has a paralysis effect severe enough to down an elephant."

Warai dropped her arm and looked to her opponent, her calm demeanor cracked just enough to show concern before The Aunt continued speaking.

"I may not have been able to put much of the toxin inside you, but that scratch will be enough. Once you're paralyzed, it'll continue to spread throughout your spine. Organ failure will follow, and then it'll be lights out. Whether the toxin kills you now or later doesn't matter. What does matter is that in five minutes, you won't be running anywhere again...and I'll make sure to stick around and watch you crumble...hag."

---

Things almost never go as planned. Throughout her years as a kunoichi, Warai spent every waking hour trying to improve herself. She did this because her dream, her goal, of killing the Mizukage had to become reality. As she grew and got more efficient at killing, so did her teammate, Zabuza. Their third-wheel of a teammate didn't last long in the real world, but neither her nor the Demon of the Hidden Mist cared much for him. Despite being on a team, the two didn't speak to each other much. It was not because they didn't like each other, but both had a preference to not speak when there was nothing to be said...they hated idle chit chat. They formed a mutual respect from this alone, and only continued to do so overtime when neither liked having people get in their way for fights, eating alone, and by training whenever they could. After some time, Zabuza's prowess was greatly recognized, and he was promoted to Anbu within the Hidden Mist, while Warai managed to become a jounin. Though their paths had split, they still trained together now and then, and at least checked up on each other's well being once in a while to make sure they weren't dead. They had respected each other greatly, yes...but neither of them would say it aloud.

That is, until the faithful day when Zabuza had asked Warai of her opinion on the Mizukage. Naturally, she did not say, but Zabuza wound up admitting he did not like the way things were being done in the Hidden Mist. He was planning to overthrow the Mizukage...and wanted her help. She agreed, and after Zabuza had informed her of the people who would be assisting them and the plan of attack, Warai began to count the days till she could finally claim her revenge.

But, something went wrong.

Warai didn't know when or how, but apparently their plans had been compromised. Shinobi had been waiting for the attack, and the Mizukage himself ended up getting involved. Warai had done her fair share of fighting alongside Zabuza, but both of them understood when a battle was being lost. Zabuza had ordered everybody to retreat and regroup, which is something Warai had been aware of; she was told that if the attack had been a failure, they would regroup along the edge of Water Country and begin to regather funds for a new coup.

But she did not regroup. Knowing she was going to be attacking the very people that despised those with kekkei genkai, and feeling that the team she was playing for would come out on top, the blonde revealed her secret with pride, effortlessly blitzing around shinobi with Swift Release. However, the numbers were overpowering, and once the Mizukage proved he would be able to do battle with someone even as fast as Warai, it became clear that they would take extra measures to hunt down and kill her specifically. To avoid having the shinobi track her, and ultimately find Zabuza, Warai made the decision to run away in a random direction.

Breathing hard and holding a broken arm, Warai was shooting through a thick forest near the border of the Land of Water. She was covered in the blood of Mist shinobi she had killed, and the broken limb was a gift from the Mizukage himself. Things had gone south fast, and continuing to fight would have made her situation worse. To fight another day, and to ensure she wouldn't be chased, she had to reach any land that was outside the Mizukage's jurisdiction; no foreign shinobi power would allow the Hidden Mist to fuddle around on their land. The hardest part was reaching said land, as the journey involved traveling the seas just to reach land.

But Warai was of the Jinsoku Clan. She was a user of the Swift Release kekkei genkai. For her, traveling large distances was never an issue, regardless of whether or not it involved the sea. She knew she was getting close to the water, running by trees and keeping her gaze ahead.

The whizzing of shuriken could be heard somewhere behind her. A quick right was taken by the blonde, and she found herself out of harm's way. An idiotic Mist-nin jumped in her way, and Warai was quick to throw out a flying knee that crushed the front of his skull and mashed up his brain. He fell dead to the ground, and Warai hit the ground running. In seconds, she left the forest and saw the water. Her foot touched it's surface, and in the blink of an eye, Warai was already far from land. She glanced behind her, and saw that only a handful of Hidden Mist shinobi managed to begin gathering at the edge of the land she left, but none looked to pursue her. They knew there was no point in chasing her now, and if they sought to track her down, it would take time.

Looking forward once more, Warai kept running at a steady pace, her eyes on a very distant land that she knew was Fire Country. She would have to go into hiding for a while when she got there, she was too young at the age of 19 to get killed by either her own people or shinobi from a far-off land. Regardless, she'd do it, because she understood that tomorrow was another day, and every new day brought new opportunities to seize victory.

---

He could hear rustling around him, some people mumbling. Crying from children, more mumbling, concern and despair in everyone's voice. The quiet hum of healing jutsu near him, near his busted ribs. His side felt much better, his whole body felt better, but overall he felt fatigued, as if he had just ran around the earth. His eyelids trembled before parting, and hanging over him was Sakana. She looked like she had wept for a moment, as there was a clean streak that ran down her dirtied cheek from her eye. Right now, she seemed focused, and paid Jiyuu no mind as he woke up.

"S-Sakana..."

"Don't move," she mumbled to him. Her hand was covered in a green aura, and she was holding it against his side. "I'm not a medic, but I know basic healing techniques. I'm almost finished fixing you up."

He didn't normally wish to be this close to the kunoichi, but he was too worn out to care. He rolled his eyes from side to side, looking to see just where he was, what was going on. He was around several civilians and shinobi who had survived the attack. Far off, he could see areas where taller buildings once stood were now full of misty skies, and many establishments nearby were reduced to rubble in very sloppy ways. Hoshigaki...he remembered finding out about their sudden uprising, and quickly getting to work. They were fierce opponents, but training with Sakana years ago and fighting off various swordsmen in his time alone had trained him well. He dealt with as many as he could successfully, and remembered vividly that he was hoping to see Sakana in their ranks...but never found her. Looking back at the kunoichi, she too looked like she had been in a losing battle, caked with dirt and dried blood. Her hair was a mess, and she was trying to keep herself calm and professional. But her lip would quiver ever-so-slightly, a tell that something was bothering her. He tried to remember what had happened before he passed out...he was losing to...that thing. She was beating him down, and his taijutsu was barely doing anything to her, regardless of the fact that he had the first two inner gates opened. And then...

"...Sakana?"

The Hoshigaki turned her attention from her healing hand to Jiyuu's face, a little surprised to hear him speak in a softer voice. "Yes, Jiyuu?"

"Where's my mother..."

He saw her swallow a lump in her throat, and her lip quivering grew. Jiyuu felt his face twist into something fearful, and Sakana looked away from him.

"...she's...fighting my father, and the creep that was going to kill you..."

"Alone?!"

"Jiyuu, calm down! You-"

Though weak, he forced himself to sit up. He bumped against the kunoichi who tried pushing him back to the ground, insisting something about how he needed to calm down, he couldn't go out there, his chakra levels were too low for him to do anything. He didn't hear her, he drowned her out. He pushed himself up more violently now, this time getting onto a knee. Sakana grabbed him by the shoulder, but he shook her off and made to run off. However, she spun him around and grabbed the Hyuuga Pariah by the jacket, pulling him close and glaring at him with a wide, furious eye.

"YOU'RE GONNA MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR HER, YOU IDIOT!" She shook him, and a tear rolled down her cheek; it overlapped with the clean streak on her gilled cheek. "SHE'S OUT THERE NOW BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT YOU TO DIE!"

Jiyuu grabbed at Sakana's forearms and tried pulling her hands off of him, but she clearly had more stamina than him at this moment, as it was proving too hard to show results. "BUT I CAN'T LEAVE HER OUT THERE! SHE'LL DIE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"YES, AND SO DID SHE!" Her words cut through Jiyuu like a sword, making him stop resisting all at once. He could feel Sakana's grip weaken, and her hands shake. Her tough expression crumbled away, and all that was left was a kunoichi who was already mourning. "...she did it to save you...you fucking idiot...can't you see that?"

His breathing was minimal, almost as if he was holding his breath in. He slowly activated his normal Byakugan, then his Mezame Byakugan. He could just barely see the barrier of chakra that was housing his mother, Yaju, and Midori. She was alive...but he could tell something was off. He had to get there while there was still time...and there was a chakra signature fast approaching the barrier...

...Chojuro! With his help, he could save her! He could save his mother!

He tried pulling away, but Sakana tightened her grip on his jacket. He snarled like a maniac, and jabbed a finger against one of Sakana's forearms, closing a chakra point. Her grip loosened entirely, and to the girl's surprise, Jiyuu quickly palmed at her other arm with a Harmony Strike. The scrambling of the chakra in her forearm forced Sakana to let go, and to ensure she wouldn't chase him, Jiyuu shoved her away, causing her to stumble onto her bottom like a klutz. Without waiting, he leapt away towards the barrier, though he noticed his legs couldn't carry him that quickly. He was indeed weakened from having used the inner gates for suck a long time, but he had to try! He deactivated his Byakugan entirely to conserve chakra, and forced himself to keep moving.

It was up to him to make sure his mother stayed alive.

---

Two years had passed. Living without a home for two years was nothing new to Warai, as she had grown up and endured the Hidden Mist shinobi academy in the same state. However, after earning enough money as a kunoichi to buy a small, run-down apartment in the Hidden Mist, she had gotten accustomed to sleeping in a bed with blankets over her. She missed the sensation...and she had missed it so much, in fact, that she decided it was time to head home.

She planned on going for a suicide mission of sorts, one where her chances of survival were low, but if she could pull it off, she would be golden once she escaped back to the Land of Fire. She would kill Yagura, blindside him without warning, and run back to the foreign land in search of a hidden village. Once there, she'd claim she did it for them, she was on their side, and there was no doubt she would be praised as a hero and accepted without hesitation. She would enter the Land of Water using the transformation technique to hide her true identity, never make eye contact, and head straight for the Hidden Mist...

...at least, that was her plan. Until she had overheard someone from the Land of Fire near a port mention that they would cross the Great Naruto Bridge over to the Land of Waves for their job, or something like that. Bridge? Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves? When she had fled the Mist, there was word that such a bridge was trying to be built, yet to no avail. She figured it would never happen, as some stubby man in a suit had some hired thugs patrolling the place to ensure it stayed unfinished. It was never her business, so she never bothered to care. For that bridge to be finished, something big must have happened.

Though it was out of her way, she took the time before her personal mission to visit the bridge.

She stood there right before it, stolen hoodie open and flowing in the wind as she examined the plaque of the bridge itself. She could see her transformation technique's face in it...she gave herself a small 'hn' before looking around. The area was nice, a bit cliff-heavy for her liking, but the sun was bright and warm, and the birds were singing. People of all manner were crossing this bridge, shinobi and civilians alike. Their chatter was low, but it sounded pleasant. She stared off at the cliffs that looked over the bridge...and could make out something so obscure, so unnatural that it just stuck out like a sore thumb. She couldn't quite make it out from here, but hell, it looked like there was a small trail she could take up there. She wasn't in any hurry right now, so why not?

She took her time walking through the trail, as it was through a wooded path. Warai listened to birds singing merrily all around her, even taking a moment to kneel down and pluck a flower from the ground before she continued her walk. She took a deep whiff of the plant, and smiled...for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to smile. Perhaps it was the atmosphere slamming good vibes against her from every angle, but Warai had been bitter almost all the time...just this once, for this brief moment, she allowed herself to be happy.

That was, at least, until she reached the edge of the cliff, and saw just what had caught her attention. Her blood ran cold, and the flower slipped from her hand.

Before her lied two graves, one for a child and one for an adult. At the head of the child's was a cross and an obi, one that looked vaguely familiar. The head of the other was Kubikiribocho, a weapon wielded by one of the Hidden Mist's Seven Swordsmen...a weapon wielded by Zabuza.

She took a few cautious steps forward, the sound of grass crunching beneath her steps abnormally loud to her. The birds in the woods still chirped, though that and her own breathing was all she could hear. She knelt down at their graves, and ran her hand along the sword. It was a little rusted, and specks of dry blood remained on it's cutting edge, though were clearly wearing away from weather and time. This had been here for a while, as even moss was starting to take a liking to the weapon. Briefly, an ocean of memories from her times on missions with Zabuza washed over Warai, and many instances of him cleaving people in half flashed by one after another. She pressed her palm more against the blade, and a breath she didn't know she was holding found itself set free. She then looked to the obi on the grave beside the adult's. That obi had a hole in it, and though occasional rain may have cleansed most of it, Warai could see faint traces of what was once blood on it. That obi, she understood, was worn by one of Zabuza's 'tools' that assisted with the failed coup against the Mizukage. Haku, if she remembered right...a kid much like her, who had suffered a tragic fate that was due to the hatred in the Land of Water for kekkei genkai. The boy had Ice Release, and was a skilled shinobi...but that's where Warai's memories ended.

This grave could have belonged to anyone, perhaps Zabuza had the sword stolen and this was the grave of some fool...but the second grave was certainly Haku. That could only mean that yes, under the dirt was Zabuza's body...finally resting. Warai turned her head to the sword, and then down to the dirt patch below. A sad smile curled her lips a pinch, and she could feel small tears in her eyes.

"...bit off more than you could chew, Demon?" She swallowed a lump in her throat, as 'Demon' was a nickname she always called him affectionately; she was one of the few people he allowed to call him that, as he knew it was different coming from her. The hand resting against Kubikiribocho shook a little, and Warai's breathing matched it. "...it's about time. You always got into fights that were bigger than you, but you were just too stubborn to die...you even took the kid with you."

She looked at Haku's grave, and shut her eyes as a slightly bigger smile took place on her. More tears ran down her face, and her body shook more.

"I...I guess you really did care for this big idiot. I'm glad someone was there to take care of him, he always needed at least one person watching over him..."

She lowered her head, and the smile disappeared. She bit her lip, and her hand fell from the blade and onto the dirt below. She cried for both of them, and her mind raced through memories of her time with Zabuza...the more casual times when they weren't doing shinobi things. The memories were few, but they had lived together for so long that Zabuza was the closest thing to a brother, the closest thing to family, she had in a long time.

"I'm sorry..." she blubbered out through her sobs, hands grasping at the dirt beneath her. "...I'm sorry I ran away from you, without saying anything...you must've hated me and thought I was a coward or a traitor...I know you hated both more than anything. I'm...just glad you got to live longer because of it."

She allowed herself time to mourn longer, letting out so many tears for her only family since her parents that the dirt below was turning a little moist. When she finally calmed down, she wiped her face with the back of her hand, and stood up. She sniffled a little more, and examined both graves once again.

"...at least whoever did this to you, understood that you weren't a real monster. You were a little twisted, but you had your reasons...we all did. They put flowers here for you, and everything...they must have really respected you both."

Clearing her throat, Warai gave one last sad smile to both graves, and looked towards Haku's.

"Keep an eye on him for me, would you?"

And with that, she turned around, and began a slow walk back down the path she had strolled through earlier. Now, more than ever, Warai was convinced she had to accomplish her mission. It was for more than just revenge, it was for Zabuza, for Haku...for everyone like them, who suffered under Yagura's rule. She would win, even if it cost Warai her own life. It would be worth it in the end.

But once she came from the path and began to cross the bridge to make for the Land of Waves for a boat ride to her destination, she picked up on a small conversation from nearby Hidden Leaf shinobi, both of which were examining the plaque at it's entrance.

"Still can't believe that runt got a bridge named after him."

"Hey, he's alright...heard he was a good kid."

"C'mon, you know he's got the...thing...in him."

"Yeah, but no monster could've done this. I'm telling you, the kid's going to go far when people give him the time of day."

"Pfft...how far? Hokage? He keeps going on about it, but he'd never made a good Kage."

"What makes a good Kage?"

"Hell, I don't know."

"I can tell you, he wouldn't be like Mizukage, crazy bastard."

"Which one?"

"...the latest one? What do you mean 'which one?'"

"The latest one just got into office, from what I heard."

"Really?"

Instantly, Warai stopped walking. She looked out to the distance from the bridge, towards the graves of Zabuza and Haku, acting as if her attention was elsewhere...but she was all ears.

"Yeah, the Fourth disappeared. Intel just came in about it, but they didn't say anything specific. But you know how it is...'disappeared' means they died somehow. Don't know who did them in, but the new one just took over, and rumor has it she's making the Bloody Mist less 'bloody,' if you catch my meaning."

"...huh...so, one less nutcase running the show in the grand scheme of things?"

"Looks like it."

"Good. At least those Mist bastards won't try bothering us for a while."

Warai's gaze lingered on the graves for a moment longer, and she tuned out the rest of the conversation. With a small nod to her old friend, she set her sights forward and began to walk down the Great Naruto Bridge, ready to reach the Land of Waves and catch a boat ride to the Hidden Mist. She ran a thumb along her old forehead protector, which was concealed inside her hoodie pocket.

She had to see just what this was all about for herself.

---

Her open hand was held in front of her, and Warai stared into her own palm with blank eyes. Five minutes, and she could wind up dead...a bit anticlimactic in her book, but the threat of death did not shake her resolve. She grew up in the days of the Bloody Mist, killed countless shinobi alongside Zabuza Momochi, and took part in the coup against Yagura. Death was always a close friend to her, and if it was her time, then it was her time.

An anticlimactic finish, however, was not how she planned to disappear. Her palm closed up into a tight fist, and her brow furrowed. Lightning rolled across her body, the current becoming more violent and intense with each passing second.

Clearly comfortable, Midori was watching the doomed kunoichi power up from a distance. She laughed at the sight. "What's this? Are you going to tire yourself out before everything goes black? You're crazy, did you know this, hag?"

"Yes." Warai looked from her fist to the Abyss-nin, thumbing to herself. "Yes, I'm crazy enough to keep fighting when I don't have the best odds at winning. But what you don't understand is that I thrive in moments like this. I always have. So whether I die in this barrier in five minutes doesn't matter. What matters is that you think I'm trapped in here with you..."

The blonde disappeared from sight, and Midori felt a massive pulse of killing intent swarm up behind her.

"...but, you're actually trapped in here with me."

The shocked kunoichi only got to turn her head, and it was met with a killer straight punch. Lightning rolled across her face, and the force of the blow was enough to send her flying across the enclosed area.

"Swift Release: 10,000 Strike Assault!"

Though he had been idle the remainder of the fight, this time Yaju felt it was time he interjected. He growled and stepped towards Warai, but she vanished once more. He could barely follow her with his Byakugan, only seeing faint traces of where her chakra had been. She followed up her attack on Midori with another powerful strike, this time a spin kick with her bad leg. It hurt, yes, but Warai didn't care. If she were to die, then she had to pull out all the stops.

Midori slammed against the wall of her own barrier, barely letting a pained gasp out before she was struck again, and again, and again. The attacks were heavy, powerful, and she could feel her organs and bones shifting around with every hit. Gritting her teeth, she tensed up every muscle in her body and put her arms up to defend at least part of herself, but it was futile, as Warai would simply attack more vulnerable areas. There was a flying knee to the back of the head, a front kick to the abdomen, a haymaker that forced Midori's arms down, and a follow up straight to the jaw. Aunt could taste blood in her mouth, and in a fit of anger, threw out a wild punch that hit nothing. The electricity lining Warai's strikes were causing Midori to have minor muscle spasms, and her whole arm locked up after whiffing her attack. She was met with a static-clad uppercut next, sending her whole body up until her head slammed against the ceiling of the barrier. Then, she was knocked to the side, and pinballed around her own defensive technique.

"You thought I would lay down and die?" Warai's simple question echoed in the barrier, and her only answer was Aunt spitting blood after being struck in the stomach again. "Sorry, but that isn't how I learned to live my life!" She smacked Midori against Yaju, who had been looking to summon Widow's Bane, but got interrupted. Now both of them were being struck as Warai flew in with a blindingly fast spin kick, catching both of them on the side of the head. Her speed began to increase further, and soon, both the Abyss-nin were being smacked against the walls of the barrier without any real means to defend themselves.

"DAMN IT, MIDORI! GET RID OF THE BARRIER!"

"IF I DO, SHE'LL SPLIT US UP! JUST DEAL WITH THIS FOR THREE MORE MINUTES!"

"Yes, only three more minutes," Warai echoed, though her tone was clearly sarcastic. "I'm sure one of you will pull something that'll help you live." She sped up further, burning chakra so fast and so violently that her own electricity was beginning to burn her skin, and she could feel the bones in each limb she attacked with start to become unstable. "You IDIOTS! YOU THOUGHT I COULDN'T KEEP GOING?! THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS WORK!"

More strikes came, faster and harder. Warai threw out a punch and felt her forearm snap somewhere in the middle. She only acknowledged it with a grunt of pain, and then continued her assault without it.

"A real kunoichi of the Hidden Mist DOESN'T just lay down and die! I was trained from childhood to be a killer, and damn it, I'll make sure I see my purpose through until the last breath!"

Which is going to be in three minutes, apparently...

...that's not bad. I can finish up before that.

---

The disguise Warai chose was either really good, or the shinobi in the Hidden Mist weren't as keen as they used to be. Either way, Warai had little trouble leaving the boating dock and entering the Hidden Mist. She set foot in the very shopping district that her parents met their end in, stood in place right in front of the toy store she hid in and staring at the ground that was once pooled with their blood.

Picturing them there was easy, but all it took was a simple blink for Warai to see the walkway was clean, repaved, and there were people of all ages crossing to and fro. She turned her head and faced the toy shop...ah, a shame. There was a sign on the front door that said it would be out of business in a few weeks, everything must go. Inside, she could see the man who had kept her safe for a single night; he was much older now, hairs turned grey and smile weaker, but he still smiled, regardless of all he must've seen in his life. A young man with a striking resemblance was helping him inside the shop, and this sight warmed Warai's heart, if only a little. A chip off the old block, as it were. She looked behind her, towards the boating dock. It seemed they were starting to build a restaurant of some sort here, and Warai had heard some rumblings about how it would be some sort of barbecue place. Not the healthiest of choices for food, but if it were priced decently enough, then perhaps one would consider going.

This place was changing, and mostly for the better. The mist was thick as usual, and the air cold with a particular dampness to it, but she could still make out that the sun up above and hear children playing in the distance. People walking by seemed happy, and the shops had far, far less people making to steal from them. It was surreal. Had Warai not heard about the new Mizukage, she would have thought this to be a powerful genjutsu.

Speaking of which...she should stop dawdling. A small turn of her head brought the faded silhouette of the Mizukage's Tower through the mist into view, and she began a slow, comfortable walk towards it. Her stroll had been about half an hour, but she was in no hurry; after all, she could potentially die if things went south for her. She pulled out her Hidden Mist forehead protector, and looked down at it as she came closer to the tower, running her thumb along it's worn, scratched surface. There was history in this piece of metal, there was history in every piece of metal that these shinobi wore. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder if her's was the only one that had witnessed the Bloody Mist and actually helped emphasize the village's old nickname. Surely Warai wouldn't be alone in that regard, not yet. It was just a funny idea she had...plenty of little thoughts she had ever since getting on that boat were funny ideas.

Like perhaps living here again, in peace. Hey, maybe even start a family and retire early?

"...yeah...funny ideas..."

Warai couldn't help but mumble to herself, and stopped just in front of an entrance to the Mizukage Tower; naturally, there were guards there who seemed very hesitant to even give her the time of day.

"State your business," one demanded. She showed her forehead protector to the shinobi, who seemed to visibly relax along with his partner.

"I need to see the Mizukage, please."

"..."

Not really feeling the desire to argue against someone possessing one of their own headbands, the guard waved her in. Curious as to why the security in this village was still as lazy as ever, she walked in. Deep down, she was just glad that her first method of entry had worked. Tying the headband around her neck, Warai made her way through the tower and up the stairs until she was stood in front of the Mizukage's office. Her determination found itself challenged as she looked at the doorknob, as she didn't know if she truly wanted to enter. What would she do? What would she say? This new Mizukage was doing things properly, and this person wasn't even kin to Yagura...at least, she didn't believe so.

She didn't know why she hadn't thought about any of this until now, but perhaps this was pointless, after all. If Yagura was dead, then what was the point? Zabuza, Haku...their whole group, and their people had been avenged. There was no purpose to being here, at the Mizukage's office. It felt like a cold void was growing inside Warai's heart, and the realization of her meaningless journey was starting to rot her mind. She would have started to walk away from this door, this tower, this village, had the door not opened.

A woman about Warai's height stood in the doorway, clad in a blue dress and shin guards with her very long, flowing hair cascading down her entire back to her lower legs. Her skin was fair, yet it was clear she had gone to great lengths to hide any areas that wounds or blemishes would be. She only had one eye visible, as the other was covered by a flowing bang. She was a stunning creature, and looked a little familiar.

"Yes, dear? You've been standing outside my doorway for a few minutes, and without even a knock. Is there something I can help you with?"

"...Mei?"

The Mizukage was a little surprised to hear this woman say her name with such familiarity, and seeing her face light up in such a way suggested that she was clearly someone from Mei's past. Smoke suddenly burst from the woman outside the office, and from the parting clouds stood a blonde kunoichi. This particular kunoichi had a habit of getting her fists buried into people's skulls, speaking in a calm yet menacing tone during her battles, and had an affinity for taijutsu. The Mizukage lit up like a Christmas tree, and brought Warai into a hug immediately.

"Warai! Ah, it's been so long! What on earth happened to you?!"

The blonde had quickly returned the hug, and tightened the embrace without realizing. She had needed this more than anything. She didn't answer Mei's question, but the Mizukage seemed to understand. Warai shivered a little in the hug, and Warai patted her on the back.

"Tea?"

"Yes, please."

"I'll have it brought up. Come inside, let's talk."

They parted, and Mei walked into her office with Warai following close behind. The last time she had seen this place, some dead shinobi who partook in the coup were sprawled on the floor, and Warai's arm was being broken by Yagura's staff. It felt like an eternity ago.

Walking around her desk and sitting gracefully in her chair, Mei picked up one of those newfangled contraptions (a 'telephone,' Warai heard it was called) and ordered for green tea to be sent up. After hanging up, she looked at Warai and folded her hands in her lap.

"...it's been a long time, Warai. I'm glad to see you're still alive."

"Lots of people wouldn't agree with you," Warai responded. "We might have both fought side by side in war, but I was part of the coup. I remember you trying to stop me."

"Trying, yes, but not as hard as you might think. Believe me, you and Zabuza were not the only ones who wanted to kill Yagura. We all did...but not all of us were brave enough to challenge him like that." She paused for a moment, looking at her hands and then back up at Warai. "...speaking of which, have you spoken with Zabuza recently?"

"...he's dead."

Ah, that was unexpected. Mei looked away, though she clearly didn't seem surprised by the news. "So, you heard."

"I visited his grave. You're going to let one of the Mist's swords stay out there?"

"It's not one of our major concerns right now...I've been busy, Warai. I've been trying to fix this village from the ground up."

"It looks like you're doing a good job from down below. I strolled by the dock, the place is nicer than it was when we were growing up."

"I'm glad you think so."

They remained quiet for a moment, neither of them knowing just what to say. Warai had only a single question on her mind, one thing she wanted to get off her chest.

"...how did The Fourth die?"

Naturally, Mei looked a little surprised by the question. She looked to Warai, who had this all-business look about her. All Mei could do was slowly shake her head. "Nobody knows. I heard it was a foreign nation, but we know very little about it ourselves."

"I wanted to kill him." Fists balled up at Warai's sides, and Mei could see that Warai was trying to keep herself calm. "I...I wanted to feel his blood run down my hands as I ripped his heart out. But I won't ever get the chance again. He's dead, Mei. He's dead, and I didn't get to keep my promise to everyone that I would avenge them. The deed is done either way...but what does that make me? I've been alone for so long...I've been planning ways to sneak back in this very office and kill Yagura when he was distracted. I only found out on my way here that he was gone...and now that I've seen what you're doing with our home and how happy everyone is..."

Her attention shifted to a window of the office, and Warai stared off into the misty skies.

"...Kami...what do I even do now?"

"Dear, I think the answer to that is very simple."

"..."

"Please. Stay with us, as a kunoichi for the Hidden Mist. Help me teach the newer generations of our old ways, and help guide them to a brighter future so that our village can prosper. I may be Mizukage, but my reach is only as great as the shinobi I have willing to assist me."

Of course, Warai was touched by the offer. She placed a hand over her heart, a slight guilty feeling hovering over her. Unable to maintain eye contact, Warai averted her gaze, allowing her face to droop in a saddened expression.

"You'd ask me something like that after I said I had come here to kill the old Mizukage..."

"Like I said, many people wanted Yagura dead, Warai. But I know you...I know about your lineage, your kekkei genkai. Reports of your attack during the coup state you announced you were a Jinsoku, and I can only imagine what your life was like...training, waiting, thinking, all in relation to killing the old Mizukage." Mei looked down at her lap, and opened her hands to stare at her palms, as if she could see her blood through the flesh. "I'm just like you in many ways...I, too, have bloodline techniques that I hid from Yagura. I wanted to remove him too, but I was not as brave as you or Zabuza...I sought to become the new Mizukage, and then have him executed, but his disappearance made everything simpler."

"So you understand how I must feel," Warai said, looking back at Mei. "What am I? I lived just to kill, I turned myself into a heartless killer, all for one goal. How can I raise a generation of peace keepers when all I know is violence?"

"Dear, you fought and killed because you wanted to defeat Yagura, but did you want to kill him for no reason other than to commit murder?"

"..."

"You fought and killed for others besides yourself. For Zabuza, for the people he brought together for the coup, for your parents. No heartless monster would fight for others. If you still cry, if you still bleed blood for those you love, then you'll always know what it's like to fight for a good cause. I want you, someone more familiar with such a battle than anyone else, to share such knowledge with every child in this village. Can you do this for me?"

---

Outside the dome, Jiyuu landed on a rooftop, exhausted to the point where he fell to his hands and knees. His breathing was uncontrollable, but he knew he needed only a few moments to...

...was that HIS mother in there?! Kami, he could only see streaks of lightning and the bitch he had fought earlier, plus Sakana's dad...it looked like they were getting thrashed. Beside Jiyuu appeared Chojuro, who also looked tired, though nowhere near as much as the Hyuuga Pariah.

Silently, the Mizukage looked around, taking in the scene of raw destruction that the barrier sat in the middle of. Bodies and blood everywhere, yet barely any weapons in sight. This had been the scene of a civilian massacre, and...

...there was Kagura, cut in half with his head also split down the middle. The special sword, Hiramekarei, was by his side, splattered with his own blood and giblets. Of course, the Mizukage leapt down and collected the sword in his own hand; he had to ensure that such a weapon didn't reach the hands of his enemies, if they broke from that barrier.

But...he also kept staring down at the dead body of the young man who was his assistant, his apprentice, the one person who actually looked up to him in this world on a level beyond Mizukage. Though Chojuro wished to mourn the tragic loss of someone so dear to him, he also understood that there would be another time for that, a more appropriate time where the remains of Kagura could be gathered and put to rest comfortably.

But now? Now, Chojuro looked at the special sword in his hand, and focused his chakra into it. Water dripped from his eye, and collected at the bottom of his goggles. The sword glowed with blue, radiant chakra, and the Mizukage looked at the barrier. He faced it head-on, and took up a kenjutsu stance.

"DON'T DO IT!"

Surprised, the Mizukage looked towards the broken roof of a nearby house, the one Jiyuu was stood on. He was holding his stomach and clearly lacking any chakra that would make him useful in a battle.

"MY MA'S IN THERE!"

What? Warai was in that barrier? He focused on the dome of energy in front of him, and could make out streaks of lightning here and there. Kami, that was her. How long had she been trapped?

It's almost been five minutes, Warai mused, ducking beneath wild swings and punches as she threw out counter attacks. I need to end this now. I...

...I have to keep fighting. For you, Ketsui...and you, Jiyuu. I have to fight for the ones I love...because I'm not a monster. I have things to protect...

A battle cry roared from Warai's lungs, and her own chakra swelled and pulsed throughout the barrier. Dirt flew everywhere, and it concealed the whitening of her eyes, and the slight pinkish tone that her flesh took on. Veins swelled and popped on her forehead as she continued to scream.

"GATE OF LIFE, OPEEEEEEN!"

The Uncle and The Aunt felts chills crawl across their skin. They were having trouble already, how would they even manage to deal with this?!

Again, Warai wailed out with another battle cry, though this one sounded more painful.

30 seconds...

She lunged at Aunt, who took the attack straight to the chest. Warai could feel her own bones breaking from the strike, but even better than that, she could feel the barrier behind Midori crack. She bounced off of it, and found herself on the receiving end of a dropkick. The barrier shattered, and Mirodi's body flew through the opening. Warai blitzed right after her, continuing a rapid flurry of attacks in the air, continuing to rise up with the lizard woman.

Hissing, Midori turned her back to Warai and weaved a hand sign. "Secret Art: Armored Hide!"

The scales on her body flittered about, and grew thicker, stronger. The blows afterwards, Warai could feel, were significantly less damaging to Midori.

"You think this matters," she shouted at the lizard woman before grabbing her from behind, wrapping her arms and legs around the beast to restrain her. "YOU THINK THIS MATTERS?!"

Struggling to escape, Midori found herself fighting the fierce hold that Warai had on her. It was to no avail, and she found herself screaming obscenities at the blonde as the two began to descend. Warai released her grip, shifting around so she fell with her hand on Midori's head alone. She kicked at the air behind her, pushing both of them down as she sparked and crackled with electricity.

"THUNDER DROP!"

A large volume of dust and debris was kicked up from the impactful landing, but Yaju didn't get a chance to really acknowledge how intense the attack had been. Before the shockwave even flew from the impact, Warai coated in a streak of lightning flashed in front of the swordsman. She shoulder charged him in the midsection, winding the man before lifting him up and running with the Hoshigaki.

15 seconds...

As the blonde rammed through broken walls and busted houses, Yaju yelled out in fury. He lifted his sword over his head to swing at her, but Warai was not an idiot; she saw this coming from a mile away. She released Yaju and stopped herself on a dime, letting momentum take him through a few more destroyed establishments before she appeared right under his jaw, rising up with a chakra-clad uppercut ready. Her strike connected, and surprisingly, Yaju still had his head attached. However, he was sent into the air, and Warai leapt up to pursue him. Seeing her approach in his doujutsu, Yaju held his sword in front to block, surging all the chakra inside the thing to do so. Yes, he could theoretically use the power of the eight gates thanks to Widow's Bane, and yes, he could potentially match Warai in this battle...but he, too, was no idiot.

The fight was going to be over soon, and he didn't need to do a thing. So instead, he blocked the strike, and was sent even further into the air. Warai kicked off his sword and flew at the ground. In midair, she flipped, landing on her feet before leaping up at the swordsman once more. She had to keep going, she had to try to finish everything here. She wouldn't lose, she COULDN'T lose.

Yelling again, she began doing rapid front flips in the air as she closed the gap with Yaju. Of course, he lifted his sword in front of himself to block an attack, and was too slow when Warai went above him for a powerful electric axe kick to his shoulder. This was with her bad leg. Blood gushed out through her torn muscles, and she could feel fresh bones breaking like they did years ago. She grunted in pain, but could also feel that Yaju's entire shoulder blade, collar bone, and uppermost ribs were broken apart. He flew to the ground, landing beside Midori. Warai could make out that the lizard woman was still capable of standing, as she got up and placed a hand on Yaju. The man looked to be more furious than pained, but he was having slight issues sitting upright.

Five seconds...it's time!

One of Warai's hands was pulled behind her head, and lightning crackled and danced around her body as the hand tightened into a fist. She aimed her body with her free arm, her vision blurry and legs in pain. This was the furthest she could push her body, only able to open up to three gates while also utilizing Swift Release. She was burned of chakra, burned of will, bleeding out horribly from her leg's old wounds resurfacing, and the poison was starting to take effect. But this attack, this final strike, was all she needed to land.

For a brief second, the blonde glanced off to the side. She could see Chojuro down below, his old sword once again in his hands. He appeared very, very concerned...perhaps even shocked that the kunoichi was going this far once again. She had to...she did not age as gracefully as other kunoichi in terms of the shinobi arts; she was out of practice, far from her prime. The only way to put up some fight was, unfortunately, to go all out.

Then...she saw her son on a rooftop. He was yelling out to her, and he looked horrified...her baby, he looked so scared. Warai figured that his beautiful onyx eyes showed him just how bad his mother really was hurt, and he must have felt hopeless.

Sweetie...I'm doing this for you...don't be sad...

She focused her attention frontwards, and saw the two monsters below.

...keeping you safe and making sure you live to be happy again...that's always been my new goal in life, once I found you...Jiyuu.

Her torn-up legs kicked at the air one more time, and her whole body fell with incredible speed at the two below. She let out one more battle cry, and this time, she allowed tears to flow from her eyes as she threw out her final attack.

"LIGHTNING DIVE!"

The impact was even greater than the last one. Not only did dust and debris fly, but a bolt of lightning fell from the sky itself, piercing a hole through the mist itself. Thunder rumbled through the sky as lingering strands of electricity sparked in the air and along the clouds above, and the shockwave was intense enough to knock both Chojuro and Jiyuu off their feet.

Far off, Sakana was leaping in the direction Jiyuu had gone. She saw the bolt of lightning, and came to a halt. She had no idea what that was, but the faint idea that it may have been Warai's doing crept through her head. She continued to run in it's direction, knowing very well she needed to get there before Jiyuu put himself in danger.

Though the shockwave was intense and had knocked him down, the Hyuuga Pariah fought to stand up right after it had passed. He ran towards the impact sight, blood rushing and eyes filled with concern. His chakra was too low, and his Byakugan faded away, making him more terrified as his mother's faint chakra signature disappeared from sight. He ran pat Chojuro, who was also getting to his feet, and ignored the man's orders to stand by and wait. His heart was beating so hard that he could hear it in his head, his breathing so heavy that his chest ached with each swelling, his body so weak that each step in his dash became less and less stable.

"MAAAAA!"

He tripped and fell over his own feet, slamming face-first into the ground and making his nose bleed from the impact. His body trembled, but he had enough strength to lift his head and look up. The dust was settling, and the opened sky allowed early morning sunlight to filter down onto the impact crater made by Warai. There she lay, legs positioned in ways that shouldn't be physically possible with one of them bleeding from the thigh. Her fist that had been used in the final attack was mangled, bloodied, and broken at the forearm. Her free arm was stretched out to her side, twitching slightly. Her head was facing away from Jiyuu, her blonde hair dirty and tangled up. He could hear her breathing...it was subtle, but there.

However, much unlike Warai's signs of life, Yaju and Midori were gone. They were nowhere to be seen, not even a limb to indicate they were blown apart.

She mumbled something, and Jiyuu pushed himself up. He didn't want to look at his mother's mangled limbs, he was trying his damndest to not. He focused on her head, on weakly shuffling over before kneeling at her side. He swallowed, and gently flipped his mother over so she was face-up. Her eyes were barely open, completely unfocused, staring up at the light coming from above. She was crying a little, but her breathing was too light for her to properly sob.

"...got...a...away..."

Her message was clear as day to Jiyuu. He grit his teeth and held his mother in his arms, looking over his shoulder at Chojuro, who had just caught up with the Hyuuga Pariah.

"GET A DOCTOR, HURRY! GET TEN OF THEM, JUST MAKE SURE SHE'S OKAY!"

Chojuro looked on at the two for a moment, nodding and vanishing. He could see plain as day what Jiyuu had seen, not needing to hear confirmation from Warai herself. The targets had vanished, no doubt used a technique to teleport back to the Hidden Abyss. The fight was over, and although no final blow was struck, Chojuro wanted to consider this a victory. But deep down, he knew it wasn't. He rushed by destroyed towns, ruined buildings, made it to where the medical staff were and noted all the patients that needed some attention. Overall, this had been a huge loss...and this attack far greater than any the Hidden Mist had been on the receiving end of before.

They had been crushed.

Basking under morning light, Warai's twitching began to slow. Jiyuu's body tensed up, and he looked his mother in the eye. She was looking back, and a small smile was forming on her bloodied mouth. She could see that her son was holding his breath, and a tear was leaking from one of his eyes. With her good hand, she reached up and wiped it for him before cupping his cheek.

"...my baby..."

Her hand fell, and her eyes remained fixated on the boy as the lids began to lower. Of course, Jiyuu shook her to keep her awake, but it was doing nothing.

"No...no, no, nononono...no, NO! NO! MA, DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE!" Desperate, the Hyuuga's Black Eye looked around for someone, anyone, and hugged his mother tighter. "SOMEONE HELP ME! HEEEEELP!"

Though she was growing more and more tired, she could feel the warmth of her son's hug and the radiance of the sunlight beaming down on her. She felt at peace, and felt herself losing control of her legs, then her waist, then her arms and torso...but...she was still there. She knew she was, she could still feel, still hear. She could hear doctors scrambling around and Jiyuu threatening to harm them if they didn't save her. She didn't know if they would do it...save her life, that was.

But what she did know was that she was feeling very tired. She allowed her eyes to close, and with the fading sounds of her son screaming out for her, everything went black...and everything went silent.

---

War had been hell, but the resolution was grand. The lives lost were unfathomable, yet the birth of a new future for a brighter new generation was on the horizon. With her leg wounded to the point that walking was nigh impossible, Warai knew she would have no choice but to retire as a kunoichi. She had to force significant chakra into her wounded leg to stand on it, but she was able to make it back to the Hidden Mist without much trouble. Had it not been for the kind man she met along the way, she would not be here right now.

And, were it not for the sleeping bundle she cradled in her arms, she would not have had a reason to really accept retirement peacefully.

The two stopped in front of a little house Warai was given as a gift from Mei upon accepting the job of a jounin kunoichi of the Hidden Mist; it was run down upon reception, but Warai cleaned it up enough to make the place presentable, both inside and out. Unfortunately, she never bothered with the front lawn as she was almost always out on missions; the grass made it look like her home was stood at the edge of a rainforest.

Feeling the child rustle in her arms a little, she held him closer and smiled down at the boy. She looked to Ketsui, a bearded shinobi from the Hidden Leaf who looked tired in the soul, yet happy in the mind. "I couldn't thank you enough. You didn't have to come out to my home to make sure Jiyuu and I got here safely, but you did."

"Well, kinda figured you wouldn't be gettin' tired of my company if I did," he joked, grinning as he did so. "Plus, I couldn't let ya make the trip alone with that leg. It was the least I could do."

"I would never get tired of you."

The words hung in the air, and it took the kunoichi a minute before she realized just what she had said. She stuttered as her face turned red, and Ketsui's hearty laugh made her from a little.

"I'm tired, don't laugh at me. Please open the door."

"'Course, 'course."

He did as she asked, still chuckling to himself as she walked inside. The first thing she did was walk straight past the kitchen/dining room that was off the the left once she entered her home, and headed straight for the next immediate room; the living room, where a couch was sat on the left and a small tv set on the right. Plopping down onto the couch, the blonde let out a small 'phew' and cradled Jiyuu closer, looking down at him. He was sound asleep.

"Well, guess I'll get goin' now."

What Ketsui just spoke hit Warai like a whip. She turned her focus to the Leaf-nin who was stretching his arms and turning to the door he entered from; she noticed he was staying awful close to it.

"No, please don't," she begged. Her voice sounded a little desperate, and she hated it. It was very much unlike Warai to beg for company, but this man was so different in her books. Of all the men she had met, both in and out of this village, he had been the first to respect her in such a way. He fought by her side, yet didn't act like she needed protecting constantly. He was kind, but not in a creepy way. He hadn't made a single move on her...and that part was probably what made her so interested in this man. As she had grown up, it became no secret that she blossomed into a beautiful creature...but the only men she seemed to attract were thirsty wolves or maniacs she was being paid by her village to kill. Any men she had worked with never cared to talk with her much, as it was always business. Even that bastard Suchiru, who she had worked with more times than she could count, just became less and less appealing to her as time went on.

This man was different, and in a good way.

"But I don't live here," he countered. His tone was still playful, but he could see Warai was not chipper.

"...you don't want to be rude, do you? I asked you to stay..."

"..."

His smile faded, but he didn't look upset with her at all. He closed the door gently behind him, and walked with heavy footsteps into her living room. She watched as Ketsui looked around the place, nodding to himself with his hands meeting his hips.

"Not a bad place."

"It's terrible. It gets so drafty here when it snows."

"But it's still a home, right?"

"...yes, I suppose."

"I hear there's no place like it."

She chuckled at his small quip. "No, I don't think there is, really." She brought her focus down to the sleeping boy in her arms again, and gently brought a finger to his cheek. She ran it along his face, and the boy wriggled a little before a tiny hand reached up and grabbed the finger brushing along his cheek; her heart was melting from the sight. "When I was younger, I didn't think I'd ever know what a proper home was when I had lost my parents. I lived under a bridge...kids at my school used to call me a troll because of that. Thinking about it now seems so silly..."

"You're strong, y'know. You came a long way from there, most people would've quit."

"Thank you. But I didn't do it for any noble reason." Warai's smile shook, and Ketsui could see it become weak. "...it wasn't until I grew up that I realized revenge is just a hollow goal...reaching it does nothing but leave you empty."

Ketsui was very quiet, looking to the front door as she spoke. She could tell his mind was elsewhere...and it made her terribly upset. Her smile crumbled away with ease.

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't be speaking like this, I'm making you feel uncomfortable."

"Nah, it ain't that."

"..."

"I'm just thinkin' 'bout what you're sayin', and it's true. I was there once, but it left me with nothin' in the end. Hell, I ain't even got a real home. I don't know what I'm gonna do now that the war's over, to be honest."

"...you could live here."

The Man of Five looked at the kunoichi once more, and she wasn't bothering to force a smile. She was clearly desperate for him to stick around.

"...with me," she finished.

Not knowing how to respond, he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked very conflicted, and on the inside, he felt so much worse.

"I...I really ain't deservin' of such generosity."

"None of our generation is, Ketsui. I don't know what you've done or what you're running from...but I know what it's like to have skeletons in the closet. I can look past anything you've done, because I've done things that no normal person would just to have revenge. I understand what it's like to be alone, and to feel like you're not doing anybody favors by sticking around...but you're not like that. You're sweet and kind, your heart's big and warm...and I like it when you're around."

"..."

"I don't want to force your hand, but...at least consider the invitation. I would like to see you more often."

A quiet hum rumbled from Ketsui, and his arms folded over his chest. He stood there for a moment, eyes shut and head lowered while he thought about what he had been told. Warai could tell this man was not going to stay, she could see he felt uncomfortable opening up, showing a deeper side because he had been hurt in the past. She knew what it was like to endure pain, to accept solitude as the new normal, and to suddenly be thrust into groups of people for whatever reason. Ketsui was a loner, he had been for most of his life. Though his life was shrouded in mystery, Warai assumed it wasn't too different from her own. If that was the case, she figured all he would need is time...eventually, the allure of a warm home and someone to speak with would be too much for him to turn down completely.

Silently, he began to head for the entryway. His footsteps were still heavy, though they carried a more solemn thud to them now that he was heading out. He opened the door slowly, letting it creak as he stood there with freedom just a footstep away. He stared outside, and his hand was ready to shut the door behind him.

"...I'll think 'bout it, Warai."

"Please do, Ketsui."

The door closed behind the Man of Five, and just like that, he was gone. Though she felt miserable when he left, deep down, she knew he could come back. He was like her...and if that were the case, Ketsui would find that he wouldn't be able to get Warai off his mind. She knew this, because she was doing nothing but think about him this very instant.

The boy held in her arms wriggled around some more, and yawned into her chest. Looking down at him again, Warai's heart melted at the sight of the boy once more. This was her future...a mother. Not once had she ever considered such a path in life, but she was more than willing to begin the journey. Tomorrow, she would send her request for retirement to Mei with an explanation, including both her injury and the baby. Warai knew Mei would understand.

She rocked the baby back and forth, slowly, and hummed to him while he slept. This boy was her new goal in life...his safety, his happiness...his future.

She would bleed for those she loved.