A Deal with the Devil
Chapter 11,
"Stop," Mari told them from over Kagami's back. "There's a team of Hidden Mist ninja just ahead of us. Three in total. Their chakra levels aren't too high, but it'd be best if we avoided them entirely."
Done speaking, she rested her head on Kagami's shoulder, releasing a content sigh as she did so. It was loud and deliberate just like everything she does.
Kagami grunted with a sharp nod.
Slowing his run in accordance with Mari's warning, he held up a hand, signaling to his team to slow their pace. He leaped down from the forest canopy next to a great molding tree which was surrounded by more, smaller, and dead trees. The night was still young, and the sound of battle- steel on steel could be heard from afar.
Kagami removed Mari from his back with a serious face as he ignored her puffed cheeks. When Inojinchi joined her at the base of the decomposing tree, he looked away, scanning the tree-line for any movement.
There was none, so he found his eyes drifting over to his clansmen.
Unsurprisingly, Hotaro was glaring at the Uzumaki and Yamanaka, his eyes narrowed and watching Mari's every move like a hawk would its prey. She didn't seem to mind, however, much to Hotaro's dissatisfaction, as she went about explaining to Inojinchi the surprising significance of the tree they were next to. Shisu listened too, yet with one eye forever observing their surroundings.
According to Mari, the massive tree was absorbing the vital nutrients of the other nearby trees, devouring their chakra to supplement its excessive needs.
"This country is just like this tree," she suddenly said.
Her face was grim, and the tone of her voice was dark, so much so, Kagami couldn't tell if she was faking.
Continuing, she said, "Neither the Hidden Mist nor the Land of Water as a whole cares about those they rob from or use. Allies. Enemies. To them the phrase, the end justifies the means, is all that matters as long as they get what they want."
She then paused to stare up at the trio of Uchiha as she muttered her next words ominously.
"Their research on bloodlines started genuine, simply wanting to know more about the various bloodline clans that make up the Land of Water. But that innocence quickly turned into a thirst for power that eventually led to the construction of the facility you found me at… Hundreds died and countless more will die, all in the name of power."
Finishing her proclamation, the Uzumaki hugged her knees to her chest and focused on her scarred arm through strands of wet red hair. It was clear that the conversation was over and that she had said exactly what she had wanted to say.
Without uttering a single word, Hotaro's hawklike face scrunched up into a sneer as her words sank into his head. She was warning them. Specifically of the Uchiha clan's eternal thirst for power in Konoha.
Kagami simply filed her words away, dumping it next to all of the cryptic information she had so generously graced him throughout their journey.
After a long moment of continued silence and glaring, an agitated Shisu disregarded the Uzumaki and turned to face the dead woods. "They're here," was all that she whispered.
Kagami ducked next to Hotaro, his Sharingan following Shisu's gaze to where three shinobi, shrouded in shadows and darkness came within view. They sprinted fast, leaping from branch to branch with their gleaming Hidden Mist headbands worn proudly.
When they reared closer, the first real observation Kagami made was that they were all distinctly short. Like children, he thought keenly. And secondly was a familiar head of auburn that fluttered overhead in the breeze.
Although the moon's rays were partially waned and lethargic at best, as dawn drew closer, recognition flashed in Kagami's eyes as he thought of a certain scorched Terumi. Sharing a quick glance with a wide-eyed Inojinchi that he instantly came to regret, Kagami shook his head vehemently at the Yamanaka heir to no avail.
The blonde was already standing, his moth ajar with the breath of desperation clinging onto his voice as he shouted, "Wait."
Kagami clenched his jaw shut to force down his rising anger, but his feelings of wanting to ram a kunai through Inojinchi's skull did not diminish. He settled with a frustrated exhale as the Hidden Mist team stopped, perched atop a branch a little ways away.
Out of options, he sank further into the shadows next to Hotaro.
Auburn hair spilled around a pretty young face; its owner being a teenage girl who held herself with all the posture of a proper lady. Very uncharacteristic compared to all of the ninja Kagami's seen so far.
Next to her was another teenager, whose lower face was wrapped securely in bandages. His dark eyes were squinted cruelly at Inojinchi with marvel and excitement as he reached for the weapon strapped to his back. Truly, the slab of metal that was as tall as a full-grown man could hardly be called a sword, yet the Hidden Mist youth lifted it effortlessly.
And standing next to the two was another boy, younger and staring at Inojinchi in curiosity from behind a mop of pure white-hair that framed his baby-cheeked face. Kagami furrowed his brows in visible confusion when the boy's pupilless purple eyes glanced his way before focusing coolly back on Inojinchi.
"…Tch," Hotaro raised his nose. "Just genin."
He sounded disappointed, but it could have easily been relief.
Kagami saw the girl gulp, swallowing her anxiety as she stepped in front of her teammates. She opened her mouth to speak, but promptly closed it, still unnerved by Inojinchi's presence.
They were indeed children, Kagami felt at ease. However, call it intuition or instinct, but his gut was telling him to not lower his guard. Not that he would, regardless.
So, remaining quiet, he allowed Inojinchi to continue his fool's errand, all the while watching the genin closely. Especially the white-haired one.
Inojinchi coughed into his fist awkwardly. "You… you're a Terumi aren't you?" he began, mustering the courage to tell the girl about what happened to her maybe clan leader.
The girl held her breath and nodded only after glaring like a cornered pup, apprehensive and confused as to how Inojinchi knew.
Inojinchi beamed and scratched the back of his head, flashing the girl a polite smile. "I'm not here to hurt you three," he clarified. "I do have something I need to tell you though… it's about your-"
"Hey brat, that's a Konoha headband, right?" Interrupting Inojinchi, the bandaged teen slapped his hand against the back of the white-haired kid's head. A resounding *wet* slap echoed, and he continued, smirking under his bandages. "I heard that Konoha's Yellow Flash is supposed to be ridiculously strong… and apparently he's blonde too…"
His dark eyes shone with ambition and Inojinchi deadpanned.
"Konoha's Yellow Flash?" Kagami murmured to himself, imagining Inojinchi grinning smugly over several Konoha nins. That couldn't be right, could it? Apparently not, considering the low growl that came from Hotaro. "Namikaze…"
Knowing how important names are in this world, Kagami did the only thing he could. File it away right with all the faceless names he has stored in his head: The Lord Hokage, the Ghost of the Uchiha clan, and finally his clan leader, Fugaku-sama.
The white-haired child who could be no older than six or seven remained silent, firing a single nod to the bloodthirsty teen's first question, asking if Inojinchi was in fact, a Konoha ninja.
"This must be our lucky day then," the bandaged teenager chuckled a sinister laugh. "This will be fun! We'll definitely earn some nice promotions if we kill THE Yellow Flash! Maybe the shitty Mizukage might even finally acknowledge my strength and recommend me for the Seven Swordsmen!"
"Shut up Momochi or I'll kill you before you can touch one of the legendary swords," the Terumi girl snapped. "And Mangetsu-kun, don't listen to that idiot. If he's really the Yellow Flash then we should flee while we still can. We're no match against him right now, after all." She sneaked a glance at the still pale-faced blonde, her cheeks tinged red.
Inojinchi's expression soured furthermore at her blush.
The child, Mangetsu, remained silent.
"What d'ya say, you bitch!? No match against that shrimp? I'm a real breathing demon, Mei! I'd like to see you or him try to kill me!"
"Get that scrap metal out of my face Zabuza, or else I'll seriously kill you!"
"Tch, oh yeah? Go ahead and try then!"
Kagami saw Inojinchi sweatdrop when the two teens butted heads, completely forgetting that they were in the presence of "Konoha's Yellow Flash" himself. Next to him, Hotaro raised a kunai that glinted; attached to its end was a paper tag that had the kanji for "explode" inscribed at its center.
He nodded, thankful for Hotaro's ruthlessness. To be honest, he was reaching for his own when Hotaro offered to do it. If those Hidden Mist genin were going to continue their ridiculous bickering, and Inojinchi his useless agenda, Kagami had no intentions of wasting this opening.
Hotaro raised the kunai, readying to hurl it for the raging boy, Zabuza Momochi was his name, Kagami believed. When Hotaro didn't throw the ninja weapon he frowned, seeing his wife's hand clasped over Hotaro's wrist.
"They're children," she hissed venomously. "What is wrong with you two? Hotaro, don't you have a kid brother stationed along the fire border? How'd you like an Anbu-skilled shinobi killing him, a mere genin? And T-Taicho…"
Kagami returned her gaze without emotion, not missing the way Hotaro's eyes went downcast and his hand limp. It seems he'd have to take matters into his own hands like usual. He was growing tired of all the insubordination happening around him.
First Inojinchi, then Hotaro, now even his wife, Shisu. This was becoming rather bothersome, fast.
Wasn't this a world at war? Where even children could wield the destructive power of chakra?
"D-Do you not feel anything for what you authorized?" she continued, raspy and distressed. He shook his head negatively and she grimaced. "I'm worried about you Kagami… our son Shisui… he's turning nine next fall, don't you remember? H-he trains and plays inside the clan compound with his friends, arguing with little Itachi-chan just like those kids over there, remember?"
She sounded desperate for him to remember the child she and his body's former host procreated. Desperate for him to understand that what he planned to do was morally wrong. But he did understand; he always understood, in this life and in his last; he just didn't care.
All that he could think about was how she didn't address him as "Taicho." It was unfamiliar but gave him enough confidence needed to drop his façade- at least for a moment.
"Pathetic."
Shisu's eyes widened, her shock palpable. Even Hotaro looked taken aback but didn't dare say anything.
"E-Excuse me, Kaga-"
"I said that you two are pathetic," he repeated. "Those "children" are Hidden Mist borne, taught to hate and kill foreign ninja villages. What do you think will happen if we simply let them go?"
He looked at Hotaro, then to Shisu when the younger Uchiha looked away.
"Well, what do you think will happen Shisu?" he said darkly. "They'll either report to their higher-ups that the fucking Yellow Flash is in the Land of Water or attack us," Kagami answered before she could, simultaneously ripping the kunai from Hotaro's grip and lobbing a thumb at the jittering mess that was Inojinchi. "It's better to deal with such hindrances before they fully develop, regardless."
[Your lack of compassion never ceases to amaze me, Kagami-kun. Why don't you leave her for me? Unlike her and the rest of your two-faced village, you and I are driven by our intellects. Although I am curious, do you not hold any feelings of fatherhood towards your child? I didn't feel a thing in that heart of yours-]
He mentally forced Mari's grating voice out of his head and scoffed at Shisu's hurt expression as he raised and then aimed the kunai.
With all the precognition of his Sharingan, he could see the pathway his kunai would take well before he even threw it. Confident in his aim, Kagami flung the kunai past Inojinchi's ear, where it soared through the air just as he had foreseen, approaching Zabuza's head, fast and precise.
Inojinchi did a double-take, and he whipped his head towards Kagami; the sharp glint in his eyes wavering under Kagami's cold impassive glare. The blonde looked betrayed, and Kagami wondered why when he was the one doing the betraying.
Zabuza and Mei's surprised gasps carried into the air, followed by an echoing explosion. Nevertheless, Kagami was hardly surprised to see a water bubble swirling protectively in front of the genin squad. Most things never went his way, and he begrudgingly accepted that.
The whirling of the water seemed to go on forever, slow, and hypnotic. He had almost missed the wad of spit that soared through the sky, burning a molten red as it rapidly grew in size and shape.
Kagami didn't bother dodging, for the molten spittle impacted harmlessly against the tree he was taking cover behind, melting its bark in one fell swoop.
The water sphere fell, melding into the white-haired boy's raised hand, not a single drop wasted. Looking closer, Kagami saw that the kid's skin flowed like water, almost as though he was made of liquid rather than flesh and bones.
'Just when I thought I've seen everything,' Kagami thought reminiscing the plenty water-dragons the Mizukage produced and the lightning armor the Raikage summoned seemingly from his own chakra. Perhaps his new life's goal should be to learn and master every jutsu…?
Maybe he'd find one that could guarantee him a place in heaven this time, or maybe even extend his life expectancy. That last one didn't sound too bad actually… Why worry about where he'd end up when he could prevent himself from dying entirely.
"You tricked us," Mei's accusation sounded rather childish, but her anger was well understood.
"Wait. Wait," Inojinchi raised his hands in mock surrender. "I have to tell you something important. It's about your clan leader."
Mei's sea-green eyes widened before narrowing dangerously. "Where is she!? Y-You. Konoha doesn't have her, do they!" Inojinchi shook his head feverishly at this. "Then… what could you the Yellow Flash of Konoha know? Why are you even here bringing up Lady Yurika's disappearance to me?"
Inojinchi frustratedly scratched his platinum blonde locks and sighed, not bothering to correct her. "I promised her that I would warn her clansmen about the Hidden Mist Village's betrayal towards her." He said. "As soon as she disembarked on her last mission, she was intercepted by other Hidden Mist ninjas. She fought, but they had numbers against her. The things that happened to her… she wanted to warn you, her clan about the Hidden Mist and about her fate."
"You keep saying wanted and was…?" Mei drawled out. "Is she dead?"
Inojinchi clasped his hand over his face and nodded. "Yeah, she's dead," he then verbally confirmed her fears.
The Terumi closed her eyes and forced back her tears, much like her clan leader did when Inojinchi told the charred woman that she was going to die. Her small shoulders shook, and Kagami glared when he felt her chakra flare.
'What is she doing…'
He wasn't able to complete his thought because just then, a jet-stream of lava flew towards Inojinchi. Seeing an ample opportunity within that split second, Kagami's legs moved of their own accord, shoving Inojinchi out of the way just in the nick of time.
"Nice shot, princess," Zabuza snorted. His jagged and shark-like toothy smile penetrating through his bandages as he leered at the intense burn mark on Kagami's upper left shoulder. "Who cares what happened to that bitch, were shinobi… tools for our village to use and discard. I thought you'd know that Yellow Flash, but enough talking; I'm going to enjoy gutting you Leaf bastards. Especially you, for that surprise attack, funny eyes."
Kagami hoped that Zabuza's brash declaration, coupled with the injury he allowed himself to sustain would open Shisu's eyes to the cold-hearted fact that they couldn't let these child soldiers leave this forest alive. Judging by the direction they were heading before Inojinchi stopped them, they were in route to the Biju and Kage filled warzone.
Zabuza hoisted his long sword up and pointed its sharp end at Kagami. "I'll take the one with the funny eyes, Mangetsu you get the bitch in the back, and princess you entertain the Yellow Flash until I'm done with my opponent." Zabuza barked as he rocketed from the branch he was perched on.
End
An: Sorry about the cliff-hanger again. I've got a lot of tests and what-not coming up soon, so I decided to post what I already have written. I had fun writing Zabuza and Mei's interactions with THE FUCKING Yellow Flash. Also, fun fact, Zabuza, Mei, and Kakashi, are all roughly around the same age. When I found that out, I was determined to fit them somewhere in the war; it being the third war of course (and kid Mangetsu to fill the extra space just cause). Anyways, the story's wrapping up soon, maybe five, if even, more chapters left (Gonna try to stick to canon as much as possible).