Author's Note: I'm quite happy to see how eager most readers are about this arc. Truth be told, I was afraid that most people would react negatively and prefer if I went directly with Part II. Not that this arc is filler by any stretch of the imagination, since the events that are going to take place will affect future arcs in rather meaningful ways, but still.
Also, after more than a year of silence, "True Potential" is updating again! I think I recommended this story before, but I'm going to do it again, since it's one of the best and overall better written Naruhina fanfics out there.
Now, enjoy the chapter:
Chapter 43:
Mists of the Past
or
Zabuza can't catch a break
…
Training Ground 21
When they traveled together, Zabuza had Haku woke up before sunrise so the two of them could have a good training session before they moved onto other matters. Such habit didn't change since they were forced to live in Konoha.
They were practicing some water jutsu at the edge of a lake before the Jonin decided to stop and rest for some time. Zabuza also decided to ask his protégé a few questions.
"You've been Chunin for quite some time now. How do you find the higher rank missions you're getting?" Zabuza asked.
Haku simply shrugged. "Not that difficult from the missions I did as a Genin, truth be told. Many missions ended up being way more dangerous than we believed. But in the end, I think it was for the better. I wouldn't be as strong as I am now if it wasn't for that."
"Indeed. You survived, and that meant that you were strong enough to deserve to continue living," Zabuza stated. "All you need is a little more experience before you can be of real help in my endeavor."
"How long until we can leave Konoha?" Haku asked.
"Given how long I've been here, I'd say it can't be longer than a couple years," Zabuza wondered, as he thought about it. "My track record is pretty much flawless. So flawless that I think Jiraiya doesn't want to let me go. But so far, he has proven to be a man of his word, and I trust he'll honor his end of our bargain."
"If Naruto-kun is anything to go by, I can say that the Hokage is the same as him," Haku agreed.
There was something about Haku, however, that didn't go unnoticed by Zabuza.
"You surprise me, Haku. I wasn't expecting you to be so eager to leave Konoha. You have friends and even a girlfriend here. Would you ditch them for me?" the swordsman skeptically asked.
"You know my answer. My loyalty will always lay with you, Zabuza-sama. If you didn't take me in, I would be dead right now. I have a debt I will never be able to repay," Haku replied.
While such a statement would make Zabuza feel proud and satisfied in the past, it made him feel rather conflicted. On one side, he didn't want to lose Haku, since he was a useful asset. On the other hand, he did care for the boy, regardless how much he wanted to deny it, and the idea of forcing Haku to abandon the life he had built here made him feel uneasy.
However, before the former Kiri ninja had more time to ponder on his conflicted feelings, a lizard-masked ANBU appeared behind them.
"Zabuza, Haku. Your immediate presence is required by the Hokage. He's waiting for you in the Hokage Tower's Council Room," the ANBU stated in a cold and neutral tone before vanishing.
"Alright then, let's see why he wants to see us," Zabuza said as he and Haku headed back to the village.
…
Upon arriving to the Hokage Tower, the two Land of Water natives were greeted by an unsettling sight. Several Kiri ninja were in front of the Tower, being watched over by several Konoha ninja. Needless to say, this didn't bode well for the duo.
"Zabuza-sama, I have a bad feeling about this," Haku whispered to his master. "What should we do?"
"For the time being, let's play nice, and do what we're told to do. I don't think Jiraiya plans to hand us to Yagura like that," Zabuza reassured him.
"And if you're wrong?"
"Then prepare to fight like you never did," Zabuza grimly replied.
While they were restless on the inside, Zabuza and Haku entered the tower as if nothing weird happened. They reached the Council Room, where two ANBU stood guard, and opened the doors for them. What awaited for them there was certainly surprising.
"Well, here they are," Jiraiya stated, pleased, as he saw the duo enter the room. "Now that we're all here, we can finally begin."
The Council Room was a large room where most meetings were held. There was a long and large table in the middle, surrounded by several cushy chairs and cushions, with several drawers full of scrolls and thick folders resting against the walls. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and their sensei and former Hokage, Hirzuen Sarutobi, were the only Konoha ninja present.
There were other three ninja, two women and a boy, sitting around the table. The youngest two were a nervous looking young man with light blue hair who wore glasses, and an angry looking short girl with dark red hair. Zabuza didn't know who those two were –but the fact that they were carrying two of the seven swords didn't go unnoticed– he did recognize the third one, a woman in her late twenties with long, spiky dark red hair with a bang covering half her face, given that she was almost like a celebrity in Kirigakure.
"Mei Terumi," Zabuza dourly stated. "I must admit seeing you here is a surprise."
"Am I a good surprise, or a bad one?" Mei asked in her trademark sultry voice.
"That would depend on your reason to be here," Zabuza replied, before staring at Jiraiya. "Hokage-sama, I think I deserve an explanation for this."
"And you'll have it, Zabuza. But first, take a seat and let's hear what Miss Terumi has to say," Jiraiya replied.
Begrudgingly, Zabuza did as he was told, with Haku doing the same.
"And given that you two know each other, we can skip the introductions. Now, let's begin," Jiraiya said.
Mei cleared her throat before beginning. "Like all of you probably know, Kirigakure has been involved in a civil war these past few years. The war was a result of our village's increasingly bloodthirsty customs, which reached such point that civilians grew to hate us ninja as if we were demons. After our original leader died, I took the duty to continue the fight," Mei recounted.
"And let me guess," Zabuza interrupted. "You want me to help you with your rebellion?"
"Yes, that's why I came here," Mei confirmed. "I'm aware of your current predicament, and want to negotiate with Hokage-dono the terms so you can be released from your probation and go back with us to liberate our home."
"You can't do that!" an outraged Zabuza shouted at Jiraiya. "I might have a debt with Konoha, but you can't sell me as if I was a slave!"
"Nobody's a slave here, Zabuza," Mei told him in a reassuring tone. "You'd work for me as any other ninja of Kirigakure. I don't plan to put you in chains and whip your back. Unless you're into that kind of stuff," she added with a giggle.
Zabuza didn't find that funny.
"What if I refuse?" Zabuza tentatively asked.
Mei looked slightly surprised, but overall unimpressed. "Well, I don't know why you should. We have common goals, wouldn't be for the best if we joined forces? You started a coup against Yagura years ago, the same coup that inspired this rebellion. However, we managed to amass way more resources than you did. Now you have a chance to finish what you started all those years ago."
"And once Yagura is deposed, who'll take his place? You?" Zabuza asked.
Mei looked as if the swordsman asked something glaringly obvious. "Well, yes. I'm leading the rebellion, and so far all my followers support me as the next Mizukage."
"That's where the problem lies. I threw that coup so I could be the next Mizukage, not somebody else! I fight to see my ambitions become a reality, not yours!" Zabuza angrily shouted.
"It isn't tradition for the strongest ninja to be the leader of a village?" Mei asked in a faux-innocent tone.
Zabuza's eye twitched upon catching the implication of that question.
"Are you implying that you're stronger than me?" Zabuza asked in a threatening tone.
Once again, Mei looked as if he said something obvious. "Well, yes. I mean, I know the extent of your capabilities, and they're impressive," Mei shoot him a condescending smile. "But compared to me, you don't even reach the sole of my boots."
Zabuza slammed his fist on the table. "Enough! I won't allow you to keep me insulting like that! You think that having two Bloodline Limits already makes you that strong? You have no idea of what true strength means!"
"Is that a challenge?" Mei asked, raising her visible eyebrow. "You want to fight me?"
"You can bet it is," Zabuza seethed.
"Okay then, let's make this more interesting. If you manage to defeat me, once I negotiate the terms of your release, I'll step down and appoint you the leader of the rebellion. All my resources and assets will be yours. But if I win, you'll join my forces and fight for me against Yagura and his minions. Deal?" Mei asked, showing a conciliating smile.
"You have no idea what you got yourself into, miss," Zabuza said as he stood up.
"Whoa there, calm down everybody!" Jiraiya asked, raising his voice. "Miss Terumi, you said the matter at hand was urgent. Can't this wait?"
"Don't worry, Hokage-dono. It won't take more than ten minutes," Mei replied as she stood up.
"Let them fight," Tsunade told Jiraiya, repressing a small giggle. "Seeing them argue and bicker is way funnier than any of the soap operas I watch."
"Zabuza-sama, is this really necessary?" Haku asked as he followed his master outside.
"Yes. We have to make clear who's in command here," Zabuza stated.
…
Outside the Tower, Five Minutes Later
Zabuza laid in the ground, trembling. His trusty Executioner's Blade was stabbed into the ground a few meters from him. His clothes were charred and had several burns across his body.
Mei, on the other hand, didn't look any worse for the wear. To make her obvious victory even more evident, she planted a foot on Zabuza's chest.
"Well, that was a fun spar, Zabuza-chan, but now we have a village to liberate," Mei then looked at the staring Jiraiya. "Once somebody heals Zabuza-chan, we can continue the meeting."
"Zabuza-sama," Haku called. "Now that it's clear who's in command here, what do we do?"
…
Ten minutes later, after Tsunade healed Zabuza and the swordsman was given new clothes to wear after the ones he was wearing were damaged, the Konoha and Kiri parties resumed their meeting inside the tower. And after a few minutes of bargaining, Zabuza's probation was finally over and he was free to leave Konoha if he chose to.
"Is Zabuza that important to you? I admit that he's a good ninja, but I doubt that a single man will be able to give you such an edge over your enemies," Jiraiya questioned. "Given how much you're willing to pay to have him back."
"Is not about him, but what he represents," Mei replied. "The Seven Swordsmen are the pride and joy of the Hidden Mist, and keeping their loyalty is a must for any Mizukage. Of the current wielders of the seven swords, three of them still serve Yagura, while other two are loyal to the rebellion. Of the two remaining, Kisame Hoshigaki joined the mercenary group Akatsuki, while Zabuza became an independent mercenary. At least, until a few years ago. After taking part in the Uchiha Insurrection, he vanished. Rumors said that he was now working for Konoha, but they were just that, rumors."
"And you decided to check if those rumors were true?" Hiruzen inquired.
"Oh, no. If I came here with such unreliable information, you could have claimed that Zabuza wasn't here. I came here once I had irrefutable evidence about Zabuza's change of allegiances," Mei replied.
"And that would be...?" Zabuza asked.
"It's a long and really funny story, but I guess I can tell," Mei replied, as she began. "You see, our main tactic to win this war is to target the ships that supply Kirigakure and steal them for us. Tracking the ships, however, was the hardest part, since they're manned by the best sailors money can buy, and often changed their sea routes in order to avoid us. About a year ago, this changed. The ships weren't so careful, and we were able to plunder plenty of them. Not just that, but we also found out the business who owned those ships: The Gato Corporation."
All of them were aware of who Gato was and how he met his end. That was a very good lead that would take her to Zabuza.
"We decided to track and kill Gato in order to disable Yagura's main supply lines. My spies eventually tracked him in the small island nation of the Land of the Waves. But when we got there, it turns out that somebody beat us to the punch: Gato was already dead, and the company's board members have been trying to cover his demise, while they all fought to become the next CEO, which explained the company's poor state.
"The locals told my ninja everything: turns out, Gato wanted to take over the small country, and to do so bought all the ports and harbors. However, a man named Tazuna challenged Gato and started building a bridge to connect the island nation with the continent. Of course, Gato wasn't going to have any of that, and sent a squad of assassins to kill him. Tazuna managed to avoid them and escape to the continent. A month later, he returned with a Konoha ninja escort, who by all means fit Zabuza's description, who kept Gato's assassins at bay while the bridge was being built. When the bridge was close to being finished, Gato himself showed up, leading an army of thugs, in order to kill Tazuna and his ninja. None of them got out of there alive. The bridge was complete, and his job done, the ninja left."
Mei smiled widely as she leaned back on her chair as she put both hands behind her head. This was going to be really good. "My spies decided to follow this lead and go to Konoha. So imagine their surprise when they were about to cross the bridge, and saw 'The Great Zabuza Bridge' written in big, capital letters on it."
Zabuza's eyes opened so wide, they looked they would pop out of their sockets. "WHAT!?"
"You made such an impression there, that the villagers decided to name a bridge after you. So cute," Mei cooed.
"I'm going to kill that old man and his whole family!" Zabuza growled as his hands violently strangled an imaginary victim.
"Save all that killing intent for when we go back to fight Yagura's ninja," Mei calmly told him, as she stood up from her chair. "When the news of Zabuza joining my ranks spreads, not only it will provide a morale boost for my troops, but it will encourage others to join us as well. With three swordsmen supporting the rebellion, people will see we have more chances at winning this than what they initially thought. But let's not dwell in the past anymore. As the most experienced member of my swordsmen, you shall be their captain. Now I believe you should meet your kohai."
Mei made a hand motion, and the two young swordsmen walked towards Zabuza. The bespectacled boy introduced himself first.
"It's an h-honor to finally m-meet you, Zabuza-sempai. My name is Chojuro," the boy stammered as he made a polite bow.
"You have the Hiramekarei? What the hell happened to Mangetsu?" Zabuza asked in disbelief.
"Mangentsu-senpai sadly-"
"Shut up, it was a rhetorical question. If you have his preferred sword, I can figure out what happened to him," an irritated Zabuza growled. He then stared at the intimidated young man a bit more. "You're a kid. How old are you, ten?"
"A-Actually, I'm seventeen," Chojuro meekly said before returning to Mei's side.
The other swordsman, the redheaded girl, walked to Zabuza, ready to introduce herself.
"Another little kid? You've turned the Seven Swordsmen into a nursery!" Zabuza said, before the girl could introduce herself.
"I'm eighteen, you moron! And what I lack in height, I make up for in sheer deadliness! I bet killed more people than you!" the kunoichi protested.
"I find that unlikely, brat," Zabuza scoffed.
"Now, now, Zabuza-chan, don't be like that. Ameyuri Ringo proved to be worthy of the blades she carries, and so did Chojuro. Don't let their youth make you underestimate them," Mei interceded.
"Will you stop call me Zabuza-chan!?" Zabuza shouted indignantly.
"Absolutely not, Zabuza-chan," Mei replied with the most condescending and mocking smile she could.
Deciding the discussion was over, Mei then walked towards Haku, who so far had remained silent for the whole meeting.
"Reports said Zabuza had an apprentice of the Yuki clan. Is that you?" Mei asked.
Haku looked at both Zabuza and Jiraiya. The two of them nodded at him.
"Yes, Mei-sama, it's me. My name is Haku Yuki. A pleasure to meet you," Haku said, as he made a slight bow.
Mei smiled tenderly. "Such polite boy. Can I see a demonstration of your powers?"
Haku nodded and placed his hands in front of each other, as if grabbing an invisible object. Suddenly, a small ball of ice appeared between his hands, rotating around itself.
"Impressive. Good to see that at least one clan survived the Bloodline Purges," Mei stated in satisfaction.
"Do you want to hire Haku too for your campaign?" Jiraiya asked, a bit uneasy. While he was okay with letting Zabuza go, he wasn't so eager to lose the chance to give Konoha a new Bloodline Limit-bearing clan.
"Yes, but not just him," Mei replied, much to Jiraiya's confusion. "So far, we've been fighting a guerrilla war due not having enough numbers for a proper assault, but that's going to change soon. You see, my pirate fleet is very lucrative, and has amassed quite amount of wealth during the past years. Now is the moment to put that wealth to good use, and use it to expand our forces. Konoha made quite a display of power during the last few Chunin exams, especially the one that took place here. I'm very interested in the ninja of that generation that Haku-kun here belongs to. But I know that Konoha has a lot more to offer than that as well."
"Why us? Konoha and Kiri have always been enemies. Why do you think we should help you?" Hiruzen asked.
"You answered yourself: none of Kirigakure's allies would help me oust Yagura, so of course going to their enemies would be the best option," Mei explained. "Besides, given the way you stopped both the Uchiha Insurrection and Orochimaru's invasion, I'd say Konoha's ninja have a lot experience when it comes to warfare."
"I think I'll take that as a compliment," Jiraiya unsurely replied. "Anyway, how much money are you willing to spend, Miss Terumi?"
Mei's smile curved even more. "I was expecting you to ask that, Hokage-dono, and I'm sure that the answer won't disappoint you."
Turns out Mei was right. She was willing to spend A LOT of money. The money she spent to have Zabuza released from probation was nothing compared to all the money she brought with her. And while all that money could allow her to hire literally hundreds of Konoha ninja, the Mizukage hopeful decided that she preferred quality over quantity.
Her first choices were the squads formed by the generation known as the "Konoha 15", of which Naruto and Haku were part of, as well as their respective sensei. Her next choice were Jiraiya and Tsunade themselves. Jiraiya had to decline the offer, since he was a Kage, he didn't do missions and was needed at the village. Tsunade also disagreed, not just because her responsibilities at the Konoha Hospital, but because she was no longer a ninja. Still, she ensured Mei that the medics of the Medical Squad were the next best thing after her.
Mei wanted to recruit Itachi Uchiha as well, but unfortunately he was out of the village doing a long term intelligence gathering mission. Fortunately, Shisui was available to go –the fact that his wife was going was a big boon–. That means that little Shiro would be left under Jiraiya and Tsunade's care until the two of them returned.
By the time Mei ran out of money, she had hired one hundred and twenty two Konoha ninja, forty seven Jonin and Special Jonin and seventy five Chunin. Many people might think it was an insignificant number, given the scale of the campaign the rebel leader was embarked on, but if Jiraiya's word that those ninja were the best Konoha had to offer at the moment, she had high hopes they would be enough to tip the balance in her favor.
Lastly, Mei also asked for Zabuza's other two accomplices, Goizu and Meizu, the so called "Demon Brothers". Given that they weren't as big of a threat or an asset as Zabuza, Jiraiya agreed to hand them to Mei.
"Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Terumi," Jiraiya stated once the contract forms had been filled and signed. "When do you plan to go back to the Land of Water?"
"As soon as possible. Tomorrow morning we shall return to the ships, so make sure your ninja are ready to go by then," Mei replied.
"They will, I can assure you that. Now, is there anything else you'd want to discuss before you go?" Jiraiya asked.
"As a matter of fact yes. There's an important fact about Yagura that you and your ninja need to know," Mei began.
"If you're going to tell me that he's a Jinchuriki, I already know that," Jiraiya replied, as he crossed his arms.
Mei was taken aback. Her visible eye was wide open in shock, her mouth agape. "How...how did you know?"
Jiraiya smirked. Despite being a married man, he loved whenever he managed to impress or surprise beautiful young women .
"Before being Hokage, I used to run Konoha's spy and intelligence network. Due a certain...series of events, I had to conduct an extensive research on Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki. Said research was rather fruitful. Konoha knows the identity of all nine Jinchuriki, as well as what Tailed Beast they hold," Jiraiya explained, though it was more of a boast.
"Really impressive," Mei conceded. "And do you know the level of control said Jinchuriki have over their beasts?"
"In some cases. I know that one of Kumo's Jinchuriki, the Raikage's brother, has perfect control over his Tailed Beast. The rest all have a varied range of control, though they aren't that big of a threat by themselves," Jiraiya replied.
"Well, in that case, let me provide you with some additional intel: Yagura also has perfect control over his Tailed Beast," Mei stated.
This time, it was Jiraiya, Tsunade and Hiruzen's turn to be surprised.
"What?" Hiruzen asked in surprise.
"That is troubling news," Tsunade interceded. "If the enemy has a perfect Jinchuriki, then your war has become much harder to win."
"I know. That's why I was banking on your son the Jinchuriki to balance things out," Mei replied, and before the others could have any chance to ask, she added: "Yes, I know your son is a Jinchuriki. Of the Nine Tails, no less. Is not that hard to guess if one connects the dots, starting from the eponymous beast's attack on Konoha almost fifteen years ago."
"Sadly, while I did train Naruto to the best of my ability, and he has grown into a fine and powerful ninja, we've made little progress when it comes to control the Nine Tails' chakra," Jiraiya sadly admitted. Mei visibly deflated.
"Then we don't have any means to match Yagura's power. Still, we have to keep trying-"
"Actually, Naruto might be of help. He might not be able to use the Nine Tails' chakra on his whim, but he is a master of Senjutsu," Tsunade interceded.
That piece of information caught Mei's attention, who seemed to grow hopeful once again. "Senjutsu? Your son is a Sage? How? He's so young!" Mei asked, clearly surprised. "But if what you say is true...then we might still have a chance!"
"By the way, Miss Terumi, I noticed something. If you were interested in Naruto-kun, then that means that there are no jinchuriki among your ranks," Hiruzen deduced. "Does that means the jinchuriki of the Six Tails is also loyal to Kirigakure?"
Mei shook her head. "Utakata is loyal to no one. He refused to serve Yagura, and thus he left the village, becoming a missing-nin. My spies managed to locate him before Yagura did, and I personally tried to persuade him to join us, but he refused to get involved in the war."
"Well, that's one thing less to worry about," Jiraiya stated. "Are you sure he will remain neutral?"
"That's the impression I got the time I spoke to him. In fact, he was planning to leave the Land of Water altogether," Mei replied.
"Alright then, if there's nothing left to discuss, then we're finished here," Jiraiya stated.
"I agree. I'll go to prepare for the journey back," Mei replied.
…
Konoha Hospital, that afternoon
Rin had just finished to check the last patient for the morning, and decided to go to the hospital's cafeteria in order to have some light snack before resuming her shift. However, before she could get there, an old friend of hers made himself known.
"Yo."
Rin turned around and saw Kakashi perched on an open window.
"Oh, hello, Kakashi," Rin greeted, showing a hint of a smile. "What can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to leave for a long term mission. I don't know how long it will last, but it can be weeks, even months," the Copy Ninja gravely said.
"Oh..." Rin held her hands a bit worried. "What is this mission about?"
"My team and I, as well as many other Konoha ninja, have been hired to take part in the Kirigakure Civil War," Kakashi announced.
The mere mention of Kirigakure made her heart stop for a second. The Hidden Mist. It was the ninja of that village who started everything. The ones who turned her into a jinchuriki, forcing her to commit suicide, which was unfortunately witnessed by the still living Obito, which in turn pushed him to join a terrorist organization that eventually resurrected her.
She still had nightmares in which Kiri ninja returned to take her back and do unspeakable things to her.
She did learn about the still ongoing civil war when she was catching up on all the events she missed the years she was inside that cocoon. Truth be told, she didn't care much which side won, and hoped that conflict wouldn't splat Konoha. Her hopes had been cruelly crushed.
"Well, I wanted to tell you that if you see that time passes and we don't return...so you don't think the worst has happened," Kakashi tried to reassure her.
Rin looked pensive, but still worried. She bit her lip while trying to figure out what to say, but Kakashi beat her to the punch
"So...how have you been?" Kakashi asked, even if he knew what her answer would be.
"Okay, I guess. I think I'm finally getting used to this new future Konoha, even if it took me some time," Rin replied. "Thankfully, I don't need to go to any of those seminars to update my medical knowledge anymore. I can't believe how much our medicine has advanced since I was...absent."
"Well, you can thank Tsunade-sama for coming back to the village. Thanks to her, we now have the best medic-nin of the whole Elemental Nations," Kakashi stated, then he added: "Of which you are part now."
"I may be a medic, but I'm not a ninja anymore," Rin sadly said, her statement being followed by an awkward silence.
Feeling the mood was way too somber, the Copy Ninja decided to change the topic. "I see you're getting taller. Whatever Obito did you, it didn't hamper your natural growth."
Rin chuckled, as her body visibly relaxed. "Yeah. I've never been so happy to see that my clothes didn't fit anymore."
"It's a good thing, because otherwise you would never be able to go out to drink at night with me and the others," Kakashi replied awkwardly, placing his hand behind his head.
Rin giggled a bit as well. "Well, I can still hang out with you guys, even if I can't drink yet. And even if it's kind of weird for a teen to hang out with grown men and women."
"Hopefully in the future, we'll look back at this moment, and we'll all laugh. Anyway, I better get going. Wish me luck," the silver haired Jonin said before leaving.
"Actually..." Rin said too late. She groaned, and resumed her way to the cafeteria.
Once there, she sat in one of the tables, and tried to push what Kakashi had told her out of her mind. However, it wasn't possible. She wouldn't have given any thought if it was any other village, but Kiri? The memories were too strong, and too painful. It was partially thanks to what happened during her final mission that she has been unable to return to active duty.
And now, Kiri came back to her doorstep, to finish what it started so many years ago.
"It's okay. I don't need to get myself involved in this," she said aloud. "Kakashi and the others will come back safe and sound. There's no need to worry."
But she was worried. Very worried. It couldn't be a coincidence that Konoha was once again involved with that accursed village. Then again, it may had never stopped being involved, since there was one of the infamous Seven Swordsmen working for the village for a couple years now.
And she had the dreadful sensation that something horrible was going to happen.
Pushing her fears aside, she stood up, and took a decision.
…
Hokage's Office
"Come in!" Jiraiya said after somebody knocked on his door.
The door opened, revealing Rin Nohara, better known as the girl who came back from the dead. So far, she had kept a low profile while working at the hospital. Kakashi hoped that, by giving her space, maybe one day she'll feel ready to return to active duty. According to the silver haired man, she had the potential to be almost as good as Tsunade-hime when it comes to medicine.
"Ah, good afternoon, Rin," Jiraiya greeted the girl with a sincere grin. "What can I do for you."
"Hokage-sama. I came here to ask you for a favor," Rin politely asked.
"Well, I'm all ears."
Rin took a deep breath, as if she needed to mentally prepare what she wanted to say. Jiraiya suspected it would be something big, and he wasn't wrong.
"I wish to take part in the mission to Kirigakure," the medic-nin finally said.
Jiraiya was taken aback. For a girl who spend so much time away from battle, and her history with that village, it was rather shocking.
"Uh...I think there may be a problem," Jiraiya replied, after the shock wore off. "You see, the leader of the rebels has already spent all her money hiring other ninja. You weren't part of the selection process since you weren't in active duty."
"I don't care! I'll go for free!" Rin pleaded. "Please, Hokage-sama, I need to go!"
"Isn't this too much of a leap? I mean, you've been off duty for more than a year, and now you want to get involved in a war? Especially in Kirigakure. Given your history with that village, I never imagined you'd want to get involved," the Toad Sage told her.
"I know. It sounds so nonsensical but...that's exactly why I need to go," Rin asked. "I need to face Kirigakure again if I ever want to move on."
Jiraiya didn't say anything, as he pondered what to do, before he finally took a decision. "Alright then, you can go. Given you used to be teammates, you'll be a temporary aggregate to Kakashi's Animal Squad. Stay close to him and do everything she says, understood?"
Rin beamed with joy. A weird way to react to know you're going to a war, but then again, she asked for it in the first place.
"Understood, Hokage-sama. Thank you for this," Rin said as she repeatedly bowed before him.
…
The next day, as Jiraiya had promised, all the Konoha ninja Mei had hired for her rebellion were already in Konoha's northern gate, ready to go to the Land of Water. Some of the ninjas there, such as Kakashi, Rin and Gai, were veterans of the Third War, while most of them weren't, and their closest experience to war were either Orochimaru's invasion attempt a year ago, and/or the Uchiha Insurrection.
Regardless of this, all of them couldn't help but feel nervous. Going to war was way above the average mission, even those ranked as S. Many of them were talking among each other, mostly to entertain themselves before it was time to go.
"Haku-kun, given that you're from the Land of Water, how do you feel about going back?" Hinata asked her teammate.
"Guess that you'll be happy to return to your previous home and help to liberate it," Naruto added.
"Truth be told, I hardly think in the Land of Water as my home anymore," Haku began. "I've been living in Konoha for so much time, coupled with the fact that that place was where I lost my original family...you can imagine my feelings towards that place are mixed at best."
"That's really sad. I can't imagine myself having such feelings for Konoha," Hinata mentioned. "Even with all the bad things that happened here."
"Konoha had the luck of being ruled by just men, and not bloodthirsty tyrants," Haku observed. "Something that wasn't always the case in Kirigakure's case."
"But thankfully our help to the rebellion will put an end to that," Naruto optimistically stated.
"Haku-kun...in case everything goes fine...what are you going to do?" Hinata fearfully asked. "I know Hokage-sama allowed you to leave with Zabuza-san the moment the latter finishes his probation."
"Honestly, I don't know," Haku admitted. "I don't want to leave Konoha. I made many friends and even have a girlfriend here. But my loyalty will always be with Zabuza-sama. If he returns to Kirigakure and wants me to go back with him, I have no choice."
"Why don't you tell Zabuza you're happy here, and ask him to stay?" Naruto asked.
"I can't do that. My debt with Zabuza-sama is one I will never be able to repay. Asking more is simply unthinkable," Haku replied.
While Naruto and Hinata were unable to understand such train of thought, they decided to respect it nonetheless, even if they really wanted to tell Haku to make his own decisions regardless of what Zabuza said.
"What about Tenten? Aren't you going to tell her about this?" Naruto asked. "You might have to break up with her."
Haku sighed again. "I've been trying to bring up the topic but...I just can't bring myself to have this conversation with her. I know I have too sooner or later but...it's really hard for me."
"I hope Zabuza allows you to stay here once the war ends," Naruto said. "Or else, the team will be down to Hinata and I. And I don't want some newbie upstaging your place."
"I hope that too. But for the time being, we should focus on the mission at hand," Haku declared.
The three ninja saw their sensei walking towards them, with a small smile on her lips.
"I heard we'll be going soon. Are you guys ready?" the raven haired woman asked her students.
"Yup! You bet we are!" Naruto proudly declared. "You know, I've always wanted an opportunity to test everything I learned during the past years. The missions we got weren't all that big."
"You might find this way too big for your taste, Naruto," Kurenai advised. "Even if I do agree that you've grown powerful, there are always enemies out there ready to show you how weak you are."
"Besides, Mei-san wants you to help her fight the Mizukage, who is a perfect jinchuriki. Even with your Sage Mode, he's an opponent not to be underestimated," Haku warned him.
"I know, and I'll be ready. I have a new jutsu capable of harming even a Tailed Beast," Naruto boasted.
Hinata then turned around noticed something. "Oh look, there's Mei-san!"
Everybody's attention was drawn to the woman who would be their new boss for the foreseeable future. She was flanked by the three of the Seven Swordsmen loyal to her. Everybody stood to attention as she was ready to give a speech.
"It seems that all of you are here, good," Mei began, as she inspected the ninja in the front rows. "I know you're Konoha ninja, but as long as this campaign lasts, you will only be loyal to me. Fear not, since I won't test your loyalty by making you go against your village's interests. Your only enemies will be Yagura's men.
"Time is of essence, so we need to move fast. We will travel to the east until we reach the coast. There, I have a transport ship prepared to carry all of you to my base. Once we reach there, we will plan our next move. Now if somebody has any questions..." several hands were up. "...I suggest you to keep them to yourselves until we reach my main base."
All hands went down, as some ninja started to murmur.
"Well, I hope you guys are ready, because we're leaving NOW! So everybody, move!" Mei ordered as she and her entourage began their march towards the west coast.
While they took a couple seconds to react, the large group of Konoha ninja quickly began to move, following their temporary boss into the thick forests of the Land of Fire.
…
Back in Konoha, Hokage's Office
After seeing the Konoha ninjas hired by Mei, his son among them, finally leave for Kirigakure, Jiraiya returned to his never-ending pile of work. Of course, it didn't last long until the monotony of his work would be disturbed. An ANBU appeared in front of him.
"Hokage-sama, there's somebody who wants to see you," the ANBU informed.
"Hm? Weird. I don't have any appointments until one in the afternoon," Jiraiya replied. "Tell that person to ask for an appointment like everybody else."
"It's not some random person, Hokage-sama, but Danzo Shimura," the ANBU uneasily clarified.
Now that was something that got Jiraiya's attention. Despite being part of the Council of Elders, Danzo rarely showed up to the meetings, nor voiced any concerns over the way the Toad Sage ran the village. Until now, that's it.
While reluctant, Jiraiya decided that he could spare a moment to hear him out. "Tell him to come in."
"As you wish, Hokage-sama," the ANBU said before vanishing.
A couple seconds later, the door of his office opened, revealing the crippled one eyed man that was both his sensei's longtime friend and sworn rival.
"Danzo, what a surprise. Take a seat, please," Jiraiya said in a painfully fake polite tone. Not paying attention to that, the Elder did as Jiraiya told him. "What do I owe this visit?" Jiraiya asked. Albeit deep down, he knew the answer.
"I've recently been informed that you allowed a contingent of some of our best ninjas be deployed to intervene in Kirigakure's civil war," the war hawk began. "I wish to know why I haven't been told the moment this decision was made."
"Last time I checked, the Hokage doesn't have to answer to anybody, so I don't think I owe you any explanation of what I do," Jiraiya replied.
"Quite fooling around, Jiraiya," Danzo snapped, without losing his usual cool. "Getting involved in another village's affair is something that needs to be discussed with the council, so the best decision can be reached."
"First of all, it's Hokage-sama to you," Jiraiya gravely replied, as he fixed a hard glare on the war hawk, who wasn't perturbed. "Second, I didn't randomly decide to have Konoha be part of their civil war. The leaders of one of the sides hired some of our ninjas to boost their forces. It's a job just like any other."
"That's a lie, and you know it," Danzo replied. "A group of ninja of such scale, coupled with the skill of many of its members, can easily tip the balance of the civil war."
"And that's a bad thing because...?" Jiraiya asked, clearly not following the elder. "The faster the civil war ends, the more lives won't be senselessly wasted."
"Those lives are of foreign people, and thus not our concern," Danzo coldly dismissed.
Jiraiya chuckled. "See? That line of thinking is why you were always passed over the title of Hokage."
Despite such a shot, Jiraiya failed to get a reaction out of Danzo.
"And are you so willing to save lives even if it comes at the cost of our ninja?" Danzo questioned.
"I know many ninja won't come back home, but that's a risk they are aware of," Jiraiya rebutted, as he crossed his arms. "But like I said, this isn't an humanitarian mission. Mei paid for the ninja she took with her. We never discriminated any client before, and I see no reason to start now."
"Don't you see it? The longer the civil war continues, the more Kirigakure will be weakened. And if they don't end up destroying themselves, we could have easily finished off the winner, erasing a longtime enemy and competition of Konoha," Danzo explained. "And then Konoha would have reaped the benefits of their chaos, such as any survivor with a bloodline limit, and some of the swords of the Seven Swordsmen. Given what you did with Zabuza and Haku, I thought that was your long-term plan, but it seems you're not as interested in strengthening Konoha as much as I thought."
Jiraiya found Danzo's accusation insulting, but thought it would be better not to let him be carried away by his emotions. "I wouldn't have accepted this job if I didn't have Konoha's best interest at heart, and if you had a more open mind, you'd see the benefits of this transaction."
"Such as?"
"If we manage to help Mei overthrow Yagura, we will gain a powerful ally, given that, even if she did pay for our help, she will owe part of her victory to us," Jiraiya started to explain. "With Suna and Kiri as our allies, Iwa and Kumo won't be as eager to start wars against us like they did in the past. Incidents like the Hyuga Affair won't happen again."
"Alliances cannot be trusted. A friend today can become an enemy tomorrow. What will be of us if any of our so called allies betray us? We have to learn to be self-reliant, or else destruction will be our only fate," Danzo stated.
"Trust me, I made everything in my power to make Konoha strong, but alliances are never to be dismissed. That's why, even if we encourage all of our ninja to train to become stronger, they go to missions in squads and not alone," Jiraiya replied. The Sannin was starting to lose his patience. "You wanted to know why I allowed Mei to acquire the services of our village, and now you know it. As a Hokage, I'm a very busy man, so if you don't have any more grievances to discuss, I'd like to resume my work."
Danzo seemed to accept the end of the discussion, as he stood up and moved towards the door, but before opening his mouth one last time.
"You'll regret this decision, Hokage," Danzo gravely told him.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, as he glared at Danzo. "Is that a threat?"
"It's a warning. And it's not me I'm warning you about," the head of Root stated before leaving the room.
…
Root's Headquarters, sometime later
While the old war hawk was an expert at suppressing his emotions, there were times, such as now, in which he wished he could scream into the sky and let all his rage away. But he knew from experience that such actions brought short term relief at the expense of long term consequences. Not that it made him feel any better.
Days like today make him lament losing Shisui's Sharingan to the Akatsuki. With the power of that unique eye, he could have manipulated all the right people in order to get himself promoted to Hokage.
But alas, fate had a different plan, and favored the enemy that day, in more ways than one. Jiraiya was pretty much a follower of Hiruzen's philosophy of seeking peace and creating bonds with other villages, instead of crushing them when they're down so Konoha can reign supreme. And it wasn't the first time that he was told that his refusal to adhere to such way of thinking cost him being Hokage.
Danzo had to admit there was some truth to Fugaku Uchiha's words regarding the clan's reasons to launch a coup d'état. Every Hokage was related to the previous one in some way. Tobirama was Hashirama's brother. Hiruzen was Tobirama's apprentice. Jiraiya was Hiruzen's apprentice, and Minato was Jiraiya's. And given Naruto's meteoric rise in power and prestige, it was more than likely that he will become the next Hokage once Jiraiya retired.
He wouldn't say Hiruzen was a bad Hokage, at least on paper. His old friend was powerful, experienced, wise and knowledgeable. He had all the desirable traits a Kage should have. However, his childlike naiveté and delusions about forgiveness and peace made him a wrong choice. The ninja world was cruel, with no place for childish ideals, and no way to be changed. The only way to survive was to be more cruel than your enemies.
As soon as he entered his lair, his two strongest and most loyal agents appeared besides him.
"Danzo-sama," Fuu, the Yamanaka redhead, greeted him. "How was the meeting with the Hokage?"
"As fruitless as I had feared. I'm afraid that there's nothing we can do now," Danzo replied.
"Maybe we can send some agents to sabotage Kirigakure while they're fighting?" Torune, the masked Aburame, suggested.
Danzo shook his head. "For such idea to work, would have needed to know about Konoha's intervention well in advance. However, not everything is lost. Fortunately, I managed to sneak an infiltrator among the group which left with the Kiri ninja. At the very least, we'll obtain some valuable information about our enemies."
…
Three Days Later, aboard Mei's ship
The Konoha ninja managed to reach the coast in two days, just as Mei was hoping. Thanks to their celerity, they were able to board the ship in no time and head towards the Land of Water. Then, it would be an estimate of three days until they reached Mei's main base and planned the offensive.
Sadly, three days was too much, and the ship was too small for sparring, or even doing any kind of exercise. So the only way to pass the time was talking with others, eating, or, if you were lucky enough to have a significant other aboard, making out.
Unfortunately for Sakura, the latter option wasn't available to her, despite the object of her affections being on board. Oh well, since she had nothing better to do, she might as well try to change that.
Like most people, Sasuke was in the deck, resting against a railing with his arms crossed and his usual "I don't give a damn about anything" expression. Without saying anything, Sakura walked towards him, and rested her arms on the railing while she gazed at the expanse of water before her eyes.
"I've never seen the ocean before. So much water..." Sakura casually mentioned. Even if Sasuke appeared to pay her no mind, she had learned that the Uchiha was indeed listening. "It's so beautiful, don't you think?"
"Maybe at first, but it gets boring really quickly," the Uchiha replied. "Hope we can get to Land of Water as soon as possible."
"Where's the hurry? You should try to enjoy the trip a bit more. I mean, it's not every day we can get a sea trip, right?" Sakura asked.
"I've never been a fan of this kind of things. But at the very least, it gives me time to think," Sasuke replied, as his eyes sharpened.
Sakura turned around, resting her back on the railing, and looked at Sasuke with a sincere smile. "And do you mind sharing what are you thinking right now?"
"See that guy over there? The one drawing a picture?" Sasuke mentioned.
Sakura scanned the crowd before her, until she saw the boy Sasuke was talking about. A pale looking, black haired boy, dressed in black, sitting on a chair, working on a picture.
"What about him?" Sakura asked, as a dreadful thought crawled up her back. "Oh please, don't tell me you're into guys, Sasuke-kun..."
"That boy appears to be the same age as us, yet I don't remember seeing him in the Academy," Sasuke mentioned.
Sakura inwardly sighed in relief, and addressed Sasuke's worries. "Well, maybe he graduated before us?"
"Then how is that we didn't see him in the Chunin Exams? Neither the ones who took place in Konoha, nor the ones in which you and Karin graduated," Sasuke observed. "And before you said that maybe he's still a Genin, remember that this is an S-Rank mission. No Genin would be allowed."
"You think there's something fishy about him?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke nodded. "It's a gut feeling, but there's something about that guy that makes me distrust him."
"I see. Do you want me to go and talk to him? Maybe I can get something out of him," Sakura offered, knowing very well that for all his talents as a ninja, Sasuke wasn't the most social person.
"I'd appreciate it," Sasuke replied.
Sakura nodded, and headed towards the drawing boy. Walking to him from behind, she took a look first at the picture he was drawing. While it appeared he was drawing the oceanic scenery, it was an abstract picture. That would be an excellent topic to break the ice.
"Nice picture," Sakura praised, her tone soft enough as not to startle the pale boy. "I don't know much about art, but it looks really pretty."
The boy turned around, and smiled at her. "Thank you."
"I'm Sakura Haruno, by the way," the pinkette said as she extended her hand at Sai, which he took. "Nice to meet you."
"My name is Sai, and the feeling is mutual, " Sai replied, keeping that smile all the way. The stiffness of his obviously fake smile was making Sakura a bit uncomfortable.
"Uh, you can stop smiling now," Sakura awkwardly said.
"Oh, sorry. I read in a book that a smile is a good way to show others your friendliness," Sai explained, much to Sakura's bewilderment. "But if I'm making you feel uneasy, I'll stop… ugly."
Sakura's eye twitched, as her teeth gritted. "The hell did you call me!?"
"Oh, I also read in a book that giving nicknames is a good way to connect with people, and the best nicknames are those who define the-"
"SHANNARO!"
Sai suddenly found himself at the opposite end of one hell of a right hook, which sent the pale boy flying out of the ship and into the ocean.
Author's Note:
So, the Civil War is about to kickstart. Next chapter will mostly develop a bit most of the Kiri characters before the action can begin.
Boy, I love writting Mei being so condescending towards Zabuza. It's almost as fun as Shizune being sassy to Tsunade. But don't worry Zabuza, your partnership with Mei will be very fruitful. And well, Mei overall is a pretty fun character, and I enjoyed a lot writing chapters in which she's prominent.
Some people asked for him in the reviews, so I'm going to say it now: Utakata isn't going to have a big role in this fic. Mostly for three reasons: first, fleshing him out and giving him a large role would slow down the story's pace a lot; second, this arc is going to introduce quite a lot of new characters, mostly canon and a couple of OCs, and is getting very crowded as it is; and lastly, I don't find him terribly interesting, so I have no incentive to write for him. Sorry to all the readers who were expecting to see him.
And Sai also makes his debut. He won't be an important character during this arc, but he will in a future original arc of Part II that will deal with Danzo and Root, so I thought I'd introduce him now in order to lay the groundworks for that future arc. Sorry if I suck at writing him, but I find writing for Sai quite hard, and while I saw other writers that are able to grasp what makes him funny, so far I've been unable to, besides his usual lack of tact.
Thanks a lot to gio08 for betareading this chapter.
Alright, end note. Next chapter will focus on fleshing out the rest of the Kiri characters before the action can truly begin. In the meanwhile, don't forget to review! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!