It had been a day since they encountered Haku. After the momentary fear and anger, birthed from a rush of emotions, left Haku's body, the boy became zombie-like in his movements and mannerisms.

…

"I'm going to bury him alive," Raiga growled.

Taiga placed a protective hand before the boy, "hey… hey, Raiga, teacher, we already made a deal, you'd escort us to a port town. He's part of 'us' right now."

Raiga grinned, "oh? Well, it doesn't matter, I can always kill you too. I mean, I just need someone with the Kaguya bloodline to open those scrolls, and Kimimaro can suffice."

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Taiga glanced at him but knew he wouldn't do anything to aid them. Kimimaro considered Taiga a 'friend', sort of, but he also knew that the young Kaguya had some negative feelings regarding Taiga's flippant disregard of their clan's heritage in trading scrolls and treasures in exchange for their passage out of their nation. It also didn't help that Haku had said some rude, cruel, and downright ignorant things about the Kaguya clan out of misplaced fear, anger, and guilt, the two Kekkei Genkai users were at each other's throats until Haku's emotions cooled and despair became his only feeling.

Currently, the only one Haku seemed to really grate on the nerves of was Raiga Kurosuki, the boy ate little, drank little, and walked so slowly that it would likely take 2 extra days for them to reach their destination, and always, he'd look at the group with vacant stares. All day, Taiga had attempted to get Haku to speak to him, through casual conversation, jokes, even though attempting to speak on shared pain regarding losing their mothers, though, unlike Haku, or even Kimimaro before he lost his mother, Taiga couldn't say he had a particularly close relationship with his mother, both this one and the one he had back as Hector. As it was, eventually, Raiga's patience thinned and he took out his blade, turning to the black-haired Yuki clan child.

"How would you like your funeral? Alive during the burial? Dead? Open or closed casket? What sort of wildflowers should I place on them?"

The three children stopped as Raiga's killing intent filled the area, Kimimaro, the most used to such intent, began to subconsciously grow bones out of his body, preparing to fight. Haku, the least used to such a feeling, fell to his knees, unable to breathe. Taiga, who was equally unused to the feeling nearly collapsed, but perhaps because of his constitution, his young adult mind, or a bit of both, he was able to stand between Raiga and Haku, and now, there they stood, at an impasse.

"Move, brat, as I said, I'm going to bury him alive, he's been nothing but a burden. After killing his trash father, I thought there'd be some worth in him, especially with how fearless and rude he was to your infamous Kaguya clan, but now, he's just a husk of a person. He'll die of starvation or allow potential pursuers to catch up at his pace, yet he doesn't have the balls to just off himself. Truly, a useless person, the worst part is." Raiga grinned as tears began to well up, "he doesn't have anyone to visit his grave when I kill him."

Taiga shivered at the Ninja Swordsman's psychotic tic. But at the corner of his eyes, he saw Haku flinch, holding a finger to his mouth. Taiga's mind swam, 'what's going on?' he thought. 'Haku didn't act like that when he met Zabuza, in fact, he seemed ready to… maybe it was because I'm a kid, and I was so casual with him.' Taiga wasn't aiming for Haku's devotion, but he knew that the child hadn't been so… despondent.

"Haku's not a useless person," Taiga remarked, causing Haku to look up at him. "He's probably, feeling lost, because he doesn't have anyone left, like Kimimaro and me, but…" He looked over at the white-haired boy, "we have family in each other, and Kimimaro was the first one to accept me despite my physical differences." Taiga looked over at Haku, "Haku, like us, lost family because people are scared of what our clans are capable of, but that doesn't make us useless, or monsters, we aren't burdens, and he's not useless to me. And our deal still stands Raiga, my clan secrets for our safe passage."

"What?!" Haku shouted, surprised. He was not close to his mother's clan, but even he knew their secret scrolls and jutsus were the lifeblood of their clan, that someone would willingly give them up in order to save, someone like him, someone whose mother was partially responsible for their downfall. He felt his mind shattering and rebuilding again and again, 'why would he, does he see… value in me? But…'

Raiga giggled, "you're quite a coward, giving up your clan pride for your life."

Taiga shook his head, "We're children, we shouldn't be worried about 'clan pride', and look what it brought us. I am proud of my lineage, but I will not idolize it to the point of blind self-destruction, and who cares if we lose our clan secrets, they are just documents, we can rebuild, better than before if need be, as long as we're alive."

Raiga sheathed his blades. "Hehehehe…" He chuckled, "you're a beautiful example…"

Taiga relaxed.

"Of the worst sort of humans."

Taiga got into a defensive stance as Raiga thrust his blade forward, but instead of going after Taiga, or Haku, he rushed past them, towards Kimimaro, and thrust his lightning blades past the boy's head into the tree behind him.

"How did you know it was me?" A chilling voice filled the air, causing the children to shiver in fear. Taiga felt like pissing his pants, the voice was… unmistakable, it was the voice he remembered getting chills at hearing when he watched one of his favorite childhood shows.

"Orochimaru." Taiga shuddered.

The voice chuckled, "My my, this cute little brat knows my name? I'm flattered." The tree warped, transforming into a giant pale brown snake, it had pale green eyes that slowly lost their light. Crawling out of the snake was a pale-skinned man with yellow eyes and snake-like slit pupils. He had long straight black hair that extended a bit past his shoulders and purple markings that accented the inside edge of his eyes, contouring the shape of his nose. He was shockingly clean-shaven, with not even the tiniest bits of hair to be seen on his body save for his eyebrows and hair on his scalp. "I'm so flattered, to be this famous that even children of clans all the way out here know my name."

"Cut the shit." Raiga growled, "why are you here?"

"Quite simple, Swordsman of the Mist," Orochimaru began, "I'm here because a little birdie told me that the bloodlines in this land were being purged, I think that's quite cruel, so I am here to pick up the pieces, protect the youth if you will."

"Really?" Raiga giggled, "you expect me to believe a saintly Konoha Shinobi would take his time to swim over to us?"

"Well, if you must know Raiga, I came because I was told that there was a young boy who awakened a long-thought-dead Kekkei Genkai of a powerful clan, a clan that has been destroyed. That young boy over there." He pointed at Kimimaro, "I have great plans for him, he could become… truly great, under my careful eye, I will give him purpose, and I will create a world where he can reshape the identity of the Kaguya clan." He glanced at Haku and Taiga, "these two can also prove worthy of greatness." He smirked at Raiga, "I'm sure you have no biological or emotional attachment to those children Raiga, so I'd advise that you hand them over, if this escort is for payment, I can even offer double, if not triple what was given."

Raiga grinned, "I wonder, if I kill you, would all of Konoha attend your funeral?" Taiga really liked his master right about now. Raiga roared, imbued his body in lightning, and charged forward. Orochimaru chuckled as a sword rose out of his mouth. Raiga narrowed his eyes, leaping over Orochimaru and barely avoiding the sword of Kusanagi. The kids backed up in fear as they watched the trees surrounding the two high-ranked Shinobi split in half.

"Water Release: water bullets!" Several bursts of water smashed into the foliage around the snake sannin. "Lightning Release: Lightning blast!" A spear-sized bolt of lightning rushed towards Orochimaru, who disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by a log. The lightning struck the damp area, exploding out.

"Clever," Orochimaru commented lightly before kicking Raiga hard in the chest and knocking him several feet back.

The swordsman of the mist simply growled as he regained his bearings, his two blades flashing dangerously as he channeled lightning into himself to increase his reflexes. Orochimaru grinned, raising his blade to meet Raiga's twin blades. A flurry of steel filled the children's vision as the two shinobi clashed. Taiga rushed over to Haku and Kimimaro.

"Guys… we need to do something!" He turned to Kimimaro. "Do you remember that Jutsu I taught you?"

The young Kaguya nodded, "but… can we win? That guy…" Orochimaru had a grin on his face as Raiga's originally fearsome appearance was replaced with frustration as the snake sannin toyed with the swordsman. "He's…" Orochimaru glanced at the children, his killing intent flashing, the three collapsed before Taiga could even formulate a plan.

"There…" Orochimaru grinned at Raiga, "now we have no interference." He charged forward, deflecting Raiga's blades with relative ease. As the mist swordsmen moved further and further back he found himself having to dodge more and more attacks instead of block, which wasted more and more of his energy. Eventually, in a moment of desperation, he called on lightning chakra to bolster his body and began to move at greater speeds once again. Orochimaru frowned as he began to fight more defensively. "Ah, the famous technique of Raiga, the electric brat of the mist." He laughed as he continued to block and deflect the attacks. "You and I both know that this is simply the dying squeak of a mouse, soon, the viper's coils will squeeze the air from your lungs, and its fangs will end you in an instant."

A massive blade spun through the air, cleaving into the Sannin with concussive force, slamming the snake into a tree.

Raiga turned in annoyance, recognizing the blade. "Damn, so the fucking dog was following us this entire time, eh?"

"This 'dog' saved your dumb ass life, Raiga." Zabuza landed with cat-like grace, ripping his sword from the tree and glaring at Orochimaru's corpse. "So you owe me."

"So, what the hell do you want?" Raiga asked, smirking.

"I had my eyes on the Yuki Clan brat first, so you'll hand him over, I don't care about the other two."

Raiga laughed, "I'd love nothing more than to do that, unfortunately, my employer is a bit of a childish dickhead, on account of being an actual child, so I'm going to have to say no."

Any argument the two Mist Swordsmen would have had was cut short by a massive snake bursting through the forest. Raiga grabbed Taiga, while Zabuza grabbed Haku, leaving Kimmimaor to be dragged into the air by the snake.

Taiga came to his senses as he watched Orochimaru grin at the pair of ninjas who held him and Haku.

"I've got what I've come for, so I don't really care anymore to play with mist ninja." Orochimaru turned the snake to leave the area, only to stumble as an explosive tag attached to the beast's tongue set off. "What?!" Before his eyes several more tags set off, causing the snake summons to retreat in order to avoid further damage. "Who dares interrupt-" He shouted, looking about worriedly, he had his eyes on the two Mist Ninja, yet neither had been able to quickly set traps like this, had some third ninja been following, one who's skills were hidden to even the Sannin? All of a sudden, smoke began to billow from Kimimaro, who disintegrated into piles of dirt. "Clever bastard, how did you know?"

Zabuza grinned, "you're getting on in your years, old bastard."

Raiga guffawed, "less talking, more running." He threw several kunai with bombs attached to their handles at Orochimaru then activated several hand seals. Explosives strong enough to tear apart the forest in the immediate area let out, followed by a powerful deluge of water and electricity. As they sprinted through the forest, Raiga unfurled his pack, revealing the still unconscious Kimmimaro strapped to his back. He glanced at Taiga, eyes narrowed as he thought to himself.

Orochimaru glared at the boy's ashy remains, then turned to face the fleeing ninja, laughing as he eyed Taiga. "You certainly fooled me." His dull yellow eyes seemed to see through Taiga. "The Kaguya clan is known for having greater weight than normal due to their dense bones. So I wouldn't have realized that the child I picked up was an earth clone." He chuckled, "my goodness, such intelligence, while so young. If you had simply allowed me to leave I'd have not noticed until it was too late." Of course, by the time he monologued, the Ninja were half a mile away. Orochimaru would have continued the chase, but given what he was sensing, another battle would alert the Mizukage's forces, he wasn't prepared to face all of Kirigakure just yet.

…

Later in the day.

Immediately after the day's breakfast, Taiga had asked Raiga to step aside to talk to him. The boy had warned of people likely tailing them. Raiga had noticed Zabuza, but it wasn't until his argument with the children had he noticed Orochimaru. For the boy to both know the Sannin's name and have come up with a strategy to counter the man…

"...What the hell are you, boy." Zabuza broke the silence. "How is a child of the Kaguya clan capable of such levels of strategy?"

"I learned it from Master Nunya," Taiga said quietly.

The two master-level shinobi turned to each other, then at the child. "Who the hell is this… Master Nunya, what village is he from?"

Taiga, without flinching, continued, "He hails from the Village Hidden in the Biz…"

"..." Zabuza contemplated gutting the child and had half a mind to do so right then and there when they heard the sound of people marching. The Kirigakure jonin leaped to the trees with their young charges, allowing a troop of soldiers working for the Daimyo to pass through.

"How much longer must we march." One of the men groaned. "Ever since that new Mizukage went off the deep end we've had to deal with the complaints of the villagers and bloodline people."

Another soldier shushed him, "you have no idea where his freaking ninjas are." He turned left and right, then continued, saying: "Word is, the Daimyo agrees too, he thinks that the Blood Line Clans are getting too dangerous, in fact, he sent messages to the other Daimyos, telling them to get rid of Blood Lines as well."

"Pft, like anyone's just going to kill off a military asset, I guess we're led by a pair of crazy people."

The soldiers passed by the shinobi, who turned to each other in concern.

This doubled Taiga's resolve that they would need to leave Water Country.

"...I'd love to answer your questions," Taiga started as they landed on the ground, "but time is of the essence, we have to make it to the ferry boat to Tea Country before the Daimyo eventually shuts down travel." He turned to the jonin, "I'm the nephew of the late leader of the Kaguya clan, I've heard rumors of the outside from other Kaguya clan members and from passing traders about the state of the Clans with Kekkai Genkais under the Mizukage's control, after he's done suppressing the Blood Lines, he'll likely go after other shinobi with odd or specific abilities."

Zabuza nodded with approval. "Yes, he would likely do that… despite…"

"Despite him being a Jinchuriki?" Taiga offered.

"The Kaguya clan elders have quite loose lips around their children it seems…" Zabuza drawled.

"I simply have good ears. Also, you just heard those soldiers didn't you?" Taiga countered. "Anyways…" He looked over his shoulder, "why hasn't Orochimaru continued the chase? That snake jerkoff doesn't seem like the kind to just give up a hunt."

"If I was a betting man…" Zabuza began, "I'd assume he's running around to keep Kiri-nin from gutting him alive." He turned to look at Taiga. "I'm assuming your master is waiting on the boat." Zabuza began. "It would be easier for me to tag along, kill the bastard, then take all of you, because after all, you're all children with potential."

"Over your dead body." Raiga giggled insanely, "I've already accepted my payment. So these brats stay with me, until that boat leaves the shore with them on it." Raiga brandished his blades, swaying slightly in the breeze.

"And what pray tell is so valuable that you'd risk fighting me, brat?" Zabuza glared at the exhausted Swordsman of the Mist."

"The Kaguya Clan's taijutsu techniques and hidden scrolls." Taiga said quickly, much to the Electric swordsman's annoyance.

"I already nabbed the scrolls, I just need one of the brats to willingly give some of their blood to unseal them. So you better not think of nabbing one."

Zabuza widened his eyes in disbelief. "You?" He looked at Raiga like he was staring at some impossible being. "An impatient asshole like you, somehow capable of sneaking into the compound and grabbing those scrolls?" Zabuza laughed. "Now I've heard everything."

"Well, jerkoff! I was hired to teach this brat how to fight!" He gestured to Taiga. "So I know the compound in and out, of course, I'd be able to nab those scrolls."

Zabuza's sneer widened, "and so you're helping out the brats? In exchange for some scrolls."

"Not just any scrolls." Taiga countered, "the scrolls of the bloody and deadly Kaguya clan, teaching their savage taijutsu techniques, training styles, and drugs developed for creating powerful, fearless, and sadistic warriors."

Zabuza perked up at the word 'drugs'. "Oh really now…" He looked at Raiga, "let's say I assisted you in your trip down to the ferry to Tea Country." He looked at Raiga.

"I'll kill you if you even touch those scrolls," Raiga growled.

"I'd love for you two to keep arguing forever, but some of us are exhausted." Taiga turned to look at Kimimaro and Haku, both of which looked as tired as he felt. "I for one am cold and hungry. Also, Zabuza, if you want, I have some information I got from Master Nunya, it's the sort of info you'd want, Zabuza. I'll give it to you in exchange for either leaving us alone or helping us get to the boat."

"What is the information?" Zabuza was on Taiga in a flash, kunai piercing the boy's arm slightly.

Taiga grit his teeth to keep from screaming, but noise still escaped his lips, blasting out from the cage of clenched teeth.

Kimimaro rose up to attack the swordsman, but Raiga knocked the Kaguya clan heir aside. Haku froze, unable to make a decision one way or another as Zabuza pressed the blade deeper.

"What is the information?" Zabuza repeated with a calm voice.

"...Boat…first…" Taiga spat in between grunts of pain, his other arm and his legs flailed out in panic, hitting limply against Zabuza's body. "Let… me… GO!" He gathered Chakra into his fist, slamming it into Zabuza's face. The Jounin's grip lessened, but not enough to free Taiga. After a few more seconds, the shinobi was off of the boy like nothing had happened.

Zabuza chuckled evilly, "Yuki, Kaguya" He barked, "sleep." He turned to look at Taiga. "You're going to answer my questions."

…

Afterword:

Long time no see. I have a new job, and I spent a good while freelance writing for someone, my tenure with them is over, so now back to my passions!