Notice: I do not own Naruto, and make no claims of copyright on the
characters who are not my property. Original characters, however, are mine.
Author's Notes: So, new chapter. It's taken a while for this to get up because I've been real busy with schoolwork and some other stuff, and because the login was down all of yesterday. Still this is a long chapter, with traveling and some implications, and I hope some good character development.
For the nice reviewers: Kurisuteru-chan: thanks for the review!
Orlha: yeah, aren't they all troubled, and it seems that all the happy characters, Sakura, Kiba, Shino, get lesser roles. Oh well, it makes things interesting.
The Chill Spray
There is no official road to Hidden Waterfall, as there is no official road to any hidden village, but in those craggy ravines of the north coast, hidden waterfall is held more secure than any other village. There are no roads, either pointed toward Konoha, or the village of Stone to the west. Hidden Waterfall is an isolated fortress behind the wall of its namesake, protected from the rest of the ninja world.
So, it was only with an excuse of official business that Xi and Neji's team traveled there. That business was the business of Cloud and Leaf, both sending common alert messages. Neither Village was allied with Waterfall, but neither were they enemies. As such they shared the notice of the Bingo book. The Hokage and Raikage had sent messages to Water, to update the listing. The most recent additions that the four sound ninja noted as being followers of Orochimaru were dead, though there were other pieces of data to be included. Of course, the mission was a thinly veiled spy mission, but both villages accepted it, knowing that ninja would always spy.
The road to Waterfall was lengthy, and took several days. It was cold now, winter had descended in force, and across the border water froze at night, covering the ground with ice in many places. The four travelers wore heavy winter clothes, despite the limitations it imposed on their mobility. They did not hurry, and so passed the time on the road only slowly. There was little to discuss between them.
At one point, Gosain asked Neji about the Sound attack on Konoha. "It is rumored causalities were heavy." He said. "Yet Konoha has still undertaken almost as many missions as before. Are things really so well?"
"Do you expect an answer to that?" Neji replied stonily.
"Not truly." Gosain answered. "It is bothersome though, I would have hoped for more missions in this past summer. Had there been more call for them I could certainly have found a team."
"Things remain as they were." Neji replied. "Konoha is stronger than the Sound could have possibly imagined." That much, at least, was the truth, and Neji felt no harm in saying it.
"What are the Sound like?" Shiren asked Neji a moment later. "You have seen them fight, correct? They neighbor us as well, so I was wondering about that country's ninja." She was curious, but also serious.
Neji debated for a moment how to respond, since he had only fought the Sound once, and that was Kidomaru. Still, he had heard much about them, and felt that it would not hurt to tell Shiren. He opened his mouth to speak-.
"There is no more Village of Sound." Xi said levelly from in front of the trio. "I destroyed it."
"What?" Shiren and Gosain gasped in unison.
"Orochimaru and some few of his servants still live, but they are nothing more than powerful missing-nins yet. The strength he gathered together was dispersed, killed in Konoha, or in the north by me." Xi answered. "The Sound ninja were weak, relying on forbidden powers and cheap trick jutsu. There are greater problems in the world now."
It was an unusual speech from the dragon ninja, and even Neji was taken aback. They walked some distance further in silence, and spoke nothing important for the rest of the day.
Due to the cold they spent the night in a village inn, though Xi disappeared early in the evening and none of the other ninja saw him until morning.
"Does he do this often?" Shiren asked Neji during dinner.
"Ah."
"What does it matter Shiren?" Gosain interjected harshly. "The man's strange, all jounin are, and he's above even that. Let him do what he wants."
"It is not good that Xi abandons us so easily." Shiren replied quietly. "I dread the idea of anything that he fears."
"Leave off Shiren." Gosain told her. "It's his own business." He stood up, meal finished.
"Where are you going?" Neji asked.
Gosain gave him a cold look, as if the question wasn't warranted. "Just upstairs. I need to shake up the chains, keep'em conditioned and all."
"Ah." Neji replied, not at all chastised. I have to lead this team after all. "Fine, we'll see you later."
With Gosain gone, Shiren and Neji were left at the table.
"That man spends more time with those chains of his, I swear." Shiren muttered, exasperated.
"His whole fighting style is oriented around them." Neji replied. "It makes sense to be concerned for your weapons."
"Perhaps," Shiren said. "Still, it makes it awfully hard to do any practicing, since Xi's never around and Gosain devotes all his time to pieces of metal."
"Surely you can train yourself Shiren." Neji said simply. "It is something all ninja do."
"There's only so many times you can throw things at sticks before there's no difference though." She told him. "It really helps to have a moving target."
"Ah." Neji responded, recalling Tenten had once said something rather similar. "Well, I suppose there is some time this evening. If you think it important, I will practice with you."
"I was hoping you'd say that." She smiled.
The two ninja went up to the roof of the inn, and with the cold wind whipping around them; they began what would become a nightly ritual throughout the journey. Occasionally Gosain would join them in these evening sessions, and when they camped in the wilderness Xi would watch, but for the most part it was Neji and Shiren, sole opponents.
They focused mostly on taijutsu, both ranged and close combat. Neji's Jyouken abilities gave him an advantage in close, but Shiren had far greater weapon skill. Though Neji could block most of her attacks easily, he could not penetrate her guard in return. Though he held the advantage, she proved to be a skilled opponent. Shiren would fight with a kunai in each hand, and Neji with his nekode. It was difficult at first, learning to fight with weapons, but he gradually became able to use all his Jyouken abilities even while wearing the blades. The most important aspect of these practices for both ninja was increasing their internal chakra control, to be able to move with precision and accuracy in all aspects of their motion, so that they could react faster and hit harder than another ninja.
Each night Neji and Shiren came down sweating and tired, to collapse into their pallets. Gosain didn't comment on it much, and Xi said absolutely nothing, not that he spent the night with the three anyway.
* * *
Four days out from Konoha they crossed the border into Waterfall country. The northern hill road that they walked was a winding dirt track, but it marked a level path through the ravines, and even had bridges in some places. This road did not lead to Hidden Waterfall, but it would take the ninja close enough, and to pass openly through Waterfall country they would have to take the road.
"We will be watched constantly from this point on." Xi told the three genin. "Since I am with you, probably by a full team of ANBU." He sighed. "The Waterfall ANBU are not as talented as those of the Five Great Countries, but they are not to be trifled with either. In two days we will leave the road, from there we should reach Hidden Waterfall at midday. When we get there we will spend only a single evening in the village, and you will follow my orders exactly. It is a week past Waterfall to Hidden Stone, and likely through snow, so we must make sure not to be delayed here."
The other three nodded, and spent a good deal of time stealing glances into the trees, both those now leafless, and the busy pines that could hide any ninja. They had not yet been snowed upon, but there were patches hidden away from the sun in this country, and it seemed likely that it would snow. They had long since donned ninja winter gear, with boots instead of sandals, and fur-lined versions of all their garments. Gosain continued to wear his chains constantly, though Neji thought they must have been freezing. He had fastened his cap down so that it protected his head, and Shiren wore an insulated headband under her forehead protector to protect her ears. Even Gosain had covered his head with several wrapped bandanas. Xi, however, did not cover any part of his head, nor did he wear thin gloves to cut the wind chill as the others did; yet he did not seem cold. In fact, he appeared far warmer than any of the three Genin, especially on cold nights in the scarcely heated inns on this barren road. Is he burning chakra? Neji had wondered at first, but his Byakugan would have noticed something of that nature. There was something else keeping Xi warm, for he was obvious truly not cold, and not just denying the grip of the elements. It was yet another mystery about the man.
The sun was pale and wan against a backdrop of icy clouds and the snow that had fallen the night before when they entered Hidden Waterfall.
The village of Hidden Waterfall rests atop a high barren mesa of gray stone, carved by wind and rain for endless ages. On three sides the cliffs fall off nearly vertical, and water from the heavy rains washes down them in ruthless cutting streams and falls. No road leads up the slightly more passable forth side, indeed all things are brought into the village by elevators, but on the fourth side a skilled person can climb the beaten and rocky outcrops with care, to reach the walls at the top that demarcate the ninja village. Hidden Waterfall cannot be attacked from without, it has been tried, but even the Hidden Stone shinobi, with their potent earth techniques, could not get up those invincible cliffs as the waterfall ninja turned the streams into cutting scythes against them, and wiped their ninja off the side. That was the only attempt by Hidden Stone to reclaim their colony, and none have ever attacked Hidden Waterfall since.
Another village might have grown soft in its security, like Hidden Rain had in some ways, but not this place. Atop that mesa was a world of howling wind, cutting rain, and an endless cold eternity of rock and spray that slashed at the ninja. It was a terrible place, and bred strong ninja who harnessed many elements for their methods.
Snow blanketed the rough rocks now, as the four ninja ascended what passed for a trail up that hillside. Any non-ninja could have taken an elevator up the cliffs, but this would not due for them, they would have to make the long and vulnerable approach.
Snow was falling as they made that nerve-racking way. Xi leading, well ahead of the others, and the three genin following. This is madness! Thought Neji, Byakugan plainly revealed on his face. It was a necessary measure to find the path through the snow and spot hidden patches of ice. How can we climb this today! A single slip could mean death. He bore heavy chain about his waist, as Gosain had advocated tying themselves together with his weapons, and after taking a single look at the path, Neji had agreed. The chain-wielding ninja followed him, holding the center and moving with steady steps. Shiren brought up the rear, shivering and grim.
"Hurry Neji!" Gosain called, shouting over the wind. "The storm is getting worse, we need to get inside the walls!"
Neji nodded, saving his words. He had thought as much, but did not have the older ninja's eye for storms. He carefully attempted to quicken his pace. It was nerve-racking, not just the snow, which Neji refused to let impede him, but the presence of watchful eyes before them. We are open targets out here. Neji could tell, with his enhanced vision he could see the Waterfall ninja watching on the walls above. With a single jutsu like Crashing Spray they could sweep us into an endless fall. It was difficult to endure, especially knowing that there was nothing to be done about it. How does Xi go on ahead? Neji was incredulous. The three genin were working together as best they could to support each other and advance over the terrible terrain, but Xi went on alone at a pace well above their own. How? He does not have my vision, what guides him?
Gritting his teeth, Neji advanced. They crossed over frozen bridges of ice between rocks, holding to the slick substance using their chakra desperately. Neji and Shiren were able to manage the constant adjustments needed to prevent slipping, but Gosain had difficultly. He slipped and fell once, jerking the others to their knees, and forcing them to pull him back up to the pathway with his chain. Yet Neji did not begrudge the older ninja, especially when they came to an un-bridged gap and the man used his chains to anchor a stable passage they could run across. Gosain pivoted his chakra down the chains and let them pull him across behind them. Everyone's skills were needed, Neji's vision, Shiren's skill to throw out anchoring points or melt away ice with lightning, and Gosain's strength. To think that this is only a taste of the mountains of Stone, Neji recalled Gosain's words before they had begun the trek. What will this exam be like?
Xi reached the walls over a half hour before the trio could stagger in. He seemed perfectly fine, not cold or tired as they were. There is little snow on him, Neji noted, as if it were melting off. Indeed, Xi's skin and hair lacked the presence of snow entirely. The dragon ninja nodded when the team arrived. "You seem to have made it without mishap." He told them. "I have shown the Waterfall ninja our papers, they will allow us in."
They passed through the high stone walls and into the hidden village. Immediately things were better, the wind howled less, and the snow did not crowd about them so terribly. Still, it was cold and wet and unpleasant. If anything, the atmosphere would get worse. The streets seemed deserted save for Waterfall ninja standing guard at various points. They wore their forehead protectors openly, and seemed grim in their sturdy winter gear. Gear, Neji saw, that was far better against water than either he or the Cloud ninja possessed. Waterfall ninja and even ANBU walked the streets. They glared viscously at their visitors. The buildings were low and simple, grim sturdy places that seemed far less welcoming than those of Konoha.
Xi walked with them for a short while. Then he turned around and faced the three. "So, welcome to Hidden Waterfall. Be very careful here, if they attack us there is no possible escape short of flight." Neji caught something behind those words, and realized that they were deliberately chosen. If the worst happens, perhaps we could fly from here, he realized, remembering the dragons. "Follow my orders exactly, this is not like visiting a village for a chuunin exam, we are openly here as spies, and everyone knows that." He turned to each ninja in turn, giving out orders. "Gosain, find a place for us to stay, someplace out of the way. Shiren, go about town and analyze any possible escape routes, get me a count of how many ninja are moving about if you can. Neji, you are supposed to bring back a report on the town, so wander about and make your assessments, but avoid Shiren, and stay out of the way of any ANBU. For me, I have to go see Naname Dyire, the head ninja, about our official business. We meet back here one hour after night falls."
The three genin nodded, to cold to bother speaking.
All that long afternoon Neji walked about Hidden Waterfall, counting ninja, genin, chuunin, jounin, ANBU, as best he could estimate. He examined the walls and other defenses, and tried to guess how many people were living in the village overall. It was challenging, the wind and snow made it difficult to see what was going on or keep everything straight, but not impossible. The Byakugan was a tremendous aid to Neji; the ability to see through structures, people, and snow made it difficult to keep anything secret from his vision. The smaller size and compact nature of Hidden Waterfall also aided his search. The village was compressed into an area not more than a fourth that of Konoha's even though Neji sensed that this village probably had at least half as many ninja as Konoha possessed prior to the losses in the chuunin exam. I did not know one of the lesser countries had so many ninja. Of course, there were many genin among their numbers, but also a large number of chuunin. Jounin were rare, but then the difference between a jounin and a chuunin could be difficult to discern. Still, Neji could sense the talent these ninja possessed, the ANBU that trailed him all afternoon was able to slip out of Neji's sight regularly, even avoiding the Byakugan's all seeing gaze.
Then came one moment that Neji had not expected, and as moment where he finally felt true fear in the village of Waterfall. He saw a ninja walking the streets, a genin, wearing a one-piece blue parka, a ninja with hair streaked by aquamarine and bearing red eyes. The Mizuho bloodline! Neji realized suddenly. It had just fallen dark, but enough light came from the street lamps to allow the other ninja to see. Neji dodged aside, hoping to turn a corner before being noticed.
He was not so lucky. The other ninja saw him. "Stop, foreigner!" He yelled.
Neji skidded to a halt in the snow, surrounded by the cold and his breath coming hard and fast. Does he know? He wondered. He was afraid of what would happen if he fought the man, knew it would mean death was likely. Neji feared no other ninja, but he remembered that water burning, the devilry of that terrifying technique, to violate everything the mind told him was possible. The Mizuho was no normal flame, it was some terrifying spectre designed to destroy ninja, a technique that Konoha would consider a forbidden jutsu, though Waterfall apparently did not mind. Neji feared no ninja, but surrounded and drenched from the snow, and in this cold and foreign darkness with no allies or escape, he feared the Mizuho.
The other ninja approached him, and Neji saw that he was a match in age. This boy, he is no older than me, perhaps even younger, yet he is strong. The youth had a tremendous supply of chakra, and it burned in him red and furious, a twin color chakra to represent the terrible melding of elements he represented. The waterfall genin looked at him, and recognition and anger spread in his eyes. "You are the one." He said with a bone breaking voice that sounded as if it belonged to someone far older. "You slew my sensei, and my uncle, Ryukin." He let the words hang in the snowy street, and his eyes dared Neji to deny them.
The dragon ninja would not, he would not shy away from that, even though Neji hated to recall it. "I did." He answered. "On a mission, we were opponents." He said those words to try to assure the genin that it was not personal, but Neji was sure that much was a lie. It had indeed been personal between him and Ryukin, and he suspected that this boy would not understand why his uncle had forced Neji to kill him.
"Then you are my enemy." It seemed strange, this viscous voice coming from a happy-eyed youth, whose face was unlined with cares and who hair shot short and spiky into the air. But he was deadly serious. "I am Mizain Seve, and I will kill you."
"Mizain is the clan of the Mizuho?" Neji asked, recalling that if battle was about to come he should gather as much information as possible before it came.
"Yes." The genin snapped. His hands went to his kunai holster. "Who are you?"
"Draci Neji," Was the answer given. "I am not here to fight you. There is no reason for me to kill you."
"Ha!" Seve barked. "Kill me? In this snowstorm I will destroy you with a gesture."
Shit! Neji recognized the threat as serious. He has enough chakra to ignite the snow, if he does that, there will be no escape. I should attack now, take him before he is ready, but I can't, I dare not strike the first blow, or my team will surely die. Neji made a snap decision, and leapt backwards.
"Die!" Seve howled, and hurled his kunai through the space Neji had been occupying moments before. Finding Neji had moved he thrust his fists into the snow, and when he pulled them out, they were burning. Glowing balls of snow were held in his hands, and Neji saw shuriken buried between them. "I heard you could block almost anything from the chuunin who brought back word, but can you block flames?"
With the Byakugan piercing the night, Neji revealed the chakra running through Seve. Strong, very strong, he has as much chakra as many chuunin, perhaps more, but his control is bad. Neji saw that Seve could not possibly react quickly. I can dodge his attacks for sure, and probably I could get in and rip him apart with back rake in a second, but I dare not do that. He was torn between the decision to fight back and the knowledge that he should not bring violence against the Waterfall. However, he could not just defend. Neji knew that much, there was no certain defense against the flames of Mizuho.
There were no options, but suddenly Neji was struck by an idea. He reached down into the snow as well.
Seve threw his flaming balls of snow, ice, and steel. Neji threw his own in return. I can see them, I can see them easily. The flames burned bright with chakra, and Neji could see and predict their flight path. He had practiced with Shiren, seeing missiles imbued with chakra. His own balls of snow took the projectiles and covered them.
The shuriken were far heavier than any snowballs, so they continued on to Neji, but the flames on them were suddenly smothered with snow. If you had enough skill, you could simply ignite that too, Neji knew, but you don't have the control. The flames were quenched, and Neji slapped the missiles harmlessly aside with a casual ease.
"No!" The genin shrieked. "You can't do that. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He screamed. "Then...then...just burn!"
Seve's hands flashed through a series of seals, and Neji saw tremendous chakra gather in him.
Bad! Neji wondered where to dodge. He leapt into the air, getting away from the snow covered ground, but there were no places free of snow now, and even the sky was filled with it. What to do? He wondered.
A dark figure suddenly appeared behind Seve, and down chopped both sides of his neck. The waterfall ninja screamed and collapsed to the ground, even as he suffered repeated punches to the ribs.
Neji recognized those ultra-quick blows, and beyond that he recognized their source after a moment. "Xi!" He called.
Seve collapsed under the dragon ninja's merciless pounding. He grunted and collapsed after only a moment. "Stand up!" Xi barked, dragging the unfortunate to his feet by his collar. "You're good for nothing ANBU don't have the good sense to restrain you, so I will. Make another move and I'll break every bone in your hands." He turned Seve to face him.
The genin looked into the frozen eyes of the dragon ninja and whimpered. There was no mercy or compassion there, not even acknowledgement as another human being. There was a mind that considered him something not even important enough to bother killing. Seve whimpered, and did not move or speak. "What has Waterfall come to, that genin attack visitors on the street, and even try to burn down the whole town? Go home, little Mizuho user, to whatever minders keep track of you, and leave the vows of vengeance until you understand the true deadliness of the world. I'm sure the ANBU watching all of this will have some choice words for you."
Xi released the genin. Seve stood on his own, and turned back toward Neji. As if nothing had ever happened he glared at him. Staring at him, but not willing to fully meet the white eyes of the Byakugan, Seve made his declaration. "You're going to the Chuunin exam they said. Fine, I'll kill you there, when no one else is around to save you. I Mizain Seve guarantee it."
"You can't possibly beat me as you are." Neji answered. "Until you learn to control your powers, you're nothing but a brat playing with a grown up's weapons. Once I leave this place, if you attack me, I will not hold back." It was a cold promise, for Neji hoped to dissuade Seve. I don't what this boy as my enemy; he's not on the same level at all. This is no war or mission, I don't need any grudge against him, I have plenty of my own.
Still, the younger ninja just flashed a viscous look from those burning red eyes and stormed off into the snowing backdrop.
Xi walked up to Neji a moment later. "I was worried something like this might happen. The ANBU trailing you should have intervened, but I guess they considered losing that Ryukin a serious enough affront. Still, commendable restraint on your part, better I should be the one to strike him than you."
"Why were you there, Xi?" Neji asked in return.
"Chance, really." The older ninja replied, not being mysterious. "That and the fact that flashes of flame are conspicuous in this sort of wind and snow."
"Ah."
"So." Xi asked. "Have you finished your scouting? We should get back to the meeting place so we can get out of this damnable wind. I swear, who would live up here?"
"I'm finished, or close enough." Neji answered, slightly subdued considering what had just happened. I have another grudge now, and I've just made the chuunin exam more difficult. That boy, even if inexperienced, could cause all kinds of problems with his ability.
"Neji," Xi said quietly as they walked back to their meeting place. "It's never good to make an enemy, but better a single genin than a whole village. Yet, keeping an enemy is worse than making one. That boy has the potential to be very strong, his parents and siblings share the strongest of inheritance of the Mizuho bloodline that has yet been recorded, its expected that one of them will be the first to rise to the Kage level from this village. If you meet him in the chuunin exam, kill him." Xi said nothing further.
"Ah." Neji replied, feeling sick as he did so, but knowing that Xi was right. As horrible as it was, he was right.
Then they met Gosain, and finally got out of the snow, warming both bodies and minds. In the morning they left Hidden Waterfall behind, but they were not truly alone, for seven teams of genin were following them. Among those genin were ninja that had taken he exam in Konoha, ninja that had taken the exam in Stone, and true rookies. Also among them was Mizain Seve. The mountains loomed furious in the distance before the mixed team of Draci Neji, but now there was also a threat behind them.
Author's Notes: So, new chapter. It's taken a while for this to get up because I've been real busy with schoolwork and some other stuff, and because the login was down all of yesterday. Still this is a long chapter, with traveling and some implications, and I hope some good character development.
For the nice reviewers: Kurisuteru-chan: thanks for the review!
Orlha: yeah, aren't they all troubled, and it seems that all the happy characters, Sakura, Kiba, Shino, get lesser roles. Oh well, it makes things interesting.
The Chill Spray
There is no official road to Hidden Waterfall, as there is no official road to any hidden village, but in those craggy ravines of the north coast, hidden waterfall is held more secure than any other village. There are no roads, either pointed toward Konoha, or the village of Stone to the west. Hidden Waterfall is an isolated fortress behind the wall of its namesake, protected from the rest of the ninja world.
So, it was only with an excuse of official business that Xi and Neji's team traveled there. That business was the business of Cloud and Leaf, both sending common alert messages. Neither Village was allied with Waterfall, but neither were they enemies. As such they shared the notice of the Bingo book. The Hokage and Raikage had sent messages to Water, to update the listing. The most recent additions that the four sound ninja noted as being followers of Orochimaru were dead, though there were other pieces of data to be included. Of course, the mission was a thinly veiled spy mission, but both villages accepted it, knowing that ninja would always spy.
The road to Waterfall was lengthy, and took several days. It was cold now, winter had descended in force, and across the border water froze at night, covering the ground with ice in many places. The four travelers wore heavy winter clothes, despite the limitations it imposed on their mobility. They did not hurry, and so passed the time on the road only slowly. There was little to discuss between them.
At one point, Gosain asked Neji about the Sound attack on Konoha. "It is rumored causalities were heavy." He said. "Yet Konoha has still undertaken almost as many missions as before. Are things really so well?"
"Do you expect an answer to that?" Neji replied stonily.
"Not truly." Gosain answered. "It is bothersome though, I would have hoped for more missions in this past summer. Had there been more call for them I could certainly have found a team."
"Things remain as they were." Neji replied. "Konoha is stronger than the Sound could have possibly imagined." That much, at least, was the truth, and Neji felt no harm in saying it.
"What are the Sound like?" Shiren asked Neji a moment later. "You have seen them fight, correct? They neighbor us as well, so I was wondering about that country's ninja." She was curious, but also serious.
Neji debated for a moment how to respond, since he had only fought the Sound once, and that was Kidomaru. Still, he had heard much about them, and felt that it would not hurt to tell Shiren. He opened his mouth to speak-.
"There is no more Village of Sound." Xi said levelly from in front of the trio. "I destroyed it."
"What?" Shiren and Gosain gasped in unison.
"Orochimaru and some few of his servants still live, but they are nothing more than powerful missing-nins yet. The strength he gathered together was dispersed, killed in Konoha, or in the north by me." Xi answered. "The Sound ninja were weak, relying on forbidden powers and cheap trick jutsu. There are greater problems in the world now."
It was an unusual speech from the dragon ninja, and even Neji was taken aback. They walked some distance further in silence, and spoke nothing important for the rest of the day.
Due to the cold they spent the night in a village inn, though Xi disappeared early in the evening and none of the other ninja saw him until morning.
"Does he do this often?" Shiren asked Neji during dinner.
"Ah."
"What does it matter Shiren?" Gosain interjected harshly. "The man's strange, all jounin are, and he's above even that. Let him do what he wants."
"It is not good that Xi abandons us so easily." Shiren replied quietly. "I dread the idea of anything that he fears."
"Leave off Shiren." Gosain told her. "It's his own business." He stood up, meal finished.
"Where are you going?" Neji asked.
Gosain gave him a cold look, as if the question wasn't warranted. "Just upstairs. I need to shake up the chains, keep'em conditioned and all."
"Ah." Neji replied, not at all chastised. I have to lead this team after all. "Fine, we'll see you later."
With Gosain gone, Shiren and Neji were left at the table.
"That man spends more time with those chains of his, I swear." Shiren muttered, exasperated.
"His whole fighting style is oriented around them." Neji replied. "It makes sense to be concerned for your weapons."
"Perhaps," Shiren said. "Still, it makes it awfully hard to do any practicing, since Xi's never around and Gosain devotes all his time to pieces of metal."
"Surely you can train yourself Shiren." Neji said simply. "It is something all ninja do."
"There's only so many times you can throw things at sticks before there's no difference though." She told him. "It really helps to have a moving target."
"Ah." Neji responded, recalling Tenten had once said something rather similar. "Well, I suppose there is some time this evening. If you think it important, I will practice with you."
"I was hoping you'd say that." She smiled.
The two ninja went up to the roof of the inn, and with the cold wind whipping around them; they began what would become a nightly ritual throughout the journey. Occasionally Gosain would join them in these evening sessions, and when they camped in the wilderness Xi would watch, but for the most part it was Neji and Shiren, sole opponents.
They focused mostly on taijutsu, both ranged and close combat. Neji's Jyouken abilities gave him an advantage in close, but Shiren had far greater weapon skill. Though Neji could block most of her attacks easily, he could not penetrate her guard in return. Though he held the advantage, she proved to be a skilled opponent. Shiren would fight with a kunai in each hand, and Neji with his nekode. It was difficult at first, learning to fight with weapons, but he gradually became able to use all his Jyouken abilities even while wearing the blades. The most important aspect of these practices for both ninja was increasing their internal chakra control, to be able to move with precision and accuracy in all aspects of their motion, so that they could react faster and hit harder than another ninja.
Each night Neji and Shiren came down sweating and tired, to collapse into their pallets. Gosain didn't comment on it much, and Xi said absolutely nothing, not that he spent the night with the three anyway.
* * *
Four days out from Konoha they crossed the border into Waterfall country. The northern hill road that they walked was a winding dirt track, but it marked a level path through the ravines, and even had bridges in some places. This road did not lead to Hidden Waterfall, but it would take the ninja close enough, and to pass openly through Waterfall country they would have to take the road.
"We will be watched constantly from this point on." Xi told the three genin. "Since I am with you, probably by a full team of ANBU." He sighed. "The Waterfall ANBU are not as talented as those of the Five Great Countries, but they are not to be trifled with either. In two days we will leave the road, from there we should reach Hidden Waterfall at midday. When we get there we will spend only a single evening in the village, and you will follow my orders exactly. It is a week past Waterfall to Hidden Stone, and likely through snow, so we must make sure not to be delayed here."
The other three nodded, and spent a good deal of time stealing glances into the trees, both those now leafless, and the busy pines that could hide any ninja. They had not yet been snowed upon, but there were patches hidden away from the sun in this country, and it seemed likely that it would snow. They had long since donned ninja winter gear, with boots instead of sandals, and fur-lined versions of all their garments. Gosain continued to wear his chains constantly, though Neji thought they must have been freezing. He had fastened his cap down so that it protected his head, and Shiren wore an insulated headband under her forehead protector to protect her ears. Even Gosain had covered his head with several wrapped bandanas. Xi, however, did not cover any part of his head, nor did he wear thin gloves to cut the wind chill as the others did; yet he did not seem cold. In fact, he appeared far warmer than any of the three Genin, especially on cold nights in the scarcely heated inns on this barren road. Is he burning chakra? Neji had wondered at first, but his Byakugan would have noticed something of that nature. There was something else keeping Xi warm, for he was obvious truly not cold, and not just denying the grip of the elements. It was yet another mystery about the man.
The sun was pale and wan against a backdrop of icy clouds and the snow that had fallen the night before when they entered Hidden Waterfall.
The village of Hidden Waterfall rests atop a high barren mesa of gray stone, carved by wind and rain for endless ages. On three sides the cliffs fall off nearly vertical, and water from the heavy rains washes down them in ruthless cutting streams and falls. No road leads up the slightly more passable forth side, indeed all things are brought into the village by elevators, but on the fourth side a skilled person can climb the beaten and rocky outcrops with care, to reach the walls at the top that demarcate the ninja village. Hidden Waterfall cannot be attacked from without, it has been tried, but even the Hidden Stone shinobi, with their potent earth techniques, could not get up those invincible cliffs as the waterfall ninja turned the streams into cutting scythes against them, and wiped their ninja off the side. That was the only attempt by Hidden Stone to reclaim their colony, and none have ever attacked Hidden Waterfall since.
Another village might have grown soft in its security, like Hidden Rain had in some ways, but not this place. Atop that mesa was a world of howling wind, cutting rain, and an endless cold eternity of rock and spray that slashed at the ninja. It was a terrible place, and bred strong ninja who harnessed many elements for their methods.
Snow blanketed the rough rocks now, as the four ninja ascended what passed for a trail up that hillside. Any non-ninja could have taken an elevator up the cliffs, but this would not due for them, they would have to make the long and vulnerable approach.
Snow was falling as they made that nerve-racking way. Xi leading, well ahead of the others, and the three genin following. This is madness! Thought Neji, Byakugan plainly revealed on his face. It was a necessary measure to find the path through the snow and spot hidden patches of ice. How can we climb this today! A single slip could mean death. He bore heavy chain about his waist, as Gosain had advocated tying themselves together with his weapons, and after taking a single look at the path, Neji had agreed. The chain-wielding ninja followed him, holding the center and moving with steady steps. Shiren brought up the rear, shivering and grim.
"Hurry Neji!" Gosain called, shouting over the wind. "The storm is getting worse, we need to get inside the walls!"
Neji nodded, saving his words. He had thought as much, but did not have the older ninja's eye for storms. He carefully attempted to quicken his pace. It was nerve-racking, not just the snow, which Neji refused to let impede him, but the presence of watchful eyes before them. We are open targets out here. Neji could tell, with his enhanced vision he could see the Waterfall ninja watching on the walls above. With a single jutsu like Crashing Spray they could sweep us into an endless fall. It was difficult to endure, especially knowing that there was nothing to be done about it. How does Xi go on ahead? Neji was incredulous. The three genin were working together as best they could to support each other and advance over the terrible terrain, but Xi went on alone at a pace well above their own. How? He does not have my vision, what guides him?
Gritting his teeth, Neji advanced. They crossed over frozen bridges of ice between rocks, holding to the slick substance using their chakra desperately. Neji and Shiren were able to manage the constant adjustments needed to prevent slipping, but Gosain had difficultly. He slipped and fell once, jerking the others to their knees, and forcing them to pull him back up to the pathway with his chain. Yet Neji did not begrudge the older ninja, especially when they came to an un-bridged gap and the man used his chains to anchor a stable passage they could run across. Gosain pivoted his chakra down the chains and let them pull him across behind them. Everyone's skills were needed, Neji's vision, Shiren's skill to throw out anchoring points or melt away ice with lightning, and Gosain's strength. To think that this is only a taste of the mountains of Stone, Neji recalled Gosain's words before they had begun the trek. What will this exam be like?
Xi reached the walls over a half hour before the trio could stagger in. He seemed perfectly fine, not cold or tired as they were. There is little snow on him, Neji noted, as if it were melting off. Indeed, Xi's skin and hair lacked the presence of snow entirely. The dragon ninja nodded when the team arrived. "You seem to have made it without mishap." He told them. "I have shown the Waterfall ninja our papers, they will allow us in."
They passed through the high stone walls and into the hidden village. Immediately things were better, the wind howled less, and the snow did not crowd about them so terribly. Still, it was cold and wet and unpleasant. If anything, the atmosphere would get worse. The streets seemed deserted save for Waterfall ninja standing guard at various points. They wore their forehead protectors openly, and seemed grim in their sturdy winter gear. Gear, Neji saw, that was far better against water than either he or the Cloud ninja possessed. Waterfall ninja and even ANBU walked the streets. They glared viscously at their visitors. The buildings were low and simple, grim sturdy places that seemed far less welcoming than those of Konoha.
Xi walked with them for a short while. Then he turned around and faced the three. "So, welcome to Hidden Waterfall. Be very careful here, if they attack us there is no possible escape short of flight." Neji caught something behind those words, and realized that they were deliberately chosen. If the worst happens, perhaps we could fly from here, he realized, remembering the dragons. "Follow my orders exactly, this is not like visiting a village for a chuunin exam, we are openly here as spies, and everyone knows that." He turned to each ninja in turn, giving out orders. "Gosain, find a place for us to stay, someplace out of the way. Shiren, go about town and analyze any possible escape routes, get me a count of how many ninja are moving about if you can. Neji, you are supposed to bring back a report on the town, so wander about and make your assessments, but avoid Shiren, and stay out of the way of any ANBU. For me, I have to go see Naname Dyire, the head ninja, about our official business. We meet back here one hour after night falls."
The three genin nodded, to cold to bother speaking.
All that long afternoon Neji walked about Hidden Waterfall, counting ninja, genin, chuunin, jounin, ANBU, as best he could estimate. He examined the walls and other defenses, and tried to guess how many people were living in the village overall. It was challenging, the wind and snow made it difficult to see what was going on or keep everything straight, but not impossible. The Byakugan was a tremendous aid to Neji; the ability to see through structures, people, and snow made it difficult to keep anything secret from his vision. The smaller size and compact nature of Hidden Waterfall also aided his search. The village was compressed into an area not more than a fourth that of Konoha's even though Neji sensed that this village probably had at least half as many ninja as Konoha possessed prior to the losses in the chuunin exam. I did not know one of the lesser countries had so many ninja. Of course, there were many genin among their numbers, but also a large number of chuunin. Jounin were rare, but then the difference between a jounin and a chuunin could be difficult to discern. Still, Neji could sense the talent these ninja possessed, the ANBU that trailed him all afternoon was able to slip out of Neji's sight regularly, even avoiding the Byakugan's all seeing gaze.
Then came one moment that Neji had not expected, and as moment where he finally felt true fear in the village of Waterfall. He saw a ninja walking the streets, a genin, wearing a one-piece blue parka, a ninja with hair streaked by aquamarine and bearing red eyes. The Mizuho bloodline! Neji realized suddenly. It had just fallen dark, but enough light came from the street lamps to allow the other ninja to see. Neji dodged aside, hoping to turn a corner before being noticed.
He was not so lucky. The other ninja saw him. "Stop, foreigner!" He yelled.
Neji skidded to a halt in the snow, surrounded by the cold and his breath coming hard and fast. Does he know? He wondered. He was afraid of what would happen if he fought the man, knew it would mean death was likely. Neji feared no other ninja, but he remembered that water burning, the devilry of that terrifying technique, to violate everything the mind told him was possible. The Mizuho was no normal flame, it was some terrifying spectre designed to destroy ninja, a technique that Konoha would consider a forbidden jutsu, though Waterfall apparently did not mind. Neji feared no ninja, but surrounded and drenched from the snow, and in this cold and foreign darkness with no allies or escape, he feared the Mizuho.
The other ninja approached him, and Neji saw that he was a match in age. This boy, he is no older than me, perhaps even younger, yet he is strong. The youth had a tremendous supply of chakra, and it burned in him red and furious, a twin color chakra to represent the terrible melding of elements he represented. The waterfall genin looked at him, and recognition and anger spread in his eyes. "You are the one." He said with a bone breaking voice that sounded as if it belonged to someone far older. "You slew my sensei, and my uncle, Ryukin." He let the words hang in the snowy street, and his eyes dared Neji to deny them.
The dragon ninja would not, he would not shy away from that, even though Neji hated to recall it. "I did." He answered. "On a mission, we were opponents." He said those words to try to assure the genin that it was not personal, but Neji was sure that much was a lie. It had indeed been personal between him and Ryukin, and he suspected that this boy would not understand why his uncle had forced Neji to kill him.
"Then you are my enemy." It seemed strange, this viscous voice coming from a happy-eyed youth, whose face was unlined with cares and who hair shot short and spiky into the air. But he was deadly serious. "I am Mizain Seve, and I will kill you."
"Mizain is the clan of the Mizuho?" Neji asked, recalling that if battle was about to come he should gather as much information as possible before it came.
"Yes." The genin snapped. His hands went to his kunai holster. "Who are you?"
"Draci Neji," Was the answer given. "I am not here to fight you. There is no reason for me to kill you."
"Ha!" Seve barked. "Kill me? In this snowstorm I will destroy you with a gesture."
Shit! Neji recognized the threat as serious. He has enough chakra to ignite the snow, if he does that, there will be no escape. I should attack now, take him before he is ready, but I can't, I dare not strike the first blow, or my team will surely die. Neji made a snap decision, and leapt backwards.
"Die!" Seve howled, and hurled his kunai through the space Neji had been occupying moments before. Finding Neji had moved he thrust his fists into the snow, and when he pulled them out, they were burning. Glowing balls of snow were held in his hands, and Neji saw shuriken buried between them. "I heard you could block almost anything from the chuunin who brought back word, but can you block flames?"
With the Byakugan piercing the night, Neji revealed the chakra running through Seve. Strong, very strong, he has as much chakra as many chuunin, perhaps more, but his control is bad. Neji saw that Seve could not possibly react quickly. I can dodge his attacks for sure, and probably I could get in and rip him apart with back rake in a second, but I dare not do that. He was torn between the decision to fight back and the knowledge that he should not bring violence against the Waterfall. However, he could not just defend. Neji knew that much, there was no certain defense against the flames of Mizuho.
There were no options, but suddenly Neji was struck by an idea. He reached down into the snow as well.
Seve threw his flaming balls of snow, ice, and steel. Neji threw his own in return. I can see them, I can see them easily. The flames burned bright with chakra, and Neji could see and predict their flight path. He had practiced with Shiren, seeing missiles imbued with chakra. His own balls of snow took the projectiles and covered them.
The shuriken were far heavier than any snowballs, so they continued on to Neji, but the flames on them were suddenly smothered with snow. If you had enough skill, you could simply ignite that too, Neji knew, but you don't have the control. The flames were quenched, and Neji slapped the missiles harmlessly aside with a casual ease.
"No!" The genin shrieked. "You can't do that. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" He screamed. "Then...then...just burn!"
Seve's hands flashed through a series of seals, and Neji saw tremendous chakra gather in him.
Bad! Neji wondered where to dodge. He leapt into the air, getting away from the snow covered ground, but there were no places free of snow now, and even the sky was filled with it. What to do? He wondered.
A dark figure suddenly appeared behind Seve, and down chopped both sides of his neck. The waterfall ninja screamed and collapsed to the ground, even as he suffered repeated punches to the ribs.
Neji recognized those ultra-quick blows, and beyond that he recognized their source after a moment. "Xi!" He called.
Seve collapsed under the dragon ninja's merciless pounding. He grunted and collapsed after only a moment. "Stand up!" Xi barked, dragging the unfortunate to his feet by his collar. "You're good for nothing ANBU don't have the good sense to restrain you, so I will. Make another move and I'll break every bone in your hands." He turned Seve to face him.
The genin looked into the frozen eyes of the dragon ninja and whimpered. There was no mercy or compassion there, not even acknowledgement as another human being. There was a mind that considered him something not even important enough to bother killing. Seve whimpered, and did not move or speak. "What has Waterfall come to, that genin attack visitors on the street, and even try to burn down the whole town? Go home, little Mizuho user, to whatever minders keep track of you, and leave the vows of vengeance until you understand the true deadliness of the world. I'm sure the ANBU watching all of this will have some choice words for you."
Xi released the genin. Seve stood on his own, and turned back toward Neji. As if nothing had ever happened he glared at him. Staring at him, but not willing to fully meet the white eyes of the Byakugan, Seve made his declaration. "You're going to the Chuunin exam they said. Fine, I'll kill you there, when no one else is around to save you. I Mizain Seve guarantee it."
"You can't possibly beat me as you are." Neji answered. "Until you learn to control your powers, you're nothing but a brat playing with a grown up's weapons. Once I leave this place, if you attack me, I will not hold back." It was a cold promise, for Neji hoped to dissuade Seve. I don't what this boy as my enemy; he's not on the same level at all. This is no war or mission, I don't need any grudge against him, I have plenty of my own.
Still, the younger ninja just flashed a viscous look from those burning red eyes and stormed off into the snowing backdrop.
Xi walked up to Neji a moment later. "I was worried something like this might happen. The ANBU trailing you should have intervened, but I guess they considered losing that Ryukin a serious enough affront. Still, commendable restraint on your part, better I should be the one to strike him than you."
"Why were you there, Xi?" Neji asked in return.
"Chance, really." The older ninja replied, not being mysterious. "That and the fact that flashes of flame are conspicuous in this sort of wind and snow."
"Ah."
"So." Xi asked. "Have you finished your scouting? We should get back to the meeting place so we can get out of this damnable wind. I swear, who would live up here?"
"I'm finished, or close enough." Neji answered, slightly subdued considering what had just happened. I have another grudge now, and I've just made the chuunin exam more difficult. That boy, even if inexperienced, could cause all kinds of problems with his ability.
"Neji," Xi said quietly as they walked back to their meeting place. "It's never good to make an enemy, but better a single genin than a whole village. Yet, keeping an enemy is worse than making one. That boy has the potential to be very strong, his parents and siblings share the strongest of inheritance of the Mizuho bloodline that has yet been recorded, its expected that one of them will be the first to rise to the Kage level from this village. If you meet him in the chuunin exam, kill him." Xi said nothing further.
"Ah." Neji replied, feeling sick as he did so, but knowing that Xi was right. As horrible as it was, he was right.
Then they met Gosain, and finally got out of the snow, warming both bodies and minds. In the morning they left Hidden Waterfall behind, but they were not truly alone, for seven teams of genin were following them. Among those genin were ninja that had taken he exam in Konoha, ninja that had taken the exam in Stone, and true rookies. Also among them was Mizain Seve. The mountains loomed furious in the distance before the mixed team of Draci Neji, but now there was also a threat behind them.