Some answers for reviewers, and hopes for more:
Nara Shikamaru: Sorry about the errors, I try, but you can never catch them all yourself, and course that relationship mistake. Ise is definitely Kisame's nephew, not something else
Rock lee shroom: How many chapters? I've haven't the slightest idea. I do have a general plot outline, but I don't know how many chapters that translates into. I am trying to do more short scenes in this piece, with a greater number of perspectives, instead of constantly being locked into one viewpoint, so that makes it even harder to gauge.
Chapter 1- Gazing into the Future
(1 Week after Sasuke abandons Konoha)
Mizukage sat in the tall chair that stood in the center of his office. It resembled nothing so much as an austere throne, but Mizukage would seriously injure anyone using that term for his chair. He was a leader of ninja, nothing more. Ruling was a matter for Daimyo and other lords; ninja were servants, valued and intelligent servants certainly, but still nothing more than servants. Such was the creed he lived by, and the rule all Mist ninja obeyed. Yet though he might not be a ruler, as leader of the most militant village of ninja in all the Great Shinobi Countries Mizukage's power over those beneath him dwarfed that of many of his fellow kages. Such was the way of the Mist ninja.
The man who stood before Mizukage now stood out as well, a ninja who had no counterpart in the other villages, the Warlord Akai. As leader of the elite Seven Swordsmen of Mist, the group founded by Mizukage during the purges, and director of the forces of Mist ninja on the field of battle in the Kage's absence Akai held a unique position. He was second in command of his village; no other group of ninja organized themselves in such a way. This arrangement existed because of Akai's nature, a ninja of great strength, ability and combat acumen, yet one who had no desire for ruling, or any skill at it. Akai saw all difficulties as problems to be obliterated beneath violent force. Peace was a foreign idea to him; if enemies existed then all should be sent toward their obliteration. Thus, he could not have led his country to other than war, but at such he excelled.
Akai's nature was not uncommon among ninja, who are after all trained as weapons from a young age, but there was a trait to him that was indeed remarkable, his loyalty. The man held no ambition whatsoever to usurp his leader's position; it never even entered his thoughts to consider such a course of action. He would counsel and make his views known, and disagree when he believed Mizukage was wrong, but he would never disobey. Ninja from other countries had called Akai 'the Mizukage's tamed monster' and the Warlord did not mind the label in the slightest. Indeed the two were close friends, a great rarity among ninja of high rank and similar age, no rivalry stood between them.
So it was Akai Mizukage had called to him before all others when disturbing news first reached him.
"You sent for me, Mizukage?" Akai confirmed. He was tense, for he knew it was rarely good news to meet with Mizukage unscheduled.
"I did," Mizukage answered easily. "I have learned something of great importance, something greatly disturbing."
"What is it?" Akai asked, wanting the bad news delivered swiftly.
Mizukage handed him two scrolls. "I have reports from our spy in the Leaf village, and the one in Sand we sent to follow the anomaly named Gaara. They are disconcerting." Mizukage sighed. "You should read them yourself."
Akai took the scrolls, unstrapped his blade from his back to sit down on the floor, and proceeded to read through the reports carefully. At points he paused, making note of important points. He said nothing until he was finished, at which time he rolled the scrolls up and handed them back to Mizukage. "Disconcerting indeed." He grimaced. "It is like receiving a prophecy."
"Yes," Mizukage nodded. "That is indeed what it is like. We have seen what is coming, but now we must determine what to do about it. A complicated matter, and one I doubt will be satisfying."
"Yes…" Akai paused. "Who would have thought the Leaf were so weakened, and that they would make such a foolish mistake in hiding it?"
"It is their new Hokage," Mizukage replied. "The medical specialist of the Sannin, Tsunade. She has been away from the ninja world too long, and she missed the attack on Konoha, so she doesn't know."
"Bah!" Akai spat. "It's still a foolish mistake, she had to know that Gaara creature would have spies following him, he transformed into a gigantic sand demon. Now we have learned Konoha needed the Sand's help to deal with one escapee because of that, their weakness is clear for all to see."
"True, but that is a minor point now, it would have become clear eventually. It seems we are lucky to have learned of greater threats at the same time." Mizukage replied. "Otherwise there might have been a war."
"There could still be a war," Akai said with a hungry undercurrent. "If the Daimyo underestimate the threat of Orochimaru."
"I will counsel against it," Mizukage replied. "I will be believed I think." He grimaced at his Warlord. "Besides, we shall have a war soon enough."
"Three years…" Akai looked at the wall for a long moment. "Damn Orochimaru anyway, the stinking traitor needs to die."
"Three years regardless, unless the Leaf manages some miracle, which I doubt, given Tsunade's caution. A medical ninja should not be a kage; it will come to grief for us all because of that. We can no longer rely on the Leaf as the strong force in the center. That leaves us and Stone as the strong ones. Sand is devastated and ever unpredictable Lightning lies to the north." Mizukage looked to the north then. "I wonder about the Lightning."
"Politics is your business, Mizukage," Akai interjected. "What plans should I make?"
"That is why I have called you here, Warlord," Mizukage grinned gently with the minor jest, but then returned to all seriousness. "We must make plans to prepare, we have three years. What do you wish to do?"
Akai mulled over it for a moment. Three years, and they had little more. It was only certain that the shinobi world would explode at that point, when the plans of the Akatsuki and Orochimaru finally came to fruition. One thing I do know, a thing different from past wars. "The sharingan." He hissed.
"What about it?" Mizukage prodded.
"That is the one thing changed from before, the Leaf once held the sharingan, now it does not. The last two inheritors are with the Akatsuki or Orochimaru. With that power held only by those two, it is the cause for greatest fear. The armies of Mist can meet whatever else comes, I can train ninja and you forge alliances and plans, but none of that serves as a counter to the sharingan."
"So we must ready a force to counter the sharingan," Mizukage suddenly scowled. "Don't tell me Akai…"
"The sharingan is the power to see through illusions, but more importantly it is the ability to copy and counter other techniques," Akai nodded, a scowl on his face as well. "To fight the sharingan requires weapons it cannot counter, cannot copy, and that means bloodlines."
"Damn!" Mizukage slammed his fist into his chair. The stone seat was solid, and it was painful, but he ignored that utterly. "The sharingan ought to have been purged along with all the others. Bloodlines bring nothing but trouble. Still, if you require them as weapons then I will countenance it Akai, but they will never control this village again."
"I agree entirely, we both bled in those purges, and the price we paid was worth it, high though it was. I have no intention of unleashing that again," He stopped, and his hand gripped the sword hilt behind him. "Yet to prepare for war you gather weapons and train in their use. To fight the sharingan I will need weapons."
"How many of these should we gather you think?" Mizukage questioned. "The fewer the better, lest we create a worse problem than the one we end."
"True…" Akai thought about it, idly spinning his hands about the hilt of his sword. "Well, in this it might be best to follow the Leaf's lead. They have three Sannin, and each is training one to replace them, if you count that traitor Uchiha boy. So, we should have three weapons to match."
"Three to counter the sharingan indeed," Mizukage chuckled. "A three against two advantage if it comes to it. I agree. Three is a proper number. However, we don't have three bloodlines here, we purged almost all of them. So, what do we do to gather these weapons?"
"We have at least one here, not a bloodline, but likely better. The sharingan might try to counter that method, but it would fail miserably," Akai smiled with predatory anticipation. "Yes, that one for certain. I will insure her training myself."
Mizukage nodded. "I agree, but what of the other two?"
"There is a bloodline, you remember it I'm sure, one younger than all the others," As Akai spoke Mizukage realized what his Warlord was suggesting, and proceeded to pass through shock, anger, and then finally a ruthless anticipation in turn. "A power that developed even as the other bloodlines began to decline, a power more terrible than anything else I've ever seen, and one allied to no village. That is the weapon I would desire above all others."
"Mizuho," Mizukage finished for him. "Yet how will we get it, the clan has gone into hiding, no one has seen anything of them for years."
"I don't know, perhaps we must just send someone forth and hope." Akai shrugged. "I have no better idea."
Now it was Mizukage's turn to find an inspired idea, one spurred by his Warlord's words and they cunning intellect that had insured his position as leader in this cruel and competitive village. "You said you needed weapons Akai, but perhaps there is more than one way to acquire them. Could we not send one on a journey in order to have it awaken through the fires of battle?"
"You're right of course," Akai remarked with a conspiratorial grin. "Many of the greatest ninja have emerged from blasted battlegrounds and bloody sojourns to dominate their era. I believe we even have the perfect candidate."
"Who?"
"The is a member of one of the few bloodlines we let live, a boy of great potential but who has done little so far: Hoshigake Ise."
"One of the shark-blooded?" Mizukage thought for a moment. "Wait, Ise is the boy who saw Kisame kill his brother when he escaped. He is the one member of that bloodline I am certain is loyal to this village."
"Yes, and perhaps sending him out into lands where his uncle is known to roam will motivate him to great things," Akai added. "Besides, despite his potential, Ise is merely a chuunin of moderate value at the moment, should he fail we will have lost nothing important otherwise." He concluded, displaying his callous cruelty.
Mizukage nodded again. "So, to gain two weapons from one endeavor. Do it Akai, immediately. Three years is not so long a time as it seems, and I will not waste a moment of it."
"As you command." Akai rose, strapped on his sword, and prepared.
"You sent for me, Warlord?" Hoshigake Ise bowed as he approached Akai's desk and attempted to conceal his nervousness. The sixteen-year-old chuunin had been in the Warlord's presence many times, but he had never become truly comfortable with this terrible man.
"I did," Akai said sternly. "I have a mission for you, one that may be rather involved and take a great deal of time."
"A long-term mission Warlord? Such things are usually assigned to jounin, I am only a chuunin." Ise answered nervously, wondering what was going on.
"Indeed, but this mission is being assigned to you, unless you have a legitimate objection?" The Warlord raised an eyebrow as he stared at Ise through those blackened eyes.
"No, no, of course not Warlord." Ise hastily replied. "It was just unexpected."
"Good," Akai replied. He continued simply. "Your mission is not complicated. You are to seek out a member of the Mizain clan, wielders of the Mizuho bloodline power, and bring one back to Mist to join our forces."
Ise heard the words, and then repeated them inside his head, trying to sort out the meaning. "I'm supposed to kidnap another ninja?"
"No, not unless absolutely necessary," Akai told him. "It is better if one comes willingly. You are empowered to threaten war with Mist if none of the Mizain agrees, and anything else up to that. The true difficulty is likely to be finding them," Akai handed Ise a small scroll. "The Mizain clan has hidden themselves away to avoid prosecution, their whereabouts are unknown. This scroll contains everything we have managed to learn about them. At the moment they are suspected to be hiding out in one of the lesser countries west beyond the Fire Country. Begin your search there."
"I'm being sent beyond Mist country?" Ise asked suddenly.
"Yes," Akai replied without feeling.
Uncle is out there! Ise thought with an unstable mixture of panic and hatred. "Why am I being sent on this mission Warlord?"
"Because you are expendable," Akai answered, remorseless. "You have the necessary skills to complete the mission, the probability of success does not substantially increase if we were to send a jounin, and so the risk to us is lower if you go."
"I see…" Ise managed, and he did understand, intellectually. He was the Warlord's tool, as they all were, and he was to be risked instead of a more valuable tool. It doesn't matter, Ise thought, I will complete this mission. I will not fail us! "How much time do I have to complete the mission?" He asked.
"Two years, eleven months," Akai replied without hesitation.
"Three years?" The surprise was clear in Ise's reaction. "Why so long?"
"This mission must be completed before three years pass, time is the only constraint for failure. Do not return without one of the Mizain before then." Akai gave Ise a dark smile. "I would hope that this could be completed faster, however."
"I shall endeavor to proceed with all speed," Ise confirmed.
"Good," Akai handed Ise a small bag. "Here are the funds necessary for two months' operations. Should you require more, make contact with our agents abroad and they will know to supply you. There are two other things here as well, one should only be used at greatest need, the other, I suspect if the time to use it comes you will know."
"You honor me, Warlord," Ise saluted him.
"Oh, no young chuunin, I am likely sending you to your death," Akai smiled again. "Don't thank me for it."
Ise could not tell if Akai was trying to intimidate him, or truly expected him to die, but he put the best face he could on it. "I shall not fail sir."
"Good, I will await word of your success then," Akai tapped his desk idly. "I believe that is everything. Oh, yes, I've arranged transportation for you to the coast of the Sound country. I am quite certain the Mizain are not hidden within the bounds of Fire country, so I would have you avoid that nation."
"Yes sir."
Akai made a motion of dismissal. "That's all then, you depart in four hours. Pack whatever supplies you need and get going. Oh, and do remember to travel in disguise."
The offhand remark caused Ise to look away instinctively, and cover the shark marks on his face. It had only become more pronounced as his ninja career continued; when he became a chuunin the color faded from his hair, leaving it gray. Last year his eyes had lost all color as well, so he now resembled no one so much as his traitorous uncle Kisame. Ise knew what it meant, his family knew that the shark blood was strong in him, and he hated it. A shorter version of the great traitor. why must I look like this? The power of the shark is not worth this curse.
As Ise departed Akai smiled deeply. He seems ready to be tested, the Warlord decided. To find a weapon and unlock another at the same time, it is the perfect plan. You had best succeed Hoshigake Ise; there will be much work for a predator in the years to come. When the thought completed Akai put the chuunin out of his mind, the matter was concluded. Now, to see to the third weapon.