Shattered Destiny:

Chapter 8: Team Four

"You're leaving?" Mama asks me as I step into the kitchen.

"Yes, mama." I nod respectfully. "I'm required to go to Training ground four to meet my team." I think it's four, I spaced out when my name was called.

"Stay safe, please?" She begs, tears forming in her eyes as she hugs me.

"I will, mama." I hug her back. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll be here." She's barely keeping it together, I take the sack on the counter and run out of my home before she breaks down crying.

If she started crying then I would as well.

"Ey, Keiki-san!" Kanko-san calls, waving his oar in the air joyously. "Need a ride?"

"Were you waiting here for me?" I ask, kneeling at the edge of the dock.

"This is one of the few days us Ferrymen are rented out the whole day!" He says with a large grin.

"Then you know where we need to go?" I ask, hopping into the ferry.

"That I do!"

Thank heavens! "Then what're we waiting for?" I ask with a light chuckle.

"Off we go!" With a push Kanko-san shoves the ferry away from the dock and on our way.

In the meanwhile I'm checking the contents of the pack that was sent me, filled with the material I should have learned long before- oh shove off quest update- the exam.

Quest Updated: Team 4:

Meet your teammates:

I tried cramming the information in those books into my head, but it's so boring!

It wasn't a long trip, the training grounds are spread out all over the village, I've seen eight of the twelve available and I haven't a clue where the other four are.

There are two other ferries waiting there for us. "Kanko-san! How fair are the waters?" One of the ferrymen call out.

"As fair as can be!" Kanko-san calls out. "Just let me help the young man to shore and I'll be with you!"

They let out cheers as my ferryman pulls his raft next to theirs and I step out, both nervous and fearful of the immediate future. What will Sensei be like? What will my teammates be like?

My teammates are already waiting for me. Satu Is a brunette with short, ear length hair, a simple short sleeved shirt and pants, she hides most of her face behind a scarf, there are faded red splotches dotting it… I don't want to think about what that could be.

And beside her is… Zabuza-san? "Hiya Zabuza-san, Satu-chan." I bow in greeting.

"Keiki-kun." Satu greets, fiddling with her scarf.

"Hey." Zabuza grunts.

"Where's Sensei?" I look around, there's no jounin.

"Walking on the water, reading something." Satu-chan instantly replies.

Walking on- "What?" I blink.

"She said that we'd start when you finally arrive, you're late by the way." Zabuza-san explains.

"But I left so early!" I bemoan, throwing my arms into the air. "I'm sorry!"

"Looks like everyone's here." Our new sensei says casually approaching, she's not looking up from the files in his hand.

"What're those?" I ask, pointing at the files.

"Medical and academic files for all of you." She says. "Zabuza Momochi, Orphan, butchered over a hundred students without being a student himself, impressive."

I was so absorbed with my graduation that I forgot that Zabuza-san performed his own graduation exam because he wasn't allowed into the academy. "Satu Matsuo, fairly average score, how'd you survive the exam?"

"...I hid among the bodies and pretended to be dead." She squeaks, pulling her scarf up higher on her face.

"Impressive." Sensei nods with new found approval, and understanding. "And now Keiki Sakine, the 'gifted' one." She closes the files. "We all saw you in the exam, throwing fire everywhere." She sounds proud. "But you panicked, if you do that out in the real world someone you care about will die for it." that pride vanishes.

I've already seen people die. "Okay, sensei." I swallow my concerns.

"If I'm to test you three thoroughly I needed your records to know your limits." She sets the files aside. "Unlike with the other elemental nations, we don't have an exam after graduation where we can send you back to the academy, or dropped from the course altogether."

"Sent back to the academy?!" My eyes go wide, I cannot fathom having to go back and redo the graduation exam.

"W-w-we can't go back there!" Satu-chan exclaims.

"Calm down you two." she says firmly. "You survived that blood bath, you deserve to be genin." She then looks at Zabuza. "You wouldn't be going back to the academy, you'd be going to it."

Zabuza grunts, but doesn't say anything. "Koi-sensei?"

"Yes, Satu-chan?" Sensei asks.

That's Sensei's name! "What're we doing now?" Satu-chan asks.

Koi-sensei picks up the files. "I have with us our first assignment, it's fairly easy so I'll be able to gauge how skilled you three are."

"Don't you have reports on the three of us?" Zabuza asks.

"It's one thing to receive a high score, and another to see it for yourself." Koi-sensei says tapping Zabuza-san on the head with the files.

I raise my hand. "What're we doing?"

"We're going to the Land of Lighting, the recon team has information that needs transportation, we shouldn't encounter any shinobi on our way." Koi-Sensei answers.

Quest updated: Team Four:

Obtain intel from the recon team in the Land of Lightning:

"Who're we getting the intel from?" Satu-chan asks.

"Inquisitive." Sensei nods approvingly. "But I can't tell you, once we're there you'll be able to meet them yourselves."

"Is it someone we've met before?" I ask.

"Nope, I highly doubt you've met them before." Sensei chuckles. "We leave immediately."

"R-right now!?" I jump with a start. "I-I have parents who'll be worried sick if I don't make it back home!"

"We can stop by your home after we get you guys properly outfitted." Sensei assures me.

I can only imagine my mom and dad's reactions. "T-thank you, sensei." I bow respectfully. "How about you?" I ask Satu-chan.

"M-me? Parents? I-I'm an orphan." She stammers.

"Oh." I get quiet, suddenly self conscious about that fact.

"Get used to it, Keiki-kun." Sensei ruffles my hair. "Most shinobi are orphans." She says reassuringly.

It doesn't make me feel any better.

A bell rings as we enter the blacksmith's storefront. "Serizawa-sama!" The blacksmith greets, dunking a glowing white blade into a vat of water, releasing steam into the air and almost obscuring him from view.

"Funakoshi-san, how's the store?" Sensei returns the greeting.

"Busy, busy, always busy!" he says with a large grin, setting the unfinished blade aside. "What can I do for you?" He stands and clasps his hands together.

"The exam has wrapped up." Sensei tells him.

"Yes I've heard…" Then he sees us. "You got yourself a team!?" He seems genuinely surprised. "What do you need?"

Sensei puts the copper wire container. "Some real ninja grade wire for starters." She tells him.

Curiously he takes the small container and pulls out some of the wire. "Sunofva- Just a moment." All that enthusiasm suddenly leaves him. "What are they giving their graduates nowadays?" I can hear him grumble. "Here." He pulls a container out from under the container. "What other garbage did they give you?"

Wordlessly I take my kunai pouch off and hand him the bag, completely speechless. "Did these come from Tsugiharu?" He asks, trying to cut himself with the kunai.

"Are they yours?" Sensei asks.

"These pointy spoons? No."

"Are there any other blacksmiths in Kirigakure I'm not aware of?"

"Nope, I'll give you a discount on a replacement bunch if you give these to me." Funakoshi-sama offers sensei.

"You'd do that for me?"

"Anyone unfortunate enough to buy anything from that fraud." He sighs. "You need weapons that can actually kill something, not glorified butter knives."

"I trust your judgement." Sensei nods sensibly.

"What about you two, anything from that knockoff?"

I think they're as stunned as me. "I-I left my Kunai at home." Satu-chan presses her fingers together nervously.

Zabuza hands the blacksmith his kunai wordlessly. "Same make, I'll take these as well." He turns his attention to Sensei. "While I go get you some real Kunai, make sure you have a list of everything that needs replacing."

"Will do." She promises. Funakoshi-sama goes into the back room, closing the door behind him. "I'm a regular here, he's a good friend of mine."

Before long we have our equipment spread out on the counter, separated by owner. "I'm back! I got a bit more than just Kunai, hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Sensei says with a light smile. "A shinobi's arsenal has to be as big as it can." As she says this the blacksmith is putting kunai, shuriken and senbon on the table.

"I'm afraid that I can't help when it comes to smoke bombs or the like." He says apologetically. "I'll instead refer you to Nozomi Sanjo or Saya Takemura, I've heard good things about them."

Sensei waves off his apology. "Anything else you guys need?"

"I would like a sword." Zabuza says.

"Aiming to become one of the seven swordsmen?" The blacksmith asks with the energy that went missing earlier.

"Maybe."

"Unfortunately I'm in the process of making some more blades, but I do have one for you… it might be a bit large for you."

"I'll take it." Zabuza says and Sensei shrugs.

The blacksmith reaches behind him and pulls off a long sword, it's larger than I am! "It'll take some getting used too, but it'll serve you well." He puts the blade on the counter. "How about you two?"

"Tonfa?" I ask.

"Finally someone wants these things!" Eagerly Funakoshi-sama takes the only pair off of the wall and puts them next to the long sword, they're made of steel. "How about the little lady."

"Oh you flatterer." Sensei jokes.

"Ladies." he corrects himself with a smile. Sensei continues snickering but leaves the blacksmith alone.

"I-I don't know." Satu-chan looks at Zabuza's enormous sword and my tonfa's.

"You don't need a weapon, they're just helpful." Funakoshi tells her.

"I-I don't know." Satu-chan repeats, hiding beneath her scarf.

"This is all we'll take." Sensei says, they come to a price and we walk out of the blacksmith with our new equipment.

How is Zabuza's blade not hitting the ground? "Will we have time to practice with these?" he asks Sensei.

"We're not going to be in the Land of Lightning in one day, we can stop for some lessons when we break for camp."

"We're stopping by my home, right?" I ask.

"Don't worry about it, one more stop then we'll see them on the way out."

Unfortunately Nozomi wasn't there, but someone was watching the store so we were able to get what we needed.

Smoke bombs? Check.

Flash bangs? Check.

Explosive notes? Check.

Parent reactions? Pending.

"W-we can wait out here if you want." Satu-chan offers, seeing how nervous I am.

"They'll want to meet you eventually." I gulp, knocking on the door. "I'm back!" I call.

After a few moments my mama answers the door. "Hi Keiki." She greets with a smile. "Who're these?"

"M-my team, Team Four." I say quoting the quest name.

"Koi Serizawa." Sensei introduces herself.

"S-Satu Matsuo."

"Zabuza Momochi."

Mama bows in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She says, her smile faltering for just a moment.

"Mama." I say, preparing myself for anything.

"Yes, honey?" She asks, suddenly concerned.

"We're going to the Land of Lightning for a mission."

"This soon?" Mama's stunned. "You were just assigned a team and you're already off risking your life?!"

"I'm sorry, mama." I hang my head.

"Be safe, please." Mama hugs me. "If something happens to him, I'll kill you." She tells Sensei.

"Yes Ma'am." Sensei tenses up.

"Do you need anything before you go? Do you need your tonfa's?"

"W-we just got the supplies we need." I turn to sensei.

"Taken care of." She nods.

"I'll be gone for…" again I look at sensei.

"A week, maybe two." She answers.

"Be Safe." Mama says.

"I promise."

We left soon after, we couldn't stay much longer. We're taking a ferry out of the village, not one of those dingy things that Kanko-san uses but an actual boat.

"We're taking the ferry to the Hidden Eddy Village and work our way north along the coasts of fire, Hot Water, Frost and finally Lightning." Sensei tells us once the ferry is underway, away from the other passengers.

"Why are we taking the long way?" I raise my hand.

"Lightning is watching for us, the ocean isn't the best way to sneak past them when they have a lighthouse paired with sensory ninja."

"Sensory ninja?" Zabuza asks with a scrunched brow.

"They can sense chakra at a distance."

"We can do that!?" Satu-chan asks.

"With the right training, yeah."

"How were you walking on water?" I raise my hand.

"Water Walking, you'll have plenty of time to learn that." Sensei ruffles my hair. "When we make camp we'll go over some basics."

"Not now?" Zabuza-san asks.

"No, we can't risk being watched." Sensei shakes her head.

"So… what do we do in the meantime?" I ask settling down by the railing, My papa's a fisherman so I'll be fine waiting.

"We wait." Sensei settles back, idly looking around.

"Isn't Ebby close to fire?" Satu-chan wonders.

"Someone's been paying attention in class." Sensei nods. "But it's fine, you'll see why that is once we get there."

"I thought that the ferry went straight to fire?" I pipe up.

"It does, and it happens to pass Ebby on the way."

"Oh… why not go to Fire then go along the coast?"

"Border patrol." She leans in close. "If Fire learns that a team of shinobi is traveling their land, they won't take very kindly… given the circumstances."

This is a boat of civilians, war is a forbidden word here. We fall silent…

Ebby comes into view, it's a rather small village, compared to Kirigakure anyways. "Anyone notice?" Sensei asks, looking at the village.

"See what?" Satu-chan asks, trying to discern what our sensei is talking about.

I don't think I can... see…. It…. "It's a ruin." I say in awe.

"Our first stop, my genin." She says with an empty smile.

"What happened?" Zabuza asks with revered curiosity.

"Ebby was renowned for it's Fuinjutsu, so much so that they were destroyed completely and utterly in the previous war." Sensei explains. "And buried in history."

"Why's that?"

"While Ebby lies within Wave's borders, their loyalties were to Fire." Sensei glances over the side. "And there's our ride."

The three of us follow our sensei's eyes and see a dinghy rowboat, and a man with a hidden mist headband waving up at us. Where did he come from?

"Quickly and quietly." Sensei tells us, making some hand signs.

I can feel the chakra in the air, but I'm not sure what's happening. "Ladies first?" I tell Satu-chan, I was told to be polite.

"O-okay." Satu climbs over the railing and drops into the water below, the man in the boat helps her onto the boat.

"You want to go next, or can I?" I turn to Zabuza.

"Does it matter?" He asks me.

Guess not. I climb over the edge and land in the water, the man helps me into the boat, he motions to stay silent. Before I'm in the boat Zabuza jumps off the boat and into the water.

Sensei jumps onto the water after him, I don't think I'll get used to that, and steps into the boat, helping Zabuza-san onto the raft.

She waits until we're a fair distance from the ferry before speaking. "Anything new with fire?"

"So far they're just watching, I've heard that they're still dealing with Wind and Earth at the same time." He tells us.

"At least they're on the other side of the continent from us." Sensei sighs.

"Yeah, we don't need Fire breathing down our necks just yet." He chuckles darkly.

"The smaller nations are waiting, who knows for what but they aren't twiddling their thumbs." The unknown shinobi tells us.

"Is there a formal report?" Sensei asks.

"Of course, back at camp."

"How are the scouts?"

"Just fine!" A sea otter emerges from the waves and grips the boat's side.

"Hey there." Sensei scratches its chin. "How're the pups?"

"Learning to go from floating to swimming." She says.

"I met one of your clan before!" I exclaim.

"Really, who?" The otter asks.

"Yoritomo."

"Nice boy, him." The otter nods. "We see Fire's scouts every so often, but nothing worth worrying about." She turns her attention to Sensei.

"Then that's-"

"Why we should worry more, I know." The otter interrupts. "We're keeping our eyes open."

Before we know it the row boat is being pulling onto shore and into hiding, the otter returns to the ocean and to her mission… presumably.

"How long are we going to stay here?" I ask Sensei.

"A day minimum, we need to make sure we won't be spotted going through Fire, through Hot Water, through Frost, and to Lightning."

"Are we going to do any training?" Zabuza asks.

"Why'd you think I thought this mission would be perfect?" Sensei tells him.

"Why are we on the front lines?" Satu-chan asks.

"All ninja teams must be mobilized, we cannot spare anyone to clear basements of rodents… for the most part, we have to keep up appearances." Our oarman explains.

I look around the camp in the ruined village, the row boat was carried with us inland and stored under a camouflaged tarp. Some of the buildings are being used, but they're still ruins. Just what happened here?

Authors notes: First and foremost: I would like to apologize for the delay, it's been a busy week or so (maybe two and a half?) and I did someone I actively tried avoiding, I rewrote most of this chapter, I wasn't happy with where it was originally because it separated Team Four for pretty much the entire chapter and this chapter was about them. What kind of story separates the main team at almost the same time they were formed? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. I've also got a (link will be in my profile) if you'd want to check that out.