The Land of Water

Gentle waves lapped at the side of their ship as it coasted along the sea. Gon took a deep breath in the middle of his stretches, taking in the fresh, salty sea air. I wonder if it'll look like home. It's great to be back by the ocean again though! Gulls swooped overhead and the sun reflected off the surface of the water with vibrant energy. Killua sat up on the mast keeping an eye out for the nearest sighting of land.

"I understand you boys are searching for your missing sister, but it's dangerous right now! I know that I made the trip and you paid me and all…" the captain spoke hesitantly, his hat clenched tightly between his fingers, eyes focused at the boards of the ship. "I can't in good conscience drop off two children, outsiders no less, in the middle of an unstable country."

"Unstable?" Gon stopped his warm-up stretches. "Is something going on?" Killua climbed down the mast and took a spot beside Gon.

"Well, yes. You see, the position for Mizukage has been in dispute for several years after the Yondaime's death."

"Let me guess," Killua said, "It's between those with bloodline limits and those who fear them."

"You know about them?"

"Yeah. We thought it had died down though." Killua sucked in sharply, faking a distressful thought. "I wonder if our sister is alright…"

"Exactly! Your sister is probably dead! That's why we should turn around right now!"

"No." Gon replied with a pout, "I want to see the Land of Water."

Gon keep up appearances! We're worried about our "sister!" Killua thought frantically. There could be no assurances on whether or not somebody was an ally.

"What about your sister?!"

"Oh, that too." Killua sighed.

That idiot is going to blow our cover! Killua threw an arm around Gon and beamed at the older captain. "No worries. I'm sure we can handle it. Gon just gets overexcited when we travel sometimes."

"Oh, that makes perfect sense."

"Captain! The Land of Water is coming up in the distance!" The captain nodded at his crew mate and turned back to the "brothers."

"Do you know where you are headed?"

"Uh huh!" Gon grinned and held a finger to his lips. "It's a secret!" Killua smacked Gon on the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Idiot." Killua whispered. "That will arouse suspicion!" He pulled away from Gon. "We're head to Kiri. We figured it was the best place to start our search."

"Hm. Well, We'll be docking in just a few minutes so you need to have your passports ready. They inspect anyone who gets off this ship. It's a military nation, ya know?"

Killua smirked and sent Gon a knowing glance. "No worries. Our presence won't be a problem at all. In fact, they probably won't even notice us."

The port was bustling full of activity. Workers carried timber, crates of goods, and livestock between awaiting ships while patrolling security kept an eye out for smugglers sneaking in drugs—or people. Beyond the port city, towering forests covered in a thick mist could be seen. Gon rubbed his arms at the slight chill in the air. The air seemed to suck out all the heat despite its proximity on the ocean.

"Gon, stay low and keep your aura hidden."

"Right." Killua dug through their bags for the passports made for them. Created by the best forgers they had in Konoha, it was all they need to get into the Land of Water provided they played their parts well. Killua passed off the documentation to Gon as a nearby shinobi approached.

He was smacking loudly on a piece of gum with his hands shoved into his pockets. Killua grimaced at the unprofessional he was displaying. It's pretty obvious why this one got stuck patrolling the docks. Useless lackeys always get the gate jobs. The higher-ups probably figure they can handle anything that pops up.

"Passports?" He held out his hand and motioned with impatience.

"Here." They both placed the papers in the man's hand. He shuffled through them while muttering to himself.

"Goro and Kira, eh? Unusual names but I see nothing wrong with your passports. You can go ahead." He thumbed at the docks behind him. "Next!" Gon and Killua pushed themselves through the crowd and made a dash towards the city.

"I can't wait to see what we'll find! Do you think we'll find Kurapika or Leorio?" Gon said.

Killua shrugged. "They could be anywhere. For now, let's focus on our job. It should be interesting."

Kurapika didn't need to watch Gaara for their short stay in Konoha. The boy, though he had a short temper, was not stupid enough to attack anyone while they were staying the night. Fortunately, this gave Kurapika enough time to poke around town for records of the Sharingan-wielding Uchiha clan and get to see the unusual sights of the town. Currently, he had found his way to the marketplace in search of supplies for the journey back.

Kurapika was so busy calculating the costs on his list, he didn't notice when a rambunctious blonde came barreling into side. Kurapika's eyes widened in shock as the duo went flying into the neaby alley, throwing garbage and sending the alley cats shrieking.

"Tch!" He rubbed his now aching head. Who the heck just slammed into him.

"Sorry about that mam! I wasn't watching where I was going see? I kinda pulled a prank on the jounin, so I really gotta get going…" Kurapika's hand shot out and grasped Naruto's forearm with a steel grip. "Oh crap. I had to run into a foreign shinobi didn't I? Man, this day just couldn't get any worse! First Gon has to leave and now I'm going to get beaten by a foreigner…"

Kurapika froze and tightened his grip. "Ow! Miss, your grip is too hard! Let go!"

"First off, I'm a man. And second," his gaze bore down on Naruto. "Did you say Gon?

"Y-yeah. Sorry mister."

"Take me to him."

"I can't do that! He's not even here! He left town with his cousin-er, brother, Killua." Kurapika released his grip. Gon and Killua were safe just as he suspected. Now he had to figure out a way to contact them without seeming suspicious. Neither village would be grateful for their worries about spies to come true. "W-wait! What's your name so I can tell them?"

Kurapika turned around slowly. "Kurapika."

A/N: From here on out, there shall be OC's.; however, they shall be used solely for the purpose of advancing plot and building cannon character personalities. I do not plan to have the "Side-kick OC who is just there."