The apartments of the two blacksmiths weren't far from where the new Mizukage Office was being built; but the forge where they were going to work was at the other end of the village. It took almost an hour to get there in a comfortable pace. 'So if I happened to oversleep I can make it there in less than twenty minutes by running without using chakra or getting exhausted. More if I had hangover', Kese took every possibility in account while listening to Tadao's rattle. The blond didn't dislike him; the man was cheerful, a bit naive, and wouldn't hurt a fly, but his childish behaviour and endless talking could drive anyone crazy. It was a miracle he was married and even had a daughter. And he couldn't stop talking about her and his father-in-law along with his hobbies and his home village.

Kese sighed. It wasn't a calm and peaceful day for him so far anyway. He had entered a large city, found himself on a missing person poster, been attacked by thugs and now he was being annoyed by an adult kid. He glanced at Choujuurou who visibly regretted letting Tata go with them. – We're almost there. - the shinobi whispered to him, so the man couldn't hear them.

- Why is this forge so far from the construction?

- It's the property of another blacksmith, whom you are going to work with. His name is Setsuna. Look, he's there. – then he sighed. - Finally we're here.

The blond looked at where he was pointing at. In front of a family house which was also almost fully covered by ivy he saw a man smoking. He was about thirty, had blue eyes and short black hair, and he wore dark blue clothes with a brown apron. When they got closer to him, he threw his cigarette butt away and turned to them.

- At last. – his voice was high-strung. – I have to go for my kid to the kindergarten.

The ever enthusiastic Tadao waved and greeted him. - Good afternoon to you too, Se-

- Aren't you a bit old for behaving like a squirrel on coffee? Gosh, I thought you were just fooling around last week, it seems you weren't. Cool down, old man.

To the others greatest surprise, his words did work. Tata looked very huffy and pouted like a kid, but he didn't say a word in return and kept mute after this. Choujuurou and Kese couldn't believe it. 'He's a wizard!', the blond thought, still blinking like an idiot. He chuckled in his mind when he realized something. 'Heh, funny, Tadao is the oldest of the three of us, and "tata" means "old man" in Magor.' He took a mental note to use this as a trump card in case the man went babbling mode again.

– Come. – the other blacksmith stepped to him and put his hand on the blond's shoulder. – You'll be working with me too, eh? I hope you're not as annoyingly hyperactive as him. – he pushed Kese towards his house which they walked by. – Let me show you around.

The blond was impressed by the size of Setsuna's forge. It was large enough for even five or six blacksmith to work at the same time. It didn't have the most modern extras or brand new equipment like Ushimaru's forge, but everything was in a nice order. Kese was slightly ashamed when he thought about his father's tiny and poor forge.

- Now that you're all here, I can finally show you these. – he unfolded a few papers. Along with the blond, Tadao and Choujuurou also began examining it. – These are the first finished and corrected plans. Lady Terumi hasn't seen them.

- Then I'll bring them to her. – the shinobi stated confidently.

- I was about to ask you to do it. Kese, how are you with decorative smithing?

- Not my main domain, but I can do a few things. I am versatile and I learn quickly.

- Any experience?

- I made a sign for an inn two years ago.

- Good enough. - he nodded. – I assume you've improved since then.

Kese almost blushed at this statement. Setsuna seemed to be a straight, conscientious man, and he treated him equally. So, for the blond, he was the complete opposite of Ushimaru at the moment, and he felt they would get along well.

Little did he know how his trust towards him would break one day.

- Do you have any tools? – Setsuna asked him.

- Yes, I... – he glanced at his side. – It seems I left them in my room.

- Don't worry, you can use everything you find here.

Kese opened his mouth to thank him but he was interrupted. He got confused and scared at the same time.

He was interrupted by a howl. By a long, deep and raucous howl of something big and powerful, not far from where they were. That ominous howl made his legs tremble. Tadao was more frightened than him, he even yelled a little. Setsuna gulped, but kept his cool. And Choujuurou? He dashed out of the forge right away. – Stay here! – he ordered before he vanished.

The silence after this was choking them. More howls were heard, but not so close to them now. The blacksmiths stared at each other, and Kese noticed they weren't as confused as him. They knew exactly what happened, especially Setsuna. The blond turned to him and spoke. - What the hell was that?

The man looked at him with a strange expression. – One of the remnants of the latest war. – he took a breath. – A chakra monster. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them are out there, roaming in the wild. Thanks to the sea, they are fewer in our country, but...

- On the continent, they are much more. I encountered them on my way here twice. – Tadao added, still frightened. - They are pretty large, and look very ugly and scary. They usually don't attack humans, but they can be harmful when they trample down the fields.

- And Choujuurou went to kill it?

- No. He went to chase it away or capture it with the help of other shinobi.

- Capture?! For what?

Setsuna parted his lips to speak, but changed his mind. – I don't know.

At that night the blond woke up to Gamashiro falling onto his face. He was at first a little annoyed. He had the same dream he had been seeing for days: but now, he seemed to have found something to lead him out of the thick mist. He didn't know what it was, he didn't know where it led him to, but he had it at last. And Gamashiro kept him from learning what it could be.

But it was the blond's own mistake after all. He had summoned the toad quietly the evening before and asked him to get him some information, and Gamashiro had appeared to present his findings.

- Hi. – Kese moaned and turned to his side. The albino toad plopped next to him and almost rolled off the bed, but his summoner caught him. For a while he couldn't do anything but apologizing for waking him up. – It's alright, Shiro. Have you already found anyone?

- From the list of Jiraiya-sama's spies in the Land of Water? Yes, but... they're mostly dead. We're monitoring the rest to see if they're still okay or not.

- I see... – he yawned. – Any information about the destruction of the Mizukage Building?

- Yes, the others helped me in this. In May a group of rogue ninja attacked the Mizukage, their reason unknown. They were repelled, but managed to survive, and Kirigakure put them on its wanted list. As for the tower, it was destroyed during their fight.

- Just as assumed. – he rubbed his eyes. – Ushimaru's men?

- Haven't found them.

- The pirates?

Gamashiro shook his head, and he remained silent for a few seconds. – Kese, it'd be easier for us if you gave some directions to begin with.

- Hmm... Alright… - he almost dozed off. – You know what… Search through the hospitals. Maybe you find a bunch of men that had got treatment to beaten wounds… And… Search for sailing ships with uncertain background and unusual crew. – his sleepiness suddenly retreated from his eyes. - If you find a man on one of them, who is called Nezu and looks like a rat, don't let him disappear. Oh, and...

- And?

Kese thought about Ushimaru's and Osouma's chit-chats in Siplak and regretted not paying more attention to them. – It'd be very good if you find information about a certain "Deacon". He could be a connection to Nezu and the pirates.

- This Deacon rings a bell. – the albino toad hummed, then nodded. – Alright, I'll let the others know this. I'll be back later, until then bye-bye!

He clapped and disappeared in a tiny cloud of smoke. The blond yawned and let himself sunk back into his bed. He had a personal alarm clock: Tadao volunteered to wake him every weekday morning. 'I still have some time', he smiled as he turned to his other side, curled up a little and closed his eyes. He didn't need much time to fall asleep.

He quickly found himself lost in the mist again and this frustrated him to the end. He growled and started to run, as fast as he just could. Suddenly, the ground changed, some of its part started to disappear, and the remaining parts turned into tree branches, lit by the early sun. 'At least something different!', he thought as he leaped from one to the other. Strangely, he didn't control his body, and his jumps were even helped with chakra. His speed increased, and he wanted to go even faster, when something made him slacken his pace. – Hey, wait for us!

- We can't slow down now! – his mouth spoke in an unfamiliar voice, replying to the other one. – We have to get there as soon as poss-

His words were disrupted by a familiar howl, which the blond had just got to know. It was the howl of a chakra monster. – We're almost there! – he said and moved faster.

- Wait! – the same voice from behind him faded away. His nose suddenly picked up the smell of burned wood. He noticed smoke appearing around him as the scrunch of trees and the howls got louder. He started not only smell but feel the warmth and even hear the fire, along with warnings and frightened screams as well. He was about to land on a branch and jump to another, when the trees in front of him were blasted away.

The wave of the blast tossed him and he fell down. Fortunately, he was close to the ground, and didn't hurt himself much. He coughed as he stood up, pulled out some splinters of his body and looked up. A deafening scared howl startled him and he saw the chakra monster across burning trunks, forty metres from him. It was about eighteen metres tall, had human-like body with thorns on its back and elbow, and there were large horns where its eyes should have been. Many weapons were stuck in its body already, and its huge mouth poked fireballs towards the group of shinobi it was battling with. They countered it with water-type techniques, but it was in vain. It didn't stop its flames and the water immediately evaporated from its white skin.

He got closer to it, jumping on the burning trees so skilfully the fire didn't even scorch him. He ran right towards the chakra monster. It noticed him approaching and began preparing another ball of fire to throw at him. He stopped, quickly made some hand seals, took a deep breath, and when the monster launched its attack, he forcefully exhaled a massive orb of roaring flames. When the two fireballs collided, it wasn't a question which one would win: the creature's attack was smaller and much weaker. The two balls merged and hit the monster so hard, it lost its footing and fell. It screamed painfully, the flames licking its skin, and Kese smelt the stench of burned flesh.

- Seal it! Seal it now! – he heard, and before the monster could have got up, enormous ink tigers appeared and bit into it. Then they merged into a white and black mass and this mass rushed into a scroll. The young man with a large brush behind the scroll released his hand seal and sighed. And then, there was silence on the devastated, burning clearing. The battle was won, the shinobi around cheered and some began extinguishing the fire.

Kese had just noticed all of them around him were wearing shinobi uniforms with flak jackets and forehead protectors. With the symbol of Konoha.

- Ah, it looks like we have nothing to do here. – he heard from behind, and he turned around to see three other, panting ninja. They must have been the ones he had outrun. There was a silver-haired man amongst them, whose face was mostly covered by a mask. His only visible eye smiled and he gave a thumbs-up. – Good job.

If it had been Kese, he would have been at least smiling or awkwardly grinning while thanking that compliment. But his face didn't move at all. He simply walked back towards from where he had come. The silver-haired man sighed, ordered the other two to help at the fire, then went after him.

As this world was fading away Kese felt a hint of suspicion in himself, which wasn't really his own feeling. He suddenly stopped and looked around, then up and down, like he was searching for something. – What's wrong? – the ninja asked.

- I don't know. – he frowned. – It's like someone's watching me… From the inside? - he looked into the rising sun. The orange light pierced into his eyes and he immediately closed them. When he opened his eyelids, the sunshine was still there, but he was somewhere else.

Kese had just woken up in his bed. He blinked a few, then turned to his other side, away from the sun's perky light. He wasn't in a burning forest, he didn't see Leaf shinobi around him and he had definitely not defeated a chakra monster with a freaking fire ball just right now. That much he knew.

And still, he didn't know what to think about this dream. 'It wasn't just another dream about the life of someone else in the past. It felt so… present...', he hummed. 'Nah, I'm simply stupid. I've just heard about the chakra monsters, and my mind created an awesome dream about them. That is all... Yeah, that's all…'

There were knocks on his door and Tadao called his name. – I'm up. – he replied, and with a grunt he got his body out of his bed. - But something was still odd about it. – he whispered while rubbing his eyes and looking out of the window. Even the rare sunshine was grumpy for waking up. But there wasn't time for being lazy: he had to get ready to start his first workday in Kirigakure.

Before he left his room, he took a last glance at his bed. – I wish I knew what was so odd about it…

The first days passed quickly. The blacksmiths discussed the design the Mizukage had previously accepted. They had to make mostly ivy themed ornaments for almost everything, so at first Tadao and Kese had to learn from Setsuna how to forge ivy leaves. It was easy for the older blacksmith because he was used to forge flowers and other different types of leaves in Konoha, but for the blond it was new and difficult. By the time the others started doing the real work, he was still practising leaves and shoots. He was frustrated because he thought the others were disappointed in him, and this made him frightened and less able to concentrate.

And there was his homesickness. He missed his family and his friends. He missed his grumpy mornings when Jolánta had dashed into his room and started hopping on his bed. He missed the harmonic work with his father, and he missed his mother's smile and cook. He missed all the idiotic things he and Karcsa had done. And he was shocked by how much he missed Emese. He started to fear he felt more towards her than he could admit. Sometimes, at night when he woke up, he would turn to his other side and search for her; and while working he found himself thinking about her much as well. And, after a while, not only about her.

Setsuna's wife worked in the Mizukage Office as an assistant, and she often received urgent works at the end of the day. At least twice a week she couldn't pick up their son from the kindergarten and didn't have time to send a message to her husband. But when the parents didn't show up for their children, a kindergarten teacher would bring them home, fortunately. A certain kindergarten teacher to be more accurate.

Her name was Hatsumi. Kese didn't really notice her as she came and went with other children at her side, sometimes exchanging a few words with Setsuna. Hatsumi's pure face, brilliant copper red hair and warm smile had begun to stick into the blond's head stronger and stronger each time he saw her. After a while he began waiting for her to appear in the afternoon and he had been seeing her in his mind too, playing her lively voice in his ears again and again, resulting in him getting more and more disorganized. "Pay attention to what you're doing!" Oh, how many times he had to hear that from Setsuna. Even Tadao teased him with made-up songs with lyrics like "too young, too thoughtless; blond boy makes such mess". And these just added up to his perceived unskilfulness.

Three weeks into work after finishing for the day he sat at the entrance of the forge, holding his head. Setsuna walked up to him. - You look devastated. – his usually strict voice sounded tired as he leaned to the door post and lit a cigarette. – You didn't go home with Tata. What bothers you? - Kese shook his head, then opened his mouth to speak, but changed his mind and shook his head again. Setsuna smiled. – If you follow this road… – he pointed towards the centre of the village. – …and turn right at the old poplar, then left at the dango* bar, after sixty steps, you'll see a three storied house with white pelargonium. – Kese raised an eyebrow at him. – In the dark, it's lit by red light.

The blond finally understood what he was talking about, and it made him chuckle. – I've found it already. – he thought about the Saturday night he had spent in that house's pub and private rooms. – You think this is my problem?

- What else could it be? – he shrugged. Kese wrung his hands and examined the new burns on it, then he glanced into the forge. Setsuna followed his look. –The work? – the blond nodded. – Why?

- I don't know, I... – his voice trembled. - I just can't do it. And I'm holding up the two of you, and we can't get shit done.

- What are you talking about?

- The leaves! I just… just… – he saw the other blacksmith raising his eyebrow. - Why else am I still doing them then?

- Kese, we're older than you, thus we have more experience. Simply, I wanted you to practise it, so you could keep up with our level. There's nothing wrong with your leaves. In fact, we've been using them for days now.

The blond's coal eyes radiated his surprise and confusion. – Re-really?

- Yes, really. When I was your age it took me much more time to learn it, and my leaves were half as good as yours… Wait, you were worrying about this?! – Kese nodded shyly. Setsuna laughed and put his hand on the blond's shoulder. – Don't worry about it. Starting next week, you'll work with us together.

- Thanks. – Kese stood up with a relieved grin and they shook hands. In this exact moment, they heard a child's shout. It was Setsuna's son, who just appeared from behind their house and ran into his father's arms. And behind him, there were half dozen other children. And amongst them, there was a neat young woman. Not simply their kindergarten teacher, but that certain kindergarten teacher.

They were waving goodbye at Setsuna's child, and with that, they were off. The blacksmith were having a small conversation with his son, but the blond didn't hear it. He was watching Hatsumi's hair as it was caressed by the light wind.

He winced a little when his colleague put his hand on his shoulder. – Kese, are you okay?

- Yeah, yeah… I just spaced out. - he rubbed his eyes. – I'm a little tired. Tata wakes me too early.

They chuckled. – We're going to see my wife at the Office. – Setsuna said, then went to close his forge. - Have a nice weekend, Kese!

- Same to you! - he grinned at him, then went right home. He was indeed tired from the week's work, and after a quick shower, he went to bed early.

- I found one!

Kese was startled out of his sleep. He had his strange, misty dream again, but he saw the kindergarten teacher in it too. Hatsumi was the only thing he could think of before falling asleep, and she ruled his dream as well. He didn't even fantasize about Emese. Actually, not as much as he was used to.

But it was Saturday morning, just before dawn, and he had to wake up to a toad falling onto his face. Again.

- Kese, I found one! Houchuu is still trustworthy and reliable!

He rubbed his eyes. – What… Who?

- One of Jiraiya-sama's spies.

'This name is so familiar', Kese blinked at him. – Hou-? Wait, isn't Houchuu the bartender of the Black Braid Pub under the broth-

He cut off the end of the sentence, and the toad put his hands onto his hip. – I saw you there last week. But you don't remember because you were a bit drunk.

- A "bit" is an understatement. I haven't drunk so much alcohol in a year.

- Then why did you drink at all?

- I was very nervous, I had to let off the steam! – Gamashiro looked at him seriously. – What? The others did the same-

- Yes, and amongst those "others" there were Ushimaru's thugs watching you, and a few pirates you made us looking for.

Hearing his words the blond froze. – W-what? Why didn't you-

The toad put his tiny fingers onto his summoner's lip to silence him. – If we hadn't been there to cause a disturbance after you left, the thugs would've gone after you. We almost got exposed because of you, Kese, and we agreed on asking you to be more cautious. So, please, watch out next time.

The blond's mouth got freed, but he didn't say anything. He was looking at Gamashiro then at his pillow, lost in thoughts. – Thank you, guys. – he said after a long silence. – I'll keep my eyes and ears open from now on, I promise.

- Don't promise, but do it.

Kese adjusted on his posture. – You… said the pirates were there too…

- Yes. We found their ship. It's at a neighbouring harbour.

- Oh! Where is it exactly?

- Kese, why do you-

- Where. Is. It?

Gamashiro's lips tightened and he looked down. – I'll bring you there. – he breathed finally.

- Thanks.

Kese got out of his bed, stretched, then walked to his wardrobe. He took his bigger bag out of it and searched for his blade.

- I know it's not my business, but…

- Exactly. – the blond interrupted him. - It's not your business.

Gamashiro nodded. His voice was weak and showed his worry. – Kese, I… - he brought up another topic. - We found something about… the Deacon.

- Really? Great! What have you found? – he just touched the cold material of his blade inside his bag, but stopped when Gamashiro replied.

- About which one?

- What?… Is there more of him?!

- Well, there's one in Iwagakure, Kusagakure, Takigakure, Amegakure, Konohagakure, and one of them has just arrived to the Land of Water.

The blond blinked at him, put back his bag, then sat down in front of the toad. - Tell me about all of them in general, then about the last one.

- Well… They seem to be some kind of religious leaders, lower in rank than the Parsons they always follow. Their function is rather administrative than spiritual. They stay in the village they belong to, except one. They call him Travelling Deacon. He propagandizes their religion in new villages before he picks a local man he teaches to be a Parson and to spread the word.

- Wow… what kind of religion is this?

- It's not so old. It was founded about nine or eight years ago in the Land of Earth, and it has grown very much after the war. I don't know how to explain the gist of it, so I talk about their "meetings'. They usually come together and the Parson or his selected substitute talks about different things, for example a saviour who died for the people's sins in the past. They say everyone has sins since birth, and one needs to be cleaned with their holy water. And if one sins after that he or she can confess to the Parson and ask for forgiveness from their god who's like a father. And on their meetings they pray and eat breads. And then they talk and pray more. I didn't understand any of it, it's better if you see this on your own.

Kese frowned: he found the toad's description disturbingly, no, frighteningly familiar. Not only resembled this to the Magors' religion, but to a certain religion he had experienced in his dreams and visions*. – I think I got what you're talking about. – he said. – Is this Travelling Deacon going to make a public speech, or what?

- No, at first he usually uses his connections from the other villages. Distant relatives or friends of believers, who he usually gets to follow him.

- Then they together would get the local people into listening to him? – the toad nodded.

- As far as we've learnt, yes.

- And when he has enough people to aid him, he goes into the open.

- It seems you don't need me to tell everything.

- That's a clever, sly and cautious method, I'm amazed. – Kese scratched his stubbly chin. – I would have never thought about something like that, but I'll keep this in mind... – he added quietly, then asked one more. - When did he arrive?

- Yesterday.

The blond nodded, picked his bag again and took his hidden blade out of it.

- Kese, I'm sorry, I can't keep it in! – the toad suddenly burst out after a minute of silence. – I see you hate those pirates, but why?! What happened that made you so committed to finding them?

His summoner sighed and fell in silence for a few seconds. – I haven't told you everything about my past, Shiro… These pirates were used to attack my village. After, well, after a while they got more aggressive towards us. And I… I protected my village. By killing some of them. – his words made the toad's eyes grow bigger and scared. – But that wasn't enough. A few months ago they came back to get revenge on us. That was when they found out I had plenty of chakra. They wanted to capture me, to drain it from me, but I didn't let them do that. – he gave Gamashiro a few seconds to understand. He did, too well, and it made him step back from the blond. – I thought they would finally leave me and my village alone. But when I got to Siplak, I discovered they hired that drunkard to keep me there, so they could come for me. And they still want me, Shiro. And they may want to attack my home as well, after they're done with me... Do you understand now why I want to find them so badly? Do you understand what I want to do when I find them?

He pierced his coal gaze into Gamashiro's red ones. Poor little toad was trembling on his bed. Kese's story extremely shocked him: he couldn't believe all of that about his summoner. He was the first person ever who had been friendly and kind to him, and Shiro respected how the blond always tried to be polite towards everyone. He didn't hate Kese's gutsy spirit, nor his strange sense of reason and humour, knowing his mind and heart were in place. But what Gamashiro admired in him the most was how well he could get along with anyone and how he loved to entertain others. The toad considered his summoner his first friend. And now he had to hear from this very first friend, that he was also a murderer. He had spilled blood, he had killed others of his own kind. And he wanted to do it again.

In that moment, Gamashiro finally understood what the other toads had said. "Humans are rather strange creatures. You can clearly read them at one moment, then they become unpredictable. They can be kind and violent towards the very same person. They are stubborn and ambitious, but in the same time they want to be ruled by a strong hand. They are not simply this or that. They are this and that as well. Humans are like coins, and even more complicated than coins - because sometimes they have more than just two sides."

Gamashiro didn't know how many sides this coin named Kovács Kese had. But he had just been introduced to his darker side, and it frightened him.

- Do you understand it, Shiro? – the coin asked, and the toad painfully nodded.

- You want to protect yourself and your village. – he whispered.

- Yes. Now you can see why I didn't want to tell you about this. I didn't want to disturb you with it, Shiro… I'm sorry.

Gamashiro watched as the blond strapped his weapon to his left forearm. He winced when the blade slid forth from under his summoner's sleeve. The same devilish cold light danced on it, and on Kese's lips too as he friendly smiled at the amphibian. – Don't worry, Shiro. At least they wouldn't hurt anyone anymore. – the little toad smiled too, but his smile froze when he realized what Kese meant. - I will make sure of it.

Thanks for reading! ^^

*Dango is a Japanese dumpling and sweet made from rice flour, served on a skewer.

The Parsons' and the Deacons' religion along with the Magors' is basically Christianity, but they differ in many things, like structure of hierarchy and some of its "background stories". I don't intend to dishonour or violate Christianity or other religions, and I don't intend to hurt anyone who is a believer. I'm not against any religion; I'm merely using some of their concepts in my writing, to create another, fictional religion for this story.