There was a lonely forest on the main island of the Land of Water. Even in the middle of August, it was damp, cold and dark. The cemetery-like silence and the wet grass was trod brutally by a running figure's feet. The rushing raven haired shinobi disturbed the forest's still, peaceful air, but he didn't care. He had to get there as soon as possible.

He had seen that crazy dream again: he felt like he was in someone else's body. He could feel chakra flowing inside of him as he used it, and this time he wasn't simply training or trying to summon something. He was fighting in his dream. And he was killing men in it. The whole scenario was so bloody it had woken him up.

He would have let it to be forgotten, turn to his other side and fall asleep again. But, how the hell, he recognized those men in his dream! He had seen them that day in the village of Tesseineko, in which he had been spending the night with the other Konoha shinobi. It had been surprisingly easy to skip off from under their surveillance this time. Getting through the suddenly raised, strict border monitoring around the village however had been another story. But it hadn't been a problem for him. After all, he was an…

He could feel that man. He was getting closer to him. He would reach him first, not those one of a kind Kiri shinobi with their ships. He was already there. Just a few more metres…

He dashed out of the forest and suddenly halted just at the edge of the cliff. He looked around, his eyes moving wild as he scanned the coast, but there were no sign of a human there.

'I don't feel him anymore. He's disappeared. He was just right there, and now…', he looked down at the sea, but didn't see any body. A ship was floating in a distance, half-sunk and sinking further. But he didn't care about it.

All he cared about was to find the person who had been just right there. To find out who he was, and how he had got away.

The blacksmith felt the darkness enveloping him in a kind and soft sleep. He was so goddamn exhausted, and all he and his body wanted was a few hours, rather, days of rest. And now, when he was at a relatively safe place, something was whispering he wasn't completely safe enough to shut his eyes to dream.

He saw the pilot Tetsuji, who had helped him get on their ship. He was no harm for him. But that man standing next to him triggered his danger senses, and it didn't want to let him fall asleep. Strangely, he remembered his name. 'Hagane…. Where did I meet him? Where? Hagane… Wait.'

The blond frowned. That man wasn't simply walking up to him like Tetsuji. Hagane was reaching for the heavy mace on his back.

Gamashiro saw it too. He was trembling on his summoner's body; he stepped back, but tripped and rolled down. Kese's tired coal eyes stared into that man's fury-filled pupils. 'Haga-…'

'Hagane!?'

He tore exhaustion off his body and got up in that instant. He shoved Tetsuji away from the giant's path, then dodged his attack. Hagane flew past him and Kese grabbed this chance: he kicked the pirate on the knee, making him fall. He got on top of him, and with a movement of his arm he made his blade ready. His favourite piece of metal obeyed mutely as it prepared to fulfil his command to kill. But it didn't come to that, someone stopped him.

- Release my arm, Tetsuji! – he growled, while Hagane was trying to lift his body with him on top. To stop, or at least to delay him doing so, Kese grabbed his neck and clenched it. It didn't knock him out, but his gloved fingers pressing into his skin and flesh must have hurt him like hell.

- For god sake, don't jump at each other's neck!

Kese glared up at him from under his hood, and the man paled. The blond's eyes were frighteningly dark, and not because of the colour of his irises or the poor light. They were saying one certain thing to the pilot. "If you don't get your hands off me, you'll go first."

Gamashiro hopped onto his other arm. – Kese, please! Couldn't we talk about it like adults do?

- Shiro, this man just tried to kill me. I'm dealing with him like an adult would.

Kese looked at the pirate below him. He couldn't see the man's mixed expression with his ice-cold eyes, couldn't feel the fear tensing his body. He only felt the darkness menacingly growing inside his soul, sitting upon his face and distorting his features as he watched Hagane's shaved head.

The man was one of the few pirates who had survived the fight with him on the Silent Island. The bearded giant had not only gone to erase the Magors' village, but aided Nezu in stealing his chakra. And now, upon seeing the injured blacksmith after a long time, the first thing he had done was raising his weapon to attack him.

His grip of the man's neck tightened. 'Why shouldn't I kill him?'

- Kese… - Gamashiro cried. – Please… Wasn't it enough?

The blond froze. He had heard something like that before. Karcsa's voice echoed in his mind, from the night when he had wanted to shoot Nezu so badly. "It was far enough kill for tonight. Don't you agree?" His coal eyes widened as he realized what was going on with him. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. His left arm moved, and his blade slid back to its respectful place. Tetsuji sighed and released his arm.

The blacksmith stood up and walked away. He stopped at the other side of the storeroom with his back to the pirates to calm his breath. Gamashiro gulped then hopped after him.

He was terrified by his summoner's raw answer and cold eyes. He had seen a bit of his darker side, and the blond was getting more and more scary. But he was his friend and he wanted to help him any way he could. He approached the blacksmith carefully, but climbed up onto his shoulder anyway.

- Thanks for stopping me. – he whispered when the toad opened his mouth. – You can return to the others if you want.

Gamashiro nodded. – But, please, promise me you-

- I won't do it. Don't worry.

The little toad smiled and nodded again. He was glad his friend had returned to his senses. A second later he disappeared, leaving behind a small cloud of smoke and the sound of his clapping.

- So… your name isn't Talazedo, is it? – the blond glanced over his shoulder and saw Tetsuji's questioning look. Behind him, Hagane was slowly getting up, rubbing his neck. – That frog called you Keshe. Are you his summoner?

'He's a toad. And I said Tarazed.' Kese was glad he had chosen that name. When Tetsuji had asked about it, he almost said Altair. But two things had kept him from doing so: first, he didn't feel worthy to use that name, not even as an alias. Second: he imagined how Elemental-users would pronounce it. It made him shiver. He was slowly getting fed up with them pronouncing his names incorrectly. He knew Elemental had been spoken by more than ninety percent of the populace, there weren't other important languages and most people didn't need to learn any other at all. He understood they have to put certain vowels between and after consonants to help them pronounce it, and they didn't feel the difference between r and l. He tried to be patient, but it frustrated him to the end. 'Oh god, couldn't they at least try?'

He didn't reply to Tetsuji's question, he looked at the other pirate. He didn't know what to think about him. The same was up with the confused Hagane. He was eyeing the blond. And the blond was eyeing him too. He even used his other senses to help him, but it made him go crazy, thanks to the man changing his mind about him so rapidly.

- Blondie, you… - Hagane spoke finally. – Spared my life. Twice.

Kese pierced his dark eyes into the pirate's gaze. - Don't expect a third time.

- Man, you spared my life twice! I'm not dumb to dare you again!

The blacksmith eyed him for another second, then turned his head away from them. He stepped to the table the two had been sitting at before, and grabbed a bottle. He smelled it and grimaced. 'Sake, eh? Water would be better now', he thought, smelling the bottle again. But he was so exhausted it didn't matter anymore, he drank it. It wasn't his best idea. Right after finishing the whole bottle he licked his lips and the liquid sat into his still bleeding cut.

He hissed and cursed, then turned to the pirates slowly stepping closer to him. – Do you have a tissue?

- A tissue? For what?

- My lip's bleeding.

Tetsuji looked at him up and down. - You've got at least half dozen more serious injuries on you, and you want a tissue to your lips?!

- Yeah. – Kese answered and sluggishly sat down at the table, scratching his scar.

He fell asleep immediately.

His eyelids darted up and his pupils scanned his surroundings. He was in Tetsuji's storeroom, quite good. Accompanied with a terrible headache and a dry throat, not so good. He was still sitting at the table, and across him, the giant sat: he wasn't sure if good or not good. They examined each other for a few seconds, then the blond turned his head away from him. – Where is-

In the exact moment, the door was torn open and Tetsuji rushed in. He closed and locked the door behind him right away.

Hagane jumped up to his feet. - Found ya? – The other pirate shook his head. – Then what?

- I'm a terrible thief. – he panted, then dropped a bag onto the table. He turned to Kese. – I brought you clothes.

- What for?

- Did you take a look at yourself?!

Kese did. Apart from a blanket on his shoulders, he was naked from his waist up and his skin was garnished with red-spotted bandages and band-aids. 'My clothes must be too bloody or cut to wear them on the streets. That's a shame, I liked that jacket.'

He touched the cut on his lips. It wasn't bleeding anymore, and there was a wound closure strip over it.

- We took care of your injuries after you blacked out. I hope we didn't mess up anything. If we had our medic, Nezu, here, we could ha-

Hagane's cough interrupted Tetsuji's speech, but it was too late.

- Nezu is a medic?! – Kese snarled, carefully, to keep his cut closed.

The pirates glanced at each other.

- Ja… - Hagane breathed. – It doesn't matter, you killed him.

- I did not. – he stood up, stumbled to the pilot and took the clothes. - He wasn't on the ship.

- What? How?

- He met up with the Deacon and a noble-looking man from another land, and left with those two. I was following them, but lost track at the market.

'I lost them because of that strange vision. What the hell happened then?'

- They're still in this village or got out in time. – Tetsuji spoke. - I bet on the latter. The Deacon doesn't risk Nezu getting caught.

- Who are they? – the pirates both turned to each other. Hagane nodded towards the pilot, who took a breath to speak.

- Nezu joined us almost three years ago. He spent a few months on the Suzumebachi, then vanished. Then he appeared last year, and disappeared again. He did that once more this year as well. We've never got to know him closely, but that few months were enough of him. – he shook his head. - He said he once was a medic ninja in Iwa, and he does heal well. But I haven't seen a medic as cruel and cold-blooded as him.

Kese narrowed his eyes. 'Well, that's enough for now', he thought, and scanned the pirates with his eyes. Gamashiro had given information about him, the blond wanted to know their opinion as well. – What do you know about the Deacon?

Tetsuji shrugged, and Hagane spoke. – Don't know much about him. The others say he's a… diplomat?

- He looked like a gentleman. Why is he with that rat then? Is it because Nezu is a sensor-type? Or because he's a medic?

- Maybe both. Maybe neither. – Tetsuji answered. - If you ask me, it's because he can slither his way into every mind.

The black hoodie Tetsuji had stolen was a bit large for the blacksmith. The t-shirt under it was tight. Kese was still dizzy, and his head hurt. Actually, every inch of his body cried of tiredness, but he had to get back to Kirigakure before he could rest. And he was left alone with two pirates in this task.

He sat down to think about how to get out of his situation, and mostly, get out of Tesseineko. When he summoned Gamashiro to take them out of the village, another toad appeared, telling his fellow specimen had used too much chakra and he couldn't even stand up. The same was true for the summoner himself, although a little sake helped him get into that state. He was able to function quite well though; after all, he had got the hard training in alcohol tolerance back at home. His father had made sure he would be able to take a respectful amount of any drink, and thanks to that, he could out-drink nearly anyone from Kiri to Iwa. Of course, he slowed down and got sloppy and had less control over himself like everyone else when they drank, but not that much like others. Some good memories came into his mind when he and his father had used to open a bottle of wine at the end of a week, and discuss the great problems of life. He smiled, gazing into the far corner of the room, the shook his head to clear his mind. No matter the drink, he had to think and come up with an idea quickly.

The mist ninja were searching through the village. They needed a plan to get out.

He was trying to use his brain cells when Tetsuji thanked his, well, "charity work". Then he asked why the blond had wanted to erase a whole crew of pirates in the first place. Just as Kese opened his mouth to answer, Hagane spoke. – Not the whole, mate.

- What do you mean?

- Ah, you're right, I forgot about them…

- What? Who?!

- He's talking about the best fighters of the crew, the rogues. They joined up with some missing nin, and attacked the Mizukage a few months ago. – the pilot grimaced. – They're still in hiding. Somewhere on this island, that much we know… If they happen to stumble into the man who killed their comrades on the Silent Island… See, they know how you look like. And so… You know.

- One more aggressive thug group after me. Nice.

- What?

- Long story short: you hired a greedy man to keep me at a certain place, but I got away, so he hired other men to bring me back. – he shook his head.

He reached for the bottle. Hagane grabbed it too. - Not drinking my sake, blondie.

And so began an odd play of tug-o-war which quickly turned into a fight. Tetsuji was barely able to separate those two, and he got some punches too. By the time the pilot succeeded, all three of them had received a few bruises, and Kese's cut on his lips bled onto his clothes. They looked like they had just got out of a tavern brawl. The results: the blond held his ground, the giant approved this and so he shared his drink with him. But there were no more band-aids left to cover their freshly made injuries, the pirates used up their resources on Kese earlier. In addition, they didn't get further in creating a plan to get out of the village.

Kese was pressing a tissue to his lips, carefully drinking his sake, when his movements froze. He looked at the cup, then at the bloody tissue he held, then at the pirates. He stared at them for a moment, and smirked. – I think I've got a plan.

The air was extraordinary strung that night in Tesseineko. There was hardly any corner in the village which wasn't occupied by a few shinobi. The docks, the borders and the main roads were under surveillance by at least a group of four or more. Choujuurou and his team of chuunin were patrolling the road to Kirigakure near the village. They checked everyone who attempted to leave to the capital, but found nothing suspicious, and their duty had been boring since sunset. No one dared to travel at night. Well, almost no one.

It was around three or four in the morning when Choujuurou noticed movements on the road. He saw three noisy men, strangely close to each other. He checked, there wasn't any illusion, so he approached them with another ninja.

- Don't carry me, I can wark! – the middle one moaned. He was held up by an enormous bearded man, and there was a smaller, blue haired one on his other side.

- You can't even stand, you idiot!

Choujuurou got closer to them. He noticed they had fresh bruises on them, and the middle one even had blood on his clothes. – Stop! – Choujuurou ordered, then went on with the protocol talk. – This road is dangerous at night. What you are doing out here?

- We're taking our new friend home. – the blue haired man spoke.

- To Kirigakure? – the man who answered nodded. – Who's this? - the blond man on the middle raised his head to look at the jounin, who recognized him and got surprised. - Kese?! What are you doing here?!

Said blond kind of straightened himself and opened his mouth to speak. But he closed it and looked around with widened eyes. – Waat iz here?

Choujuurou palmed his face, then he turned to the other men next to the blacksmith. – What happened?

- Blondie drank more than he can bear, and got in trouble, shinobi-san.

- Heey, I defended that beeeautifullady!

- She wasn't in danger. And you messed with the wrong guys.

- And got your ass beaten.

Choujuurou sighed and shook his head again. He understood what had happened to the blond. – And why are you two helping him?

That certain two glanced at each other, then shrugged.

- Don't know.

- We just couldn't watch those thugs beat him to death.

The jounin nodded, then narrowed his eyes. The giant was from another land and the blue haired was clearly from his own, and he was familiar to him. – Do I know you from somewhere?

- Hm?… I don't know.

- Didn't you serve in the Mizukage's navy as a pilot?

The air stiffened. - I did.

- Isn't your name… Tetsuji?

Choujuurou's attention was suddenly driven away by Kese. He let out strange noises, like he was about to throw up, as he tugged Hagane's sleeve. They rushed to nearby bushes and the blond eased his rumbling stomach. – Are you okay? - Kese hesitantly waved. The shinobi turned back to the pilot. – So?

- Yes, my name's Tetsuji.

Choujuurou narrowed his eyes again. – You left so suddenly. Why?

- I… I couldn't live with so much conflict.

- … I see. – the jounin nodded, then turned to the giant who brought the blond back to the road. The air became even more strung as he eyed him. – Are you from the Land of Lightning?

- Ja, half. My papa was born in Kumo.

Choujuurou narrowed his eyes at his words. Tetsuji noticed the man's confusion and went to rescue his partner.

- He has hard time speaking our language. You see, it's not his mother tongue.

- Oh… - he nodded and talked slower. - What business do you have here in the Land of Water?

- Visiting my mama in Korona.

- The famous beach in the Land of Wind? – the shinobi next to Choujuurou snapped in surprise. – I spent a week there last year, and, oh man, I miss that place! It was so sunny and warm!

Choujuurou waved him to stay silent. – And what are you doing in Tesseineko?

- My ship doesn't leave, shinobi-san.

- Oh, right… So you're stuck here. – the jounin nodded again. – Alright… - he sighed. – I give you go. Bring him home and take care on the road.

- Blondie, that was one damn plan! – Hagane helped the laughing blacksmith sit down. The three had safely arrived to Kirigakure, and now they were the only guests in the Black Braid Pub.

- Dear God, I thought we wouldn't make it! - Tetsuji wiped his forehead.

- I knew we would. – Kese grinned as he leaned back. – I knew it when I saw Chouj, Choujrr… that guy.

- Where do you know him from?

- He brought me here, to work at the constrs… constructshion, gawd! – he tried to keep his head in the same position, but he barely could. It was a miracle he was able to articulate most words well. The bad side of sake and his exhaustion were kicking in with great strengths. He had slept a few minutes on the road at Hagane's side, but of course that wasn't enough.

- Are you a mason?

- No. He's a blacksmith. – all three men turned into the source of that voice. A door flew open, and a thick lady with large breasts, broad bottom and wide hip appeared. She was over fifty, but thanks to great care and good make-up, she looked like an early forty-something. Her obviously dyed hair was tied in a long black braid. There was still something in her from the beautiful young girl she had been long ago.

Her lovely smile brightened the pub as she walked up to the three. She carried a tray with glasses and drinks on it, and a box in her other hand.

- 'Eeeevening, Houchuu-chan! – the blacksmith sang.

- Rather morning, my handsome lark, don't you think? – she put everything down to the table and offered drink to the pirates.

- Lark? – Hagane laughed.

- He sang me foreign songs when he visited us for the first time. I didn't understand a word, but they were beautiful. And he took part in every song that was sung that night, even though he didn't know the lyrics. – she ruffled the blond's hair. - I couldn't help loving him right away!

- Did I do all of that? – Kese blinked.

- You were too drunk, my dear. – she patted his shoulder and reached for his chin to examine the cut. – Such a shame to your naughty lips.

- A scar'll make me even more handsome. – he smirked and watched Houchuu opening her first-aid box. He suddenly frowned, then raised an eyebrow. – My no tea lips? – the dame nodded towards the counter. Kese caught a glimpse of long dark hair and a pair of wild blue eyes behind a door: a younger and slender image of the bartender lady. – Oh… - Kese coughed and he even blushed. The pirates sniggered. – Of course. My naughty lips.

- I'll heal them.

- I love you sooo much, Houchuu-chan!

What happened after this became a mystery to the blond. Of course, he got to know it later, but it was still a mystery when he woke up in an unfamiliar room.

He drank a "little" more before Houchuu took care of his reopened cuts and bruises from his fight with the other two. He even started to sing Magor songs and dance to them, grabbing the lady and even the pirates to dance with him. They could barely hold him down. Later, he tried to teach a coat stand how to pronounce different swearwords in Magor, and ended up in a fierce quarrel with it. The coat stand won. He become so upset, he sat down and fell asleep. But he managed to fight against Hagane's grip when he tried to carry him into one of the brothel's room. The blond insisted he had to go to work with Vulcan*, and he had to be on time else he would beat his ass with a white-hot hammer. The moment he was put into bed, he shut up and was sleeping like a sloth.

It was late afternoon when he woke up. He was dizzy, his head and his body hurt, and he needed a few minutes to realize he wasn't in his room. He needed another few minutes to remember the village he was in. When Houchuu went to check him, he could only moan his apology for being a burden.

She told him the rumours about a certain sunken pirate ship, full of corpses. The mist shinobi had already started investigating what had happened, and they suspected multiple ninja perpetrators. She also told him both Tetsuji and Hagane were staying in the village for a while. The blacksmith just needed to send word through her and they'd be available for him when he wanted.

In two hours he was presentable enough to go back to his recent home. He was walking on the streets, when he put his hands into the pockets of his new black hoodie, and he found a piece of paper in there. He smiled. 'I thought Houchuu or I told you when I was drunk… Well, next time, then.' He spoke in his mind as he was reading the poorly written note:

"Not telin us the name blondie?"

Marked things:

Altair and Tarazed are stars of the Eagle constellation. Altair is the brightest star of the constellation, its name comes from the Arabic phrase "al-nasr al-tair", meaning "the flying eagle". The second brightest star is Alshain, and the third brightest star is Tarazed. These names come from the Arabic for "the balance", "shahin-i tarazu". (Source: Wikipedia)

Vulcan: in ancient Roman religion and myth, Vulcan is the god of fire including the fire of volcanoes, also god of metalworking and forge. Vulcan is often depicted with a blacksmith's hammer. (Source: Wikipedia)