Nights turned colder with each dusk. Well, in the Land of Water, it was almost pretty much the same in every season. The islands were soaked with rain or dipped in mist; there was never a really hot day, nor frosty, or just rarely. Winters differed from summers only in a few degrees, but people did feel colder as autumn passed.
It was a chilling Friday night. Even that bulky man leaving the Black Braid Pub shivered from the rain, so he was walking fast, almost running towards his home. Well, as much as one could call that dirty hut at the near border of the village a home. It wasn't even locked properly, the man just opened the door and stepped in. Soon the window's tainted glass let out the dim light from inside, and the instable chimney exhaled the thick smoke of burning wet wood. The man pulled his mouldy sofa closer to the fireplace, and seated himself comfortably when someone knocked. He didn't care at first. But after the third knock, he heard a woman's pleading voice.
He jumped to his feet right away and opened the door. – Ah, evening, miss! Can I help you?
A young woman stood in front of him, her head covering with a scarf, her teeth chattering. – So-sorry for dis-sturbing you… It's-s-so co-old.
The man showed the most buttery smile of his. – Come in then, miss, don't stand under this cold-cold rain. Here, sit down at the fire! What's your name? Hatsumi? Oh, it's so cute! Oh, don't care about that, just sit down, and let the good fire warm you up! I'll bring you some towels and some dry clothes right away, Hatsumi-chan!
In the moment he turned away from the girl, the man had a different grin on his face. Oh, that little sweetheart didn't know what he wanted from her. She didn't know who he was. He was one of the most wanted rogue ninja in the Land of Water. He was strong, there was nothing he wouldn't get, and she wasn't an exception.
He brought her clothes. Clothes he didn't mind getting torn. She asked for the bathroom. He led her there, then sat back on his mouldy sofa and warmed his hands. He was grinning like he never grinned, when he heard the bathroom door open, and heard gentle steps behind him. Then something went wrong.
- Thank you. – a male voice was heard, and a cold blade sunk into his chest. The man's body was hold down as he struggled, but he died eventually within a minute. The blade was pulled out of him and was cleaned in his shirt. The perpetrator hid his weapon under his sleeve, then stepped in front of the corpse. – It was too easy to fool you with this simple technique. – the hooded man whispered and after performing three hand-seals, he looked exactly like the man he had just killed.
He put out the fire, switched off everything and left the hut. He needed to leave the area, hide, then transform back to himself. But first, he wanted to be seen by someone, so the man's disappearing couldn't be tied to a strange girl's appearance at his house. And he prayed to not be seen by the mist shinobi. He was disguised as one of the Mizukage's known attacker after all, so it would cause some trouble if…
'Goddamn it', he whispered and turned into another direction, but it was too late. A minute later he had to run for his life. 'I should have used a clone for this!' he scolded himself in his mind, then ran into a small forest and hid behind a tree. He undid the transformation technique, and in the same time, he took off his glove and bit his finger. A few hand-seals later Gamashiro popped out of nowhere, right onto his black-hooded head. Before he could have said anything, the blond hushed him. – Get me out of here!
Gamashiro was surprised, but did as he asked. With a cloud of smoke, they disappeared, and the shinobi couldn't find their wanted man in the forest.
- I couldn't bring you anywhere but to the nearest location I marked. – the little albino toad hunched. – Will this be okay?
- Perfect, Shiro. I wanted to drop by anyway. - he looked around while speaking and his eyes caught a surprised Houchuu at the bottom of the stairway he was standing on. – Thank you. I'll summon you later, you can go back now.
- Okay. – and the toad disappeared.
- No wonder why you turned to me for information. – the bartender lady released her crossed arms and chuckled. – Are you Jiraiya's apprentice?
- I… was… In a way, yes.
- Why do you-… Oh… When did he?
- About four years ago.
She sighed and shook his head sadly as she turned and opened a door. – Change your clothes, then come to the counter. Tetsuji's got news for you.
Kese felt a bit tired when he stepped into the pub and looked around. The tables were empty, the chairs resting on them, only the counter was full. Full of snoring drunkards, as usual. The only free spot was next to the only awake guest, so the blacksmith sat there. He didn't greet Tetsuji more than necessary. They had agreed to act like they didn't know each other only by sight when meeting and/or exchanging information. If Tetsuji had information as Houchuu had said, he would make a move, so the blond waited. Meanwhile his beer arrived: he took it from Shinya, then placed it on the counter.
The pilot next to him snorted and threw something on front of him. – Hey, mate, at least use this.
Kese chuckled, memorized the words on the beer mat he had got, then raised his glass and thought of a good toast. – What shall we drink to? – Tetsuji next to him asked.
Honestly, he thought of the kindergarten teacher first, then his aching heart, so changed his mind. A drink shall be drunk to something nicer. - To my birthday next week. – he smiled. - It'll be nicely round. Just the way I like-hey? – he couldn't do more than just blink when Houchuu snatched his drink from him. – Hey!
The bartender looked at him seriously, then pointed at the sign on the wall. "Underaged will not be served alcohol."
- Oh, c'mon, I'm way past eighteen!
- The limit is twenty-one, young man!
- What?! But you gave me sake and everything else the other day! – he turned to Tetsuji. – Didn't she?
- I don't like to admit it, but I'm short-sighted. – Houchuu crossed her arms.
- Of course you're not, you simply forgot to ask it!
- Concerning the way you looked like she couldn't be blamed for thinking you were older. – Tetsuji spoke. - After all of, khm, what you did, even I believed you were at least twenty-five.
- I could say the same. – Shinya added, then smiled archly.
Kese didn't get it at first, he was too occupied with Houchuu, his lost drink, and his appearance. - Do I look that old?!
They narrowed their eyes at him. – No. Actually, you look younger than twenty.
- No, he looks just his age.
- With stubbles and his hood he does look older, though.
- Can I get my beer then?
- No!
He was still pouting after he received a glass of orange juice. He sipped, and found it strangely delicious. 'Shinya must have put something in it secretly', he thought, then licked his lips and froze. 'Wait.'
He finally got what the girl said a few minutes before. He waited a little for Houchuu and Tetsuji to get distracted, then he went after the bartender's daughter. With her, he delightfully experienced the age limit was valid only for the pub, and not for the other parts of the house.
The same night Kese stood in his room at Myoubokuzan, dumbfounded, just like Gamashiro in his hands. They were staring at Fukasaku, who was lying on money and jewels, blessing his toad god.
- I thought... He didn't like we stored the pirates' booty here. – the blond spoke to the albino toad, while blinking at the elder. – When did he, uhm, change his mind?
- I don't know… - Gamashiro had the same expression on his face. – I haven't seen him in a while.
Fukasaku moaned long, and opened his eyes slightly. He got frightened to see his underling and Kese standing there, watching him. To be sure, he got terrified because he was seen and watched like that by someone at all. He quickly jumped away from the pile. – You have not seen me doing that. – he adjusted his posture while trying to adjust his dignity. – Understood?
Gamashiro nodded keenly. Kese's face was distorted. Fukasaku stared dead serious into his eyes. – Understood?!
The blond couldn't say anything for a few seconds. He put Gamashiro down, and backed out. – A moment. – he said before disappearing. Right after this, uncontrolled laughter was heard. Kese couldn't hold back his tears while falling to his knees and rolling on the ground. It didn't take much for Fukasaku to appear and start hitting him with his cane to make him stop. It was fuel to fire: the blond only curled up in a ball to defend himself but he still couldn't stop laughing. It took him a few minutes to return to normal. – What's, ehhehee, what's got into you Grampa Sage? Last time you said you didn't like human goods?!
- Even a toad elder can have his soft moments, my child.
- Pfft! – Kese tried to suppress his amusement, but didn't really succeed. His punishment was another hit on his head by Fukasaku's cane.
- Collect yourself already! – the green toad ordered grumpily. He straightened himself. – I hope your visit had a different purpose than being a fool.
- Ah, yes! I wanted to tell you something. – Kese sat up and took a deep breath. – I'm going to Konoha in about two weeks!
Fukasaku gaped and dropped his cane. – What?
- Yup! We finish our work soon in a week or two or three, I don't know yet, and then I'm going with one of my co-worker, I'm saying it once again, to Konoha! - the toads stared at him, then smiled happily. Kese raised his index finger. – But! I'd like to ask you to do, I mean, to not do two things. First: do not tell anyone. I want to go there as myself: the blacksmith Kovács Kese. I want to meet them like this, not like the shadow of someone they once knew. Second: I might catch their attention because I look like me, so do not come to me or summon me for a few months. Okay?
- If you want this… - Fukasaku sighed with a smile on his lips. – Alright then.
Kese left Myoubokuzan soon after this, and returned to his apartment with Gamashiro. Poor little toad couldn't leave him easily. He was clutching to him so strong, Kese felt like he had glued himself to his clothes. It took almost an eternity to convince him that his summoner would be alright and they would see each other soon. The blond made him promise to not stalk him, and after he granted the toad's wish for a hug, Gamashiro disappeared with a few sad sobs.
The blond was left alone in his room. It was near the dawn of another Saturday, so he showered and went to bed. He was so exhausted: he had hunted two pirates and a rogue ninja that night, and there were still more of them out there. He had so little time. But he would find them, one by one, and he would have Nezu for last. He wanted to end him the best he could, and he planned to catch him the next weekend. Before that, there were workdays he had to pass, oh, and of course, his birthday too. 23th October, as he had got it from his little sister.
The pendant she had given him came to his mind. He was used to leave it on his bedside-table when he went out to do bad things, be it sex or slaughter. Now, he reached for it, put it on, got comfortable on his bed and fell asleep quickly.
He had his that dream again, but it wasn't as scary as it had used to be. He was walking in the mist calmly. He couldn't see anything, but he kept going. He heard the kindergarten teacher's voice somewhere, but it faded away, leaving a sad expression on his face. Then Kese heard his name. He couldn't say whether it was a man or a woman, but he definitely heard it. He reached towards the source - and grabbed a handle. He smiled. He opened the door in front of him, and grinned. He grinned because he saw the stone faces carved into a mountain: the stone faces of his "home" village, Konohagakure.
Tesseineko was so flooded with whiteness it would have made a better village hidden in mist than Kirigakure. No one could see farther than a few metres, and it was worse at night. But for a hunter, it was great, for it hid him from his prey and from prying eyes.
Kese was hiding in the shadows near the harbour, waiting for the right time to go to the rendezvous point. He had learnt the remaining pirates and rogue ninja had called a meeting. They didn't have the courage to gather after the destruction of their ship and deaths of their comrades. But two months after that they finally had, so they had contacted the pilot and told him to go to Tesseineko to discuss further steps. Tetsuji passed this information to the blond, and at the moment, Kese was disguised as his blue-haired friend, planning what and how to do when finding them.
He was startled out of his thoughts when someone grabbed his shoulder and made him turn. – Ahoy, Tetsuji! I thought we lost you! – a man with shaved head and a lone blond braid behind his left ear greeted him with a tight hug. –Coming too, eh? – "Tetsuji" replied with a nod. – Alright, mate, let's go.
Kese felt a little embarrassed, but the fact the other man recognized and greeted him so friendly implied that he was indeed on a good trail with a good disguise.
- You know, I was thinking about something. – Kese spoke, trying to imitate Tetsuji's local accent. – Why didn't we meet a week ago or two? I mean, we could-
- Thirteenth, Tetsuji.
- Thirteenth? – Kese asked, then remembered the pirates were superstitious. The previous Saturday's date was 13th of October. – Of course. How could I have forgotten?
- We waited for it to pass, just to be sure. – the man chuckled. - But we also waited for, khm… – he whispered. – … our shinobi, and a certain person to show up.
- A certain person? - they turned a corner and entered an alley. Kese recognized that place: they were heading towards the same warehouse he had found them in two months prior. – Who are you talking about?
They stopped in front of a door. – You, Tetsuji. – and after this, the man knocked melodiously.
'Fuck the what?' Kese forgot to breathe and blink until the door opened and they stepped in. There was a small room with another door, and when they entered, Kese finally got to see his remaining targets, who greeted him happily.
All the pirates saw was their pilot standing riveted to the spot, slightly gaping, his eyes questioningly scanning them. He got even more dumbfounded when some of them went closer, and the man he had arrived with put his arm around his shoulder and squeezed him to his side. – Alright, lads! The captain's here!
And they shouted his name. Kese was so drawn into the situation he couldn't stop blushing. He almost lost control over his transformation technique, so he quickly regained his composure.
- After that good-for-nothing Gorou, we decided to choose a sober leader. – the man who led him there spoke. – Sober, you get it? Haha! So, what do you say, capt'n?
- I… did not expect this. – he freed himself from under the pirate's arm, remembering the pilot's attitude towards them.
- Really? But you were the highest rank among us!
Kese acted innocent, as he didn't know anything. – Were?... What happened to the others?
- You don't know? But I saw you… Hey! - the man stepped back from him. - I saw you on the Suzumebachi when she left that evening!
- What evening?
- The evening she sunk. – he pointed at the blacksmith. – And you were on her, too, and drunk!
The silence in the warehouse felt like a scythe. A huge knot grew in Kese's stomach as every pirate and rogue ninja eyed him from top to toe. 'Damn, will I be exposed? Keep calm, and act like Tetsuji wo- Oh, I got it!' – Me?... Drunk? – a bit lighter silence followed his words. – When did you ever see me drunk?
The many faces around him became clear from suspicion, and a second after that, the pirates burst into laughter. - Of course! You never drink! That's why we chose you, capt'n!
Kese had to step away from under that man's arm again. He had been thinking about something since they had announced him captain.
Those pirates must have known Tetsuji didn't really want to be one of them. He didn't want them to be alive at all; he had even asked the blond to eliminate his fellows and had been helping him in this since then. If he wanted to deceive his hooded helper he would have done it already. As for Kese himself, it would be an opportunity if he played along. What could he not do with a crew of pirates behind him? Anything. If he wanted to be a pirate at all, but he didn't want to be one. But being their captain would mean he could kill them anytime. He would have an easy way. But he knew he would fail sooner or later, because unlike Tetsuji, he didn't know them personally, and as a captain this would give him away. Later, he would be found by the Mist shinobi, and he couldn't risk that. So two options remained for him. One is to unleash hell and getting lost of them by engaging in direct battle in that certain warehouse. This would attract pretty much attention right away, and he might end up in one of Kirigakure's prison cells. And because he didn't know those men's fighting potential he didn't know whether he could get away or survive at all. His second option was to act like Tetsuji would and step out of the situation the traditional way, even if he got humiliated. This would mean he would lose this chance at putting an end to them. 'Or not?', he asked himself.
The bald pirate with the blond braid looked at him confused. – Capt'n?
- No. – he received many frowns. Kese inhaled and prepared himself for some rough opposition. – I won't be your captain.
'That sounded really Tetsuji-like.', he patted himself in his mind. A short silence of surprise followed his words, and right after that, angry shouts and curses rose and merged into one loud bluster, completely overwhelming the air.
'Maybe this wasn't a good idea', he scolded himself for that and for the annoying suffix at the end of his inner sentence. He could have continued that for a lot longer, but his shirt was grabbed by the man he had come along with. – What the fuck do you mean by this? – he hissed aggressively into his face, bearing nothing of his kindness from before.
- I don't want to be your captain. All I want is to live my own life, in peace. So leave me al-
With a growl, Kese was thrown to the ground. Then the man grabbed his feet and dragged him across the floor. He couldn't understand what the pirates were shouting at him, but it wasn't anything near good.
He was dragged outside and released. Once he stood up, he was punched and shoved to a wall. The pirate grabbed him again. – I always hated your cowardice, Tetsuji! – the man spluttered into Kese's face, and he tried to turn away from it. - You want to live your own life?! Then go and live it until you are still in one piece!
Kese tilted his head. – I can't say the same to you.
The pirate's eyes widened and his face distorted. His mouth opened to say something as he stepped back, clutching the redness on his stomach. – W-wha? – he stuttered, and this was his last word. In the next moment the hidden blade pierced into his throat and then the pirate fell.
As if he felt another presence, the blond turned towards the entrance and saw a man with widened eyes. He rapidly turned on his heels, but before he could have warned the others, he was pinned down. Pulsating redness followed the bloody blade as it was swiftly pulled out of his neck and stabbed into his back, piercing through his heart.
Kese stood up and glanced around. There was no one near. After all, he was in the most deserted part of the village. He undid the transformation jutsu and pulled up his hood. 'Now or never', he stepped into the warehouse, then closed the door behind him. 'Time to finish this!', he made a few hand-seals and soon thick mist gathered inside the walls. He heard surprise and scare growing in their rowdiness. He smirked: they were certain the mist shinobi have come for them. But little did they know something just as bad was present.
Kese sneaked into the main room of the warehouse and stopped for a moment to call for his other senses. The Kirigakure no jutsu he had just used confused chakra sensors and those with certain doujutsu because it was sheer chakra - but it did not affect those senses which didn't rely on this energy, like Eagle Vision.
He could see all of them. The rogue ninja prepared themselves immediately. Their experience and knowledge of iconic Land of Water techniques told them to turn their backs to each other and create an defensive formation. One of them risked revealing his position by ordering the pirates to do the same, but it didn't really matter. Their enemy didn't need his ears to locate them.
Although they couldn't see him, Kese suddenly felt like he was being watched, but he didn't know from where. He hushed his worry about it and made five shadow clones. They might be enough to do it quickly for the mist he created wouldn't last long. He tried it out only a few times at Myoubokuzan, and he hadn't mastered it yet.
He moved as he had to: swiftly, quietly and ruthlessly.
The pirates went first. They were scattered and easy targets, and although they were greater in numbers than the rogue ninja, they didn't take more than a half minute. They were stabbed and cut on vital points, their last screams tensing the remaining men. The blond gathered a few kunai and shuriken from the corpses and took out some of the rogue ninja. Only three stood left, and he finished all of them at the same time, the same way. He sent clones to distract them, and after that with a single blow for each one of them, he was done. Just in time: the mist was dissolving.
- I hope it was really the last of them! – he sighed.
He wasn't as glad as when he had defeated Gorou. He was satisfied with his work, of course, but he was so fed up with them his success couldn't move him. In addition, he still felt like he was being watched. He checked the room one more time to make sure he was the only one alive there. Lastly he had his clones disappear then he headed for the exit to lock it then clean up and disappear.
He shuddered when he reached for the handle. A strange feeling or more like a creepy whisper crawling up on his body told him danger was waiting for him on the other side. He immediately rushed back into the main room and started climbing up to the broken windows. The whisper didn't cease, shouting at him to get away as fast as he just could. He pulled his body up to the same window he had used to get in two months before. He hid for a moment and waited for the many mist shinobi to run by, while listening to others trying to get inside the warehouse. Only four remained on the rooftop in front of him, three facing towards the entrance, one to the other side, towards the village. He grabbed this chance and climbed out of the window. He moved like a swift cat, not making any sound. Not even the lonely ninja had noticed him before the blond knocked him out with a stranglehold. After this, he quickly and silently climbed down to street level and disappeared in the shadows.
He sneaked his way out of Tesseineko and into the forest, heading for Kirigakure, believing no one followed him. But a little later he had to realize something was odd, really odd. The wind was slightly blowing but the leaves didn't move at all. The air was ice-cold but he couldn't see his breath. His steps didn't leave footprints in the mud. His back was itching, and no matter how much he scratched it, it felt the same. In addition, his stomach clenched, his scar tingled and that goddamn whisper didn't want to leave him be! He stopped and looked around, switching on his other senses. He gasped and stepped back in fear.
Everything was glowing in red. The leaves, the trees, the ground, the air. Everything. 'How can the whole fucking world be my enem-… Wait… Oh no-no-no, goddamn it! Am I trapped in a genjutsu?!'
He closed his eyes and concentrated on his body's chakra flow. It took him some minute to notice the disturbance in his head which was the source and indication of the illusion he was in. 'How long have I been under this illusion?', he wondered before he blocked the flow of his chakra into his head for a second then resumed it again, just like how Emiko had thought him. As the genjutsu dissolved, he opened his eyes and gulped. 'It's been pretty fucking long.'
He was still in the warehouse. Sitting on his heels, his arms tied back, a gag in his mouth. His hood rested on his shoulders and his face was exposed to the dozen mist shinobi around him. They were examining the corpses. No one was looking at him. 'If I am quiet enough, I ca-'
- Don't move! – he heard from behind him and felt the cold and sharp blade of a kunai on his neck.
He froze when he recognized that voice. It belonged to the blue-haired shinobi who brought him to Kirigakure. He slowly turned his head and glanced up into Choujuurou's gaze. It didn't bear his usual timid look. The ninja stood self-confident and serious, eyeing him with disbelief and disappointment as he commanded him once again.
Kese obeyed. He couldn't do anything but obey. There was no escape. They had caught him, he was in their hands. He wasn't cautious enough. What was waiting for him now? He didn't know and didn't dare thinking about it. All he could do was hoping the shinobi of the bloody mist wouldn't execute him.
Congratulation, you've just finished Sequence 5: "Bloody mist" OvO