Sorry for the longish pause, I've been busy surviving the winter. :D

norhternlion196: This. This is the kind of review that makes writing all of this worth while. I'm glad you like the story, and I'm thrilled to see that someone this insightful is reading Divergences. I really hope you'll stick with this and keep dropping reviews like this one, because they're awesome!

As a military fortification, the Hidden Mist village was second only to the Hidden Stone. Nestled within the gaping maw of a ruined volcano, the village was protected from all sides by the crater's walls, the still bubbling heat below being the source of the permanent mist...that and the water that slowly trickled in from the other volcanic lakes, some of which were still active pools of lava back when the village was founded.

The atmosphere within the village itself was oppressive. No matter how long one lived in the village, not being able to see more than a few feet in front of you kept you on edge. Add the fact that the village was known for the common internal conflicts, and it wasn't much of a surprise that even the most experienced of Kiri jonin hastened their step while moving through the mist.

High above, watching over the green treetops and the white mist cloud, was the Mizukage's palace. Towering above all other buildings in the village, it was a magnificent example of eastern ninja continent architecture, being sturdy, large and intimidating.

Even further up, at the building's top, was the Mizukage's office. During the reign of the Yondaime Mizukage, the once 'charismatically' decorated office was now virtually indistinguishable from any other part of the palace. Or at least it was until one set foot inside.

Yagura rarely left his office. Unless he was eating, sleeping or training, he was inside of the office, overseeing the village and handing out missions with practiced detachment. He hardly bothered to remember their names... Only Chojuro, Ao and Gaishiki were of any importance.

One was the village's tactician, one was the sole remaining swordsman, after Raiga decided to defect much like his two predecessors, and the last one was Yagura's right hand man. All three were away from the village right now, handling their missions, or in Chojuro's case, training.

Having them away from the village wasn't favorable... Especially with the news that had only recently arrived from the Land of Sea. Apparently, a minor ninja village there was all but shut down by Zabuza Momochi, the same man who had sworn to bring the Mizukage down. While they had little solid intelligence on the Demon's whereabouts, it was expected that he was now moving towards the Mist itself.

They couldn't stop him... The Land of Water was a vast area, an archipelago with too many potential hiding spots. There was little doubt in Yagura's mind that the rogue swordsman would reach the village one last time, intending to do the same thing he failed in doing all those years ago. The thing was, much like that time, his efforts would all be in vain. As the fourth Mizukage, he couldn't afford to die to some rogue swordsman, no matter how strong or driven the man is.

Sending out orders to what little ANBU he kept in the vicinity of the office, Yagura sat back down into his chair, finally feeling that he was alone once more... well, alone might not be the best word. The three-tails was still there, curled up in the back of his mind, as silent as always. It was so long since they last spoke...

But that wasn't important... Isobu could wait; Zabuza couldn't.

The Demon was a liability long enough. If he was coming back, he'll be coming with only one goal in mind, no doubt dragging that bloodline user along with him. He only needed to set up a trap for him, to cut off any potential escape route. After that, it would be a simple, straight-up fight...

Yagura was very good at straight-up fights.

In the end, it was situations like this that he took up the title of Mizukage for. He was the one strong enough to protect the village from threats, those from without as well as those from within.

He wasn't much good at it at first, of course. The bloodline-possessing clans would cause trouble, refusing to hand over the children for behavioral adjustment... that or they'd simply rebel for one reason or another. He'd hardly have to draw on the three-tails' power for such minor incidents.

Rogue ninja, however, were somewhat more interesting... They knew how to really hurt the village. Not by torching buildings and slaughtering shinobi that belong to minor clans, but by striking out at those very few competent men... Rogue ninja targeted the swordsmen, the village council (a pointless governing body that he had long since disbanded) and even the teachers...

Killing a man... that was simple. Anyone had the power to kill a man. Killing a nation, however... that required something else.

Did Zabuza have it? The strength needed to threaten the village? Was he not just another broken man, holding onto his dead dreams, trying his hardest not to fade away into insignificance? Perhaps he was just another joke, another pretender. But then again, he was a swordsman of the Mist, and that counted for something.

Maybe he would show up with that demon at his back, that unearthly force that he called upon as a last resort. It wasn't a bloodline, but a curiosity... Still, even curiosities could be dangerous to the village. As Mizukage, it would be irresponsible allowing such dangers to roam free any longer than necessary...

He should have chased after the man himself... he should have ignored Gaishiki's request. The Mist was strong, it would have rebuilt itself without his help... he had made it that way, for Kami's sake... And yet he still stayed, following the words of a foolish advisor. He had no choice... his real advisor was away, handling his personal business...

If only he was here... he'd know the best way to handle Momochi. He'd get rid of the problem quickly and painlessly... maybe not painlessly. Pain was a fitting punishment for treason; pain and death.

Finding himself more on edge than usual, Yagura stood up, walking towards the window. Watching the village was usually soothing, and he had hoped it would be so this time as well. It wasn't.

What was this feeling... Excitement? Anticipation? It was so long since he could cut loose and use all of the power at his disposal, after all... Or was it concern, fear even? Not of the Demon, no... Zabuza was hardly a threat to someone as him, but to the village...

The moment he sets foot in the hidden Mist, Zabuza Momochi would be signing his own death warrant. This was the Mizukage's decision.

The Land of Water.

Zabuza smirked as the boat he had hired neared a familiar island. It was the island furthest from the main island, a popular spot for pirates, vagabonds and all other kinds of lowlifes that frequented the fringes of the swordsman's homeland.

Of course, stopping at that very island would be foolish. While they believed themselves sneaky, the pirates of Indigo Isle were in actuality the most spied-upon faction in the entire Land of Water. Every shinobi had to do at least six months undercover there to qualify for the title of jonin. However, that was back when Zabuza was making the title... things have probably changed since then.

Still, staying at the Isle would be an unnecessary risk. Instead, they'd dock at the island of salt, a smallish, heavily forested island that used to be a popular spot for spice smugglers back when the first Mizukage was leading the village. Now it was mostly deserted and ignored, a premier location for a wanted man to catch a day or two of rest and preparation.

He was still unsure of whether he should allow Haku to take part in the fight. Sure, the boy's skill with his bloodline had increased exponentially over the past weeks, and while he did well enough in his spars with the Nadeshiko princess, he still wasn't ready for a real fight... He probably never will be.

Besides, the boy was distracted by his little girlfriend. It was a clever tale he spun for her, one that kept him as the good guy, but gave him free reign to do any dirty work that they might come across. It kept her tame as well, aside from a few hateful glares, Zabuza had no problems with the young heiress.

"Two days." Spoke Haku.

"That soon?" The girl asked in response.

The boy nodded. "The quicker we get to the Mist, the better. We don't want to be caught off guard."

"Heh... I get the feeling that Kiri ANBU aren't very sympathetic towards bloodline bearers..." She trailed off.

It was actually fascinating, how good they were at pretending as if he wasn't even there. The girl probably did it to make it easier on herself... Haku was doing it to keep the lie alive.

Part of him didn't want to force the boy to do anything... after all, it was his goal to kill the Mizukage. When he had started, Haku wasn't a part of the equation. Now, however, he might be the trump card necessary to secure the victory... But would he do his part correctly, distracted as he was?

No... it was Haku. He was nothing if not dependable. Even injured and distracted, the boy would still have his back better than anyone else...

Soon enough, they had reached the island, the three shinobi departing. The ferryman, a retired fisherman who spent his days drinking and fishing in order to earn enough for more drinking, slowly disappeared into the distance, heading towards the next island. He got half his money already, but the other half wouldn't be handed over until he sent someone else to ferry them over to the same island.

He didn't question the instructions, though. Ninja were bad trouble on the best of days, and the sole reason he took the job was because he was sick of the miserable rates he was getting for his standard haul... Eventually, need overcame reason, and here he was, paddling towards the next island.

They needed to swap ferrymen for each island from now on. If Yagura sent people to track him, it would take them more time to find his trail this way. Eventually, every ninja can be hunted down, at the cost of time or men... Zabuza only needed a little more, just enough to reach the main island.

It was an unspoken agreement between them. Haku and Shizuka would gather wood and set up camp, while he himself would hunt down something to serve as dinner. While friendly conversation was noticeably lacking from those meals, they still served their purpose.

Gulls were easy enough to catch with a shinobi's arsenal. All it took to bring them down was a well-aimed kunai... Still, some of the damn birds were more aware of their surroundings that your average jonin, which made the hunt take longer than was actually necessary.

As he was coming back to the campsite, cleverly hidden just at the edge of the beach, Zabuza couldn't help but reflect on the road that had led him up to this point...

He was supposed to die in the Wave. Sharingan Kakashi was a superior ninja on that day in every way possible. He wasn't fucking around, as evidenced by his willingness to crack out the lightning blade. Coming into that fight, he simply wasn't ready for something like that. By the time he was ready to get serious, it was too late, Kakashi's hounds having buried their teeth into his flesh.

Haku was supposed to die in the Wave. As far as he knew, no one survived a direct hit from the lightning blade... It was only a series of conveniences that amounted to the boy's survival... The attack from the mysterious shovel-wielding bounty-hunter, Amane's willingness to help out, and the fact that, for whatever reason, Kakashi tried to fix the damage he had done to the boy.

In reality, the whole affair with Gato was one big clusterfuck.

After that, Kisame and the Uchiha. Their organization, the 'Akatsuki'... A bunch of S-Rank thugs fighting for world peace... Who bought that shit? You don't get to be S-Rank unless there's something seriously wrong with you, or unless you went through more shit than any human, ninja or not, should ever go through. To think that people like that were fighting for world peace was, simply put, absurd.

Still, training with Kisame, if only for a week, reminded him just how serious the final clash with Yagura was going to be...

Heh, at least he had the shark-man's blessing... for all the good something like that would do...

"Haku." He spoke, fixing the boy with an even stare.

Wordlessly, the Yuki signaled the girl to stay put, walking over to the opposite side of the camp, stopping in front of the swordsman. When he spoke, he did so in a whisper.

"What is it, Zabuza?"

"Will you be helping me bring Yagura down, or will you and the girl make sure no one interferes in the fight?"

He could have eased the boy into it, but that would be a waste of time... besides, it would ruin the image of the ruthless criminal Haku had so carefully constructed for him...

oOoOoOo

Despite his injury and gentle soul, Haku was one of the most naturally talented shinobi ever to come from the Yuki clan. While the statement would be fairly hard to prove, mostly due to the short supply of living Yuki in the world, the likelihood of it being true was unbelievably high. Not only did he hold his own against Shizuka in each of their spars after they had put some distance between themselves and Nadeshiko, but he'd also somehow managed to keep his lie as her reality.

He didn't enjoy lies, just like he never would enjoy killing. However, that didn't stop him from being damn good at both...

As they disembarked from the sorry little fishing boat, he took a moment to watch as the elderly fisherman struggled with the long paddle for a few moments before suddenly and swiftly shooting towards what looked like the open sea. He knew that the next island was just beyond swimming distance, but neither the darkness of night nor the oft-appearing fog helped break the illusion of a vast, open body of water.

As usual, Zabuza disappeared, most likely heading out to hunt down something to eat. Ever since Nadeshiko, it was like that; They'd simply divide the group with Zabuza on one side, and Shizuka and himself on the other. It was the price of the lie he was so stubbornly keeping...

Perhaps it would be easier to admit everything... to simply cut his losses and tie her down again. Sure, she'd hate him for it, but he wouldn't have to be on his guard all the time. Would that be the better solution?

"Hmm..."

Busying himself with menial work didn't help for very long. It was only a matter of time until the troubling thoughts would be back for another round.

"Shizuka." He began, turning his head slightly towards the girl. As far as he could see, she was busy setting up a full campfire; while a stack of wood would work just as well, he understood the reason why she went with the more work-intensive option.

"Hm? Yes?" She replied, snapping out of her comfortable, work-induced daze. Withdrawing into her own thoughts was something she caught herself doing more and more frequently. It went against her training as a kunoichi to drop her guard like that, but she didn't really care so much. The two of them were prisoners, so there wasn't much either could do.

"What do you think will happen when this is all over?" The boy asked.

"Well..." she trailed off, considering the question seriously, "maybe he dies? It'd be one of the more favorable outcomes... if we manage to find your family, that is."

"But if we can't?"

Finding them would be tricky, mostly because 'they' were nothing more than words meant to mislead. He needed to show a brave face, someone who would be willing to do anything it takes to protect her and 'his family'...

She frowned, looking away and saying nothing.

Sighing, Haku turned his attention elsewhere, only to notice Zabuza appearing out of the forest, his prey dangling from his shoulder. Gulls again... perhaps he got too used to the luxuries of varied meals in the village, managing to forget the problems of living life on the run.

Having to eat the same things every day, hiding from ANBU, bounty hunters and hunter-nin, the feeling of isolation... Strangely enough, the closer they got to the Mist, the less prominent those problems became. He didn't know if it was because the problems they now faced were greater and more pressing, completely overshadowing the minor issues, or simply that the proximity of their goal is making it easier for them...

"Haku." Beckoned the swordsman from the other side of the camp, having retreated there the moment he handed off the birds to the two of them.

Shizuka immediately reacted at the sound of his voice, the way she always seemed to do, but he waved her down. The more worked up she'd get, the harder it was for him to keep the charade up... He held it up for this long, but it was only a matter of time until it all came crashing down.

Making his way over the damp ground, stepping into Zabuza's side of the camp, Haku came to a stop in front of the swordsman, lowering his voice before speaking. "What is it, Zabuza?"

" Will you be helping me bring Yagura down, or will you and the girl make sure no one interferes in the fight?" The question came out quickly, the swordsman refusing to waste words easing into the topic.

Truth be told, Haku was glad that he didn't beat around the bush... If he was to keep selling the lie, he needed to keep interactions to a minimum...

But the question wasn't an easy one to answer. On one hand, he had been practicing every free moment he had, drawing out increasing amounts of power from his bloodline; on the other, he couldn't handle anything more than basic sparring.

Sure, he could run, dodge and leap... but he couldn't do it for long. It would only be a matter of time until his lungs started to sear, the regenerated tissue unable to handle the same amount of stress and use as it could before the lightning blade. If the Yondaime Mizukage was as good as Zabuza said, he'd need only a moment to completely remove him from the fight...

No, if he was to help Zabuza in the fight, he needed to wait for the perfect moment, the one crucial opening that could help decide the outcome of the inevitable battle. Even though he did doubt his decision, Haku answered with confidence and determination.

"I will not be fighting at your side, Zabuza. I will bide my time, waiting for the moment to strike." He declared, still keeping his voice low.

Zabuza smirked, his expressions no longer obscured by the bandages. His wardrobe had changed significantly since the Wave, the bandages and warmers traded away for scraps of armor and a vest looted from the fallen ninja of Nadeshiko.

While he'd appreciate the standard jumpsuit and vest he wore as a ninja of Kirigakure, his current getup was just as combat appropriate, if somewhat less fitting for stealth work... It didn't really matter, as he wasn't going to sneak up on the boy anyway.

"Spoken like a true ninja." He said, rather bluntly, turning his eyes to the girl, "What about her?"

Haku seemed to hesitate for a bit, completely unsure of the girl's readiness to help. "She... won't interfere."

"Hmph." The swordsman grunted, motioning for the boy to leave.

"Shall I bring your food over once it's done?"

"Yeah...sure." He trailed off, focusing more intently on the girl.

Bringing her along was a gambit, that much was obvious. She could help, but she could just as easily ruin the entire endeavor... Then again, the endeavor in itself was one big-ass gambit, so he wasn't risking all that much...

He did his training, he has the goal. Soon enough, it was just going to be him and Yagura settling their grudge, the fate of the Mist on the line.

They weren't particularly good odds, but he liked them anyway. After all, you never fight as fierce as you do when your back is right up against that wall, death itself waiting on the sidelines of the battle.

Another smirk came to his face and, for the first time after a long while, Zabuza was convinced that what he was doing was the right thing. Now all he needed to do was wait.

It was morning, a thin layer of fog drifting lazily across the sea. The sky above was riddled with clouds, few and far in between right now, but sure to become a furious storm if given time. If they time it right, the storm may hit on the day he attacks the village.

Somewhere in that fog, the Mist was waiting. It was the last stop in this journey of his, a journey that had lasted far too long to justify. The wide world had him for this long, but now it was time to finally come home, to be the demon the Mizukage needs to face, to cut away the lies and idiocy that had suffocated the village for years.

Something stirred on the water's surface, the silhouette of a raft slowly appearing in the fog. As the minutes went on, the image became clearer, the brownish mass turning into the weather-worn raft that it really was, the elderly ferryman leaning on the paddle out of necessity as much as habit.

Ever so slowly did the wooden structure approach the shore, waves casually washing over it, leaving sickly green weeds and white traces of foam and salt on the surface. The ferryman didn't seem to mind the waves, his feet long since numb to the repetitive sensation of oncoming water.

As soon as it stopped, both Haku and Shizuka stepped on, their camp now little more than bits and pieces scattered along the beach. They ignored both the swordsman and the ferryman, leaning against the raft's fence, eyes turned longingly to the fog and the islands beyond it.

"Drop the Henge. Now." Spoke the swordsman, effortlessly bringing the massive executioner's blade to the ferryman's neck. Whoever had used the transformation jutsu was skilled, but it was obvious that it wasn't a tool they used all too frequently.

The elderly man smirked, straightening up in a way his apparent years wouldn't allow, his image slowly fading and blurring, being replaced by the composed visage of a middle-aged man with an eyepatch over his eye.

"She was right. You are that good." He spoke in an even, serious tone, completely ignoring the blade at his neck.

"Explain." Demanded the man on the other side of the sword. If the man even twitched, he'd tear out his throat, promise be damned. He wouldn't lose everything when he was this close, not over some idiot who came after him alone.

"Many wish the Mizukage dead, master Zabuza," the man began with an air of confidence about him, the situation going about as well as he predicted it. Nobody else, except maybe the leader could keep their cool well enough to survive this exact scenario, so he naturally volunteered for the task.

Ao wasn't a man who took many risks; if he was doing something, he knew exactly how and why he was doing it.

"I've come here to help, to lead you into the village via the waterways."

"Bullshit, the waterways were carefully watched even before the coup."

"It is our people who are doing the watching." The man replied, letting the slightest trace of a smirk into his expression, "you'll find that entering the village can be much less of a bother that before."

Lowering his blade slightly as a gesture of goodwill, Zabuza asked the one question he could, given the situation. "And who exactly are you?"

"We're the people who planned for this, master Zabuza. We've been planning this for years."

I can finally say that the next chapter of Book 1 will be the last.

The big fight between the Demon of the hidden Mist and the Yondaime Mizukage will close out this first story arc, the first of the divergences making a difference in the timeline.

The interlude book I mentioned with Deidara and Sasori has been moved forward, between books 3 and 4. On the plus side, Book 2 will have a weekly update schedule!

Finally, a question:

Is there something you always thought belonged in a Naruto fic, but never saw it? What is it?