Seeing three Leaf Shinobi take their seats amongst what was left of the Hidden Mist's foundation was surreal, and Rei wasn't going to miss a second of it. Kakashi and Headmaster Iwa did most of the talking, going back and forth over what the Third Hokage was willing to concede to, and what the foundation needed to get back on its feet.
"Unfortunately, the Land of Fire isn't going to be a viable place to harbor you," Kakashi said apologetically. "Lord Third is already going to be in hot water when the Mizukage discovers that Utakata was…waylaid. We can't take the chance of him discovering that you have the Leaf's support until we're all ready to strike definitively."
Headmaster Iwa agreed. "Does he have any suggestions?"
"None that pleased him." Most of the Shinobi nations were still staggering, still recovering from the war. There weren't many that willingly worked with one another. The Land of Rivers was a possibility, as was the Hidden Rain. "At least there, anyone searching for you would have to cross the Land of Fire, or they'd have to sail all the way around the Land of Tea. There would be a better chance of us getting advance notice to you."
"Travel is going to take some time, especially since we have non-Shinobi with us," Headmaster Iwa mused.
Kakashi nodded. "If it makes a difference, Lord Third is willing to assimilate the nobles into the Hidden Leaf Village. New identities, backgrounds, everything. It'll be easier to hide them as civilians than it would be to hide Shinobi."
Headmaster Iwa had all but collapsed in relief. Several of the nobles they'd brought with them had small children. "Our debt to your Hokage grows with every word out of your mouth. We'll find a way to repay him one day."
It was agreed that Tenzo and Yugao would shepherd the noble families back across the Land of Fire circuitously until they reached the village.
"Who is this pursuit group coming after us?" Koichi asked. "If you've the Hokage's permission to work with us, what's the point?"
Kakashi ran his hand back through his hair, considering his answer. "After the Uchiha massacre, different factions in the Leaf made themselves known. Some of them oppose the Third. He's benevolent and merciful, and they think that makes him weak. Take it from someone who knows: he's anything but. So there are a select few of us with his trust that operate outside of the normal bounds of Shinobi protocol. Everything that Yugao and Tenzo and I have done for you falls under that category. The pursuit squad coming after us is essentially doing it for appearances, so that Lord Third can report that he did all in his power to stop you. But make no mistake. They don't know about my special orders. They will try to take us down if they catch us."
Before the two groups divided, Tenzo approached Headmaster Iwa respectfully and offered him a tightly bound scroll. "This scroll contains the body of your murdered swordsman and his weapon. The bodies of the other Mist Shinobi and their belongings are Sealed there as well. Take them with you with the Leaf's condolences, apologies, and support."
Overcome by emotion, Headmaster Iwa could only nod, misty-eyed.
Sachio chose to return to the Leaf, heavy-hearted. The Mist was closed to them now, as was any chance of rescuing his son. It had been a long shot from the start, but having the possibility snuffed out with such certainty brought a new kind of pain.
When the sun sank behind the horizon, lighting the snow-covered city with brilliant streaks of orange and pink, the Mist Shinobi went one way and the nobles went another.
"You don't have to accompany us," Headmaster Iwa assured Kakashi. "We're capable of protecting ourselves."
"I know," Kakashi replied. "But my mission won't be complete until I have confirmation of where you've decided to settle. And it'll make me feel better if I know you've gotten there safely."
Over the course of their five-day journey through the western Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers, and part of the Hidden Rain, Kakashi and Niko Sensei never said a word to one another, which Rei supposed was for the best. Koichi never really stopped talking about anything and everything, and Utakata remained the quiet, serious presence that Rei was used to.
The Hidden Rain Village had control of most of the Land of Rain, and the small nation still suffered greatly. It had been decimated during the Second Great War decades ago, and the Third had done it no good. Rei could see the towering greyscale buildings miles before they actually reached the border of the village.
"If I'm being completely honest," Kakashi said quietly as the sky grew heavier with storm clouds. "I don't think that this place is much better than the Mist, and it's going to be really important that you stay under the radar at all times."
Utakata glared at Koichi a little. "We're so good at that."
"Hanzo of the Salamander is still Village Head, correct?" Headmaster Iwa had brought their group to a stop. Thunder rumbled overhead.
"Mhm." Kakashi's comfortable confidence seemed to drain from him a bit as he looked up at the village's architecture. "I wish you'd reconsidered staying in the Land of Rivers."
"We discussed this," Headmaster Iwa rebutted. "There just wasn't enough assurance of the shelter that we'll need to regain our strength. If Hanzo accepts us as refugees, at least we know that the Mist won't be able to waltz through the Rain's gates and ambush us."
"That's an awfully big 'if,'" Kakashi murmured. "The Rain is known for being tight as a drum."
The closer they got to the village, the more uneasy Rei grew. This land was so desolate and grey, and the rain that had begun pelting them didn't detract from the depressing atmosphere.
"We're being watched," Kakashi said lowly, just loud enough for them to hear, at the same moment that Rei spotted chakra networks on the outskirts of her consciousness. They were doing a really good job of keeping their chakra suppressed, and Rei had trouble counting them. "Get ready, because they're probably going to ambush us."
Leo growled low in his throat, and Niko Sensei set a firm hand on the dog's head, quieting him. "How many?"
After a moment of subtle surveillance, Kakashi said, "At least twenty."
They fell into silence, all of them quietly reaching for their weapons. Rei's heart thundered in her ears as the distant chakra networks grew brighter, nearer. The watchers knew they'd been detected. The travelers fell into a loose circle formation: Headmaster Iwa and Kakashi nearest the watchers, with Niko Sensei and Leo just behind to the right, Utakata to the left, and Koichi and Rei closing it at the rear.
Headmaster Iwa straightened his flak jacket. "Diplomacy it is." He tucked his kunai into a pocket discreetly and held out both hands in the universal I'm-not-a-threat gesture. "We are here as refugees from the Hidden Mist," he said loudly and clearly. "We seek asylum from Lord Hanzo of the Salamander."
A stunning young woman dropped out of a nearby tree, rising slowly. Even from twenty feet away, Rei could see the way the woman's entire body shimmered with unspent chakra. "Hmmm," she purred, stepping towards them, secure in every step through the puddles. "Lord Hanzo certainly doesn't accept just everyone."
The other Shinobi in hiding were close enough now that Rei could make out the individual nodes of their chakra points, but still their bodies remained hidden. "We'd be grateful for the chance just to speak to him," Headmaster Iwa reasoned. "We have a proposition that he may be very interested to hear."
"And what might that be?" The woman had come within touching distance of Kakashi now, and she reached out slowly with an outstretched finger with the intention of touching his face. Without flinching, he snared her wrist before she could and thrust it away from him. She almost seemed to pout. "I was just curious about that eye that you're keeping so carefully covered," she said. "There's no chance that the Kakashi Hatake felt it prudent to visit our little village. And with a group of Mist refugees? No," she declared suddenly. "You all are more than that. I sense…" Her eyes snapped to Rei suddenly, who nearly dropped her kunai with the force of her surprise. Koichi moved a few steps in Rei's direction, clearly making a silent statement. "You have kekkei genkai among you. And… something else. Something very powerful." Her smile for Headmaster Iwa was snake-like, threatening. "I think Lord Hanzo will see you after all."
As they were led through the streets of the Hidden Rain Village, Rei realized exactly how spot-on Kakashi's statement had been. This place was every bit as bad as the Mist, at least in some respects. The fear was almost palpable in the air. Homes were shuttered closed, very few walked the streets, and Shinobi seemed to stand guard on corners, maybe waiting for a crime to take place, Rei mused.
"Don't stray," their guide advised. "Visitors are not welcome. If you leave the group, I can't promise that we'll be able to find you again."
"Well," Koichi said, eyebrow raised. "How comforting."
The rain soaked every inch of them. The Rain Shinobi were dressed for it; their uniforms repelled the rain flawlessly. Many of them wore rebreathers over their mouths, prepared to jump into the lake that surrounded the village at a moment's notice. Rei hadn't heard much about this nation, but their similarities to the Mist were becoming more and more apparent with every block they passed.
"I hope we're not trading one dictator for another," Utakata all but whispered.
Hanzo of the Salamander lived in a tower at the very center of the village, and as they neared it, their guide said, "Prepare to be disarmed. Lord Hanzo does not permit any weapons in his presence."
Niko Sensei nearly stopped, but kept walking after a moment. "Headmaster," he murmured. "Are we really going to leave…it…with them?"
Headmaster Iwa nodded. "We must. Our choices are almost non-existent at this point, Niko. As much as I wish there were another way, or another place, the Rain will give us the security we need."
"As long as Lord Hanzo will accept you," Kakashi added.
Upon entry of the tower, they were immediately stopped and relieved of all weapons, their headbands, and their flak jackets. They were also told to empty all pockets. "Any use of Jutsu is strictly forbidden within the confines of Lord Hanzo's tower," their guide told them as they placed all their worldly belongings on a table near the entrance. Three different Rain Shinobi began to rifle through it all. "Don't worry," the woman assured them. "Everything will be exactly as you leave it. We of the Rain are people of honor. You'll now be searched before being granted an audience with Lord Hanzo. Follow your handlers' instructions and I will return for you shortly." Leo whined as they left him with their things.
Being 'searched' sounded a lot more innocuous than it turned out to be.
Rei got a bad, sickening feeling when she saw that they were being led into a room very reminiscent of a hospital, with beds and privacy curtains. "Lord Hanzo's orders are for all visitors to be searched for hidden weapons or materials before entering his presence," the woman assigned to them said cheerfully, snapping on a pair of latex gloves. Three other Rain Shinobi stood as guards along the far wall.
Koichi went first. He disappeared behind the curtain with the woman, who instructed him to open his mouth, then narrated her actions as she looked in his ears and nose and ran her fingers through his hair. A moment later, in the most sugary-sweet voice, she told him to disrobe. There was a pause, and then Koichi said, "What?"
"The process includes a cavity search," she replied in that same tone. "Set your clothing there, then grasp onto that rail with both hands."
Rei's head swam and her vision blackened for a moment. No no no no no…
"Uh, Sensei?" Koichi called questioningly, almost pleading.
"We'll all have to do it, Koichi," Niko Sensei admitted, leaning against the nearest wall. "Think of it like the fitness exam we have to take to get our Shinobi registration renewed." He looked to Rei, then cut his eyes away quickly.
"Okay. I need you guys to talk out there about something." Even as he spoke, Rei could keenly hear unbuckling, unzipping. "Distract me."
They all looked blankly at one another for a second, then Utakata said, "Mashed potatoes."
Kakashi tilted his head in confusion, and after a moment, Koichi's voice came from behind the curtain. "Someone tell me that he fell over. Tell me that he's— AHHH, God!" A few choice swear words followed that Rei had never heard come from anyone's mouth before.
"You're cleared, young man," the woman said. She exited from behind the curtain to dispose of her gloves.
Koichi was still pulling his wet shirt back over his head when he came back out. He went immediately to Niko Sensei and shoved a finger in the older man's chest. "That was nothing like the fitness exam." Then he turned to Utakata. "Why aren't you paralyzed?"
"That was the one benefit to being captured by the Leaf," Utakata answered easily. "All Seals, including that ridiculous one: gone."
The woman brandished another pair of latex gloves. "Who's next?"