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Chapter Text

This was not the way their mission was supposed to go .

Zabuza Momochi thought irritatedly as he hurried through the forest. Their mission had been simple on paper- infiltrate the Hidden Leaf, find their Yellow Flash, and kill him quickly and without detection. However, nothing had gone according to plan. As soon as they neared the village, the air filled with an ominous, thick tension. And then, out of nowhere, there was an explosion and the Leaf's legendary Nine-Tailed Fox appeared. 

Instead of a stealth assassination mission, their objective became 'avoid being hit by its attacks' and 'avoid being crushed in its rampage.' Zabuza had seen many things and faced many opponents in his thirteen-almost fourteen years of life- but witnessing the rampage of a beast such as the Nine-Tails was something unique to him. The demon's size and power had caused even him, the "Demon" of the Hidden Mist, to be startled upon seeing it. Had he not been so intent on staying out of sight as the Leaf's shinobi battled the creature, he would have liked to fight it himself in order to gauge its strength, although it was more than clear to him that he was no match for the beast.

So, this is the level of power that the Mizukage wields?

Zabuza's brow furrowed and he quickly leaped to the side to avoid being struck by one of the Fox's enormous feet. Its growl echoed in the air, causing the leaves to tremble, while each enraged step of the monster shook the earth. If the Fourth Mizukage contained this same level of power, he would never stand a chance against him. 

He braced for impact as the monstrous Fox tilted its head back and gathered chakra in its mouth. Once the ball had grown to an enormous size, he directed it at the Leaf's precious monument where its Hokage were immortalized. He waited for the impact, for the rumbling, for the loud crumbling of rock and the screams of those crushed below- but none of it came. 

The attack seemed to, from his perspective, pass through the monument harmlessly. When he strained his eyes to see, he discovered a large seal pattern in the air as if acting as a shield. Then, moments later, a deafening explosion sounded far into the distance, paired with a bright burst of light. 

Zabuza had an idea of what had just occurred, but he couldn't be sure. Not yet . He needed confirmation.  

He continued to avoid the beasts' mindless rampaging and advanced until he, while still unseen, could clearly see the figure of their target: the Leaf's infamous Yellow Flash, and their Fourth Hokage.

In the flesh…

Zabuza and his teammates had separated when the beast had appeared, hoping to have the good fortune to come across the Yellow Flash during the mayhem, take advantage of the situation, and kill him without incident; and he had been the one to find him. 

He reached back for his sword, hesitating briefly as he surveyed the damage already done to the Village by the monster. Could he contest with this target, when he could so easily counter the beast who had done all this? He gripped the handle of his blade firmly and narrowed his eyes. Regardless of the odds, he still had to try. 

However, as he focused once again on the Hokage, Zabuza realized that the man was already engaged with someone else. At first, he mistook the masked man as one of his own comrades though understood quickly that it was not. And then, the pair of fighters vanished.

Gone? Just like that?

Zabuza growled under his breath and released the hilt. He knew of course what was said of the Leaf's Minato Namikaze. He was well aware of his ability to bend time and space to his will and teleport in an instant. It was, after all, what made him such a threat that many had tried to assassinate him before now. Zabuza glared at the empty space his target had been and set to getting as high as he could. 

The Fox was now occupied by a rather pathetic-looking group of Shinobi, but he did not care to watch as their miserable lives were snuffed out. He slipped by unnoticed, as he liked it, and found himself at the top of the monument. 

He scanned the Village below, searching through all of the chaos, panic, and fighting, but could not find the Hokage. He cursed under his breath. Moving along from the highest places while out of sight to continue his search.

They couldn't have gone far. There must be limitations to his range.

His search yielded nothing but more destruction to witness and he cursed once again from his new hiding place. His target must be here somewhere. He couldn't have teleported them outside of the village, could he? Zabuza clenched his jaw and turned his head toward the direction of the Fox.

It was being forcibly pushed back- backward and to the edges of the Leaf's border, seemingly by a single figure. He could not tell who, but his hand itched to take hold of his sword to slash, knowing it must be another valuable target in the Leaf. 

His attention diverted to the familiar figure that appeared, now above the Fox and on the back of a giant toad. It crushed the fox under its weight, stunning him long enough for the Flash to teleport it away with him. 

Again?

He frowned but was quick to follow the explosion and light that indicated the beast had launched another of its devastating attacks. He willed his legs to carry him faster still as he envisioned the kill. Soon, the Fox came within his sights once again and emerged from the forest and into a clearing. Strange, golden chains sprung up from the ground to form an invisible barrier while also trapping the Nine-Tailed beast. Zabuza stared only briefly at the feat before turning his gaze within the barrier.

As anticipated, the Flash was at the center, though Zabuza was unsure of the figure he was with. They had long, bright red hair, and though the person seemed to be injured, the golden chains connected to their back, and Zabuza understood- at least a portion of the situation. When he saw a spectral, horned figure appear a moment later, his suspicions were confirmed.

One of the Uzumaki survivors. Zabuza narrowed his eyes as he was still unable to cross the barrier. An alter appeared before the pair and the Fox struggled against the chains that bound him. He roared and thrashed, then worked one of his arms free to attack. Rather than fight, the two used their bodies to shield the alter. A single, large claw of the Fox pierced their torsos, entirely puncturing them both with a spray of blood before his eyes. One held breath later, the Nine-Tailed Fox was gone, and the pair dropped to the ground.

Eerie silence settled all around and Zabuza looked around cautiously for any Leaf Shinobi that might approach their Hokage, though none did. They’re too slow. He thought to himself as he rushed forward. His pace slowed in front of the bodies and he frowned again as he examined the gaping wound of the Hokage. He muttered a curse and took several of the Flash’s effects anyway- it hadn’t been his kill, but he had been present when he died, and if he brought proof of the death with him, the fifteen-billion-Ryo bounty was his . As he collected the kunai of the fallen Kage and what remained of his cloak, the second body twitched and a wheeze of a breath came from her lips.

She’s alive?

Zabuza moved around to crouch in front of the woman. Her eyes were hazy and each breath was a small, sharp gasp as she reached out her hand weakly toward the alter. Her lips moved in silent words, and it was then that he looked closely at the alter.

Its candles had gone out but, nestled inside of the cushion in the middle was an orange, squirming bundle. He stood to approach it and his eyes widened at the tiny infant inside. On its stomach was the dark marking of a seal that gradually faded, and the small, weak, helpless child whimpered in its poor sleep. 

He glanced back at the woman with her arm still weakly outstretched, and he- hesitantly- picked up the bundle to bring it to her. He set the infant on the ground beside her and her desperate expression lifted into a small smile. She managed to draw her arm back in to wrap it around the newborn as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“...son.” A hoarse whisper came from her bloody lips. “M-my son…”

I see… Zabuza looked at the blond corpse, then to the woman and child. The Flash had a wife… and this ugly, blond-headed thing is his child.

“...le…” The woman tried to speak again, struggling to raise her voice loud enough for the man to hear. “...p…lease…take care… my son.” She coughed and blood spurted from her lips, staining the blanket that bundled her child. “H-his name… is… Naruto.”

“What?” Zabuza furrowed his brows. Had he heard this woman right? She wanted him to… take care of her child? His expression shifted into a frown.

“...please…” Her thumb caressed the infant’s cheek and her eyelids fluttered closed. “...keep him… safe…”

The last of her strength left her and she went limp. Zabuza stared at the redhead for a moment, then two, and he could not help but see the face of another woman superimposed over hers in his mind.

“Zabuza, my dear son… don’t be sad… we’ll see each other again… in the next life.”

He blinked the memory away and scowled. How long had it been since he had remembered that day? How long since he had heard her voice? He shook his head to clear his thoughts, though they remained clouded.

…Just the ridiculous request of a dying woman.  

Zabuza frowned down at the child, staring at the small boy. It was ridiculous. This boy’s dying mother had asked him , a stranger- a foreign assassin- to take her child? To… raise it? What a ridiculous notion. 

He stood and took a step away, feeling no shame in wanting to leave him with his parents. He’d soon die and join them, after all, being so small and helpless. It would be a much easier existence than if he were to bring the boy back with him to the Mist. There, he was sure to be raised in the most hellish environment. And, if the boy was found by his fellow villagers, he could live under the care of someone far more capable than himself.

He took another step away but cursed when the child squirmed and cried. It was a quiet cry, the unmistakable cry of a newborn, and he found himself unable to stop from looking at the boy still cradled in his mother’s limp arms. Once more he saw the face of his mother and heard her final words. 

He took a step toward the child and looked down at the boy. It was for the best to leave him here, either to die or to be saved by his village. The Mist under Lord Fourth’s reign was far too cruel for any child to endure as he had, and yet, the plea of the Uzumaki woman echoed in his mind.

Zabuza closed his eyes briefly to think, piecing together the events he had witnessed, and then opened his eyes to look at the child. He knelt in front of the orange bundle, moving the blanket enough to see where the seal had once been prominent, and then he chuckled under his breath.

“So, he’s the Leaf’s new, precious Jinchuriki weapon, is he?” 

The infant’s eyes cracked open and looked up at him as if holding his gaze before his eyes sleepily closed again.

“Fine then, Uzumaki woman.” Zabuza’s lips curved in a faint smirk as he lifted the bundle into his arms. “I’ll gladly take this ‘ Naruto’ off your hands. I know just what to do with him.”

Chapter Text

Zabuza was feared- yet given due respect- by his comrades and superiors, but he still maintained his sense of autonomy… mostly. He had mastered the art of walking the very fine line between the role of an obedient assassin in the Mist's Anbu, and the role of someone who wanted to dismantle the chain of command and recreate the village as he saw fit. As a result, he often was able to get exactly what he wanted, without suspicion, by simply manipulating those around him. He kept a clear vision of his goal in his mind at all times though he was painfully aware- especially after witnessing the incredible destructive power of a Tailed Beast- that he had far to go if he were to go through with his ambition. Of that, he was entirely sure. 

He glanced down at the infant in his arms as he silently ran toward the location his team was meant to rendezvous. He had expected the child to be more of a nuisance, being so young, however, so far the child seemed to be lulled to sleep. Zabuza was not going to complain about the quiet- as he much preferred silence to loud, irritating, distracting sounds- though he knew it would only be a matter of time before the still-pink-faced whelp woke and shrieked in hunger. 

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the child did just that. His small blue eyes opened and his expression twitched until it contorted in a soft but desperate cry. 

Zabuza scowled at the noise, glaring at the infant as he slowed his pace and found a secure position. If anyone were around- or even tracking him from the site of the fallen Hokage- they were sure to hear the cries and give away his position. He hurriedly leapt from branch to branch to the top of a tall tree and scanned the area. He still had a ways to go before he reached the sea, and to the rendezvous point, so there was not much to behold. He strained his eyes and saw a small village in the distance, then adjusted his course to it.

The child continued to cry and whimper despite his attempts to growl out a 'shut up' and cover the infant's mouth. The baby didn't like that even more than he didn't like his empty belly, and Zabuza was forced to duck behind a tree. No matter what he said or did, the child would not be soothed. Zabuza cursed again, pacing as he glared at the baby.

It wasn't the child's fault that he was crying, Zabuza knew, just as he knew that it wasn't his fault for not knowing how to care for a child. However, knowing either thing did not resolve the issue at hand which was the newborn's wailing. The extent of his knowledge of infants was that they existed in a perpetual cycle of eating, sleeping, and soiling themselves. The idea of taking care of the third problem was something Zabuza rather not think about. As for sleeping, well, the child had just woken from a lengthy nap and he didn't seem keen on going back to sleep anytime soon. That only left hunger as a possibility, though Zabuza had precisely none of the means to provide milk for the blond gremlin. 

Zabuza considered each of his options- quickly because he didn’t have the luxury of time- with a frown. 

Though the child had the potential to be a powerful pawn of his, it could be far more trouble than he was worth to the assassin. As the son of the Yellow Flash, a survivor of Uzushiokagure’s powerful people, and as the Jinchuriki of the Leaf’s coveted and dangerous Nine-Tailed Fox– the child had potential as a hostage, as well. Oh, what wouldn’t the Leaf do or give to get such an asset back? The thought brought a slight smirk to his face.

Yes… he could turn in the Fourth Hokage’s bloodied cloak, collect the fifteen-million-bounty for himself, and then turn around and ransom off the whimpering whelp to the Land of Fire at any cost he could imagine. Ownership of half the land? Bleeding them dry of every single Ryo? Requiring the Daimyo to kill himself and he, Zabuza Momochi, was given the authority to choose a new Daimyo that he could easily control? The opportunities were many and the limitations near-endless.

However, Zabuza’s smirk twisted into a scowl as he thought. If he went to the rendezvous as he was, infant-in-tow, his teammates would ask questions . They would demand him to leave it behind or outright kill it, as it would slow them down and serve no purpose. It would be simple to convince them to allow the child to return with them- if only he divulged the child’s true identity, They would be all too eager to bring the infant back as a trophy, laying claim to part of the bounty with the insistence that they had all taken out the Flash as a unit and stole his child away. But, Zabuza had no intentions of splitting his bounty money- though he hadn't been the one to kill the Flash, either- or handing over the child. The Mizukage would be pleased to have the child to strengthen Kirigakure, to further secure his own reign, and that in and of itself was something that the teen could not allow to happen.

No. He needed this child for himself. Without this child, his plans would fall through and he would not have sufficient power when he made his move. Zabuza looked down at the child, realizing he'd gone quiet, and found him sucking on his own small hand. His brow furrowed and he let out a breath.

Now decided, he continued toward the village quietly and quickly as the child occupied himself, and found himself at the outskirts of a small farming community. There were no more than ten buildings in this 'town,' with one of them clearly dedicated as a shrine to their local god and another as a warehouse to store their goods. Zabuza cared for nothing there and would have continued on his way if he were alone, but he had remembered something important. Something that would greatly change things.

Most of the 'town's' people were occupied working in their fields, harvesting before the autumn shifted to winter. Good. They were good and focused, which meant that they would be even less likely to notice his presence. He stayed hidden in the outskirts, following the shadow cast by the thick forest, until he spotted what he had hoped to see– animal sheds. After glancing in each one, he chuckled and slipped inside one.

It was a small space, though he could get inside easily. The mother goat inside was not pleased to see him, but a quick press to a particular cluster of nerves on her neck and she was unconscious. Her twin kids were confused when their mother went limp in the hay, but Zabuza moved them aside to place the infant at her utter in their place. If living in the lowest caste of Kirigakure had taught him even just one thing about caring for a baby, it was that mothers without milk or fathers of newborns whose wives had died in childbirth commonly used goats' milk to feed their children. It was seen as primitive in this age, but as a child, he had seen it save many a starving, motherless baby's life. 

The hungry baby awoke at the smell of milk, and, after a moment of rustling his head around, eventually latched onto the teet and began to drink contentedly.

"There. Finally quiet, you little brat?" 

Zabuza leaned against the shed's side, searched through his pouch, and ate a ration pill. He kept careful watch through the shed door and listened around them, in the event any villager happened to come near. His expression twitched into a frown as the confused kids sniffed at the infant suckling their mother, but Zabuza was quick to prop his foot beside the child when the animals tried to push the baby out of their way. One low growl and the two small animals backed away to hide in the shed's back corner.

“Heh. Skittish.” Zabuza chuckled quietly. He liked it best when both creatures and people knew their place and recognized whether or not they were predator or prey. He tapped his finger on his leg as the minutes passed, then exhaled and shot a look at the infant. “Are you finished yet, brat?”

The child, though, had fallen asleep while suckling, and a stream of milk dripped from the corner of his partially opened mouth. Zabuza watched the infant’s chest rise and fall for some time, noticing the subtle twitching of his small expressions in slumber, and then looked away from the child. He reached a hand out to pick the child up so that they could leave, to take advantage of his sleeping, though Zabuza drew his hand back again. Perhaps… they could afford to stay a few moments longer. 

So far, Zabuza hadn’t noticed anyone pursuing them, though that could change at any time. However, with the Leaf still in ruin from the Beast’s rampage, and many of their civilians and likely a good portion of their fighting force. The death toll alone would be a serious blow to Konoha, and the shock of losing their Kage might put any pursuit of the missing newborn on hold. Or, even better for Zabuza, the sheer devastation could mean that they had no one left to spare for a pursuit mission as they dealt with their wounded and dead.

Zabuza, in his cautious confidence that they had time to spare, closed his eyes to take advantage of the quiet and consider his next steps. He knew for certain that he wanted- no, he needed- this child’s potential power on his side, and he also knew that he had to ensure complete secrecy of the child’s identity. If word got out, the Mizukage would take the child away, and he would, at best, be branded a traitor for keeping such an asset hidden away for himself. 

He had no doubts that his secluded home was far enough from the Mizukage’s grasp or watchful eye, and that the child could be hidden there, but the fact of the matter was that it was an old building he had taken residence in. It was an abandoned, once-family-operated, boat-making business that had been bought by a wealthy foreign power and shut down. It would need repairs before it was fully secure for a child to stay and not escape from. Then, the problem of fulfilling the child’s fundamental needs. Hygiene, clothing, and a source of food were the most important things, though as the child grew, he would need to be educated in order to become an effective weapon.

His brow furrowed as he made a list in his head of each necessity, ranked by both priority and difficulty to obtain. Of course, buying all that was needed seemed simple, though he needed to obtain supplies for the child without arousing suspicion. 

Zabuza groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. The logistics of caring for an infant was tedious and complicated, and something he should have done before deciding to take the child with him, he thought. He closed his eyes to think some more, and then the corner of his lips curved in another slight smirk.

"So, the solution is something like that, then?"

Zabuza took out a small scroll from his pouch, tossed it up, and then caught it again. He glanced at the slumbering child, turned the scroll over in his hand, and smirked.

He emerged from the shed some time later, glanced over his shoulder briefly to its interior, and then flickered away.

Zabuza drew in a deep breath as his feet finally touched the Land of Water’s territory and gazed out at the islands before him, extending far into the horizon and his peripherals. For most, returning to one’s homeland would produce a sense of comfort or release, but not for those of the Bloody Mist. There was a tension in the air that prickled the skin, almost palpable, though unseen. There was a saying, only uttered in whispers for fear of repercussion amongst the lower caste that the perpetual mists that hung in the air were tied to a curse– a curse that corrupted the minds of the Kage and the people alike, filling them with bloodlust. It wasn’t unusual for superstitions to emerge in dark times, under cruel regimes, though such things were hardly spoken aloud. The Mizukage’s temperament was unpredictable, and no one was protected from his wrath when he snapped.

Before he could take a step forward, a presence stimulated his senses and he turned to look at the figures who emerged from the water behind him.

“Zabuza Momochi… you’re a day late.” One of the assassins chuckled.

“We figured you for dead.” Another added, sheathing his weapon.

“I could say the same of you.” Zabuza’s brows furrowed and he looked between his comrades. He noticed, of course, that there were fewer than their mission had started with, though it was to be expected after encountering such a major deviation from their plans.

“Failing our mission was almost worth seeing the Leaf crushed so easily underfoot.” One flashed a sharp-toothed smile. “Who could have predicted that their Tailed Beast would go on a rampage at such a time?”

“Perhaps,” One assassin licked his lips. “it’ll be war soon. They’re vulnerable, after all. It would be all too easy to wipe them out, once and for all.”

“You’re forgetting about the Flash.” A quiet agent commented. “Any invasion will be difficult with his techniques.”

“Not even the great Yellow Flash of the Leaf could repel the entirety of the Mist’s forces when they’re so devastated.” 

“Perhaps Kiri will make a temporary alliance in order to strike at once on multiple fronts.”

“Perhaps.”

Zabuza watched them converse around him for some time before he crossed his arms. 

They aren't aware that the Hokage was killed. He suppressed a small smirk. Well, their ignorance suited him just fine. If they hadn't witnessed the downfall of their target, then none of them could protest his claim to the kill.

"Well?" One man turned his intense gaze on the teen. 

"What?" Zabuza watched him carefully.

"You looked oddly pleased." The man tsked. "Have you forgotten that we are sure to face the Mizukage's ire?"

"I think he'll have enough to be pleased about." Zabuza replied. He wasn't about to reveal his hand to them, but he understood that their 'failure' had still reaped some success.

"You report to the Mizukage by yourself, then." Another assassin hissed. "Perhaps he'll kill you quickly for returning with news of failure, rather than gutting you and letting you bleed out."

Zabuza glared. "Even if our mission didn't go as planned, we all bore witness to the Leaf's destruction. Anything we can report on their losses or damage will be valuable to Lord Mizukage."

"Hm…" They looked amongst one another.

"The boy's got a point."

"If we play our cards right, we can spin this in our favor." Another man scratched his chin and nodded. "Yes… I think this will work."

They turned to begin walking away but glanced over their shoulders when he remained in place.

"All talk, boy?"

"Don't want to face the Mizukage after all?"

"I'll be right behind you." Zabuza clenched his jaw.

"Aw, does the widdle guy need to take a leak?" One man chuckled, bending slightly to meet the teen's eyes.

Zabuza kept his gaze matched with the man's. "Unless you'd like me to soak your sandals right here."

There was a moment of silence before the senior agent laughed, smirked, and patted his shoulder. 

"Fine, then; take a piss. But you'd better be there when we report. If we're given hell, you have to be there with us, Demon ."

He clenched his jaw tightly, watched them leave, and then he turned to flicker away. 

There was a small, forgotten village of the poorest of the lower caste, exiled in all but name to one of the nation's smallest islands. Though it had once been volcanic, it had poor soil, which made it difficult for the people unfortunate enough to grow any crops for themselves. They relied almost entirely on fish, mussels, and crabs in the surrounding waters to survive, though never went to bed entirely hungry. In the past, the Mizukage had ordered raids on the island, for its small population had been open and vocal of their disdain for his regime. As a result, the island's numbers had dwindled dangerously low. In recent years, they had remained obedient and quiet, due to the fact that most of the husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons capable of fighting had been eliminated in the last assault. Those who remained still harbored a hatred for the nation's administration, though they did so quietly. 

Zabuza walked through the muddy paths of the quiet village, covered in a thick blanket of fog. It was quiet, though that was typical, but still he could hear the residents going about their businesses in hushed tones. He had little interest in the women taking turns diving down to harvest mussels, or those who were making repairs to small boats or fishing spears– rather, he walked down a craggy, narrow pathway to where a cluster of homes had been carved out of the rock in the caldera. 

The smell of sulfur lingered faintly in the air, despite the many ages that had passed since this small island had once been an active volcano, but he moved silently through the fog to walk into the Burrows.

It was dimly lit by candlelight, but he knew his way. There, in a large, round room, was a group of children of various ages, and several women with them. Two of the women were the oldest residents of the island, skilled in using whatever weeds or algae that managed to grow to create medicines or tonics. The third woman was the main caretaker of the village's children, but she was also skilled at making and repairing traps for catching crustaceans. 

Silence fell as soon as the teen entered the room and the caretaker's face paled in recognition at him. She stood instinctively in front of the children without a word, understanding his reputation all too well, until one elderly woman called out to him.

"What do you want, Zabuza Momochi? Is it an infected wound?"

"I'm afraid we're out of bitter algae." The second senior added. "We cannot help you at this time."

"I'm not here for healing." Zabuza answered simply, glancing at the caretaker. She kept her position between him and the young ones and frowned at him.

"What do you want, Demon?"

If he were in his typical mood, Zabuza might have chuckled or intimidated her for the simple amusement of seeing someone's expression twitch and their composure rattle in his presence. Watching a person’s confident facade waver brought him some sense of pleasure, and he felt assured in the knowledge that he was acknowledged as a predator in a nation such as this when all who were weak were prey and did not last long.

“I said, why are you here, De-” She started to ask him a second time, growing more agitated, then stopped when the teen reached into his back pouch.

He relished in how she trembled and he could see the flash in her eyes of imagination– in her startled, fearful state, she had envisioned him pulling out a weapon and killing her. Or else, harming the children she cared for. He turned his gaze away from her to look down at the scroll now in his hand. Rather than answer her directly, he unrolled it, placed his hand on a seal drawn there, and channeled his Chakra. The woman gasped when, out of the small puff of smoke, an infant appeared.

“I-Is that…?”

Zabuza looked down at the baby, taking note of his breathing as he slept. His plan had worked perfectly, and the child didn’t seem to have any negative effects from his temporary confinement in the seal. He gripped the blanket carefully as if it were a hammock, and then held it out to the woman.

“Take it.”

“Take…?” The wide-eyed woman stared at the sleeping baby but made no move toward him. “W-Where did you…? Why do you…?”

“You will keep it here for a while. There is something I need to attend to.”

“What?!” The woman opened her mouth to protest again, then quickly shut it at his glare. After a few moments, she only swallowed and spoke quietly. “Why? Why have you brought this child here?”

“I have business I need to attend to. And that thing is a nuisance.” Zabuza’s brows furrowed. He disliked repeating himself. There were many things he disliked, but repeating himself was high on the list.

“‘Thing’?” The woman’s lip quivered and she shifted in place, then finally reached out to take the baby from him and hold it close as she muttered. “By the gods, can’t you even hold a baby properly? You’ll break the poor thing’s neck…”

She stroked the infant’s small head, running her fingers through his matted blond locks, and then froze when she finally noticed the bloodstains on his blankets. She peeked inside of the sloppily-wrapped blanket and then stared at the assassin.

“Gods… his birth cord is still attached! He’s not had a proper bath, and he’s not even dressed. He can’t even be a day old.” Her tone shifted from shock to suspicion. “Where did this child come from? Where is his mother?”

“She’s dead.”

The woman went quiet and cast her eyes down on the child. “Is he…?”

Zabuza knew what she was asking. Her expression was of disbelief, as Zabuza was young, but for those in the lowest caste whose quality of life was poorest, and whose life expectancy was short, it wouldn’t be entirely uncommon for a teenager to be a father. Still, he was several years younger than such parents, so her confusion was reasonable. He had no intention of correcting her, and she had no right to know anything about the child, after all. 

She blinked and looked back at him, cradling the child closer. "Why should I look after him anyway? We have many mouths to feed already."

"Antibiotics. Bandages. Fresh produce." Zabuza said evenly.

"What?" The woman blinked.

"Those are the supplies this town requires most, aren't they?"

"I… don't understand." She looked from the baby to the teen.

"I was never here. That child was never here." He narrowed his eyes. "Keep your mouth shut, look after it, and, when I come back for it, I'll have those items for you."

"You'll…?" She blinked, looked at the elders, and then nodded. "...Fine. I'll look after him just this once if those supplies are the reward.”

“Good.” Zabuza turned to leave and looked at her over his shoulder. “Do not let any harm come to it.”

Before she could respond, Zabuza had already strode out. Out of the Burrows, into the open, mist-filled caldera, and was about to ascend the craggy steps once again when the caretaker followed after him.

“Wait!”

He raised a brow and looked in her direction. Did she dare to protest now? What did this woman think she had the liberty to say to him?

“The child.” The woman adjusted the bundle in her arms when he squirmed. “What’s his name?”

“It doesn’t need a name.” Zabuza replied quickly.

“What?” The woman stared, then shook her head. “But, he–” She frowned and held infant to her chest. “How do I know that you’ll come back for him? How can I be sure you’re not just dumping this poor child here with us? More importantly, why bring him here?”

His lips twitched in a smirk. “Because.” His smirk grew slightly. “You share the same opinion on the Mizukage as I.”

She closed her mouth, blinked for a moment, and then furrowed her brows. “Are you someone who has… that goal?”

“I wonder.”

She bit her lip and stroked the infant’s head, nodding. “Fine; He’ll be safe with me. But you’d better get us those supplies as promised. And I don’t want anyone tracking you back here.”

“Then you’d better keep quiet.”

Chapter Text

Zabuza had expected to be late but found his teammates waiting for their Kage to see them. None of them minded much as it gave them more time to consider exactly how they would deliver their report. Despite everything that had occurred the Mizukage seemed to be in a good mood– or, more specifically, in a mood to not kill anyone– and simply listened to each detail they gave with stoic interest. 

When his teammates had given every piece of information they could offer, the Mizukage turned his icy gaze on the youngest Anbu agent. Zabuza had little more to offer about the destruction of Konoha. He stopped talking when the Mizukage's face shifted into a frown and he laced his fingers together.

"So… the mission was a failure."

None of the Anbu spoke up, nor did they dare to glance at one another. 

"Konoha in shambles, their Nine-Tails on the loose…" The Kage mused aloud. "They are vulnerable. This is to our advantage." The corners of his mouth curved in a frown. "Though, you all failed to eliminate your target."

The Kage waved his hand and turned his gaze to the scrolls that lie on his desk. 

"You might be interested in hearing what our spies have heard." He looked up at them. "That the Yellow Flash of Konoha is dead."

"Dead?" One agent muttered. 

"How?"

"How indeed." The Mizukage leaned back in the chair. "I had hoped one of you might be able to answer that question, but it seems my faith in your abilities was misplaced."

There was a moment of silence and Zabuza saw his comrades' expressions from his peripheral. They were all from the lowest caste, descended of traitors and subjugated families of annexed territories in wars past. Considering the high-profile nature of their target, and their own low status, it was easy to figure that they had been sent out without the intention of returning. The fact that there were five remaining from the team of nine was not something the Mizukage had been expecting. But, Zabuza thought, none of the events of the past day had been as planned.

“No matter. I suspect that the great Yellow Flash wasn’t up to the task of restraining the Nine-Tails. It would have been good for the Mist to have claim to his death, but there are many benefits to reap with his demise regardless. What matters now is how we use this to our advantage.”

“It was me.” Zabuza spoke up. He had intended to sound more confident but the syllables came out in a grumble.

“What was that?” The Mizukage cocked his brow and looked at the teen. “You have more to say?”

The older Anbu followed his gaze, and Zabuza could feel their stares burning into him. The Mizukage had been in a good mood, and, Zabuza knew, they were all tense at the prospect of whatever the teen was about to say next would sour the Kage’s disposition. But Zabuza had no reason to care how they felt at that particular moment, so he dared to take a stand from his kneel in line and step forward.

“It was me. I was the one who ended the Fourth Hokage.”

The tension in the air was palpable and brought a metallic taste to his mouth. He ignored the wide eyes of his comrades, only focused on watching the Mizukage's expression carefully as he remained standing tall- but very still.

"I admire your bloodlust, Zabuza, and it would be good for Kirigakure if one of our own had killed him, but you cannot claim a kill that you did not make. No one would believe someone like you was responsible for bringing down such a foe, nor-"

Zabuza growled, slamming his hand down on the Kage's death with the tattered, bloody cloth in his hand. "I. Killed. The Yellow Flash."

"The Fourth Hokage's cloak." One agent muttered in disbelief. 

The Mizukage's eyes widened slightly and he reached out to take the cloak– or, at least, what remained of it– from the teen's hand. 

"There can be no doubt about it… this is indeed the Hokage's cloak." His brows furrowed as he rubbed his thumb over the dark bloodstains that covered the 'yondaime.' He turned his gaze on Zabuza. "How did you accomplish this? Surely you don't expect me to believe that you were a match for his teleportation."

"It was easy." Zabuza lied easily and with a smirk. "I followed him while he was doing battle with their Nine-Tails. I used the situation to my advantage. When he was overwhelmed, wounded, and pathetic, I dealt the killing blow." He chuckled, closed his eyes briefly, and then opened his eyes once again. "And then, I had the privilege of witnessing his dear wife breathe her last, right there beside the corpse of her lover."

"His wife?" Another Anbu muttered. 

“They don’t call him a Demon for no reason.” One licked his teeth and smirked slightly. “Imagine how lovely her expression must have been when she saw his corpse.”

“It would seem that I underestimated you, Zabuza.” The Mizukage spoke evenly. “However, do you really expect me to believe that you managed to defeat the Yellow Flash and slaughter his grieving new widow? All without any of your comrades witnessing your triumph?”

“We split up when the Fox appeared.” Zabuza shot a glare at his comrades from the corner of his eye and looked at the Mizukage once again. “To cover more ground, avoid the beast’s attacks, and survey the Leaf. I’m certain that any of the others would have taken the very same opportunity if they had been close enough.”

“I suppose I am to believe that you took out the Nine-Tails as well?”

“No.” Zabuza resisted the urge to scowl. He wanted his bounty already, and his due respect for his false kill, and he wanted to get out of the Mizukage’s office as quickly as possible. It irked him that this was dragging out. “The Fox disappeared before I kill the Flash. It seems that, when he was wounded, he sealed the beast into himself.”

“You saw this?” The Mizukage’s gaze was unwavering. 

“I saw the Hokage perform a sealing ritual while wounded.” Zabuza repeated. “The Fox was drawn into the seal and contained. Then, I finished what the Nine-Tails failed to do.”

“Hm.” The Kage touched his chin in thought. “What of his body? You managed to bring that, I trust? Otherwise, we have little evidence to support your claims.”

“Tch.” Zabuza’s eye twitched and his fist tightened. “There were reinforcements arriving in the area. If I had the luxury of time, I could have perhaps collected the pieces of him.”

“You couldn’t be satisfied with simply killing him, could you?” The Kage remarked. “Although it’s to be expected of a demon, to act within its nature.” There was a pause and he continued. “What of his lover? You had the time to kill her.”

“She had helped him with the sealing ritual.” It wasn’t a lie, not that Zabuza cared if he lied to the Kage or not, but it did make it easier to lie when he could weave the truth seamlessly into it. “She was weak and helpless to stop me. A perfect sitting duck with tears streaming down her face.”

“I see. This is unexpected news, but certainly not unwelcome.” He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together. “For such a feat, you would be wanting some measure of commendation, correct? What would you ask for?” He held up a hand. “An estate, then? The privilege of choosing however many women you’d like from the upper caste? For you to be known as 'Kage Slayer'?”

His teammates twitched at the options, he knew, as they desired to be able to claim to some of the rewards for themselves, to elevate their own statuses. Zabuza would have been happy to press the Mizukage to give him whatever he asked for, pushing little by little to see where the line would be drawn, but he had a specific goal in mind. And, he was certain that nothing he was given would come without any risk or penalty. He’d be leashing himself to the Mizukage, and he would not go along with it.

“I want the bounty.”

“Of course; you’ll be paid for returning from your mission.”

“The full bounty.”

“And just what do you want with fifteen billion Ryo?” The Mizukage narrowed his eyes, almost chuckling under his breath. “Of course you want the bounty. Who wouldn’t?” The Kage crossed his arms. “However, I do hope you are aware that Kirigakure isn’t in possession of that hefty of a payout. Collecting the full reward will take time and cooperation.”

“Time?” Zabuza raised his brow.

“Yes. You may have our portion of the money set aside for the bounty, though the remainder was promised by those on the outside who shared the goal to cripple the Leaf– the Kazekage, the Tsuchikage, and even the Raikage.” He paused. “There have been anonymous contributions of course from the Daimyo of various lands, as well as pledges from outside sources.” The Kage leaned forward and rested his hands on the desk. “First things first, messengers will need to be sent out with the news of your defeat of the Yellow Flash to those who pledged Ryo for the bounty. From there, it’s up to the various donors to make good on their word.”

Zabuza cursed under his breath. Of course it wasn’t so simple as taking a sack of Ryo and leaving. Relying on Iwa and Kumo to keep their words? It would be far more realistic to wait for the fogs to disappear from Kirigakure or for the Hoshigaki to relocate to the Demon Desert.

"They'd be more likely to claim it was one of their own who killed the Hokage than pay up." He spoke through gritted teeth. 

"If they go back on their word once again, perhaps I should send you there to visit, Kage Slayer ."

Hah. Zabuza nearly chuckled. 'What a good joke,' he would have said, except he already knew before he saw the Mizukage's eyes that he was entirely serious. Kumo would be more likely to honor paying the bounty than the Mizukage would be to make a joke. 

"I will send missives out to our contacts about collecting the bounty payments." The Kage sat straight and waved his hand for an assistant to approach. "Once word gets out that you have claimed his death as your kill, you are going to be very famous indeed, Zabuza Momochi."

The teen's jaw clenched. While he of course wanted recognition for his 'kill' enough to collect the reward money, he had no interest in international renown– not yet. Once he had completed his goal and his ambition was within grasp, that would be a different matter entirely.  But, for now, he needed the money and he needed to keep as low of a profile as he could if he was to raise and train the child without detection. 

“No.” Zabuza spoke up.

“You changed your mind about wanting the bounty?”

“Send the missive for the bounty, but don’t use my name. For all I care, his death can just be attributed to Kirigakure in general. I just want the payment; I don’t need a target on my back.”

A pause and the Mizukage looked at him for a moment, then took a scroll and began to write.

“As you know, the Mist and Leaf have a formal alliance. In reality, it means nothing, however, it reflects well on both nations if we are seen as friendly with one another. Openly claiming the Hokage’s death will break the treaty. In their weakened state, Konoha is unlikely to retaliate– for the time being– though it’s better to err on the side of caution. I trust our correspondents to keep these messages secret, but, more importantly, I trust that those who contributed with the bounty will keep quiet if they don't want the appearances of their peace and their alliances to be shattered. To out the Mist as operating against nations we treat with would only expose themselves as well."

The Mizukage dipped his brush into the ink, writing with quick but fluid strokes for some time before he spoke again.

“It would be easier to prove your claim if you possessed the body, but word is sure to get out that the Fourth Hokage is dead. They will need to select a new Hokage quickly for stability, which is more vital since they are in a state of destruction and will need to rebuild. Konohagakure likely won’t reveal any details of Lord Fourth's death- particularly not if they are gruesome and could tarnish his reputation- and this could work in your favor.” He returned the brush to its stand, leaned back, and allowed the ink to dry. 

"Certainly a Shinobi as advanced as you for your age realizes that Konoha is aware that there was a bounty on their Kage's head. It's to be expected for any prominent leader to have a target on his back, of course. As any well-prepared Shinobi nation would, they may have some spies in the Land of Water who eventually will learn of your claim of the Hokage's death. It could take months or years, depending on how resourceful their spy network is, but, inevitably, your name will one day be known far and wide as the killer of the Yellow Flash."

Of course he knew this. He would prefer anonymity until his plans had come to fruition and he had succeeded, and chosen to reveal himself at the most beneficial moment for himself. And yet, he had taken into consideration what he might do if something went awry. He needed as much time as possible, though even several years could be enough.

"I know."

"Of course you do. I was merely stating it aloud because you would do well to remember it."

As if he could forget. The Land of Fire was one of the wealthiest and most powerful of the great nations, and Konoha was a force to be reckoned with. The fact they were weakened now did not mean that they wouldn’t or couldn’t rebuild quickly. After such great losses, it would take them several years to fully recover, but he had taken into consideration the preparation he would have to do in order to be ready to protect the child- his asset. 

Once the ink had dried the Mizukage rolled up the scroll, sealed it with hot wax, and passed it to his assistant.

"You will be summoned when we receive word back from our contacts. It should be interesting to see what the other villages have to say." He laced his fingers together. "I'm certain you were listening closely before when I spoke of our formal treaties, so I trust I don't need to remind you that you are not to speak of this mission or the bounty outside of this office."

"I thought you said it was inevitable that spies would hear of it anyway?" One of the anbu asked.

"In time, yes. However, there is no reason to speak openly of it and ensure they find out sooner rather than later."

"Of course, Lord Mizukage." The Anbu agents bowed their heads. 

"If you have nothing else to say, you may go." The Mizukage waved his hand to the older agents. They lingered for a moment of hesitation before leaving. "I will have your first payment prepared now."

Zabuza turned to look at the Kage, watching as he had started to write something else now.

The Kage hardly looked older than himself, though Zabuza knew his youthful appearance was false. In truth, he was already an adult, but the secret to his slowed aging lie in his unique position as Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails. There were some rumors that, in generations past, the Three-Tails was a tortoise god of the seas who defended the Land of Water, and that his loyal devotees were none other than the fiery-haired Shinobi of Uzushiogakure- the Uzumaki. Said to live far longer than any normal human, and possessing unnatural connections to supernatural entities, the Uzumaki had been greatly feared. At least, until they were all killed by an unknown force. They were all thought to be dead now, however… Zabuza had met the dying wife of the Flash. She was certainly a full-blooded Uzumaki. And now, he had in his possession a half-blood child of the legendary clan.

He kept his gaze trained on the Mizukage, thinking of many things and, unable to help himself, thought that the deceptively young Kage looked vulnerable as he sat there focused on paperwork.

"I must congratulate you, Zabuza. Few exist who can claim to have slain a Kage- even if they were wounded first." The Mizukage spoke without looking up from his papers and scrolls. "I'd heard of your impressive skill that fateful day and knew of your reputation, and have witnessed your skill and loyalty as one of my Anbu, but I must confess I hadn't expected this outcome when I assigned you to this mission.  You have truly distinguished yourself."

Zabuza remained quiet and Yagura met his eyes. 

"It would be a waste of your talents to leave you in the Anbu for the rest of your life, wouldn't you agree?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't impress easily, Zabuza Momochi. Killing the Leaf's beloved and infamous Yellow Flash is no small feat, and so, I would have you begin preparations to become one of our Seven Swordsmen. There are no current openings, but that allows you adequate time to improve and show how worthy you truly are for such a position."

"One of the Swordsmen?" Zabuza repeated under his breath. He liked this idea. He liked it very much.

"Of course, there will be much to do in preparation for your induction, and no telling when one of our current swordsmen will fall in combat, though being selected as a candidate is an privilege in and of itself."

"You honor me. I will serve you well; Lord Fourth." Zabuza bowed his head, resisting the urge to clench his jaw. He did not like to gravel, and he especially did not like to heap praises unto tyrants. 

The Kage's assistant returned then with his payment and Zabuza quickly counted the sum in his head. This was quite the payday and it almost made it worth praising the Mizukage. After the money had been counted and was passed securely into Zabuza's possession, the Mizukage waved his hand.

"You may go now, Kage Slayer."

Zabuza reached out to take back the Hokage's bloodied cloak and the Mizukage raised his brow.

"I didn't take you as one who sought to keep trophies, Zabuza."

"It isn't every day you get to kill a Kage." He grumbled as he returned the rags to his pouch. "And, if we are to try to avoid any suspicion of violating a treaty, having this evidence in the Mizukage's office is incriminating. If it's tracked, it's better for it to be found in the hands of an individual rather than to pin the blame on you, Lord Mizukage."

"How loyal our Demon is."

Zabuza clenched his fist behind his back.

"Is there something else you would like to say?"

"I just have one question." Zabuza furrowed his brow. "If the power of a nation is largely attributed to its tailed beasts, what of the Land of Fire now? If their Hokage sealed their beast inside of himself and then died, does that kill the beast as well?" He paused. "Will there be an invasion?"

"Not from Kiri. Not for now." The Kage replied, then paused in thought. "They are weak now, but their Nine-Tails is not dead. When a Jinchuriki is killed, its Tailed Beast will reincarnate over a period of time. However, it will be wild then, and it's impossible to determine the location where it will reappear."

"They'll be desperate to find it and bring it under their control once again."

"Yes." The Mizukage seemed to be deep in thought. "There will likely be a scramble to capture it, particularly if it reincarnates in a different land. There are many who would do anything for that power." His gaze shifted to the teen. "Though, I wonder… if he sealed the beast within himself, why did it not attempt to take control in order to save its new host's life?"

"Perhaps it wanted him to die out of hatred and spite for capturing it as soon as it was free."

"Perhaps." The Mizukage turned his back to his agent to think some more. "That will be all. You're free to go."

Zabuza had much on his mind as he left the Mizukage's office. He wasn't enough of a fool to carry around his biggest payday ever where anyone could see but his watchful gaze was mindful of those he passed, filled with a healthy amount of superstition.

This area of Kirigakure was far more civilized than others he was more accustomed to, though he was still familiar with every nook and cranny, every alleyway and abandoned building, and exactly where to go no matter what he needed. Zabuza was not dripping with charisma, and yet, he had connections in each area. It had taken him the better part of the last four years to explore each forgotten back alley or rural village and to begin forming an understanding with the most capable people he encountered- but it would all be worth it when the time came. 

It had come as a surprise at first when he had discovered just how many aligned with his ambition- his childhood perspective had made him believe at first that everyone in the Bloody Mist was of the same mind- but he had quickly learned that most were unhappy or fearful for their lives. Those feelings were all understandable, considering the lingering, strict caste system and the numerous massacres that bloodied the streets. Kekkei Genkai use was taboo in the Land of Water but, moreover, they were dangerous. Not for those without them, but for those unfortunate enough to be born possessing such powers. Even those who hadn’t manifested the abilities were slaughtered for the simple crime of being related to those who were. Occasionally, a surviving member of one of the clans would be found in hiding, and they would be quickly killed. Well, he thought as his eyes darted down to see a puddle in the middle of the street, not all of them.

His feet made an abrupt turn down a familiar alley and carried him toward an older part of the village. This wharf in particular had been here before Kirigakure was formed, though most of the original buildings of the old village on his main island had been torn down to make room for new buildings or left to crumble over time and abandonment. The dock itself was still used by those who were unable to pay the fees for utilizing the central marinas, though it was primarily in secret. Sometimes, even those who wanted to disappear would slip whatever money they had to the fishermen to be hidden underneath freshly caught seafood and then smuggled out of the nation.  Besides the business at the docks, the area was frequented by any and all young hooligans, miscreants, and troublemakers.

Zabuza crossed the threshold of a crumbling structure, walked across the algae-covered floor, and watched as a gecko skittered away to hide in a crack in the foundation. His footsteps stopped after passing a puddle of water that accumulated from the holes in the old roof. As he exhaled, the puddle shifted behind him and he drew his sword to hold it to the throat of the younger boy now standing there.

"You've gotten faster, Zabuza."

"No," Zabuza glanced at him over his shoulder. "You're just slow."

"You're still a cocky bastard." Meizu smirked and lowered his rebreather. “One day, I want to fight you for real, oh infamous demon prodigy.”

Zabuza ignored him and instead turned to look at the second figure as he too stepped inside the dilapidated building. “You’d better teach manners to this brother of yours.”

Gozu lowered his own rebreather and glanced at his twin. “He hasn’t been causing much trouble. Lately, at least.”

“Tch.” Meizu crossed his arms. 

Zabuza watched them both carefully, sure already that neither were imposters, but still he needed to be sure. 

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.” Zabuza recited in an even tone.

“And when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” The twins responded.

“Good.” Zabuza crossed his arms. “I assume you have some sort of update, if you were signaling for a meeting.”

“What happened in the Land of Fire? Usually you don’t like to linger in his presence.” Gozu asked.

“Land of Fire?” Zabuza raised his brow. “When was I there?”

“Well, well, already talking like a bigshot, huh?” Meizu scoffed. “Come back from speaking with the Mizukage and you’re looking down on us?”

“We saw you take the west route when your team left.” Gozu stepped forward to stand beside his twin. “Some sort of big operation went down, didn’t it?”

“The mission didn’t go as planned, but we did have the privilege of witnessing Konoha being flattened.”

“Oh?” Gozu paused to think as Meizu chuckled.

“So, we struck first and broke the treaty?”

“Technically no.” Zabuza trusted them as his allies, but still he decided it was best to not fully trust anyone. “The Mizukage has forbidden talk of it, but we weren’t the ones to cause the Leaf’s destruction. Their Tailed Beast was loose.”

“Loose?” Gozu repeated. 

“Not anymore.” Zabuza said. “Their Fourth Hokage sealed it, but not after it destroyed at least half of the village.”

“Seems like we missed quite the show.” Meizu’s mouth curved in a smirk. “Serves those high-and-mighty Leaf bastards right.”

“And how exactly did you manage to survive the infiltration, rampage, and seeing the Yellow Flash in person?” Gozu lowered his tone as he asked.

“Because.” Zabuza allowed himself to smirk faintly. “The Yellow Flash is dead.” Before they could ask, he supplied the answer. “I finished him off when he was wounded.”

“Well then.” Gozu thought, then nodded. “This is sure to cause a lot of interesting things to happen.”

“When everyone hears of this, we’ll have a lot of people joining us.” Meizu’s smirk grew into a larger grin. “We could have our own army and strike sooner.”

“The Mizukage does not want our involvement in the Hokage’s death to be public.” Zabuza had to say it again, and it irritated him to repeat himself. But he knew that if he didn’t reiterate, the unpredictable Meizu would or could do something stupid .

“Because of the treaty?” Gozu asked but he already knew the answer. “They’re weak now, but they’ll recover in time and we don’t want Konoha to launch a full-scale invasion in retaliation.”

“Exactly.” Zabuza looked at him. “We keep quiet about this and let them take as much time as they need to scramble around the rubble like confused rats. They’ll likely bury their precious Fourth and replace him as quickly as possible to save face.”

“You weren’t followed?”

“You think I wouldn’t have been aware if I were?” Zabuza raised his brow. “By the time anyone suspects foul play, any scent trail should be long gone.”

“I’ll bet you’re on the Mizukage’s good side now, aren’t you?” Meizu scratched his neck and chuckled. “It’d be nice and easy to sneak up on him if he let down his guard.”

“If I didn’t know better, I would say that he might trust me now.” Zabuza furrowed his brows. “He can say out loud that he’s pleased with me, but we all know that he’s going to keep a closer eye on me.”

“The Mizukage isn’t some stupid oaf. He’s not in power by mistake.” Gozu glanced at his twin. 

“I know that.” Meizu growled. 

“In any case, didn’t you two have anything to report?” Zabuza eyed the twins. They were both a year younger than him but already distinguished– as much as anyone in the lowest caste could be– for their skills. They could be a nuisance but their combined strength was something that would greatly benefit his cause. 

“We encountered someone who could be a valuable recruit.” Gozu answered. “A guy named Gengo.”

“Of course, we didn’t mention your name or tell him any details of the plan.” Meizu added.

“He’s yours to evaluate. We instructed him to meet us at the Memorial Park at the next full moon.” Gozu finished.

“Gengo?” Zabuza repeated the name. “The New Moon is close.”

“He reminded us a lot of you.” Meizu chuckled. “Except without the ugly.”

Zabzua raised his brow and Gozu only stared at his twin for an extended moment, then looked back to Zabuza.

“There seems to be something that you haven’t told us yet.”

There it was. He had known that they would ask– more specifically, he had known it would be Gozu– but he knew what he would say.

“When I was in Konoha, I found an important weapon.”

“A weapon?”

“It will take many years to prepare it and to learn how to use its power, but it will be a very valuable asset when the time comes.”

“Just what we’d expect from you.” Gozu’s expression hardly changed but Zabuza could see the shift in his eyes. There was respect and almost admiration, but more importantly in Zabuza’s mind, loyalty. “Taking down any Kage is a near-impossible feat, but there’s the Three-Tails to take into account as well. If this weapon will be so vital, then we’ll do what we can to ensure that the preparations are not interrupted.”

“Good.” Zabuza turned as if to leave. “We can’t afford to strike prematurely. There won’t be another opportunity if we’re dead.”

“That’s why we’re working our asses off to get as many allies as we can.” Meizu fixed his rebreather back over his mouth as his twin did the same. 

“The more shinobi on our side, the better.” Gozu added and his words faded into the air as the brothers flickered away.

Finally alone again. Zabuza let out a breath. This meeting hadn’t been a waste of time, but he had other things that needed to be done. There could be no more distractions for now.

“Well, well; when Kiri’s three Demons get together, there’s bound to be trouble brewing.”

Zabuza shut his eyes briefly, let out an inaudible breath, and resisted the urge to grumble. There it was, he thought. A distraction. And, not just any distraction, no. This time it came in the form of an auburn-haired Kunoichi as she stepped into the building; the unmistakable Mei Terumi.

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.” Mei recited with a slight smirk on her violet-tinted, full lips. 

Rather than reply with the second half of the code, Zabuza only exhaled again and turned away from her slightly.

“How much did you hear?”

“Oh, not much at all.” Mei clasped her hands behind her back, biting her lip as she leaned close. “Just that you’ve proven yourself once again to be very interesting.”

Her thumbs brushed against the bandages that obscured his lips and, though he avoided her gaze, he could feel his ears warm faintly.

“...What do you want?”

“What, no kisses?” Mei pouted, lowering her hand from his face. “You haven’t seen me in four months and I don’t even get a peck?”

Yep, Zabuza thought as he continued to avoid her startling green eyes. She was exactly the distraction that he hadn’t needed.

“Hmph.” Mei crossed her arms, still pouting though a hint of a smile played on her lips as she watched him for a moment. He, in turn, also watched her. 

Not because he always had trouble averting her enchanting, emerald gaze or because his eyes on their own decided to take in her features and all of the subtle differences from last he saw her. Of course, not for those reasons in the slightest, he assured himself. 

"You look well." Her faux pout lifted into a smile and she stepped toward him. "I figured you would have hit a growth spurt by now, though. Pity."

"I did ." He muttered bitterly. Since he had last seen her, he had grown quite a bit. She had always been tall for her age, and he had always been short for his, but he had thought that this time , she would be the one having to look up to speak to him. Unfortunately, as he had grown more, so had she. At least this time, the difference in height was only slight, but it was still enough to make him bitter.

"Oh." Mei stifled a laugh and traced his jaw with the tip of her index. "Don't worry; you're still just as cute as ever."

"I am not 'cute.'" 

"I remember when you were little as if it was yesterday." Mei ignored him and instead slid her hand into his, leaning her head to touch her temple to his. "You used to call me 'Mei-tan,' and follow me everywhere, wanting to train together to show me how much you'd improved."

"That never happened." He averted his eyes and cleared his throat. "Anyways, you're too close."

"And, how could I forget when you said 'Mei-tan, I promise to marry you when we're grown-ups.'"

"That especially did not happen." He frowned and shook his hand to loosen her grip. "Don't say stupid things because one day, someone might hear them and believe them." He dared glance back at her. "Another thing; don't speak as if you're so much older than I am."

"Well, I am still a little older, aren't I?" She nuzzled his face and then finally let go of his hand. Her expression shifted to serious and she twirled a piece of hair around her finger. "So… you caused some trouble in the Leaf?"

"Don't spread that around. It won't be your head the Mizukage will take."

"My lips are sealed, you know that." She brushed her lips with a finger, bit her lip, and then stepped closer to him. "Except for a kiss."

"You might be free now, but I have things I need to do." 

He moved past her as if to leave, but she touched his shoulder and instead pinned him to the wall with a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

"Killing the Hokage… I knew you were impressive." She whispered against his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair slowly. "Once you've killed one Kage, killing another should be a simple matter, right?"

"He was wounded already." Zabuza muttered and grabbed her wrist to move her fingers from his hair. Only one other person knew that he had a secret weakness of drowsiness when his hair was touched and he did not want to risk anyone seeing it.

"So?" Mei tugged her hand from his grasp and cupped his cheek. "As long as you finished him off, the claim is still yours."

“Hm.” Zabuza was all too aware of how perceptive- and pushy- Mei could be, but he knew how to get her to talk about herself and distract her. “You were away for a long time. Where were you?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Mei winked and looped her arm around his, then sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. After a moment, she groaned loudly, pinched the bridge of her nose, and then held up her hands. “They initially sent me to the far east islands to supposedly guard some struggling farmers and miners from pirates, but they ended up just using me to cover the barren fields with lava so it could harden and mix into the soil. ‘Important mission’ my ass.” She grumbled again and flicked her hair behind her shoulder. “They had me using my Lava release so much that my throat was raw and the lips were burned.” Mei touched her lips with another deep sigh. “And then, when pirates did show up, those two were the ones who dealt with them because I was so low on chakra and couldn’t speak anymore.”

“The twins?”

“Who else?” Mei crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. “I didn’t get to participate at all.” She looked at Zabuza. “That’s how they got their new nicknames; butchering the pirates with their new weapons. The water and beach are going to be stained red for a long time, I bet.”

“Fascinating.”

“It was frustrating, that’s what it was. I really wanted to get in on the action, after all the boring manual labor-” Mei cut herself off and shot him a look. “You just did it again, didn’t you?”

His lips twitched in a smirk behind the bandages and Mei jabbed his chest. 

"You always do this when you're hiding something."

"And you always fall for it." He chuckled.  "Congratulations on figuring it out in record time, though."

"You're awful." She murmured and ran her fingers through his hair again, rubbing the ends between her thumb and forefinger. "Your hair's gotten long again." 

"Not nearly as long as yours. One of these days, you're going to burn it off."

"I would never." She reached around to pull her hair over her shoulder and stroke it. "It doesn’t cause any trouble at all in a fight. Anyone who gets close enough would be melted."

"It's a liability." Zabuza mumbled, finding himself staring into her eyes as she stepped closer. His hand reached out to touch her hair. "Anyone could grab it."

"Not just anyone. " Mei's face was so close to his own that he could feel her breath as it warmed, consistent with the faint flush that spread over her cheeks. Her fingers brushed against his bandages, loosening them until his face was exposed, and a small tendril of steam drifted from her lips as they parted to close the gap between their faces. 

"Mei, the heat…" He'd started to say but her lips pressed against his anyway. Like a volcano coming out of dormancy, her face always flushed and her breath filled with heat whenever she experienced intense emotions, or if she were kissing. It usually wasn't a problem at all, he would have thought if he were not so distracted, unless she-

Zabuza pulled his head back with a sharp, hissing breath and held his hand over his mouth. His tongue stung and steam spilled from between their teeth, and he drew in a slow breath to ease the prickling sensation. 

"You did it again."

"Oops." Mei covered her own mouth and hid her slight smirk. "I can't help it."

"You should work on helping it." Zabuza touched his tongue and another small wave of stinging pulsed.

"Are you volunteering to help me practice?" Mei wiped the corner of her mouth and winked. 

"Not if you keep burning my taste buds off."

She leaned in again but this time, pressed her forehead to his. "Maybe you're just too soft?"

"Maybe I'm just human."

"Hm." She giggled quietly under her breath as a little snort, then touched her lips softly to his. "Maybe you'll build up a tolerance eventually."

"You could just learn to control it." He grumbled quietly. 

"Where's the fun in that?" Mei slid her arms around him and planted another soft kiss, then tapped her fingertip to his lips. "You prefer when I'm blunt anyway."

"Being direct is different than melting my face off."

"If you say so."

Yes, he was absolutely certain of it- Mei was the worst distraction he could have possibly encountered. 

Before either could say another word, a dizzy, green-faced man stumbled into the doorway. His hair was matted and encrusted with salt from the sea, and he gripped the cracked stone frame tightly as the contents of his stomach were violently ejected.

“Wonderful.”

“If there’s anything I hate more than drunks, it’s drunks who kill the mood.” Mei’s eyes narrowed and she put a hand on her hip and muttered. “Can I melt him?”

“Try to have a little more self-control.” Zabuza chuckled as the drunk man wiped his mouth, too inebriated to hear anything they said. The man squinted his eyes at the blurry figures in his vision, smirked in realization, chuckled, and made an obscene gesture. Finally, he left them alone, though the puddle of vomit remained.

“Well then.” Mei huffed, flipped her hair again, and turned to him. “Apparently this is not the best place to meet anymore.”

“Was this ever a good place to meet?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and his mouth twitched in a smirk.

“For secretive plotting, yes.” Mei elbowed him. “Terrible for romance.”

His smirk faded and he rolled his eyes. “Here we go again with the ridiculous ‘romance’ obsession.”

“It. Is. Not. Ridiculous.” Mei huffed and followed him out, cringing as she stepped over the vomit, and kept up easily with his strides. "How could I not want to be married someday?" She continued her thought, touching her cheek as she smiled and blushed. "After seeing how lovey my parents are, that kind of thing is exactly what everyone needs."

"Didn't your parents try to murder each other the day they met?" He rolled his eyes again.

"Pft, they haven't tried to kill each other in years ." She waved her hand. "What's a bit of playful roughhousing sometimes anyway?" She crossed her arms and made a face. "Besides, if they hadn't been assigned to kill each other, I'd have never been born."

"I'll never understand you." Zabuza moved quickly through the ruins back toward the modern section as Mei followed him.

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to understand, with your father-"

With a single look, she fell silent and Zabuza continued forward, content with the quiet. As brief as that quiet was.

"I'm just saying that you wouldn't understand a thing about romance." Mei nudged him. "The only thing you know is how to slice efficiently."

"At least you understand me."

"Ha-ha." Mei rolled her eyes and lowered her voice. "We both understand that there should be more to life than killing."

"Hm." He walked faster and went through the to-do list in his head. When she continued to follow him, he glanced her way. "I thought you said before that we should have limited contact in public until that time?"

"We're just walking together." She covered her mouth to hide a small smile. "There's nothing incriminating about that."

"No, nothing to see here." He grumbled as a pair of passersby stared at them. "Just the 'Demon' with a Kekkei Genkai user."

"Hmph." Mei puffed her cheeks and looped her arm with his. "What do I care? As long as I'm alive, to hell what they think about me." 

She watched his expression as he was deep in thought, then squeezed his arm lightly. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, exhaled shortly, and led her behind a shop to stand in the shade. 

"What?"

"I noticed you didn't tell them anything in full before." Mei moved closer to whisper. "What is this 'weapon'?"

Zabuza's brows furrowed and he crossed his arms. "I can't tell you."

"Oh?" Her lips curved in a smirk and she touched his chest with two fingers, moving them up to tilt his chin to make him meet her gaze. "Zabuza Momochi, you naughty boy… what did you do this time?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." He grabbed her hand and lowered it from his face.

"Try me." She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. "Before I erupt from curiosity."

"No." He tapped the side of his hand on her head and took a step away. "I already told you- I won't say it."

"Hmph." She stroked her hair and crossed her arms. "I thought I was the only one you trusted completely?"

"It isn't a matter of trusting you. "

"You do care." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Well, if you won't tell me, at least let me keep you company if you have errands to run."

"No." He said, firmly at first, and then he looked away. "Not this time." 

Her expression perked up once again and she wrapped her arms around him. "Don't be a stranger, Zabuza. We know each other better than anyone else, after all. I don't keep any secrets from you."

Of course he knew that, but it didn’t sway him. It wouldn’t sway him. Her status as someone with not one, but two Kekkei Genkai put her life at risk to begin with. She had been allowed to live because her abilities were deemed to be useful by the previous Mizukage, and it was only due to the Fourth sharing his opinion of her that she was still alive. She was treated with suspicion and caution at all times ‘for the good of the village,’ and being a childhood associate of the one known as ‘the Demon’ did not help her image. She was good at keeping secrets, he knew, as she had managed to keep her Kekkei Genkai a secret until the Third had somehow sensed it. It was either a stroke of luck, a good mood, or the strong impression she made in the Graduation test that had kept her alive; but still, she wasn’t immune to the risks of superstition. If she kept her nose down, stayed out of trouble, and played the role of an obedient pet, her life was guaranteed. But Mei… Mei liked to be obedient to the Mizukage just as much as he did. She had gotten good at acting the part, however, she was getting more disenchanted with the charade with each passing day.

And that was exactly the reason why he couldn’t tell her anything about the Jinchuriki boy. 

“Hey.” Mei prodded his cheek with her finger until he met her eyes. “I want to know.”

Zabuza gave a small sigh and turned his face away. “The Mizukage has decided that I’m to become a candidate for the Swordsman.”

“Really? That’s great!” Mei smiled and nudged him. “Nicely done, working your way up to get in the inner circle. Although,” She frowned slightly and her thumb traced his lips. “You’re going to have your teeth filed, though.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not really, no. You’ll just look older is all. That, and you’ll just look even more intimidating to anyone else.”

“Isn’t that the point?”

“Still. It will take some getting used to.” She tapped his lips, then raised one brow. “You know what I meant by my question before, too.”

“Give up already.”

“You’re no fun, Zabuza.” Mei rested her chin on his shoulder. “I can’t help if it’s ‘need-to-know.’”

He raised his brow at first as he reached over to move her hair from her face. For as long as he’d known her, she liked to keep it swept over her right eye, but only he knew why. As soon as the hair was out of the way his gaze fell on the small scar. It was just beneath her eyebrow and invisible unless you were close to her face, as he was now. He pressed his lips to the scar and brushed the hair back in its place. He met her eyes again, catching the pink tint color her face, and then put his hands into his pockets.

“I said I wouldn’t tell you.” He stepped away from her as she smiled faintly. “I never said I couldn’t show you.” 

He vanished in the ever-present mist and Mei’s smile grew. She reached up to touch the concealed scar and then ran her fingers through her hair. “Some ‘demon’ he is.”

Chapter Text

The woman stood on the caldera's rim and her eyes looked out as far as they could see through the veil of mist over the island and blanketing the sea. In her arms was a well-wrapped bundle that she bounced slightly as she waited and watched, and watched and waited. She stood there for some time as if expecting someone to show but no one came. She muttered a curse under her breath and started down the narrow stone path to the Burrows below. The Land of Water was always one consumed by chill from its geographic location and its mists. Because of that, her fingers already prickled through her gloves and she was certain that the heavily-bundled infant in her arms would hardly be able to remain asleep much longer.

She quietly crossed the caldera’s bottom and walked inside the Burrows. Though several homes had been built on the island, the Burrows was where the majority of the surviving residents lived. Their numbers had been so thinned from the previous attacks that it would be simple to house everyone in the underground rooms but there were still those who wanted their own space, particularly those who had lost loved ones in the slaughter.

She sighed and cracked open the door of the second nursery– where children between the ages of six and ten slept– and observed for just a moment to be sure that they were sleeping soundly. Some of them still had nightmares from the last raid, after all, and it was always a relief to see them get a good night’s rest. She let out a contented sigh and moved along to check on the first nursery– where the youngest children slept– and then continued to a room in the back.

During the day, the children too young to be put to work came to this room to play. They had few toys to share but they were content. They knew no other way of life, which brought them a blissful ignorance, but the ache in the chests of the mothers grew by the day to see how comfortable they were with their lives. She gently rested the quiet bundle on old cushions and set to cleaning the blocks– carved and polished shards of volcanic rock– to arrange them neatly in the corner. After a quick sweep of the smooth rock floor she picked up the child and bounced him in her arms. Normally she would simply go to her bed at this late hour but she had far too much on her mind. As she stared at the small, sleeping face, she couldn’t help but wonder about this mysterious blond-haired child that had been brought to her.

She stifled a yawn and decided finally to sleep. She drew in a sharp gasp and her heart skipped a beat at the shadowy figure that stood in the doorway. She recognized the figure of course, but gods , she had not heard his approach at all. After she had recovered from her initial fright, she frowned slightly and watched as he took a step into the room. She blinked in surprise at his blunt words and she could only gape.

“ What?” She had heard him, but she struggled to believe the audacity of his statement.

“I’m here for the child.” Zabuza repeated irritably. He did not like to repeat himself, and he had thought it was something one could easily glean from his demeanor. He took another step into the dark room and held out his hand for the bundle.

"I… You…” The woman stepped back and glared at him. “Y-You have no right to come here and demand that! You left this child here with me!"

"I said," Zabuza's brows furrowed. "That I would return for it."

She turned her body and held the baby close. "Why should I turn this child over to you? You've been gone so long that I thought you had abandoned the poor thing. For another thing, you're hardly older than a child yourself. I can't, in good conscience, allow someone like you to raise him. He wouldn't last a week."

"Give it to me." Zabuza kept his hand out and clenched his teeth.

"What are you going to do, Demon? Kill me and take this child from my cold arms?" She took several steps back. "This child would be better off living here with us."

"No child is better off here."

"W-Why, you–!"

"Calm down now, child." The elders gently said as they slowly entered the room. "You'll wake the children."

"Elders…" The woman pressed her lips together and let out a sigh. "This boy has come here after abandoning the child and now he demands I give him up."

"I know, child." One elder said.

"You did have an agreement with him. This was supposed to be temporary."

"B-But–!" She protested, then lowered her voice as the child started to wiggle slightly. "He didn't come back."

"He is here now." The elder walked around Zabuza to pat the woman's arm.

"He couldn't possibly care for him properly…" She mumbled and looked at the baby's face, then stroked his hair. "He's such a sweet little thing."

"The fact that he returned at all should be proof enough that his intent to raise the child is sincere." The other elder stood beside her.

"Three days." She shook her head. "Three days." She frowned again and shot a look his way. "We had an agreement, anyways. Where are the things you vowed to bring us? I won't even consider handing him over to you unless you keep your end of the bargain."

"Annoying woman." Zabuza grumbled as he glared but he took out a scroll and rolled it out onto the floor. He channeled his chakra into each seal drawn there and the woman's eyes widened at the objects that appeared. "Here are your damn supplies."

"Oh my." The first elder walked forward and examined the crate and opened it. "Why, these fruits were freshly picked. And they're a difficult-to-grow crop from the Land of Tea."

"Oh my." Said the second elder. Her eyes widened as she examined another pile– one containing several boxes of medicines and media supplies– and held up a satchel carefully to peer inside. "These are exceptionally rare herbs and roots… very expensive and difficult to come by."

"What…?" The woman slowly approached another box and, balancing the baby carefully in one arm, opened it. She looked through it and held up an item as she murmured. "This is… a children's book?" She looked into the box again. "You bought… supplies for the children?"

"As interest." Zabuza said simply and looked at the Elders. "You'd better be grateful; those herbs were hard to get."

"Why, with all of this…" One elder looked at the other.

"We could make enough tinctures and poultices to last a whole year. Maybe two."

They turned toward the teen and bowed. "We thank you, young man. Every year we lose children to the volcanic soil's toxins that poison their lungs. But this medicine you have brought us will allow us to save them."

"The children will be so happy to finally have ripe fruit in the morning." One elder smiled and her wrinkles deepened. "They've only ever had the measly leftovers we've been able to trade for until now."

"I don't understand." The woman murmured again as she looked through the children's items. Why would the one known as the 'Demon' bring things that hadn't been part of their agreement? Why would he of all people bring their children games, toys, or books? She bit her lip as she thought. They hadn't had any supplies to even teach the children to read, as much as she had tried before to write kana in the dirt for them. But with all of this… they could learn properly. She looked up at the teenager and could only stare at him. She almost asked him if he had taken so long to return only due to him acquiring these supplies, but she already knew the answer. She simply sighed and patted the baby's back as he wiggled in his sleep.

"Well, I suppose you did keep your end of the deal, and then some." She paused. "But I still don't know if it's really alright if you take him. A baby is a fragile thing, after all. You can't leave them alone for even a moment. They're completely helpless."

"Sakinami, child, you need to honor your word and return the baby to him." One elder moved to her and patted her arm again. "He isn't ours to keep. A child should be with its family."

"We don't even know if this boy is even related to him." The woman– Sakinami– stroked the baby's hair. "They look nothing alike. Nothing at all. This little one looks like a piece of the sun itself fell from the sky to walk the earth. When I think about the sort of life he might have to endure…"

"Child…" The elder said gently, prompting the woman to sigh.

Zabuza was tired of waiting. The woman's sentimentality was beginning to grate on his nerves, but she had been useful to him this time. And, he intended, she would be useful to him in the future as well.

"Hand it over." Zabuza said again and Sakinami frowned.

"Shizuhiko."

"What?" Zabuza's brow furrowed slightly.

"He isn't an 'it'. He's a precious child, and his name is Shizuhiko."

"I didn't tell you his name." Zabuza's frown deepened. This woman who had been fearful of him only a few days before was now lecturing him with nothing but ferocity in her eyes.

"You didn't give him any name at all." Sakinami shifted the bundle in her arms. "Moreover, you were gone for three days. Of course I gave him a name. Every child needs a proper name."

"It's a pretentious name." Zabuza collected his scroll and stood up straight.

"It's customary among our people to name our children after our hopes and ambitions for their future." One elder nodded slightly as she spoke.

"The little prince from the harbor." Sakinami smiled faintly at the baby. "I can't be sure why but I feel that he has an important fate waiting for him."

"'Fate'." Zabuza scoffed and rolled his eyes. He didn't believe in nonsense like 'fate.' If he did, he would have been content as a child living in poverty, never working towards his goal or achieving anything. He would have stayed in that gutter for the rest of his life until he died from some kind of typically-preventable illness or parasite, or else from starvation or being killed for what little he possessed.

No, Zabuza was sure, fate was only a lie that people told themselves so that they wouldn’t have to take responsibility for their own actions or futures. Fate was a coward’s tool used to justify remaining unchanging and holding onto their self-destructive habits. It was just another means of pointing a finger, and it was the same nonsense that most corrupt or privileged upper class spouted to excuse their opulence at the expense of others. And, what he found most irritating about the notion of ‘fate’ was when those who were clearly oppressed or suffering at the hands of others claimed that their misery was written in the stars.

“We all have a fate.” Sakinami snapped at him quietly. “No matter how much we’d like to deny it or avoid it.”

“Sure.” Zabuza grumbled. “Just give me the kid and I can leave.”

“No.” Sakinami said firmly.

“Child, you need to be reasonable–” One elder started to say, but the woman continued to speak and interrupted her.

“I will not give you this child unless you acknowledge him by his name. And!” Her brows furrowed. “You mustn’t carry him around in that damn scroll! It isn’t safe at all. It could be dropped into the sea, or burned, or sliced in half… and there’s no telling if it will harm him in any way.”

“Are you finished?” Zabuza’s brow ticked.

“Hardly.” Sakinami put her hand on her hip. “You don’t even make an effort to try to hold him properly, you hadn’t bathed him or clothed him, and you can’t possibly provide him anything to eat. The gods would curse me if I gave this child over to you.”

“This is ridiculous.” Zabuza muttered and, as the woman opened her mouth to lecture him again, he vanished and reappeared the next moment behind her, holding the orange bundle as a hammock once again. Her eyes widened at the realization and she stared down at the empty outer blankets that were left in her arm, then she turned and glared at him.

“See? This is exactly what I mean!” She looked at the elders. “He can’t be trusted with the child at all.”

“You fool. You’ll snap his neck.” The first elder tapped her walking stick on the teenager’s head and prodded his side. “Hold him in the crook of your arm .”

Zabuza was very done with these people. What more did they want from him? He had gotten them everything they had wanted and more, and now they wouldn’t shut up with the annoying lectures. The child was perfectly content to hang this way, and it was simple. But this annoying old woman wouldn’t stop poking his sides, despite how he glared and clenched his jaw. However, the baby jolted suddenly in his sleep and started to loudly cry and he, while muttering curses about them, held the baby in his arm in what he thought was a satisfactory imitation of what the woman Sakinami had done.

“There. Are you satisfied?”

“No, you brute.” The elder tapped his arm with the cane. “Rest his neck in the crook, raise your arm a bit, and support him firmly but gently with the hand on his bottom, or else he’ll fall.”

To Zabuza’s annoyance, she continued to tap him until he adjusted his arm so and only stopped once he met her ridiculous standards.

“Aw.” The elder smiled and tapped her cane quietly as the baby’s cries slowly stopped. “See? He’s comfortable that way.”

“Listen here, boy.” Sakinami pointed at Zabuza. “You must be careful when holding a baby. Their instinct is to jolt and cry when they feel as if they are falling. You need to always carry an infant so that they feel stable and safe. It isn’t good for a child to grow up feeling such distress.”

If Zabuza had been irritated before with the lectures, but now he had had enough. “Fascinating.” He muttered flatly and held the scroll to the child. “We’re leaving.”

“No, you can’t use the scroll.” Sakinami tried to reach for it only for him to hold it away from her. “It isn’t safe for him.”

“So you would prefer it scream during travel and alert everyone to our position so he will be found?”

"Found…?" Sakinami repeated slowly, and then her mouth turned down in a frown. "Why are you so concerned with secrecy? If you're his father, then-" Her frown deepened. "Unless you aren't his father? Or… is there some other reason you don't want the Mizukage to know of his existence?"

"If his ambition is to displace the Mizukage, then the child could be used as leverage." One elder murmured sadly, and the other nodded.

"Taken as a ward perhaps the way some of our own children were." The other elder turned to Sakinami. "Stolen away as your brothers were and raised to serve Lord Third."

The woman fell silent and looked down for a moment. She knew that, of course, but still she had trouble believing that this teenager- this Demon- had fathered a child or intended to raise one.

"All the more reason for him to stay with us." Sakinami said softly.

"So he can be culled if the Mizukage decides to return here and perform 'preventative measures'?"

Sakinami pursed her lips and watched as Zabuza started to leave. There was nothing more that she could possibly say because she knew their island home was not ideal for raising a child either, but her heart could not bear to part with the infant.

"...At least treat him kindly, then." She murmured. "Call him by his name and raise him well so that he need not know hunger or wanting."

Zabuza said nothing, only holding her gaze for a moment, and then he left. The woman's lip quivered and the elders each patted her shoulders as she placed her hand on her stomach.

"He's out of our hands now, child. You must have faith that the gods gave that boy the child for a reason."

"Get some rest now, dear."

Sakinami silently padded over to the supplies he had brought them and picked a box up. She no longer felt tired but she bid them goodnight and set to putting everything in its place in preparation for the morning. Her thoughts were of the small infant she'd bonded with and she sighed.

Mei Terumi was not normally a very patient person but she had become better at it over time, just as she had become good at maintaining a facade of being a loyal follower of the Mizukage. But, right now, she did not want to wait.

She had waited as Zabuza had said, meeting him exactly where he had instructed, but he wasn't there. It had been weeks since she had last seen him and he had arranged a time and place for them to meet, but he wasn't there. Mei crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently and looked around through the thick mist that lingered in the night air.

Of course, she knew he would have a perfectly legitimate reason for being late or standing her up entirely– if he never came– but she would still be disappointed. Trust and loyalty were nearly impossible to find in Kirigakure, and she felt both for Zabuza. They met when they were very young and growing up in the poorest area of the village. She smiled as she remembered the very day she had met him ten years ago. He had been trying– but failing– at trying to find his mother's sole heirloom that had been stolen but dropped by a thief during the pursuit. She had thought it was sweet the way he dedicated so much time to look and so offered to help him. He was apprehensive and suspected that she would take the heirloom and run off with it, but she had surprised him when she found the old ring lodged inside a piece of coral and handed it directly to him. Her hands suffered serious cuts from the coral but at that moment she could only focus on the relief that swept over his face at the ring's return. His mother had cleaned the wounds on her hands with a smile and insisted that she stay for dinner. There was little to go around but they had a nice evening. Zabuza remained skeptical of her intentions, eating with a guarded air that amused and impressed her, while his mother made good conversations and doted on Mei as a guest and, his mother had hoped, a friend for her son.

“I’ve never seen you in a good mood before when you’ve been left waiting.”

Mei’s smile grew as she turned to Zabuza as he approached. Her steps were as light and soundless as his own and she slid her arms around him to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

“I knew you would come.”

He only grunted in response and Mei held him at arm’s length. She knew that grunt and she squinted to get a good look at him in the darkness. He had heavy bags under his eyes and his typical ‘resting-bitch-face’ was even more prominent from exhaustion.

“You look terrible.” Mei cupped his cheeks in her hands and leaned closer. “Has the Mizukage been working you to death again? Is that why you were late?”

“Something like that.” He grumbled and looked around. “Were you followed?”

“Of course not.” She snorted and brushed her thumb on his cheek. “And you? You look as if you might fall asleep while standing. You didn't slip up, did you?”

“Of course not.”

He took her hand and led her into one of the village’s dry canals and through the maze-like large drainage tunnel used to divert floodwaters from seasonal storms. He guided her expertly out into the open night after some time and she blinked at the open sea in front of her.

“This is what you wanted to show me?”

He only sighed, not being in the mood to quip back, and instead scooped her into his arms. He ignored her questions and her blush and flickered away, careful to not travel in a straight direction. After some time, he reached his destination and set her down on the old dock.

"Man, that took a lot longer than I expected." Mei reached up her arms to stretch, then put her hands on her hips and looked around, though there wasn't much to see in the fog. "Wow, what is this place?" She walked up the dock to the solid ground, looking at the thick grove of bamboo that disappeared in the fog and continued to walk. “This must be at the farthest outskirts… I’ve never even seen this island before.”

“Because it’s always concealed by mist.” Zabuza said as he followed and then took the lead. "Most who see it mistake it for an illusion caused by the mist."

“I guess you’re getting better at choosing hard-to-find meeting spots.” Mei smiled slightly and looped her arm around his. When he led her to the island's sole remaining building, her smile turned into a faint frown. "This place survived some kind of disaster but it's in terrible shape. I don't think anyone has been here in ages."

Zabuza opened the door and stepped inside. "It used to be a boat-making business. It was bought out and burned to make a statement." He looked at her and waited for her to follow. "It was in even worse shape when I first found it."

"Worse?" Mei asked, then looked around.

She had been about to ask how long he had been coming to this place when she saw the effort that was put in already. Broken windows had been replaced- though the broken glass had been swept into a corner and left to collect dust- while the smoke and ash were long scrubbed off of the stone walls, leaving only the stains behind. There were several spots on the floor that appeared to have been smashed to further make a statement. Some of the original equipment, materials, and tools remained and at least seemed to be somewhat organized, but it was largely just cast to the side to be out of sight and out of might. The further that she walked inside, the more she noticed the repairs. Finally they stepped into a room that had once been converted from its original purpose to a bedroom and her eyes widened slightly.

“Zabuza, have you been living here?”

“Obviously.”

“What about that apartment close to the anbu headquarters? It’s small, but it’s better than this place.”

“It’s quiet out here.”

She watched as he knelt to reach under the futon on the bare floor, open a latch, take out an airtight box and set it on the futon.

“What’s that?”

“It’s why I brought you here.” He met her eyes briefly, opened the box, and held up a scroll.

“That’s the important weapon from Konoha?” Mei mumbled and knelt beside him to stare at the scroll. “Is it some kind of secret Jutsu?”

“I’ll show you.” He laid out the scroll and opened it. He rested his hand on the seal there and met her eyes again. “Just… be quiet.”

“Quiet?” She blinked. “I don’t get it.”

“Just keep quiet.” Zabuza grumbled, his voice lower than normal from tiredness, and he activated the seal. Once it was done, the orange-bundled infant appeared. He was still sleeping as deeply as when he had been sealed, but he twitched slightly and his lip quivered at the sudden slight chill. Zabuza shot a look at Mei as she started to draw in a sharp gasp and clamped his hand over her mouth, then whispered. “I said quiet. You have no idea how long it took it to sleep.”

Mei could only stare in shock at the infant, not even able to comment as she normally would about his hand’s placement. He kept his eyes locked on hers and, after several minutes, she blinked and moved his hand.

“Why is there a baby here?!”

“Mei, shuddup.” Zabuza hissed at her, trying to cover her mouth again, but it was too late. The infant's face scrunched and he began to cry. “ Damn it. ” He hurriedly picked the child up with praticed hands, held him in his arm, patted the baby’s back with two fingers, and tried to soothe him with a soft “shh” before glaring at Mei.

“See what you did? It took ages to get him to sleep before.”

She stared and stared, not able to speak, and then she rubbed her temples. "Zabuza, why do you have a baby ?"

"Shh." Zabuza shushed her and focused on quieting the child. After a few minutes, the crying faded to a tiny whimper and Zabuza looked at her. "This is why you're here."

"This…?" Mei repeated, blinked, and then pointed at the infant. "This baby is the 'weapon' you took from Konoha?!"

"Keep your voice down." Zabuza grumbled.

"I…" Mei puffed her cheeks and frowned. "Zabuza, I thought you meant an actual weapon. This is… just a baby. A child is not a weapon." She let out a long sigh. "I’ve known you a long time and I don’t understand why you’d steal a baby .”

“He’s the son of the Fourth Hokage.” Zabuza looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

“The…?” Mei stared again and looked between him and the infant. “You stole the baby of the man you killed? That’s not like you at all.”

The corners of his lips curved in a faint smirk. “What if I told you that this baby is the Leaf’s new Jinchuriki?”

Her eyes went wide and her expression reflected a mix of emotions. Before he could say anything else she slapped his cheek, stood abruptly, and glared.

"Mei–"

"No!" Mei shook her head. "The reason why we even have this goal is because of the cruelty and injustice that's been done. All of the bloodshed… we wanted to change all of it so that Kiri could be a safe place for children to live in, free from being treated like disposable tools, but here you are, stealing babies from foreign nations to do the exact same thing!"

"That's not–"

"No. Don't even try to claim that this is somehow any better." Mei crossed her arms, then cursed and started to pace. "No wonder you told them that it would take years to prepare… at the earliest, if he's a prodigy, he could fight if he's five years old, but that's still too young to participate in something as large-scale as this…" She cursed again loudly and gripped her hair as she muttered. "I can't believe that you… after everything…"

“Mei–”

“No, you shush. I’m not done lecturing yet.” Mei shot him a look and continued to pace. “When Lord Fourth took office, he swore to undo everything his predecessor had done and we all supported him, even you.” She met his eyes and tugged on her hair again. “We all put our faith in him that he would do the right thing and remake Kiri but he suddenly changed to be even worse than the Third. He won’t do a thing for reformation now and he’s keeping himself mostly isolated, so we have to be the ones to facilitate change ourselves, but we shouldn’t stoop to his levels to accomplish it.”

Mei stopped pacing and frowned at him. “You don’t even know the first thing about babies, and this isn’t the kind of environment a child should be raised in.” She gestured around the room. “A kid needs better than this.”

“We had less.”

Mei looked down slightly and ran her fingers through her hair. She sighed and shook her head, then looked back at him.

“Zabuza, what were you thinking? You can’t just raise a child to be a disposable weapon.”

“A weapon, yes, but not disposable.” His brows furrowed at her slightly. It made perfect sense to him, but how could he convince her? He had anticipated she would be hesitant but still, he did not know what to say.

“Oh, Zabuza.” She sighed again and sat down beside him, still frowning though it softened as she reached out to touch the baby’s hair. “This is… the craziest thing I’ve ever heard from you. Even if the idea to use a Jinchuriki’s power is sound or would give us an advantage, why would you take this baby in the first place? It’s not like you at all.”

Rather than answer, Zabuza stood and walked out of the room– infant in hand– to another converted room. Mei stared yet again at how it had been changed from its original intent. There was hay strewn throughout with a strong odor lingering in the air, and also…

“Why the hell are there goats here? ” Mei pointed at the animals in confusion, and then said an extended ‘oh’ when he latched the baby to the doe’s udder and gave her his very best unamused look. Mei crossed her arms and turned her head slightly. “Well, I suppose you at least have the common sense to feed him.”

“I’m not an imbecile.” Zabuza grumbled.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” She teased and smirked slightly. “You’re the one who stole the infant child of the guy you killed.”

He rolled his eyes and carefully laid the baby down as the doe lay docile. It had taken time, but it was now trained to lie down when the child was brought near it. The twin kids still hadn’t quite adjusted to their hairless, funny-sounding sibling, but they had at least adjusted to their new living situation.

“You know, these kinds of animals are supposed to live outside. ” Mei laughed softly under her breath and sat in a squat beside Zabuza.

“Bastards ate through the bamboo fence.” Zabuza frowned and averted his eyes from her, feeling her intense gaze on him. “It’s better for them in here because it takes less time to get the kid fed anyway.”

“Hm.” Mei absentmindedly reached out to stroke his hair and watched the happily suckling baby. “I still don’t approve of your plan, by the way. I’m just impressed you’ve kept him alive this long.”

“It’s annoying, loud, clingy, helpless, smelly, and it only sleeps for an hour at a time, no matter what I do.” Zabuza mumbled and leaned against her slightly, most definitely not on purpose, he thought. He was just tired, that was all.

“At least your exhaustion makes sense now.” Mei laughed and continued to stroke his hair. “I can watch him long enough for you to take a nap.”

“Ha.”

“I’m serious.” She poked his cheek. “I used to help look after the younger kids, remember? If I can manage half a dozen little kids every day at eight years old, then I can look after one little baby for a few hours.”

“It’s a lot more complicated than keeping gutter-rats out of trouble.” Zabuza retorted. He had no intention of leaving the child alone with Mei. He knew her too well and knew that he had a habit of getting too attached. “I can handle it fine.”

“Mhm.” Mei chuckled as his eyes closed slightly. Her fingers brushed through his hair and she could feel his body relax against her own. “You definitely seem very awake right now.”

“I am.” He mumbled, barely audible. Within a few more minutes, he was completely asleep.

Mei stifled a laugh and pressed her lips to the top of his head softly. “So stubborn.”

Mei could tell when he was in a deep sleep. It was exceptionally rare for him to sleep in the presence of anyone, and even rarer for him to sleep deeply. Now, though, she smiled as he slept with his head against her shoulder. She was sure that his position was more than uncomfortable, but he had been too exhausted to stay awake any longer. He’d needed this rest just as much as the baby had needed milk. Her eyes rose to the suckling infant and she watched him for just a moment before carefully shifting to put her arms around Zabuza and carry him.

It had been much easier to carry him even just a few years ago, she thought, but she didn’t have much trouble with it. He was, after all, still small for his age, but she knew that he’d soon start to grow and that he would be taller than her. He never spoke of his father, but Mei knew that he had been a tall man, and so, of course, his son would be as well.

She laid him down on the futon without waking him, covered him with a blanket, and stepped back to admire him. When he slept, the creases from his ever-present scowling and frowning disappeared and the sharpness of his jaw from clenching it softened. When he was sleeping, he looked far more innocent, far more unburdened, and younger. A slight smile touched her lips and she touched her cheek. She supposed that was why he scowled so much and that he knew just how baby-faced he still looked otherwise.

It had been a long time since she had last seen him sleeping so deeply and so peacefully like this. She couldn’t help but think that this was how he was meant to look, and this would have been what he always looked like at this age if he hadn’t grown up in such a harsh environment or been faced with cruel realities that hardened his heart and spoiled his innocence.

Mei knelt to stroke his hair again and smile at his sigh of contentment and the faintest traces of a smile in his sleep. This is what he should have always been like, she thought. This is what they all should have been like; able to sleep deeply without any worries, without scrounging for food and killing to survive. He should have been free to smile as often as he wanted to as a child, as all children should smile, but that had never been able to. She had always tried to get him to smile, and she did all she could to help the littler children to smile, but sooner or later, the realities of their caste and life in Kirigakure caught up to them.

Mei’s smile faded and she shook her head in thought. How many friends had she buried? How many had she seen killed or had been forced to kill? She wasn’t sure of any number, but each face haunted her dreams. And, as she looked down at Zabuza’s face, she knew that his dreams must be plagued with faces as well, although far more than her own.

It was all wrong.

Mei sighed and stood, then her gaze turned toward the doorway. She had forgotten about the child. She turned to the goat’s room and peered inside to find the baby wriggling in discomfort as the young goats sniffed and licked his tiny feet that poked out from his blanket. To her surprise, the mother goat remained laying down obediently, only sniffing the baby’s head curiously.

“What a good mama.” Mei gave the animal a scratch on its chin and carefully scooped the infant into her arms. His tiny noises of complaints stopped as she carried him out of the room. She returned to the bedroom with the baby and laid him down on the futon.

The baby opened its eyes and studied her, though his vision was still poor, she knew. She swept her hair out of her eyes and leaned closer so his eyes could see her better, and she smiled at him.

“Oh, just look at you.” She cooed quietly and caressed the baby’s plump cheek. “Your eyes are as lovely as the sea on a clear day.”

The baby smiled back at her, flashing his gums, and made a gurgling sound that she knew was a laugh. Mei could feel herself melt as he smiled up at her and her lip quivered. She adored children, but especially babies. Her love for the tiny humans began when she had helped assist a mother when no one else showed.

They lived in the worst conditions, even amongst the lowest caste, so of course, no one had wanted to come to the panicked mother’s aide when she went into premature labor. No one, that is, except for a five-year-old Mei. She had stayed by the woman’s side all night until dawn broke and when the last contraction ejected the newborn into the world. She was so amazed at the love and power of a mother for what they went through to bring forth new life, and the young Mei held the newborn as it let out its first cries. Tears had streamed down her own face and the beauty of new life, even in such an unpleasant place wrought with misfortune. She saw the future in the clouded eyes of that newborn– a future where Kirigakure was a haven for bright-eyed infants to grow without hunger, fear, oppression, or blood on their hands.

“You’re such a perfect, precious little thing, aren’t you?” She murmured and rubbed the tip of her nose to his. He gurgled and babbled back and she couldn’t hold back a smile. “How could that mean boy want to treat you like a tool, huh?”

The baby had no idea what she was saying, but he continued to smile at her anyway and wiggled his limbs uncoordinatedly in excitement at the new person with a warm expression.

“Don’t worry.” Mei whispered and stroked the baby’s cheek. “Auntie Mei is here now. I won’t let him turn you into… him.” She glanced at Zabuza from the corner of her eye as he continued to sleep, then looked back at the baby. “You just stay a perfect little ray of sunshine, alright?”

She brushed her finger against his palm and his fingers reflexively curled to grasp it tightly. She cooed and kissed his forehead, then laid down next to him as he kept his eyes on her.

“I won’t let them break you.”

When Zabuza woke, he felt strangely refreshed. He also found himself in his futon without understanding why until he sat up slightly and found Mei asleep on the opposite side with the infant fast asleep between them. He rubbed his face, ran his fingers through his hair, and then glanced at the window. He quickly calculated the time based on the sunlight and let out a heavy breath.

The sound of fabric rustling faintly turned his head back toward Mei as she shifted and then woke. Her emerald eyes fluttered open, seeing the infant as soon as her eyes adjusted to the light, and then she smiled when she caught Zabuza’s gaze.

“Morning.” Mei sat up quietly and stretched. “How’d you sleep?”

“Like the dead.” Zabuza looked at the baby. “How long has it been asleep?”

“ He has been asleep almost as long as you.” Mei whispered and raised her brow at him. "He's such a good baby."

Zabuza frowned slightly and cursed under his breath. "So you'll sleep for her , is that it, you brat?"

"He's not a brat." Mei stuck out her tongue at him and looked at the infant. "We had a nice chat while you were asleep."

"Sure you did." Zabuza grumbled and rubbed his head again. "You should've woken me up."

"You needed the sleep." Mei smiled softly. As she stared at Zabuza, and he watched her back, her smile grew and she reached out to touch his face. "You know, you look so much like her, the older you get. Especially when you're sleeping."

His expression soured and he turned his face away. "Don't."

"She wouldn't have wanted you to be so cold." Mei touched his cheek again, turning his head to face her as she murmured. "You know that, right?"

"She named me with the desire for me to be strong. "

"She wanted you to be able to protect yourself." Mei glanced at the baby and met his eyes again. "Not to use others."

He rolled his eyes but let out a small sigh. When he looked back at her, her expression was softer.

"You didn't really kill the Yellow Flash, did you?" Mei asked in a whisper.

"Of course I did."

"I believe that you would take the opportunity to if you really saw him wounded. But," Mei stroked his cheek. "You wouldn't have taken the baby if you had been the one to kill him. Even if he is their Jinchuriki."

Zabuza averted his eyes from her observant gaze, and again she gently turned his head to her.

"Zabuza, why did you really take this baby?"

He didn't answer. Not at first. He hadn't planned on telling anyone, then again, he hadn't planned on involving Mei in his plans to begin with. Introducing her to the baby hadn't been part of his plan, either, but here she was.

"His mother." He mumbled. "She was dying."

"How?"

"Same as the Flash." He answered after a moment of hesitation. "Their Nine-Tails."

"So they sealed it into their baby before they died?" Mei frowned as she thought. “You took credit for it to gain the Mizukage’s favor to get closer to him. To ensure having good openings in the future, if he lets down his guard.”

Zabuza would have been surprised at how she’d pieced it together, but he knew her too well, and he liked that about her; how she was able to intuitively understand him and match wits.

“I still don’t know why you took the baby, though. Just because he has that beast sealed inside of him…”

“No one in the Leaf must have seen where their Hokage had teleported to.”

“You were the only one who witnessed their deaths?” Mei asked, though she already understood. “What did you mean about his mother?”

“She clung to life far longer than anyone else would. Her Uzumaki blood kept her alive until I approached.”

“Uzumaki?” Mei looked at the baby. “He’s half Uzumaki?”

“Apparently so.” Zabuza followed her gaze to the infant. “Her vision was already clouded but she knew I was there. She didn’t know who I was, but she asked me to take care of him.”

“She asked you…?” Mei repeated under her breath. “And you couldn’t refuse.”

“The power he has–”

“You really are so much like her.” Mei put her hand on Zabuza’s cheek as a tear rolled down her cheek. “My kind ‘Demon.’”

Rather than tense at the name, his expression softened, even if only slightly.

“You can’t change my mind about using the Nine-Tail’s power.” He said after a while. “Against the Mizukage and his full control over the Three-Tails, we won’t stand a chance without it.”

“It isn’t right, love.” She murmured and leaned in close, careful to not disturb the baby as she touched her forehead to his. “He’s already here, so there isn’t a point to arguing about it, but you shouldn’t regard him so callously. It wasn’t his choice to be born, to be orphaned, or to be a Jinchuriki.”

“I know that.” Zabuza murmured back and, very slightly, leaned in to close the gap between their faces. As he spoke, their lips touched. “There will be a place for him when we remake Kiri.”

“‘We’?” Mei’s lips curved in a faint smirk. “You don’t want to rule yourself?”

“A Kage needs an advisor.” He chuckled and, as he kissed her, the baby chose that very moment to stir and cry. Zabuza’s eye twitched and he shot the boy a stern look. “You little shit.”

“Do you want kisses, too?” Mei laughed and scooped the baby up, planting kisses on his squishy cheeks until he smiled and gurgled. “There. No more sad faces.” She caught Zabuza’s expression from the corner of her eye and she laughed again. “Are you jealous?”

“No.”

“Oh, really?” She kissed his lips gently and then poked the infant’s nose. “Your dad is what’s known as a ‘Tsundere,’ but he’s really cute.”

“I’m not cute, that word is stupid, and I’m no one’s ‘dad.’”

“Shh.” Mei put her finger over his lips, stifled a giggle, and held the baby close for a cuddle. “One day you’ll accept it.”

“Sure, when the mists leave Kiri.” He rolled his eyes.

“What’s his name? You were so tired earlier that I didn’t think to ask.” Mei smiled at the baby. “I’ll bet you have a nice name, don’t you? Something just as cute as you are.”

“It–”

“He needs a name.” Mei interrupted as if reading his mind. “If you don’t give him one, then I will.”

“You’re just like that nagging woman.” He grumbled.

“Woman?” Mei blinked and then poked his chest. “What woman? Who is she? Did you tell someone about this baby before me?”

“I just needed someone to look after him while I do missions.” Zabuza swatted her hand away. “She already picked a name for it.”

“You could’ve asked me.” Mei puffed her cheeks.

“You’re too closely monitored. Also, there wasn’t time, and I thought you were still away on your mission.”

“Hmph.” Mei sighed over-dramatically and carefully squeezed the baby in a hug. “Wah, your dad’s so mean to me. What kind of name did that woman give you, anyway?.”

“Shizuhiko.”

“Shizuhiko?” Mei repeated. “That’s…”

“Pretentious and stupid, I know.” Zabuza completed her sentence.

“...such a cute name!” Mei nuzzled the infant and cooed. “As much as I hate to admit it, she did choose a nice name for you, huh, little Shizu? What a fitting name for a handsome little prince.”

“I should have known.” Zabuza shook his head and groaned.

“It’s a far better name than you would have come up with.” Mei smiled. “You probably would’ve just called him ‘boy.’”

“And?”

“He just doesn’t get it, right Shizu?” Mei kissed the baby again as he stared at her and babbled. “No, he just doesn’t get it at all.”

“I should have known better to bring you here.” Zabuza shook his head again. “You’re already too attached to it.”

“You’re just too detached.” She poked him again. “If you won’t shower him with affection, I will.”

“ No,” Zabuza grasped her hand and raised his brow. “You’re going to stay very far away from this place, so you’re not tracked and he isn’t found.”

She broke into an impish grin and he frowned.

“What?”

“You said ‘he’ that time.”

“No I didn’t.”

“See what I mean, little Shizu?” Mei nuzzled the baby again, ignoring Zabuza’s protest. “Tsundere, just like I said.”

Zabuza cursed under his breath, crossed his arms, and watched them in his peripherals. He needed to raise and train that child to be battle-ready as possible, but Mei would surely spoil the kid and mess things up. There was far too much to do to waste time with affection. He opened his mouth to interrupt Mei’s baby talk to the infant, then shut his mouth again and laid back down.

Later, he thought. He would undo her coddling later. For now, he was going to go back to sleep for as long as the little gremlin would allow.

Chapter Text

Zabuza was training on the sandy soil of his isolated, small island. The island had been large enough for the family who had run the business there previously to live in their own small houses near the building in which they worked, but there was little else. There was a small pond fed by a spring in the center and hardy groves of bamboo all over, growing anywhere they could possibly spread. Though the reason was unknown, the mist around this island in particular was especially thick. Zabuza supposed that it was just the island's particular location that caused it– perhaps something about air currents or sea currents– but he was hardly the scholarly type unless he wanted to know something in particular, and he didn't really care about why the home he had chosen was so well-hidden. He only knew that it was and that was good enough for him.

As Zabuza trained, perfecting each lunge, swing, and stance, there weren't any thoughts in his head at all. It was common for him to ignore his surroundings during training sessions as he became one with his blade, moving as fluidly as if it was just a natural extension of his body. It had always been this way for him.

Ever since he was young, he never felt comfortable unless he had a blade in his hand or concealed on his person. Living had cost blood– blood he had learned to spill with great efficiency– until he truly lived up to his name. In Kirigakure, one had to do more than simply fight to survive– you needed to win. It wasn't enough to be faster than the next person but you needed to be able to see any opening that appeared and strike in an instant. The longer any conflict dragged on, the more opportunity there was for you to lose. He had learned the body's vital spots very early on and learned how to strike each one. One strike, one win. It was simple. No excess energy was used in pursuit, and none was wasted on chatting, pity, or back-and-forth combat. Zabuza had mastered that efficiency as a child; as a necessity; as a way of life.

Still, it wasn't enough. Just as he grew and advanced, so did everyone around him. So did the figures that matched the blood-stained names carved into his memory. If he was going to succeed then he needed to advance at a rate that surpassed them. That was why he trained. That was why he was so introspective, considering his moves and words before bringing each to life. It was why he continued to make connections where he could, despite not having a sociable disposition. The skill of an archer was determined by the accuracy of their arrow, but the wisdom of the archer was determined by how many arrows were in his quiver. And, he had many arrows already.

It was his skills that had gathered him followers steadily, and his unwavering dedication to the cause. His upbringing in the slums and being born into the lowest caste had also allowed him to form bonds with those wanting a cultural reformation. Zabuza didn't know if the corruption or long list of problems could be resolved simply with a regime change, so, it only made sense that a major upheaval was necessary first. If their society was an odious machine, then he needed to break it, dismantle it, and reconstruct it completely. The Mizukage was the head of this serpent, yes, but the Land of Water was a hydra– and he needed to eliminate the beast completely before the land could be free.

For now, he could only train, plan, bide his time, and grow his list of allies. He supposed that he could develop a more charming persona to win over more allies, but thanks to the twins, he had Gengo on his side now, and Gengo was the type to drip with an excess of charisma. Perhaps too much, in Zabuza's opinion, but he was a good ally.

Zabuza grunted and swung his weapon, froze, and evaluated his pose. Though he was a prodigy in many ways, adjusting to the size and weight of this new weapon was a hurdle he still needed to overcome. Smaller blades were his preference for all of his life but he would eventually adapt. It was necessary.

He was about to go through another set with his weapon when he realized there was an odd quietness around him. Suddenly his senses were hyperaware and he dropped the weapon in the sand to turn in a full circle. Total quiet could only mean two things, and he didn’t like the most likely possibility. He caught sight of the trail right away and followed it until he found the blond-haired toddler sitting with his back suspiciously to the man, while his chubby cheeks seemed to be moving.

“Hey!” Zabuza scowled and raised his voice. The toddler jumped in surprise but kept his back to him. Zabuza grumbled and cursed, picking the boy up and holding him at arm’s length to stare directly into his azure eyes. “What did you put in your mouth?”

The boy shook his head quickly, kicking his feet as he tried to get away, all while unusually green drool oozed from his overstuffed mouth.

“What the hell did you put in your mouth this time?” Zabuza glared and growled. “Spit it out right now.”

The boy continued to shake his head as he gave the command several more times, and then finally the toddler screwed up his face to spit out the slugs he had been hiding. They dropped to the ground with squelches and splats and Zabuza’s expression contorted in equal parts disgust and frustration.

“I turn my back for a few minutes and you start getting into trouble.” Zabuza’s frown deepened. “Stop it.”

“No!” The toddler shouted and wriggled, kicking his feet wildly.

“You little shit.” Zabuza growled and carried the boy– still holding him at a distance to avoid the drool and slime that covered his face– until he reached the large bamboo cage he had woven himself, and placed the boy inside with a smirk. “There. Try being a little shit in there.”

“No!” The toddler grasped the bamboo poles and pulled and shook, then let out a screech of irritation and glared at the teenager. “Ow!”

“No, you are not coming out .” Zabuza chuckled as he crossed his arms. “You’re going to stay in there until you’re quiet. And then, you’ll keep staying there because you’re out of the way.”

“No! Ow!” The boy yelled again, shaking the cage more. “Ow!”

“Go ahead and yell all you want, brat.” Zabuza smirked and waved his hand, then walked back to pick up his weapon. He resumed training, going through the forms slowly, and did his best to completely ignore the tantruming toddler. He had learned that, if he made any sort of eye contact, it would only add more fuel to the emotional fire. He rolled his eyes but remained silent as the boy continued to yell and demand to be released, and then Zabuza watched from the corner of his eye as the child stubbornly held his breath.

“Go ahead. I’m more stubborn than you.” Zabuza chuckled and said to himself.

A moment later, the boy wobbled and swayed until he dropped to the ground with a blue face.

“Stupid kid.”

Zabuza shook his head, rolled his eyes again, and positioned himself to go through the set again. All children were a pain in the ass, and, he thought, he had gotten unlucky and saddled himself with a particularly annoying one. He shifted his stance to move through another form but stopped and glanced toward the cage. He had expected the child to sit up by now, gasping for breath and wriggling in frustration, but there was only silence.

What did he care, though, if the child knocked himself out? Zabuza had training to do. He swung the blade several times, trying to clear his mind, but his eyes kept darting back to the cage in his peripherals. Finally, he turned to watch it intently with a hand on his hip.

“Hey, brat. Get up already and cut the dramatics.”

When there was not even a twitch of a response Zabuza’s brows furrowed deeply and he slowly approached.

“Hey, you.” He said louder, but there was also no response. With a grumble he stood in front of the cage and called out again. No response. He growled and lifted the woven bamboo lid to lean down. He prodded the child’s torso, watching and listening for any signs of movement, and then deeply frowned when he realized that the problem child was asleep .

He cursed and put the lid back on, resuming his training as he grumbled and mumbled to himself. What did he care if the child held his breath until he passed out? What did he care if the child hurt himself when he collapsed? It would be his own stupidity causing it, and Zabuza certainly didn’t care. He definitely didn’t. In fact, he didn’t care so much that he picked up his weapon and continued where he had left off.

He finished the rest of his training in comfortable silence and stuck the blade into the sand to lean against. He wiped the sweat from his brow, almost smirking faintly in satisfaction as he reflected on the improvements he had made in only a short time. Before he could go inside for a drink, he heard a rustling of clothes from behind him as the feeling in the air shifted. Without turning around, he already knew that Mei was there, but he stood where he was anyway with her back to her as she approached. Just as she reached out to touch his shoulder, he reached up to grab her hand and glance at her.

"You're still too noisy."

"I am not." Mei's violet-tinted lips curved upwards. "None of my targets can hear me. It's just that no one can match your sensitive hearing."

"The eyes can deceive you. Your ears don't."

"I know, I know." She shifted her hand out of his grip but held it with her own and he turned to face her. "You've been hard at work again, I see. Never a moment to rest."

"Rest is a luxury."

"It's also an essential part of training." Mei brought his hand to brush her lips. "Don't hurt yourself trying to advance too quickly."

"I know what I'm doing."

"Of course you do." Mei met his eyes and then frowned slightly. "Why do you have your face covered? You never cover it at home." She touched the bandages that concealed the lower half of his face, and, when she noticed how his face twitched at the touch, her frown deepened in realization. "Dammit, Zabuza. You thought you could be sneaky and hide it, didn't you?"

"I'm not hiding anything." He furrowed his brows.

"Oh yeah?" Mei raised her brow and, very gently, loosened the bandages with her fingers and pulled them down to reveal his face. His face was slightly swollen, with his lips chapped but certainly not as sore as she knew his gums would be. Carefully still she parted his lips with her thumb and index to reveal his recently-filed teeth. "Damn it…"

"You knew it was going to happen." Zabuza muttered and gently swatted her hand away. He would never admit it, but his face– his mouth especially– was still in pain from the process. It was part of the ritual of becoming acknowledged as a future successor of a Legendary Blade, but the procedure took some time to do, and it was by no means pain-free. In many ways it was barbaric, but it was all done to honor the first Mizukage, the one who had somehow created the Legendary Swords and created the organization.

"I thought we'd at least have a few more months." Mei puffed her cheek in a pout and brushed her thumb over his lips. "I wanted to at least kiss you one more time before the change, but you didn't give me any notice."

"I wasn't given notice either."

"Hm." She kissed his cheek rather than his lips, still softly so as not to cause any pain, and then met his eyes. "You're still handsome, of course, but I knew it'd make you look older."

"I am older."

"It's only been a few weeks since I last saw you." Mei crossed her arms, looking him up and down as she realized that he had grown again . "How is it that you're already taller than I am? You're growing way too quickly."

"You've just stopped growing already." He chuckled.

"I have not." She turned away and closed her eyes. "I'm still getting taller, too…"

"Are you?" His voice lowered and he took a step closer to her. His brow cocked as he tilted his head up and stood straighter. His breath warmed her face and she blushed as she noticed that the gap between their faces was small, but the gap in their heights was now greater. "You're the one having to look up now."

"Hmph." Mei ran her fingers through her hair and her gaze kept darting back to him. "Well… I haven't conceded just yet. At least the view is nice."

"Hm." Zabuza suppressed the faintest of smirks and took a step back as he watched her brush her fingers through her hair with cheeks nearly as auburn as it. "What are you doing out here?"

"I think I'm more than welcome here, Zabuza." She put her hand on her hip. "So you can stop acting Tsundere already."

He rolled his eyes at the word to pick up the practice weapon and rest it on his shoulders. “I’m in the middle of training, so, if you–”

“The Kubikiribōchō?” Mei asked in a whisper, ignoring him as she stepped closer and put her hand on the weapon– or, what would have been the weapon if it were in his possession. Instead, she put her hand onto the replica he had crafted out of bamboo in order to practice with the daunting blade when at home or when its current wielder, Juzo Biwa, was unavailable for their training sessions.

“I never envisioned they would choose this one for you, of all seven.” Mei’s hand ran down the length of the bamboo blade and then met his eyes with a playful smile. “Imagine having to lug this massive thing around when you’ve always liked easily-concealed weapons the best.” She paused and her lips twitched in the faintest of faint smirks. “...Can you even lift the real Kubikiribōchō?”

“I can, in fact.” Zabuza averted his eyes as he grumbled. “This training is just to master the style.”

“Holding it for a few seconds isn’t the same thing as being able to use it.” Mei’s two fingers walked back up the ‘blade’ until they reached his shoulder and she cupped his cheek. “Why didn’t you request something more reasonable and better for stealth? The Nuibari I think is much more your style.”

“I already went through the screening with the others.” Zabuza replied though it was mostly a grumble. "Raiga’s Kiba was too volatile, not to mention, it rejects anyone lacking Lightning release.” To demonstrate, he held up his free hand to show her how it had been carefully bandaged. “That bastard of a weapon… I swear they have minds of their own.” He scowled. “After the damn thing shocked me when I tried to hold it, I swear it was vibrating in laughter.”

“You poor thing.” Mei murmured softly as she smiled and listened. She could feel some of his ever-present tension ease at her touch, though she knew that another method of telling how relaxed he was, was how loose his lips are. If the normally silent ‘Demon’ was chatty, she knew for sure that he felt comfortable and that meant that he was in the perfect mood to coax more conversation out of him. “What about the others?”

Zabuza knew what she was doing of course, but there were times that he acted as though it didn’t, and other times when he just allowed it. Not because he really enjoyed her company, or because he found any actual satisfaction with discussing things with her, of course. Just to amuse himself and pass the time, he thought. Nothing more. He let out a short breath at her question and, after a pause, responded.

“Mangetsu was irritatingly friendly and all too eager to introduce me to the Hiramekarei. Luckily it wasn’t suitable for me, or else I’d have to put up with him on a regular basis.” His eyes watched Mei’s expression as she listened– something about it bothered him in a way he could never explain, like a jittery sensation in his gut– and he made himself look away from her as the feeling only continued to grow the longer he held her gaze. He cleared his throat to clear his mind of any such thoughts and continued his explanation.

“Kabutowari, of course, was completely out of the question for me. Not only am I not compatible with the style, but its next candidate for weilder is…”

“Batshit crazy?” Mei supplied, then exhaled sharply. “She’s a nasty piece of work. I had the pleasure of working with her on a mission recently.” Her expression twisted in one uncommon for her– loathing. “She was only made a Swordsman candidate recently, but she represents everything wrong with Kirigakure.” She shook her head. “It’s good to hear that you have nothing in common with that insane bitch. I can’t believe she’s younger than us.”

Zabuza chuckled and raised his brow. “Tsk, Mei, it’s unusual for you to speak like that.”

“Well it’s true.” Mei huffed and shook her head. “She kept muttering constantly about her ‘headaches’ and she nearly busted open the head of one of my teammates because they dared to ask her a question when something came up unexpectedly and we needed to regroup. She’s completely unstable.”

“Probably why the Mizukage chose her.” Zabuza nodded slightly and then frowned. The Mizukage, selecting people who were bloodthirsty and deranged to represent the Mist and reinforce his bloody regime? It was obvious.

“I suppose Samehada and Shibuki are out of the question, too.” Mei shifted the conversation back to its original point and looked at him. “Both are massive and definitely not suitable for your preference for stealth and precision.”

“Samehada…” Zabuza’s expression twitched in the slightest hint of discomfort. “I was told that I couldn’t even approach it without high enough Chakra reserves, let alone hold it. Somehow I could feel the damn thing watching me, even with it wrapped up and at a distance. It had a nasty aura to it that fouled the air.”

“Why?” Mei blinked. She was surprised, of course, to see him with such an expression. It was a rare sight to see him– dare she think it– uncomfortable. “Did Fuguki explain it?”

“Sure, if you can call it an explanation.” Zabuza nearly clenched his jaw out of habit but was quickly reminded of the pain. “Apparently the damn thing starts to eat its wielder if they don’t have enough Chakra to satisfy its hunger.”

“You’re kidding.” Mei was most certainly surprised, then she shook her head. “No, of course you aren’t.” She let out a sigh. “I don’t understand those blades at all. There’s no record of how the first Mizukage made them, either, but for one to actually eat its wielder…”

“Which is why the Kubikiribōchō is my best option.”

"Nuibari?"

"Official second option." Zabuza answered simply. "Sakurai is one of the longest current Swordsmen, and he showed me the ropes, but it seems as though the Kubikiribōchō chose me." He shook his head. "Whatever that means."

"So, are the rumors true about the Swords, then? Can you hear the whispers of previous wielders' spirits when you hold them? Can you feel the souls of the lives they've taken when you swing them?"

"No. But yes." Zabuza frowned. "It's difficult to describe." He glanced down at his hand. "I felt… something. I can't explain it. At first it was faint as a scratching in the back of my mind, and then…" He shook his head. "It's nothing. Only nerves."

"My Demon is never nervous." Mei brushed some of the hair from his face and her fingertips caressed his forehead, then planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "You've always been perceptive. You shouldn't try to suppress a gut feeling if you have one."

"It's superstitious nonsense at best."

"There are always hints of truth in superstition, Zabuza." Mei's gaze held his own. "I know you've never entertained those notions, but the Uzumaki were said to summon Death itself and bargain with it." She shuddered slightly. "Just imagine having the power to open a door into Hell and let who knows what out for, I don't know, an afternoon tea or something. It's no wonder that they were so feared."

"Rumors are always lies and twisted, exaggerated versions of truth."

“Sometimes.” After a moment, Mei’s eyes widened and she quickly looked around. “Speaking of Uzumaki, I almost forgot! Where is my little Shizu?”

“‘Your’?” Zabuza gave her a look, which she ignored, and then motioned toward the woven cage. “The pain in the ass is there.”

“There?” Mei’s eyes fell on the bamboo structure and she blinked. “...You built a cage and put him inside?”

“I should’ve done it before. He can't eat his way out of it like the goats, and–”

“I can’t believe you!” Mei pounded her fists on his chest. “Zabuza, you can’t put a child in a cage! That’s absolutely cruel!”

He went to swat her fists away but she had already hurried over to the problem-child-containment-unit and pried the lid off.

“Don’t worry, Shizu! Auntie Mei is here to save you from the bad, cruel, mean daddy.” Mei beamed down at the toddler who opened his eyes at the sound of her voice. He broke into a wide smile, flashing all four of his teeth. He quickly sat upright and held up his arms to her. “Aw, what a good boy you are, Shizu!”

Mei started to bring him close to her to nuzzle and kiss his cheek when she froze and caught Zabuza’s attempt at suppressing a smirk. How… suspicious.

“You’re not going to try to stop me from cuddling him or lecture me about ‘spoiling him’?”

“Nope.” His lips twitched in a smirk, prompting Mei to frown with even more suspicion. Then, she looked back at the boy and examined him.

“...Why does he have green drool?” She narrowed her eyes at Zabuza. “Did you leave him there until he got sick?”

"It wasn’t my fault he decided to be stupid and hold his breath until he collapsed." Zabuza grumbled.

"He collapsed?!" Mei held the boy up, looked him over, and then shot Zabuza a look. "He's still a baby , Zabuza. You can't be like this with him." She looked at the child and wiped his face with her handkerchief. "Isn't that right, Shizu? You're still a baby, aren't you?."

She kissed his cheek slightly and Zabuza laughed– but only as a short snorting of air from his nostrils– and she gave him a look.

"What?"

"That brat stuffed slugs into his mouth earlier."

Mei's expression soured briefly and she glanced between her handkerchief and the boy. "Shizu, that's yucky. You can't put those things in your mouth; You’ll get sick."

The boy of course didn't understand her, not really, but he put his small hand on her cheek and smiled.

"Ma?"

Mei's eyes widened and she stared into the boy's eyes. "M-Ma?!"

"No, brat." Zabuza frowned and, now beside them, prodded the toddler. "Not 'ma,' it's 'Mei.' "

"Ma!"

"O-Oh…" Mei's eyes welled and spilled over as she cuddled him close. "Y-You can call me 'Ma,' Shizu! You can call me whatever you like. My precious, precious Shizu!"

"Stop it. Don't falsely teach him that you're his mother."

Mei looked at him with overjoyed tears on her face and he knew that he couldn't undo anything or intervene now, but he could still grumble about it.

"Say 'Mei' properly, kid." Zabuza furrowed his brows and gave the command, pointing at Mei. "Mei. Her name is Mei . Not 'ma.' Mei."

"Mama!" Shizuhiko smiled brightly and threw his arms around Mei's neck, and, in turn, her lip quivered at the gesture and she embraced him back.

"Ugh." Zabuza groaned, rolled his eyes, and shook his head. Why was it so hard to teach him to say something that had a single syllable?

"I'll keep you forever, Shizu." Mei nuzzled him close. "I'll be your 'mama' if you want."

"He's still covered in slime."

"I don't care." Mei sniffed and wiped her eyes. She smiled at the toddler again and brushed her thumb over his cheek. "Do you want 'Ma' to give you a bath, Shizu? I'll brush your widdle teefies, too, and get you all nice and cleanie."

Zabuza groaned again. There she went again with the irritating baby talk. She really had gotten too attached to the child.

"Whatever." He finally said, turning his back to them to return to his practice blade. "Just keep him out of my way for a while."

"You hear that, Shizu?" Mei cooed and tapped his nose. "I get you all to myself right now. Isn't that wonderful? Why don't I just move in with you, huh? I'll feed you, give you all your baths, and I'll teach you to swim. Wouldn’t that be great?"

The child babbled nonsense back at her, only able to say a handful of monosyllabic words, but he smiled at her throughout his attempt at a reply. Mei held him close and nuzzled him again.

"Oh, I just love you so much, Shizu. You're so cute!"

Zabuza tensed at the word. Love. It was… certainly a four-letter word. Love was something just as foolish and misguided as superstition or religion, he thought. He knew that as truth. He frowned just thinking about the word and its implications. To put someone else's life, wellbeing, happiness, and safety above your own. His brow furrowed more deeply and he clenched his jaw, ignoring the pain.

His mother had loved him, once. Her love was what had killed her. At the very least, it had contributed to her death, and Zabuza could not abide by the notion of love. Such a feeling was already nearly impossible to experience in Kirigakure to begin with, but it was dangerous. To love would be to put yourself second, and that was dangerous in such a life-or-death place. To love would mean putting those you hold in your heart at risk if those in power determined you needed to be culled.

Love was only a mere illusion some clung to in order to assign themselves some sort of purpose. Love was for the insecure and the weak-willed. Love was not for Shinobi.

Zabuza watched Mei from the corner of his eye, watching how she showered the child with adoration, and his jaw clenched tightly. She and the child grinned at one another, and he growled away a faint memory to focus on Mei again.

Love was dangerous.

"Stop it." He narrowed his eyes and approached. His voice was cold now as he looked upon the display of affection. "You're not his mother and you're going to ruin him."

Mei bit her lip and went quiet. It wasn't that she agreed with him, or that she was conceding, but she could recognize the still-present but deeply-hidden pain that his icy tone tried to hide. She could see the haunted look in his eyes, and she knew what he was thinking of by the subtle change in his breaths. She looked at the child in her arms, knowing that he was confused by the sudden silence, but he seemed to intuitively understand the need for a moment of quiet.

There were some things between them– she and Zabuza, she knew– that were better left unsaid. And, there were other things that were difficult to bring up, if either could bear to speak of them out loud at all.

Mei reached out to touch his shoulder and opened her mouth to say something when he shrugged her hand away and walked past her.

"I'm going to take a bath." Was all he could grumble as he started toward the building.

Mei tried to reach out to him again but both tensed before anything could be said. Their senses were alive, on fire, and very much on alert. Their brows furrowed at the same time and Mei pressed the toddler to her chest firmly. She met Zabuza’s eyes, not even needing to nod to understand what the other was thinking, and Mei flickered away to leave Zabuza alone on the beach.

Zabuza’s inflamed senses made him reach for his weapon, only to remember that it was a prop, and he quickly drew a Kunai from his sheath. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the thick mist that rose from the ocean. He knew someone was out there. That someone was rapidly approaching. His thoughts ran wild, questioning just who it was and for what purpose. Had the Mizukage found out about the coup d'etat? Had someone been sent to kill him? Was it the Mizukage himself? Or, could it possibly be someone from Konoha, finally arrived after all this time?

He tensed and gripped the kunai tightly as he prepared himself. He closed his eyes to focus on his hearing and his instincts, trying to determine how many were approaching or from which direction. He was unable to tell either, but he no longer had the time: A tall figure was barely visible through the mist as it walked on top of the water.

Zabuza leapt toward the intruder in a decisive strike only to have it deflected by the more skilled Shinobi before his wrist was grabbed and he was thrown back toward the beach where he twisted in air to land on his feet. He glared at the figure and only relaxed slightly once it emerged from the mist.

“You’ve gotten better, Zabuza. But you’re still not on my level.”

“Tch.” Zabuza dusted some sand from himself while keeping a close eye on the older man. “What are you doing here?”

“As cold as always.” Kisame chuckled and smirked, flashing his sharpened teeth at him. “I thought we were friends.” He stepped onto the beach and looked around at what little of the island was visible. “It seems you’ve put in quite a bit of work to restore it.” He laughed and watched his junior. “You really were intending to kill me, Zabuza. You must be very suspicious of me.”

Zabuza narrowed his eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be? You haven’t stepped foot here since you brought me to this place for the first time.”

“A wary mind keeps you alive.”

“Why are you here?”

The light wind changed direction and Kisame sniffed the air. His smirk widened. “You’ve got company, it seems.”

Zabuza said nothing and only watched as Kisame continued up the beach to stare into the bamboo grove.

“I can sense you there, girl. It's impolite to ignore a guest.”

Zabuza scowled as Mei flickered behind him, glancing at her only briefly to ensure that the toddler was wrapped in her cloak and concealed, before turning his attention back to Kisame.

“Not this guy.” Mei muttered and frowned at Kisame. “You damn shark…”

“I see you’re already aquainted.” Zabuza glanced at her.

“We’ve met.” Mei’s frown deepened. “He was sexually harassing me just the other day.”

“What?” Zabuza raised one brow and Kisame’s smirk twitched into a frown.

“I never expected you to doubt me so easily, or, rather, to be so easily trusting of a pretty face.”

“See?” Mei huffed. “This is exactly what I mean.”

“That doesn’t count as sexual harassment.” Zabuza muttered at her.

“It does when it’s coming from him.” Mei muttered back, keeping her voice low. “Why are you two so chummy, anyhow?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Well, you two are very close, aren’t you?”

“What do you want?” Zabuza repeated.

“I was in the Land of Fire recently for a mission.”

Zabuza and Mei tensed slightly, though they made an effort to conceal it.

“What does that have to do with me?” Zabuza watched Kisame carefully, trying to read his expression, though it was usually difficult.

“On my way back, I noticed a pack of shinobi seemingly headed toward the Land of Water.” Kisame reached into his pouch, took out a small piece of metal, and tossed it toward the boy. Zabuza caught it easily, turned it over in his hand, and glared down at the Leaf symbol on the metal plate.

“What is this?”

“Before I finished the squad off, I interrogated them. Do you know what manner of interesting information they had?”

Zabuza remained silent and Kisame’s lips curved in a smirk.

“They’re looking for the son of their dead Fourth Hokage.” Kisame’s shark-like eyes darted between Zabuza and Mei, and then at the lump in her cloak that indicated she was holding something. “A son that would be still very small and helpless by now.”

Mei hugged the child closer, praying in her head that he didn’t wake from the nap she’d induced in him into having him inhale a special blend of incense.

“Of course, they are operating in secrecy. Konoha is still weakened from its destruction and the child of a Kage is a high-profile target.” He chuckled. “Though it seems they haven’t narrowed their search down to Kiri just yet. There are many teams tasked with the investigation. One of which sent a report back near the border of the Land of Lightning, though they never returned to the Leaf. It’s suspected that they were killed, which leads to more suspicion that the culprit is up North.”

Again, Zabuza gave no response, and so Kisame continued.

“It’ll take a while before they find this place.” His smirk grew and his gaze rested on Mei. “Before they find him.”

“You wouldn’t be here unless you wanted something.” Zabuza spoke finally. “What is it?”

“After everything that happened, simply warning you was in order.”

“How did you find out it was me?”

“Oh it was simple.” Kisame held up his hand. “I’ve heard the rumor that you claimed the bounty for the Fourth Hokage, anonymously of course, and everything fell into place after those Konoha-nin talked. I was curious to see why you’d take the child of the one you killed, but now I see that you’ve been playing house. How quaint.”

"If that's all you came for–"

"It's curious to consider why they're so desperate to find that child." Kisame mused aloud, his tone a mix of amusement and cold, calculating analysis. "The child of a Kage is one thing, but if that Kage is dead, then the child is just another orphaned brat." His beady eyes narrowed. "Unless there is another reason why they want him back."

Zabuza knew how perceptive Kisame was– he had been trained in part by him, after all– but he didn't know just how much of the truth Kisame knew already and how much he was trying to pry out of Zabuza himself, even through reading his subtle body language and expressions.

"Their Yellow Flash was more than just a Hokage to them." Zabuza finally responded. "He was their beloved leader and a war hero in their eyes, but he was also a symbol of peace and strength. Killing him was a blow to their morale, and, by extension, having his newborn son disappear only served to bring them even lower. To further tarnish the legacy of the Fourth Hokage." He glanced at the concealed child Meis held briefly. "The child of a symbol is also a symbol in his own way. It goes back to their 'Will of Fire.’"

"Killing the child would have accomplished the same thing."

"No." Zabuza shook his head. "Stealing him away forced them to have their thoughts linger on the dead and their desperation. It extends their suffering and erodes away at them."

"And, your justification for keeping him a secret from Kirigakure?"

Zabuza frowned as Kisame smirked and he crossed his arms. "Just as you said– he's nobody without his dead father to stick a silver spoon in his mouth. His absence might demoralize Konoha for what his father meant to them, but they hardly care about the child itself. Why else would they only be searching for him now, after all this time?" He shook his head again. "They're desperate to find him for some feel-good morale-boosting story. Not a single Konoha-nin tried to tail me when I first took the boy. It's all for show now."

"Of course, Konoha has always been home to the prideful and stubborn. That doesn't explain why you chose to raise the child yourself." Kisame took a step forward and chuckled as Mei took one back. "Why not use the child? If you gave it to the Mizukage, it would make a great bargaining chip."

"I doubt the Mizukage would care about the orphaned son of a dead Kage." Zabuza said firmly. "He wants to maintain an air of peace with the treaty still recognized. For the Mizukage to openly declare that we had the Hokage's son would be to openly admit we violated the treaty. It would be an unwise move politically."

"Then dump it into the ocean. Those Konoha rats would never find the body."

"Because," Mei spoke up and glared at Kisame. "I wanted to keep the child."

"Oh? So you are swayed by a pretty face." Kisame laughed and looked at Zabuza. "An infant is an odd gift for courtship."

"There isn't a downside this way." Zabuza shifted to stand in front of Mei. "Konoha is still grieving, without a symbol of strength or the legacy of their beloved leader to reassure them. The Mizukage doesn't have to have the risk of political self-destruction and the formal withdrawal of any treaties. Mei is satisfied. Is that not enough?"

"No need to be so defensive, Zabuza. You're an open book."

"I’m only stating the obvious. There are enough reasons that the Mizukage doesn’t have to know about the boy so I don’t need to say anything else to you about it." Zabuza was already annoyed by Kisame's sudden visit and the idea that Konoha's forces could be closing in on his location sooner, rather than later, but he was mostly bothered by the unknowns of the current situation.

"The Mizukage would just order the child to be disposed of if he knew." Mei murmured. "To eliminate any potentially incriminating evidence."

"She's attached to it." Zabuza added, hoping that Mei's attempt to use the idea of innate motherly instincts to convince Kisame to leave them be.

"Fine. I'm not interested in your familial fantasy." Kisame's eyes darted between them. "I am curious, though… will you be making your 'son' attend the Academy? After all, both of his 'parents' performed exceptionally well as students."

“No.” Mei and Zabuza spoke in unison with no hesitation in their response.

“What would be the point in hiding him now just to expose him publicly in a few years?” Mei frowned.

“How cute. The Demon and the Lava Princess, raising a sheltered little child in secret.” Kisame’s laugh was like a hiss and he smirked. “It’s almost poetic.”

“If you only came to gawk, why not drop by a Kabuki performance instead?” Zabuza grumbled. “Or, are you looking for some kind of compensation for taking out those Leaf shinobi?”

“Well we could call it a favor between old acquaintances, but some compensation would be welcome.”

Of course, Zabuza thought. Money was the solution to most things. Overwhelming strength was usually the answer to everything else.

“Fine. Since I’ve already collected a good portion of the bounty, I can express my gratitude for your assistance this time.” Zabuza formed a water clone and it quickly disappeared to the location he kept his bounty money and returned with a small envelope. The clone held it out for Kisame to take, and the man’s shark-grin widened.

“I knew you’d be swimming in wealth from the bounty, but I didn’t anticipate this much.”

“Well,” The water clone began to say before it disappeared into a puddle and Zabuza stepped forward. “It would be beneficial for both of us if we came to an agreement.”

“What sort of arrangement would that be?”

“I can’t handle multiple tracking units on my own, but having someone else keep an eye out for them…” Zabuza narrowed his eyes. “The extra there would be compensation for the next group you eliminate, should you happen to come across any more potential problems while on missions. With the condition that you do it in a way that eliminates the evidence entirely.” He glanced down at the foreign forehead protector in his hand. “Not to bring anything with their scent on it here.”

“You would have me take on the role as a wandering bodyguard of a child you took as a trophy of your greatest kill?” Kisame raised his brow.

“No. You’d just be eliminating anyone who posed a potential threat to Kirigakure. It’s not just about keeping the brat that she’s fond of a secret; but any Konoha-nin who might end up here will put the Mizukage, and Kiri as a whole, in a bad position. Treaties undone, allies lost, another war looming on the horizon… in addition to the general political confusion and tension of civilians.”

“Tension that wouldn’t exist if you had just killed the boy.” Kisame chuckled.

"I didn't, and it's out of the question now." Zabuza kept his gaze on the Hoshigaki. "Do we have a deal?"

"Heh." Kisame grinned, the act itself appearing sinister from his sharpened teeth. "Many would kill to be in your shoes, Zabuza. The slayer of a legendary shinobi, coming into great wealth, and having a lovely young woman at your side." He chuckled. "This situation you've gotten yourself is intriguing at the very least, and, if you're planning on compensating me for my extra effort, then I can't refuse a good offer. ."

Mei felt like letting out a sigh of relief but knew that it was too early for that. The toddler stirred slightly in her arms as the effects seemed to wane, and she silently prayed and willed him to not wake until after the unwanted guest had left.

"I don't care about your intrigue so long as I have your word." Zabuza furrowed his brows. "I have a reputation to uphold, after all, and things could become very complicated for Kiri."

"Of course you have my word. As long as you're loyal to Kirigakure, I have no reason to turn against you."

It was only after Kisame had disappeared into the mist and across the ocean that Mei was able to exhale. The tension had made her dizzy, and she leaned against the side of the building as she caught her breath. The toddler stirred and opened his eyes then, looking around in confusion for a moment before smiling up at Mei. Mei turned her gaze on Zabuza then, and he continued to stare out into the misty sea with his fists clenched tightly and glaring into empty space.

"Damn it." Zabuza broke his silence and held up the metal plate. His thumb traced the village symbol there and then, drew his arm back to throw it as far as he could. It fell into the sea with a distant splash where it was sure to sink. After several more minutes of silence, he turned to walk quickly toward the home, grabbing Mei's arm with a firm-but-gentle grip and led her inside. He muttered to himself with his face stuck in a sour expression and Mei sighed again when he began to pace the interior.

"Zabuza, why don't you take that bath now?"

He stopped pacing and looked at her. His eyes were half-focused on the web of thoughts that crowded the forefront of his mind, while the other half studied her expression and reflected on her words. He exhaled after a time and shook his head, straightening and running his hand through his hair. He gave her a look– not a nod or a word– and then walked away.

Mei sighed again and held up the toddler to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry I had to make you sleep like that. I was just worried about you.”

“Ma.” His small fingers brushed the hair that covered her right eye and he smiled at its softness.

“Oh, you’re too adorable.” Mei nuzzled him close and poked his belly, smiling when he laughed. Her smile wavered and she touched her forehead to his. “What would I ever do if something happened to you?”

The child babbled back, speaking only gibberish, and Mei smiled again.

“I almost forgot, Shizu. I brought you presents.” She knelt and gently set him on the floor and reached into her pouch. She held up the gifts and beamed. “Ta-dah! I did some more reading about parenting, and I just had to get you some things. Since you’re getting so many teeth like a big boy.” She waved the rattle that doubled as a chew toy in front of him, then placed it in his hands. “That should give you something to gnaw on so you don’t put yucky things into your mouth.”

His blue eyes grew wide and, to her satisfaction, he immediately started to bite and suck on the toy contentedly.

“Good boy.” She ruffled his hair and held up the second gift. “This one I happened to find after finishing a mission. It was the last one at the festival stall, but I knew that it had to be yours.”

Again the boy happily took the gift, hugging and poking the nose of the stuffed animal as he chewed on the first gift. She watched him curiously examine the plush creature until his stomach growled and he looked expectantly up at her.

“Do you want something to eat?” She touched his nose and stood, putting her hands on her hips. “Alright then. While your dad’s relaxing, let me get you something tasty. I’m sure it’ll be much better than whatever he makes.”

Mei occupied herself in what Zabuza called the kitchen, but she always muttered and complained about how meager it was. The countertop was just a repurposed old workbench with a single, portable electric burner. A sink was affixed to the wall nearby, as well as a short refrigerator, and a vintage Kamado oven. Even after all her continued nagging that it was long outdated and posed a risk of injury and burns to small children, Zabuza stubbornly wouldn’t remove it. Mei had learned to use it, of course, but she never did without complaining to him. As usual, there wasn’t much food available to work with but she made do. She knew that, eventually, she’d wear him down enough to put in a proper, modern kitchen, and she’d make sure that he did it before Shizuhiko was older and going through his own growth spurts.

The corners of her mouth almost twitched in a smile at the thought of Zabuza taking so long to finally reach his growth spurts but then her expression fell again. She knew that, had he had his mother still around, he'd be eating a better diet. Growing up in poverty was another stunt to his development, and she had been fortunate enough to have two caring, attentive parents to make sure her needs were met.

Mei looked at the toddler as he played and her smile returned when she saw his chubby cheeks and the pudge of his arms and legs. Zabuza was too stubborn to admit that he cared, but the plumpness of the happy child was evidence enough. Zabuza provided for him in a way that he hadn't had the privilege of experiencing himself, and the child was thriving.

Yes, Mei thought with certainty– Zabuza was a surprisingly good parent. Except for the part where he had put the child in a cage, of course.

She huffed and checked on the meal to see that it was nearly finished, then stood back and put her hands on her hips. She wasn't the best cook, but she prided herself on being able to make a handful of dishes well. Her father's talent in the culinary arts hadn't completely been lost on her, after all, and she rather enjoy cooking. Cooking and sharing a meal together went hand in hand, and they were special moments that warmed the heart as well as the belly.

Zabuza emerged from his room wearing only plain, dark pants and a towel over his damp head. His nose led him into the kitchen and he looked at Mei.

“What is it?”

“That’s a surprise.” Mei grinned and put her hands on her hips. “Rest assured, it will be gentle on your sore mouth.”

Zabuza raised his brow, still not wanting to admit out loud the constant ache of the entire lower half of his face, but he said nothing. He reached for a dish and Mei swatted his hand away. “It’s not quite done yet. Go bathe Shizu and it’ll be finished by the time you’re out.”

Zabuza grumbled but strode over to the toddler, picked him up in a fluid motion, and walked back to the bathroom while the child fussed about dropping his new toys. Just as Mei had said, the meal was already set out at the table when Zabuza returned.

He looked over the neatly set table, watched Mei as she sat already with a grin, and he held out the clean toddler toward her.

"Here. One brat, free of filth."

"Aw, look at you, Shizu." Mei happily took the toddler and nuzzled him close. "You're so clean and handsome now, yes you are."

"Hmph." Zabuza sat and watched her from the corner of his eye. "So? What is it?"

"You're going to love it." Mei sat Shizuhiko beside her to remove the top of the iron pot and spooned a generous helping into his bowl. "It's a recipe my father just taught me."

"White Stew?" Zabuza raised his brow.

"Yep!" Mei spooned out some for herself, and a small portion into a smaller bowl before settling back down. "You didn't have a lot of ingredients to work with, as usual, but you do have a lot of milk available at any given moment, so I thought it would be great to use it. Not to mention, all of the vegetables and meat are very tender so you won't have to chew them much. It's the perfect meal for you until you're fully recovered."

"Hm." Zabuza looked down at the stew and tried cautiously to taste it. After a moment he looked back at her. "Would you look at that? I'm not dead."

"I am a wonderful cook, thank you very much." She huffed in a faux pout but smiled. "I'm glad that you like it. I had been thinking of finding an excuse to cook it for you sometime and today was the perfect opportunity."

The toddler stared with wide eyes at the steam coming from his small bowl and reached up to grab it when Mei quickly stopped it from tipping over onto his lap.

"Ma!" The boy frowned at her, his stomach growling again.

"Hold on, hold on." Mei laughed, moved a piece of hair from her face, and gently blew into his bowl. When it had cooled she tied a cloth around his neck like a bib and hoisted him into her lap so he could easily reach the table.

"There we go, Shizu." She smiled and held his small spoon in front of his mouth. "Say 'ahh.'"

The child leaned forward in anticipation, mouth open, and tried to help pull the spoon into his mouth. Half of the stew was eaten successfully, with the rest of it spilling over his face, makeshift bib, and Mei herself. Zabuza’s eye twitched and he glared at the child, the child who only blinked innocently back at him.

“You. Little. Shit.”

Mei stifled a laugh and waved her hand. “I’ll take responsibility and give him another bath after dinner. Don’t be so hard on him.” When Zabuza continued to eat and mutter under his breath, her smile grew. “You know, he won’t learn how to feed himself without trial-and-error. He’s doing his best for now, aren’t you, Shizu?’

“Ma!” The boy pointed at his mouth and pointed toward his bowl. He was not in the mood for conversation or praise; only food.

“Of course, of course.” Mei wiped his face and carefully gave him another bite, holding her hand over his to guide the utensil into his mouth. “What a good boy you are.”

Zabuza watched Mei feed the toddler contentedly, nearly neglecting her own food. He ate quietly and slowly, though, Mei had been right and there wasn’t much to chew anyway. His brow furrowed as his thoughts slipped to Kisame’s sudden visit before, and he could feel the weight of the metal plate as if he still held it in his hands. He looked back to Mei, then down at his empty hand as it sat in his lap, and then thought some more. And some more. Until he drank the last of stew in the bowl and set it down on the low table.

“Done already?” Mei glanced up at him from wiping Shizu’s face again. “Do you want more?”

“Did you mean what you said before?”

“What?” Mei froze for a moment while her mind ran through the various possibilities of what he could mean. She had said many things to him, but she didn’t know what she had said that would be weighing so heavily on his mind, except for… She pressed her lips together and sat straighter. Except for... That. The ever-present but always-ignored elephant in the room. She shifted as she sat and her ears warmed at the very idea of his acknowledgment of–

“You wanting to move in.”

Mei’s eyes widened and she could only stare at him. It wasn’t what she had expected him to say, but it was equally– if not more, in some ways– surprising. It was all she could do to keep her jaw from dropping and she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry… what?”

Zabuza raised his brow at her. He could tell that she was flustered and taken by surprise but he wasn’t in the mood to tease her. There was too much on his mind and too many very important things he needed to do.

“Kisame agreed to my arrangement and left for now, but the fact that he appeared suddenly is troublesome.” Zabuza’s brows furrowed. “Besides you, he is the only one who knows about this place. Aside from the ones who tried to destroy it initially, that is, but they’re not a problem.”

Mei’s expression shifted and she nodded. “I’m glad he left, but, how well do you know him? Is he someone that we can trust?”

“Loyal to the Mizukage, or loyal to Kirigakure… I don’t know which. I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of him.”

“‘We?’”

“I expect he’ll be back though I can’t predict when, and he’s not someone that I could defeat on my own if he decided to betray me. His Chakra levels exceed mine by an untold amount and he’s been training under Fuguki as his eventual successor for years already.” His eyes narrowed and he clenched his jaw. “I can’t keep him with me at all times, and, even if we’re only here, there will be a gap between how quickly I can reach that brat.” He looked at the blond boy, then his eyes rose to Mei again. “Since you’re so taken with him, why not stay here like you were saying?”

“Me? Move in?” Mei blinked, blushed briefly, and then ran her fingers through her hair. “I really never expected you would ever say that with a serious face, but I agree that the encounter before was stressful.” She stroked the child’s head, biting her lip as she thought. “Normally I wouldn’t hesitate to accept, but…”

“Are you still being monitored by the Mizukage?”

“I can’t be sure.” She frowned slightly and shook her head. “I feel that I’ve demonstrated my loyalty enough already over the years, but I still feel uneasy whenever I’m summoned for briefings. I don’t know if it’s solely because I possess Kekkei Genkai, or if there is some other reason.”

“Your ties to me.”

She met his gaze and then sighed. “Even though we’ve been so diligent, it seems we’re still suspected.”

“It’s to be expected when faced with powerful subordinates with exceptional skills and mission record.” Zabuza smirked slightly. “The Mizukage would be a fool to not keep a close eye on anyone who might surpass him.”

“Even so.” Mei hugged the toddler close and rested her chin on the top of his head. “We haven’t officially done anything wrong.”

“We exist.”

Mei bit her lip again. He was right, of course. Those of the lowest caste could only hope to climb so far. For those who dared to claw their way out of the bottom, those in power would always be wary of them. Even more so if those who didn’t accept their ‘rightful place’ also possessed natural skill or Kekkei Genkai.

“So?” Zabuza looked at her, waiting for an answer.

“I don’t know.” Mei mumbled. “I’d say yes, but, I worry about my parents. If more suspicion is cast upon us, or if Kisame really does betray us, then I won’t be there to defend my parents if anyone came to kill them or take them hostage.”

Of course. It was easy for Zabuza to forget about something such as family when he did not have one.

“I know it’s selfish, but at least give me some time to consider it. If anything, I’ll need to come up with a plan to ensure they’re safe when I’m not there.”

“Decide by the end of the week.”

“One week, huh?” Mei glanced over at the calendar on the wall and cracked a small smile. “Oh, Zabuza, do you know what exactly one week from now is?”

“What?” Zabuza could hear in her voice that she was going to say something frustrating or nonsensical, and so, he already raised one brow in anticipation.

Mei chuckled and held up the toddler, her smile growing. “It’s Shizuhiko’s first birthday!”

“Absolutely not.” Zabuza ignored her expression and filled his bowl for seconds.

“You didn’t hear what I was going to say.”

“I don’t need to. The answer is no.”

“Hmph.” Mei wiped the toddler’s face again and rubbed her cheek against his. “Don’t worry, Shizu! You and I will have a lovely little birthday without that grumpy dad of yours. Yes we will.”

“And I already said no.”

“Well, I already decided what I’m going to do.” She leaned forward and met his eyes with a smirk. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

He kept his brow raised and she matched his look until he rolled his eyes and turned his attention to eating. “I said no.”

“Just because you’ve never had a birthday party doesn’t mean that Shizu shouldn’t get one.” Mei rested her elbow on the table and her cheek in her hand, then she smiled at the blond boy that messily tried to spoon his own stew into his mouth.“I wasn’t planning anything extravagant anyway. A little cake for him, a few gifts, maybe some balloons…”

“Yes I’m sure he’s going to be so thrilled to celebrate the anniversary of the day I killed both of his parents and kidnapped him to make him my instrument of vengeance.”

Mei shot Zabuza a look though she already understood the seriousness and slight amusement in his tone. “He deserves to know that he’s wanted.”

“What I want is for him to stop making messes.” Zabuza frowned at the child. “He’s made a mess of you, also.’

Mei’s mouth twitched in a smirk as she leaned forward. “Are you offering to give me a bath now?”

Zabuza returned to quickly eating while grumbling and Mei laughed softly. To change the conversation, he looked around the room to find something else to discuss, and then he frowned at the small stuffed animal. “...What is that?”

“Oh, this?” Mei smiled and reached for the plush. “I found it in a town during my last mission. Isn’t it cute? I got it for Shizu, so paws off.”

Zabuza narrowed his eyes and loudly slurped his stew. “It’s a fox.”

“That’s why I thought i was perfect for him.” Mei held the plush out of the child’s reach and laughed. “Hold on, little guy. You’re too messy to hold Niney. Let me clean you off first.”

“‘Niney’?” Zabuza raised his brow, asking though he already was well aware of Mei’s twisted humor at times.

“Named after the Nine-Tailed Fox, of course.” Mei winked and wiggled the stuffed animal. “Though this one only has the one tail.”

“And you say I‘m cruel.” Zabuza muttered.

Mei stuck out her tongue and then stood with the toddler. “We’re going to take a bath now, so make sure you clean up once you’ve finished eating.”

“‘We’?”

“Yes, we.” Mei tossed him the stuffed animal, which he caught instinctively, then dropped it with a look of disgust. Mei waved her finger at him and then winked. “Don’t be naughty and try to get a peek of me, either.”

“Cease.”

Zabuza grunted and ate in content silence with their absence, or, he had planned to do just that, except he could still hear them. He could hear both of them laughing with plenty of juvenile splashing. He would grumble more than he already was, but he knew Mei would clean up after herself, though he couldn’t fathom why she was so attached to the child or why she would turn something as mundane as bathing into a game. You were supposed to get clean and that was all. She always overcomplicated everything, Zabuza thought and swirled the spoon around his bowl. Just as she was overcomplicating the nature of their relationship.

Things were fine as they were, he thought. The only thing that she should have concerned herself with were their plans and the information Kisame had brought them. His mind ran through the multitude of scenarios, considering what it meant for Konoha to have so many tracking teams sent out, and so spread out. Had they really not tried to follow his trail from the site where the Yellow Flash had fallen? No, he chuckled as he understood. Their trackers must have followed the wrong trail from the very beginning of their hunt– going after the mysterious opponent he had witnessed the Hokage battling instead.

His lips curved in a smirk, as that was just as well for him if Konoha was led on a wild goose chase, but the fact that one of the teams had been drawing nearer to the Land of Water indicated one of two things– either that someone had finally picked up on his trail, or, Konoha was so desperate that they were having their shinobi suspect each of the nations, even their official ‘allies.’ The latter would be a logical move from whoever had taken over the empty seat as Hokage, but he couldn’t eliminate the possibility that somehow after nearly a year, he was being tracked. It would be foolish to not consider it.

By the time his tangled web of thoughts had concluded with the settling of some decisions, he had cleaned up entirely from the meal and Mei returned with the boy from their unnecessarily lengthy bath. She plopped the grinning toddler, swaddled in a towel, in the center of the room with his plush animal, and then she looked at Zabuza.

“Miss me?”

He only grunted in response and her lips curved in a smile. She slid her arms around his waist from behind as he washed and dried the last dish, and she closed her eyes to sigh contentedly as his warmth seeped into her. He ignored and buried the bothersome sensation he felt from her embrace and ignored how he could feel the curves of her body through his spare clothes that she wore. His eye twitched when he saw the toddler crawl out from the towel and he was bare.

“There’s a problem. Fix it.”

“There wouldn’t be an issue of finding him clothes if you had better organization of his things.” Mei murmured with her lips against his spine. He nearly shivered at the touch, but his self-control was the last bit of his pride and dignity he had left. Mei still smirked slightly at the subtle twitch of the muscles of his back, and she pressed her lips to his skin again. “If you’d let me set him up a proper nursery, instead of having him share a futon with you, with his things stuck into a box in the corner.”

“It’s unnecessary.” Zabuza looked at her from the corner of his eye, then raised his brow. “But if you insist on spoiling him to an irritating degree, then that’s something you could do if you stayed here.”

“Hm.” She kissed him again. “You’re not just asking me to move in so you can keep me all to yourself, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Of course.” Mei laughed quietly and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, her lips brushing his ear as she smirked. “And, of course, you also have no ulterior motives for giving me permission to give him his own room after all this time, either.”

“I’m not the same as you.”

“Aren’t you? I think we’re more alike than you care to admit.”

“Every word you just said was wrong.”

“We'll see about that.” Mei murmured and he shifted to face her. She slid her arms around his neck with a growing smirk, leaned in to plant bring their lips together when a shriek started them both.

"Shizu?" Mei jumped away from Zabuza, looked around the room with her eyes wide. His empty towel sat on the floor where she'd set him, along with his toys, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Shizu?!"

The source of the screaming came from another room and the color drained from her face when she saw what was wrong.

"Oh. Oh no." Mei hurried to the toddler and she held him in her arms and covered his bleeding hands with her clothes, applying pressure to the deep cuts. "Shh, it's alright, it's alright. I'm here."

Zabuza frowned at the scene, at the child, and at the bloodied shuriken and kunai that littered the floor. It was clear that he had somehow reached where Zabuza had stored his weapons, and the result was a crimson, sticky mess.

"The bleeding won't stop." Mei's lip quivered. "We'll have to take him to the hospital."

"How did he even get in here in the first place?" Zabuza grumbled and knelt beside her. The boy continued to cry loudly with his face red and tears flowing freely.

"Shizu, it's okay, it's okay. Shh…" Mei rocked him in her arms and applied more pressure. "We need to do something now."

"I know." His brow furrowed. All of his careful planning to keep the child a secret, all of his considerations of the possible unexpected problems that could arise, only for the child himself to become the source of unpredictable problems.

"Fine. I know where to take him." He reached out his arms to take the boy and Mei shook her head and stood.

"I'm coming, too. I'm just as responsible as you for losing sight of him. Maybe moreso."

"Fine. Just follow me." He turned to leave then frowned at the small tendrils of steam that drifted from the bloodstained fabric. "Mei, control yourself. You'll melt him."

"I'm not doing that." She frowned back and stared at the steam, then slowly unwrapped the pair of small hands. Her eyes widened as she realized that the steam itself was coming from his wounds. Before their eyes, the bleeding stopped and the skin grew together without a single scar. "W-What the…?"

The toddler's crying faded and Zabuza grabbed the small pair of hands to look them over.

"How…?"

"Is this the kind of ability that a Jinchuriki has?" Mei met his eyes. "It healed in an instant."

"I don't know." Zabuza grumbled and furrowed his brows. "We should count ourselves lucky that it did."

"What else can he do, then?" She murmured and wiped a tear from the chubby cheek. "I'm so sorry, Shizu. This is all my fault. If I hadn't been a distraction, then…"

"I let you be a distraction." Zabuza interrupted in a low tone.

Mei would have been flustered at his admission but she hardly heard it as the toddler whispered a soft "Mama" before he rubbed his face into her chest and clung to her tightly.

"That was scary, I know. I'm so sorry." Mei nuzzled him close and shut her eyes. "I'll protect you better next time. I promise." She gave him a squeeze and murmured. "I'll stay here forever with you, Shizu. I won't let you get hurt or any bad, scary people take you away."

Zabuza turned his eyes from the blood to her at the whisper. He said nothing but he watched her embrace the child with tears welling in her eyes and her hands trembling. He turned to retrieve something to clean the blood with before it could stain the flooring and began amending his mental 'to do' list without his usual grumbling.

Chapter Text

Mei opened her eyes as the morning light touched her face. She yawned, stretched slightly, and cracked her eyes. As her senses awoke she became acutely aware of the warmth permeating into her body. Her lips twitched in a faint smirk and she shifted closer to the figure until her body pressed against his. Zabuza roused at her touch and slid his arm around her to pull her closer, his breaths warm on the back of her neck.

“Morning.” Mei reached her hand behind her to run her fingers through his hair. “I think we slept in a bit late.”

“Is that a problem?” Was his husky grumble of a reply as he pressed his lips to her bare neck, planting a line of kisses down before softly biting her shoulder.

“Be careful with those teeth of yours.” Mei bit her lip and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “You underestimate how sharp they are.”

“You weren’t complaining about them last night.” Zabuza chuckled and gingerly nibbled her earlobe.

“That was… very different.” A shudder passed through her and she looped her foot around his ankle to draw him closer.

“Was it?” He raised his brow, smirking faintly as he propped himself up with his elbow. He moved her hair out of her face, trailing his fingers through the long auburn locks and curling his fingers into the hair at the base of her neck.

“It was…” Mei’s eyes darted to his lips and then she averted her gaze and moved to lie on her back. “A-Anyway… weren’t we supposed to do something this morning?” She cleared her throat and her cheeks warmed as he leaned over her. “We should have breakfast and–.”

He interrupted her with a kiss and trailed more down her neck once again. His eyes rose to meet hers and she recognized the intent behind them. “Breakfast?”

Mei cleared her throat again and covered her flushing face slightly as she mumbled. “...I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to stay in bed a little longer on a day off…”

A five year old boy laughed silently from his hiding place behind several empty crates and held an armful of tightly-packed snowballs in his arms. He could hear the squeals and shrieks of laughter of the other children and he stifled another laugh as he shifted his cold weaponry in his arms and selected one. He closed his eyes to listen to the voices, the footsteps through the snow, and the breaths of those around him. His lips curved in a faint, mischievous smirk and he drew back his arm to throw the snowball only for Sakinami to poke her head out of the Burrows’ doorway for an announcement.

“Lunch is ready, children! Come inside and get warm!”

“Lunch!” The kids cheered in unison, and the boy grinned and leaped to his feet.

“Yes!” 

Before he could follow the others inside, several snowballs struck his face and slowly slid down until they landed on the freshly fallen powder at his feet. The sudden wintry assault had knocked his thick hat askew, revealing wild blond locks, and the children pointed at him.

“We finally got you, Shizu!”

“You’re so predictable!”

The boy– Shizuhiko– burst into a fit of laughter and wiped what snow remained from his face. He ran over to the rest of the children and pulled his hat back in place. “Aw man… you guys always get me good.”

“You liar!” A girl his own age with blue-grey hair pointed at him and frowned. “You always hide too good! We only got you that time because you showed yourself, but you always win. Sometimes it’s not even fun.”

“Miharu-neechan…” Shizu laughed and rubbed his head. “I don’t mean to do it,‘ttebayo.”

“Yeah!” A boy put his hands on his hips and looked at Shizuhiko. “It ain’t fair that you use all those super ninja secret moves during games.”

Shizu sighed quietly and Sakinami poked her head out of the doorway with her gentle-but-stern face.

“Children, I said it’s time to come inside. The food will get cold if you don’t hurry.”

“Yes, miss Saki!” Most of the children called out and headed for the Burrows, while Miharu crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks at the blond.

“You promise that you won’t be so good and win so easy next time?”

“I promise I’ll try . I can’t help being so cool.” Shizu put his hands together and pouted at her, and the two stared at each other for a few moments before they laughed.

“Come on, you dummy!” She smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her. “Before mom gets mad and scary.”

“I heard that.” Sakinami suppressed a smile and shook her head as the last two children filed in. She wiped Shizu’s face dry with her apron and knelt in front of them both to help slip off their boots. “Alright, you two; go with the others and get cleaned up, alright? Don’t get into any mischief.”

“We won’t, mom!” Miharu giggled and tugged Shizu along again. “Come on! If we hurry, we can beat Suzua-nee and get seats next to each other.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming! “

Sakinami sighed and stood as they ran down the hall to wash their hands and faces. A small smile touched her face as she went to the dining room. She was still so pleased that Shizuhiko and Miharu were close friends, as she’d been born only a few months after Shizuhiko had come into their lives. The two of them were as close as twin pearls in a clam, but Sakinami didn’t appreciate their proclivity for playing pranks. 

In some ways, she almost wished that he had never returned for the blond boy who had brightened their lives, but she knew that the arrangement with Zabuza over the years had been beneficial for everyone on the island. Because of Zabuza's payments in the form of herbs, fresh produce, and medicines, they hadn't lost a single child to the terrible illness from the volcanic soil. And, after all, he had also given them plenty of materials that allowed the children to learn to read. They all had a brighter future because of Shizuhiko, for many reasons, and she adored that child as if he were her own.

Sakinami put a hand over her heart and touched the locket that rested there, closing her eyes as she remembered how he had nursed at her breast and when he had taken his first steps. She smiled at the happy memories, knowing in her heart that he was just as loved as her daughters.

The children started to file into the dining room and she counted them in her head as she portioned out their food. Once they had sat down, she counted them again. Of course, she smiled slightly in thought. Those two were late again. 

Just as the thought had formed in her mind, Shizuhiko and Miharu hurried into the room. They were stifling laughter and she couldn’t help but notice the dampness of their hair and clothes. They had been having a water fight instead of washing their hands again. 

They stood in front of her to wait for their own portions with sheepish smiles as if she wasn't able to tell that they had been playing. Then they hurriedly say down in the last two seats at the child's table while whispering and laughing. She eyed the time, knowing that soon the others would join them for a meal– taking a much-needed break from fishing and harvesting– and eat together with their children. 

Sakinami let out a sigh and sat in the meantime, listening as the children of all ages talked with one another. She started on her own meal and listened curiously to what everyone was saying– her ears especially attuned to the conversation of Suzua, her oldest daughter. She was several years older than Miharu, and was sitting across from a boy her own age, listening as he discussed something. She had no interest in the topic, but Sakinami knew that Suzua had a growing interest in the boy. Her attention shifted to Miharu and Shizuhiko when the conversation at the child's table evolved into a conversation about Shizuhiko himself. 

"I thought you were gonna leave this morning." A girl slurped some of her kelp noodles and looked at the blond. 

"Yeah, you said your dad was gonna get back this real early." A boy added.

"I dunno." Shizuhiko slurped up his own noodles in satisfaction and shrugged. "I guess his mission had problems."

"Your dad sure is scary…" One child said, and the others nodded in agreement.

"He's not scary!" Shizuhiko rubbed the back of his head. "That's just how his face is.”

"No, he's just scary." Miharu made a face. "I'm glad you don't look like him."

"Shizu, do you look like your mom?" 

The boy blinked at the question and he averted his eyes. He laughed quietly to himself but Sakinami knew how such a question would be twisting his stomach into knots. He had known for some time that his mother died at his birth, of course, though that was something he had confided in Sakinami, and not his peers. She was about to intervene and distract them all with a new topic when Shizuhiko laughed and rubbed his head again.

"I don't look like my mom, either, but she's awesome, 'ttebayo!"

"You have a mom?" Miharu's eyes widened. 

Sakinami blinked from her own seat as she listened. She’d never once heard a single mention of a mother figure in Shizuhiko’s life, besides herself, and the thought made her feel a little jealous. Jealous and, genuinely curious what type of woman the ‘Demon’ would take as a partner.

"You mean, someone actually married that scary guy?" A boy mumbled, and the two children at either side shrugged.

"What's 'married' mean?" Shizu slurped his lunch again. 

"You know." An older girl leaned over. "When two grown-ups love each other so much that they live together and have kids."

"And they do stuff like… kissing." Miharu covered her mouth as she giggled.

"They wear wedding rings, too." A boy nodded and held up his hand, pointing to one finger. "Right here."

"Well… we all live together, and they kiss sometimes, but they don't have rings." He shrugged and went back to eating. "Dad doesn't ever say anything like 'love', either."

"Whaaat?" The kids said in unison.

"You mean, your dad doesn't even say that he loves you or your mom?" Miharu puffed her cheeks. "That's so mean!"

Shizuhiko stared down into his bowl as the noodles swirled and he fell silent. 

The children leaned closer to the blond child, watching his expression curiously as they asked questions such as “What’s your mom like?”, “Is she scary like your dad?”, and “Why doesn’t she ever come here with you?” The boy didn’t answer any of the questions and he only fidgeted slightly with a loose thread on his shirt. 

Sakinami opened her mouth to say something but the conversation ended when the rest of the parents arrived. She let out a small sigh of relief as the children’s attention diverted to greeting their parents and everyone settled in to eat with a comfortable air about them. Comfortable, all except Shizuhiko. The boy had stopped eating completely and was staring at his food while those around him talked and laughed. She frowned slightly as she watched, but she wasn’t sure what was wrong. He hadn’t mentioned any mother before, but he didn’t seem willing to discuss her even now after he’d mentioned her. Even worse, his usual smile was gone and in its place was a look so melancholy that her heart ached to see it.

A pair of footsteps came from the hall and the boy’s ear twitched and he sat up quickly, correcting his slouched posture, and hurriedly slurped the rest of his food. He wiped his mouth on his napkin just as the footsteps stopped outside the doorway and he practically skipped to the doorway with a grin on his face. Once he saw the figure, he screwed up his face and pointed at the man.

“You’re super late, ‘ttebayo!”

“I was busy, you brat.” Zabuza growled and mussed the boy’s hair before gently pushing him back. “And, what’d I say about cutting out that tic?”

Shizuhiko stuck out his tongue and rubbed his forehead. “I even woke up really early today to wait for you. You were gone forever. I really wanted to train more.”

“It was just fifteen days.” Zabuza’s eyes moved away from the child and turned toward the assembled villagers. They had all stopped eating once they realized his presence and an eerie silence fell over the room. The children were all staring at Shizuhiko, then at Zabuza, and then they quickly averted their eyes once the ‘Demon’ met their gaze. He looked back at Shizuhiko, then motioned with a short nod of his head. “Let’s go.”

“Okay!” He took Zabuza’s hand and tried to pull the man down the hall, though Zabuza remained firmly in place from willpower and greater strength.

Sakinami stood and Zabuza watched her from the corner of his eye. She stood there nervously at first, still wondering why the child had seemed so sad, and still curious about Zabuza’s mysterious significant other, and then she stepped forward. 

“Shizu, don’t forget your coat. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Oops. I forgot.” Shizuhiko laughed and followed her to the small room used as a communal closet between all of the children. 

Sakinami retrieved his winter clothes, knelt in front of him, and then helped put on his coat, hat, scarf, and gloves. She noticed the small, lingering sadness in his eyes and she put her hands on his shoulders to speak quietly.

“Shizu, you’ve never mentioned a mother before. Is she good to you?”

The boy’s eyes widened quickly, then he nodded. “She’s the best.”

Sakinami let out a short breath of relief and then smiled. “I’m sure she is.” She hugged him and then put her hand on his cheek. She walked him back to where Zabuza still stood and waved slightly at the child. “See you soon, Shizu.”

“Oh, I forgot to say goodbye!” Shizu hurried off to his friends and Sakinami shifted awkwardly with Zabuza’s presence chilling the air. 

“Here.” 

She blinked and caught the envelope tossed to her, then she peered inside. She already knew it was payment for caring for the boy for such a long period of time, but still, she peeked at the money before bowing her head slightly. “Thank you. It was no trouble for him to stay here. He’s a good kid and we all adore him.”

“Hm.”

“Back!” Shizuhiko exhaled and grinned, then stretched as he stood beside Zabuza. “See ya, miss Saki!”

She forced a smile and a wave, knowing what would happen next. She had been relieved when Zabuza had stopped transporting the boy in those scrolls as if he were an object, but the alternative made her feel unsettled still. She watched as Zabuza tugged a mask over the lower half of the boy’s face and, as if a switch had been activated, everything about his expression and demeanor changed. His smile vanished instantly and he stood in place as if waiting for a command. Seeing it again sent a chill through her veins. For the most part, she could forget that the boy she adored was anything other than a normal child, but this was one such time where she was bitterly reminded that his father was the ‘Demon’ and he was no ordinary boy.

“When the mask is on, you’re as silent as the mist.” Zabuza muttered to the boy, as he did every time. He was secretly very proud of himself for training the child so well that he became obedient this way. It made transporting him anywhere needed far simpler, and, more importantly, prevented the child from asking millions of questions about absolutely everything the entire trip. He had come up with this solution after the three-year-old child stubbornly threw enormous tantrums when Zabuza had tried to seal him into the scroll. Mei had sympathized with the child and insisted that he could come up with a better method. The only difficulty was trying to train the child to adapt to wearing the mask and being silent.

Zabuza straightened, well aware of the woman’s discomfort at the boy’s conditioning, but he didn’t care. He simply put his hand on the child’s head to wordlessly relay that they were leaving, and the two walked out with their footsteps almost completely silent.

Zabuza carried the child as he ran silently over the sea. The mists were thicker in the winter and were cold, but not as cold as the ocean if you had the misfortune of falling in. Winter was still only in its early stages, but already there had been heavy snows.

He leaped up from the sea’s surface and onto the dock, then set the child down. He knelt to look at the child’s obedient and blank expression, hesitating before the removed the mask, and then quickly tugged it off. The boy gasped as if he’d been holding his breath and stretched. Once he rubbed his eyes, his smile returned.

“Dad, next time, I don’t wanna be carried! I’m pretty fast now so I can definitely keep up!”

Zabuza raised his brow. “Oh? You can run on water now?”

“Uh… well…” Shizuhiko rubbed his head. “Well… I can stand on water, at least.”

“ Can you?”

“I totally can!” Shizu puffed his cheeks. “Mom teached me how! Look, I’ll show you–”

Zabuza grabbed him by the scarf as he tried to walk off the edge of the dock, and he grumbled. “I don’t think so. If you get soaked with ice water, Mei’ll have my head.”

“But I can do it, ‘ttebayo!”

"Sure you can." Zabuza rolled his eyes and gave the child's scarf a tug again. "Let's go inside."

"But I wanna play!" Shizu tugged Zabuza's sleeve. "You were gone too long, so you have to play with me!"

"I've never 'played' with you before and I don't intend to start now."

"Tag!" The boy ignored him, instead tapping Zabuza's arm before racing down the snow-dusted dock and onto the beach, laughing as he did. 

Zabuza muttered under his breath about how inane and impractical children's games were. He had never, in the five years he had been the boy's caregiver, played games with him. Mei sometimes liked to argue otherwise, but Zabuza always insisted that the activities he did with the child were merely things that were age-appropriate training. He had given the child many puzzle boxes to solve, ranging from simple to more complicated and the bamboo replicas of weapons were merely props for the child to practice with until he could properly handle the real things. They were not toys as Mei called them, and she certainly knew what purpose he had made them for. She just enjoyed being a thorn in his side.

The corner of his mouth twitched in a slight smirk and he shifted in place as he watched the child running through the snow. Well, he thought, at least this ‘game’ was a good opportunity to test the boy’s speed and evasion. Zabuza flickered in front of the child and watched as his eyes widened in surprise and he skidded to an ungraceful stop and face-planted in the snow. 

“Boo.” 

Shizuhiko jumped up from the snow, shook himself off, and then took off running in the opposite direction. This time, he was faster than before but his small legs could only carry him so fast in the snow. Zabuza watched him nearly stumble once before flickering again. He reached out to lift the boy with one hand, but the child squirmed and then vanished in a small poof of smoke. In his place, a bundle of thick bamboo stalks was what Zabuza held.

“Substitution?” Zabuza dropped the bamboo and listened carefully. He could tell that the boy was actually trying to remain silent from his hiding place but it wasn’t enough to fool Zabuza’s finely-attuned senses. He peered around the corner of the building to see the child hiding in his usual spot– the spot he had chosen as a toddler when he was trying to do something that he shouldn’t– and the blond groaned.

“Couldn’t you at least pretend to look a little bit longer?”

“No.”  Zabuza picked the boy up and set him in front of him. “That’s exactly why ‘games’ aren’t suitable for shinobi. Unless you’re given challenges, you’ll never learn. If you don’t adapt and improve, you die. That’s the reality of life as a shinobi and the reality of the world.”

“I know that, ‘ttebayo.” Shizuhiko crossed his arms and mumbled, looking away. “But mom says that playing is important too, in different ways.”

Zabuza snorted shortly and turned away from the boy. “You’re not the same as those other children.”

“That’s not true!” Shizuhiko pointed at Zabuza and furrowed his brows, copying Zabuza’s typical expression easily. It was something he had learned from a young age, and he had learned it well. “If I’m different you wouldn’t leave me there to play and stuff when you went on missions!”

“What?” Zabuza furrowed his own brow and crossed his arms. “You stay there because Mei is too busy to babysit a brat all day, every day.”

“Hmph!” Shizu frowned. “If I’m really a shinobi kid, you’d bring me on missions.”

“That’s enough of that nonsense. Get in the house already.”

“No!” The boy ducked to avoid being picked up again and stood on the dock with his hands on his hips. “I’m really strong now, ‘ttebayo! I’ll prove it!” He formed a handsign, scrunched his face, and then the icy sea bubbled and shifted on either side of the dock. Water formed into copies of himself that leaped toward Zabuza simultaneously.

Zabuza dodged the clones’ easily and chopped each one on the back of the back with his hand. They burst into seawater and splashed onto the snowy ground, and then Zabuza faced the child with a brow raised. “Since when have you been able to create six water clones?”

“I told you I’m strong now.” Shizu grinned and rubbed his nose. “I’ve been training really hard so I can go on missions with you!”

"That's ridiculous. You're not ready."

"But I am!"

Zabuza's frown deepened. For a child of his age, being able to manifest six water clones at once was impressive. Each water clone was approximately ten percent of the strength of the shinobi, after all, and Zabuza himself could only create a maximum of twenty if he really pushed himself. It came as no surprise that the boy had the potential to create a surprising number of clones due to his enormous Chakra reserves– no doubt further evidence of his Uzumaki lineage– but Zabuza never anticipated that he would be able to create so many clones so soon. Zabuza and Mei had only introduced the technique to him several months before, before his fifth birthday, and he had the handicap of having Wind as his dominant chakra nature. In fact, the last Zabuza had evaluated the boy's progress was several weeks ago, and he could hardly produce a single water clone, and it was without a doubt, the most pathetic clone that Zabuza had ever seen. He had primarily given up on teaching the boy any Water Release Jutsu, but somehow this boy had pushed beyond his own limitations and overcome them.

"I'm definitely ready!" Shizuhiko clenched his fists and repeated. "I'm strong enough to do real missions with you now!"

As impressed as Zabuza was with the boy's sudden advancement, he shook his head and crossed his arms. "No. You're not ready so don't bring it up again."

"But I am! If you give me tests, I can show you how much I've practiced!"

"And I said no." Zabuza's glare was icy. "You'll only get yourself killed."

"I won't, 'ttebayo!"

"You can't even walk on water."

"But–!"

" No."

"Make up your mind, 'ttebayo!" Shizuhiko scrunched his face and clenched his fists. "If I'm a shinobi, then train me more and let me do missions! But if I'm normal, let me play and stuff!" He stomped his foot again, wearing an expression of anger in an attempt to hide how his eyes were welling with tears. "I train so hard, 'ttebayo… I practice and practice so I can be just like you and mom. I want to be a cool and strong shinobi, too… that's why you train me, right? You always say I'm special and that I'll be really strong, but you never let me be a Shinobi." The boy's small fists trembled and he looked down at his feet as he whispered. "...I just want you to say you're proud of me, dad."

Zabuza could only stare. He had certainly expected the boy to be stubborn or throw a fit by his expression and tone, but he hadn't expected the child to say something so serious. Moreover, he had no response. He didn't consider that the child would have thought too intently about how he was raised. Never had he considered that he was coddling the boy at all… but the child himself saw it differently. 

The boy's desire to have Zabuza's praise would have tugged at Mei's heartstrings, but he was not Mei. He was the Demon of the Hidden Mist, and he didn't have a heart. The boy's eyes rose slightly to meet his own and, for a moment, Zabuza thought to himself that he recognized the look in his eyes. But he quickly dismissed the thought. After all, it was ridiculous. He wasn't the boy's real father, and Zabuza hadn’t had a father in his life either. Seeking the approval, the praise, or the admiration of others was ultimately meaningless.  He opened his mouth to say as much but the words did not come. Instead, he only turned to face away.

"It's going to snow again. Let's go inside."

Shizu's eyes widened, then he shut them tightly, and shook his head. "...No. Not until you let me do missions."

"Drop it."

"No." Shizuhiko crossed his arms and turned his nose up. "I wanna be a real ninja."

"I said –"

"No! I'm ready now and you know it!" The boy shook his head and took a step back to put distance between him and his guardian. In his stubbornness, he did not pay enough attention to his surroundings or remember that he was already at the edge of the dock. He fell into the water with a splash and a cry of shock. 

Zabuza retrieved him from the water easily but it was already too late: the boy's teeth were chattering and he was completely soaked. 

"Tch. Troublesome brat." Zabuza carried him to the door and opened it,  knowing he'd left Mei napping after their morning rendezvous. He had hoped that she was still sleeping, but he found her wide awake and making herself lunch instead. Her eyes widened at the sight and she hurried over to them.

"What happened?! Oh, Shizu, you're soaked!" Mei narrowed her eyes at Zabuza. "Did you drop him in the ocean ? He'll catch a cold!"

"He's never had a cold before, and this wasn’t my fault." Zabuza grumbled, but he knew she wouldn't listen. She already scooped the child out of his arms and was rushing him into the bathroom to draw him a hot bath, his teeth chattering as he repeatedly mumbled the same line over and over: 'I-I'm g-g-gonna be a r-real shinobi, 'tteb-b-bayo."

After a long, hot bath, Mei continued to fuss over the five-year-old. Though he had already eaten, she went through the trouble of preparing his favorite dish of hers– white stew. As if that wasn’t enough, Mei was swayed by his wide-eyed pout when he’d asked for ice cream afterward with a generous helping of chocolate sauce. He had tried to argue with her about how she was spoiling him when the boy had made himself fall into the water and that the excessive sweets would only negatively impact his health, but Mei had shushed him each time. And so, Zabuza kept quiet, though he still grumbled to himself and raised his brow at Mei’s overt affection.

As Shizuhiko happily dug into the large bowl of ice cream, Mei watched him with a wide smile, not caring at all about how the boy had her wrapped around his finger. After several bites, the boy looked between his guardians and asked if the two were married. Mei’s flustered reaction contrasted Zabuza’ curt ‘no’ and the child frowned slightly in confusion. He thought of the checklist in his mind– they were grown-ups who lived together, after all, and he could clearly tell that they loved one another, but for some reason, they never once said the word ‘love’ to each other. In his mind, they met every qualification of a ‘marriage’ as far as he understood it. As he ate another large bite of ice cream, he thought that adults were very strange and complicated. He hoped that he wasn’t going to be like that when he grew up.

Mei quickly tried to change the subject before the boy mentioned the forbidden ‘l-word’ in front of Zabuza and asked him to explain what he had meant when he had said he would be a ‘real shinobi.’ She paled when he announced that he wanted to accompany his father on missions and she shook her head. 

“Absolutely not.”

“But mom!” The boy’s eyes widened and it was clear that he had expected her to be on his side. “You know I’ve been practicing hard!”

“Training is one thing, Shizu.” Mei sighed. “Missions for standard shinobi are already dangerous enough as it is, but your dad is a member of Kiri’s Anbu. The missions he does are even more dangerous, and you’re too young.”

“But I wanna be a real shinobi!”

“And you are.” Mei reached across the table to touch his hand. “A shinobi-in-training is still a shinobi. The most legendary of warriors didn’t wake up one morning with their abilities; all shinobi have to start as trainees. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Shizu’s lip quivered, not hearing what he wanted to, and he stood up suddenly and stormed to his room.

“Shizu!” Mei turned to watch as he slammed his door closed. She sighed heavily at first, Zabuza scowling beside her until they heard the telltale sound of his door reopening slowly.

He shuffled back to the table without a word, refused to meet their eyes, and sat back down in front of his ice cream. “...I just wanted Niney.” He mumbled and took a bite of the dessert. He gave the small, old plush fox in his arms a squeeze and kept his gaze down.

Mei suppressed a small smile at how cute she thought the child was, and how amusing it was that he wanted to be so grown-up yet he still loved his stuffed animal so. After a moment of silence, Mei spoke softly to him again. “You’re too young, Shizu. We’re not saying this because we aren’t proud of your progress, but we don’t want you to get hurt.”

“You guys were Genin when you were only a little older…” Shizu mumbled, his words muffled from his full mouth.

“Four years is a very big difference. In physical growth and training both.” Mei smiled gently at him. “I have no doubt that you’ll be at our level by then.”

“He made six water clones earlier.” Zabuza said softly so that only she could hear.

“S-Six?” Mei blinked and stared at him, then looked at the child as she thought aloud. “You have been working hard.”

“See! I’m totally ready!” Shizu grinned.

“No.” Mei and Zabuza said in unison.

“Making clones isn’t the only thing you need to master before you’re able to handle missions.” Mei rested her cheek in her hand. “I’m very impressed and proud of you for making six, but a shinobi has to have more than one jutsu. You’ll need to be able to adapt to different situations, and if you rely on just one technique, the enemy will easily be able to tell your weaknesses.”

“I know that, ‘ttebayo…” Shizu looked down again. “I just wanna be awesome like you…”

“And you are.” Mei reached out to touch his cheek. “I promise to teach you as much as I can, alright? But I don’t want you to go off on any missions before you’re ready. If you got hurt, what kind of mother would I be?”

The boy didn’t answer. He just mixed the chocolate sauce and remaining ice cream together in the bowl and held the plush fox close. The conversation hadn’t gone one bit the way he had hoped it would, and his stomach was starting to hurt from the disappointment. Mei opened her mouth to say something several times but couldn’t think of anything to cheer him up. She rested her head on her arms, silently meeting Zabuza’s eyes for any help he might be in consoling the boy or changing the subject, but soon she fell asleep and the room was quiet. After a while, the boy finally looked up at Zabuza.

Dad?" Shizuhiko licked the last bit of ice cream from the spoon and looked up at Zabuza.

Zabuza cocked his brow, saying nothing in response. He'd reiterated to the boy many times that he wasn't his father, yet he'd continued to address Zabuza as such no matter what was said. 

Shizuhiko tapped the spoon against his chin and his eyes rested on Mei. "Why doesn't mom ever come pick me up from the Burrows? I know you said that people there wouldn't like her, but I don't get it."

"You're not bringing it up because you've already broken the rule, are you?" Zabuza hadn’t expected him to begin discussing Mei, but at least, he thought, it was better than continuing to argue with him about what he was and was not ready for.

"Of course not!" Shizu crossed his arms and scrunched his face. After a moment, he let out a sigh and rested his arms on the table. "It's just... everyone else talks about their parents. Everyone already knows you, and all the other kids think you're really scary, but I have a mom, too, and I can't even talk about her."

"You want to talk about Mei?"

"Of course!" Shizuhiko grinned, trying his best to contain his excitement so he didn't wake her. "She's strong and pretty and fun and is really nice! I think they'd like her, too!" His expression fell and he sighed again. "I know you said that they wouldn't like her, but I don't understand why not. She's the best."

"What did I tell you about Kekkei Genkai?"

The boy looked up at his guardian, recognizing the low tone- quiet, to not wake Mei, and serious, meaning that the conversation they were about to have was very important. He straightened and met Zabuza's eyes.

"Well, mom has two Kekkei Genkai called Lava Release and Boil Release, and they're so awesome!" Shizu couldn't help but smile as he mimed lava erupting from his mouth. "She can go like fwoosh ! And then there's lava everywhere."

Zabuza furrowed his brows slightly and crossed his arms. "That’s not what I said." 

"Well, she is awesome." Shizu crossed his arms in the same way. "A Kekkei Genkai is also called a Bloodline Trait or Bloodline Limit and it's a special power that only some people in special clans have. Some Kekkei Genkai are like magic powers in the eyes- those are Dojutsu." He paused, faintly smiling as he recited the lesson he remembered well, hoping to see a glimmer of pride in Zabuza's eyes. Zabuza remained quiet in expectation, and Shizuhiko sat up straighter and continued where he had left off. "Other Kekkei Genkai combine two different Nature Chakra types to create a new one. Any shinobi can learn to use more than one type of Nature Chakra, but only special people with a Kekkei Genkai can combine them to create a new one." He grinned again. "And, mom is the only person in the world we know of that has two Kekkei Genkai."

Shizu kept his grin as Zabuza said a 'hm' and he knew from experience that it was Zabuza's own way of expressing that he was pleased without directly saying it. 

"What about the 'Bloody Mist'?"

Shizu gulped at the name. It was something he hardly heard either guardian mention, and the mention of it alone made his stomach twist into knots. "That's... the other name of the Mist Village."

"Why?"

Shizuhiko bit his lip. Zabuza's tone always changed when this topic came up, as if venom was hidden in each syllable. He looked down and picked at a small, loose thread on the hem of his shirt. "The Third Mizukage made the village a really dangerous place." He mumbled. "He made kids kill each other in the Academy, and a lot of other bad things. The Fourth Mizukage promised to make everything better but he's bad, too, and made things really bad again. And worse." He looked at Zabuza. "That's why we're training so hard, right? We're gonna beat him one day and make things better, right?"

Zabuza only 'hm'd again and drummed his fingers against his arms. "What have you been taught about that island's connection to the Mizukages?"

"Well," The boy looked up. "They didn't like the bad Mizukages either. They tried to fight against them and stop the bad stuff."

"And?" 

"And..." Shizu looked down again. "The Mizukages sent people to kill them a lot of times. That's why there aren't a lot of people there now." He kept picking at the thread. "They got killed like a lot of people who had Kekkei Genkai. Because the bad people were afraid of them, right?"

Zabuza nodded slightly, and the boy perked up just a bit at the silent praise. "Do you understand now why the people there wouldn't accept her?"

The boy scrunched his face in thought, thinking and thinking long and hard before he sighed and shook his head. "I don't know... it's too confusing. Did the people that got killed there also have Kekkei Genkai? Are they afraid of it because they think it's bad luck or reminds them of those people?"

"No." Zabuza's expression shifted into a frown. "The shinobi that the Mizukage sent to slaughter them belonged to an elite group whose members all possessed Kekkei Genkai."

The boy's eyes widened and he looked at Mei. "But... mom wasn't one of those people, right? It isn't fair that they wouldn't like her just because of what other people did, 'ttebayo!"

"She was there."

"Huh...?" The boy looked at Mei as she slept, and then back to Zabuza, his face pale. "Mom did... she...?"

"It wasn't something she participated in willingly." Zabuza's faint frown shifted to a deep scowl. "Both of her parents were imprisoned and tortured the first time she received her orders and she refused to obey. When the order was given again a week later, she obeyed. She had only just graduated from the Academy."

"But..." Shizu bit his lip and clenched his small fists. "...Everyone there is so sad. They all have people that they miss... did she do that?"

"Has your perception of her changed?"

There was a long pause and the boy shook his head. "She's my mom! She was just trying to keep her mom and dad safe, even if she did do something really sad." He looked down. "I wouldn't want if mom was hurt like that, either. If it was me... maybe I would have done the same thing." He shook his head again. "It's... it's so bad, ttebayo!" He hit his fists on his legs, trying to hold back the tears that stung his eyes.  "Why did the Mizukage do all that? He's human, too, right? How can people be so bad...?"

"Humans are very flawed creatures, prone to becoming enslaved by their own desires and shortcomings. If allowed to rise to power, those types will always abuse it."

"But when you're the Mizukage, you'll be good." Shizuhiko stared up at Zabuza, his blue eyes meeting Zabuza's dark gaze. "You won't do those things."

"I'm not 'good.' My hands are just as bloodied."

Shizu chewed on his lower lip and gripped his shirt. "Well... you killed a lot of people in the graduation test because you had to..."

"I killed them because I was full of bloodlust and anger." Zabuza growled under his breath. "That was the reason."

"But, if there wasn't that horrible 'test,' then you wouldn't have done it at all."

"It was an opportunity, but it wasn't the only one. I could have just as easily snuck into the upper-class area and slaughtered those privileged, twisted people like pigs as they slept."

"Nu-uh. Mom would have stopped you. I know she would've."

"What if I had just turned on her instead?" Zabuza raised his brow and the boy shook his head.

"You'd never do that. You always look after her, dad."

Well, Zabuza thought while clenching his jaw, it was actually the reverse, not that the child would have believed it in his current, stubborn state. He glanced at Mei from the corner of his eye, watching her breathing. The boy rested his head on his arms and mumbled to himself, then Zabuza glanced at him again.

"What about my first mom? My Uzumaki mom?" Shizuhiko asked, meeting Zabuza's eyes as he whispered. "Can I talk about her?"

"There isn't anything to say about her." Zabuza said after a long pause, raising his brow. "I encountered her only as she died. I didn't get her name, so how could I know what she was like? I only know the rumors of her clan." 

“I wanna learn about where I came from still." Shizuhiko sighed and rested his head on his arms again.

"You want to know about Konoha?" Zabuza raised one brow.

"No." The boy shook his head. "They only want me because of the Fox, right? They don't care about me. I wanna learn about the Uzumaki, then" His bright blue eyes lifted slightly. "Even if they're gone now, are there books about them?"

Zabuza’s brow furrowed in thought. Of course he had already tried to acquire any book or scroll he could find about the clan long before now, but his inquiries, infiltrations, and countless hours spent poring over old texts had been fruitless. He looked at the boy's eyes, knowing his expression, and Zabuza shook his head.

"No. They kept to themselves so their secrets must have died with them." He paused. "The Senju of Konoha were said to be distant relatives of the Uzumaki, but not a single one lifted a finger to investigate the slaughter or find survivors. I doubt they would have anything useful of the Uzumaki, either."

"But..." Shizu looked down again and buried his face in his arms, his voice muffled. "It's not fair."

As the boy sighed and mumbled to himself, Zabuza glanced at Mei and thought, then turned to the boy. "It's late."

Rather than complain about not being tired, the boy quietly stood and shuffled to his room without making eye contact with his guardian. Once Zabuza heard the door close and the telltale sound of the boy flopping onto his futon, his eyes rested on Mei. 

"You didn't have to pretend to still be sleeping."

The woman sat up and wiped her reddened eyes, not meeting his gaze. "...I didn't want him to know."

"We agreed to be transparent."

"I know, but..." Mei looked down at her hands. "How can he not think of me any differently? I'm the reason some of his friends are orphaned." She clenched her fists. "He's too pure and trusting."

"He sees the bigger picture."

Mei closed her eyes tightly and leaned into him, then slid her arms around him. "I don't deserve him..."

"And I do?"

Mei cracked a faint smile and she looked up at him. "You're not as bad as you think you are, Zabuza Momochi."

He only raised his brow in reply and she kissed his cheek softly. 

"Aren't you going to come to bed?"

He grunted slightly and Mei chuckled. She knew that he was deep in thought, and she had a feeling she knew what was on his mind, but she knew better than to interrupt him. She kissed him again and padded silently to stand outside the boy's room. She reached out to open the door but drew her hand back, bit her lip, and went to bed instead. The boy needed some comfort, yes, but he needed some time alone to think. She would talk to him in the morning. 

Chapter Text

Shizuhiko crawled out of bed much later than he usually did. Because of both of his guardian's schedules, he had grown up waking early on his own in order to prepare for the day's routine of breakfast and being dropped off with Sakinami. Then, he'd immediately begin his lessons in reading, writing, and arithmetic with the other children. They'd play while lunch was being prepared, eat, and then they would receive practical lessons of medicine and first aid from the elders, or other important skills for island life such as fishing, net-making, or diving. Thanks to Mei's supplemental lessons, he was among the best in most subjects, but as his shinobi training had become more serious, he felt more like an outsider compared to his peers. His instincts paired with muscle memory made it a struggle for him to play or compete with the others: he had trouble scaling back his heightened senses or strength. It made him feel proud of his own progress, but the alienation from his friends whom he had been raised with always made his chest ache.

He would have been more than happy to show his peers what he had learned so that they could all play and practice together as equals, but the adults would not allow most talk of shinobi or Jutsu. He had always known that it was related to the tragedies they had suffered, but now he bit his lip as he thought of his second home again, now understanding more than he had before. Now he understood why Zabuza had given him the rule to never speak of Mei or show off any of his Jutsu. He hadn't fully comprehended, but now he felt only guilt for all of the times he'd snuck out while everyone slept to practice his Jutsu.

The boy rubbed his eyes, shuffled to the bathroom– with unnaturally quiet steps as a result of his training– and set to preparing for breakfast. Once he had relieved himself and washed his face, he stared long and hard into the mirror. He didn't often think of his biological parents but when in front of a mirror, sometimes he made different faces and wondered which parent he took after most for each look. There were times when he wished that he looked more like Mei or Zabuza. Having the Uzumaki red hair would certainly be much closer to Mei's auburn instead of his bright blond mop of hair. He was proud that his biological father had been such a famous shinobi, known far and wide for his speed and skill, but sometimes the boy wasn't happy with how much he resembled the Fourth Hokage. It was especially due to the strong resemblance that Zabuza and Mei wouldn't let him go out in public with them. His status as a 'missing child' in Konoha, and being a Jinchuriki aside, he still wanted to see all of Kirigakure and meet new people. He wanted to be immersed in the shinobi world, the world that he had been so sheltered from but the world that both sets of his parents belonged to.

He furrowed his blond brows and nodded at his reflection. This would be the day he convinced his father to let him be like a real ninja, he thought, for sure. He wouldn't give up with that goal. He was already five years old, after all, and the longer it took for him to become strong, the longer that the bad people were in charge and kids like him suffered. More than anything he wanted to fight alongside his guardians and save the Mist from its darkness so that his friends didn't have to be sad or worried anymore. He was going to be a hero.

Shizuhiko listened carefully and heard the telltale sound of a fresh pot of tea being made and smelled breakfast being prepared. By smell alone he could tell that it was Mei doing the cooking. Zabuza stuck with simple rice dishes but Mei would prepare his favorite rice porridge with plums, a hearty omelet, dried seaweed, and bacon. On cold mornings she would have a soothing cup of hot chocolate ready for him. He drew in a big breath and smiled at the delicious variety of scents, knowing that Mei had made all of his favorites this morning. And, what excited him most, was how there would probably be enough left over for lunch .

He hurried into the kitchen and grinned at the woman that stood at the stove with her back to him. She didn't turn his way but she lifted her hand slightly in a wave.

"Good morning, mom!" 

"Good morning, Shizuhiko." Mei replied with a small voice.

"Huh?" The boy blinked and tilted his head to the side. His mother hardly ever used his full name. Sure, Shizuhiko was his full given name, but Mei always called him 'Shizu.' Almost always. When she caught him trying to pull pranks, Mei's strict side was very clear, and she'd use her expertly-trained 'mom voice' to say his full name. But this was a different tone. He could tell by the way she still had her back to him, and how her voice was barely a whisper. 

"Mom? Are you okay?"

She didn't answer. She busied herself with arranging his spot at the table with the generous spread of food, taking her time to do so while avoiding his gaze and neatly folding his napkin into the shape of an animal. He asked the question again, only to still not receive an answer, so he watched her instead. 

Her hair covered more of her face than normal but he could see that her face was reddened. Had she been crying? The more he looked, the more he realized that her hands were trembling, too. Once the place setting was complete, Mei stood and walked back into the kitchen quietly. Shizu frowned but sat to eat with his gaze trained on Mei.  He watched as she poured herself a cup of hot tea and then put a spoonful of sugar in. And another. And another. He lost track of counting, but he knew that she was really upset if she made her tea too sweet. As her cup nearly overflowed, he ran over to her and threw his arms around her legs in a hug.

"Don't be sad, mom. I love you."

Mei trembled and rested her hands on the counter. She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head slowly. “I don’t deserve your love, Shizu. I’ve done terrible things.”

“But it wasn’t your fault, ‘ttebayo!” He squeezed her legs and looked up at her, trying to peek at her face through her hair. “You’re not bad, mom.”

Mei’s lip quivered and she hugged her arms closely, still forcing herself to not look at him. She couldn’t. She knew that if she looked at his wide, bright eyes that she would cry. And, she was trying very hard to not cry again. 

“But I am.” She murmured. “I promised that I would be your mother, that I would be the best mother to you that I could possibly be, but I’ve been so selfish.”

“Nu-uh!” He shook his head. “You’re not!”

“It wasn’t your dad who made up the rule to not speak about me to your friends, Shizu. It was me.” She let out a small breath at the admission. “Our original plan was to take turns picking you up and dropping you off. I tried once to pick you up, I really did.” She bit her lip. “But the closer I got to the island, the more awful I felt. I couldn’t help but remember everything that I had done, so I turned around and ran home. I left you there because I was selfish and hid in bed. I’m sorry for being a bad mother.”

“You’re not a bad mom! You’re the best mom!” He grabbed her arm and tugged it, trying to pull her down to his level so that he could see her. When she gave in to his tugging and kneeled in front of him, he put his hands on her cheeks “It’s okay to be sad about things that are sad, ‘ttebayo. You’re not bad.”

“I hurt the people that you care about, Shizu.”

“But only because bad people took your mom and dad.” He squished her cheeks between his palms. “They’re the bad people.”

“Shizu…”

“You’re the bestest mom ever, ‘ttebayo!” He grinned and threw his arms around her neck. “I’m glad you’re my mom.”

She brushed his cheek with her fingertips and then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I love you, Shizu. You're the best little boy and I'm so happy to be your mama."

"I love you too, mom." He squeezed her back. 

They sat together at the table to eat– after Mei had poured a new cup of tea for herself– and ate happily. Shizu dug into his omelet with gusto, and then his rice porridge, and then licked his lips as he started on the meat. Mei smiled as she watched him eat heartily with her cheek resting in one hand.

"Mom?" Shizu asked with a full mouth, then swallowed. "Does dad not love us? He never says love."

"That's a hard question to answer, Shizu." Mei smiled slightly. "Sometimes people express their feelings in other ways than words. For example, I like to make you your favorite foods and help with your training. Seeing you enjoy the food I've cooked or seeing you improve in your techniques makes me happy, and those are things I can do to show that I love you." She reached across the table to poke his cheek. "Nicknames, hugs, gifts, or spending time with someone are all ways to show love."

"Hm." He chewed on a fatty piece of bacon as he thought, then he swallowed and grinned. "Like when dad planted flowers for you!"

"Exactly." Mei nodded. "Hydrangeas are my favorite, so it was a wonderful surprise to see he had planted some on my birthday."

"Dad really loves you, mom. He planted so many!"

"Yep!" Mei laughed softly and winked. "He just is a bit too shy to say it out loud."

"But why?"

Mei's smile faltered and she touched his cheek. "Shizu… you know how I did something terrible because my parents were in danger?" When the child nodded, she continued slowly. "Well, your dad loved his mom so much. Even as a kid, he did so much for her just to make sure she could eat enough, too, and to try to make her smile. There were some terrible things that happened to her and it broke his heart trying his best to help her." She bit her lip. "When she died, he was so devastated that he tried to not feel anything at all. He hardened his heart to love so that he wouldn't be hurt again."

"Love makes him sad?"

"Kind of." Mei brushed her thumb against his cheek. "He still expresses his feelings for us, right? So he's not a heartless demon as people say. But for him, speaking openly about love reminds him about the hurt he feels, just as if you talked about me to your friends and they could be reminded of their hurt. Do you understand?"

"I think so." He scrunched up his face. "It's easier for dad to show love than to say it, right?"

"That's right" She nodded. 

"Does dad love me?"

Mei looked into his bittersweet eyes and leaned forward to press her lips to his forehead. "He absolutely loves you, Shizu. He just has a hard time showing it." She held up a finger and smiled. "Once he gets back, watch him very carefully and I'm sure you'll see all the little signs that prove it. Think of it as observation training."

"Okay!" He nodded quickly and grinned. After a pause, he blinked and looked back at her. "Where is dad?"

"He left early this morning." Mei sipped her tea with a shrug. "He said he had to run errands and then meet with the Mizukage. I think he might be assigned another mission already."

"But he just got back , 'ttebayo." Shizu puffed his cheeks and grumbled. 

"I know, Shizu. I'm sorry. It can't be helped since he's in the Anbu and is a candidate for the swordsmen." She smiled at him. "As long as I don't have any missions until he returns, I have you all to myself. That's not so bad, is it?"

"Really?!" His eyes widened. "Yay! We'll have lots of fun without dad!"

“You think you can get rid of me so easily, brat?”

“Dad!” Shizu turned and grinned as Zabuza stepped inside.

“Welcome back.” Mei smiled at him. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be finished.”

“What are you two scheming behind my back?” Zabuza raised one brow and looked between Mei and Shizu. 

“Dad, is it true that you have another mission?” The boy tugged on his guardian’s sleeve with a frown. “You just got back yesterday, ‘ttebayo! It’s not fair!”

“Quiet.” Zabuza grunted. He slipped off his shoes to walk farther inside, walking past them at the table, past the kitchen, to disappear down the hall where he shut a door behind him.

“Zabuza?” Mei asked, watching him leave the room, and then she sat puzzled for a few moments. His expression had been one more difficult than normal to read, but he didn’t seem to be irritable. 

“Mom,” Shizu held his hand to his mouth to whisper. “Do you think dad’s going poo-”

“I can hear you.” Zabuza frowned and, now in the dining area suddenly, set a large sealed box on the floor beside the boy. 

“Wow, what’s in there?” Shizu’s eyes widened and he leaned close to the box to knock on it. “Is it a present? For me?!” He looked up at Zabuza. “What is it?!”

“Listen well, brat.” Zabuza rested his foot on the top of the box to prevent the boy from opening it. “In eight days, I have to leave for a mission. It’s simple work– just following Kirigakure’s candidates for the chunin exams to be sure they aren’t met with an ambush from ‘allied’ shinobi– but it’s an important job.”

“In eight days?” Shizu repeated.

“Is Konoha really going to be hosting the Chunin Exams in the middle of winter?” Mei shook her head. “How careless of them.”

“It makes for a good challenge.” Zabuza chuckled.

“Still.” Mei sighed and finished her tea. “I wonder how any participating Genin from Suna will handle it.”

“Is this box important to your mission?” The child knocked on the wood again and looked up at Zabuza. 

“If you want to make yourself useful and accompany me on missions, that’s fine. You can start with this simple job.”

Mei’s eyes widened and the child cheered. 

“Really?! I can go with you?! Hooray!” Shizu cheered loudly and jumped up from his seat. 

“Zabuza!” Mei murmured. “He’s only five .”

Zabuza glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and turned his attention to the child again. “Listen up because I won’t repeat myself. I’ll allow you to accompany me on this next mission but only if you pass my test.”

“A test?” Shizuhiko repeated.

“The test will begin in seven days exactly at noon. If you fail it, I will leave at dawn on the eighth day without you. Do you understand?”

“I understand!” Shizu’s eyes were bright and he clenched his fists as he nodded. “I’ll pass your test, ‘ttebayo!”

“This won’t be like those simple tests you’ve been given up until now, boy.” Zabuza narrowed his eyes. “For the next six and a half days, you will be put through the most hellish training regimen you’ve ever done. If you’re not too exhausted or sore by the seventh day, you’ll undergo my equally hellish tests.” He paused, ignoring Mei’s expression to stare down the child. “I will not go easy on you this week. You will prove that you’re ready to take on missions with me, or you’ll continue to be left behind for babysitting. Understand?”

“Yes!” Shizu nodded furiously with his cheeks flushed from elation. “Yes, I understand! I’ll work super hard, ‘ttebayo! I’ll pass your test and then you’ll be proud of me!”

“We’ll see.” Zabuza stood straight and crossed his arms. “I’ll give you thirty minutes for your stomach to settle before your training begins, and no more. Still, I anticipate you’ll probably puke a few times anyway.”

“Okay!”

“Any questions?” Zabuza raised his brow, and then the boy raised one hand without hesitation. “What?”

“What’s in the box, dad?”

“Hm.” Zabuza closed his eyes for a moment, then opened the lid and pulled out a scroll with a smirk playing on his lips. “In this box is every book and scroll about the Uzumaki I’ve managed to scrounge up since I found you.”

“The Uzumaki…?” Shizu’s excitement shifted into a soft, serious shock. “I can read them?”

“Once you’ve passed the test.” Zabuza drew back the scroll before the small hand could touch it and he returned it to its box. “What’s in here doesn’t contain the information you’re looking for, but, if you pass my test, you will be allowed to read anything and everything here for yourself.”

“Really?!” Shizu clapped his hands together. “I can’t wait! I’ll pass for sure, ‘ttebayo!”

Shizuhiko stood in the middle of a thick fog with his eyes closed. He listened very carefully for movement, knowing that Zabuza had several water clones stalking him somewhere in the mist. He strained his ears to hear, but he knew his father's stealth was leagues above his own. If he couldn't hear the clones, then maybe he would have to listen instead for any other signs of movement- the crunching of snow, the rustle of bamboo, or the slashing of weapons. He could even try to detect the changes in air pressure, but that was something that was still difficult for him to do. Despite the cold, beads of sweat formed on his face. The wind shifted and blew into his face, stinging his face like icy nails, but brought with it the faintest trace of a scent. His nose twitched in recognition just in time to narrowly avoid the clone's blade. 

He jumped back away from the clone, holding up his own sword, then watched as the Zabuza clone chuckled and disappeared back into mist. Again and again, the water clones tried to catch him off guard, to slash and slice, and again and again he managed to narrowly dodge. After several minutes, the child was breathing heavily and his small sword was heavy in his hand. He had never used anything but props before, and he didn’t like how cumbersome a mental one was. 

He continued to dodge attacks but his eyes widened as a heard a new sound. He had no time to do anything more than to create a water clone to act as his shield when the barrage of shuriken struck. His clone splashed and became a puddle after the surprise attack, but several shuriken had made it past the clone and cut him. He did his best to not cry out in pain– as he knew it could only give away his position if he were in a real fight– but the deep cuts on his limbs were bleeding.

"Zabuza!" Mei's voice cut through the mist while she produced gas of a careful pH level to disperse the fog. When it was gone, Mei rushed to the boy and held him. "Shizu, are you alright?"

"I'm fine , mom." Shizu said, but winced as Mei gently touched one cut.

"The hell it's not." Mei muttered and frowned at Zabuza, who now stood before them with his hand on his hip. "What were you thinking?! He's bleeding, Zabuza!"

"He's fine." Zabuza looked at the boy. "Aren't you?" When he was answered by a small sniffle and a nod, Zabuza raised his brow at Mei. "See? He's fine."

"Just because he has accelerated healing doesn't mean that you get to intentionally cause him injuries during a mock fight!" Mei's frown deepened and she watched as Shizu's cuts steamed and then sealed without a scar. "You're being too rough with him."

"I'm all better now, mom." Shizuhiko smiled slightly at her. He was already tired from the tests, and it hadn't even been more than a few hours. He was proud of how hard he trained every day the past week, both alone and with either Mei or Zabuza, but he was starting to think that maybe, just maybe he had underestimated his guardian when he had said the test would be ‘hellish’.

He had spent the past days trying to increase his speed, his reaction time, his forms with various weapons, his aim, his climbing, and his chakra control. He could stand on water now steadily and take a few steps before he started to sink. He had improved, he thought, so much, but he still couldn't defeat a single clone of Zabuza's. It frustrated him.

Being held in Mei’s arms, even for just a few moments, was enough to make his lids heavy and remind him of just how far he had to go if he wanted to ever prove himself as a real shinobi. So, he willed himself to pull himself free of Mei’s embrace and then stood slowly. Once on his feet, he looked up at Zabuza. “I can keep going, 'ttebayo.”

“Good.” Zabuza shared a look with his three clones and two retrieved a different type of weapon. He looked at the boy. "Make three clones. I'll be testing how much you've improved. We'll save time with four one-on-one matches at a time."

"Four at a time?" Shizu said quietly, glancing down slightly. He could only maintain water clones for a few minutes, but he had never tried to maintain so many while fighting separately. It was easier to fight in a team with his clones.

Zabuza raised his brow. "Have you forgotten that this is a test? If you can't manage sparring with clones, you can forfeit and stay behind."

"No, I don't want to quit, 'ttebayo!" Shizu furrowed his brows and formed the appropriate signs. Three water clones appeared and the boy shook his head to shake away his fatigue, then he stood in a ready stance with his blade. "I'm gonna pass!"

Zabuza's mouth twitched in a smirk and his clones stepped forward. The boy's clones did as well, and two took the weapons offered to them.

"We'll see how you do pushing your own limits when you're already tired."

"I'm not tired at all, 'ttebayo." The boy stubbornly mumbled and narrowed his eyes at his guardian. 

"Ninjato, Sai, staff, and Taijutsu." Zabuza looked between the boy and his clones. "I'll determine whether or not you're really up to snuff."

Mei gave the boy a small smile and a nod of encouragement, and four confident smiles flashed back at her. She watched as the sparring began and felt pride welling inside of her as the small boy performed each form better than he had just the week before. He held his own well, she thought, knowing that Zabuza was holding back a considerable amount. Of course, he could have easily killed the boy if he fought seriously, but she smiled and glanced at him, admiring how much he really cared for the child.

Minutes passed and the boy and his clones grew wearier. As they grew more tired, Zabuza pressed further– adding incrementally more weight to each strike, increasing the speed of his jabs and steps to test the boy's resolve. Just how long could the child maintain his clones for? How fast of movements could he keep up with? How hard could he push his body before he was completely exhausted and had to forfeit? 

Mei let out a small sigh and continued to watch carefully. She was proud of the boy she has raised as her own, but she was also worried. Worried that he would be disheartened by the gap in skill between himself and his guardian; worried that he would be too stubborn to recognize his limits and ask Zabuza to stop the matches when he could no longer continue; worried even more that he would receive a pass from Zabuza at the end of the day and go off on a real mission. He was still just a child, after all. More than that, he was her child, and she did not want him to grow up too quickly to face the cruel realities of the world so soon. The mere thought sent a chill through her veins. 

He was her perfect boy with a smile as bright as the sunshine after a monsoon, and she dreaded the day his innocence would be lost when he spilled blood and witnessed death for the first time.

She blinked as the boy's breathing became more labored and sweat beaded on his face. His expression twitched and the first of his clones disappeared with a splash. He made another to replace it but it wobbled and it returned to its liquid state. 

"Darn it…" Shizu grumbled and tried once more to create a new clone, but the water on the ground only rippled slightly in response to his Chakra, and his two other clones liquefied. 

"Looks like it's over." Zabuza chuckled and looked at the boy who dripped in sweat. The child's body trembled from exhaustion and his breathing was ragged. "You're all out of Chakra now."

"No!" Shizuhiko scrunched his face. "I-I'm not giving up!" 

This time it was the boy that lunged first with his weapon, only for Zabuza to knock it out of his hand easily with his full strength. The boy slipped on the frosted ground and looked up slowly at his guardian.

"Give up already. It's over."

"It's… not over." Shizu reached for his weapon and scrambled to his feet, then launched another attack, only to be met with the same results.

"Face it, kid; you're not ready for real shinobi work. You're already out of chakra and can't even stand." Zabuza rested his blade on his shoulder and looked down at the child. "Just call it quits this time."

"Stop… telling me… to give up… 'ttebayo!" Shizu forced himself to stand a third time and rushed Zabuza again. 

Zabuza dodged and knocked the boy aside with a kick, holding back his true strength though Mei still shot him a look of strong disapproval. "Stay down, boy. You already lost, so just face the facts. You don't cut it at the level you're at now."

Mei let out a sigh and shifted where she sat. She knew the boy would be unhappy for a very long time after this because of the outcome, but she knew that, in time, he would come out of this even more determined than before to train and grow.

Shizu trembled on the ground, his breaths heavy and hissing through his clenched teeth and he slowly, slowly, brought himself to a stand. He kept his head down, but his fists were tightly balled and a shudder passed through him.

"Damn stubborn brat." Zabuza grumbled and furrowed his brows, then he pointed the tip of the blade at the child. "You're still too weak. We'll try this experiment again in a few years, when you won’t be a liability."

Zabuza turned to walk away when the boy suddenly reached out and grabbed the blade with his small, bare hand. Mei’s eyes widened as he squeezed the blade, and she stood quickly when blood dripped onto the frost and snow. She stepped toward him to pull him away but stopped when the child’s nails grew into long claws.

“Stop…” 

Mei froze at the voice that came from the child’s mouth. It still sounded like the boy’s own voice, but it overlapped with a second, one that was deeper and set a shiver down her spine. Zabuza frowned and tried to tug his sword out of the boy’s grip, but the child’s clawed hand only held it tighter, blood staining the snow until the metal bent and snapped from his strength. Then, the boy’s gazed lifted to meet Zabuza’s, and he saw a familiar, slitted, glowing pair of red eyes that burned with ancient bloodlust instead.

“Stop saying that I’m weak.”

Zabuza’s eyes widened only briefly and Mei took a step back, covering her mouth. She hadn’t been there on the night that the Nine-Tailed demon had rampaged, but still she instinctively knew who the eyes and voice belonged to.

“I didn’t expect for the demon to emerge when he was at his limit.” Zabuza muttered and kept a watchful eye on the child-but-not-child. 

“I’m not weak.” The red-eyed Shizu hissed at Zabuza and took a step forward. “Don’t tell me to give up!”

Damn it. I didn’t anticipate that pushing him this far could awaken the monster. Zabuza cursed under his breath and gripped his broken sword. Do I have to defeat him in order to suppress it?

Zabuza scoffed. “Even now, you’re still being a troublesome brat.”

“Shut up!” Shizuhiko roared and held up a clawed hand. “I’ll show you that I’m not weak!”

He squatted in preparation to pounce and, as his feet left the ground, Mei locked him in place and buried her face in his hair, her eyes shut.

“Shizu...” She whispered and squeezed him gentle. “Shizu, please calm down.”

Shizu’s expression twitched and the growl at the back of his throat softened at her embrace. Mei drew him closer and the tension in his muscles gradually relaxed as he trembled.

“I know you’re frustrated, Shizu, but please calm down. You’ve done more than enough for today.”

The boy’s red eyes flickered between red and blue and he closed his own eyes tightly. “I-I just… I wanted to…”

“Shh…” She loosened her grip to stroke his hair. “You’re an incredible boy, Shizu, who trained so hard.”

“I don’t wanna give up on my dream, ‘ttebayo…” His lips quivered. 

“You’re not giving up.” Mei smiled and turned his face to meet her eyes as she smiled softly. “You’re just resting for a bit.”

Shizu’s eyes moistened and he threw his arms around Mei’s neck, burying his face in her shoulder as he clutched her tightly. She smiled, stroked his hair, and kissed his head. 

“You’ve worked so hard, and I’m so proud of you. You should be proud of yourself, too.”

Zabuza relaxed as the boy’s eyes finally remained on their normal blue and he looked at Mei. The crisis had been averted due to Mei’s quick thinking, to his relief, as he wasn’t confident in his ability to match the Fox’s power. Mei glanced up at him as she stroked the boy’s hair and Zabuza looked at the broken sword in his hand. At least he understood the boy’s personal limits now.

“Oh!” Mei laughed softly under her breath and she patted the boy's back, lowering her voice to a whisper. “He fell asleep.”

“Get him inside.” Zabuza grumbled and averted his eyes. “...I’ll clean up out here.”

Mei nodded and carefully lifted the child and carried him into the house, and Zabuza let out a sigh once he was alone. 

“Stubborn kid…”

Mei quietly closed the child’s door behind her with a sigh. She walked into the living area to where Zabuza sat at the table, writing in just one of several notebooks she knew that Zabuza had been filling over the years of any and all bits of information he could glean about the nature of Jinchuriki and the Uzumaki clan. It was information he had compiled from the years of caring for the child, carefully observing him, and training him– combined with any information he had managed to find– and he was, Mei thought, surprisingly diligent about writing something about the child every day.

“I cleaned him off and changed him into something comfortable to sleep in without him even waking up.” She laughed quietly under her breath and watch Zabuza’s writing slow slightly from over his shoulder. “He completely exhausted himself today.”

Zabuza only grunted in response and she sat across from him with another sigh. 

“Admittedly, seeing the Fox come out like that, even in that little bit, was a bit frightening.” She rested her cheek in her hand. “I was so worried that he’d be completely taken over, leading the beast to rampage and him getting hurt.”

“How did you know you could get him under control?” Zabuza raised his brow slightly.

“I didn’t.” Mei closed her eyes, then smiled softly. “I just knew that I couldn’t bear to see him hurt and I did what felt natural.”

“So you got lucky.” Zabuza scoffed slightly, then continued writing.

“I trusted him.” Mei said softly. “I trusted in the boy I knew and raised, and I trusted how much I loved him.”

Zabuza’s writing faltered and his grip on the pen tightened slightly. Mei watched his expression, and she reached out to touch his hand. He drew in back, but she rested her hand beside the notebook.

“He’s only a child, Zabuza. You can’t be so cold to him.” Her hand crept closer to his, but he moved his away again and stopped writing. He didn’t meet her eyes, but she watched his expression. It was stern, but she could see the faint reflection of thoughts in his eyes. After a moment, she was able to successfully touch his hand. She smiled and brushed her thumb over his calloused skin. “You show plenty of affection to me, in your own way, but you forget that he needs reassurance that he’s not unwanted, too.” She softly lectured. “Children have a harder time reading subtleties, you know.”

He still did not answer or meet her eyes, but she squeezed his hand.

“You have no idea how much he looks up to you. It would do him–and you, too– some good to give him praise. Pat his head sometimes, or just tell him ‘well done.’ It would mean so much to him.”

“He gets enough praise from you.” 

Mei could feel the muscles tense in his hand in hers, and she touched his chin to tilt his face up slightly. “Zabuza, you and I both know that you’re too distant. And, you know just as well as I do why you keep him at arm’s length.”

“Because coddling will ruin him?”

“Because you love him.” 

Zabuza’s eyes widened slightly, then his face twitched and shifted into tension and distaste. He tried to turn away, but Mei furrowed her brows and she kept his head in place with her hand. 

“You’ve raised him since he was an infant, and you love him as if he were your own son. You push him away, you won’t meet his gaze for very long, and you hardly refer to him even by name because you’re hesitant to admit out loud how you feel. You’re afraid to admit that you care about him as strongly as you do because admitting it would be the same as ‘admitting defeat’ to you. It would be the same as if you cut out your own heart as it beat because the last thing you want is to lose anyone.”

“Stop it.” Zabuza growled and swatted her hand away. 

“No.” Mei frowned slightly and leaned over the table. “All I ever is skirt around the subject, hoping that you’ll do something differently on your own in time, but now he’s old enough to think deeply about things, and I won’t sit around anymore and let him believe that he’s unloved or unwanted.”

“A shinobi doesn’t need any emotions.”

“Damn it, Zabuza!” Mei smacked the table lightly with her palm, then balled her hand into a fist. “A shinobi is still a human being. We can’t be completely hollow, emotionless tools.” She pointed at him. “And you know damn well that that isn’t the future you wanted for Kirigakure. I know that you don’t actually want that for his future, so why won’t you stop saying things you don’t mean?”

Mei held up her other hand and the item she held that she had been concealing, and she set it on the table before him.

“I found this under his pillow when I put him to bed. Do you know what it is?” Without waiting for a reply, she tapped the small, folded paper. “It’s a letter that Shizu wrote in advance to his friends, probably late last night in preparation for the test today. He wrote this with the intention of letting them know that he wouldn’t see them anymore since he would be on missions from now on.”

Mei exhaled sharply and settled back in her own seat, then she softened. “All he wants is for you to acknowledge him.” She looked back at Zabuza. “I don’t want him in any danger out in the field as much as you, but he’s going to be upset about how things ended today. If you tried to comfort him even a little bit and reassured him that he was doing well, I think that would ease his mind, at least, hopefully enough for him to not push back so much when you leave tomorrow.”

Zabuza unfolded the paper and read the child’s messy-but-trying-to-be-neat writing with his brow furrowed. He folded it again and let it fall to the table. “Even if I did that, that kid’s too stubborn to drop the subject.”

“Gee, I wonder where he gets his stubbornness from.” Mei shook her head. “Honestly, Zabuza, please just talk to him in the morning. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation, but you owe it to him to say something.”

“As if he won’t be trying to talk my ear off the entire damn time we’re on the road.” Zabuza rolled his eyes and muttered.

“On the road?” Mei repeated and stared at him, then her eyes widened. “But, you said multiple times that he wasn’t ready. I mean, you…” The longer she stared at him, the more she could read his eyes. “Oh, you ass.” She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. “You were intending on taking him with you on that mission the whole time, weren’t you? You only made him do that ‘test’ to not have to outright say it.”

Zabuza averted his eyes back to the handwritten note briefly. “I was seriously testing him.”

“Don’t try to act tsundere, Zabuza Momochi.” Mei pointed at him. “I’ve already figured it out, so just admit it.” She shook her head. “If you wanted to just acknowledge how much he’s grown or how hard he’s been training, you could have just said so, but letting him join you on all your missions now… that’s insane. He’s too young.”

“I never said ‘all.’” He raised his brow. “He might be advanced for his age, but he’s still a snot-nosed runt. I said he could come on this mission. I didn’t guarantee anything more.”

“You said he could start with this one. Don’t give him false hope.”

“It’s not false.” Zabuza crossed his arms. “If he doesn’t screw this simple mission up, I’ll let him shadow me on other missions, but it won’t be all of them.”

“You’ll be choosing which based on the risk level, then…” Mei murmured and then her lips twitched in a smile. “You do care about him.”

“I’m not an idiot trying to get him killed if that’s what you mean.”

“Mhm.” Mei’s smile grew and she rested her cheek in her hand once more. “You’re such a tsundere.”

“I wish you’d stop saying that stupid word.” Zabuza stood, and Mei watched curiously as he tried to subtly pocket the child’s letter and moved to the door.

“Where are you going?” Mei turned and he only averted his gaze and slipped on his shoes.

“I won’t be long. You should pack his bag since I know you’ll insist that I forgot something.”

“Oh, Zabuza…” Mei said his name with a singsong lilt and she twirled her hair around her finger. “Are you… going to deliver his letter?”

His expression twitched as if contemplating a reply, but instead, he opened the door and closed it behind him.

Mei touched her touch as her lips curved in a smirk. He was so soft, she thought, despite all of his efforts to not show it. Her expression fell slightly after she started to think of seeing them off in the morning and wondering just what they would encounter on the mission, but Mei made herself stand anyway. That bag wouldn’t pack itself, after all, and Mei wanted to put her own feelings aside for the moment to focus all of her energy on supporting her boy’s first mission. She sighed and her gaze lingered on his bedroom door, and she closed her eyes in a quick prayer for his safety before shifting into ‘unconditionally helpful and supportive mother’ mode. If she wanted to be worried or upset, it would have to wait until after they’d already gone. And, she knew already that she would have plenty of tears of pride and worry to shed for him after they left. Was there anything more wonderful and undoing than motherhood? She was certain there wasn't.

Chapter Text

"Alright, Shizu." Mei rested her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Usually, candidates from other nations will run straight through to Konoha in a few days, but we're a very long way across the ocean, so listen to everything your dad tells you to do, okay? Stick right beside him so that you don't get separated."

"Are we going to run all the way across the ocean without stopping?" The boy's blue eyes went round. "I can only walk slow on water. I can't run yet…"

"You'll be fine. Your dad is going to carry you on his back when it's necessary."

"Oh." The boy looked down. "I don't want to be carried like a baby, 'ttebayo."

"Well, you won't be traveling by foot across the whole of the ocean." She tilted his chin up slightly to meet his eyes. "It's too far for that, so you'll be on a ship for a while."

"Really? A ship?!" His eyes nearly sparkled and he clenched his fists in excitement, almost jumping in place. "I get to go on a ship?!"

"Yes, you do." Mei laughed and ruffled his hair. "But you still have to behave as calmly and seriously on the ship as you do the rest of the mission. It won't be fun for you, but you can't act like a tourist during the trip." She bit her lip and paused. She had almost said 'act like a child' and the thought of such a young boy having to take on the role of an official shinobi. He wouldn't be able to experience his first time since infancy– which he didn't remember– on a ship, or traveling to a new nation as a normal, curious, wonder-filled child.

"Mom?" Shizu blinked at her and poked her cheek.

"Sorry." Mei quickly apologized and returned to fiddling with his new uniform to be sure everything fitted properly and was secure. "I was just thinking about something." She smiled a half-smile and continued. "Be sure to do everything your dad says. You're his official 'shadow' on this mission. If he says to blend in, be quiet, and not stand out– you follow his lead. If he tells you to hide, you hide, and if he says to run, you–"

"Mo-om ." Shizu puffed his cheeks and furrowed his thin, blond brows. "You already said to listen a hundred times, 'ttebayo."

"Saying it one-hundred-and-one times doesn't hurt." She poked his nose and he laughed quietly. "I just want you to be extra safe."

"I know, I know." He rubbed his nose and mumbled. "I'll do everything right and make you and dad proud."

“I’m already proud of you, every day.” She pulled him in close for a tight hug. She closed her eyes as she drew in a breath to take in his scent. As much as he had grown, he still had the same, distinct scent she had come to love from when he was a newborn. She knew that he might be old enough soon to be embarrassed by it, but one little sniff-n-hug always lifted her spirits if she was feeling down. She loosened her hug when he wriggled and she looked into his eyes.

“You know, Shizu, this is important for you for another reason.’

“Huh?” He turned to Mei. “Why?”

“It’ll be the first time you’ve ever seen the sun.” Mei sighed quietly. “If only I could be there with you to see your reaction.”

“Don’t be silly, mom!” Shizu snorted. “I’ve seen the sun before, ‘ttebayo!” He raised his arms above his head. “It’s way up high in the sky and is so bright that we can see it through the mist and fog.”

"Oh, Shizu.” Mei chuckled and bent to meet his eyes. “You’ve never seen a cloudless, mist-free sky before. This island is always covered in thick mist with very little light, and that island–” Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed the lump that formed and forced a smile. “That place is also shrouded, as well as the whole expanse of water between here and there. You’ve never seen just how blue the sky can be, or how the sea can sparkle like jewels, or even felt the warmth of the sun on your skin.”

His eyes widened at her description and he looked out of the window, where only thick mist could be seen. “How warm is the sun?”

“You remember what it felt like when you helped me bake and you got that little burn, right?” When he nodded, Mei nodded too. “The sun on a clear day feels like that.”

“Wow, is that sun really that hot?!” His eyes widened. “Will it hurt?”

“You might get a sunburn if you stay too long in direct sunlight, yes. But I’ve packed you a little sunscreen to wear once you need it. It was difficult to find some, but your skin is probably going to be pretty sensitive since you’ve never lived in a bright place before.”

“Mom, have you been in the sun?”

“Mhm.” She nodded and knelt in front of him. “The main island where Kirigakure is has many sunny days during the summer. Not as much sun as other nations, of course, but it’s still a very nice change all the same.”

“I wish I could go see it.” Shizu let out a small sigh, and Mei touched his cheek.

“Sorry, Shizu. I would love to bring you to see it for yourself. The Memorial Park is especially beautiful, and my parents always had a picnic there with me on nice days when I was your age. I wish we could do the same.”

“I can’t go there because then the bad Mizukage will find me, right?”

“That’s right.” Mei answered softly, stroking his cheek. “One day, I promise we’ll have a picnic together there.”

“After we beat the bad people, right?” He looked deep into her eyes and grinned. “I can’t wait to explore the whole village once the bad guys are gone, ‘ttebayo! I want to see where you used to live, mom! And, dad’s old house, too!”

“A-Ah…” Mei smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know about that. We grew up in a pretty bad place. It might be a little scary for you, or very sad.”

“Would it make dad sad to go there again?” Shizu asked quietly, and Mei admired the warmth and the curiosity in his eyes.

“Yes, I think it would.”

“Hm.” The child crossed his arms and furrowed his brows in thought, mirroring Zabuza’s typical gesture almost perfectly. “Then, we don’t have to go there, ‘ttebayo. But I wanna see all the other places! I want grandma and grandpa at our picnic, too!”

“Grandma and grandpa?” Mei repeated in a whisper. “Shizu, who do you mean?’

“You have a mom and dad, too, right?” Shizu put his hand on his hips and smiled broadly. “If they’re your mom and dad, and you’re my mom, then they’re my grandma and grandpa, right? Right?”

Mei’s eyes widened briefly and she pulled him in for another hug. Her eyes moistened and she closed them for just a moment before nodding. “Yes, Shizu; you’re exactly right.”

“When can I meet them?” He asked her once she had released him from her embrace. He scrunched his face in thought, then he shyly shifted in place. “What if… they don’t like me?”

“That’s impossible.” Mei leaned in to rub her nose against his. “You’re so very, very lovable, Shizu. I know for a fact that they will love you as soon as they see you.”

“I promise to do extra good on this mission, mom. Then, I’ll keep working hard and getting even stronger so I can help you and dad beat the bad guys! And then! Then, I can meet grandma and grandpa and we can all go on a picnic together!”

Mei’s heart swelled at his declaration; at the bright, determined glean of his eyes; at his brilliant, warm smile; at his eager expression and pose. Her eyes welled with tears that she held back and she took his hands in her own.

“Shizu, when did you become so grown-up?”

“Silly.” Shizuhiko grinned and crossed his head behind his head. “I’ve been growing up every day, ‘ttebayo.”

"Of course you have. How silly of me." She hugged him again, then pulled herself away to wipe her eyes. "Your dad should be back any moment now. Are you sure you're ready? If you're nervous, you can just tell me and you don't have to go."

"I am a little nervous." He looked down for a moment, then smiled and looked up at her again. "But I'm excited, too!"

"I know." Mei managed a smile, but if she were honest, she had only asked that question for herself. She had slept so poorly the night before as her mind rand through all of the worst possible scenarios, and now, she felt that she might burst from anxiety.

"I think dad's back!" Shizu's eyes lit up and he opened the door to peer outside. He could see nothing but mist, but he could sense the familiar presence as if it were as natural as feeling his own heart in his chest. He took a few steps outside and Mei stood and followed so that he didn't leave her sight.

Mei crossed her arms and stood near the boy, looking around the mist also. After a moment, he closed her eyes and felt a prickle down her spine. The warmth of fingertips caressed the back of her neck and the corner of her mouth twitched in a faint smirk. "You're so predictable."

A soft chuckle rumbled in Zabuza's throat from behind her and Shizu smiled at the familiar, faint sound.

"Dad!" He turned around to greet Zabuza but froze when he saw the man.

"What's the matter?" Mei looked at Shizu, then to Zabuza, and then she rubbed the boy's head. "Oh, I see. You've never seen your dad with his full Anbu uniform before, have you?"

"That's dad?" Shizu asked in a small whisper and stared up at the man who wore a white porcelain Oni mask. "He looks kind of…"

"Scary?" Mei finished his sentence, and the small boy nodded. Mei smiled slightly and she patted his head again. "It's alright. He might be wearing that mask, but he's still your dad. You don't need to be afraid of him."

"Intimidation is the entire point of the mask." Zabuza looked at Mei through the mask's eye holes. "Intimidation and anonymity."

"Not much anonymity in your case." Mei laughed softly. "Seeing as you were given that mask because of your reputation as a 'Demon.'"

Zabuza said nothing but he looked at the child that was wearing a much smaller version of the uniform he had. "Are you ready?"

"His bag's all packed and his flak jacket is snug." Mei nodded and checked the straps again. "It's hard to believe that you were able to find one this small."

"It isn't hard to believe. Children have been sent to war before. What's difficult to believe is that there was still one for a child that didn't have holes."

Mei pressed her lips together in a moment of quiet, then she moved a piece of the boy's hair behind his face. "You look almost like a real Anbu member, Shizu."

Shizuhiko beamed up at her and rubbed his head. "Do I look as cool as dad?"

"Even cooler." Mei smirked faintly and slipped his backpack on. "You're all ready now, I think."

"Not quite."

Zabuza knelt in front of the child and took out a folded piece of black fabric from his pouch. When he opened it up, the boy could see that it was a mask and he knew that it was his job to hold his head still while Zabuza put it on him. Zabuza did just that– tugging it over the boy's head and adjusting it until it was in place– and then he 'hm'd' to himself.

"This one isn't the same as normal." Shizu complained and scratched at the fabric that covered his head. It had openings for his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears but he still did not like it. "It's covering my hair."

"That's the point." Zabuza gently tapped his fist on the top of the child's head. "We'll be in the Land of Fire and you happen to look exactly like the Yellow Flash. You need to keep your head covered like that the whole time unless you'd rather I just shave your head."

"No!" Shizu covered his head and shook it quickly. "I can keep it on…"

"Good." Zabuza nodded and reached back into his pouch. "One more thing."

Shizu's eyes widened as Zabuza held out a small porcelain mask to him. Rather than looking like an Oni, this one was as ordinary as they came. The Kirigakure symbol was carefully painted on its forehead and the child gulped before he took it.

"Is this mine?"

"You can paint your own design on it later." Zabuza grunted and stood, then put his hand on his hip. "Just not today."

"It's like yours, dad." The child murmured in awe.

"Don't get cocky and think this is an official induction into the Anbu. You're just an apprentice who is shadowing me. The uniform is just to keep up with appearances so no one finds out who you are."

"If I put this on, I'll look like a real shinobi, 'ttebayo…"

"That's the idea."

"Zabuza…" Mei shuffled closer to him and placed her hand on his chest. "I wish I could go with you, but…" She bit her lip and held back tears. "Take good care of him for me."

"He'll be fine." Zabuza mumbled, nearly inaudibly. His gaze darted between the boy– who was still staring in awe at the mask– and Mei.

Mei's lip quivered and she pressed herself to Zabuza, closing her eyes. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"Nothing will happen." Zabuza mumbled and put one hand on her shoulder. With the other, lifted the mask from his face to plant a quick kiss on the top of her head. "It's just a simple mission."

"You can't make a promise like that when there are so many unknown variables out of your control." Mei's eyes rose to meet his as she whispered. "You can't guarantee that everything will go according to plan."

"Then trust that I can handle anything that could come up."

"It's not that I distrust you, Zabuza." Mei drew in a slow breath and tried to not let her voice tremble.

"I know." He gazed into her eyes and they understood exactly what the other had not said aloud. After a moment, Mei pressed her lips to his and she gently rubbed off the faint smudge of lipstick left behind.

"I guess you two had better get going now." Mei's chest ached at the thought and she looked over her shoulder at the boy. She cleared her throat and took a step toward him when he looked up at them suddenly with his brows furrowed.

"Will we be… in Konoha?"

"Shizu?" Mei asked softly as she studied his expression. It was rare for him to look so solemn or so anxious.

"No." Zabuza crossed his arms and stepped forward. "There isn't a need for us to go inside; We just need to make sure they get through the gates. Then, we'll turn around and come back."

"Oh." The boy let out a sigh and he looked down.

Mei and Zabuza shared a look, and Mei knelt beside him. "Did you want to go inside Konoha?"

"No!" Shizu shook his head. "It's not safe for me, right? I don't care about that dumb village anyway, 'ttebayo."

"Shizu, it's okay to admit if you want to visit the Leaf." Mei touched his cheek. "It's where you were born, after all. It's only natural if you want to see what it's like there."

"I-I don't want to see it!" He shook his head more fervently. "Not at all, 'ttebayo."

Mei smiled faintly and stroked his cheek. "You don't have to hide it, Shizu. We won't be upset with you at all."

"But…" The boy balled his hand and looked between them. " This is my home. That village isn't important."

"But it's important to you, even if only a little bit." Mei poked his chest lightly. "If it's important to you, then it matters to us, also. There's nothing wrong if you want to know more about your parents, or the place that used to be your home."

"But you're my mom and dad…"

"Listen to me, Shizu." Mei put her hand over his heart. "I love being your mom. I feel so privileged to have you in my life. But your birth parents are just as important as we are, and there's nothing wrong if you want to know about them or love them also. Alright?"

Shizu nodded and Mei pulled him in for a hug. Shizu buried his face in her hair and shut his eyes.

"...I do kind of maybe want to see it." Shizu whispered. He pulled away from Mei and fidgeted with the mask in his hand. "But… it's not safe…"

"Sorry, Shizu." Mei stroked his cheek again. "I wish you could walk around the Leaf to your heart's content."

She looked at Zabuza and they both understood that, despite how long it had been since that night, there was still the possibility that Konoha might be able to pick out either Zabuza or the child from a crowd. The fact that no tracking team from Konoha had found him yet, Zabuza knew, wasn’t a guarantee that they didn’t have any of those damned ninken that Konoha used who knew his scent. A scent was something not even the best henge or disguise could conceal. It was too risky.

"Once the Mizukage has been displaced, you can be one of Kiri's new Ambassadors." Zabuza grumbled. "Once you're old enough."

"What's an amby-sa-door?" Shizu scrunched his face.

"An Ambassador is someone chosen to travel around and meet with leaders from other places." The corners of Mei's mouth twitched in a smirk as she explained. Zabuza most certainly had a soft spot for the boy, she thought, if he was already deciding something like this in advance just to allow the boy some freedom and protection to visit his birthplace.

"Oh!" Shizu stared at Zabuza. "Can an amby-sa-door go anywhere?"

"Anywhere the Mizukage needs." Zabuza crossed his arms.

"Yay!" Shizu jumped up and grinned. "I can't wait to be strong and grown up to be an amby-sa-door."

"The word is 'Ambassador'." Zabuza repeated and rolled his eyes. The boy would need to do a lot of growing up before he'd ever make a suitable Ambassador, he thought.

Zabuza looked at Mei and was about to instruct the boy to say his final goodbye when his senses tingled. His brows furrowed and he glared into the mist.

What's he doing here?

Zabuza recognized the familiar feeling, but his gut told him that this time, there was something out of the ordinary. On edge as well, Mei stood in front of Shizuhiko and looked at the child from the corner of her eye. He had become quiet and serious at his guardian’s tension, but now, as the foreboding presence drew nearer, he could sense it as well. Soon enough, Kisame emerged from the mist and stepped onto the frosted beach. The enormous sword Samehada was strapped to his back and Zabuza’s brows furrowed. Kisame had been there several times before to collect payments after dispatching Konoha tracker teams– and, at times received a bonus for planting false evidence to throw any other Konoha-nin off of the trail in the event they investigated the deaths or disappearances– but Zabuza’s gut knew that he was here for something else.

“What’s this? It seems I’ve come just as you’re leaving.” Kisame chuckled and looked between the two– no, three figures that stood before him. His shark teeth flashed in a smirk as he noticed the small child’s uniform. “Is it wise to bring this coddled brat on a mission, Zabuza?”

“What do you want?” Zabuza narrowed his eyes at his senior.

“I’m leaving Kirigakure.” Kisame replied simply.

“Leaving?” Zabuza repeated, and Mei looked at Kisame’s headband where the symbol was slashed through.

“You’re going rogue?” Mei asked with a look of obvious scrutiny. “Why? You just became a Swordsman a few months ago. After killing your predecessor, you’re just leaving?”

“Fuguki was leaking intel.” Kisame’s beady eyes narrowed. “At least, that was what I was told.”

“By the Mizukage?” Mei asked.

Zabuza raised his brow. “You don’t believe him?”

“A puppet king is still just a puppet.”

Before either could ask anything more, Shizuhiko gripped Mei’s clothes tightly and his eyes were wide as he stared at the way the oversized sword strapped on the shark-man’s back was moving.

“Mom, what is that?” Shizu asked in a small whisper.

The sword wriggled and several spines burst from the bandages. Kisame's eyes widened slightly and he removed the weapon from his back to rest its weight on the ground. The weapon itself twitched and turned to face the child, who clung more tightly to Mei.

"How interesting, Zabuza. Samehada's decided that the boy is worthy of shredding." He smirked down at the weapon as several more spikes emerged and a mouth opened at its tip. "I knew you were hiding him for your own reasons, but with chakra so great that Samehada gets this excited without even having a taste…" Kisame's smirk grew. "You didn't take the child because you were courting Mei, did you?" His eyes fell to the child. "You took him because he's a Jinchuriki. It's no wonder that the Konoha-nin I've cut down are still searching for that child, and why there haven't been any reported sightings of the reformed Nine-Tails."

"Don't even think about coming closer." Mei's breath came out as a hiss of steam.

"You’d better control that thing now." Zabuza growled at Kisame, his fingers twitching and itching to grab his own weapon.

"Don't worry; I didn't come here with the intention of shredding that brat." Kisame chuckled and glanced down at Samehada. "Such a puny kid couldn't wield this blade, if Samedaha wanted it, in any case."

“What did you come for?”

“To give you a heads up that I won’t be around anymore to clean up your messes.” Kisame turned to Zabuza. “And, to give you a warning.”

“If you’ve come to tell me not to trust the Mizukage, save your breath.” Zabuza straightened and glanced up from Samehada as it licked its lips. “I never have.”

“This is deeper than caste unrest.” Kisame’s eyes darted to the still-trembling child. “If you’re half as intelligent as I think you are, you’ll pack up and leave with him as well. The longer you stay, the more you risk exposure. Remaining in one place for so long is foolish, particularly if you’re trying to hide a stolen Jinchuriki. Sooner or later, he will find that boy, and you’ll be powerless to stand in the way of any plans he has for him.”

“The Mizukage? Or someone else?” Zabuza’s brows furrowed more deeply. “Weren’t you always loyal?”

“Loyalty means nothing if it’s founded on lies.” Kisame turned to leave, dragging the disgruntled Samehada who still panted as he looked– without eyes– at the child. “If you want to continue playing house as you have been, you should consider what I’ve said.” He looked away, then looked back over his shoulder. “I’ve heard whispers of how you’ve been amassing followers, Zabuza. You have a noble goal to ‘liberate’ Kiri, however, such intentions are pipe-dreams when the reality is as it is.”

“You’re saying that we should just abandon Kiri and its people?” Mei frowned.

“If you don’t want that boy to die, that’s exactly what you’ll do.”

Shizu hid his face from how he had snuck a peek and held onto Mei more tightly.

“We have a plan.” Zabuza said.

“And you’ll all die before you can even set it in motion.” Kisame chuckled. “My defection will create a ripple effect throughout Kirigakure. You as a candidate for the Swordsmen will be treated with more suspicion and kept under closer watch to be sure more of the Legendary Swords are not lost. Your ‘son’ will become yet another pawn on his board soon enough, and you will be dead.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Mei looked at Zabuza, her frown deepening at his words, and then to Kisame after a pause. “What if I told you that I know the story of Fuguki being a traitor was false?”

“Oh?” Kisame raised his brow and turned to her.

“I know because Fuguki was working with one of my trusted informants.” Mei put her hand on her hip. “About one year ago he began to question the Mizukage and what he believed to be suspicious behavior or coincidences. Then, four months ago, Fuguki told my informant that he was close to learning the truth.” She shifted to cross her arms. “Three weeks later, Fuguki failed to show for a meeting. That was the day that you took Samehada and were told that he was a traitor.”

Kisame clenched his shark teeth. “Tch. He was silenced, and another lie was told.”

“Fuguki has always been staunchly loyal to Kirigakure and to the Mizukage.” Mei drummed her fingers against her arm. “Knowing that, and considering how he died, it seems the obvious conclusion.”

“All the more reason to leave while you can.”

“Or, all the more reason to strike now when we have the element of surprise.” Zabuza looked at the child from the corner of his eye briefly. “Before there are risks.”

“Kirigakure is a lost cause.”

“You talk as if you know who the enemy is.” Zabuza narrowed his eyes. “Who is it that has their claws in the village?”

“Don’t be a fool, Zabuza.” Kisame turned and lifted Samehada to sit on his shoulder. “Leave Kiri behind and you’ll at least keep this ‘family’ that you’ve created.”

Before Mei or Zabuza could say anything more, Kisame had already vanished into the fog. Mei released the breath she had been holding and turned to Zabuza.

“Do you really think–?”

“I think we’ll be late to disembark.” Zabuza interrupted her, and his eyes fell on the child. “Put the mask on, and let’s go. The ship won’t wait.”

“I don’t particularly like or trust him, but he clearly was trying to tell us something important. Shouldn't we discuss it?" Mei hugged her arms close. "All that talk of lies and puppets…"

"We'll discuss it when we get back." Zabuza crossed his arms. "We can't be late, and it's too important of a discussion to have to only devote a few minutes to it."

Mei sighed. "I suppose you're right. Maybe while you're gone, I can–"

"No." Zabuza interrupted her and frowned. "I forbid you from discussing anything he said or anything you speculate with any of the informants while we're gone."

"You 'forbid me?'" Mei raised her brow.

"Yes."

Zabuza's stare was hard and unblinking, but Mei was able to notice the flashes of his true feelings– the hidden fear. Mei bit her lip and she knew what he must be thinking; that she would investigate– as she had been considering– only to be found out and that Zabuza would return from his mission to find her corpse. She knew also that he was considering Shizu's reaction, and how traumatized he would be to find the woman he loved as his mother dead. That pain was something Zabuza did not want the child to know, as it was the same trauma that haunted him now.

Mei combed her fingers through her hair and sighed quietly. "...Alright. I won't do a thing until you're back."

"Good." Zabuza nodded. His expression was still serious and stern, but he leaned in to run his fingers through her hair and brush his lips against his forehead in a way she knew he was really saying 'thank you.'

She ordinarily would have teased him or called him a 'tsundere,' but she knew it was too serious for that. She understood the fear of losing someone suddenly. So, she tilted her head up to kiss his lips and touch his cheek.

"Be safe, Zabuza. Come back to me in one piece."

"We'll be fine." He returned the kiss, then looked at the boy who nervously looked out into the mist. "It'll be good for him."

"I hope so." Mei mumbled. She knelt in front of the boy and pulled him close. "Shizu, be careful out there."

"I will." Was his sheepish reply. He hugged her close and whispered. "Am I really in danger that the shark-man said?"

Mei patted his back and met his eyes. "Not any more than any of us usually are." She cracked a smile. "Try to not worry about anything that awful guy said, okay? Dad and I will figure everything out once you're back. We'll protect you, Shizu, no matter what. You trust us, don't you?"

The child nodded, then Mei kissed his cheek and smiled.

"Good. Now, you go out there and be a real shinobi. Go enjoy seeing new places, and do everything like we've taught you."

The excited light returned to Shizu's eyes and he smiled as he threw his arms around her neck.

"I love you, mom!"

"And I love you " Mei gave him a final squeeze and helped him to properly put on the mask. " Now you're ready."

"I'll remember everything so I can tell you, 'ttebayo!"

Shizu's bright eyes peering through the mask's eye holes looked so strange to Mei, but she maintained her smile and she stood.

"Go on, now." She waved. "Go before you're late."

"Let's go." Zabuza motioned for the boy to come to him with his head, and the boy immediately quieted and stood at his side. Zabuza bent to pick the child up and he put on his own mask. "Hang on tightly and don't let go."

Shizu nodded and did as he was told and Zabuza cast one final, long look at Mei before they were swallowed by the mist. Mei stood in the snow and swallowed the lump in her throat, praying to any god that might be listening that they have uneventful and safe travels.

Zabuza tried to do exactly as he was used to on every mission– compartmentalize his thoughts and push down anything that didn’t immediately relate to the current job– but this time, he was having a difficult time. He couldn’t determine if the reason was related to the seriousness of what Kisame had said and implied, or if it was the fault of having the small child with him. He was only able to decide that it was ultimately meaningless to decide which was more distracting, which brought him least somewhat closer to his typical level of concentration.

He was downright surprised that the child hadn’t talked his ear off the entire way to the small dock at the farthest tip of the main island. Instead, the boy quietly took in as much of the new as he could through the mist that hung over the water in the bitter-cold air; primarily, the change in the scent of the sea. But, Zabuza could tell that, though the child was most certainly a fun-loving prankster with very irritating curiosity levels, the boy was behaving himself and conducting himself with all the seriousness that a young shinobi could. He knew if Mei were with them, she would praise the child for it, but Zabuza certainly was not going to do it.

The boy listened obediently even when Zabuza had instructed him to remain unseen behind some cargo at the small dock while he briefly spoke to a crewman. The boy wasn’t more than a few meters away, but still, Zabuza’s senses prickled and agitated at the distance between them. In his mind, he already was aware of just how many steps it would take to reach the boy again if walking, or how quickly with a flicker. The calculations in his head were quick, but it still was a distraction. By the time he had finished his brief conversation with the crewman to confirm that they had permission to board, Zabuza’s nerves were ablaze and he quickly scooped the child back into his arms and boarded the ship.

Zabuza had let out a short sigh as he settled into the small area below deck and glanced at the child beside him from the corner of his eye. The boy fidgeted and fiddled with the hem of his clothes, and with the porcelain mask itself while still unusually quiet. Zabuza had watched him for a moment before slipping the mask off the child, setting it in the boy’s lap, and then resting his arm on the boy’s head. He had said nothing to the child at all, but the boy’s nerves settled and so Zabuza was able to finally focus on watching from the small window as the two Genin teams arrived at the dock, confirmed their identities, and boarded. He could hear their footsteps on the deck above, followed by the movement of the small crew to prepare for departure. It didn’t take long for the vessel to pull away from the dock and Zabuza glanced at the boy again to see his eyes widen. He had expected him to leap up and stare out of the window, but instead, the child's fidgeting started again and Zabuza could tell that he was exercising utmost restraint. Zabuza 'hm'd' and nudged the boy with his elbow, then motioned toward the window with a subtle tilt of his head. Shizu's eyes widened and he scurried over to stand on a crate, and he beamed at the way the water churned as the ship moved.

Dumb kid, getting excited so easily.

Zabuza turned his gaze away from the child and went over his mental notes for the mission, then closed his eyes and shrugged to himself. His assignment as an escort was only a formality, he now understood, as two among the Genin selected to attend the Chunin Exams were actually familiar faces in the Anbu ranks. They certainly wouldn't need his protection, but that meant his job was going to be that much simpler.

What he also realized was why Kirigakure was even participating in the Exams in the first place. Since the Fourth Mizukage took over after the Third's death– which was as mysterious as it was sudden– Kiri had become strictly isolationist. It still maintained its formal alliances but had cut off all imports and exports. Communication between nations had dropped to almost nothing, with the only correspondences being brief formalities that were required of the Mizukage. However, Zabuza knew that, despite his and Kisame's efforts to slay Konoha-nin who strayed too near their nation and then create false trails– that there was no way that the Mizukage at least be vaguely aware of Konoha's ongoing, mysterious investigations. He also knew that Konoha was desperate and suspected everyone. They wouldn't care one bit about the child of a dead Kage, but missing their Jinchuriki left them vulnerable. Konoha had not made an effort to invite Kiri to any Exams since the Mist cut themselves off, so the timing made it evident that Konoha was attempting to investigate Kiri; first, by sending the messenger with the invitation to the Exams rather than sending a falcon, and then to observe the candidates that Kiri sent, likely with their own Anbu. But the Mizukage would have anticipated this, which is why Zabuza had been assigned on top of disguising two Anbu members in the ranks of their Genin. It was obvious that Kiri would be watching Konoha as closely during this war-by-proxy just as much as Konoha watched them. Knowing that, Zabuza anticipated that his unspoken duty was to keep an eye out for any Konoha Anbu who would be following the candidates. That would certainly make things more complicated with the boy around, but all he could hope for was that Konoha’s forces were too spread thin to have Anbu tailing the candidates beyond the village gates.

The first leg of their journey went by uneventfully. Shizuhiko stared out of the window in amazement for as long as he could until his stomach growled and his legs were sore from standing. He settled down beside Zabuza to eat the small ration he was handed, then fell asleep with his head leaning against Zabuza. Zabuza could have moved and would have if he needed to, of course, but he had no reason to move. He definitely did not remain still for the sake of the child's nap.

The boy continued to sleep– from a combination of lingering tiredness from the past week of training and trial, from the excitement of their departure, and from the lull of the boat's rocking– until sundown, to Zabuza's surprise. He hadn't even cracked an eye when Zabuza moved and laid the boy down gently. By the time the child finally woke again, they had already reached the dock of an outer island in the Land of Water where the crewmen unloaded some of their cargo, picked up some new, and refueled. When they started off once more, the first stars were visible in the darkened sky and the mists had cleared.

Zabuza waited until he heard the candidates rest in another section below deck before he nudged the child who had been diligently trying to still study one of the lesson books that Sakinami had given him, though there was hardly any light. The boy blinked up at Zabuza and then followed him silently up the narrow stairs to be greeted by the mist-free clear night sky. The child's eyes widened and his breath was stolen by the sight. He shuffled forward with his eyes skyward.

"It's so big, 'ttebayo." Shizu whispered in awe and turned to Zabuza. "Does the sky always look like this?"

Normally, Zabua would have given a snort and replied that there were exceptions for weather or time of year, but he nodded once instead and the child gasped up at the stars again.

"Miss Saki said the stars have names." Shizu murmured and looked at Zabuza. "Do you know them all?"

"Do I look like I would?"

"Well…" Shizu tilted his head slightly. "You can find where you are with the stars, right? Which way is home?"

"Tch." Knowing that the boy wouldn't easily drop the subject, Zabuza looked up and read the sky, then pointed.

"Wow…" Shizu padded quietly to the side of the vessel. He stared up at the stars and moon, then down at their reflections in the sea. After a few moments, he pointed and leaned slightly over the edge. "Dad!" He raised his voice just a little but still spoke in a whisper. "Dad, there's blue fire in the water!"

"Blue fire?" Zabuza repeated and stood closer. The boy nearly slipped, so he kept a firm grip on the back of his flak jacket. His attention turned to the water a short distance to where fast-moving shapes darted through the water– glowing in a startling neon blue hue that did slightly resemble flames. He chuckled and pulled the boy a further back from the edge as a precaution. "Those aren't flames; those are dolphins."

"Dolphins glow?"

"They're swimming through a patch of bioluminescent algae."

"Buy-lesson?"

"Bioluminescent." Zabuza repeated. "It means a living creature that can glow."

"So the algae is glowing?" Shizu stared again at the mesmerizing display. "And, it's making the dolphins glow, too?"

Zabuza nodded and a small squeak escaped the boy's lips. After a moment of watching the creatures, he looked up at Zabuza.

"Dad, you know everything."

"I don't." Zabuza smirked faintly and looked away from the boy to the luminous waters. "I'm just older than you, and I've intentionally learned much about many different subjects. Ignorance will kill you just as quickly as physical weakness."

"So, if I keep studying, I'll know just as much as you?"

"If you focus more on your studies and quit the juvenile pranking."

"Aw man." Shizu grumbled quietly, but he smiled when the glowing fish caught his eye again. "I wanna learn everything ."

"Pretty sure your head would explode."

Shizuhiko snorted and stuck out his tongue. "Would not." When Zabuza didn't react, he looked at the sky and ocean with a small sigh. "I wish mom could see how cool it was."

"Hm." Zabuza glanced over his shoulder to the stairs that led below deck. The child noticed him turn, and Shizu's expression shifted.

"...Do we have to go down already?"

Zabuza stared at the boy. He looked into his eyes longer than he had intended to, and then, after a pause, he averted his gaze and cleared his throat.

"Not yet."

The boy's eyes widened and, without thinking, threw his arms around Zabuza's waist in a hug. Then, he turned back to watch the dolphins as they started to leap out of the water, keeping up easily with the speed of the ship, and then landed gracefully into the sea with luminous blue splashes.

Zabuza looked up at the sky just as a bright light streaked across the sky as if it were an arrow leading directly home. Suddenly, he was reminded of Mei, and he closed his eyes for a moment to inhale the crisp night air.

Just a few more minutes.

The next day of travel was mist-filled in the morning with smooth waters but turned turbulent in the afternoon. The sea churned as a violent storm raged, and Shizuhiko managed to remain quiet, though he whimpered at how loud the storm was and at the ship’s tossing and turning in the sea. The small boy clung to Zabuza and hid beneath his cloak with his eyes shut tightly, while Zabuza sat quietly and simply allowed the boy to cling to him. He found himself yet again only slightly impressed, nothing more, at how much restraint the child was exercising. Zabuza knew how the child typically clung to Mei during storms and cried, but now, the boy was managing to be quiet despite his fear. Zabuza looked away from him to watch the storm rage on through the small window, and, as he did, rested his hand on the boy’s back. He hadn’t done it to calm the boy, of course. He just wanted a comfortable angle at which to rest his arm, he thought.

The storm subsided by nightfall and Shizu was finally able to relax. He fell asleep almost immediately with his head on Zabuza’s lap. Zabuza tolerated it, as he was also tired and already comfortable, and because, he thought, that the child would only be more of a pain if he nudged him away when he was on the verge of tears as it was. As the boy slept, Zabuza noticed how he held his arms, as if he was holding a stuffed animal. Of course, he hadn’t been allowed to pack such a childish and personal object, but the child was so used to sleeping with the infernal plush that he was cuddling empty air.

Ordinarily, they would have reached their next stop by noon, but the storm had pushed the vessel off course and added another full day of travel. Fortunately, the crew had fuel enough to make it to port without problems, and, as they pulled in to dock, the skies cleared.

After everyone else had cleared from the ship, Zabuza had discreetly escorted the boy onto dry land. The child's eyes were wide as he stared at the clear blue sky and he shielded his eyes.

"Ow ow ow… it's so bright, 'ttebayo."

"I had no idea that the sun was bright." Zabuza replied sarcastically.

"I feel hot all over, too." Shizu looked at his arms. "It stings…"

"It's just sunlight. You'll get used to it." Zabuza nudged him with his foot to make the boy continue walking through the dockside bustling.

"Mom said it'll burn my skin."

"That's just Mei being irrational and overprotective." He ushered the child through the crowd, past the cargo areas, and up the worn path to a deciduous wooded area nearby.

“Why aren’t we going back onto the ship?” Shizu asked and stood beneath the largest tree he had ever seen. Even in the shade, the sunlight prickled his skin, and he knew that Mei had been right. He thought it might be a good idea to use the ‘sunscreen’ that Mei had packed for him, but he didn’t want to rifle through his pack at the moment, as he was too busy looking out at the bustling port town. There were so many new things to see that his head almost hurt, but he turned to see Zabuza drape a black cloak identical to his own around his small shoulders. “What’s this for?”

“For blending in.” Zabuza answered in a grumble, then took the black cloth covering off of the boy’s head and replaced it with a simple black bandana. He tied it firmly in the back, then was careful to stick every lock of hair inside the bandana, even turning the child around in a circle to be sure none of the bright blond hair could be seen. “The ship we’ve been on is only good for island-hopping. The last leg over the ocean is the longest and we need to board something bigger for deep-sea travel.”

Zabuza plopped a straw hat over the bandana and straightened to look him over, then put his hand on his hip. “That storm yesterday was little by comparison to some of the ones on the open ocean, and a small ship would be capsized easily in one.” As the boy opened his mouth to ask, Zabuza explained. “Capsized means it would be destroyed and sink.”

The child shut his mouth again, then look out at the docks. “I don’t see a bigger ship.”

“That’s because it’s late due to maintenance, so we have to loiter here until it arrives.”

“You mean, we get to look around?”

“As long as you stay close to me, keep quiet, and don’t cause any problems.”

The boy straightened at attention and nodded obediently. “I’ll be extra good, ‘ttebayo.”

Zabuza put a straw hat over his own head. “You’d better.” He looked the boy over again to be sure his hair was fully concealed, and the child’s stomach growled loudly. Zabuza sighed and then motioned for the boy to follow. “Might as well get something to eat, since we have time to kill.”

Shizu’s mouth watered slightly and he patted his stomach. “I hope there are kelp noodles.”

“Kelp noodles?” Zabuza raised his brow.

“Yeah, Miss Saki makes them and they’re the best, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu’s stomach growled louder and he sniffed the air. “I hope there are some.”

Zabuza was careful to keep the 'candidates' in his peripherals as they walked around, and he was also vigilant in ensuring that the wide-eyed child was never more than several centimeters from his side. The boy asked about nearly everything they passed in a hushed, awed tone and glanced up at Zabuza often. Zabuza would sigh and answer, only for the boy to have another question already prepared. Unlike on the ship, the child was his typical talkative self, much to Zabuza's annoyance. Finally, Zabuza stopped in front of a small restaurant on a hill overlooking the port where a variety of scents wafted from behind the curtains. Zabuza looked down at the child and tapped his fist on the straw hat.

"Watch what you say, and don't embarrass me."

"It smells so good." Shizuhiko wiped his mouth as he deeply inhaled, and Zabuza knew that the boy wasn't paying attention.

"Let's get this over with." Zabuza grumbled.

They stepped inside and Shizu inhaled again, then was nudged by his guardian to a small table situated in a corner. Zabuza ordered for both of them while the child took out a small journal to draw and write in so that he could do his best to keep his promise to his mother and remember everything for her. Once Zabuza had finished, he raised his brow at the boy's drawing.

"Why did you draw an egg?"

"What?" Shizu blinked, then furrowed his brows. "That's not an egg, 'ttebayo. That's the ship we were on."

"Are those leaves?"

"They're dolphins…"

Zabuza snorted and sipped his tea. "Could've fooled me."

Shizu frowned and crossed his arms. "I bet you couldn't draw them better."

Zabuza raised his brow, then took the pen from the child's hand, slid the notebook toward him, and, with short, quick lines, sketched a pod of dolphins in only a few moments. Shizu's eyes widened and he held the book close to stare.

"Y-You're good at everything, dad!"

"I didn't even draw them well. Your art just sucks."

Shizu's mouth gaped, then he stuck out his tongue, took his pen back, and set on trying to draw the creatures exactly as Zabuza had done. "...I can do it, too, 'ttebayo…"

A server appeared with a smile and apologized for the wait, then placed their dishes in front of them. Zabuza's plate was steaming with grilled meats of different cuts and flavors, while a large bowl of ramen was placed in front of the child.

"Kelp noodles!" Shizu's eyes widened at first, then his expression fell slightly. "...I don't know what these are."

"Just eat it." Zabuza furrowed his brows and pointed at the boy. "You're not going to find something like that here."

"But it's not kelp noodles, 'ttebayo…' Shizu grumbled and took up his chopsticks to swirl them around the bowl. After a few moments, he cautiously slurped up a single noodle, and his eyes widened. He looked between Zabuza and his bowl several times, then dug in with manners that Zabuza itched to flick him for. It wasn't long before the boy tilted the bowl to gulp down the broth, then he set it down on the table with a content sigh. "...Even better than kelp noodles…"

"Wipe your face." Zabuza rolled his eyes at the boy, who was patting his stomach. "And sit up while you're at it."

"Pardon me for intruding." The waitress came over again, holding a small plate while putting one hand on her cheek. "Your son ate so heartily, and he's so cute that I wanted to give him some dessert."

"Dessert?!" Shizuhiko perked at the word and stared as she set it down before him. "What is it?"

"It's Purin." The woman bent to meet the child's eyes. "I made it myself. It's something that's not on the menu yet, so you're the first to try it."

"Itadakimasu!" Shizu held the spoon up and licked his lips at the treat. "I've never had anything like this, 'ttebayo."

"Oh my, aren't your eyes just the brightest blue I've ever seen." The woman smiled at Shizu as she looked at his face more closely. "What a lovely hue. You must have gotten them from your mother." She put her hand on her cheek. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm keeping you from your dessert." She stepped back and waved her hand at the boy with a smile. "Please, enjoy."

Zabuza’s eyes narrowed at the women and, before the child could take a bite, he swiped the spoon from his hand and stuck the bite into his mouth. The boy loudly complained, but Zabuza chewed it carefully, then he handed the spoon back.

“Da-ad!” Shizu huffed and narrowed his eyes. “You ate it!”

“You can have the rest of it, so shut up.” Zabuza took a large gulp of his tea to get the taste of sweets out of his mouth, but even after drinking it all, the saccharine torture of his taste buds lingered.

“You don’t even like sweets.” Shizu stuck out his tongue, then scooped his own bite while watching Zabuza suspiciously, then beamed once he had chewed and swallowed. “It’s so good!”

“I’m so glad!” The woman clapped her hands. “Please, eat up. You look like you’ve got a big journey ahead of you, so you’ll need a warm, full belly.”

“Thanks a lot, lady!” Shizu thanked her with a mouthful of food, then grinned down at the sweets. “Wait until I tell mom about this.”

“Idiot.” Zabuza nudged the boy’s leg with his foot from under the table and crossed his arms. “Don’t just immediately trust strangers or put food into your mouth.”

“Huh?” Shizu looked up at Zabuza, down at the dessert, and then back up at his guardian. “I shouldn’t eat it?”

“I already tested to see if it was poisoned. I’m not convulsing or dead, so it’s obviously fine.” Zabuza grumbled.

“Is that what you were doing?” Shizu blinked. “But why? That lady seemed so nice, ‘ttebayo.”

Zabuza shook his head. “A shinobi has to always be vigilant.”

“Hmph.” Shizu took another large bite and chewed with a frown. “Why would she wanna poison me, anyway?”

“The comment she made about your eyes.” Zabuza drummed his fingers against his arms and lowered his voice. “The closer we get, the more aware we have to be about anyone who might notice certain similarities you have to a certain person.”

“Oh.” Shizu looked down at this dessert and prodded it with the spoon. “...I’ll be more careful, ‘ttebayo.”

"You'd better."

A few minutes later, Zabuza had finished his own meal and Shizuhiko cleared his plate. They stood to leave, and Zabuza grabbed the boy by the cloak to keep him close, then tapped his fist on the straw hat.

"We need to pay, idiot."

"Pay?" Shizu blinked up at him. "What's that?"

Zabuza rolled his eyes, paid for their food at the counter, and then led him out. "When you go to a restaurant or store, you need to exchange money for what you want to take. It's not hard to understand."

"Well, maybe I'd know if you took me places, 'ttebayo." Shizu grumbled and crossed his arms.

Zabuza paused and looked at the child, then averted his eyes and put his hand on his hip. "Then pay attention because there's plenty to learn on this trip."

"Hai!" Shizu grinned and nodded. "What can I learn first?"

Zabuza looked around at the port downhill, then at the ocean itself and the woods. After mulling it over, he pointed to the woods and the boy obediently followed him. Once Zabuza thought they were deep enough in the forest, he tossed a kunai to the child, which he caught easily but with a confused look.

"What's this for, dad?"

"You know how we taught you to walk on water with Chakra?" When the boy nodded, Zabuza pointed to a tall tree. "Apply that lesson to the tree. Walk up the trunk horizontally to the top."

"Walk on the tree?!" Shizu's eyes panned up to the very tip of the tree. "T-That's impossible."

“You won't learn anything by complaining." Zabuza raised his brow. "Didn't you say that you were going to improve on this trip and show off to Mei later? Or, were you just blowing smoke?"

"Hmph." Shizu furrowed his brows. "I don't go back on my word, 'ttebayo." He looked at the kunai. "If I gotta use my feet, why do I need this?"

"To mark how far you get." Zabuza waved his hand. "Well? What are you still standing around for?"

Shizu turned to face the tree, closed his eyes to channel his Chakra, then slowly approached the tree as he mumbled under his breath. "Just like standing on water…" He cautiously lifted his foot to place it against the bark. He concentrated and then opened his eyes once he had stuck his other foot to the tree. "Huh… this is easier than the water." He looked at Zabuza to complain about how he'd been misled, but then he lost his footing and fell. "Ouch!"

"You fell because you stopped focusing, idiot." Zabuza furrowed his brows. "Don't do that from higher up or you'll split your head open."

"I-I didn’t fall!" Shizu's ears flushed pink. "I just wanted to see how soft the snowy grass was."

Zabuza raised his brow and the boy picked himself up and faced the tree again. This time, he made it several meters up the tree before his foot slipped and he quickly grabbed a branch to keep from falling. He let out a sigh of relief, and Zabuza realized his muscled had tensed from his instinctive reaction to the slip, and he forced himself to relax. What did he care, after all, if the boy slipped? It would be his own fault, Zabuza thought. And, if he did break something, the Demon Fox’s influence would heal it quickly.

Zabuza watched as the boy regained his balance and then continue his slow progress up the tree. He had to snatch the boy from the air when he slipped several times, but the child insisted he could do it correctly this time. It took almost an hour for the child to completely tire himself out, and when he had, his small body was trembling from overexerting himself and from the sun’s heat that he hadn’t adjusted to. With an ‘idiot,’ Zabuza carried the child to the ocean where he found a rocky outcropping that was far enough from the docks to provide privacy and he set the boy down in a shaded spot. He ordered the child to remain in that spot where he would be cooled by the sea air and shade until he was no longer overheated, and the boy sighed and did as he was told. As he was the type to not waste time, he quizzed the child on various subjects until Shizu groaned loudly and complained that his brain couldn’t handle any more. They rested in silence for some time before Zabuza saw a large ship emerge from the horizon. He nudged the child once it drew closer, and the boy leaped up on the rocks to get a better view. He watched in amazement as it docked and Zabuza had to answer a slew of questions about the vessel.

Once preparations were made, Zabuza led the child onto the ship to a small room where he plopped his pack down on the small cot. Shizu watched the port grow smaller from the round window. Once he could only see open ocean, Zabuza tapped the top of his head and instructed him to rest. For the next three days, Zabuza kept the boy busy. In the mornings, Shizuhiko was made to train his Chakra control by walking up the room's walls as the ship rocked, and then, when the boy could do so with minimal unsteadiness, he was made to stand upside-down on the ceiling and meditate, or, occasionally, to do crunches to work his muscles. Zabuza caught him if necessary when he fell before making the child try again. After they ate their lunch rations, Zabuza supervised the boy's progress in his lesson book. Zabuza had taken it from that island woman the night before they left Kiri, when he had just happened to also bring along the child's letter. The woman had been so shocked to read it that she hadn't protested at all, to his relief, though he wouldn't have listened to a lecture anyway. His brows furrowed just watching the boy's terrible handwriting, and he would point to the most egregious lines and order him to do them over. By the time sunset came, the boy fell asleep quickly and without complaints since he was both physically and mentally exhausted.

Zabuza announced to the boy on the morning of the fourth day that he would rest in preparation for making the long trek through the Land of Fire. He knew that it would not take long for the boy’s stamina or Chakra to recover– he assumed it went hand-in-hand with the Demon Fox’s healing– but, even so, he wanted the boy to be as prepared as he possibly could be. If all went well, it would be a four or five-day trip, depending on the weather and the terrain. Of course, their pace would also depend on how quickly or leisurely the candidates themselves decided to travel, but Zabzua knew already that the child could not keep up on his own if they traveled at a full run. He didn’t particularly mind carrying the boy on his back as he had done before, though it was an inconvenience, all the same, to have to set the boy down before he could draw his sword. Unless, of course, he drew it anyway and risk harming the boy, but he preferred to not get an earful from Mei if he could avoid it.

After an after-breakfast nap, Shizu looked over several pages in his lesson book and practiced his writing with his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration. When he had gotten bored of that, he took to staring out of the window at the seemingly endless ocean. He smiled at the seabirds he saw occasionally dip into the water to catch a fish, and he especially liked it when he saw what he was sure to be a dolphin leap out of the water. Zabuza told him that none of the dolphins he had seen before would have followed them, but he still liked to think that it was one of them. When he was nearly bored of watching the sea and turned away from the window, something on the horizon caught his eye and he stared at it.

The longer he stared, the bigger the thing seemed to get– at least for a while. He couldn't make out any noticeable features of the mass, but he thought it was solid ground.

"Dad, what's over there?" Shizu glanced over his shoulder at Zabuza, who had been resting his eyes. "Is that the Land of Fire?"

"What are you talking about, brat?" Zabuza cracked one eye open. "We're still about a day away from it."

"Then what is that ?" Shizu asked as he pointed to the horizon through the glass.

Zabuza got up with a sigh, nudged the boy out of the way to peer through the small window, and then his brows furrowed. "I never expected them to take a route close enough to see it…"

"So that is the Land of Fire?" Shizu inched closer to the window to look out of the very bottom.

"No." Zabuza said simply, pausing for so long that Shizuhiko thought he had forgotten what he was going to say. Finally, Zabuza crossed his arms and spoke again. "What you see on the horizon is Uzushiogakure."

"Uzushio?" The boy repeated the name and blinked. "What's that place?"

"The homeland of the Uzumaki clan."

Shizu's eyes went wide and he felt his mouth dry. He had heard Zabuza correctly, but his heart skipped a beat and, for a moment, it felt as if his mind went completely blank for several minutes. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and pressed his face to the glass, squinting to get a better look.

"That's … where my family came from?" His words were barely a whisper, but Zabuza didn't need to hear them to know what the boy was thinking. "Where… my mom came from?"

"Yes."

Shizu gulped again and strained to see, though it was too far. "Can… we go? After we finish our mission?" He looked over his shoulder with his best pleading expression. "...Just for a few minutes?"

"Getting any nearer than this is suicide." Zabuza drummed his fingers against his arm. "The land is surrounded by an aquatic landmine of whirlpools that instantly crush and shred any ship that they suck in. There were old rumors as well that they had giant ocean-dwelling demons under their control that would eat anyone who managed to survive the whirlpools." His fingers went still and he shrugged. "Even if the whirlpools weren't an issue, there's nothing left to see anyway. Everyone there is already dead, and the buildings are said to be in complete ruin."

"But…" Shizu looked down and clenched his small fists. "Even if there's nothing, I wanna see it, 'ttebayo."

"So, you know the secret to getting past the whirlpools?" Zabuza raised his brow, and the child's ears warmed.

"No…" Shizu crossed his arms and stared at his feet. "It's not fair, 'ttebayo."

"The secret to navigating the surrounding sea died with them." Zabuza muttered.

"If no one can get there, then how did they all die?" Shizu looked up at Zabuza. "Who killed them?"

"I don't know the answer to either of those questions."

"Then…" The child looked out the window once more. "How does anyone know they're gone?"

"Contrary to what you believe, I don't know everything. There isn't any particular nation or group that has ever taken credit for the downfall of Uzushiogakure."

"It's not fair." Shizu muttered yet again and he pressed his forehead to the window.

"Life's not fair. It's time you learned that." Zabuza lay back down on the cot to cross his arms behind his head. Before he rested again, he looked at the boy from the corner of his eye. “You’re not going to rest like I told you to?”

“I’m looking.” Shizu said simply, with his gaze fixed on the horizon.

“Fine.” Zabuza closed his eyes. “Just don’t wake me up because I have to carry you for the next week. Understand?”

Shizu only nodded in response, knowing that Zabuza couldn’t see him anyway, and kept his focus on the mysterious nation. He continued to watch it and imagine what he might find there until the ship’s course turned and the landmass grew smaller and smaller, then disappeared from view. He sighed and slumped onto the floor to absentmindedly pick at his clothes. He sighed again and took out his notebook and pen to draw what he imagined was there, tongue sticking out at an angle as he tried to mimic the same pen strokes that Zabuza had used. One day, he thought, one day he would see Uzushiogakure for himself, no matter how little there was there to see.

Zabuza watched from where he was sitting in a squat on a branch of a tall pine as Kiri’s candidate-spies approached Konoha’s gate. It had taken five days to reach Konoha, which suited Zabuza fine because each time that the candidates had taken breaks or stopped for the night, it allowed him to have a break for himself to set the child down– who looked small but felt heavy when being carried for long periods of time– and allowed the boy to get out his pent-up energy. Zabuza had put him to work practicing climbing trees to direct his energy and boredom in a productive and non-annoying way. It was perfect for wearing the boy out, which meant that Zabuza didn’t need to listen to the boy’s chattering. He looked at the child who sat quietly on the branch beside him, staring at the village gates intently.

They watched as the candidates were stopped at the gates' desk, showed their identification, then signed a few things before they were let inside. Zabuza straightened and put his hand on his hip.

"Well, that's that. We've done our part."

"Do we have to go home right now?" Shizu stood also and wobbly slightly before regaining his balance on the branch. "We haven't had any breaks, 'ttebayo."

"You haven't even been the one running." Zabuza raised his brow at him. "And, yes. We can't linger around these parts because cockroaches are never far from their nests. The longer we're here, the more of a risk it is."

"Oh." Shizuhiko sighed and looked down. "...I know that."

"If you quit your moping, you can have dessert for lunch in the next town we reach."

The child's eyes widened and he tugged on Zabuza's sleeve. "Really? Really? You'll buy me cakes and stuff?"

"If you cooperate, I said." Zabuza raised his brow. "But that means you have to be obedient ."

"I will ."

"Hm." Zabuza stared at the child for a moment before picking him up and flickering away. Once he reached his destination, Zabuza set the boy down on a branch of an even larger tree than before. "This should be fine."

" What's fine?" Shizu looked around. "It's just another tree."

"Look there, you idiot." Zabuza turned the child's head. The boy stared and his mouth gaped at the sight. "You can't see details, but you can see a good portion of the Leaf from here."

"Wow!" Shizu held onto the trunk with one hand and gripped Zabuza's shirt with the other. "It's huge!"

"It's not small, that's for sure. It's hardly the biggest city there is."

"I know that, 'ttebayo." Shizu cautiously moved his hand from the tree to point. "What's that on the big rock?"

"It's a monument of their Hokages, past and present."

The boy squinted. "It looks like… five heads are there."

"The first Hokage was some 'God', or so they call him." Zabuza moved the boy's finger to point at the first, distant face. "Their second was his brother, who created the model for the infrastructure of a Shinobi village that the others adapted. The third was his student, who reigned for the longest of them all."

"Then…" Shizu gulped and moved his finger to the fourth face. He couldn't make out any details, but he could see spiky hair. "That's…"

"The Fourth Hokage. The one renown as the Yellow Flash."

Shizuhiko stared and stared, his small hand trembling slightly as he held onto Zabuza. "...My dad…" He whispered quietly.

Zabuza raised his brow at the statement, almost opening his mouth to say… something, though he shut it again.

"Can we get a teensy tiny bit closer? I want to see what he looked like."

"No. Having you as close to the gates as we were before was risky enough."

The boy pressed his lips together and he sighed. "Okay…" His gaze lifted to the Fourth's face, and then he glanced at the fifth. "Dad, who is the Hokage now?"

"Hmph. Some woman from the Senju bloodline. I've heard that she's the only living grandchild of the first Hokage." Zabuza furrowed his brows. "From what I've gathered, she has a bratty personality, prone to violence."

"Oh, just like you, dad."

"You brat." Zabuza frowned and knocked his knuckles on the boy's head. "I've heard that she's nothing but a gambling addict who has debt up to her ears. You think I'm anything like that hag?"

"What's 'gambling'?" Shizu rubbed his head. "And, 'addict'?"

"Nevermind." Zabuza muttered. "Despite how unqualified she seems, especially as some privileged blood relative, she's renowned as well as being a member of the 'Sannin.' She countered every single poison from Suna's legendary Chiyo and is considered to be Konoha's best medical-nin."

"I don't understand any of that, 'ttebayo." Shizu grumbled, and then, after several moments of silence, tugged on Zabuza's shirt. "Dad, where did you find me?"

Zabuza froze at the question briefly and looked at the child. He had anticipated many questions that the child would have thought of on this trip, but he hadn't anticipated this. After a long pause, Zabuza raised his hand to point beyond the village walls. "Do you see how that section of forest looks like it has a chunk missing from it?” The boy nodded, and Zabuza lowered his arm. “That’s where the Demon Fox battled the Fourth and was sealed.”

“There…?” Shizu whispered and clutched his cloak tightly, then he put his hand over his stomach. “When my dad put the Fox in me, right?”

Zabuza nodded shortly and the boy stared at the large treeless area in the distance. Nothing had grown back there, as if the land itself was scarred in the same way that the boy’s stomach bore a seal. As much as he didn’t care where the boy had come from, it was undeniable that the child and this village were linked. He cleared his throat and tapped his fist on the boy’s head again. “Wait here obediently or I’ll make you skip lunch.”

“Huh? Wait?” Shizu turned to look at him suddenly. “Why do I gotta wait?”

“Because I need to do something before we leave, you brat.”

“Can’t I go with you?”

“No.”

“But, it’s dangerous for me to be alone here, right?” Shizu crossed his arms and stared down Zabuza. “I wanna go with you!”

“And I already told you no.”

“It’s not fair, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu ‘hmph’d’ and stomped his foot. When he nearly slipped from the branch, Zabuza caught him and deftly leaped down the tree. He set the boy down on a tree stump below and then crossed his arms.

“Wait here. ” Zabuza jabbed his finger at the stump. “Do not leave this area. I’ll have a water clone positioned nearby just in case, but its range is limited so if you do something stupid, neither me or my clone will be saving your ass.”

“Why do I gotta wait, ‘ttebayo?” The boy crossed his arms and legs, grumbling.

“Because there is something I need to do that is too dangerous for a little brat like you.” Zabuza furrowed his brows. “While I’m gone, you are not allowed to move from this stump, do you understand?”

“What if I gotta pee?” Shizu looked at Zabuza from the corner of his eye.

“Then piss onto the ground from where you are.”

“What if–?”

“Quiet.” Zabuza frowned. “You are absolutely forbidden from using any Jutsu or molding any Chakra or any reason whatsoever while I’m gone.”

“But why?” Shizuhiko rubbed his head. “Playing with a clone would be funner to wait…”

“No. No using your Chakra at all. Konoha is home to clans with the ability to sense Chakra, and you have an abundance of it. If you stupidly use Jutsu, you’ll be attracting attention like moths to a flame.”

“Like Dojutsu?”

“Yes.” Zabuza watched the child think and then sigh. “I won’t be long. Sit there and behave yourself. Don’t go anywhere, don’t just Chakra, don’t be loud.”

“What if people come here?”

“I doubt anyone would come to a random location of no importance like this.” Zabuza looked around the area and pointed at one tree. “However, if anyone does get close, climb up there and wedge yourself into the hollow space in the trunk. Stay silent and don’t move from that spot until I come back, do you understand?”

“Yes, dad.”

Zabuza paused at his words, then straightened and looked away. “I won’t be long. You’d better not do anything stupid while I’m gone.”

“I’ll be good, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu stuck out his tongue. “Don’t take a long time.”

Zabuza took one long look at the child and then flickered away. The child sat on the stump diligently for several minutes, and then for ten. By thirty minutes, he had begun to twitch from boredom and sigh. At forty minutes, he stood on top of the stump and tried to peer through the surrounding woods to call out in a whisper.

“Da-ad? Dad, where are you? It’s been a long time.”

There was no response, so he groaned and kicked a pebble off of the stump, and crossed his arms.

“You said you’d hurry, ‘ttebayo.” He muttered into the open air. He kicked again and loudly sighed. He tried to occupy himself by watching birds in the sky and a trail of marching ants in the grass, but he grew bored of watching both quickly. He watched the clouds in the bright, very un-misty sky, and then drew the small knife from his back. If he wasn't allowed to use his Chakra or move from the stump, he figured he could at least practice a little bit with a weapon.

Shizu smirked and put his mask back on, then posed on the stump. He furrowed his brows and tried to make his voice sound deeper.

"Evil Mizukage! I am Zabuza Momochi, the bestest and strongest and coolest swordsman ever! I will kill you and save all the people in Kiri!" He swung the blade with practiced movements, adding sound effects as he did. He pretended to dodge attacks, and then jabbed at the empty air with his best imitation of Zabuza's chuckle. "I win, evil Mizukage! Now I am the Mizukage and everyone is happy."

The boy pretended to stick the Kage's large hat on his head while he suppressed a giggle. He swung the blade around a few more times and then looked up again.

"I'm so bored…"

Shizu shifted the mask so it only covered half of his face, then he looked at his reflection in the blade to stick out his tongue. He wondered just what Zabuza was doing, and why it was taking him so long. Shizu frowned at his reflection and then sat heavily on the stump. He was being so patient, he thought. He hadn't even stepped foot off of the stump a single time. He was such a good boy. His stomach grumbled, having only eaten rations that morning, and he absentmindedly poked the tip of the blade against the stump.

"I really want some lunch, 'ttebayo."

He considered carving his name into the stump but was reminded of Zabuza's words of caution. Instead of his name, he carved 'poop' with a stifled laugh and added what he thought was a great carving of a heaping pile of dung. He knew Zabuza wouldn't approve, but at least he was waiting obediently in the exact spot he had been told to, he thought.

He paused to think of what else he could carve into the stump– a dolphin, perhaps? Though he knew his carving of a dolphin would be even worse than his drawing– he heard sounds through the trees. He froze and stared in the direction they came from to listen carefully, but he couldn't make out what was being said. He strained himself to try to tune out the sounds of his surroundings as Zabuza had taught him, and then he was able to tell that the muffled sounds were voices, and they were getting closer.

With that realization, the boy ducked behind the stump with his heart racing. He quietly returned his mask to cover his whole face and his eyes darted around the area, looking for any sign that Zabuza was coming back. Where had he gone? What was taking him so long? What was he going to do when people were actually here?

The child took in a deep breath and tried to stay calm. If he stayed quiet and hidden, even if he couldn't make it up the tree in time, then they would just walk by and he would be fine. Then, he would be able to explain what had happened to Zabuza when finally returned, and Zabuza would be proud of him for not panicking. Shizu took in another long and quiet breath and made himself as small and as still as he could behind the stump just as a group of men emerged from the trees and into the small clearing. His heart drummed in his ears and he gulped as he kept a firm grip on his blade.

"Ah, man, I can't believe we're the ones in charge of prepping the training grounds. I don't see why we can't just use the Forest of Death the way we usually do." One man complained.

"We have to be particularly on guard this time." One man with a gruff but flat voice said. "With Kirigakure breaking their isolation to send candidates this time, there's no telling what could happen."

"I don't see why they were invited at all, considering the rumors that Kiri-nin have been killing our comrades in cold blood all over the country." A woman mumbled.

"Rumors are still rumors." Another man said. "There hasn't been any concrete evidence to link it to anyone in particular."

"I don't care." The woman said sharply, and Shizu nearly flinched at her tone. "I don't trust them at all."

"You don't trust anyone at all anyway because you're an Uchiha." Another man snorted. "You only just got promoted to Chunin recently, and everyone knows it's because your uncle is Fugaku– Ow!"

"Hmph! I earned my rank."

"Sure, but you still don't even have the Sharingan." One of the men muttered. "Ow! Hey, knock that off! That part’s true, though..."

"Pipe down, everyone." The first man sighed. "Let's just take this shortcut back, enjoy some lunch, and then focus on our jobs. There's no point in bickering."

The walking sounds stopped and Shizu remained very, very still as he listened. He swallowed nervously and could hear the figures shuffling from where they stood. He hadn’t realized his palms were sweaty at all, but the blade slipped out of his grip with a soft thud onto snowy earth. He held his breath, hoping that none of them could hear the small sound. He held his breath for what felt like forever before one of the unknown people broke the silence.

“Let’s hurry back before the lunch rush.” One of the men said. “Whoever gets to the gates last has to treat the rest of us.”

Shizu heard some of them curse as they quickly left the area. When he was sure they were gone, he let out the breath he’d been holding and looked around. He saw no one there at all, which relieved him, but he also did not see any trace of Zabuza. How long had it been? He didn’t know, but panic rose in his throat and burned. Had Zabuza been captured or killed? How could he get home without Zabuza? What would he do without the only father he’d ever known? Shizu trembled and retrieved his blade. He forced himself to take a breath and push down his fears. Of course Zabuza hadn’t been captured or killed– Shizu knew he was too strong for that to happen– but still, he didn’t know why his father hadn’t returned. He blade nearly slipped from his hand again and he looked around. He knew Zabuza would come back, but he wasn’t sure if any more people would come by, so he decided it would be best to hide in the tree as he had been told.

He darted out of hiding as quickly as he could and started up the tree, focusing as much as he could on each step it took to the spot where the hollow space was, doing exactly as Zabuza had taught him. Each panic-filled breath he took brought him another step closer to safety. Each step of his would be one step of Zabuza’s back to him. His eyes widened as a kunai flew suddenly into view and struck the trunk beside his foot. Before he could realize where it had come from, the paper it was attached to fluttered and sparked. The explosion threw him down to the ground violently where even the dusting of powder snow did not soften his fall. He cried out in pain and surprise, his vision blurred and his ears throbbing. He could only hear a loud ringing and nothing else, and his ears felt as warm and wet as his head. He tried to breathe, but the wind had been knocked out of him and his body– that he couldn’t move– felt stiff. He tried to call out to Zabuza but only gasped helplessly for air that did not come. His eyes stung with tears and every thought in his head was of confusion and fear.

Blurry figures stood above him and it took several moments before Shizu’s sight recovered slightly, though he couldn’t hear what they were saying. He continued trying to gasp for air. He tried to move or call out for Zabuza as they spoke over him. He still could not hear what they said, but his eyes widened when the woman took out a kunai knife. He could see their expressions only slightly, and he knew that they were arguing. But arguing about what? His heart pounded harder in his bleeding ears when one man knelt beside him and reached for the boy’s cracked mask and lifted it from his face. As he did, Shizu felt a shudder of intense heat through his body and a surge of brief pain and steam, and then relief. Air flooded into his lungs and suddenly he could hear everything clearly again.

The man’s eyes grew wide as the boy gasped for air and he dropped the charred mask, shattering on the ground. The other Leaf Shinobi stared as well, and the first picked up the still-limp child slightly to look into his eyes.

“You can’t be… Lord Fourth’s missing child?” The man murmured and Shizu trembled and willed his body to move, but he was frozen in place. The man turned to his comrades to speak and opened his mouth. Instead of words, a spray of blood and the man’s head rolled to the ground.

The child couldn’t scream or make any sound and before he could finish processing what had just happened, there was only one figure left standing among the severed limbs and opened torsos. The snow had become a sea of blood, and Shizu was in the middle of it. His head swam with the red that filled his vision but before he could collapse to the ground, a pair of familiar and warm arms caught him.

Zabuza caught the boy as his eyes fluttered and he nearly fell. His dark eyes were wide, then they narrowed and he supported the boy’s head and neck carefully. He looked around at the fresh corpses, then at the child, and gently shook him. “Shizu! Look at me.”

The boy blinked at the figure and, once his eyes adjusted again, he stared at Zabuza blankly. Then, his eyes snapped open with a gasp and he looked around. “T-They… t-they’re… y-you…”

“Focus.” Zabuza frowned at the blood that stained the boy’s skin and clothes, still wet in places where it had been too thick to be burned off when he had healed. “Are you alright?”

Shizu shook his head slowly after a quiver of his lips and he held on tightly to Zabuza, burying his face in his chest without a single sound as he shook.

Zabuza held him close and looked around. He knew that he hadn’t been the only one to hear the paper bomb, and it was only a matter of time before other Konoha shinobi discovered his handiwork. Careful not to drop the child, he formed the necessary hand seal to create a water clone. He carried the boy in a direction of a safe place while the clone used the Water Style: Water Bomb Jutsu to wash out as much blood, scent, and evidence as he could from the area before becoming a puddle.

When Shizuhiko opened his eyes again, he was in a small cave in a cliff, wrapped in a cloak with the embers of a tiny but warm fire driving the cold away. He tried to sit up and look around, but Zabuza– who had been sitting vigilantly by the entrance with his sword ready– moved to his side to look him over.

“Are you alright?” Before the boy could answer, Zabuza cursed himself and growled. “If I hadn’t left you there, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Shizu hiccuped and tears welled in his eyes, then rolled down his cheek. There were so many emotions and thoughts in his head all at once. He wanted to ask where Zabuza had been, or why he had taken so long, or even if those people were really dead, but all he could do was tremble and hiccup out a single sentence:

“D-Dad I-I d-did w-what y-you s-said a-and w-waited f-for y-you.”

Zabuza pulled him close in a firm embrace as the boy sniffled. He furrowed his brows deeply with a hatred he hadn’t felt before, then closed his eyes tightly. “This was my fault; not yours. You did well, Shizu.”

The boy held on tighter and cried harder. Zabuza continued to hold him. He rubbed the child’s back in the same way he had done to soothe him as an infant. He held him close until he could cry no more and his wails were only soft sniffles. Nothing distracted him from comforting the child, nothing until he heard a scraping of small claws. His senses snapped to full awareness and he slashed at what had made the sound without looking first. As the blade passed through the small dog’s body, Zabuza noticed the Leaf headband it wore, and it poofed into smoke.

“Damn Ninken.” Zabuza wiped the boy’s face, covered his hair with the bandana, and then quickly rounded up their packs. “We’ve overstayed our welcome.” Zabuza once again used a Jutsu to flush out the cave of scents to the best of his ability, and then they were gone.

A silver-haired man with one dark eye and one Sharingan stood in the water-logged cave with a pack of hounds as they sniffed around. They shook their heads after a moment, and the small pug bowed his head.

“There isn’t any trace of scent left here. Sorry, Kakashi.”

The man– Kakashi– gritted his teeth from behind his mask and he slammed his fist into the wall, not caring how his gloves tore or how his knuckles bled. His breathing was ragged and he narrowed his eyes at the dogs.

“Find them.”

Chapter Text

Mei Terumi drummed her fingers against her arms as she listened to the last informant relay their news. Her brow was furrowed deeply and, though she was listening, her mind was only half-focused. There wasn't a full assembly currently– as there were too many allies to fit into that small, abandoned building– but those who had gathered there had done so expecting Zabuza to be the one handling business. Some carried on as expected, some who despised her for her Kekkei Genkai shot looks at her when her back was turned, and the others were troubled by the intensity of her presence. They looked nervously at one another as Mei dismissively waved her hand once the informant had concluded. They had all, of course, inquired about Zabuza's presence at the start of the meeting. They had quickly dropped the subject when Mei's eyes twitched at the subject. Now that things were drawing to a close, some wondered if they should ask again.

Mei waved her hand again with a sigh. "Thanks for the update. If there's nothing else, then you can all go. Just be sure to make sure you're not seen."

Some left, while others remained to speak amongst themselves for a moment. The twins approached Mei and watched her carefully.

"So… where is our fearless leader?"

Mei's eye twitched again and she blinked, turning to them with her full attention as her nails pressed into her arm. "As I said," She spoke through gritted teeth. "Zabuza is indisposed right now."

Meizu chuckled and tilted his head slightly. "Oh? So you don't know where he is after all."

"He's on a mission." Mei's brows furrowed deeper and she resumed drumming her fingers. "He'll be back when he's back."

"He's late. He's never missed a meeting before." Gozu's eyes narrowed. "It wouldn't have to do with the rumor I heard about him bringing along some 'apprentice' on this mission, would it?"

Anger flashed in Mei's eyes and she gripped her arm tightly. " What did you say?"

"She's probably just mad with jealousy at the thought that he's holed up in some brothel to escape her irritating mood swings." Meizu chuckled again. "Everyone's known for a while that those two are fu–"

Mei gripped his throat tightly and, in a single fluid motion, slammed him against the wall with a threatening heat forming in her throat. She smiled slightly as she held him in place and leaned in closely to whisper. "Shut up or I'll kill you."

“Now, now, let’s not fight amongst ourselves.” A dark-haired man approached with a smile and he looked at Mei. “We’re all a bit on-edge lately since some Kiri-nin have been mysteriously disappearing on missions and the Swordsman Kisame has defected, but we shouldn’t let that go to our heads.”

“Shove it, Gengo.” Mei shot him a glare, then loosened her grip on Meizu and crossed her arms. “I noticed you were uncharacteristically quiet today. Don’t you have anything to report?”

Gengo laughed and then smiled, putting a hand on his hip. “No, nothing much to speak of.” He waved and spoke to several ninja as they left until the building was primarily empty, then he turned to Mei. “Although, I did hear some interesting talk.”

“Interesting how?” Mei frowned. While everyone else found Gengo to be utterly charismatic, she mostly thought he was annoying, always putting on a show when speaking. While he had gotten them more allies, Mei could not fully trust him. 

Gengo took a step closer to her so that she felt his breath on her face as he whispered. “That there may be a traitor in our ranks.”

Mei’s eyes widened slightly and she raised her brow. “Oh? What makes you think that?”

“Well, it’s only logical to assume there might be at least one mole.” Gengo lowered his voice. “Considering our numbers, after all.”

“Numbers that you brought in.” Mei muttered. “Are you saying that you’re bad at vetting new members?”

“Not all all. I have complete faith in each and every one of the recruits I have introduced.” Gengo flashed a smile, then his expression shifted. “However, I can’t say that I have the same faith in the others. I only know for certain those that I approached and evaluated myself.”

“Are you suggesting that Zabuza himself was foolish enough to bring in a mole?”

“Not at all.” Gengo replied in a silky, soft tone. “All I’m saying is that… perhaps one slipped through on their own.”

“And how would they do that, when we’re so careful?” Mei drummed her fingers again. “You don’t have proof to back that idea up, anyway.”

“Unfortunately, I have no proof at this time. However, considering the fact that, despite the Mizukage’s orders and that Kiri’s role in the Hokage’s downfall is top-secret, some rumors have spread… it makes you wonder just who is spreading that information.” He smirked slightly and shrugged. “I can do my best to find evidence, but I believe it’s unwise to not assume that there might be a pesky rat hiding in plain sight. Perhaps,” His eyes narrowed slightly. “It’s someone that no one realizes is uninvited. Perhaps we all have assumed that he was brought into the fold by someone trustworthy.”

“We’re not that negligent.” Mei retorted.

“It’s just something to keep in mind.” Gengo bowed his head slightly. “Give our leader my regards when he returns.”

“Shove it.” Mei muttered again and turned away from him, waiting for him to leave to let out a small sigh.

“There’s a traitor, huh?” Meizu narrowed his eyes. “I can think of more than a few faces I don’t trust that have been in attendance. I can easily make them talk.”

“We can’t act rashly.” Gozu looked at him. “We don’t have any leads.”

“We don’t have any evidence of any information about our activities leaking, either.” Mei frowned, crossed her arms, and looked between the brothers. As much as she didn’t like to admit it, they were two of the most loyal allies. She didn’t trust them entirely, but she trusted them enough to matter.

“What do we do about our rat problem?” Gozu asked.

“There isn’t much we can do until Zabuza’s back. We’ll figure out how to weed them out though. We can’t make any mistakes.” Mei tapped her thumb to her lip as she thought. “We’ve been so careful for so long. I can’t imagine we’d slip up now.” She looked at them. “More importantly, we can’t afford to slip up. All of our necks are on the line and we still have our goal.”

"We'll poke around indiscreetly and see what we can dig up." Goku glanced at his brother. "If there's a rat, we'll find out."

"Just don't screw up and alert whoever it is unintentionally." Mei waved her hand. She trusted them enough for this task, but her mind was a vat of bubbling tension and unease, nearly ready to blow like a volcano. 

The twins left the building and soon she was alone. Rather than head back to her parents' home to check on them again, or check the island home one more time for Zabuza's return, she pored over the information that had been given to her by their allies and Gengo's warning repeated in her mind. Who could possibly be a spy? They had been so diligent in their screening of new recruits, never bringing anyone into the fold that they weren't absolutely certain of their loyalty. And yet… Mei couldn't help but wonder. As irritating as she found Gengo, he was right about many things and had good intuition. She supposed it couldn't hurt to look into things, but she would have preferred to get Zabuza's opinion on the matter first, as leader of their rebellion. 

That was the source of her anxiety, she knew: Shizu's first mission. They were supposed to have returned a full seven days before but had not. There was no word from them at all, and, moreover, rumors had reached Kiri already that Konoha-nin had been found dead just outside of the village. Mei sat on a smooth chunk of rubble of the ideal size and shape for a seat and rubbed her temples. 

She had no doubt in her mind that Zabuza loved the boy as his own son, however, stunted his communication was when it came to emotions, and Shizu would be safe by Zabuza's side. She knew that for certain, but still worry ate away at her. She'd hardly slept well the entire time they had been gone to begin with, but she had had even more trouble falling asleep knowing that they were late. From her own experience, Mei knew that being late to report could only mean trouble. Either the mission failed and you were killed, or you were taken prisoner. Those thoughts did nothing to comfort her, so she tried to push them out of her mind. 

Mei became aware in an instant of the faint footsteps that approached and for a brief moment, her heart skipped in hope. The face that emerged in the doorway was not one she was ever keen to see, but especially not now.

"I'm either very early for the meeting, or I've missed it entirely." 

Shifukai Migenei; A member of Kiri's Anbu and a candidate Swordsman, the same as Zabuza. A tall man that looked impossibly thin with most of his bones visible. Many rumors circulated about him– one speculating that he was distantly related to the Kaguya clan, another claiming that he had been raised in a cult before coming to Kirigakure. No matter what the rumors claimed, Mei just didn't like or trust him, even if Zabuza had been the one to recruit him. 

"It's over." Mei stood quickly and focused on him. 

"Pity." His voice was as soft and as elusive as the mists themselves, but he didn't need to speak in more than a whisper to be intimidating. 

"Do you have anything to report?" Mei raised her brow.

Shifukai looked around the empty building and his eyes fell on Mei. "I've been busy trying to make order of the chaos in the wake of Kisame's betrayal. The Mizukage isn't pleased."

Mei's gaze fell to a small lizard that scurried out of a shadowed crack in the opposite wall before it ate a much smaller lizard and hid again. Shifukai watched her carefully, then his lips twitched in a smirk. 

"Zabuza seems to be treating his mission as a retreat, wouldn't you agree?"

"No. Zabuza isn't like that." Mei furrowed her brows and turned to him. "He isn't like some other shinobi who are lazy scum."

"Why, you wouldn't be implying me at all, would you?"

"Of course not." Mei muttered. 

"Still, I was very surprised to hear that he had taken on an apprentice . The great Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist, suddenly taking on a partner… what an unexpected turn of events."

Mei's head whipped toward him. "Excuse me? " Rage flashed in her eyes and shuddered as she tried to control it. " You 're the one that spread that rumor, then."

"Me?" Shifukai held up one hand. "Do I seem the type to gossip?" A faint smirk twitched on his lips as he touched his chest with his fingertips and tilted his head. "I am not the only other member of Kiri's Anbu, Lava Princess. If I easily overheard Zabuza's request to bring along an apprentice to his captain, then surely others must have as well."

"You were eavesdropping." Mei's hand clenched into a fist. She was having trouble keeping her voice even as the topic– the mere idea of others knowing of Shizu's existence– especially when she was already worried. "What exactly did you hear?"

"Nothing interesting in particular." Shifukai's last syllable hissed like the last ember of a snuffed flame. "He said nothing specific about this 'apprentice', only that he had found someone that might make a good candidate. Then, something about wanting to use this mission as an opportunity to test their skills. Still, very Zabuza, it was very peculiar…" His looked at Mei. "You seem to have a clear idea of who this mysterious apprentice is, however."

"It doesn’t matter who it is. Don't talk about things you're only half-aware of. Any information leaking out will cause problems in our plans."

"Oh dear. I do hope you don't melt me. I was only curious, of course." Shifukai bowed his head slightly and chuckled. "I won't breathe another word of it." He raised his gaze and wicked amusement flickered in his eyes. "If you'll allow me, I do have just one more question?"

Mei had no interest in answering any more of his questions, however, she would have done almost anything to get out of the presence of a man she regarded as a living skeleton. She narrowed her eyes. "Make it quick; I have important things that need doing."

"I heard a rumor at the last meeting that Zabuza had stolen a valuable weapon from Konoha and was preparing to use it against our enemies. Surely after this long, the preparations should be complete. Why not strike now?"

"Where did you hear that?" Mei gritted her teeth and quickly ran through the list in her head of names. There weren't many that Zabuza had used that lie to, so that narrowed it down, but the lingering question was who from that list was so loose-lipped? She only had a few ideas. "Nevermind." She crossed her arms and stared at him intensely. "Forget what you heard. Zabuza abandoned that plan long ago."

"Oh?" His brow cocked.

"It isn't possible for us to use it." Mei, at times, was a very convincing liar. This was one such time where a fabrication rolled easily off her tongue. "He didn't know it at the time, but he had only stolen a portion of the weapon. The other half is still there, which means he can't complete it. It's frustrating, but it isn't hard to understand."

"I see." Shifukai trailed off in thought briefly, tapping his thin fingers on his chin. "At least we know that Konoha isn't able to use it, either."

"If that's everything, I'll be going now." Mei moved past him and tried to ignore how her mind instincts prickled and protested at having her back to him. "Next time, be on time for the meetings. It isn't my job to wait around to update anyone who was a no-show."

"Of course. My deepest apologies." Shifukai bowed his head again, and Mei quickly flickered away 

For the rest of the afternoon, Mei was distracted. She did her necessary objectives– meeting with two of her personal informants, replacing any lost weaponry and having others sharpened, and training– unable to think of anything besides Zabuza and Shizu's whereabouts and her conversations with the twins and that man. The visit to her parents was kept brief, much to her dismay at her own mood, but she accomplished as much as she needed to there.

Her mother and father were in good health, no one had come around to vandalize or rob their home lately for having Kekkei Genkai, they had enough to eat, and they were pleased to see her. She dodged as many questions of theirs as she could, as she'd never told them about living with Zabuza or being a mother to Shizuhiko for their own safety, if ever questioned, but she felt terrible for deceiving her parents. Finally, after the fifth attempt to say goodbye and leave, she was successful, and she made the trip back to the lonely little island where she would have to eat dinner alone and sleep alone, with her worries as her only company.

When she reached the island's shore, an uneasiness shuddered through her and she stood only briefly with her arms hugged close and looked at the home barely visible in the mist. No lights were on as she expected, but she let out a sigh, tried the uneasy feeling, and stepped inside. 

The first thing she noticed were the sandals– one large pair and one small– and her heart skipped a beat. As she opened her mouth to call out for Zabuza and Shizu, ecstatic that they had returned, she then noticed the trail of blood leading from the entry down the hall. Feeling chilled again, Mei hurriedly set down everything she was holding and followed the trail. Her heart pounded in her ears and her hand hesitantly hovered in front of the cracked door. Her fingers brushed against the door, pushing it openly slightly, and thenn she stepped through the rest of the way.

"Zabuza!!" Mei covered her mouth in exclamation and looked him over. He sat in the center of the room trying to stitch up a wound that had obviously been reopened. She could tell by the condition of the old bandages lying on the ground around him and the wound itself. She knelt by him and gingerly touched his shoulder. "What happened?!"

"Nice to see you, too." Zabuza grunted a sarcastic greeting. His words were muffled by the thread he held in his teeth– carefully to not bite down and cut through it– and supressed another grunt as he stuck the needle through his flesh again to make another stitch.

"Give that here. We both know your stitching is atrocious." Mei muttered and took the needle from him. She made him lie on his back as she worked, and her brow was furrowed deeply. "How did this happen?! Why were you gone so long? Where is Shizu?!"

"Ambushed by damned cultists. It's a long story. In his room." Zabuza answered all three questions curtly. He clenched his jaw at the pain as she tugged the thread to pull the wound closed, then she tied off the ends and began to clean up the blood.

"Ambushed?! Cultists?!" Mei's eyes widened and she nearly dropped the blood-soaked cloth in her hands. "Zabuza, this was an escort mission to Konoha. What happened?"

"Cultists were in the Land of Hot Water." Zabuza grumbled. He had planned on telling her everything, but now that he was here with her again, he didn't know just how to explain the events of the past weeks.

"Why were you in the Land of Hot Water?" Mei retrieved a clean rag and started to clean the remaining mess as best she could. Her brow raised. "You weren't taking a vacation, were you?"

"Of course not." Zabuza sat upright despite Mei's stern look. "It'll take a long time to explain."

"Then you'd better get started." Mei crossed her arms, then started to stand. "Actually, hold that thought. I'm deprived of Shizu hugs."

"No." Zabuza grabbed her wrist to keep her there, his gaze down. "Leave him be."

Mei froze at his tone, at his expression, and she tugged against his grip. "I need to see him.'

"No." Zabuza looked at her. "He needs to be alone right now."

"Let go." Mei pulled her hand away and stormed out of the room. She came to the boy's door, knocked gently, nd then opened it after there was no response. "Shizu, it's mom."

But her heart sunk in her chest at the boy. His bright, pure eyes were clouded with a haunted look she had seen too many times. He lay curled up on his futon, his beloved Niney forgotten in the corner of the room, as he stared at the empty space at the wall without blinking.

"I told you." Zabuza muttered softly, now behind her. He reached in front of her, pulling the knob until the door shut and he met her eyes. "He needs time.”

"Who did this to my baby?" Mei whispered in a trembling voice. 

Zabuza motioned for him to follow him back to the room without a word and Mei cast a long look at Shizu's door before she left. There was a moment of silence when they were alone, Mei sitting anxiously and impatiently as Zabuza gathered his thoughts, and then he started to speak.

Zabuza told her everything: Of Shizuhiko’s excitement at each new port, how he’d tried to make friends with any shopkeeper they encountered, how diligently he’d trained and studied, how he stared at Uzushio on the horizon, and how often he would sigh and say that he missed Mei. He told her the smallest of details, of how the boy’s eyes had lit up at the sight of the cloud-free sky, how he’d marvelled at the glimmering sea, and even how his sunburns had healed almost instantly with the mysterious power of the demon fox.

Mei listened intently. Her expression of worry shifted to a smile as she listened, happy to hear about the many firsts Shizu had experienced and her heart swelled with pride as Zabuza recalled how obedient the boy had been and how well he had acted as a young shinobi. Her smile faded when Zabuza’s tone shifted. 

Mei’s lips quivered as he spoke of the Konoha-nin and of their slaughter to save the frightened boy. Her breath caught in her throat as Zabuza explained how they were hunted, how he’d drained his chakra to his limit to try to create false trails with his clones, and how they’d eventually disguised themselves and hidden in the Land of Hot Water. She was silent when he spoke of Shizu’s onset of muteness, of the tension of moving around to avoid recognition or drawing suspicion, of the ambush by the rabid cultists looking for anyone they could sacrifice to their ‘god’, and finally, just when Zabuza had thought they were safe, the pack of persistent Ninken that had caught up to them. Zabuza scowled and frowned at the stitched wound where the beasts had bitten and torn his flesh, then, once he had finished speaking, looked at Mei. He watched her expression and the emotions in her eyes until she clenched her hands on her lap.

“I shouldn’t have let him go.” She murmured.

“It was my fault.”

Mei shut her eyes, then slammed her fist on the table, “You’re damn right it is! What the hell were you thinking, Zabuza?! What could possibly have been so important that you would leave him alone and unprotected?!”

He said nothing, only furrowing his brows. There was nothing he could say, nothing at all, to undo what had already been done, to quell Mei’s anger, or to heal the pain in the child’s heart. He was all too aware of the consequences of his actions and the pain of his wound could not compare to the impact this would have on the boy. There was nothing he could say, and so he remained quiet.

“Dammit, Zabuza!” Mei hit the table again, her fists trembling, and she glared at him. “Say something!”

He said nothing. It was best to let her erupt and wait for her to cool off before he could even try to speak again.

"Answer me! What was so important that you left him alone?!"

Zabuza said nothing still but his eyes betrayed his thoughts. They darted to his pack against the wall, and Mei snatched it up with a scowl. She cursed again as she rifled through and found a drawstring bag. She held it in her hands as if weighing it and then shot him a look.

"This?! This was more important than keeping him safe?!"

Zabuza kept his gaze down and Mei opened the bag and, once she realized its contents, slowly sat again. She poured the items out in front of her, holding the various postcards, generic souvenirs, bags of local candies, and even a small package of balloons printed with the village symbol to look them over. Her heart sank and her eyes prickled as she looked at each thing. Then, she slowly looked back at Zabuza.

"You risked your life to disguise yourself and walk right into Konoha to buy gifts for Shizu..." Mei's words were hardly a whisper and they caught in her throat. All of the rage she felt before was gone and replaced with a deep sadness. Zabuza had been only trying to be a good father, to spoil Shizu while keeping him at what he believed to be a safe distance from possible detection by Konoha's forces. A lump formed in Mei's throat and her fingertips brushed against the postcard depicting the Hokage monument, something she knew that Shizu had certainly wanted to see in person. Zabuza's hand clenched in his lap and she reached out to place her hand over his.

"Zabuza, you didn't know." She murmured. She knew him to well to not understand his expression and how his anger was directed at no one but himself. At her touch, his hand twitched and his brows furrowed deeply. Mei swallowed and for a moment, felt afraid to get any closer as if he were cracked glass that could shatter at the slightest touch. She drew in a breath and pulled him close anyway, her arms tightly around him as she did. "You had no way of knowing. It's not your fault."

Mei Terumi had seen Zabuza cry exactly once in his life. Standing beside him, looking down into the dry tidal pool that he had filled in over his mother's body– the most luxurious burial he could have given her– Mei had seen him cry then. But, it was different now. They were no longer children, and, rather than masking the pain with anger and bitterness, he only slid his arms around her in return and buried his face in her shoulder. Her hair draped over his head as a curtain, hiding the twisted expression as he clutched onto her clothes gently to draw her nearer. She could not see his face, but she did not need to, nor did she want to look. She only closed her own eyes and held him– held her friend, her lover, the Demon as he silently shook. He had finally opened his heart and he had seen it all flash before his eyes. 

There were many things that Mei wanted to discuss with him but nothing was more important in that moment than what she was already doing.

Miharu sat beside her mother with a heavy sigh and leaned against the woman's comforting frame. Sakinami looked at her as she worked on mending a pair of torn pants, looking at her youngest daughter's expression. She had a feeling she knew what was the matter, but she still asked.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Shizu won't draw with me. Again." Miharu mumbled and hugged her notebook close. She puffed her cheeks and stomped one of her small feet on the ground. "It's not fair! Shizu hasn't played with me at all since he went with his scary dad to do ninja stuff…"

Sakinami paused, setting the needlework carefully in her lap, and tucked a piece of her daughter's hair behind her ear. She forced herself to maintain her small smile, but her heart ached as she thought of how the boy had changed.

"Mi, Shizu is just having a hard time. He'll get better, but we can help by just being here."

"But it's been forever ." Miharu sighed. "When is he going to be better?"

Sakinami bit her lip. She did not have the answer to that question, though she wished that she did. Well, she thought, she'd rather not have to answer that question in the first place, because she would have preferred the child to never take part in shinobi work, but it was out of her hands. Still, after five weeks of his return, Shizu was just as withdrawn and monosyllabic. He still completed his lessons, of course, but he had stopped playing pranks, making jokes, or trying to whisper and have conversations. He'd stopped asking questions, too, which only made her heart ache more. He had always been such a curious child, but now he hardly spoke at all and didn't seem interested at all in the outside world– or with socializing with the peers he had grown up with. Sakinami sighed the same as her daughter, then stroked Miharu's hair.

"He'll come around. I know he will."

"What if he's like this forever?" The little girl asked, blinking up at her mother.

Sakinami knew the possibilities. She knew it wouldn't be uncommon if the boy never returned to the way he was before. She had never been told what had happened on that mission– she hadn't had the heart to ask Shizu, and Zabuza had absolutely refused to speak of it– but she knew that he had hurt in some way and had witnessed something terrible. She was quite familiar with that particular look in one's eyes after all of the compounded tragedies that had befallen their community. Despite all that, he still had hope that, one day, their little Shizu would smile and play again normally.

"Where is he now?" Sakinami asked with a soft, reassuring kiss planted on her daughter's head. 

"On the dock." Miharu looked down and whispered.

Sakinami looked in the direction of the dock, though she couldn't see it from where she was. She had expected him to be there, as he'd taken to spending most of his free time simply waiting quietly for Zabuza to return. Something curious had happened on that mission, Sakinami knew. Something that had scarred the poor boy, and yet, something good had come of it as well. Each time Zabuza picked up or dropped off the child, he called him by his name. Ordinarily, that wasn't something important, but Sakinami had never before heard Zabuza call the child's name. Even more startling, Zabuza no longer made the child wear the mask when coming or going, and, rather than have him cling to Zabuza's back as they traveled over the water, Zabuza held him in his arms. Sakinami couldn't explain it, but Zabuza seemed to have become far kinder and more openly loving to the boy. That was a relief for her. She had spent many nights having difficulty sleeping wondering if Zabuza mistreated Shizu at home, but she was now confident that he was well loved. The only thing that worried her now was how Zabuza's insistence to take him on a mission had hurt the boy so much. 

She had half a mind to simply demand that Zabuza tell her precisely what happened– she was just as much a part of Shizu's life as a parent, and thus had a right to know why he had changed so she could do her best to help him– but also, she thought it wasn't her place at all. After all, Zabuza was his father and, though she knew nothing about the woman, Shizu had a mother. She could only assume that his mother was a shinobi the same as Zabuza, and she would be better to help Shizu through this, but it still hurt to feel in the dark. All she wanted was to comfort him. 

Sakinami picked up her sewing to finish the mending. When she had finished, she patted her daughter's head and held out the newly repaired pants. 

"Would you mind putting these in the wash pile? I'll go fetch Shizu."

"Okay…" Miharu sighed again, looking up hesitantly from her half-drawn page before she took the pants and headed inside to do as she was asked.

Sakinami walked slowly up the stairs to the dock where quietness hung in the air. It was the time of year where thick mists rolled in every day around this time, so thick that you couldn't see sunlight or your own hand in front of your face. Ordinarily, the adults would be busy fishing or gathering food at this time, but it was unsafe to be outside when the mist was so thick. 

She saw the boy sitting on the edge of the old dock exactly as she had expected. He stared out into the distance, though he couldn't see anything with the wall of fog, and she drew in a small breath before she sat down beside him.

"I was wondering what I should make for dinner and thought you might want to help me decide." She managed a small smile at Shizu. He didn't look at her or reply. Sakinami nudged him gently with her arm. "I think we have everything to make your favorite kelp noodles."

"No thanks." Shizu mumbled finally. His unblinking blue eyes finally blinked and he looked down at his hands folded in his lap.

"Oh, silly me. You're much too grown-up for kelp noodles." Sakinami pretended to laugh softly. "What about Kaki fry? We got a big haul of oysters this morning."

"No thanks." Shizu repeated again. He kicked his legs for a moment in silence, then whispered. "Buri Daikon."

"Oh?" Sakinami blinked. "You've never liked it before. Why do you want that?"

Shizuhiko didn't answer, but Sakinami could read his expression easily. She smiled softly and ran her fingers through his hair. 

"Because it's Miharu's favorite, right?" Sakinami slid her arm around him for a gentle embrace. "You're so sweet, Shizu."

"I didn't want to draw." He murmured.

"I know. She wasn't upset with you." Sakinami stroked his hair and he gradually leaned into her. He was speaking much more than he had in weeks, but she wasn't going to point it out. "Her dolphins were looking quite nice the last I saw."

The boy's eyes turned to her briefly, then he looked down. "I saw dolphins."

"You did?" Sakinami paused, almost asking if he had meant that he had spotted some just before she joined him, but then she realized he was speaking of the mission with Zabuza. "I'm envious of you. I've only seen them in pictures." She paused. "Maybe you can look at Miharu's drawing later and help her a bit."

"I guess…" He mumbled.

"Let's head inside, alright? The mist is going to be very thick soon."

Shizu looked up and out to the misty sea. He didn’t say anything at all, and Sakinami’s smile faded slightly. She was glad that he loved his father, but it was disheartening that nothing could make him happy anymore. Just as she was about to touch his shoulder and ask him to come indoors again, he stood and she saw the faintest glimmer of happiness in his eyes. Zabuza had returned.

But, for as happy as the boy seemed when he sensed his father drawing nearer, Sakinami couldn’t explain why he cast his gaze downward and looked so sad. Or, perhaps not sad, she thought, but rather guilty. He was quiet and respectful when Zabuza came into view and when he greet the child in a low tone. Shizu nodded when he was asked if he had behaved, and all Sakinami could do was stand there quietly to the side and observe the child.

Zabuza waved his hand and Shizu knew exactly what he meant. The boy hurried inside to say quiet goodbyes and gather whatever things he had brought with him, and Zabuza turned to Sakinami. He had become more conversational since their return, even if only slightly. He asked if the boy was eating properly and how he’d been interacting with the other children. When Sakinami answered truthfully about how he continued to keep to himself, Zabuza’s brows furrowed and he frowned deeply with a familiar ‘hm.’ 

Shizuhiko returned far more quickly than he usually did, and Sakinami wondered if he had even said goodbye at all. Judging by the sorrowful look in his eyes, he had not. She smiled anyway and tried to cheerfully send him off, but he wouldn't smile. She would have liked to stand there for as long as she could to watch the pair leave– after Zabuza scooped him up tenderly in his arms– but the thick fog was rapidly approaching. She hurried inside, only narrowly missing it as she shut the Burrow's door and the wall of mist washed over the island, but her heart lingered in the dock where she longed to be. She wasn't worried about the 'Demon' finding his way home in the current conditions, as he was a shinobi, but pretending that she was made a brief distraction from her worrying about whatever pain Shizu was holding inside.

Zabuza traveled through the thick mist with ease– as any 'Demon' who was a master of the silent killing technique should– and arrived at their small island. The home was dark and silent, and, for just a moment, Zabuza tensed and listened for any intruder before he relaxed. He examined the dried flowers in the arrangement on the table and counted. Six unopened buds indicated that Mei would be gone for around six days, while a thorny bloom meant the mission was a dangerous one. Zabuza 'hm'd at the information, moved the flowers aside, and started to settle in. 

Despite having it explained to him before, Shizu asked what the message had meant. Zabuza, though he typically despised repeating himself, explained it again for him– Leaving a note with the information was a risk in the event anyone ever found their island. It would tell the intruder the names of those who lived there and how long they would be gone, which would be the ideal information to set up an ambush. That was the reason that Mei had initially come up with the plan to communicate through the dried flower arrangements, as no one but those who lived in the home knew it was a code at all and therefore, the information was safe. 

Shizu nodded to himself at the answer and then turned to walk to his room. Zabuza frowned slightly. He knew already that Shizu was going to hole himself up in his room the same way he had since their return. Zabuza knew from his expression that the boy had lost any interest in being a shinobi and he knew that Shizu had stopped his daily training as well. In addition to eating only a fraction of what he usually did, the strength and tone of his frame had softened. Mei had tried to give him plenty of space, and she tried to counsel him about it or offer rewards if he ate more or confided in her, but little had changed. Zabuza couldn't take it anymore.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zabuza gripped Shizu's shoulder before he had walked more than a few steps away.

"My room…" Shizu mumbled quietly.

"No." Zabuza turned the boy to face him, then crossed his arms. "Get your sword and run through your forms until I say that you can stop."

A flicker of fear– of remembrance– in the boy's eyes and he averted his gaze. "But… dinner…"

Zabuza knew that he hadn't wanted to hold a weapon or train because it reminded him of being targeted or the bloodshed he had witnessed. Zabuza knew the boy's hesitation, but he didn't care. Or, rather, he didn't care to sit back and allow the child to do nothing any longer.

"You'll be fed when I'm satisfied you can run through the forms without a single mistake."

The child stared up at him with many emotions in his eyes– nearly tearing up– and then his expression numbed and he looked down. "Yes, dad."

Zabuza watched as Shizu retrieved his now-dusty practice weapon, dusted it off, and started his forms. He moves through them slowly, making many mistakes, and froze halfway through once Zabuza lifted his hand to stop him. The child said nothing and waited to be scolded. Zabuza approached him, frowning and furrowing his brows as he looked over the boy's stance and grip on the weapon. Shizu's hands trembled and Zabuza saw a vulnerability in his eyes that he despised acknowledging was familiar. The child's subtle trembling became visible shaking as Zabuza continued to say nothing until the sweat of his palms made the wooden sword slip from his grip.

Shizu cried out softly under his breath as it hit the floor and, with it, his eyes welled with tears. 

"Well?" Zabuza raised his brow slightly.

Shizu clenched his eyes tightly. He had never been struck by either guardian, except by mistake during training, but still the child flinched and shrank. His eyes burned from the tears he tried to hold back, but his legs felt unsteady and his head was full of thoughts and emotions. Did Zabuza hate him now that he had proven he was weak? Was he disappointed? That would be worse than hatred, Shizu believed. His lip quivered and he reached down to retrieve the weapon so he could begin again. If he could prove that he wouldn't make any more mistakes or show that he wasn't just a weakling or a liability, then maybe Zabuza wouldn't be disappointed. Maybe, just maybe, Zabuza would love him. 

Shizu's fingertips brushed against the sword but his jelly legs gave out. He fell to the floor as his eyes could no longer hold back the tears. Flashes of his nightmares made him clench his head, and his stomach twisted into knots the more he thought of how he had failed Zabuza as a young shinobi and a son. He flinched again as Zabuza knelt in front of him and he opened his mouth to cry out an apology, only for Zabuza to wrap his arms around him in a firm embrace. The warmth was comforting and Shizu clutched Zabuza tightly. He cried harder and Zabuza could only watch as the boy held onto him and wept.

It was the first time that the child had cried since their return, Zabuza knew. The boy had been keeping everything inside and had tried to bury every thought or memory of that day. He had given him time and space– things that no ordinary shinobi would have the privilege of– but it had become too… unbearable. Zabuza refused to put it into words, but watching the child's declining emotional state was irritating. At the very start he almost believed that the burning anger was directed at the boy, but he quickly realized that it was himself that he despised. Bitterness. Anger. Frustration. He felt them all, including other emotions he wouldn't speak aloud– panic, shame, and fear. He pulled the child in closer, unable to help but remember how small he had been as a newborn and, despite how much he had grown, how small he still felt in his arms.

Zabuza let him cry until he couldn't cry anymore. His tears stopped and his wails softened to tiny sniffs and whimpers. Though the boy's small body had lost its tension and anxiety, he still held on tightly to Zabuza. Shizu sniffed and rubbed his eyes, looking up at Zabuza with his blue eyes even bluer from how his face was red.

"I-I'm s-sorry, d-dad. Y-You t-told me t-to… I-I…"

"You're not the one at fault." Zabuza frowned slightly at the child's guilt-filled eyes. "It was a mistake to leave you alone."

"B-Because I'm weak…" Shizu gulped and looked downward. 

Zabuza clenched his jaw, not knowing what to say– though he could clearly feel the intent he wanted. But, as Mei often said, he wasn't good with words, especially not when it came to comforting words. Instead, Zabuza stood quickly and left the room. Shizu blinked in confusion and sadness, wondering if he had done something wrong again to anger or disappoint Zabuza, but then Zabuza returned with a bag in his hand.

"This is why I left you alone."

Shizu blinked again at the bag that Zabuza held out, then he wiped his eyes and hesitantly reached out for it. It was heavier than he expected, but he opened it and peered inside. His eyes widened. 

“Is this… for me?”

Zabuza did not respond or not, but the boy knew his answer. Shizu stuck his hand into the bag and took out one postcard. He stared at its image long and hard as if memorizing the features of the fourth carved face and then turned his gaze back to Zabuza. Without words he was asking if that face really belonged to his biological father– the Fourth Hokage and legendary Yellow Flash– and his eyes prickled when Zabuza nodded ever-so-slightly. He was young, and he had limited experience with things such as shopping, but he could tell that these things could have only come from inside Konoha itself. If that was true, he realized, then Zabuza had left him alone to buy these for him as gifts. He nearly spoke out in protest at how he had wanted to go too, despite all of his indignant statements of the contrary, but he trusted Zabuza. If Zabuza had really left him alone while he did something so risky, then Zabuza must have trusted him, too. Shizu sniffed again, held the bag of gifts close, and met Zabuza’s gaze. 

“...Are you mad at me?”

"No.”

“Are you disappointed ?”

“No.”

As much as Shizu tried not to cry again, his vision blurred from tears. “Do you hate me?”

Zabuza frowned. He knelt before the child and prodded his chest with his finger. “You idiot.”

Shizu looked deep into his guardian’s eyes and his lip quivered. Zabuza had never spoken so softly before, and though he hadn’t said it aloud, Shizu finally could see what Mei had meant in his eyes. He threw his arms around Zabuza’s neck to cry again, though this time it was in relief. He finally knew that he was loved.

Chapter Text

Zabuza crouched from his hiding place in the thick foliage of an evergreen and looked down at the building below. He glanced at Shizuhiko from the corner of his eye with an even expression, noticing how nervous the child was, despite sitting obediently still. Zabuza knew, of course, why he was so nervous– it was his first mission since the bloodbath in the Land of Fire and the chase in the Land of Hot Water. But, Zabuza knew that the only way for the boy to drop his anxieties and gain confidence on missions was to simply do more of them.

Mei had complained a great deal when Zabuza had first announced that Shizu would be accompanying him again. And, Shizuhiko himself also complained before he fell silent in worry. Despite Mei's protests, arguments, and concern, Zabuza had ignored it all. He knew Mei must have agreed with his reasoning, even in part, since she hadn't tried to actually fight him about it, but he knew that Mei was still rather incensed. The thought of her expression as she smacked her fists against his chest made him almost chuckle behind his mask.

Mei would get over it, he knew. In fact, it was very likely that Mei had already calmed down as soon as they had departed. What was on his mind at the moment was how well Shizu was handling things. The travel wasn't a problem– except for a few moments when the child saw something that reminded him of that – but he otherwise was fine. However, Zabuza thought, Shizu probably wasn't going to like this next part.

"Tell me what I told you about the target." 

Shizu jumped slightly at Zabuza's command, then he slowly nodded behind the mask. 

"H-He works for the Daimyo."

"And?"

"And…" Shizu paused in thought. "He did bad things?"

Zabuza let out a breath and gently tapped his fist on the boy's head. "Pay better attention." He looked down at the building. "He's been secretly diverting funds to himself, but, more importantly, he's agreed to meet with someone to sell classified documents."

"Bad stuff…" Shizu mumbled to himself.

"He's a traitor to Kirigakure who only cares about money." Zabuza frowned. "Moreover, he's a lecher who has a history of harming prostitutes for entertainment."

"What does–?"

"I'm not explaining what those words mean." Zabuza sharply interrupted. He paused, then pointed to one of the buildings' windows. "According to the intel, he isn't supposed to meet the buyer of the documents until morning. So, for tonight, he's going to be entertaining. "

"Does he have to die? " Shizu whispered, and Zabuza could see how the child gripped a branch tightly. "What about jail, 'ttebayo?"

"Our mission isn't to arrest him. Our mission is to eliminate him and recover the documents."

Shizu quieted and Zabuza turned his gaze on him. 

"The target isn't a shinobi so he won't put up a fight, however, eliminating him and only him will be more difficult since that inn has a number of other guests. Guests who aren't on our list."

"Is it too hard for you?"  

"Of course not." Zabuza chuckled. "But I'm not the one who is going to be making the kill."

Shizu's eyes widened and Zabuza grabbed onto him tightly as the child nearly slipped off of the branch.

"M-Me?"

"Yes, you." Zabuza leaned closer. "Not only is he our target that we are required to kill, but he's a traitor. Countless lives could be lost if the documents he has gets into the wrong hands. Do you want people to die because you were too afraid and you let him live?"

Shizu shook his head quickly but he gulped. "B-But… I… don't wanna kill him, 'ttebayo."

"We have an opportune window. He'll be ordering room service soon and he'll probably rest before his company arrives. While he's sleeping, you make the kill. It's very simple."

"But I don't want to kill someone."

"Listen." Zabuza furrowed his brow. "If him being a traitor isn't enough, then understand this– that man enjoys tormenting others. His previous companions were left permanently scarred. He's the lowest sort of scum in the world and deserves to die. If you kill him, you'll be protecting Kirigakure's secrets and prevent him from creating another disfigured victim."

"But…" Shizu gulped again. "What if I mess up?"

"You won't."

"But what if I do?"

"The more you worry about not being enough, the more likely you are to fail." Zabuza poked the boy's masked forehead. "Remember that."

"I don't want to kill anyone." Shizu mumured nearly inaudibly. 

Zabuza could read the child easily– as he should be able to, after raising him– and he knew that Shizu was kind. He didn't like the idea of even killing fish for meals, and, when present during meal preparation, he would look away to avoid seeing the guts and blood. Shizu was also rightly fearful; if he made a mistake or was caught in the act, he would be targeted and chased again. He had already experienced what it was like to be on the run and he didn't want to experience that again.

Zabuza knew that the child admired both he and Mei, and he wanted to be a strong shinobi, but he wasn't so ignorant for his age of the consequences of killing. After all, he understood that Mei had been forced to kill, and he was close to the relatives of those victims as if they were his own blood. He had seen with his own eyes the sadness that those left behind from tragedies carry with them. And, for all his admiration of Zabuza, the child was wary of his title of 'Demon' and how he had attained it. Zabuza knew that the boy was unsettled by his father-figure's infamy and past and the treatment that came along with it. He didn't want that for himself, but, also, Zabuza knew the child's foremost fear was 'what if I like killing and become a bad guy'?

Shizu's hesitance to take a life was something that Zabuza and Mei were relieved by. It meant that they never had to worry about Shizu acting rashly and killing anyone by mistake or through collateral damage. However, too much hesitation would put him in danger. Too much hesitation would create fatal slip-ups, or a sloppy kill, or endangering himself. That was the reason that Zabuza had decided to force the child to join him on missions again– so that Shizuhiko would get the experience and confidence he needed. A simple kill such as this was the ideal practice.

Zabuza glanced down at the window, listening very carefully for a few minutes, and then looked at the boy. "He just ordered food and a lot of sake. Your window is about to open."

Shizu said nothing, but numbly nodded. Zabuza snapped his fingers to get the boy to blink and listen closely.

"Now, there are a few ways that you can do this." Zabuza paused. "What are the eight vulnerable spots?"

Shizu gulped and he stuttered. "T-The lungs, the spine, the heart. Um…"

"Larynx, liver, jugular, subclavian veins, and kidneys." Zabuza finished the list for him. "For a sleeping target you'll have to think of which would be best to use." He tapped the handle of Shizu's short sheathed sword. "When he's asleep, you can drive this through his heart. However, keep in mind your own size and strength and determine how realistic it is to get through the bones to reach it. If you slice his throat," He moved his finger along his neck in demonstration. "Speed, depth, and confidence are required. If you do it slowly or shallowly, he'll wake up and bleed out in agony or create a lot of noise."

Zabuza paused to be sure that Shizu was still listening, and he was, but Zabuza could see the panic in his eyes at how very real it was.

"Piercing between the ribs would be far easier for you, but it would also be messy and painful. You have to get the angle right." 

Shizu gulped and Zabuza could tell that he was imagining each method, and he didn't like it.

"Or…"

Shizu perked slightly at the word, and Zabuza took something small from his pouch to hold it up. "You could kill him with this."

"What is it?" Shizu leaned forward slightly. "Poison?"

"It's a highly-concentrated and carefully-refined toxin derived from blowfish." Zabuza rolled the small vial between his fingers. "Ordinarily, the toxins take some time to kill. We don't want that. However, this stuff is so potent that only five drops will stop his heart within thirty seconds."

Shizu shuddered slightly. "Does it hurt?"

"Wait until he's asleep to sneak in and pour it carefully into his mouth. Don't be an idiot and get any poison in your own mouth or on your skin, either." Zabuza raised his brow. He hadn't thought of it before, but he wondered if the boy's incredible healing as a Jinchuriki also applied to poisons. He didn't want to test the theory, though. "Can you do it?"

Shizu shook his head at first, thinking long and hard, and then finally reached out for the vial with a shaky hand. Zabuza could tell that the boy had realized this was the only way he could have a bloodless kill, which is why Zabuza had taken the liberty of acquiring the poison in the first place. 

"I still don't wanna kill anyone, 'ttebayo." Shizu murmured.

Zabuza almost told him to not think about it, or to only imagine the target as a lesser being, but he knew that would do more harm than good when the child was already emotional over the last deaths he had witnessed. Instead, Zabuza tapped his fist on the boy's head. 

"Focus on accomplishing each task instead. Get inside without being spotted, pour the poison in his mouth without him waking up, retrieve the documents, and get out."

"What if I mess up?" Shizu met his eyes.

"I'll be watching everything. If something goes wrong or you're in there for more than five minutes, I'll step in."

Shizu nodded and, for just a moment, he gripped Zabuza's sleeve for comfort. Then, he drew in a long breath and shakily put the vial into his pouch. "I-I'll try…"

Zabuza nodded at the boy's resolve despite his anxiety, then they waited in silence. With each passing minute Zabuza knew that Shizu grew more anxious and he subconsciously reached over to rest his hand on the child's head. Finally, Zabuza could see the target gulp down the last of the sake and move to lay down on the futon just beyond the view of the window. Zabuza glanced at Shizu, whose hands were shaking slightly.

"He'll be out cold any second now. Go."

Shizu nodded. As much as he was determined to accomplish this mission, he still didn't want to take a life himself. His body didn't want to move, so he shut his eyes tightly.

"Remember– focus on one task at a time. Get down the tree quietly, sneak in without being seen, use the poison, then get back out." Zabuza tapped the boy's head. "Don't take your gloves off when using the poison."

“I know.”

“Don't touch your face after using it, either.”

“I won’t.”

“Don’t feel guilty and give too small of a dose. His death will be too slow.”

“I know all that, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu puffed his cheek behind his mask and furrowed his blond brows. “I can do it.”

“Tch. Impertinent brat.” Zabuza smirked faintly under his own mask at the child. “Hurry up, then. He won't be sleeping forever.”

“I know, dad!” Shizu grumbled again and stood, then wobbled slightly. Zabuza steadied him before he could slip.

“Don’t be an idiot and fall to your death.”

“Dad!” 

Zabuza looked at the boy– whose face was scrunched, he could tell, from the way his eyes crinkled– and then chuckled. Shizu was eager. Not necessarily eager to end someone’s life, but eager to prove himself. To redeem himself, though there was nothing for which he needed to be redeemed, Zabuza thought. Still, he tapped the boy’s head and motioned toward the inn.

“Fine. Go.”

Shizu nodded and scrambled down the tree with every bit of the nimble skill that he had been taught. He nearly slipped a few times but he regained his balance on his own and Zabuza watched as the child nervously, but silently, disappeared in the open window. All he could do now was wait and believe in the boy’s determination and training. Subconsciously, Zabuza began counting the seconds in his mind.

Shizu entered the room trembling. He was trying to do what Zabuza had said– to try to think about each small thing he needed to do– but he didn’t know how he could stop himself from thinking about how he was going to really kill someone. He was scared– terrified, even– of it. Killing was wrong, he knew, but he also believed when his parents said that the best way to stop a bad person was for them to die. He shuddered at the thought because his young, pure heart couldn’t fathom why anyone would treat others terribly, steal, or discriminate, but he couldn’t really argue with his parents. After all, they were older than him and had done many, many missions. He supposed that they would know better than him. Even so, knowing that the man he had to kill had done a lot of terrible things, Shizu felt a hard lump form in his throat when he tiptoed toward the drunk man as he slept.

The man, besides being passed out and smelling of alcohol, didn’t seem like a bad person to Shizu. He snored somewhat loudly but he didn’t look the way that Shizu had imagined ‘bad guys’ to look. He certainly believed that the Konoha ninja who attacked him unprovoked were ‘bad guys’, though they looked like normal people. But, thinking back on it made his stomach hurt. 

Shizu supposed that he shouldn’t just stand there any longer and he hesitantly took a step closer. Then another. Until he was standing directly beside where the condemned man slept deeply on the futon, his throat burning from anxiety. It would be so much easier , he thought, if bad guys looked as terrible as the things that they did. He thought that he wouldn’t be so afraid if bad people sprouted horns, fangs, or claws, or if they turned red and looked like the Oni he had seen in books. But, bad guys didn’t look like monsters. They were just people. People who, for reasons he couldn’t understand, chose to do terrible things.

Shizu swallowed the lump in his throat and he stared down at the man. This was a person who probably had family waiting for him to come back home. A person who had people who would be sad and cry when they heard that he died. A person who had his own dream the same as he did, maybe. And Shizu held the man’s very life in his own, small hands. It was an overwhelming power and burden, and he didn’t like it. Suddenly, he wondered how Mei had felt the first time she had ever had to take someone’s life, and how Zabuza had felt. Had they hesitated the very same way? Had their hearts drummed so loudly in their ears as their hands shook? He didn’t know, but each passing moment twisted his stomach into more painful knots.

The man’s snore caught in his throat and startled Shizu at the abrupt stop and snorting cough. Shizu froze in place and stepped back as quietly as he could. The man stretched slightly and scratched at his groin briefly, and Shizu feared that he had hesitated far too long– as Zabuza had warned him about– and now the man was waking up. To his relief the man only yawned with his eyes still shut, rolled over, passed gas, and fell back into a deep sleep without noticing the small intruder at all. Shizu let out a sigh and clutched at his heart. 

Shizu gulped again and straightened where he stood. He was still very afraid, and he still really didn’t want to kill this person, but he couldn’t just stand there forever. At any moment, the man could actually wake up and Shizu was just as afraid of ending this man’s life as he was of disappointing Zabuza. Then, he thought that he might be a bad person himself for believing that his own fear of failure was more important than a person’s life. He tried to tell himself what he imagined Zabuza might say, that this man was an adult who chose to do wrong while he was a child who was a good person, but the thought didn’t comfort him. He screwed up his face and let out a small sigh. He had to do this.

Carefully and quietly Shizu shuffled closer to the man and knelt in front of him. The sound of his snoring was almost louder than the child’s racing heart and more than enough to mask the faint sound of Shizu reaching into his pouch and taking out the vial. He knew better than to see if the curious liquid had any scent or taste, but he thought how strange the poison was. He had expected something so deadly to have a terrible smell or an off-putting color, but it only looked like a milky-white syrup. He supposed that, if bad people could look like ordinary people, that poisons could look un-scary also. Shizu swallowed again and his trembling hand lowered the vial toward the man’s face until he could feel the warmth of his breath.

Shizu’s hand froze in place as the man’s snoring interrupted again, but he remained asleep. He looked between the small vial– which was only as big as his finger– and the man’s half-open mouth, saying a small apology to the man in his mind. Shizu wished that the man hadn’t chosen to do the things he had, and he wished that he didn’t need to be killed, but there was nothing he could do. Shizu tipped the vial, only intending to put in the five drops that Zabuza had said to, but accidentally spilled nearly half between his lips. He held his breath, fearing the man would feel the liquid and wake, but he didn’t. Instead, the man’s snoring stopped, and, besides a quiet gurgle at first, there was only silence. Saliva oozed from the man’s numb lips and, as the child watched, the man’s body tensed and his face twitched, and then nothing.

Shizu quickly stuck the cap back onto the vial and shoved it into his pouch. He scooted away from the still-warm corpse, feeling like he couldn’t breathe, either. He had done it. He had completed a real mission just like a real shinobi. His stomach turned and he did his rest to resist the urge to vomit, but he could only hold it in for so long. He slipped the mask off slightly to retch bile on the floor. He had killed someone.

"Congratulations." 

Shizu jumped at the sound of Zabuza's voice and turned to see his guardian standing in the room. He hadn't heard him or sensed him at all, and he realized that Zabuza was still far more skilled than he was, and also that he had been so panicked that he hadn't been aware of his surroundings. Shizu wiped his mouth on his sleeve and slipped the mask back on.

"I thought you were waiting outside." Shizu mumbled quietly. 

"You went over the time." Zabuza crossed his arms and looked down at the man.

Shizu looked down, feeling his stomach hurt again for a different reason. He had taken too long when he had promised he wouldn't. 

"...Sorry."

Zabuza kept his back to the child and examined some of the man's belongings. "I anticipated you would hesitate."

Shizu looked down. "...Sorry."

"You did the job. That's what matters."

"I used too much." Shizu took out the vial and held it out to Zabuza. 

Zabuza took the vial and smirked slightly. "I expected that, too." When Shizu looked down, he cut him off before he could apologize yet again. "It didn't matter how much you used. This was the first batch of it, and it needed to be tested." He pocketed the vial. "After this success, it will probably become standard-issued for Kiri's anbu as another method of killing."

Shizu sat on the floor for a while, too afraid to look at the dead man and too nervous to look at Zabuza. After a moment, Zabuza tapped the child with his foot and motioned with his head. Shizu got to his feet slowly and stood quietly by his.

"Idiot had the classified documents in plain sight." Zabuza reached under the kow table at the center of the room and held up a briefcase. He glanced at Shizu– who wrung his hand nervously– and then nudged him with the bag. "Hold this while I look around. There's no telling if this traitorous scum left anything else important out."

Shizu did as he was told. The briefcase was pretty heavy, he thought, for only holding papers, and the bag seemed huge in his arms, but he held onto it carefully. It didn't take long for Zabuza to finish his search, finding nothing else worthwhile in the room, and make his way back to him. 

"That's everything. Let's go."

Shizu nodded, only half listening, and Zabuza rapped his knuckles on his head. Zabuza took the briefcase from the boy and Shizu glanced at the corpse from the corner of his eye.

"Dad, are we going to just leave him like that?"

"If he were a rogue ninja, we'd destroy his body. If he were an enemy shinobi, we'd bring him back to be investigated." Zabuza looked at the corpse and frowned slightly. "He's just a bloated political dog who got too greedy and started to eat from his master's plate."

"Won't people know he was poisoned, 'ttebayo?" Shizu whispered. 

"The toxin isn't traceable in the blood. Whoever finds him will believe that he ate and drank himself sick and asphyxiated on his vomit."

"Oh." Shizu fell silent and he looked down. He wasn't sure how to feel or what to think. He supposed it was a good thing that no one would be able to trace them to the death, but he also didn't want to think about the man any more or what would happen to his body. 

"If there are any others like him in his circle or around the Daimyo, his death will serve as a warning." Zabuza chuckled. "Nervous rats will slip up and reveal themselves. Makes it easy to weed them out."

Noticing the boy's somber expression, Zabuza scooped him up with one arm while he held the briefcase in the other and left the room. Now that the target was dead and the documents were secure, there was no reason for them to linger. The longer they did, the more guilty the child would feel, and Zabuza knew that he would start to wallow as he had been unless something distracted him.

Ordinarily, Zabuza would return to Kirigakure as soon as his mission had been completed but today, today he thought that he didn’t want to rush back. Shizu wriggled and complained that Zabuza was still holding him under his arm. Zabuza only grunted in response but set the child down. For safekeeping he sealed the briefcase into his trusted scroll and looked down at Shizuhiko.

"Are you hungry?"

Shizu nodded at first, then shook his head, and Zabuza understood that the boy's appetite was lost when he remembered his kill. He motioned with a nod. Shizu followed obediently. He hadn't known what to expect or where they were headed, but he tried to focus on the frosted woods as they seemed to wander deeper inside. His thoughts still lingered with the inn, the dead man, and what he had done, but the quietness of the wintry forest allowed him to relax just a bit. Each footstep over the snow made a soft and soothing 'crunch', and, if he listened closely, he could hear the plop of snow clumps as the sun warmed the highest branches and dropped the snow that sagged them. Some birds trilled and cooed in the crisp air and Shizu wondered what they were saying. 

To his surprise, Zabuza stopped and pointed toward a large evergreen and announced that Shizu was going to capture the rabbit that lived in a burrow underneath. He had never done such a thing before- and he felt dizzy about taking another life- but Zabuza quietly and firmly insisted. Shizu did his best to do as Zabuza said, and Zabuza kept him occupied with learning how to make proper traps. He was guided through each step and, even though Shizu's trap had narrowly failed, Zabuza nimbly caught the creature as easily as blinking an eye. He held out the kicking, squirming animal to Shizu and told him to snap its neck. He coaxed the child to comply, instructing him on the proper hold and assisting him through the movement. When Shizu flinched at the audible pop , Zabuza played a hand on his head in unspoken praise. Just when Shizu thought he was finally done, Zabuza walked him through the gross and frightening part– removing the rabbit's feet, bleeding the animal, removing the skin and fur as if peeling a banana, and taking out its organs. Finally, Shizu was made to help construct a small fire and makeshift spit for roasting.

He was more than grateful when Zabuza told him to sit and rest. The boy didn't like the entire process one bit, but he couldn't deny that the smell coming from the spit was appetizing. More importantly, Shizu smiled slightly to himself when he thought of just how much he enjoyed this time with Zabuza, just the two of them in the wilderness, about to eat the dinner they had caught and prepared together. Even if it had meant killing such a cute animal and touching its guts , Shizu couldn't help but smile in satisfaction and pride when Zabuza passed him a large piece of fully cooked meat. He chewed it thoughtfully as the fire crackled and thanked the rabbit in his head for being so tasty. As he ate more, he glanced over at Zabuza and noticed just how relaxed his father was. By the time the sun began to set, the two had nearly picked the small rabbit's bones clean and Shizu patted his stomach beside the embers. 

"That was so yummy." Shizu puffed his cheeks slightly. "I still didn't like killing it, 'ttebayo."

"That's fine." Zabuza cleaned between his teeth with a bone and flicked it into the fire. "You don't need to like killing as long as you're capable of doing it when you need to."

Shizu looked down and drew his legs close. The lump formed in his throat again. "I killed him."

Zabuza raised his brow slightly. He knew what was on the boy's mind and how he was trying to forget about it. He grumbled to himself, knowing Mei, if she were there, would nag him into trying to comfort the boy. He took a long drink from his canteen, watching how the boy stared into the fire, and then rested his arm on his knee. 

"You'll never forget." 

Shizu bit his lip. His chest tightened and he felt that Zabuza had been able to read his mind and had said the exact thing he'd been afraid of.

"That's why you need to learn to think for yourself and only kill who and when you have to."

"But I don't want to kill anyone else."

"Death is a part of life, and killing is a necessity for survival. If I hadn't killed those Konoha-nin, you'd be dead or worse." Zabuza paused. "Would you rather be dead now?"

Shizu shook his head. 

"Their deaths were necessary. To save your life, and to prevent witnesses who had recognized you."

"I know." Shizu's eyes watered slightly and he balled his hands into fists. "I know, but I don't like it, 'ttebayo."

"You don't need to like killing." Zabuza put his hand on the boy's head. "As long as you can kill when you have to."

"Like we killed the bunny to eat?" Shizu asked softly.

"Exactly. Sustaining yourself and defending yourself are the most important reasons to kill."

"Then, what about killing bad guys like that man or the Mizukage?"

"That's different." Zabuza rested his hand on his knee again and drank again. "That's killing for the sake of others- the sake of Kiri and everyone in it. Until the 'Bloody Mist' is gone and those responsible for it are in hell, everyone suffers. Killing unfit leaders isn't a sin."

"Dad, do you forget people you've killed?"

Shizu looked at Zabuza with his big blue eyes reflecting the dying fire. Zabuza met his gaze briefly and then looked away. 

"I'm the Demon. I don't keep track of whose blood I've spilled."

Shizu's gaze fell slightly, then he looked back at Zabuza. 

"I don't think you're a demon, 'ttebayo."

"Of course I am. I don't bat an eye at killing. I'm good at it. I enjoy the power of holding lives in my hand." Zabuza chuckled. "Demon is more fitting for me than 'human'."

"That's not true." 

"Oh?" Zabuza raised his brow.

"If you were really a demon then you wouldn't be my dad." 

Zabuza stared at the boy for a while, looking at the warmth in his eyes, and then tore his gaze away. "I'm no saint."

"But, you took me as a baby. To be my dad." Shizu fidgeted as he thought. "If you were a bad guy, then…"

"I took you because you were the Jinchuriki. I planned on using your power to overthrow the Mizukage." Zabuza frowned and drank the last of his water. "That was it."

Shizu's eyes widened slightly, then he shook his head. "Nuh-uh! You took me because my mom asked you to."

Zabuza didn’t look at him. He didn’t speak. There were some things that Zabuza couldn’t put into words– nor had he ever– and many of those things were swirling through his mind. Realizing this, and consciously thinking about each deeply unspoken thing was… uncomfortable. It was the sort of thing where, if he started to speak evenly vaguely about one thought, it would very easily lead to another. And, talking was something Zabuza did not particularly like, especially conversation about himself. However, he found himself glancing at Shizuhiko from the corner of his eye and think about those uncomfortable thoughts and the memories with them. 

“Tch.” Zabuza averted his gaze. “You brat.”

Shizu grinned. He understood now that Zabuza used that term endearingly, and he nearly poked fun at Zabuza the way Mei usually did, but he decided not to. Instead, he enjoyed sitting with Zabuza around the dying flames with the taste of roasted rabbit still on his lips. He dug his heel into the snow until the frozen grass beneath was exposed as he thought, then he looked over at Zabuza to watch his expression.

“Dad?”

“Hm?” Zabuza only half-looked at Shizu and grunted.

“When you first… killed someone… were you scared like me?”

Zabuza paused again. This child asked a lot of questions, he thought, and somehow he managed to ask some of the most difficult ones. This one happened to be a simple question, to his relief.

“No.”

Shizu’s eyes widened slightly. “N-No?”

Zabuza was quiet for a moment, then filled in the pause with another sip of water and pretended to pick food from his teeth.

“We lived like rats. Eating any food we could find, fighting each other over stale bread. Even for those who labored long and hard every day, there was no guarantee that you would get to eat.” Zabuza busied himself and prodded the tinder with a stick. Several memories that he had believed to be forgotten resurfaced in his mind and he frowned. “One night when I was about your age there was a human rat that got in to take what little we had. We woke up and caught him in the act, and the rat didn’t like it. He decided to get us out of the way so he could have it all to himself.” Zabuza flicked the stick into the fire. “I grabbed the knife that sloppy bastard dropped and I stuck it in him when he was choking her. Until he had more holes than cheese and collapsed in the huge pool of blood.” He chuckled. “That stain never came out of the floors.”

Shizu bit his lip and looked at his hands, very quiet. 

“When your life is on the line, there’s no time or reason to concern yourself about fear or morality. The only thing that matters is survival.”

Shizu nodded, understanding as best as he could for his age. Though, knowing that Zabuza had so easily defended himself when he had been frozen in fear. Was he just weak? Did Zabuza think that he was pathetic? He wrung his hands, and then another thought struck him.

“You said ‘her’.” Shizu stared at Zabuza. “You mean… your mom?”

Zabuza stiffened slightly and furrowed his brows tightly. Shizu had seen many variations of Zabuza’s typical expression that he could tell whether or not Zabuza was only irritated or if he were being serious, but now, he wasn’t sure what Zabuza felt. There was anger, of course, and other emotions that Shizu just couldn’t figure out. Zabuza clenched his jaw, kicked snow over the remaining embers, and stood.

“Time to go.”

Shizu pressed his lips and stood, noting Zabuza’s current tone and expression in his mind. He would call this one ‘very upset’ in his mental notes. He didn’t like that he had said something that made his guardian this angry, but, he couldn’t help but wonder more about Zabuza’s childhood and about what kind of person his mother was. What he wondered the most was why Zabuza seemed so upset at the mention of his mother. Shizu supposed that something bad had happened to her– but he wasn’t going to ask anything more now.

Zabuza walked quickly and it was difficult for Shizu to keep up. He thought it was strange that Zabuza was walking at all through the woods, and even on the empty dirt road, when Zabuza usually preferred the speed of the standard shinobi run. He almost asked about it though he decided against it when he saw that Zabuza still had the same expression. So, they walked in silence and Shizu tried to make a list in his head of things he wanted to ask later on. They walked far longer than Shizu expected and Zabuza seemed to stop for a short break even without the child voicing how his feet ached. After a short rest, the curious boy plucked a berry from a snow-covered bush and tried to eat it, only to receive a small cuff to the back of his head and a long lecture from Zabuza on how to tell if certain edible berries from deadly ones. Once he had a handful of the right kind– found by Zabuza– the pair continued to walk again.

Shizu watched as heavy snowflakes began to fall from the sky and he tugged his cloak closer and stuck a berry into his mouth. He liked snow well enough, he thought, but he would like it a lot more if it weren’t so bitterly cold. They walked more and, before Shizu could complain about his feet again, they reached a bridge. At first he only followed Zabuza and thought of the mostly-frozen slushy water of the river below, but then something caught his attention. Or, he realized, someone. His eyes widened slightly when he realized there was a kid sitting against the side of the bridge. A kid who was dirty, very skinny, and was shivering.

Shizu tugged on Zabuza’s sleeve as they passed the boy, and whispered. “Dad, who’s that?”

“Some brat.” Zabuza glanced at the child from the corner of his eye.

“Why’s he here? In the snow?”

“He’s just an orphan who will be dead soon.”

“Dead?” Shizu repeated softly and gulped. 

“He’s already halfway there. He’s starved and he’ll freeze to death come nightfall.” Zabuza kept walking and looked away from the child. “It’s part of life.”

Shizu’s pace slowed until he stopped. He looked down at the berries in his hands, then at the boy, then at the berries again, and then he shuffled over to stand in front of the boy. He held the berries out with a small smile.

“Here.”

The dirty child blinked slowly and looked up at Shizu. For a moment, he didn’t seem to see the stranger or the offering, but he blinked again and stared at the berries. Shizu frowned slightly at the boy’s silence and how he hadn’t moved, then he held out his hands further.

“They’re really good, ‘ttebayo. You can have them.”

Finally the boy understood and he reached out quickly– the way a wild animal pounces prey, Shizu thought– and started to eat. He was done in a matter of seconds and he hungrily licked his chapped, cold-blue lips. Shizu rubbed his head when the boy looked back at him.

“I don’t have more. Sorry.”

The boy looked down and a chilled breeze blew hard. He shivered, and Shizu quickly tugged off his own cloak and draped it over the boy. 

“Here.”

“Hey.” Zabuza frowned and crossed his arms at Shizu. “He’ll die even with that. Don’t waste your time or your cloak. Let’s go.”

Shizu scrunched his face, looked at the boy, then crossed his own arms and shook his head. “No.”

“‘No’?” Zabzua raised a brow. Usually his change of tone worked when Shizu was being obstinate, but now, the boy shook his head more fervently and took a step back.

“I don’t want him to die, ‘ttebayo!” Shizu pointed at the boy. “He’s a kid! Like me!”

“Not my kid, not my problem. Let’s go.”

Shizu stubbornly ignored Zabuza and bent to look the boy in the eyes. “You don’t have a home, right? Or a mom? Or a dad?”

The boy shook his head, and Shizu smiled.

“You wanna live with us? We’ve got a house, and I have the bestest mom ever. She’s great and nice and so cool. She’ll be really nice to you, too.”

“Absolutely not.” Zabuza frowned. “We’re not an orphanage; we don’t take in strays.”

“You took me.” Shizu frowned back at Zabuza, matching his stare. After a long time, he sat reached out to take the boy’s hand and tugged until he stood on weak legs. He smiled. “You’re gonna love mom. She makes really good food. Like soup.”

The boy’s stomach growled and Zabuza grumbled. He opened his mouth to argue with his boy again, but Shizu pointed at him.

“If you won’t let him come, then… then I’ll stay here with him! And mom will be really, really mad at you for losing me!”

Zabuza growled and grumbled again, glaring and digging his nails into his arms until he released a hot breath. 

“Fine. But he walks. I won’t carry him or stop if he collapses.”

Shizu cheered and hugged the boy, whose eyes were wide. “Yay! I always wanted a brother!”

Zabuza groaned under his breath, muttered curses, and then turned to walk again. He had absolutely no desire to bring home this stray child at all, but it would be better than having to explain to Mei why Shizuhiko hadn’t come home. Maybe.

Chapter Text

Zabuza had said that the stray boy would have to walk and that he wouldn't carry him. He had enough on his mind– returning home without any ambushes this time, Kisame's warning, Mei's concerns of traitors in their ranks, of keeping Shizu out of the clutches of Konoha and the Mizukage– that he had no desire to take on the stray boy. He supposed that he could have knocked Shizu out and simply walked away from the pathetic starved child, not needing to entertain Shizu's game of 'I'll stay here' at all. But, then he remembered that he would inevitably have to explain to Mei why he knocked Shizu out in the first place. More importantly, Zabuza thought, there was no guarantee that the demon fox wouldn't try to take over the boy's body while he was unconscious. Allowing the stray child to follow them was the more logical, safer option, but he was quickly becoming annoyed as they walked.

The starved boy walked slowly. Far too slowly. Without shoes, proper clothing, or any strength to him, he could hardly shuffle along. Shizu matched his speed, to Zabuza's annoyance, and was irritatingly upbeat as he encouraged the boy and talked to him. Not that they were really having a conversation at all, as Shizu was doing all of the talking while the boy could only muster nods, grunts, or shakes of his head. When Shizu wasn't talking the new boy's ear off, he was complaining loudly to Zabuza that it wasn't fair for them to walk in the snow and how hungry he was already. Finally, Zabuza could stand it no more and he hoisted both boys under his arms and traveled as quickly as he could. As long as he was doing just that, Shizu was quiet and Zabuza was grateful.

The quiet couldn't last forever and Zabuza eventually had to stop. It was a bother, but Shizu was still a child and required frequent opportunities to relieve himself. He supposed that making occasional stops was preferable to how the boy had soiled himself as an infant, but it was still an annoyance nevertheless that the boy couldn't keep up yet on his own. 

In addition to this, Zabuza had noticed the stray boy nearly lost consciousness more then– from hunger or shock from traveling so quickly, he couldn't tell– and he would have gotten an earful from Shizu if anything happened to the boy. So, as much as he could care less about a stray child, he reminded himself that it was for Shizu, ultimately.

He tasked Shizu with guarding the older boy in his absence. Shizu's eyes widened and he complained at the idea of being left alone again, but Zabuza ordered him to remain in place and wait. He wouldn't be gone long. Shizu puffed his cheeks, complained a bit more, but nodded obediently. After Zabuza left, he sat as close as he could to Haku to share his warmth and use his body as much as he could as a shield from the wind. 

Despite how much Shizu tried to be calm and maintain diligence as he looked and listened for any trouble, Haku– only half-aware from hunger and exhaustion– could tell that the younger boy was actually afraid. More afraid than Haku could understand him to be. He almost spoke up to try to calm the boy but couldn't muster the strength to speak. Shizu, in turn, said nothing as well. He wanted to ask Haku so many things– such as why he didn't have parents or a home anymore– but he was focused on suppressing how he trembled and trying his best to not flinch at any of the forest's sounds. By the time Zabuza came back, both boys were quiet and blue-lipped from the cold. To his surprise, Shizu wasn't talking. 

Zabuza tapped Shizu's leg with his foot and the boy's eyes widened.

"Dad! You're back."

"I said I wouldn't be long."

Shizu looked between Zabuza and Haku. "It's really cold, 'ttebayo…"

Zabuza only grunted and motioned for the boys to follow him with his head. When Haku was unable to stand– Zabuza was surprised that the half-dead boy had been able to hold on for as long as he had– he grunted again and scooped the boys up in his arms. Shizu immediately cuddled in close to try to warm up while Haku, Zabuza noted, was properly cautious and suspicious of being held by the strange man. It was this caution that had led him to survive so long on his own, he knew, though a child's will could only go so far.

"Dad, where are we going?" Shizu mumbled, his voice muffled by Zabuza's cloak that was wrapped around them.

Zabuza didn't answer, but when Shizu cracked open his eyes next, he saw Zabuza step inside of a small building. The middle-aged woman started to greet Zabuza once more before noticing the small figures he held. 

"O-Oh dear! You didn't say you had children." The woman hurriedly got to her feet. "They look chilled to the bone." She led Zabuza down the hall and pointed to different doors. "Here is your room, and over there is the bath. Pease make good use of it." She bowed her head. "We don't have any other guests currently, so the children can have as much time as they need to warm up."

"A bath?" Shizu's head perked.

"I'll put extra futons and linens in your room. Please let me know if you need anything else."

Zabuza grunted and the woman bowed again before leaving. He tugged off Shizu's pack and his own, deposited them into the small room, and then carried the boys to the bath. Usually Shizu would loudly complain when Zabuza bathed him– Mei was always gentler and and she would give him as many bubbles as he wanted– but he didn't dare complain now no matter how roughly Zabuza scrubbed the dirt off. He was warm now. Even Haku, who was wary, did not complain as he was scrubbed or when Zabuza practically tossed the clean boys into the hot water. He climbed in after washing himself and allowed himself to relax just a little as he sunk into the water. 

Shizu sighed contentedly and kicked his feet in the bath. He was grinning ear to ear until he looked at Haku's tired face and sat still. He glanced at Zabuza, remembering the only other times when Zabuza had brought him to an inn before. They were on the run then, laying as low as they could in various small towns and large cities alike in disguises but never staying long. He sighed and crossed his arms, trying to only think of the present. 

"Dad, you've got lots of scars." Shizu scrunched his face and tried to count as many as he could, and Zabuza glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "How did you get them all?"

"I got this one strangling an annoying brat who asked too many questions." Zabuza tapped a small scar on his forearm and Shizu stuck out his tongue. 

"I'll just ask mom." 

"Brat." Zabuza frowned slightly but Shizu only grinned. After a pause, Zabuza waved his hand slightly. "All that griping about bringing him along and you're not doing a good job of looking after him."

"Huh?" Shizu blinked and turned to Haku, finally noticing how the boy was almost dozing off. He shook his shoulder. "H-Hey, you can't sleep in the bath, 'ttebayo!"

"Idiot. He's overheated."

"Oh." Shizu shook Haku again, then crawled out of the bath to help pull the older boy out. Haku staggered to his feet and Shizu frowned. 

He did not want to admit that Zabuza had been right and that Haku was on the verge of death. He knew it wasn't polite or proper to look at someone naked, but he couldn't help but notice that the older boy was so skinny . His bones were all protruding and he had a difficult time just standing. Shizu swallowed, feeling his stomach twist when he had the realization that Haku's condition was what all orphans without adoptive families were. What his own condition would be, without Zabuza and Mei. And, what made his young heart sink the most was the realization that this must have been what Zabuza's childhood had been like. Shizu didn't like any of those thoughts, so he shook his head to push them away and reached for their towels. He helped Haku dry off as best he could, dried himself off, and then took the boy's hand with a smile. 

"Let's get some food!"

"Are you planning on walking around naked?" Zabuza raised a brow and Shizu rubbed his head.

"...Was gonna share my clothes, 'ttebayo."

"He's skinnier than you but he's still taller. They won't fit."

"Maybe they can."

"Stubborn brat." Zabuza lifted himself out of the bath. His brows were furrowed and he knocked his knuckles on Shizu's head. "Use your head."

Shizu rubbed his head where Zabuza had tapped. "Can he wear your clothes?"

"As if those would fit." Zabuza snorted.

"Hmph." 

Zabuza ignored Shizu's crossed-arm, stubborn contemplation to wrap his own towel around himself. Without a word he left the room, prompting Shizu to carefully pull Haku along after him. By the time the boys reached the room, Zabuza had already mostly dried off and had started to dress. As usual, he wore only the simple long-sleeved shirt and pants standard of Kiri shinobi, but the towel draped over his dark hair reminded Shizu of home. He expected his mother to walk in at any moment, grab hold of the towel and use it to pull Zabuza in for a kiss, but he remembered that she wasn't there. 

Shizu opened his pack to search for spare clothes that might be a size or so larger for Haku, though he already knew he didn’t have any, when Zabuza opened the door again.

"Where're you going?" Shizu's head lifted to stare at Zabuza in the doorway. 

"I'm hungry." Zabuza said simply and shut the door behind him.

Shizu grumbled and looked around the room. An idea came to mind and he quickly tugged on a fresh set of clothes– his well-worn favorite pair of orange pajamas that Zabuza said were garish– and opened the door, too.

"I'll be right back, okay? I'm gonna find you some clothes."

Shizu didn't wait for the boy to nod before he took off down the hall. His bath-wrinkled feet carried him back to the front of the inn quickly until he reached the counter with the woman.

"Oh, hello young man." The woman cooed and leaned closer to him. "Your father just stepped out for a bit. Do you need anything?"

"My brother's clothes got all ripped up and dirty." Shizu stood straight, doing his best to lie. It wasn't a complete lie, which made it easier for him, but Zabuza always reminded him that he needed skill for lying as a shinobi. "I need to get him some new ones."

"You poor dears. You must have encountered trouble while traveling." She pressed her hand to her cheek. "I'm not sure what we have, but I keep a box of things that previous guests have forgotten. There might be clothes suitable for your brother there."

"Really? Thanks!" 

"It's just in here." The woman walked a bit down the hall and opened a spare room where various boxes were. After searching through a few of them, she held a small bundle of clothes in her arms and turned to him. "I'm afraid this is all we have. The only thing that might be the right size is this girl's kimono." The woman held up the pale pink fabric. "I'm afraid it just won't do for a young man."

"That's okay!" Shizu held out his arms for the clothes. "He doesn't have any extra clothes, 'ttebayo."

"I suppose it's better than nothing." The woman placed the kimono in the boy's arms. Then, she looked down at the other garments. "These are all clothes sized for teenagers or adults. No one has ever come to claim them, so please, if your brother won't mind them being too large, he's welcome to them."

"Thanks a lot, lady!" Shizu happily accepted the armful of clothes. "You're really nice!" He looked at the clothes. "I think mom can make them fit."

"Oh, your mother?" The woman bent slightly to meet his eyes. "She isn't traveling with you?"

Shizu blinked and, for a moment, a lump formed in his throat as he thought of a lie. "She stayed home. We had to get medicine."

"Oh my. She must be terribly ill for you all to brave this weather for her. What a lucky woman to have such sweet and devoted sons." The woman smiled and patted Shizu's head. "I'm sure she'll make a full recovery."

"She will!" Shizu beamed and slowly backed away. "Thanks for the clothes!"

"What a good child." The woman smiled to herself as Shizu hurried back to his room, then he returned to the front counter. 

Shizu wanted to hurry back to the room as soon as he could. He didn't want to stay too long and have to lie more or answer a lot of questions, and he also didn't want to leave Haku alone. He had already been alone and homeless for so long, and Shizu didn't want him getting the wrong idea that he was being abandoned. 

"I'm back!" Shizu announced as he burst into the room. 

Haku, still overheated from the bath and still dizzyingly hungry despite the handful of berries, sat upright and was nearly asleep. Shizu was fearful for a moment that Haku had succumbed to starvation in the short time he had been gone, but he was relieved when Haku opened his eyes once he was shook gently.

"I brought you some clothes." Shizu smiled at Haku and looked down at the bundle he held. "Try some!"

"New clothes?" Haku mumbled and reached out hesitantly to touch the clean fabric. 

"The nice lady said they're big. But that's okay." Shizu set the clothes down and held up the kimono. "This might fit."

Haku's eyes widened slightly at the kimono. He had never seen such a luxurious-looking garment before. The way it seemed to shimmer awed him and he felt the urge to touch it. When he did, his eyes widened further at how smooth and soft it felt. After a moment, his eyes met Shizu's.

"...Is it really alright? For me to have this?"

"Yeah, the lady said it got forgotted by people." Shizu nodded and placed the kimono in Haku's arms. "It's really girly, but it might be comfy, 'ttebayo."

"It's so soft…" Haku stroked the kimono and traced his fingers over the design. "It must be a princess'."

"I don't think so." Shizu plopped down nearby and crossed his legs. "Mom has jammies like this and she's not a princess."

"Oh." Haku looked at the garment. He had never seen anything patterned this way or made with silk. The only clothing he had ever seen or worn were woven by hand with hand-spun rough fibers. He was accustomed to the wardrobe of their station and had difficulty fathoming how other classes lived. He wondered if it was alright for him to keep such a formal piece of clothing, when he was born so poor and was nothing more than a worthless orphan now. But, the more he thought, if such a kind and warm child such as Shizu was giving it to him, he couldn't refuse. He slowly stuck his hands into the long, wide sleeves and tied the sash around his waist. Then, he stared down at himself in awe. He was wearing it. 

"You look kinda like a girl, 'ttebayo." Shizu muttered and looked at Haku, but then smiled again. "But it fits! That's good."

"It's lovely…" Haku brushed his fingers against the fabric. The way the silk felt against his skin was something that he could only think of as dreamlike or as if he were wearing a luxurious cloud.

"But you still don't have shoes…" Shizu mumbled to himself, naturally mimicking Zabuza's intense thinking face and pose. "Or a jacket and stuff…"

Haku's hand lowered and his small smile fell. He looked at the young boy, unable to wrap his head around what was going on in his head. He looked down.

"...Do you really want me to go with you?"

"Huh?" Drawn out of his contemplation, Shizu looked at Haku. "Yeah!"

"I'll just be in the way." Haku clutched at the kimono. "I'm just an outsider. Not part of your family."

"Nuh uh!" Shizu took his head. "Mom is my mom and I didn't come from her belly. And dad is my dad because he found me. I was a baby and my first mom died, so he took care of me. We can take care of you too, 'ttebayo."

Haku's eyes widened slightly and he met Shizu's eyes. He has long become accustomed to seeing disgust and bitterness in the eyes of any who looked upon him, but this young child in front of him only radiated a welcoming warmth and his eyes were bright and honest. Haku nodded slowly and, for the first time in many months, the corner of his mouth lifted in an almost smile. After a pause, he looked toward the third futon.

"I don't think your father wants me to come with you."

"Of course he does." Shizu waved his hand. "Dad just looks mean and scary and grumpy. But he's nice. Sometimes he says mean stuff though but it really means good things. He is kind of scary when he's on a mission too but he's nice."

Haku stared blankly at him for a moment. He couldn't understand how such contradictions could be true at once, but, he thought, even if the father didn't really want to accept him into the family then he must really love Shizu to allow Haku to come along with them. Or, if not that, then Haku supposed that Zabuza could just be very afraid of making his wife angry. He supposed it could be both. 

"I don't really understand."

"It's easy." Shizu nodded to himself and crossed his arms. "Mom says that dad has trouble saying nice things or talking about feelings, so he says nice things but they sound mean. It's kinda hard to learn what stuff means but I promise he's really nice."

"I see." Haku replied. He really didn't understand, but he wasn't going to ask anymore about it. His stomach growled loudly and he was reminded of how hungry he was. 

Shizu's stomach growled as well and Shizu snorted and laughed. Then, he crossed his arms and thought.

"I hope dad comes back soon."

Shizu was about to sigh loudly when he heard a sound from down the hall. He was very proud of himself for hearing it– because of all the training he had been doing– and he was able to identify a few sounds. He could hear wheels, but one was wobbly and squealed quietly as the something rolled. He could also hear footsteps and he could tell that they weren't Zabuza's. They were, of course, far noisier than Zabuza's stealthy steps and were more… shuffly. He thought he could also hear quiet humming and a rattling of ceramics. He opened his eyes and his stomach growled as the noises stopped and there was a knock on the door. 

Shizu got up and slid open the door only slightly– remembering how he needed to behave like a good shinobi and be wary– but he grinned when he saw the innkeeper. She smiled back at him and patted the wheeled cart in front of her. 

"Pardon my intrusion, young man. Your father asked me to bring you two a proper meal while he stepped out."

"Food!" Shizu stood on his tippy-tip-toes to peer on top of the cart. An iron tea pot steamed with fragrant tendrils with two cups beside it. There was a platter of roasted sweet potatoes and a large steaming bowl of something that smelled delicious.

"My, my. You must be so hungry from your traveling." The woman laughed and carefully set out the dishes on the room's low table. She looked at the beaming child and removed the bowl's lid. "I do hope you boys like red bean soup. I made quite a large batch of it."

"Mhm!" Without waiting for the food to cool, Shizu squeaked out several 'ow's' as he eagerly grabbed a sweet potato and took a large bite. The inside heat made him 'ow' several more times until he finally was able to chew and swallow. "It's so good!"

"Oh dear, please don't eat so quickly. You'll burn your tongue."

"Isnadaplomenami!" Shizu took another large bite, speaking with his mouth full. When he swallowed again, he pointed to his tongue. "Not a problem, see! I can eat hot things okay, 'ttebayo!"

"Oh, I see." The woman nodded slightly. Her eyes rested on the dark-haired boy. "Don't be shy, young man. There's plenty of food for you both, so please don't fast for your brother's sake." She ladled a portion of soup into a small bowl and set a spoon beside it. "Please, eat your fill. Ah, after you blow on it, of course."

Haku's eyes were wide as he looked at the spread, then he nodded and ate. He tried to eat as slowly and politely as he could, but the warmth of the soup chased away all of the chill that had long settled into his bones. If he closed his eyes, he felt so warm that he could almost imagine he was in his mother's embrace once more. 

"Such healthy appetites you boys have. How splendid." The woman watched Shizu as he scarfed down the last of his sweet potato and raised his spoon in anticipation as he looked at the soup.

“Lady, you make really good food!” 

Shizu shoveled bite after bite of soup into his mouth. After a few minutes, the boys' eating slowed as their bellies started to fill.

"I haven't eaten so much in a long time…" Haku mumbled and looked down at his empty bowl. 

"Growing children must always eat enough." The woman smiled and cleared away the empty dishes. She set out tea cups in front of the boys and filled them to the top with fragrant tea. "Here you go. Something to wash it all down with."

"I dunno if I can fit anymore in my belly, 'ttebayo." Shizu prodded his stomach, which was protruding in contentment. 

"Don't you worry about that, dears. This herbal tea will help with proper digestion as well."

Haku picked up the cup, blew gently over the liquid, and sipped it. "It's good." He looked at Shizu. "You should try it."

"Hmm… okay!" Shizu nodded and took a sip. He swished the tea around his mouth for a moment before he swallowed. "It kinda tastes funny. But kinda good." He drank some more, and the woman watched them carefully.

"Be good boys and finish off those cups. We don't want any of it to go to waste."

"Okay." Shizu gulped down some more tea before looking over at Haku, who was slumped over the table and fast asleep. "Hey, what're you doing? Don't fall asleep yet!" He frowned slightly. "You didn't even finish your tea."

"Oh, that's alright, dear." The woman said softly. "He must be very tired. Just worry about finishing your own cup, alright?"

"Uh huh." Shizu nodded slowly, drinking the last of his tea in a single large cup, and then he set the cup on the table. "Now my belly is super full…"

"Oh dear, you look positively exhausted." The woman took Shizu's cup and watched as his blinking grew heavier. "Perhaps you should rest, too."

"But… I'm not… tired…" Shizu's eyes fluttered shut and, try as he might, he just couldn't keep them open. His body felt heavy and he felt himself lean over until he felt the floor on his cheek. He glanced up at the woman, but his sleepy brain was having trouble seeing her very well. She no longer looked like herself, but instead slowly transformed into a dark-haired man with glowing red eyes. "Lady… you look… funny…"

Chapter Text

Shizu yawned loudly as he stretched and sat up. He blinked for a bit, rubbed his eyes and head, then looked around.

"Dinner!” 

He blinked at the table and tilted his head. The table was completely cleared. More importantly, it was bright . He blinked and squinted at the room’s windows where he could clearly tell that it was morning light streaming in. Birds were loudly singing in the clear, frigid air. 

“I falled asleep?” He mumbled and yawned again.

“You were snoring.”

Shizu’s head turned quickly to see Zabuza, who was sitting with his back to the wall as he sharpened his sword.

“Dad!” Shizu frowned and looked around. His eyes fell on Haku, who was still sleeping slouched on the table. He looked back to Zabuza. “We were really sleepy, ‘ttebayo.” He paused. “But I don’t member being sleepy…”

“Hm. As a shinobi, you should be more aware of your body’s needs.”

“I know that, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu mumbled. He rubbed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Dad, I had a weird dream.”

“A dream?” Zabuza raised one brow.“Yeah.” Shizu nodded. “The nice lady gave us dinner and was nice. And there was yucky tea but it was a little yummy. And then the lady turned into a weird guy with scary red eyes.” He rubbed his head. “Like a body-changing monster.”

“You probably had a strange dream because you were an idiot who didn’t even fall asleep on the futon.” Zabuza eyed his sword from various angles and returned it to its sheath. “Proper rest is important for a ninja. Sore muscles result in slower reflexes, which leads to injury or death.”

“I know , dad.” Shizu puffed his cheeks. “Where did you go?”

Zabuza scoffed quietly and motioned to several shopping bags with a point of his foot. “See for yourself.”

Shizu scrambled over to the bags. He looked inside, then held up the clothes inside. “They’re too big for me, dad.”

“Idiot. They’re not for you.”

“Oh.” Shizu looked over to the sleeping Haku. Of course these would fit Haku, and of course Zabuza would have bought him clothes. Shizu already had warm clothes, he knew that, but for some reason, his thinking was fuzzy. Sometimes he had trouble waking up in the morning, but he felt liked he had slept a whole lot, so he should feel very awake now. He couldn’t explain the strangeness he felt, and he couldn’t put it into words to ask Zabuza about it.

“Go take a bath. We’re leaving soon.”

“A bath? By myself?” 

“I’ll be in after you. Mei would gut me if you were an idiot and drowned by accident.”

“I can take a bath myself.” Shizu stuck out his tongue, stood, and opened the door. “I can do it all by myself!”

“Yeah, sure.” Zabuza waved his hand. "Just go."

"I'm going, ‘ttebayo!" Shizu stuck out his tongue and shut the door behind him. 

Zabuza listened to the boy's small footsteps pitter down the hall and stood. He had almost told Shizu everything that had happened while he was asleep and almost scolded him for failing to exercise caution. He nearly cuffed Shizu on the head and called him an idiot. But he didn't. The thoughts certainly crossed his mind but from the moment Shizu woke up and looked into his eyes, Zabuza felt the familiar discomfort of guilt. 

Shizu was, of course, the child of shinobi. He was training as a shinobi. But, as much as Zabuza wanted to scold and blame Shizu, he hesitated. The guilt was obvious to him, and he despised it. He had left Shizu alone again and he had been in danger again . The fault was clearly his. Even so, it would have been a good lesson for Shizu if Zabuza had confronted him with the reality of the situation. He couldn’t coddle the child the way Mei did. However, he hadn’t been able to say anything when the boy had been right in front of him, and it frustrated him.

Zabuza’s brows furrowed as he looked toward Haku. Not only had Shizu been in danger, but this stray boy had been as well. He didn't particularly care about this boy at all, but Shizu had readily accepted him. If this boy were to die, Shizu was sure to face a depression perhaps worse than after the incident on the Land of Fire. Zabuza had no need for any dead weight, but, if this stray child could make himself useful, then Zabuza couldn't object to him joining them.

He walked over to where Haku remained asleep and squatted beside the child. He found the boy distasteful to look at overall. Not because the child was ugly and deformed, but because his scrawny, desperate situation reminded Zabuza of a younger version of himself. A version he did not like to be reminded of. He put his hand on the child’s back– thinking briefly how he could feel the boy’s spine through the cloth– and channeled his chakra. He wasn’t as skilled in this area as other shinobi, but it was vital for a shinobi all the same to know how to purge their bodies if the need arose.

It took Zabuza several moments longer than he would have liked, but as he’d assumed, the children hadn’t ingested something so easily purged as alcohol. Then, Haku slowly awakened and sat upright.

Like Shizu, he looked around in confusion and his thoughts were dazed. Once he realized that Zabuza was beside him, the shy boy shrunk in his presence, and his eyes darted around the room.

“I-I’m sorry for falling asleep during dinner. A-And… I’m sorry for sleeping so much and…  bothering you.”

Zabuza watched Haku mumble and look down anxiously. It was easy to read the child’s eyes, his caution and fear toward Zabuza. However, Zabuza thought, it was good this child had the common sense to distrust strangers. His harsh recent life had taught him those lessons, and, more importantly, the boy could at least recognize those who were potentially threatening– which Zabuza certainly was.

“You were drugged.”

Haku’s eyes widened and he stared at Zabuza. “W-What…?”

“The tea. It was dosed with highly concentrated sedatives. It knocked you out.” Zabuza moved back from the boy. He felt uncomfortable near Zabuza, and Zabuza didn’t feel like sitting so close to him, anyway. 

“The… tea?” Haku covered his mouth and swallowed. “I… told Shizu to drink it. He wasn’t going to…” His eyes watered. “It’s my fault…”

“He’s fine.” Zabuza scoffed quietly. “His body heals quickly and burned through the poison faster than I’m sure they were intending. It took longer to set in for him, which is why you knocked out first, I’m guessing.”

Haku let out a small breath. “He’s okay? That’s good…” He paused and turned to Zabuza. “Why did that woman poison us?”

Zabuza furrowed his brows. “There wasn’t any innkeeper.”

“But…?”

Zabuza’s brows furrowed deeper and he crossed his arms. He felt the anger again he had experienced once he realized what had happened. He remembered how he had felt someone watching as he left the tiny village to shop for supplies in the next town. He thought of how he tracked down his observer– a Konoha shinobi– only to realize, upon trying to behead the shinobi, that it wasn’t a human at all. He wasn’t sure what he had sliced through, but it had morphed into a strange white thing. He would have cut open its body to investigate it further, to learn its secrets as all in Kiri’s Anbu are trained to do– but he went straight back to the inn to be sure that Shizu was safe.

That was when he made another realization– that all of the village’s inhabitants were more of those white things. As soon as he returned to the village, they shifted from their disguised, innocent civilian forms and attacked him at once. They were all as weak as the first, but he was outnumbered. To his irritation, they were somehow able to clearly sense their surroundings when he used his trademark Hiding in Mist technique. Even more confounding than their strange composition or who they served was how they were able to create thick vines from their own bodies that bound him.

He gritted his teeth as he remembered the fight, of breaking free of the vines and slicing them up like pests. They weren’t difficult to kill, but they were troublesome enough that merely thinking back on it irritated him.

“Um…” Haku shifted nervously, not liking the dark expression Zabuza wore. He didn’t know if he had done something to anger Zabuza, but he tried to remain quiet so he wouldn’t get in any trouble.

Zabuza cleared his throat as his thoughts returned to the present and his gaze fell on Haku. “The enemy disguised themself as the innkeeper. Whatever they were, they were good at acting the part.”

“What happened to the real innkeeper?” Haku asked quietly.

“Hm.”

Of course, Zabuza knew the answer to that question. After he had disposed of the white thing that had drugged the children– as it was attempting to steal Shizu away– he had taken the opportunity while the kids slept to investigate. He cut open several to study their organs but found nothing. Somehow, without a heart or lungs, they lived. He had never seen anything like it before. His first thought was that they must have been some kind of clone, but they retained their humanlike form when sliced up, rather than dissipating into thin air or turning into a puddle of mud, clay, or water. There wasn’t much that perturbed Zabuza, but this was one of those things.

Systematically he had gone through the small village and found no trace of the original inhabitants. He had come to the logical conclusion that they must have been completely disposed of, the way a trained shinobi would, but that answered none of his many questions about his opponents. He sealed one of the corpses into a scroll for good measure and burned the rest of the bodies. They burned easily like tinder and he concealed most of the evidence of a battle with fallen snow. Until he knew more about what had happened, he exercised caution as always so that they weren’t followed.

“It’s likely that the real villagers have been replaced for many months.”

“They’re dead?” Haku whispered and stared down. He wrung his hands in his lap. “Why did she try to hurt us?”

“Not you. You were just collateral.”

Haku’s eyes widened. “Why Shizu?”

“Because he’s special.” Zabuza snorted and rested his arm on his knee, then raised his brow. “You feel grateful to him that he saved your life, don’t you? Because I sure as hell wouldn’t have looked your way twice.”

Haku swallowed and nodded. 

“Then you can be his shield.”

“His shield?” Haku repeated and tilted his head slightly.

“There are people who want to steal or kill him. You feel indebted to him.” The corner of Zabuza’s lips twitched in a smirk, flashing his sharpened teeth. “So, devote your life to protecting him.”

Haku stared wide-eyed but his words caught in his throat. He was only a half-starved boy, scrawny from the streets and born to poor farmers. He was weak and grew fatigued simply from walking easily. But Shizu was raised by Shinobi, and, as he’d heard, shinobi were strong. Shizu must also be strong for his age, and there was nothing Haku could do to protect Shizu if he was in trouble. 

“You weren’t born into a shinobi clan or in one of the hidden villages.” Zabuza’s piercing gaze locked on the child and his smirk faded into a serious expression. “Shizu has strong shinobi blood in his veins and has been training for years already. You, on the other hand, you’re pitiful and were on the verge of death. You’re weak.”

Haku started to nod slowly in agreement.

“Which is why you’ll need to train five times as hard if you’re going to be of any use to him.”

“Me? Train?” Haku thought for a while. He imagined himself as a shinobi, or he tried to, but he really had no idea what they were like except for stories he had heard.

“I can’t always be watching his back and he can’t hold his own in a real fight.” Zabuza’s eyes narrowed. “Shizu and Mei might accept you readily and unconditionally, but for my approval, you’ll need to pull your weight. Do you understand?”

Haku nodded quickly. “I-I’ll… I’ll do my best. He saved me, so I’ll do my best to get strong so I can help him, too.”

“Good.” Zabuza stood and motioned toward the door with a nod of his head. “Take a bath. We’re heading out as soon as we’re ready.”

“Yes, sir.” Haku nodded and stood. When he turned to face the door, Zabuza cleared his throat.

“Say nothing of this conversation to him. Got that?”

Haku nodded again. As he watched Zabuza’s fierce expression, he was starting to understand what Shizu had meant before. Zabuza was indeed a scary man, but it was obvious that he loved his son. And, Haku thought, and a man who cherished his child so dearly must not really be a terrible person– even if he was abrasive.

“What are you doing standing there? Get going.”

“Y-Yes, sir!” Haku turned and hurried to the bath, leaving Zabuza to cross his arms and shake his head as he mumbled.

“Now there are two of them.”

Chapter Text

They were late. Again.

Mei paced outside until the chill started to seep through the layers she wore. She sat inside at the table and drummed her fingers on its surface. 

Two and a half days had passed since Zabuza and Shizu's expected arrival back home. She had been wholeheartedly against Shizu going with him– obviously disagreeing with Zabuza's 'surefire' method to help the boy with his depression from his last mission– but now she would only wait and pray. She kept herself well occupied in the days since their departure, but every morning and every night she reminded herself of the days left. Now that she was in between missions with little to do, there wasn't anything to distract her from the worry. After all, the last time they were late, everything had gone wrong, and all Mei wanted was for Shizu to be safe.

When she was sufficiently warmed up, she thought she might pace the beach once more, but her eyes lit up at the sound of the door. She jumped to her feet and reached out to grab the knob when it was opened.

"Mom!" Shizu beamed and leaped into her arms as soon as he saw her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and squeezed, his eyes squinting shut in happiness.

Mei ordinarily would only immediately squeeze him back and plant kisses on his cheeks, but she was taken aback by his cheerful demeanor and his broad smile. When was the last time he had been so happy and expressive? The thought brought a tear to her eyes and she finally embraced him back. She didn't know what had happened on the mission, but she didn't care. Shizu was home. He was smiling.

"I missed you so much, 'ttebayo!" Shizu rubbed his cheek against hers.

"Oh, Shizu." Mei's eyes watered and she hugged him tightly. "I've missed you, too."

"Mom!" Shizu pulled away from her slightly and she curiously watched his expression. Then, he spoke in a whisper. "Mom, I killed the bad guy all by myself."

Mei felt chilled instantly. She opened her mouth to reply but couldn't speak. Had she heard him right? Surely she hadn't. Panic rose in her chest as she tried to read his eyes; the emotion there was foreign to her, and that frightened her. He seemed to be feeling pride in himself, but also sadness and anxiety. But, she thought, surely Zabuza hadn't made Shizu– who was only a child– take a human life. Surely… she swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at Zabuza, though his expression only confirmed what she knew in her heart already. She looked back at Shizu, feeling a mess of emotions she did not like. How could Zabuza have done this? How could he have made such a young, sweet, and innocent child kill? How could he force this boy whom they boy loved to do such a horrific thing when he was in such a terrible state of mind after witnessing death for the first time?

Zabuza averted his eyes from Mei's gaze. He saw the pain and the confusion flickering in those familiar green eyes, and he knew there would be a very long, tearful lecture from her later. He had expected it from the very moment he planned the true objective of this mission behind her back. He knew that Shizu taking a life would only remind her of her own most painful memories. But he would deal with that later.

"O-Oh?" Mei's voice trembled though she tried to hide it from Shizu. "You did?"

Shizu nodded, still whispering. "Dad said he was a really, really bad person who hurt people." He scrunched his face as he remembered, still feeling that odd mix of emotions. "I was scared he was gonna wake up. But he was sleeping. And I used poison." He looked back at Mei. "Dad said I stopped him from hurting more people. And!" He smiled. "We hunted a rabbit and cooked it and eated it!"

"That sounds… very exciting." Mei murmured. She tried to look at Zabuza again, but he was avoiding her gaze. As she knew he would. She tried to only be supportive and happy for Shizu, since he was finally happy again, but she felt dizzy. 

"I'm not a bad guy, am I?" Shizu, with his blue eyes moist and reflecting deep thoughts– deeper than Mei ever wanted him to think at this age– stared at her.

"No." Mei hugged him closer. "No, you're not. You're my sweet, clever, wonderful, brave, adventurous boy, Shizu." She met his eyes and forced a small smile. "I'm very proud that you stopped that bad man from hurting other people."

"If I'm not bad, why do you look sad?"

Shizu put his small hand on Mei's cheek, and she held back a tear.

"Because." She paused. "Because it means that you're growing up very quickly and getting closer to being a fully-fledged shinobi. And sometimes I want to selfishly keep you small and all to myself so that I can cuddle and spoil you."

"Silly." Shizu poked her cheek and smiled. "You can still cuddle me when I'm big. You're my mom . "

"I'll be sure to remember that when you're a teenager." Mei kissed his cheek and gave him another long hug. 

"I'm super hungry." Shizu wriggled out of Mei's arms to stand on his own. He sniffed the air, then frowned. "Is there anything to eat?"

"Idiot." Zabuza rapped his knuckles on Shizu's head. "At least take your shoes off before you demand food."

"Dad! You're so naggy!" Shizu stomped his foot and stuck out his tongue. "You were naggy every day!" He pointed at his father. "You're the Naggy of the Mist! Not the Demon!"

Zabuza's eyes twitched slightly and Mei tried– but failed– to suppress a chuckle. He caught her eye, though regretted it immediately when she stared him down with her usual 'you're in so much trouble' look.

"I haven't made any lunch yet, Shizu, but you can help me cook if you like." Mei bent slightly to meet the boy's eyes. "Whatever you're hungry for."

"I want stew!" Shizu jumped up and grinned. "Can you make stew? You make the best!"

"Alright, alright. I'll get the ingredients ready, so you get cleaned off."

"Yay!" Shizu started for his room to get changed and Zabuza furrowed his brows.

"Hey! Take your shoes off."

"Hmph." Shizu stuck out his tongue again and marched over to the door to slip his shoes off. "You're nagging again. "

“Shut up, brat.” Zabuza grumbled. He looked toward the open door and frowned. “And you. Come inside and shut the door already.”

At first, Mei thought that Zabuza was speaking to her, but she was confused. She wasn’t outside, of course, but there wasn’t a logical explanation for why Zabuza would be speaking to someone outside. Until Shizu’s face lit up and he hopped over to the door to tug on a hand and pull them inside.

“Come on! You’re gonna get really cold, ‘ttebayo!”

To Mei’s surprise, there was someone. It was a small someone, but someone nonetheless. She quietly watched as Shizu happily led the older child inside and showed him where to put his shoes. She glanced at Zabuza for answers, but he was still avoiding her gaze. She turned back to Shizu and his bright smile, and she realized that it wasn’t the apparent assassination mission that had uplifted his spirits… it was this new boy.  This shy, dark-haired boy with eyes that had known loneliness and pain.

“Mom, this is Haku!” Shizu, still holding the boy’s hand, led him over to Mei and beamed at her. “Haku, this is mom! She’s the best mom ever.” He looked at Haku, and somehow his big smile grew even wider. “Mom, Haku is my new brother!”

The dark-haired boy blushed faintly at the term and stood quietly where Shizu had led him. He didn’t speak, but he shifted awkwardly in place. Shizu was grinning away as he proudly showed off the boy to Mei, and Mei glanced at Zabuza. The corners of her mouth tugged in a small smile when she saw the look of his that said ‘I said no but Shizu got his way anyway.’ She wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, but she would definitely be pestering Zabuza for the full story later. After she lectured him.

“Haku, say hi.” Shizu nudged him gently. “Mom’s really nice, so you don’t need to be shy, ‘ttebayo!”

“H-Hello.” Haku’s dark eyes hesitantly rose to meet Mei’s. 

Oh. Mei noticed how skinny the boy was and how the clothes hung off of him, and how he vigilantly watched her. She understood why the kind-hearted Shizu had most likely pestered Zabuza to bring Haku home, to Zabuza’s irritation.

Mei smiled at Haku and bent to meet his eyes. “Hello, Haku. It’s nice to meet you. I’ll have lunch made soon, so please, make yourself at home.”

“T-Thank you very much…” Haku mumbled. 

It was clear to Mei that he wasn’t used to being treated warmly and that the poor boy felt that he wasn’t welcome, but she was sure that Shizu would quickly help him to settle in. As if on cue, Shizu pulled on his hand again with a grin.

“Come on! I gotta show you my room! You can sleep there with me! Oh, and you gotta see my cool ninja training stuff, ‘ttebayo!”

“Shizu, don’t run in the house!” Mei called after him as she stood straight. “And don’t be too pushy with him, okay? Let him rest and get settled in.”

“I know!”

Mei let out a sigh, smiling as she shook her head slightly when they disappeared into Shizu’s room. Then, she looked at Zabuza from the corner of his eye.

“It’s not my fault. He threatened to not come home unless I brought along that scrawny stray.” Zabuza grumbled and crossed his arms. When she didn’t reply, he frowned slightly. “Don’t. I already know what you’re going to say.”

“I don’t care if you already know what I’m going to say, Zabuza Momochi.” Mei’s eyes glowered and she exhaled a puff of hot steam. “You told me you were doing a document retrieval mission. Document. Retrieval.”

“Yeah. We retrieved the documents from the bastard’s cold, dead–” Zabzua grunted as Mei reached up and flicked his forehead.

“You are lucky right now that Shizu is home and might overhear because I would have much harsher things to say than what I’m going to.” Mei held the front of his flak jacket and leaned closer. “First of all, how dare you lie to me about your mission. Secondly…” She lowered her voice. “I can’t believe you forced him to kill, Zabuza! He’s just a child!”

“We were children.”

“That is exactly my point.” Mei could feel her throat warming, and she knew that Zabuza could tell just how angry she was. “You knew how traumatized he was, and you still forced him to see death again.”

“He needed to get over it.” Zabuza straightened and pressed his lips into a hard line. “There’s no better way than to face it directly. And,” He paused. “I didn’t force him. He chose to do it.”

“Did he choose to do it, or did you tell him that he was going to, and you only gave him the option for how?”

Zabuza furrowed his brows, and Mei tried to flick his forehead once more, only for him to grip her wrist.

“I knew it.” Mei huffed. “Couldn’t you have just given him more time? The solution didn’t have to be bloodying his hands. Didn’t you stop to think about how this is going to affect him?”

“His hands are clean. He used a fast-acting poison.” Zabuza released his grip and raised one brow. “Did you expect me to hold the blade in his hands and force him to behead the target?”

“I shouldn’t have to imagine any situation where he killed anyone.” Mei muttered.

“He’s a shinobi. Or, he will be. He’ll have to kill someone eventually.” He met her eyes. “Would you rather he be a helpless victim if he’s ever ambushed again, or would you rather he know how to protect himself?”

“Shut up.” Mei whispered and turned away. “This isn’t over. There’s still more I have to say.”

“Say it later. I need to report in.”

“Fine.”

Mei exhaled hotly once Zabuza left, and she grumbled and muttered under her breath. She bit her thumb as she thought bitterly of the situation, then turned to listen to Shizu’s faint but excited rapid-fire dialogue in his room. She could picture his face perfectly in her mind by recognizing how he sounded when grinning so widely. She sighed again and stepped into the kitchen. There were two very hungry boys to feed, and that was more important in the present than her own complicated, pained thoughts.

Chapter Text

Shizu was content. He’d shown Haku nearly everything he had wanted to– besides showing off his Jutsu in his favorite practice spot or the goats– and now they were happily devouring Mei’s specialty of Cream Soup. Haku was hesitant to try it, but once he had gotten the first sip, he dove in as well. Shizu even had cleaned up his room enough to make space for a second futon and felt very proud of himself for it.

Haku was still uncomfortable in this home. How could he not? Mei seemed nice enough, but he had only just met her, and he felt that she was only being nice to him for Shizu’s sake. He knew Zabuza did not necessarily want him around until he could be of use. Shizu, of course, had already welcomed him with open arms, and Haku felt a little warmer each time he was called ‘brother,’ but the stew was rich and delicious, warming him, too. He had never tasted anything so good in his life, though he had thought the same about nearly everything Shizu had offered him on their journey back. With each passing minute here, he felt just a little safer, but the same fears haunted his thoughts.

Mei was annoyed. Not with either of the children across the table from her, of course, but with that pain-in-her-ass Zabuza. As long as they had known each other, Zabuza had never liked them lying to each other. Of everyone else in Kirigakure, they only completed trusted each other. For him to lie to her was a big deal. Mei grumbled and held her spoon so tightly that her fingers began to feel stiff the more she thought about just what Zabuza had done. She still wouldn’t have agreed with his opinion on how best to help Shizu if he had been honest, but at least she would have known his intentions from the start. At least she could have prepared herself mentally, rather than have to accept it so suddenly. Then again, she knew Zabuza knew her just as well as he knew himself, and that he likely chose to keep the truth from her because of how agonized she might feel if she knew what Shizu would do. She let out a heavy sigh and watched the boys eat, though they were both nearly done with their second helpings. She was angry with Zabuza, but she didn’t want the boys to misunderstand and think she was angry with either of them, so she did her best to push the issue to the back of her mind.

“Where’s dad?” Shizu looked up from his bowl after finishing the last slurp. 

“He’s making his report.” Mei answered simply, then carefully lifted her bowl to drink. 

“Are you mad?”

“Very.” Mei set her bowl down, keeping her eyes closed for a moment, but when she opened them again, she saw Haku’s expression fall. She cleared her throat. “I’m not upset with either of you, don’t worry.”

“Are you mad dad took me on a mission?” Shizu asked.

“Yes.” 

“But I didn’t get hurt this time.”

This time? Haku wondered, and looked at Shizu from the corner of his eye. He realized that whatever danger Shizu must have faced before, it was the reason why Shizu seemed so anxious when Zabuza had left them alone. But, as Haku kept thinking, he remembered how Shizu had been poisoned, but Haku had obeyed Zabuza and not spoken of it. He wondered if it was really the right thing to do to hide something important from his first friend, but if Shizu's father said it was best for him, maybe he was right.

Mei looked at Shizu and ran her fingers through her hair. “Even if you’re home safely, I was still very worried for you. And I’m not happy that your father took you on a mission without my permission, or lying about what kind of mission it was.”

“But, if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t have meeted Haku.” Shizu looked over at the older boy, frowning slightly.

“Well, that’s true.” Mei smiled at the boys. “Things would be lonelier without him, wouldn’t they?”

“Mhm!” Shizu beamed. “Mom, tomorrow, I wanna show him all my Jutsu!”

“It sounds like you two will have a lot of fun.” Mei rested her cheek in her hand. “I’ll have to leave for a bit to see if there are any missions for me, though, so I won’t get to play with you.”

“Aw.” Shizu crossed his arms and pouted.

“Your dad will probably have missions, too.” Mei frowned slightly thinking of Zabuza again, then unfurrowed her brows. “Most likely ones closer to home for a while, though.”

“We’ll be home alone?” Shizu’s eyes widened slightly.

“Maybe.” Mei pressed her lips together. She didn’t like the idea of leaving Shizu alone at all. “I’ll talk to your dad about it tonight. We might have you stay with your friends until we have some time off.”

“Oh.” Shizu glanced down. “But we’ll be okay all alone for a little bit, right?” He looked at Haku, then at Mei. “We’re safe here, right?”

No. Mei wanted to say. You’re not safe anywhere. She was still concerned with everything Kisame had said, and what she had heard at that meeting. It was only a matter of time before Shizu was discovered, she knew, and she was surprised that he had made it to five years old without being discovered– Kisame aside. She smiled faintly at the bright-eyed child.

“Yes, of course. You’re safe here at home.”

She could hide her worry from Shizu, but Haku proved to be more astute. He looked away as soon as he realized he was being watched. Mei wondered just what had happened to make such a polite and kind child so nervous, but she wouldn’t pry. The world was cruel at times and did not discriminate between innocent children and those with evil in their hearts.

“If you two are full, why don’t you take a bath and start getting ready for bed?”

“But I’m not tired, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu crossed his arms.

“Maybe not yet, but it’s always good to get plenty of rest after a mission.” Mei poked his nose and smiled. “I’m sure Haku would appreciate rest, too, since I’m sure he’s not used to traveling so far.”

“Hm. I guess so.” Shizu mumbled, then looked at Haku with a smile. “Wanna take a bath together? I can show you how long I can stand on water, now! And I can show you my workbooks! Miss Saki says my handwriting is really neat.”

“You can write?” Haku asked softly.

“Yeah, of course!” Shizu nodded. “Can’t you?”

Haku looked downward and wrung his hands. “No.”

“Huh?” Shizu blinked. “But you know how to read, right?”

Haku shook his head again, and Shizu fell silent.

Mei’s expression softened as she looked at Haku. She watched him for a moment and she turned to Shizu. “Why don’t you show him the kana? I think he’d learn them easily since you know them so well.”

“Okay!” Shizu took Haku’s hand. “I’ll be your bestest teacher!”

Zabuza returned at dusk to find Mei waiting for him with her brows furrowed and her arms crossed. He ignored her as he passed her to change clothes, but she followed him into the room and locked the door.

"Where are the brats? It's quiet." Zabuza asked, intentionally avoiding her gaze. 

"Shizu is trying to teach Haku to read and they've both been very good boys." Mei replied shortly. "Unlike you."

Zabuza snorted under his breath. "I'm no kid."

"Maybe not, but you're being obstinate anyway." She slammed her hand on the wall to block him as he tried to reach the door. "Why did you lie to me? I distinctly remember you saying that we would never lie to each other."

"I didn't lie. I withheld information to postpone confrontation." He raised his brow. "It wouldn't have mattered what I said. You know that."

"That's not the problem." Mei clenched her jaw tightly. Neither of them spoke for some time, and she frowned. "Why did you bring that boy home? I doubt you only did it for Shizu's sake."

"Do you object to him being here?"

"The only thing I will reject is your answer if it's something that's going to piss me off."

Zabuza crossed his arms. "Starting tomorrow, he's going to be trained."

"What?" Mei blinked. "Why? Because Shizu needs a partner his own size?"

"Because he's going to be Shizu's shield."

Confusion flashed briefly in her eyes, then anger, and she pushed him against the wall.

"Explain. Now. You're on very thin ice."

"Shizu saved his life, and he owes him. He's already agreed to train in order to act as Shizu's protection when neither of us are around."

"He's a child. How could you manipulate him into agreeing to something like that?"

"He's been starving and orphaned for a long time without any purpose. He wasn't content just accompanying us simply because Shizu wanted to save him. I gave him the option, and he took it."

"He's a child. They're both children." Mei muttered. "They're easily manipulated."

"He didn't have any real will to live until I offered him that role."

Mei let out a hot breath and tendrils of steam escaped her lips. "Shizu wanted a brother . Not a tool."

"What the brat doesn't know won't kill him." Zabuza knit his brows. "He can think of that kid as his brother all he likes. As long as he's got sufficient protection."

"Brothers looking after one another is one thing, Zabuza. Making a young boy act as another's shield is… inhumane." She shook her head. "Using children as tools is exactly what gave the Bloody Mist its name. It's the exact opposite of what you've been working toward. What we've been working toward." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "And don't try to say the ends justify the means. You'll be just as bad as the Mizukage."

"I don't see any downsides to this arrangement. Shizu gets a companion that boosts his morale, as well as constant protection. You get another son. And I get a decoy to use should the Mizukage or my captain insist on meeting my 'apprentice.' Preventing anyone from snooping around where they shouldn't and finding him ."

"It still doesn't justify it." Mei shook her head and moved her arm. She turned her back to him, bit her thumb, then turned to him. "If he's going to be part of the family, then he's going to be part of the family for everyone. You can't be the only one treating him like an outsider. Shizu may not notice now, but he certainly will when he's older. You can't just mistreat Haku because it's convenient, or because you didn't bond with him the way you did with Shizu since he was a baby."

"The kid doesn't want to be my son; he wants to be useful. There's a difference."

“Maybe not now.” Mei mumbled. “Especially not in the future, if that’s the kind of life he’ll have with us.”

“Not my kid, not my problem.”

“Nope.” She put a hand on his chest and forced him back against the wall. “If he’s Shizu’s brother now like you said, then he is your kid, too. That’s how it is.”

“Whatever.” Zabuza swatted her hand away. “More importantly, that brat has no background with combat of any kind and will need extra training. You’ll be in charge of that when I’m busy. He's a liability on missions until he's at least Shizu's level."

"Don't push your unrealistic expectations on the poor boy." Mei frowned. "He's still just skin and bones. It's taken years for Shizu to get where he is; even if Haku does train diligently, it will take him a while to get over the long-term effects of the conditions he's been living in."

"He'll be fine."

Mei paused. She pressed her lips together and studied Zabuza's eyes carefully. "Are you saying that because you need him to be strong as Shizu's 'shield,' or because you genuinely see potential in him?"

"Hm." Zabuza turned away from her and busied himself with unpacking, careful to set out a scroll in his usual safe place before he stood again. "I'm going out."

"Where?" Mei raised her brow. "You just got back."

"I need to speak to Gengo about something. I won't be long."

"Ugh." Mei made a face. "Why him? What could you possibly need to talk to him about?"

"His specialty is making connections." Zabuza looked back at her. "I need to find someone."

"Find who?"

"I don't know yet."

"Hmph." Mei shook her head, grumbling. "I still don't trust him."

"Good. You shouldn't trust anyone completely."

"Even you?"

Zabuza stopped. He stood quiet for a moment, then looked at her over his shoulder. "You can trust me."

"No more lies. I mean it." Mei crossed her arms. "I really won't forgive you if you do it again."

"I know."

Gengo was a charismatic man. He knew how to read people and gain their trust. He was naturally approachable and people found he was easy to confide in. This led to him collecting many, many secrets and having many, many important acquaintances. It was a shame that he couldn't reach his full potential here in Kirigakure, he frequently thought. After all, none of his talents were truly acknowledged by the village's leaders. It was such a pity, but it worked to his advantage. He was allied with Zabuza, of course, who was a man in whom he saw great potential. Potential as a leader, and as someone who would appreciate his own vision of the future. 

Despite their affiliation, he never anticipated that Zabuza would approach him outside of their typical meetings. However, it was after sunset and the winter fog was especially thick tonight, so Gengo found it appropriate. 

"Zabuza my friend. I trust your mission was a success."

Zabuza stepped out of the fog but remained in the shadows. "Of course."

"I take it that you have some news for me?" Gengo held up his hand "It's rare for you to seek me out like this. It must be important."

"I need your connections."

"Of course, of course." Gengo's lips curved in a slight smirk. "Who do you need?"

"Someone trustworthy."

"Of course. I am always very selective, as you know." Gengo stepped forward. "What's the job?"

"I need a poisons expert. I have a sample I'd like analyzed."

"Ah." Gengo put his hand to his chin in thought. "I assume it's quite dangerous if it's one that even the great Demon is concerned about."

"Do you know someone up to the task or not?" Zabuza furrowed his brows.

"I have a man in mind. He can be a bit temperamental to work with, but he's very reliable. More importantly, he's good at keeping secrets and his mastery of poisons rivals that of Suna's famed Chiyo."

"Where can I find him?"

"It's hard to say." Gengo smiled and shook his head. "He moves around frequently for his business in the black market. I'm not certain where he is right now, but I can send an encoded message to him tonight." He chuckled. "Usually it takes him a week to respond to his clients, but for me, a friend, I'm certain he'll send a reply in one or two days."

"Good. I want to know as soon as you hear anything."

"Is there anything else you need me to look into?" Gengo studied Zabuza's expression carefully. Of all the many people had ever met, Zabuza was the one he could never read. It was why Gengo had decided to work with him in the first place, and yet, even after all this time, he still couldn't read Zabuza.

"Someone who can do an autopsy."

"Well, in Kiri, that isn't too difficult." Gengo chuckled.

"This one isn't an ordinary shinobi. It's something I've never seen before." Zabuza frowned deeply, and Gengo was intrigued by the unknown look in his eyes.

"You've piqued my interest." Gengo nodded. "Luckily for you, I believe that same friend might be able to help with this as well." He smirked faintly. "Does this autopsy have anything to do with your mystery toxin, I wonder?"

"We'll see." Zabuza turned. "Tell me as soon as he replies. This is something I want settled sooner, rather than later."

"Of course. I'll be sure to tell him that it's urgent."

Gengo chuckled after Zabuza flickered away, and he stared out of the wide window at the moon. He was certain now more than ever that aligning with Zabuza was the right choice, and he was hoping that his curiosity would soon be sated.

Shizu was having trouble falling asleep. He was disappointed that Zabuza still hadn't returned to say goodnight, but he had at least gotten Mei to read him and Haku both a story. It was something he rarely did anymore, but he wanted to point out each of the Kana he had practiced with Haku as she read. It made storytime twice as long, but Mei didn't mind, and Haku was happy to recognize at least two of them– the は and くthat made up his own name. 

He thought that he would have settled in and slept easily after such an exciting day, but thinking of his life with a new brother kept him from falling asleep. He tossed and turned, and he even counted sheep, but nothing helped. He let out a small sigh and hugged Niney close. Things he didn't want to think about started to creep into his mind: Memories he wished he could forget and ones that he saw often when he had bad dreams. He shut his eyes tightly, but they lingered still. Then, he thought of how he had killed that man. Even when he reminded himself that the man was bad, he still felt his chest tighten up. He sat up, still squeezing Niney, and sighed again. Zabuza told him that he wouldn't forget, but, even so, he wished just a little bit that he would.

"You can't sleep?" Haku asked quietly from his futon.

"Did I wake you up?" Shizu shifted and looked at him.

Haku shook his head and rolled over to look at Shizu, then averted his eyes. "I haven't slept in a house, on a futon, in a long time." He whispered quietly. "It feels a little strange."

Shizu’s stomach twisted into knots again as it did every time he was reminded of how lucky he was. All of the things he had– a home, a warm bed, food, and parents who loved him– weren’t things that all children had. How terrible, he thought, that there were kids who didn’t have those things. He looked down, feeling guilty.

“You’re not having trouble sleeping because of me, are you?” Haku mumbled.

“Nuh-uh!” Shizu shook his head quickly. He hugged Niney again. “I was thinkin’ about some scary things.”

Haku sat up slightly, thinking, and then looked at Shizu. “Is it about something bad that happened on your last mission?”

Shizu nodded slowly. He didn’t feel like saying anything out loud, but the guilt kept eating away at him. He looked at Haku. “Some ninjas attacked me. I was waiting just waiting for dad to come back, ‘ttebayo.” He whispered. “Dad killed them to save me.”

“Oh.” Haku didn’t know what to say, or what he could say, but he could tell from the younger boy’s expression that he was a little afraid just thinking about it.

“Mom didn’t want me to do missions anymore. So she’s mad at dad. But I didn’t get hurt this time, so it’s okay, I guess.”

“Do you feel okay?”

Yeah.” Shizu nodded, then he frowned faintly. “I think so.” He was quiet for a few moments, then gripped his blanket tightly. “...I didn’t want to kill that guy, ‘ttebayo.”

Haku’s eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing. He could tell that Shizu wanted to talk more, so he thought he should listen.

“Dad said that guy was really bad. And I didn’t want him to hurt more people. So, I guess it’s okay that I killed him.” Shizu mumbled. “But I don’t like it, still. I feel bad. Even though he was bad.”

Haku stayed quiet. Even if Shizu had killed someone who was deserving, killing was serious. Haku understood more than he wanted to, and his stomach started to hurt.

“Dad said I don’t need to like killing.” Shizu continued softly. “I just need to be strong to protect people. And protect me. But I don’t like killing. It’s scary.” With a heavy sigh, Shizu lay back on his futon and drew the covers up to conceal half his face. “I wish I wasn’t scared of anything, like dad.”

“He is scared.” Haku said.

“No he’s not.” Shizu shook his head. “My dad’s not scared of anything.”

“He’s scared of you being hurt or killed.”

Shizu closed his mouth and hugged Niney. “...I know.”

“He really loves you a lot.” Haku lay back and stared at the ceiling, his voice softening. “Your mom really loves you, too. That’s why they’re worried about you.”

“I know.” 

There was more quiet, then Haku looked back at the blond.

“I’ll worry about you, too. I’m not strong, but… I can try to help when you’re scared. And I’ll try to help if you’re in trouble.”

Shizu looked at him, his blue eyes wide. “But I don’t want you to get hurt. I only just meeted you.”

“You want to be brothers, right?”

Shizu nodded. “But I don’t want my new brother to get hurt.”

“Then I’ll get really strong.” Haku smiled slightly. “I’ll get really strong to keep my new brother safe.”

“Well, I’m gonna get even stronger to keep my new brother even safer.” Shizu grinned. “When I’m bigger, I’m going to be stronger than dad and mom. I’m gonna help make Kiri really good, so no one is hurt or sad anymore. And everyone has food and beds.”

“Are you really going to do that?”

“Yeah.” Shizu nodded. “That’s what mom and dad want, too. One day, the bad guys will be gone from the village, and everything will be good for everyone. We’re gonna work together as a family to do it.”

“I’d like to help.” Haku murmured. “I want it to happen.”

“Of course you can help.” Shizu smiled. “You're our family, too.”

Family. The way Shizu said the word made Haku feel so warm, yet he found himself looking away and feeling cold. After everything Shizu had said, he wanted to talk about things, too. But the words were stuck in his throat, so he stayed quiet. 

Shizu looked over at Haku, but he stayed quiet, too. He could tell that Haku was thinking of scary, sad things, too. He wanted to ask Haku questions, but he didn’t want to upset him. So, Shizu closed his eyes and tried to sleep again. He couldn’t. After what felt like a long time, Shizu spoke up again.

"My first mom and dad got killed by a big monster." Shizu mumbled.

Haku, who still hadn’t been able to sleep either, turned to look at him quickly. He had heard what the younger boy had said, but he wasn't sure how to respond. The confession was as solemn as it was confusing. 

"That monster killed a lot of people." Shizu continued. As he slowly spoke, he put a hand on his stomach. "Now that monster is trapped inside me."

"Inside?" Haku's eyes rested on Shizu's belly and then he looked back at his face to see the boy nod.

"Mom and dad said that, 'cause the monster is trapped inside me now, that it stopped him from killing more people."

Haku had many questions, such as what kind of monster it had been or how it became trapped inside the boy's body, but there was one prominent thought that came to mind.

"Does it make you feel sad to have the monster that killed your parents be a part of you?"

Shizu's brows furrowed and he jabbed his stomach with his finger. "Kind of. I'm kinda scared of him."

"Scared?" Haku repeated. "Isn't everything safe since he's trapped inside you?"

"Mom and dad say I gotta be careful when I train 'cause if I get really mad or tired, the monster will try to control me and hurt people."

Haku closed his mouth but stared at the boy. He could read his expression easily– Shizu was younger than him but had so much worry and responsibility that he wrestled with. Maybe even more than he had had, despite all of his own hardships. He wasn’t sure. Haku didn't understand how the monster could escape, but he believed that Shizu was telling the truth. 

"I hate him, 'ttebayo." Shizu murmured into the quiet room. "I hate this monster but I can't hate him too big or he will use the hate to escape. Dad said so."

"Can you control it? The monster?"

Shizu shook his head, paused, and then rested his arms behind his head. "Dad says I can learn how. But I think it's really hard."

"I believe you can do it." Haku smiled at him faintly.

Shizu smiled a small smile back and nodded. "One day I'll be strong enough to control the monster so he never comes out and hurts people. Then I won't be scared anymore."

"Do you hate me, too?" Haku whispered nearly inaudibly. 

"What?" Shizu turned to look at Haku, but the older boy only shook his head, closed his eyes, and gave a small yawn.

"It's nothing."

Shizu yawned again and drew his blanket closer. "I’m really happy, ‘ttebayo. I always wanted a brother.” His voice trailed off and, within moments, he had fallen asleep.

Haku smiled at first. He watched Shizu fall asleep, then his stomach twisted again and he curled into a ball and pulled the blanket close. He wish he could sleep, too, but he kept hearing those voices and seeing those things again. He wished he could make it stop.

He shut his eyes tightly and instead tried to think about other things– like how he could recognize his name when it was written now, how good the stew had tasted, and the sound of Shizu’s peaceful breathing beside him. Finally, his eyes closed and he drifted to sleep.

Haku slept as peacefully as Shizu, at first, then his expression scrunched and he whimpered. A tear rolled down his cheek and he muttered a single, soft word; “mom.” Beads of sweat gathered on his brow and froze before they could roll down his face. Then, he let out a sudden cry.

Shizu woke at the sensation of pain. He sat upright quickly and saw why– icy spikes filled the whole room, and some had cut him. He blinked and looked around in confusion. He did hurt, but he didn’t know where all of the ice had come from. He looked around to make sure Haku was okay but found the older boy in the epicenter, crying. His dark eyes widened when he looked up at Shizu and saw the red dripping down to the floor, where it froze.

“MOM!” Shizu yelled loudly. “DAD!”

“N-No!” Haku held out his hand, but it was too late. He could hear a door open down the hall, and he started to shake.

“Shizu!” 

Mei called out from the other side of the door. She shook the knob, then tried to force the door open when it was frozen shut. Shizu heard the sound of a large foot hitting the door– Zabuza’s, he knew– and it opened. Mei’s eyes widened and her eyes fell on Haku. “You…?”

"I-It wasn't me!" Haku's eyes filled with tears and he felt his chest tighten. It was the same fear and the same suffocating panic that he carried with him for many months already. It was familiar to him, and still so powerful. His lip quivered. "I didn't…"

Mei shared a look with Zabuza, softened at the boy's frightened demeanor, and she reached out to touch his cheek. He flinched away, and Mei lowered her arm before kneeling in front of him.

"It must have been so difficult for you all this time, having a Kekkei Genkai."

"I-I don't!" Haku's voice was a soft whimper. 

"I'll tell you a little secret of my own, okay?" Mei held a finger to her lips and smiled slightly. "I have a Kekkei Genkai, too." When the boy's eyes widened, she held up two fingers. "Two of them, actually."

Haku didn't speak. He couldn't. He knew very little about Kekkei Genkai to begin with, but having two? This woman– who seemed so sweet so far– must have been teasing him before the inevitable… him being beaten or chased away as he was used to.

Mei straightened and channeled her Chakra, then she opened her mouth to release a cloud of hot steam. It filled the room, and, to Haku's surprise, melted the ice he had never seen melt before. Every flake and frozen crystal evaporated and, after only a few minutes, the room was dry once again. She looked back at him. 

"See?"

"You… have one… too?"

Mei nodded and knelt again to meet his eyes. "You're safe here. None of us are going to punish you for the power you were born with."

Haku’s lip quivered and he sniffed. “B-But… I… hurt Shizu. Don’t you hate me?”

“I heal really fast, see?” Shizu beamed and pointed at his skin. To Haku’s amazement, each scratch and scrape, no matter how deep, seemed to steam and heal on their own. This must have been what Zabuza had meant before, at that inn, but he still stared.

“I’m all better already!” Shizu touched his cheek where a small cut had been. “I’m okay,’ttebayo, so don’t be sad.”

“B-But…” Haku’s voice caught in his throat. His vision blurred and another wave of tears streamed down his cheek. His legs felt like jelly, but Mei caught him gently when he wobbled and she stroked his hair.

“You’re safe, Haku. You don’t have to be alone or afraid anymore.”

The boy hiccuped and allowed himself to cling to her. He buried his face in her shirt and let himself cry as she held him close. A new feeling– one he hadn’t felt before– washed over him: relief.

Shizu leaned close and wrapped his arms around Haku, too. After all, his new brother was crying, and he had two perfectly good arms.

“Welcome home, Haku.”

Chapter Text

Shizu happily hummed as he stuffed his notebooks into his pack while Haku brushed his hair. The younger boy was in high spirits, despite how he had been told by his parents that morning that he wouldn't be allowed to stay home alone after all. Haku felt guilty because he knew what Zabuza had really meant– that he, Haku, was too weak to protect Shizu right now. The thought made Haku feel terrible, but he promised himself that he would work as hard as he needed to in order to be a reliable older brother, capable of protecting his precious new sibling. 

"Almost ready, boys?" Mei peeked into the room at them. Haku was surprised by her appearance– rather than her pretty blue dress, she wore a shinobi's uniform and her long hair was tied up in a high ponytail. 

"Almost!" Shizu answered with a grin, then stuffed Niney into his pack and zipped it up. "Now I'm ready!"

Mei nodded at him, then looked at Haku. "What about you?" 

"I don't have anything to pack." Haku said quietly. 

"Is that so?" Mei reached into the hall where Haku couldn't see and held up a small backpack with a smile. "It took me a while to find it, but I tried to get you one that matched that Kimono you really like. I hope the pattern is close enough."

Haku's eyes widened and he hesitantly reached out to take the gift. Was this his? It was made of a sturdy fabric, but its pattern did resemble that pretty silk kimono. He looked up at Mei. "...I like it. I like it a lot."

"I'm glad." Mei patted his head gently, careful because she knew he still instinctually flinched. "I've already packed some extra clothes for you that I picked up, along with a few other things. I even found a nice rice-water extract for you to brush into your hair to keep it healthy and silky." She stroked his hair. "Since I know you like things that are soft."

Haku's eyes watered slightly and he bowed his head. "T-Thank you, but… this is too much."

"Nonsense." Mei smiled. "A mother is supposed to dote on her sons, isn't she?"

"Mom, can I grow my hair long, too?" Shizu patted his hair. "Then, Haku and me can match."

Mei laughed. "We tried to grow your hair a bit when you were littler, but you have so many whorls in your hair that they gave you the worst perpetual bedhead in the world." She ruffled Shizu's blond locks. "You look handsome enough just the way you are."

"But how will people know we're brothers?" Shizu glanced at Haku.

"It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, Shizu." Mei kissed his forehead. "You know in your heart that you're family, and that's what matters most."

"Mhm!" Shizu nodded and threw his arms around Haku. "I can't wait for Haku to meet miss Saki and Mi-chan!"

"Shizu." Mei said evenly, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You need to look out for Haku while you're there, alright?"

Shizu's expression shifted immediately to serious at his mother's tone, so serious that Haku had never seen before. 

"I will." Shizu nodded. 

Mei turned to Haku and rested her other hand on his shoulder as well. "Haku, before you go, there's something important you need to know. I don't want to hide anything from you, alright?"

"What is it?" Haku asked softly.

"Some time ago, the Mizukage forced a group of shinobi with Kekkei Genkai to massacre the rebels who lived on that island." Mei started to explain, slowly, trying to not let her voice tremble. "He held their families hostage and tortured them to make them comply. So, now, the survivors who live there are afraid of shinobi, but especially of Kekkei Genkai." She bit her lip. "Shizu already knows the rules of not discussing shinobi topics there, but I want you to be especially aware of it. I don't think any of them would hold any grudge against you, since you're only a child, but I want you to be careful regardless."

"What if I accidentally make ice?" Haku swallowed. 

"If you have nightmares, or if you're scared to sleep, I'll hold your hand, okay?'' Shizu smiled at him. "I'll hold it all night if you want."

Haku nodded slightly, but he felt a familiar twist in his gut. Mei had promised him earlier that morning to help teach him how to control his power, but, until she had the time to, he was worried that he might hurt someone. 

Mei stood and looked between the boys. She smiled and rested a hand on each of their heads. Having an extra child around would take getting used to, but she was already fond of Haku. They were alike, of course, but he was also just a polite and cute child that Mei thought anyone should like. She wanted to say more to them, words to comfort Haku because she could read his expression, but Zabuza called for them to hurry up and that he was growing impatient. Mei chuckled under her breath, thinking that he was always impatient. 

Shizu led Haku to Zabuza's side where he took a pair of masks from his guardian and helped Haku to put it on.

"What's this for?" Haku asked, but only once Shizu had finished adjusting it for him.

"Step one of ninja training." Shizu smiled. "When the mask is on, you're as silent as the mist." He slipped his own mask on, but kept it just under his chin. "'Cause you don't want a bad guy to hear you. So we practice being super quiet when we wear the masks."

"Oh." Haku gently touched the mask and glanced at Zabuza. Though the man kept his face concealed with bandages, he thought that perhaps Zabuza really had just wanted the children to copy him. After all, they could practice stealth just fine without masks. Haku almost smiled, thinking that Zabuza was a normal person with funny little quirks too, but he didn't want to risk Zabuza's intense eyebrow raise of suspicion if the man saw his smile.

"What are you looking at?" Zabuza raised a brow at Haku.

Haku quickly looked away, but it was too late. 

"Dad, are we all ready now?" Shizu tugged on Zabuza's arm. "Can I run this time, too?"

"No. You still can't walk on water."

"'Cause it's hard, 'ttebayo… " Shizu grumbled and crossed his arms. "I don't wanna be carried anymore… I'm big now."

Zabuza snorted quietly and lifted Shizu's mask to cover his face. "Quit your whining. If you don't like it, focus more on your training."

Shizu, now oddly serious and quiet– from Haku's perspective– nodded without a sound. Haku was impressed how his demeanor had changed so quickly with the mask, and he wondered if he was expecting to do the same. He looked up at Zabuza, remembering the guilt he felt and the promise he'd made. He lifted his own mask. If he was going to protect his new brother, then he'd learn as much ninja stuff as he could, as quickly as he could. 

Mei sighed as she looked between the two boys. She never liked Zabuza's insistence to train Shizu to be silent this way, and she didn't like it even more that it was happening with Haku, too, but Zabuza never listened to her complaints on the subject. It was good for them to know stealth, but she hated this method. She'd have to talk to him about it later, after their missions were over. She pulled Zabuza close to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Be safe out there."

"Hm." 

Mei kissed each of the boys on the top of their heads and smiled at them. She looked between them for some time and turned to Zabuza. She didn't need to tell him her concerns, as he already knew what she was thinking, so she reluctantly only offered a final goodbye. Then, Zabuza lifted the boys up and left.

Sakinami had worried the entire time Shizu was gone. She always did, of course, but she worried even more when she knew that Zabuza was bringing him along on missions. The world was cruel, but the shinobi world was cruelest– sending children off to battle to be traumatized or killed. There were many restless nights of worry where she wished that Zabuza had never returned for the child at all and she had raised him as her own. If that had happened, she thought, then he never would have experienced whatever horrors he had on that mission. Though, each time that thought crossed her mind, she forced herself to dismiss it. After all, what could have been wasn’t more important than the present. No matter what state of mind Shizu returned to them in, she always tried to prepare herself to be exactly what he needed.

None of her mental preparation was of any use when, to her complete surprise, Shizu was grinning ear-to-ear. What surprised her even more was the dark-haired child with him that Shizu introduced as his brother. He had given no explanation– and neither had Zabuza before he left– but Sakinami did not question it out loud. Of course she had many questions, such as where the boy had come from and why he was so skinny, but she only gave the new arrival a friendly greeting. Then, just as he usually did, Shizu was off like a whirlwind. 

Sakinami thought it sweet how excited he was to show his brother around the small island. There wasn't much to seen so his tour only took a few minutes, but he was most excited when showing Haku the makeshift schoolroom. She wasn't quite sure why Shizu would be most excited about it until Shizu quietly whispered to her that Haku didn't know how to read or write yet. He was such a sweet boy, and she praised him for his teaching ability when she started a private lesson for Haku and he could recognize his own name. Shizu was proud of himself and grinning ear to ear, while the shy Haku was quiet but the happiness was reflected in his eyes. 

The rest of the day was a busy blur of lessons and Shizu showing Haku each game he and the other children played. By nightfall, the boys were exhausted and she was sure that they would fall asleep quickly. She finished her rounds to make sure every child was happily settled onto their futons. Unlike the past few weeks, she was able to fall into a deep sleep knowing that Shizu was safe. 

The next morning, Sakinami felt more rested and cheerful than she had in a long time. Shizu was back, and, more importantly, he was back to his sunshiney self again. She hummed to herself as she prepared breakfast for the children as most of the parents began their daily chores. She wondered what sort of things Shizu would be up to today. He had been so excited to have help teaching Haku to read, but she hoped that the mischievous little blond wouldn't be too distracted to focus on his own studies. She was only an ordinary person, and therefore couldn't assist with his training, but she thought a good basic education would help him on his missions. At least, she hoped she could contribute in that way. So, she especially wanted him to learn as much as she was able to teach.

When breakfast was finished and the children gathered around the stone tables, she was surprised to see that Shizu and Haku were absent. Before she could worry too much, both boys shuffled into the room to eat. However, rather than look as excited and alert as she anticipated, both were heavy-lidded. 

At first she thought little of it– of course it was likely that the boys had stayed up late talking or playing, as siblings typically did– but she was certain that they would sleep well when night fell. Both boys were hardly conscious the next morning and she was getting worried. Neither could concentrate at all during lessons, so she excused them both to nap but as soon as she made the suggestion, she saw fear flicker in Haku's eyes. It confounded her but she was too busy with the other children to ask what was wrong.

Sakinami carried that worry with her for the rest of the day thinking of how she could possibly approach him to figure out what was wrong. Each time she saw him almost dozing off, his eyes would burst open in a panic. Perhaps his past was so troubled that he was afraid to sleep around new people, she thought. The thought made her chest ache, but she wondered if it was true. Maybe she could ask him later. But when night fell, she couldn't muster the words to ask. She tucked them both in as she did every other child and prayed that they would sleep deeply. 

By the third morning, neither Shizu nor Haku could keep their eyes open for more than a few minutes. Each time Haku's eyes closed he shook his head and quickly held Shizu's hand, and Shizu would squeeze it. Shizu only lasted a few hours before he finally collapsed into a much-needed nap. Sakinami hoped that Haku would join him, but he only sat beside Shizu as if watching over him. Shizu woke up well-rested just before sundown but Sakinami heard him whisper an apology. Something was very wrong. A child shouldn't be so anxious about sleep. Sakinami could hardly focus on any else as she supervised the children's bedtime routines and tucked them in. She had to know. But if she asked, she feared that the polite, sweet Haku would close himself off from her. So, she lay down on her own futon and tried to sleep.

Haku kept his eyes closed and pretended to sleep until the other children were softly snoring. Once he was sure they were asleep, he cracked open his eyes and reached over to nudge the blond beside him. 

Shizu sleepily nodded– his daytime nap not being enough to make up for the previous sleepless nights– and he sat up. Then, as quietly as the two boys could, they tip-toed out of the room, fetched their coats and a spare blanket, and went outside. 

"I'm sorry." 

Haku mumbled for what Shizu thought was the millionth time as he stumbled along. It was difficult to walk in a straight line or keep his eyes open, so Shizu had to guide him to the dock. Once they were there, Shizu helped the older boy to sit down. He sat beside him as closely as he could so they could share their warmth. It was colder by the water, after all.

"It's okay, 'ttebayo. Don't say sorry over and over."

"Sorry." Haku whispered, nearly inaudibly. Now that they were alone, he was able to relax and he found himself slowly slumping over until his head leaned against Shizu's. 

Shizu sighed and reached a small hand up to pat Haku's soft hair. "It's okay. You can sleep now if you want, 'ttebayo."

"You'll get cold."

"It's okay."

"I might make ice again…"

"I'll heal really fast."

Haku would have continued, but he had already dozed off. Shizu smiled and he too closed his eyes and let himself rest. It wasn't very comfortable to sleep sitting upright that way, but at least Haku felt safe enough. That was enough to make Shizu put up with the way his backside ached the longer he sat on the frosted dock. 

Haku jolted awake from a nightmare and looked around frantically to be sure that there wasn't any ice. He let out a sigh of relief but hugged his arms closely and bit his lip. How long would it be until Zabuza returned for them and they were back at their own home, away from all these people that he was afraid to hurt? He was so very tired and felt so very guilty at how he’d distanced himself from everyone, though they were all perfectly friendly and welcoming.

Shizu rustled beside him and rubbed his eyes. He blinked up at Haku, shivering from the chill that had seeped through his layers. “Nightmare?”

Haku nodded sheepishly and hung his head. “You don’t have to stay out here with me.”

“Huh?” Shizu sat up straighter. “But you’ll be all alone.”

“You’re cold and it’s my fault.” Haku frowned and touched Shizu’s hand. “You need to go inside or you’ll get sick.”

“You’ll get sick too, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu frowned also and crossed his arms.

“It’s okay. I’m used to sleeping outside.” Haku mumbled. “It’s better now than before, with warm clothes…”

“Nuh-uh! I promised I would stay with you!” Shizu jumped to his feet. “I won’t go inside ‘til you go with me.”

“I can’t.” Haku shook his head. “I’ll… I’ll have nightmares again. I’ll hurt them, then they’ll see my ice, and they’ll hate me. And they’ll hate you, too…”

Shizu scrunched his face and grumbled as he thought. He was sure that all the people on the island were nice and couldn’t possibly dislike Haku, but he didn’t know how to help Haku at all. Then, after a few minutes, his eyes lit up.

“Make a bunch of ice right here, then!”

‘What?” Haku asked softly.

“‘Cause!” Shizu waved his arms to motion around them. “‘Cause we’re next to the water! If you make a bunch of ice here, it can float away where no one sees. If you make lots and lots of ice, maybe you’ll run out of ice for a little bit. Then you can sleep and not be scared, ‘ttebayo!” Shizu grinned, feeling proud of himself for thinking of such a clever solution.

“Run out of ice?” Haku looked down at his hands. “Does it work like that?”

“Um…” Shizu scrunched his face again, and then nodded matter-of-factly. “Yeah! Maybe…” He waved his hands again. “Try it! Make the hugest ice you can in the water.”

“I don’t know how to do it on purpose.” Haku shook his head. “It just happens.”

“Well…” Shizu rubbed his head. “When I do Jutsu, it’s like I go…. Gah! With my Chakra. And then like a Bam! When it happens. Making ice is probably the same.”

Haku remained quiet. He appreciated Shizu’s concern and help, but he had no idea how to decipher was the younger boy was trying to say. His heart pounded the more he thought about the ability he’d been born with, and he wished now more than ever that he had had time to train with Mei. His gaze fell on the cold winter water. Could he really create ice on purpose ? Could he learn to control it so he didn’t hurt anyone? He didn’t think Shizu’s idea would really work, but he was tired and he thought that it couldn’t hurt to try.

Haku gulped and stepped closer to the edge of the dock. The sound of the waves was soothing somehow, as if drawing him in, but panic rose in his chest as he thought more and more about what he was about to attempt. What if he couldn’t do it? What if he did and someone saw? His eyes widened when he saw ice forming beneath his feet and his heart beat faster. He wanted Shizu’s idea to be right, but now that he had made a little ice, he was scared. He wanted it to stop, hoping that if he closed his eyes tightly, it would stop spreading down the supports and freezing the waves. It didn’t. His hands shaking and his breathing short and rapid, he looked at Shizu with wide, pleading eyes.

“Help.” Haku squeaked.

“What are you boys doing out here? You’ll catch your death of cold.”

Shizu jumped at the voice and Haku froze in place. His lip quivered and he felt dizzy. 

Shizu swallowed. “M-Miss Saki! You’re awake!”

“Of course I am. I peeked in to check on you, but you weren’t there.” Sakinami shook her head. “If you were having trouble sleeping, you should have just asked me to make you a little tea–” Her gaze shifted from Shizu to Haku, and the words caught in her throat.

Shizu hurriedly stood in front of Haku and waved his arms. “We’ll go in and drink lots of tea and go to sleep, so don’t look!”

Sakinami opened her mouth and shut it again. She stared at the boy who stood shaking and the ice rapidly spreading over the dock and freezing the water solid. Icicles formed from his cold hands and he desperately tried to snap them off, but the more he did, the colder the air grew around them. It seemed impossible, yet she knew what it was.

“Shizu… he…?”

“No!” Shizu furrowed his brows. “Haku isn’t bad; he’s good! He’s very good! And nice! He didn’t do anything bad like the people who attacked!”

Sakinami’s heart skipped and she covered her mouth. Faint memories stirred, and she took a step back to steady herself. She stared at Shizu, unable to think anything coherent for some time before she mustered a whisper.

“Zabuza told you?”

Shizu nodded firmly. “Haku isn’t bad or scary, and if you’re gonna be mean, then I won’t forgive you if you’re mean to him! He’s my brother now!”

“Shizu…” Haku murmured. He felt just a little relief at Shizu’s defense, but the woman’s expression still made him fearful. He tried as hard as he could to get the ice to stop, but it continued to creep along the ground and over the sea.

Sakinami hung her head. “I never wanted you to know such terrible things.”

The woman shook her head and let her hair fall into her face to hide how her eyes watered. It made sense to her, she thought, how Shizu seemed so guarded whenever the subject of shinobi was brought up by one of the other children. Then, a new thought came to mind: Shizu’s mother. Did she have one as well? Shizu clearly loved her dearly, and yet, he never spoke of her…

Sakinami closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry. It should never be a child’s job to worry about a grown-up’s feelings… I didn’t realize you knew. I never knew why there were some things you didn’t speak of.” She looked up at the child. “I’m sorry you’ve had such a responsibility for so long.”

“Haku isn’t bad.” Shizu said again.

“I know…” Sakinami let out the breath she had been holding and murmured. “You’ve been suffering and hardly sleeping… how terrible of us to cause you so much anxiety.”

“You’re not mad?” Haku asked quietly.

“There wasn’t anyone with ice that time.” The woman shook her head. “And, even if there was… it has nothing to do with you. I’m so sorry you were worried about that.” She stepped forward and reached out to Haku. “Please, let’s go inside. I’ll make some hot tea and you can finally get some worry-free rest.”

“I-I can’t…” Haku stepped back from her, then remembered how close to the edge of the dock he was. “I’ll hurt them.”

“Hurt them?” Sakinami repeated. She looked over at the ice, noticing that it wasn’t forming as rapidly as before. “Is that why you’ve been so afraid? Does it happen when you sleep?”

“He makes ice when he has nightmares.” Shizu lowered his arms and answered, looking up at the woman. “He has lots of nightmares like I did.”

“You’ve been coming out here every night?” Sakinami felt pained having to say such a thing aloud. Feelings of guilt and sympathy softened her expression.

Haku and Shizu nodded at the same time and her chest panged again. Oh. What a sweet, devoted boy Shizu was to support Haku like this. But oh, what a sad, sad thing for a child as young as Haku to resort to.

“We don’t have much spare space, but if it helps you to feel at ease, I’ll find a new place for your futons. Somewhere away from the other children.”

“If I make ice inside, someone will see.” Haku shook his head. “They’ll be angry…”

Sakinami reached out hesitantly to touch Haku's shoulder. To both of their surprise, frost did not form over her hand. She managed a small smile and met his eyes. “You’re not guilty of any crime. The others might be surprised if they found out, but it had nothing to do with you.”

“But, mom said it would make everyone sad. To think about.” Shizu thought out loud.

“Your mother is very kind, Shizu. But it should never have been your responsibility.” Sakinami patted his hair.

“I…” Haku swallowed. “I don’t want to go inside.”

“It’s alright.” Sakinami gently squeezed Haku's shoulder. “Let’s have some hot tea and find you a safe place to sleep. You’re exhausted.” When the child opened his mouth to protest, she smiled gently. “I promise that if anyone does find out, I won’t allow anyone to mistreat you.”

"Miss Saki makes really good tea." Shizu smiled at Haku. "You'll sleep really good."

Haku bit his lip and remembered the tea from that time. His stomach twisted but, he thought, he could trust this woman if Zabuza and Shizu did. The idea still made him feel uneasy.

"I can't stop making ice." Haku admitted in a whisper. 

"Huh?" Shizu looked around them. Though there was plenty of frost and ice all around them– even freezing the waves that lapped the dock– there was no new progression. Shizu grinned. "Haku, it stopped!"

"It stopped?" Haku repeated and looked around. He didn't believe it at first, but Shizu was right. He let out a deep sigh of relief.

"I knew it would work, 'ttebayo!" Shizu smiled broadly and hugged Haku. "You ran out of ice!"

Haku did not feel that it happened that way, but it didn't matter to him. He was too tired to say anything more. Too tired to even protest when Sakinami gently led him indoors, peeled off his shoes and coat, moved his futon without waking the others, gave him tea, and then tucked him into bed. He didn't complain that the only spare room was so small that he and Shizu had to share the futon. Too tired to even be worried about nightmares. His eyes closed and he finally fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Chapter Text

Zabuza followed Gengo irritatedly through the frigid wood. He would have been home already, had Gengo not notified him of the response of the man he'd inquired about. Of course, this meeting was an important one, but traveling to the location detailed in the coded message was a fair distance out of his way. And, to annoy him even more, Gengo needed to go with him on the insistence of the mysterious contact. Gengo was a reliable ally, but he was far too chatty in Zabuza's opinion. Too chatty and too curious.

Gengo, on the other hand, was clearly pleased to have the travel time alone with Zabuza. He asked many careful, probing questions and changed his methods each time Zabuza failed to reply or shut down the conversation. Zabuza never failed to stir his curiosity, but there were many answers he sought. For one, Zabuza was overly tight-lipped about his mysterious apprentice. Ordinarily, he would explain the talents and achievements of any recruit, though this apprentice was a taboo subject. Gengo could tell that Zabuza was withholding information– vital, juicy information– and he was determined to find out what it was. As curious as he was, he was a patient man. Patient and persistent.

After two days the pair finally reached the coordinates. Zabuza was very tired of Gengo's company and was thoroughly unimpressed with the dilapidated temple Gengo had led him to. It was clear that this had been a holy place at one point, but that era was long gone. Nature had proudly reclaimed the structure: trees grew through the stone and left deep cracks; moss and fungi spread abundantly along the floors, walls, and what remained of the ceiling; birds, foxes, rodents, and even boar making the ruins a home over time was evident. Despite all of that, the area was unnaturally quiet and empty.

Zabuza was going to raise his brow and question Gengo's contact when Gengo discovered what they had been looking for– a small opening only wide enough to slip inside from the side, hidden by a thick curtain of moss. Gengo attempted to graciously motion for Zabuza to take the lead, but Zabuza raised his brow.

"You first."

Gengo chuckled. Sure enough, it was to be expected of Zabuza to be so skeptical. It was a good skill– a useful skill– for keeping one alive. He obliged and slipped through the crack, disappearing after some time in the darkness. Zabuza waited and listened for any small sounds indicating a trap, but there was none. Gengo's voice echoed through the tunnel after a few moments to assure Zabuza it was safe, and Zabuza followed suit.

Zabuza was not claustrophobic by any means, but he did not take to feeling trapped well. Small spaces meant that he could not defend himself well– if at all– and he did not like to feel vulnerable. He grumbled curses under his breath about Gengo until the narrow passage opened and he was able to comfortably stand in the center of a circular underground room. Several dark halls branched off from this central area, and he crossed his arms as he looked at Gengo.

"Well? Which way?"

"So impatient, Zabuza. How unlike you." Gengo chuckled and looked around the area, carefully examining the entrance of each hall. "Or, rather, very characteristic." His lips curved in a smirk and he pointed at a small design that resembled an old clan seal. "This way."

The next hallway was long and dimly lit by small bulbs suspended from the ceiling in intervals. They illuminated when Gengo and Zabuza drew near, then ominously shut off again once they had passed. Zabuza did not like this place or its supposed inhabitant already.

After walking for some time they arrived in another large, circular room. Instead of more hallways, there was only a single door with the same symbol printed on its center. Unlike the ruins or the passages they had been through, this door was modern and secured shut. Zabuza noted the small security camera watching them above the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at its lens, and a voice crackled over the speaker.

"Gengo, my old friend. You came after all."

"Of course I did." Gengo nodded and smiled at the camera. "It's been too long."

"I see you've brought my new client, too. Marvelous."

The door unlocked from the inside and Gengo looked over his shoulder at Zabuza, who was unimpressed, before pushing open the door and leading Zabuza inside.

Whatever Zabuza had been expecting, this wasn't it. The seemingly sprawling layout was a complicated conglomerate of modern scientific equipment, neatly organized artifacts and trinkets, and messy piles of books, records, scrolls, and various suspicious unmarked boxes. Several small rooms had artificial growth lighting and numerous plants unfamiliar to Zabuza grew there. A pungent odor lingered in the air, one Zabuza could not determine. It was floral in part, though it smelled faintly of something flammable. A wall stood with shelves filled entirely with specimens in jars of every size and collections of maps and weapons were hung on other walls. Yes, he thought, he didn't like this at all.

"Well, well." Gengo whistled as he looked around. "It's exactly as I expected it to be."

Zabuza furrowed his brows. Gengo was definitely a weird one.

"Haven't you been here before?" He grumbled.

"Oh no. Never." Gengo chuckled.

"I rarely meet any of my clients face-to-face." The voice from the speaker responded from an adjacent room, one Zabuza couldn’t see into from where he stood. "Anonymity is preferable in the underground market, though there are some rare cases where I go to my clients. If there are intimate details that cannot be divulged through correspondences alone."

The man stepped out of the room and stood before them. His thin lips were curved in a smirk and a thick cigar rested between them. From it, smoke with a faint pink hue drifted upward. When its scent reached Zabuza, he realized that this was the source of the odd smell that lingered.

Zabuza had seen a lot of things before, and a wide variety in people, but something about this man told him to be very cautious. He couldn’t put his finger on any specific trait– the eyepatch over his right eye; the tattoos that sprawled over his skin, peeking out from the collar of his shirt and his sleeves; his fitted, expensive suit that very clearly seemed to be imported; his thin, high-arching brows that were lifted in amusement; and the way his green eye watched Zabuza carefully. He could read this expression easily: this man was just as charismatic as Gengo, but far more dangerous than he seemed.

"This is the first time I've invited a client to come to me." The man tilted his head and made a grand sweeping gesture. "How marvelous it is to meet the Demon of the Bloody Mist in person."

"Hm." Zabuza gave no reply, but only watched him.

"Introductions are in order." Gengo motioned. "Zabuza, this is Hanzai Yoake. He'll take care of whatever problem you have."

"'Dawn Criminal'." Zabuza raised his brow. "What kind of alias is that?"

"I liked the sound of it." Hanzai chuckled. "My original name was far too simple to be successful on the Black Market. Looking the part just doesn't cut it for clients." He held the cigar away from his mouth and exhaled. "Would you like to try? I make them myself."

"I didn't come here to smoke."

"Of course.' Hanzai chuckled and returned the cigar to his mouth. "You're right to be wary; these cigars all contain a unique blend. Perfectly harmless, I assure you, until I channel my chakra through them. Then, the poison becomes activated."

Zabuza narrowed his eyes and straightened.

"Oh, don't worry. I would never harm such a notable figure such as yourself or a client." Hanzai smoothed his hair. "Smoking these daily only builds my immunity." He stepped aside and motioned toward a seating area. "We're all busy men, so please, take a seat. I'd love to know what the great Demon requires my services for."

Zabuza hesitantly obliged and only sat after Gengo.

"Now." Hanzai exhaled a puff of pink smoke and leaned forward on the sofa. "What can I do for you?"

Zabuza paused a moment before he took out a scroll and unrolled it. Then he placed his hand over the seal, channeled his Chakra, and held a teapot in his hand.

"Oh, something vintage for my collection?" Hanzai chuckled.

"Not the teapot." Zabuza furrowed brows. "The tea inside contained a powerful sedative. I need to know where it came from and who was behind it."

"Marvelous."

Hanzai took the teapot from him gently, holding it with both hands before he removed the lid and peered inside. He drew in a deep breath and his eyes glinted with a look that Zabuza thought was on the fine line of obsession.

"Now this… this is marvelous. Simply marvelous." He met Zabuza's gaze. "Where did you get this?"

"A pissant disguised as an innkeeper tried to do in my apprentice. I want to find out who they were working for."

"Marvelous." Hanzai breathed the scent in deeply again.

"This is the part where you answer my questions."

Hanzai laughed, the sound raspy and tapering to a hiss. "I have my suspicion, but I'd have to examine it to be sure. Feel free to follow me for the analysis, though, if you'd prefer, my specimens make marvelous company."

He motioned toward the wall of jars with a smirk and Zabuza raised his brow. Gengo laughed and stood, and Hanzai carried the teapot into a large, sterile room. Computers, vials, and various machines and tools lined the surfaces. He watched Hanzai get right to work removing a small sample of tea leaves, placed them on a slide, and peered at it through a microscope. After a moment, his smirk returned.

"Marvelous."

"What is it?" Zabuza crossed his arms.

"A very rare, very delicate flower. I never expected to see this again."

"You know it?" Gengo leaned over to look.

"Oh yes. It's such a marvelous poison." Hanzai chuckled. "When steeped with rose water like this, it creates such a lovely aroma and becomes a very powerful toxin. A small amount is sufficient as a sedative while large doses are lethal."

"It didn't come from you, did it?" Zabuza frowned.

"If only. Oh, if only." Hanzai smirked slightly. "I've wanted to grow this for myself for nearly a decade, to no avail. Such a marvelous and particular plant, this flower."

"Where does it come from, then?" Gengo asked.

"From far up north. Away from civilization." Hanzai stood and walked over to tap one of the maps on the wall. "It grows in this region and this region only. There is something marvelous about this place that prevents it from cultivating anywhere else, no matter what you might try. All seeds and sprouts die when removed from the area and the only way to produce a tea like this is in the home region."

Hanzai looked over his shoulder to Zabuza.

"Whoever is after you and your apprentice either knows about this very rare plant and knows how to brew it themselves, or they purchased it from someone who does. It must have come at quite a high price."

"The Grave of Giants?" Zabuza read the location on the map aloud.

"Also known as the Mountain's Graveyard." Gengo stood beside him and reviewed the map. "It's been known by many names over the years. What never changes, however, is how mysterious it is."

"What's so special about some bones?" Zabuza grunted.

"Surely you've heard the rumors." Gengo said.

"Enlighten me."

"The entire landscape is riddled with skeletons far larger than you could imagine." Hanzai searched around some of the messy piles and then held out a notebook. "My personal travel log of the region. Feel free to look it over."

Zabuza took the journal and leafed through it. His eyes scanned the sketches and the notes detailing the measurements and estimations.

"So?"

"Zabuza, my friend, you have no sense of wonder." Gengo patted his shoulder and chuckled. "You aren't curious about what sort of creatures roamed these lands before our time?"

"Not at all." Zabuza shrugged away from Gengo's touch. "Just tell me about the toxin."

"Here." Hanzai turned to a specific page where a sketch was painted in watercolors. "It isn’t known what people native to that region once called it, as the people are now extinct and few know of them anymore, but I like to call it the 'Assassin's Hyacinth'."

Zabuza frowned. Being so rare, it certainly indicated that it should be easier to pinpoint the culprit. However, he thought, being so rare also meant that it would be very difficult to learn more about who had sent the inhuman enemies after him.

"Perhaps it would be best to visit and investigate for yourself." Gengo suggested.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Hanzai exhaled a large puff of smoke.

"And why not?" Zabuza asked.

"Well, because no one who goes in there comes out alive."

"You did." Zabuza held up the journal, then pushed it back towards Hanzai.

"That was nearly a decade ago." Hanzai chuckled. "I've hired a few groups since to study the area in depth and report back any findings that might give me insight on how to cultivate the flower here, but each team without fail was eliminated."

Zabuza raised his brow. "How do you know what happened to them if you weren't there?"

Rather than answer directly, Hanzai retrieved a cassette and pushed it into the player. He turned up the volume and men's voices crackled in the recording.

"--Something's after us. It's like the forest is alive. It's watching us."

A scream echoed around the man recording.

"I'm the last one left! It's the trees! The trees and the vines! They're alive–!"

The familiar sound of penetrating wounds, blood spurting, and cut off-screams ended the recording, and Hanzi crossed his arms and held the cigar away from his mouth.

"This was the most recent transmission. The last one."

"'The forest is alive'?" Gengo repeated under his breath. "What does that mean?"

"I don't have a clue." Hanzai waved his hand. "Of course, I am curious, but I value my business and my life too much to investigate myself. I can only assume there is some kind of creature there that no one had discovered yet, or else one thought to be extinct."

"Maybe it's not an animal at all."

Gengo and Hanzai turned to Zabuza, and Zabuza directed his gaze to the medical table.

"Can you do an autopsy?"

"Of course I can." A spark of interest lit in Hanzai's eyes. "Who have you brought me?

"'What' is more like it."

Zabuza unfurled the scroll a second time and activated one of the seals. Out of a puff of smoke appeared a corpse– the most unusual one Hanzai and Gengo had seen, Zabuza thought, judging by their expressions.

"Marvelous." Hanzai held his hands over the body as he looked it up and down. "Bipedal, human in appearance, but its tissue… as white as porcelain… and here… it has plant matter protruding from its forearm."

"What is it?" Gengo stepped closer.

"That's what I've come to find out." Zabuza looked at Hanzai.

"I've never seen anything like it."

Hanzai's lips curved in an eager smirk. He turned to pull on a pair of protective gloves and took out a scalpel. He carefully cut a piece of the spiky growth and a small section of skin from the shoulder and examined both slides under a microscope. He remained quiet for a long time and hurriedly scribbled notes. Eventually, he sat back in his chair and took several puffs off the cigar.

"Marvelous."

"Care to share?" Zabuza cleared his throat.

"It's marvelous. Absolutely marvelous. I've never seen any being like it." Hanzai gestured. "Its cells… they are a perfect combination between human cells and plant cells. This is a groundbreaking discovery." He stood and put his hands on Zabuza's shoulders. "Tell me everything you can about this creature. Could it speak? Did it have a consciousness? How did you come across it?"

Zabuza swatted his hands and pointed to a spot on the map. "My apprentice and I passed through here. Those things transformed themselves into the villagers and I didn't even realize at first."

"Transformed?" Hanzai looked at the corpse. "With a jutsu?"

"No. They shape-shifted their bodies and even copied voices. They were fodder to fight, except their ability to attack with the vines and spikes were a pain in the ass."

"Vines?" Gengo repeated and looked at Hanzai. "Could these be what killed the teams you hired?"

"Marvelous." Hanzai returned to the body and opened one of the eyelids to stare into the empty gaze. "How many were there? I'd like to examine the others."

"I burned the rest." Zabuza crossed his arms. "They were in pieces anyway."

"What a shame." Hanzai shook his head and adjusted the scalpel in his hand, tracing a line of incision in the air millimeters from the skin. "What was their transformation like?"

"Freakish." Zabuza grunted.

"Details. Give me details." Hanzai started the incision behind the ear and carefully peeled up the flesh to peer through a magnifying glass.

"The transformation was seamless and nearly instantaneous. Considering they inhabited the entire town, it seems they killed the villagers and took their place for a purpose. Who knows how long they were living in disguise like that." Zabuza furrowed his brows. "Some, though, took the form of Shinobi instead."

"Shinobi?" Hanzai asked.

"Specifically Konoha-nin." Zabuza answered. "Dark hair, red eyes with a distinctive magatama pattern."

"That would be the Uchiha clan." Gengo thought aloud.

"I know that." Zabuza's frown deepened. "The question is why they would take the form of Uchiha if they were living as replacement farmers and innkeepers."

"Why indeed." Hanzai rubbed his small, pointed beard in thought. "What was left of the villagers? Did you determine how they were killed?"

"No. I found no evidence of their bodies at all. It appeared as if they all simply disappeared."

"Or turned into these creatures somehow." Gengo said.

"No, I don't think that's likely." Hanzai shook his head, then he studied the corpse's face. "Perhaps these creatures consumed the villagers."

"Consumed?"

"It means eaten." Gengo chuckled.

"I know what it means." Zabuza glared.

"Perhaps their ability to shapeshift requires them to first consume the flesh of the one they will become." Hanzai took more notes as he thought. "That would explain the absence of corpses, and, perhaps they even are able to imitate so flawlessly by taking in the memories of the victim." He glanced at Zabuza. "If only you had brought me a live one. I could run a few experiments."

"You'll have to work with what you have."

"Hm. Yes." Hanzai cut several more incisions, this time in the torso. Once he cut deeply enough, he peeled back the skin to look into the chest cavity– or where one would be. "...No organs." He laughed aloud and it tapered to a twisted smirk. "No organs at all. Marvelous."

"None?" Gengo looked for himself and discovered that the internal anatomy of the corpse was simply solid.

"There is a humanlike esophagus, and here–" Hanzai prodded tissue with the scalpel. "Would be where the lungs would sit. However, there are none. No stomach. No kidneys. Not even a heart. Such a creature couldn't possibly live, and yet, here it is." He chuckled and exhaled smoke. "How marvelous."

"If it lacks a stomach then it couldn't have consumed its targets." Gengo said.

"No, not necessarily." Hanzai cut deeper and looked through the magnifying glass. "Its cells are superhuman. Supernatural, I dare say. I saw nothing that resembled vacuoles."

"They can eat humans completely without creating any waste." Zabuza looked at Hanzai. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes, yes. At least it's what seems most plausible at this time."

"Where did they come from, then?" Gengo looked at the map. "If they're native to the Graveyard, why haven't they been seen before?"

"Perhaps they were hibernating for many generations and only recently awoke. Or, perhaps, they are some sort of new species resulting from experimentation. Or, a strange clan with this odd Kekkei Genkai. Or, perhaps a leap in human evolution." Hanzai laughed and grinned an insatiated grin. "I won't know until I conduct more tests. If modern technology is even advanced enough to study it as thoroughly as required. It's marvelous. I've been eager to take on a challenge."

"And just how long is that going to take?"

"You're an impatient one, Zabuza Momochi." Hanzai chuckled and looked up from the corpse.

"I think what my friend means is that it's very important to him." Gengo laughed and patted Zabuza's shoulder. "He's so stoic but he's exceptionally protective of his apprentice."

"Ah, so he's a 'Tsundere' like the kids these days say."

"No. That term is stupid." Zabuza scowled and shrugged Gengo's hand off for what felt like the hundredth time. "My apprentice is a valuable tool. It's difficult to find someone easily molded who has natural talent."

"Careful, Zabuza." Hanzai glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Keep talking like that, and some people would get the idea that your apprentice is really your secret child."

Zabuza's jaw set tightly and he clenched his fist. "Do I seem like the type to like snot-nosed brats?"

"Of course not; you're the Demon, after all." Hanzai waved his hand. "However, it's quite easy for accidents like that to happen when you're preoccupied."

"This is a stupid conversation." Zabuza crossed his arms. "Just focus on your job or I'll take this body to someone else."

"Yes, yes. I'll take this seriously." Hanzai patted the corpse's torso with a laugh. "You know, when Gengo first said that the great Demon of the Mist had a body for me to inspect, I admit I almost expected the Yellow Flash." He smirked slightly. "Though this specimen is marvelous. Quite marvelous."

Zabuza glared. How could this man possibly know about that? It was supposed to be classified information within only a small circle in Kirigakure.

"Oh, don't make that face." Hanzai chuckled. "You're too easy to read."

"I take it that you were in on the bounty." Zabuza watched the man carefully.

Hanzai shook his head. "Me, oh no. I was grateful that the Flash was alive because I received a lot of business from those who despised him, from many nations. Alas, the demand just isn't what it used to be since he's gone."

"And how is it that you seem to know who collected the bounty?" Zabuza cocked his brow.

"As I said, many of my clients had a stake in it. They were rather put out when they had to pay their share." Hanzai exhaled a long tendril of smoke. "It didn't take me long to realize where all the payments were going, not with my connections. And, once I determined it was going to Kirigakure, I just had to keep an ear out for anyone to stick out who seemed plausible. I admit it did take me a few years, since you seem to have tried to lay low. What a marvelous accomplishment to have under your belt, though. To take down a Kage."

"I'll take you out, too, if you spread that information around at all."

"I would never." Hanzai bowed his head and smirked faintly. "You are a very valuable client of mine, Zabuza Momochi. You've brought me my most interesting specimen yet, and, if some rumors I've heard are true, you're likely to be the next Mizukage. I wouldn't dare make an enemy of you."

"Hm." Zabuza grunted. He didn't like or trust this man at all. He had no choice otherwise, but he didn’t like it. Hanzai knew way too much and was too perceptive. Zabuza would keep an eye on him.

"So when will you have a report for me about the poison and the corpse?"

"It's difficult to say." Hanzai frowned slightly and drummed his finger on the corpse. "Conducting a thorough examination and experiments on this will take some time, but for the flower, the delivery time for the information you seek is tricky." He waved his hand. "I can't hire anyone else to investigate the area without having them die in vain, though I might be able to find out something about the transportation or sale of the flower from my sources. It could take weeks, or months for any useful information. Perhaps longer or not at all."

"Perfect." Zabuza muttered.

"Now, now, don't look so gloomy. I'm a master in my crafts, after all. I'm sure I'll uncover some marvelous information to report back."

Hanzai's expression shifted from mischievous to serious and he held the cigar away from his lips.

"It goes without saying that you need to keep your friends and allies close. If these beings, or whomever they serve, are after you, you need to ask yourself who knows about your precious apprentice. Who in your circle would have the most to gain if you were to lose your little tool."

"I'm already diligent about watching for traitors."

"Perhaps not enough." Hanzai said.

"I'll continue looking into it once we return." Gengo nodded. "Considering you've been so tight-lipped, Zabuza, no one knows much about your apprentice. You might have eyes on you."

Zabuza's brows furrowed deeply. He would have known if he were being watched. He was sure of it. However, as much as he hated to admit it, Gengo had a point. He'd intentionally said very little about his 'apprentice' for this very reason, though he knew it was inevitable that one day, someone would find out about him. He'd been doing all he could to delay that moment, but he didn’t like the thought that the time could be upon him now.

Haku wasn’t trained yet to be convincing as a decoy, and he couldn’t risk Shizu being discovered should anyone in Kirigakure insist he bring his apprentice around. Things were moving too quickly– more quickly than he had prepared for– and it unsettled him. He could simply think of the poisoning event as a general attack. Perhaps whatever those people were, they were simply insidious, murderous creatures, and the two boys were only their targets of convenience. However… Zabuza knew how valuable Shizu was. Not just to Konoha or the Land of Fire, but to all of the Nations and Shinobi Villages. He couldn’t just sweep this under the rug as a coincidence. He looked at Hanzai and watched him carefully.

"If the full autopsy and tracking down the logistics of the tea will take a while, can you create something that can detect poison we can use in the meantime?"

"A marvelous request." Hanzai removed his gloves and rubbed his hands together. "Yes… I think I can come up with something rather quickly. If you are most concerned about this marvelous little Hyacinth, then it shouldn't be difficult for me to create a detector. Not when I possess a sample."

"How long will it take?" Zabuza crossed his arms.

"Well, that depends on what sort of thing you had in mind." Hanzai moved over to a blackboard where he began to scribble with a marker. "The more complicated, the more time required for me to develop it."

After a few moments, Hanzai knit his brows, circled one of the choices, and tapped it with the marker.

"I think I can have this finished in two days. Maybe one."

"Good. Start it now."

"You're such an impatient man, Zabuza." Hanzai laughed and smoke spilled from his mouth. "Gengo, you should have warned me that my new client was going to work me like a dog."

"You'll get paid double if you finish in only a day." Zabuza reached into his pouch and tossed a wad of money at the dealer, who caught it easily. "I can't delay making my report for this mission much longer."

Hanzai counted the money and his lips curved in a smirk as he met Zabuza's gaze.

"Marvelous. My favorite type of client is one that's as eager as he is generous. Let's get cooking."

Mei Terumi exhaled as she stepped out of the Mizukage's office. The Mizukage had been absent– to her relief– though it concerned her as well. She preferred submitting her reports to really any of her other superiors or to the elders, but she couldn't help but wonder where the ever-more-elusive Mizukage had gone. If there were frequent meetings between nations, his absences would make sense, but the Mist was still isolationist. Sure, they had sent a team to Konoha to participate in the Chunin exams, but that was only done to gather information in a convenient way. Beyond that, the Mizukage made no other moves to cooperate with other villages or open up trade once again.

The Land of Water was suffering from that decision. The suffering grew worse with each passing year and Mei knew this very well. They were limited in what they could grow or manufacture and relied heavily on their ports in the past. So few ships were allowed in or out anymore and those in the lower echelon had an increasingly difficult time finding enough to eat. Mei hadn't been assigned to any of the groups herself, but she had heard of the teams who would sweep through the outskirts and districts to gather up the dead. What happened to them, she didn't know. Perhaps they were stuffed into mass graves, or perhaps they were burned. The thought twisted her stomach into knots and made her worry for the safety of Shizu and Haku. Things were dangerous, but they seemed to grow more dangerous as time went on.

She knew the conditions that would have to be met for them to take action and they had done plenty of preparing, though she wondered if things were progressing too slowly to face the threats. Perhaps that annoying Kisame was right and they should abandon the Land of Water. She knew both children possessed great power but the thought of them being forced to fight against enemies such as the Mizukage was too much. She was no coward but she did not want those boys anywhere near a battlefield. The skirmishes during missions were nothing compared to real war. She hated war and the suffering that it brought, but she knew that they had no choice but to fight to make Kirigakure safe for the next generation. For her boys.

Mei decided to do more digging around. She knew Zabuza didn't want her to while he was gone– and she shared the sentiment of worrying for him if he did the same– but she just wasn't satisfied with the lack of answers.

She started by returning to the place their Swordsman informant always met them. When she inevitably found nothing there, she tried to trace his steps. She didn't know him that well but she had a general idea of where he was usually within Kirigakure. Some places were off-limits to her, since she had no connections to the Swordsmen except through Zabuza, so she tried other locations: his home, a few training grounds, some of the sewer tunnels, and, as a last-ditch effort, she asked around at some of the stores she knew someone of his stature frequented. But there was nothing. No one had seen or heard from Fuguki recently enough before his disappearance, and most were apprehensive about discussing him at all. It was expected, since he'd been labeled a traitor, but Mei was stuck at square one. Again.

Mei sighed. She couldn't ask those in their main forces for information about him, as this contact had been ultra-top-secret and only a few knew of their connection, but there was one other person she could try. And this contact, not even Zabuza knew of.

She did feel guilty for never mentioning him to Zabuza but she knew that Zabuza would never trust this man no matter what she said. So, this was her one secret. Once their coup was successful, Zabuza would forgive her. He would just be stubborn for a while. Not that he would have much time to lecture her when he was settling into his new role as Mizukage, but she'd let him scold her a little bit for her single, selfish secret.

Her feet carried her to a place she detested. If she had her choice, she would go anywhere else, but this was where she knew the Hunter-nin trained. Where she had trained, so many years ago. She pressed her lips together at the bitter taste in her mouth as each step made another memory surface.

Of course, she hadn’t been assigned to the Hunter-nin, but possessing two Kekkei Genkai required special care. At least, that's what her parents were told. Her training would have been easier if those who possessed each Kekkei Genkai in her family were still alive, but, unfortunately for Mei, they were dead. Even if they had survived until her generation, she thought that she probably wouldn’t have been allowed to train with them anyway. After all, in the Mizukage's eyes, it was much easier to indoctrinate loyal subordinates the more control you had over their lives. And so, she was brought to this place and subjected to hell.

It was here where her small body was beaten and her young spirit was fractured. Fractured until, one day on her way home to nurse her wounds, she encountered a scrawny boy soaked in blood who stood over a mutilated corpse.

Mei exhaled and tried to ignore the chill she felt standing where she had so long ago. She almost could still smell the sulfur and the distinct scent of melting flesh, though she always hated that smell.

She stepped deeper into the training field and the thick mists obscured her vision. It made little difference to her, as her feet already knew the way, and she eventually found herself standing near a ring of targets. A figure she knew well had his back turned and, though she knew she didn’t have to announce her presence, she cleared her throat anyway.

“How unexpected to see you here.”

“It was the safest place to talk.” Mei stepped forward and put her hand on her hip. “I’ve been investigating Fuguki’s death again.”

“And faced disappointment again.” Ao turned to glance at her, leaving his Byakugan activated to be sure they were alone. “I too have been trying to piece together the clues and have come up empty.”

“It’s as if all of the evidence was just swallowed up.” Mei sighed and shook her head. “What do we do now that one of our best contacts is gone?”

“We continue with our efforts as before.”

“Hm.” Mei pursed her lips in thought. “Do you know where the Mizukage went?”

“I do not.” Ao frowned slightly. “Back in my day, the Mizukage never left the village without reason.”

“Back in your day, the Mist wasn’t closed off from the rest of the world.”

“Yes, circumstances have changed quite a bit.”

“Should we try to reach out to another nation with our suspicions?”

“And announce to the world our weakness?” Ao’s frown deepened. “Kirigakure should be the one to resolve its own problems.”

“I agree, but if things are as grave as Fuguki– and then Kisame– indicated…”

“Kisame?” Ao asked. “You’ve been in contact with him?”

“No, of course not.” Mei shook her head. “But I did happen to see him before he left.”

“What did he say?”

“Not much more than we already knew or suspected.” Mei crossed her arms and her brows furrowed slightly. “He stated that the Mizukage already captured and restrained Fuguki, declared him as a traitor, and ordered Kisame to kill him. However, something else happened that he didn’t speak of. All he told us was ‘a puppet king is still just a puppet’.”

Ao raised his brow. He nearly asked who Mei had meant, but in his experience, and how long he had known her, it was most likely that she meant her ‘secret’ lover, Zabuza. What took precedence was her final line. “He thinks the Mizukage is a puppet? Can his word be trusted? After all, he is a member of that clan.”

“As much as I don’t like him, I believe him. He’s always been loyal to Kiri to the point of killing his own comrades for the sake of the mission. He would only leave if he learned or experienced something that shook his unwavering loyalty. Something very grave.”

Ao touched his chin and frowned. “I’m inclined to agree. Did he say anything else?”

Mei remembered Kisame’s words very clearly. They were ingrained in her memory and haunted her whenever she couldn’t sleep. She knew how vital each word he’d chosen to say could be, but telling the rest would mean revealing Shizu’s existence to Ao. She trusted him, certainly, but the risks were too great. She cleared her throat and chose her own words very carefully.

“Kisame said that Kirigakure was a lost cause and that we would be fools to fight. He implied that whoever is pulling the strings is someone more dangerous than the Mizukage himself and we would be powerless to stop his plans.”

“If our enemy is so imposing that even one of the Swordsmen– a Hoshigaki, no less– turned tail and ran, then this is very grave news.” Ao rubbed his chin for a moment in silence. “Until we determine who our enemy is, we will not be able to strategize effectively. If only we had any clues.”

Mei bit her lip as she remember another line from Kisame’s warning, and this one bothered her the most. “Your ‘son’ will become yet another pawn on his board soon enough.”

“I think…” Mei spoke slowly and cautiously. “...that their plans involve the Jinchuriki.”

Ao’s eyes widened but before he could respond, Mei’s eyes narrowed at the sound of a snapping twig. Ao frowned and turned toward the sound.

“I know you’re there, boy. Reveal yourself.”

A teenage boy in a loose blue kimono jumped into view. His brown hair concealed one eye and his expression was one of sheepishness and solemnity.

"Who is this?" Mei narrowed her eyes and Ao held out his arm.

"Harusame's grandson. He is no threat to you."

"Harusame's?" Mei repeated under her breath. After a moment, her eyes widened slightly. "Ao, isn't this boy–?"

"Yes." Ao nodded. "This boy is the Mist's vessel for the six-tailed beast."

"I see." Mei wanted to say more– much more– but she was too surprised and did not want to accidentally reveal too much. She had many questions that she wanted to ask the teen, such as how he'd learn to control the beast for the sake of training Shizu, but she kept them inside.

"I am disappointed to see that you have been following me." Ao frowned at the boy. "Back in my day, we obeyed the orders of our elders."

Mei crossed her arms. "How much did you overhear?"

"Is it true that the Mizukage is being controlled?" Utakata asked quietly.

"We're not sure yet. At the very least, it seems that he is being influenced by some powerful outside force."

Utakata's brows furrowed and Ao kept his eyes on the boy.

"Why do you think his plans involve me?"

Mei let out a short sigh and shook her head. "I'm not sure exactly what their plans are. It's only speculation, considering our mysterious enemy has his claws in the Mizukage, who is a Jinchuriki, and because the Mizukage has been keeping a short leash on you, from what I've heard."

"So, it's just a guess." Utakata frowned slightly.

"No, I believe there is more evidence to support this idea." Ao said, then looked at Mei. "What I am about to say is confidential to the Hunter-nin, so both of you will not repeat this to anyone."

He paused to look between them, then cleared his throat.

"One month ago, the Mizukage assigned members of the Hunter-nin to follow potential leads about the re-emergence of the Leaf's nine-tailed beast. None of them returned, but the Mizukage has been persistent. Our spies have not found evidence of a new Jinchuriki in Konoha's possession, so it is assumed that the beast is roaming in the wild and eluding those sent by the various nations to capture it."

"The Mizukage is hunting the nine-tails?" Mei's chest tightened and she could barely murmur the words. Kisame was right, then; Shizu wouldn't be safe in Kirigakure. Not for long, anyway. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Why?"

"As you know, the first Hokage made deals with the nations to distribute the power of the tailed beasts." Ao's brow furrowed and his forehead creased. "Kiri already possesses two of the beasts, as per the agreements, while Konoha is missing theirs. There is a serious imbalance of power already between the nations, so, if Kiri– or any other village– were to acquire the nine-tails also–"

"There would be war." Utakata mumbled and the color drained from his face. "Konoha to recover their beast, while the other nations could swoop in to try to expand their borders to the Land of Fire and beyond."

"I don't doubt that Kumo would try just that." Mei shook her head. "I heard of how one of their teams was recently wiped out for infiltrating Konoha and stealing the Hyuga heiress."

"They took a child?" Utakata turned to her. "Why?"

"Because she possesses the same valuable Byakugan that I do." Ao answered. "From what I have heard, she is currently five years old but it's possible they wanted to use her as a slave to bear children in the future. Had they succeeded, Kumo would have their own squad of elite Byakugan users."

"They would go that far?" Utakata mumbled, paler than before.

"Kumogakure is notorious for things like this, even with nations they have formal alliances with." Mei shook her head and scowled. "Their own goal is to become the dominant power, and with Konoha weakened, they are most likely our biggest threat."

"Could the Raikage be the one influencing the Mizukage, then?" Utakata asked.

"No." Mei shook her head.

"The Raikage is not the sort of man who would engage in sabotaging a rival village from the shadows. He prefers direct conflict."

"However, we still need to be wary of Kumo." Mei looked at the teen and was reminded again of all the questions she wished she could ask him if they were alone. “They also possess two of the tailed beasts, along with Iwa. Any of our three villages having a third would be a significant boost in power.”

“Suna only possesses the one-tails, however, that could make them desperate to find the nine-tails, if they know its availability.” Ao rubbed his chin. “In their case, they may use the beast as a bargaining chip to gain more territory from neighboring countries.”

“Is a Fourth Shinobi War inevitable?”

Mei and Ao shared a look, then turned to face the teen.

"I don't think so." Mei eventually spoke up. "Not if we can act quickly and clean up Kiri. At least if we build ourselves back up, maybe we'll be left out of whatever fighting happens on the mainland."

"As much as I don't like the idea, perhaps it would behoove Kiri to show goodwill and aid Konoha in recovering their tailed beast. For the sake of a strong alliance, once things are settled here."

"For an alliance… of course." Mei could only mumble as if she agreed with him, but her heart hurt at the words, and her stomach twisted. Even if it could bring about peace, there was no way she could ever part from Shizu. She was his mother, after all, and he was her beloved son. She swallowed again and bit her lip. There would have to be some other way to rebuild Kiri and forge international bonds. Of course, the idea of forging an alliance with Konoha seemed especially unlikely and risky, having both Shizu in their possession and Zabuza's official 'claim' to their Yondaime Hokage's death. She would prefer to ally with Suna of all nations, just to be sure. And, who knows, maybe they had some hidden, untapped valuable resources there that could benefit both nations.

Mei felt a pair of eyes watching her and her gaze rose to see the teen. He watched her carefully, but she could read his eyes pretty easily. There was a touch of fear and concern in his golden eyes, but also a worrisome amount of understanding. This bothered Mei the most. After the boy remained quiet for some time, he approached her slowly and whispered.

"Is he safe?"

Mei's heart felt like it stopped. Her eyes widened and, as she stared down at him, her heart suddenly started to pound again, loud and heavy in her eardrums.

"What did you say?"

He didn't reply, and only took a step back, but Mei's hand lashed out like a viper's strike to grip his throat and lift him into the air.

"What did you say?!" Mei's eyes were wild, her breathing ragged, and her hand shaking. "Answer me! What do you know?!"

"Mei!" Ao reacted quickly, gripping her wrist with one hand and pointing a Kunai at her throat with the other. "Mei, unhand him! He is a valuable asset to Kirigakure and my temporary charge! If you harm him, I will have no choice but to treat you as an enemy."

Utakata choked and wriggled, clawing at her firm grip, and she saw the fear in his eyes. After a moment, she slowed her breathing and gently loosened her grip. The teen dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath, and Ao let out a sigh.

"I don't know what the boy said, but you are a Jonin and need to compose yourself."

Mei's glare remained and she turned Utakata onto his back and pressed her heel into his sternum, only applying enough pressure to remind him how vital of a spot it was. Her fists and jaw were clenched tightly.

"Choose your next words very carefully. How. Do. You. Know?"

"Mei!"

Ao held up his kunai once more, and Utakata gulped. Then, the boy whispered again.

"...I sensed it. Years ago."

Mei froze in place. For a moment, she could hear nothing except his words as they echoed in her head. Her heart pounded louder and she clutched at her chest as though she could stop it from bursting out.

“You sensed him?” Her words were inaudible, but Utakata read her lips and nodded.

Mei thought the world was spinning around her and she nearly dropped to the ground before Ao steadied her.

“What are you talking about?” Ao frowned down at the teen and glanced at Mei. “Are you alright?”

“Ao…” Mei slowly spoke and her face was concealed with hair and shadow. “I need to speak to this boy alone.”

“I cannot allow that.” Ao raised his brow. “It is my duty to protect him until his usual guards return, and you are behaving aggressively.”

“I wasn’t asking.” Mei’s eyes rose to meet his and her expression was more serious than he had ever seen.

“I’ll be fine.” Utakata stood and wiped off his kimono, looking at Ao. “Just a few minutes, please.”

Ao grumbled and crossed his arms. “...Alright. But I will have my Byakugan activated and watch the area just to be safe.”

Ao jumped away, and for a while, neither of them spoke. Finally, Mei held her arms closely and watched the boy so that she might detect any lie in his eyes.

“How did you sense it? How long ago?”

“The six-tails alerted me that the nine-tails was near the village. At first I thought that we were being attacked.”

“You can speak to it?” Mei gripped his shoulders. “Who else knows?”

“No one. I didn’t tell anyone.” Utakata shook his head quickly. He had never met the ‘Lava Princess’ in person before, but he’d heard of how easily she could melt someone, and, if he were honest, he was a little afraid of her. “Six-tails said that the Jinchuriki it sensed was only a baby, so I decided not to say anything.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because.” The teen whispered. “If I told the Mizukage, he would probably send me out to fight.” He paused and glanced downward. “I didn’t want to be sent to kill a baby.”

Mei loosened her grip on his shoulders and she was quiet for one moment, then two.

“Can the Mizukage sense other-tailed beasts in the same way?”

“I don’t know.” Utakata frowned slightly. “That’s why I was so worried when I heard you say that he might be targeting Jinchuriki.”

“Well, how do you speak with it?”

“He hasn’t yet?”

Mei bit her lip. “He nearly lost control once. When he was exhausted from training and upset. That was the only time I know of that there has been any connection.”

“He has a strong seal, then.” Utakata crossed his arms and murmured. “Or, the nine-tails chooses not to speak.”

“If the Mizukage doesn’t know, does that mean that the three-tails chose not to tell him?” Mei asked softly.

“It’s possible…” Utakata looked down. “But…”

“‘But’ what?”

“Well, you both say that the Mizukage is likely being controlled, but I don’t think that’s possible.”

“What do you mean?” Mei raised her brow.

“The Mizukage is a ‘perfect Jinchuriki.’ It means that he doesn’t just use three-tails power by force, but through a willing partnership that increases their strength. A perfect jinchuriki can’t be put into Genjutsu.”

Mei stared at him for a moment and bit her lip. “...If that’s true, then the Mizukage can’t be under anyone’s control… unless he willingly decided to serve someone else. That could be even more dangerous.”

“Unless…”

“Unless?” Mei repeated, but he thought for a while before he answered.

“It… could be possible to place a tailed beast under a genjutsu.” Utakata was quiet for a moment as if listening, and his brows furrowed. “It would have to be a strong one, though, but six-tails says it’s possible.” He paused again to listen. “He says that, if a tailed beast were subdued with genjutsu first, then it’s possible for the jinchuriki to be controlled by a genjutsu, too. Only in that order, though, or else the tailed beast would free its host.”

“But who would be powerful enough to place a sealed beast under a genjutsu?” Mei muttered. “And still have the chakra leftover to put a genjutsu on someone as powerful as the Mizukage after?”

“Someone very dangerous.” Utakata whispered.

“There’s not a shinobi alive that is as potent with Genjutsu as the accursed Shisui Uchiha of the Leaf.” Ao approached them through the mist.

“We weren’t done speaking.” Mei scowled and crossed her arms. “How long have you been eavesdropping for?”

“Only that a Jinchuriki such as the Mizukage could only be controlled with two instances of genjutsu.”

Mei glared at Ao for some time, then averted her eyes. He didn’t seem to be lying, and that pissed her off, though she should have felt relieved.

“I don’t think even someone as infamous as Shisui Uchiha could do something like this.” Utakata shook his head slightly. “If the Mizukage has been influenced for years, then that would require more chakra than any one shinobi could manage.”

“If the culprit is not Shisui Uchiha, the only other I can think of whose power is legendary enough to accomplish such a feat is long dead.” Ao said. “In that case, we must accept that the Mizukage is willingly serving or allying himself with some sinister enemy, meaning that he is still unfit as a Kage and is leading this village to its doom.”

“I guess so.” Mei nodded in agreement, though something gnawed at the back of her mind. She wasn’t sure what they were missing, but she knew they were missing something important. She sighed, shook her head, and ran her fingers through her hair. “We still don’t know anything we didn’t before.”

Utakata cleared his throat and faced Mei. He lowered his voice to a whisper and stepped closer. “Would it be possible if I…?”

He didn’t finish his thought, but he didn’t need to. Mei could guess what he meant, and she was conflicted. On one hand, it would benefit Shizu to know another Jinchuriki who could teach him to commune with his beast and control it, but that would require entrusting their secret to yet another person, one who was under constant surveillance for the time being. And, if Jinchuriki could sense one another, then it would only be all the more dangerous if the Mizukage ever sensed the teen’s movements and followed him to Shizu, if he didn’t yet know of him. And, if he was aware of Shizu, and he understood that Zabuza meant to overthrow him, then Mei feared one big trap.

She shook her head. “No.”

The teen looked saddened, but he nodded after a moment. “I know. I had to ask anyway.”

Mei almost apologized– because, she thought, this boy probably felt just as anxious and as lonely as Shizu did– but there were simply too many risks in allowing contact between them. She watched as the boy turned and left the training field, assured that he wasn’t an enemy, but now more concerned for Shizu’s safety and their plans than she had ever been before.

“While I’m satisfied that you two seem to have resolved whatever differences you have before, I would appreciate it if you filled me in on the full situation.”

“In time.” Mei sighed. “For now, we should stop trying to investigate Fuguki and keep our sights on the Mizukage. If we can determine where he’s been going, then we might be closer to figuring out who he is working with. Or for.”

“I will do my best.” Ao nodded. “And you?”

“I need to report this to Zabuza. With any luck, he’ll be able to see some connection we haven’t yet.”

“You put too much faith in that brute.”

“And you don’t put enough faith in him.”

Gengo nudged Zabuza’s foot where it was propped over the arm of one of the couches where Zabuza had fallen asleep some hours ago. When Zabuza’s eyes opened with a predictable glare, he chuckled.

“Rise and shine. Our mutual friend has something to show you.”

“This better be good.” Zabuza stood with a frown. He hadn’t meant to sleep at all in this place, nor with these two enigmas of men around, but he had already waited for a day and had run out of patience.

“Did you get adequate beauty rest?” Hanzai raised his brow with a slight smirk spreading when Zabuza and Gengo entered the room.

“Is it done?”

“See for yourself.” Hanzai held up a small strip of paper and passed it to Zabuza, who took it.

“A litmus strip?”

“Channel your chakra into it.” Hanzai waved his hand. “Go on.”

Zabuza turned the paper over and did as instructed. Nothing seemed to happen, so he looked back at the man.

“Marvelous. Now, allow me to demonstrate.” Hanzai set out a pair of beakers in front of him, each filled with hot tea. He plucked the strip from Zabuza’s grasp and dropped it into the first tea. It floated atop the liquid briefly, then dissolved until it had completely disappeared.

“Is that it?” Zabuza crossed his arms.

“Just watch.” Gengo smiled beside him.

Hanzai repeated the action with a new strip and, before Zabuza’s eyes, the paper took on a deep crimson hue and remained floating.

“As you can see, if there is poison to be detected, my marvelous little paper will turn red. If the beverage is perfectly safe to drink, it dissolves tastelessly.” Hanzai held out an envelope to Zabuza. “This should suffice for now until I can gather the necessary supplies to create more.”

Zabuza peered into the envelope and saw several dozen. He looked back at the man. “Anything else about the corpse?”

“I couldn’t devote myself to dissecting it thoroughly while I was crafting this for you, now could it?” Hanzai chuckled. “Rest assured, I will resume the autopsy and write the details of my observations down for you to read when you return.”

“When I return?” Zabuza raised his brow.

“Oh, yes. This is much too valuable to discuss even through encoded messages, after all.”

Wonderful, Zabuza thought sarcastically. He did not particularly like the prospect of returning here, as he suspected he would, many more times. However, if it gave him the answers he needed, he was sure he could tolerate it. Perhaps more if Gengo wasn’t in the picture.

“Here.” Zabuza held out the remaining payment to Hanzai, who took and counted it with an unsettlingly broad smile.

“Of course, I have a gift for you as well, Zabuza. Something extra.”

“You can keep your gifts.”

Hanzai laughed and looked at Gengo, who chuckled. Then, he held up a small, metallic tube for Zabuza to see.

“What is it?”

“Gengo told me you have a beautiful lover, so I thought it would be a marvelous gesture to create something for her as well.” He chuckled when Zabuza shot a glare at Gengo, then he removed the cap to reveal a bold violet lipstick. “A lovely color, for a lovely woman. If she wears this, she will gradually gain immunity to a variety of common toxins.” He placed the cap on the tube once again and set it on the table. “Free of charge for you, my friend, to show my appreciation for bringing me such wonderful specimens.”

“Great.” Zabuza grumbled.

“If he learns anything important in his research, Hanzai will notify me.” Gengo turned to Zabuza.

“Hm.”

“Before you leave, is there anything else I can do for you?” Hanzai’s eager eyes were indicative of his experience as a businessman, so Zabuza wasn’t surprised– though he was a bit irritated– when he walked over to gesture to a collection of weapons on the wall. “Would you perhaps like to purchase one of my marvelous creations? I’ll give a fair discount.”

“Not interested.” Zabuza turned away, but Hanzai persistently handed him a pouch.

“Not for you, maybe, but this apprentice of yours should have a good weapon, yes?” Hanzai’s mischievous smirk returned. “These are my special senbon, hollow for releasing poison into your victims without needing to dip the weapons in the traditional way. A marvelous weapon, if I do say so myself.”

Zabuza wouldn’t have normally rejected the pushy offer, but a thought came to mind. He and Shizu had their own weapons, of course, but Haku did not. Not yet, anyway. And, since the boy was so meek and so weakened, it would be difficult for him to wield any large or heavy weaponry for some time. Better yet, senbon were light and could be a very effective and silent method of killing. He examined the senbon with scrutiny and then grunted. These would do.

Chapter Text

Shizu sat with Haku at the table with an array of books and scrolls laid out before them. Shizu did his best to teach his new brother everything he had been taught and was currently trying to explain the nature of chakra. Haku was proud of his newfound ability to read– although he could only read very little– but he would try to read each educational passage on his own before asking Shizu to read what he had missed for him. Shizu was happy to oblige, and Haku was eager to learn. The more quickly he learned to control his chakra, he realized, the sooner he could stop worrying about creating ice by accident. Besides mastering reading, that was his first goal. After that, he would master whatever else was needed in order to be strong enough to keep the brother he now had safe and sound. 

Zabuza had cooked a simple meal for them, of rice and grilled fish– with a heaping serving of menma, Shizu's favorite– and grumbled about how the boys had scarfed down their meals. He didn't complain much , considering that they only did so to get to work studying, but still, Zabuza didn't like having to clean up after them. At least Haku cleaned up after himself, but the boy was too timid and still too weak. Zabuza had his work cut out for him if he was to become a powerful companion and decoy.

Noon came and went and the boys were still hard at work. They had gone through several scrolls already, and Haku was barely able to channel his Chakra through a piece of litmus paper. The achievement made Shizu cheer loudly, but Zabuza immediately started to think of which Jutsu he would have Haku learn first, as Water had been revealed to be his nature. After a while longer, Mei returned to the boy and was greeted with the warmest of hugs from Shizu, who excitedly told her the news of what Haku had done. Mei beamed and embraced both boys, praising them for their diligence, and then she turned her attention to Zabuza.

Slinking over to him like a cat on the prowl, she slid her hands up his chest, looped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his in a deep kiss. She had missed him, but Haku blushed in surprise at the very open display of affection. He quickly averted his eyes to try to focus on the books, but all he could think about was how even his own parents had never been so public. After a few moments, Mei did pull back from Zabuza and noticed the flustered child. 

"Shizu." Mei smiled when he looked at her. "Why don't you take Haku outside and start some practical Chakra lessons? He might have an easier time hands-on."

"Okay!" Shizu leaped to his feet in excitement and quickly retrieved their coats. "Come on! I'll show you how to make a water clone."

Once the boys were out of sight, Mei rounded on Zabuza once more for another kiss. Then another. He tried to question how her missions had gone, and she knew that there were many important things to discuss with him, but first , she needed to show him just how much she had missed him. With a twitch of a smirk on her lips, she tugged his hand and led him into the bedroom.

Shizu kicked his feet from where he sat on top of a log beside the island's pond. It was small enough that Shizu thought it was really more like a large puddle, but it was deeper than it looked. This was where Mei and Zabuza often trained with him and where he liked to practice standing or walking on water. He wasn't sure exactly why it was a little more difficult to stand on the glorified puddle than on the ocean itself, but he didn't really care about why it was more of a challenge, only that he was proud of himself for learning to finally stand on water. 

He'd happily demonstrated this skill to Haku, but reassured his brother that he would be only learning the most basic water Jutsu first--Zabuza's signature Hiding in Mist. After demonstrating a few times and doing his best to explain how he did it, he sat back and watched Haku.

Teaching was hard work, Shizu thought. His stomach growled and his head felt a little dizzy from trying so hard to explain things. He would have thought thoughts of appreciation for Zabuza and Mei for their thorough education, but he was too hungry at the moment. When Haku finally managed to create the tiniest cloud of fog in his palm, Shizu congratulated him and offered to run inside for a treat to celebrate. Haku decided to remain outside to continue trying, so Shizu happily marched into the house to search for the stash of candies Mei had bought for him– since Zabuza didn't think sweets were good for shinobi at all.

He slipped off his shoes and looked around. The house was quiet, and he frowned slightly. Then he shrugged, thinking that Mei must be in the bath and that Zabuza must be taking the opportunity to do whatever he liked to do quietly in his room. Shizu set to work finding his favorite hiding place in his room and stuffed his pockets with candy. When he was satisfied with the amount, and his pockets were full, he left his room. 

He almost went directly outside to give Haku their spoils, but his well-trained ears noticed that he couldn't hear the sound of Mei's usual singing in the bath or the sound of running water. He strained his ears to listen and instead heard muffled voices from down the hall. He felt the candies in his pockets for a moment, then decided that he could wait a few more minutes since there was something he wanted to investigate. He snuck down the hall carefully, pressed his ear to the door quietly, and listened carefully.

"-- met with him?!"

"I knew you'd have that reaction. That's why I wasn't going to tell you at first, but what he said was too important."

"You didn't consider that he can't be trusted?"

"He's just a kid, Zabuza. He isn't guilty of the sins of any relative."

"You're too naive."

"I'm not. You're just too skeptical."

"I'm realistic. It's what keeps us alive."

"It doesn’t matter who his family is; He's the Jinchuriki of the six-tails and he had valuable information. Isn't that enough?"

Shizu's eyes widened and, in his surprise, he stumbled onto the floor. Before he could hurry away, the door was opened and a more-irritable-than-normal Zabuza frowned down at him, his arms crossed over his bare chest. Before he could scold Shizu for eavesdropping, Shizu leaped to his feet and stared wide-eyed at Mei.

"There's another Jinchuriki?! You talked to him?!"

Mei only stared at the child for a moment, not knowing what to say. Zabuza glared and loomed over him.

"What have I said about eavesdropping?"

"Good ninjas don't get caught, 'ttebayo." Shizu answered quickly under his breath, then rushed to Mei's side to grip the sleeve of her favorite silk nightgown. "Mom, is there really another person like me?"

"I didn't say that." Zabuza grumbled. He hated to be reminded that he had said something similar when teaching Shizu how to gather intelligence, but he did not like the boy trying to use it against him.

"Shizu…" Mei pressed her lips together for a moment, thinking, then she let out a sigh. "...Yes. I met the six-tails Jinchuriki while you were away. It was a chance encounter, but I learned some important things from him."

Shizu's eyes grew even wider and he tugged her sleeve again. "What does he look like?! What's his name?! How old is he?! What kind of animal is the six-tails?! Is he a good guy?! Or a bad guy?!"

"Slow down there. One question at a time." Mei waved her hands and knelt in front of him. She touched his shoulders and met his eyes. "His name is Utakata. He's older than you; a teenager. I'm not sure what animal the six-tails looks like. And I believe he is trustworthy."

Shizu was quiet for only a short time as he processed each answer before his eyes alit with new questions. "How far away is he? Can he control his monster? Can he teach me?!"

"He can't be trusted." Zabuza grunted. "He's a blood relative of the Third Mizukage– the one responsible for turning the Bloody Mist into what it is."

Shizu turned to Zabuza. "He's part of the bad Mizukage's family?"

Mei frowned at Zabuza.  "That does not mean that he's a bad person. Not necessarily."

"Tch."

"Shizu, Utakata is only a distant cousin of the Third. His first cousin twice removed, I think." When Shizu only looked at her in confusion, Mei smiled faintly and explained. “It means that Utakata is the grandson of the Third Mizukage’s cousin.”

“Oh.” Shizu said, but Mei could tell that he still looked a bit confused. “So he’s not bad? Or is he?”

Mei shook her head. "The Third's reign of terror affected everyone, so it isn't a surprise if any relative of his opposes the Bloody Mist. Especially a Jinchuriki, considering how they're usually mistreated." She bit her lip. "I'm good at judging people and Utakata seems just as scared as any other kid. He also seemed genuinely concerned about you, Shizu."

"He knows about me?" Shizu murmured.

"That's the problem." Mei's brows knit. "He said that he was able to sense you the day that Zabuza first brought you here. We don't know yet if that means if the Mizukage could sense you, too. That's what worries us."

“Is the bad Mizukage going to come here?” Shizu looked between Mei and Zabuza. He knew, from what he’d been told, that many people would be after the demon fox’s power and he was just a little afraid of being captured or killed. He was sure that his parents would protect him, but against someone as strong as the Mizukage, he wasn’t sure they could win. The thought twisted his stomach into knots and he looked downward. He didn’t like feeling helpless.

“No.” Mei shook her head, then sighed. “We don’t know. If he did sense you and knows that you’re here, we don’t know why he hasn’t made any moves or spoken of it. It’s possible that he can tell that we’ve been keeping you close, so he doesn’t feel the need to come just yet.”

“Is he waiting to get me?”

“Maybe.” Mei answered softly. “Maybe he’s been patiently biding his time, letting us train you for until he decides he wants or needs the power of the nine-tails. But,” she squeezed Shizu’s small hand. “there’s also the possibility that he can’t sense you. We don’t know enough about the Tailed Beasts to know whether or not that sensory ability is something only the six-tails can do or not. After all, you’ve never sensed the Mizukage or Utakata before, have you?”

Shizu shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“‘Think’ isn’t good enough.” Zabuza’s frown deepened. “We always need to be vigilant about all possibilities. If the Mizukage knows about him, then it’s no longer safe here.”

“Are we going to leave?” Shizu’s voice grew quieter.

“I don’t know yet.” Mei squeezed his hand again. “We might. We need to do a little more digging before we make that decision.”

“Where will we go?” Shizu looked at Zabuza. He didn’t say it out loud, but the thought of leaving this tiny island and this home– the only one he had ever known– hurt. His chest was tight the more he thought about it. He wouldn’t have a lot of stuff to pack, but he was afraid. They hadn’t done anything wrong, so why should he be forced out of his home? Without realizing it, his eyes started to water and Mei wiped away a tear that rolled down his face.

“We’ll figure that out later if it comes to it. Try not to worry about it so much for now, okay?” 

Shizu nodded slightly, but the worry was still etched into his face. Mei glanced up at Zabuza, who only averted his gaze. They both understood how Shizu felt, but seeing the child so forlorn made them all the more melancholy. And angry. Angry at the Mizukage for making Kirigakure a hellscape, and angry that their life with Shizu could be uprooted.

"I wanna talk to him." Shizu murmured under his breath.

"The Mizukage?" Zabuza raised his brow.

"Absolutely not." Mei shook her head.

"Not him!" Shizu shook his head quickly. "The six-tails, 'ttebayo! I wanna meet another Jinchuriki!"

"No." Mei and Zabuza answered in unison, then shared a look.

Shizu stared at them, quiet, but then crossed his arms. "Why not?! He already knows about me, ttebayo! I wanna ask him lots of things!"

"No, Shizu, it's too risky." Mei reached out to touch his cheek, but the boy stubbornly drew away from her touch. 

"Think, idiot. If the Mizukage senses you entering the village, there wouldn't be any getting out." Zabuza rapped his knuckle on the child's head. "For all we know, that boy could have been sent to Mei to draw you out of hiding and capture you."

"I don't care!" Shizu scrunched his face and stomped his foot. "I wanna meet him!"

"No." Zabuza's brows furrowed. "Stop acting like a child."

"Zabuza, he is a child." Mei said softly.

"I don't care if it's dangerous! I'm a Jinchuriki! And he's a Jinchuriki! I gotta meet him!" 

"Shizu, it's just not safe. For either of you." Mei tried to meet Shizu's gaze, but he turned away. "If we're lucky and the Mizukage can't sense you and doesn't know about you, what if meeting with Utakata is what alerts him to your existence? After all, Utakata's movements are followed, even in the village, and the one watching him now is a Hunter-nin."

" What? " Zabuza looked at Mei and his intense gaze did not relent. "You didn't say anything about that."

"It hardly mattered." Mei mumbled. It was just a slip of the tongue, but now Zabuza was even more irritated. 

"Who else close to the Mizukage knows, then?" Zabuza stepped forward. "That boy and now a Hunter-nin? Who else?"

"Ao doesn't know about Shizu." Mei stood and met Zabuza's eyes with a challenging gaze. "He's been a reliable contact of mine for years now and is the one who Fuguki entrusted most with his investigation. But he doesn't know everything."

"You can't trust any Hunter-nin." Zabuza dug his fingers into his arms. "And you can't trust that boy, either. They're probably spilling everything to the Mizukage right now because you're too trusting. Again. "

" Again?! When have I ever done anything that might put Shizu at risk?! You're the one who has gotten him nearly killed before on missions! How many times?!"

"Stop it!" Shizu stomped and shouted. He shot intense looks at both of them and then crossed his arms. His face was red and, despite his best efforts, his eyes were welling up with tears. 

They turned to the child, both quiet. Mei‘s expression softened and she reached out.

“Shizu–”
But Shizu had already turned quickly around and ran from the room. They heard the front door open and slam shut again, and Mei let out a heavy sigh. She cast Zabuza a sidelong glance and crossed her arms.

“Well?”

Zabuza grunted quietly and averted his gaze.

“I thought so.”

Haku waited for Shizu’s return for as long as he could until he started to get hungry again. He felt proud of himself for being able to navigate through the bamboo grove back to the beach– though the island was small– as Shizu had shown him. When he started to approach the house, he was surprised to see Shizu run out in a hurry. Haku stopped him from running past with a gentle grab of his shoulder.

“What’s wrong?”

Shizu rubbed his face with his arm, wiping away old tears before fresh ones prickled his now eyes- which were now a vibrant red, and he stared downward. After a long, quiet, pause, Shizu quickly shook his head and ran again– this time over the icy ocean. 

“W-Wait!”

Haku reached out again, too late this time to stop him, and bit his lip. He looked down at the water, swallowed, and then carefully hovered his foot over the waves. He concentrated on the crash courses on chakra he’d received, but when he set his foot down, it sunk. His chest ached and he tried again and again, only soaking his foot more. He choked and held back a cry, looking out on the horizon where Shizu was only a small dot now. He was supposed to protect Shizu, wasn’t he? That was the job given to him by Zabuza. But he couldn’t even muster the chakra yet to follow Shizu to do that, no matter how many times he tried. 

“Shizu!” Mei called out, dressed warmly in her thickest coat, and looked around. Her eyes fell on Haku, and at first, she felt relief but realized the boy was alone and standing in the surf with tears streaming down his face.

“Haku? Haku, what’s wrong?”

She gently touched his cheek, tilted his face up to meet his eyes, and Haku’s lip quivered. Mei’s eyes widened and her head whipped to stare out at the ocean. Her heart pounded faster and she clutched at her chest.

“Zabuza!”

“What?” Zabuza grumbled and looked around, looking at Haku and Mei, and his brows furrowed deeply. “Where’d he go?”

Haku opened his mouth though no sound came out, and Zabuza quickly gripped the boy’s collar and lifted him up.

“What happened?! Where is he?!”

“Zabuza!” Mei shoved him back, pulling Haku free of his grip, and smoothed the trembling boy’s hair.

“I-It’s my fault.” Haku whispered. “I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t…”

Zabuza’s gaze narrowed and he noticed Haku’s soaked boots. He turned to look at the ocean. Somehow, Shizu had gotten farther than he could see when the boy had hardly been able to walk over still water. He looked at Haku again.

“Stay inside.”

When Haku opened his mouth to ask something, Zabuza interrupted with his usual look before he too dashed over the sea deftly.

“Haku, get inside and put on some warm, dry clothes, okay?” Mei bent to meet his eyes. “We’ll be back soon with him, so don’t worry.”

“...I don’t want to be left behind.” Haku gripped his coat as he murmured.

Mei bit her lip and wrapped him in a firm hug. “I know.” She pulled away and wiped a tear that rolled slowly down his cheek. “It isn’t your fault, okay? Just go get warmed up and we’ll be back before you know it.”

Haku nodded, though he didn’t want to be left alone. He didn’t want to be doing nothing when Shizu could be in danger. He watched as Mei hurried away, then he slowly trudged inside to sit– feet still wet– in the entry to wait.

Shizu didn’t think at all while he ran. He ran faster than he’d ever run in his life, and as his blood boiled, his eyes stung. All he could think of was how he just wanted to get away. Away from that stifling, tiny island. Away from Mei and Zabuza’s arguing. Away from being kept away from everything. Away from all of the nightmares. Except, the more he thought about what he was running from, he started to stumble. After a little while longer, he slowed down to a stop to look around.

It was then that he realized what he had been running on. He stared wide-eyed at the ocean beneath his feet and grinned. He finally could do what his parents could, he thought, which meant that he wouldn’t need to be treated like a baby anymore. He wasn’t confined to the island anymore, not if he didn’t want to be. The excitement made him blink and the surge of adrenaline and chakra left him. He felt dizzy and the ocean suddenly was very unstable under his feet. 

It churned and rolled but he recovered his footing, if only barely, and he looked around. The bitter cold sea wind numbed his cheeks and fingers, and he looked around for the island. It wasn’t behind him. He turned all around in a circle, trying not to panic, but his heart still raced. How far had he run? Which direction was home? He tried to squint to see any kind of landmark, but there was only thick mist in all directions. He closed his eyes to pick a direction, thinking– hoping– it was the right one, and started to slowly walk back over the water with wobbling steps.

He had been walking unsteadily for hours, he thought. It certainly felt like hours when it took so much concentration and chakra to remain balanced on the sea. His coat wasn’t enough to keep out the cold and, to his frustration, the mist seemed to be only growing thicker as the sky darkened. He kept moving forward, in what he hoped was a straight direction, but he couldn’t tell. Then, it started to rain. His teeth chattered when his clothes were completely drenched and he hugged his arms closer, beads of sweat from concentration mixing with the rain. A bright flash of light illuminated the entire sky above him and its deafening clap of thunder made him jump. It was loud. Louder than anything he’d ever heard, and now his ears hurt. Their ringing made him feel dizzy again, and he lost his footing when a large wave struck him from behind.

He knew how to swim. He really did. Sakinami and the others had taught all the children how to swim in the shallows and dive down for mussels. Shizu did his best to swim to the surface and gasped when he reached air. He tried to pull himself up to stand again, but another wave forced him under. Again and again, he struggled for a short breath only for another, larger wave to hit. When the last of his energy was spent, his arms and legs no longer moved the way he wanted them to, and he found himself slowly drifting down into the colder, darker depths and wishing that he could at least cry out for help. For his parents. Instead, bubbles gurgled from his lips and he felt so tired and so strangely relaxed. He drifted deeper now, eyes closing slowly, and he could hardly think of where he had been trying to go or who he had been trying to call out for. When his eyes shut completely, he was unable to feel the hands that suddenly gripped him.

Chapter Text

Utakata sat in his seat by the wide window of his grandfather’s study with a book in his hand. He wasn’t reading it and hadn’t been for some time because he was too busy staring outside. His grandfather wasn’t around today, which had disappointed him, but at least when he was reading– or pretending to– Ao left him alone. 

He didn’t mind being a Jinchuriki much. Six-tails was decent company, when he was alone, and it was pretty nice for a tailed beast, he thought. From what he'd heard from six-tails, he'd gotten lucky in that regard. At least he'd been stuck with a beast who didn't entirely loathe humanity or often take control to sate their bloodlust. 

He'd been chosen, of course, because of his lineage. He didn't care that he was related to a previous Mizukage– though no one sane would brag about being related to the one who created the Bloody Mist. Prior to becoming a Jinchuriki, his distant cousinship had hardly affected him. No one really treated him differently, though he was grateful to be exempt from the hellish Graduation massacre. But even as just a distant cousin of the Third, he had been at the top of the list of candidates when Kirigakure had gone searching for someone suitable to be a Jinchuriki. His grandfather was the first choice, despite his age, but he hadn't met the requirements. Utakata unfortunately had, and that was when the village's opinion of him shifted. 

He didn't mind the looks or what was said about him. He didn't mind that his previous friends and companions would no longer associate with him. He'd always liked to be alone anyway, so the cold treatment wasn't too bad. He had his grandfather, at least, who was just as loving as he was a strict teacher. It was because of his teachings that Utakata had been able to get so far in mastering the six-tails ability and forged a bond with it, and for that, he was grateful. The only thing that really bothered him was Misukage's cold expression whenever he was summoned.

Utakata did every mission he was given faithfully, to the best of his ability, and was glad to be of service to the village. But nothing he did ever improved anyone's life, and, the stronger he got, the more he was seen even more as nothing but a tool– as battlefield first-line fodder. That was what he hated. 

Well, he thought, at least he had quiet moments like this. 

Utakata looked down at his book, remembering how he'd been reading a mind-numbing book about Kirigakure's founding and its old political relationships with the nations around them. He closed the book with a sigh. He hated the Bloody Mist; he had no desire to learn more about the various massacres and annexations in the past.

He stood to return the book to its shelf when the familiar, small zap in his head appeared. As expected, he heard the voice only he could. He listened for a moment, each second draining the color from his face, and he dropped the book. He raced to the door and flung it open, but in his way stood Ao.

"Going somewhere?" Ao raised his brow and frowned at the teen. "Why are you so pale?"

"Out. I need out." Utakata tried to slip by the man but was unable. 

"Where could you possibly need to go in such a hurry? In my day, we didn't–"

"There's something I need to do." Utakata said as firmly as he could. He eyed the narrow gap between Ao and the doorframe, knowing that he, unfortunately, could not fit through. "It's important."

"I don't see what could be so urgent that would require you to rush out when a storm is about to make landfall."

"A storm?" Utakata repeated under his breath, and his stomach twisted. 

"That's right." Ao studied the boy's expression carefully. The fear in his eyes seemed unfounded, but it was genuine. "Whatever it is you need to do, it can wait until the storm passes. It'll be quite large."

Utakata attempted to shove past, more urgently than Ao had seen him before until the teen was forced back into the study. 

"I need to go out there!"

"Not in this weather."

"I don't have time for this!" Utakata tried another attempt to force Ao out of his way but was again disappointed. "If I don't go now, someone might die."

Ao's frown deepened. The boy certainly had a flair for the dramatics at times, but the tone of his voice was concerning. 

"If it's something that dire, I shall accompany you."

"No. Please." Utakata clenched his fists and glanced down. "Just this once… please let me go. Look the other way. I swear I'll come back, but I have to go alone. I swear I won't cause any more trouble for you if you let me go."

"You know that I cannot leave my post. If you insist on leaving, I must accompany you."

Utakata clenched his fists tighter. "I don't care if you subdue me by force and drag me back; just let me go."

"On my honor, I cannot do that."

"Then you leave me no choice." Utatakata hurried to the window, leaping through the glass, and raced across the village along the rooftops.

Ao let out a sigh and crossed his arms, watching the boy put more distance between them. He drummed his fingers against his arms. Of course he, a seasoned Hunter-Nin, would have no trouble recovering an impetuous teenager, but it would be best if he waited until the boy was safely outside of the village in the event a fight broke out between them. After all, he would have to explain to the Mizukage upon his return how exactly the village had been damaged.

Utakata's feet carried him faster and faster, boosted by the chakra cloak allotted to him by six-tails. At first it was the frost-covered ground itself that sizzled with each step, burning as if acid had been dropped upon it, then his steps sizzled the surface of the sea and kicked up a blast of spray behind him. He didn’t bother to see if Ao had followed him, but he didn't care. He was confident that even Ao couldn't match his speeds anyway. 

He could see the storm on the horizon and feel the shifting of the air. A crack of lightning sounded from the mass of dark clouds and he ran toward it, into the thickening mist and the downpour as he willed his legs to run faster. 

"Where?" He said aloud, his voice almost lost in the howling wind.

"North."

Utakata adjusted his path and ran at full speed, asking 'where' as the storm grew more intense and the ocean's surface was difficult even for him to remain steady on. 

"Where now?!"

"Below."

Utakata's heart pounded and his stomach churned as violently as the sea. He took in a large gulp of air and dove, using the Six-Tails' chakra to boost his senses and increase his speed. There was nothing to hear underwater. Even the storm on the surface with its rumbling thunderclaps was only a soft murmur below. It was dark, too, and Utakata cursed himself that he couldn't see beyond his own hands.

"Dive. Five meters."

Utakata did, each stroke and kick fueled by the desperate desire to reach him in time. Four. Three. Two. Utakata's eyes widened as the small, dark figure became visible and he reached out his hand to grab the child. He surfaced quickly and caught his breath, not wasting any time to pull himself to a stand, channeling Six-Tails’ chakra once more, and carrying the child in his arms to someplace safe. If there was anywhere safe, he thought bitterly. Bringing the boy into the heart of the Mist would be a death sentence for the child, but they had to get out of the storm. A scowl formed on his lips as he weighed his options.

“Head east.”

“Why?” Utakata frowned at the suggestion.

“Trust me.”

Utakata grumbled, but time was of the essence. He listened to Six-Tails’ directions again and found himself in front of a tall sea stack. Waves battered the stone formation and he saw… nothing. Only rock.

“Why did you lead me here?”

“It is hollow inside. Find the opening.”

Utakata grumbled again and circled the formation. He was about to complain when his eyes rested on a large patch of hanging moss growing on the structure, but loose in the whipping winds. Behind it was a hole barely large enough for Utakata to crawl through. It was dark outside and only illuminated when lightning flashed outside, but it was dry. He laid the boy down and, pressing his hands against his stomach and chest, channeled his chakra to force the seawater out.

The child spewed water from his mouth and Utakata sighed in relief. The boy’s eyes remained closed, but his chest rose and fell in a normal cadence and Utakata allowed himself to relax. He sat with his back to the wall, careful to avoid leaning against the lichen. Then, he reached into his pouch to find what he needed to start a small– but still warm– fire in the middle of the hollow. Once that was done, there was nothing more he could do but wait for the child to wake or the storm to be over, whichever came first.

Shizu would have jumped at the closeby clap of thunder if his body didn't feel so sore and heavy. He felt cold, too, and his throat was sore. For a few moments he lie where he was and tried to remember where he was or how he'd gotten there, but he didn't know. He slowly regained feeling in his body and he could hear the unmistakable crackle of a fire. There was warmth, too, and he blinked and blinked again.

Shadows danced on the rocks around him and he could hear water dripping near his head. The sound of crashing waves was loud, as well as high winds and heavy rains. His eyes burst opened and he remembered it all: overhearing Mei and Zabuza, running across the ocean, and being tossed around by the storm. He sat up quickly, his heart racing suddenly.

“I was wondering how long you were going to sleep for.”

Shizu turned to see a stranger. A chill shot through him and he looked at the strange man. The more he looked, the more he realized that the man was actually a teenager, and his clothes strangely resembled Zabuza and Mei’s uniforms. He gulped and reached for his pouch where he kept his kunai, but it wasn’t there.

“Who are you?!” Shizu pointed at him. “Where am I?!”

“I’m not going to hurt you. Relax.” The teenager sighed heavily. 

“Are you the bad Mizukage?! Are you gonna capture me?! Or kill me?! I’m not weak, ‘ttebayo! I’m not afraid of you!”

“If I were the Mizukage, I’d have brought you into the village already and locked you up in a Chakra-suppressing cell.” The teen shook his head and crossed his arms. His head tilted as if listening, and Shizu stared at him strangely.

“How do I know you’re not a different bad guy, ‘ttebayo?!”

“Six-Tails told me you were approaching the village and led me to you. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already done it while you were unconscious.”

“Six-Tails?” Shizu repeated in a mumble, then his eyes widened. “Are you the Jinchuriki that my mom was talking about?!”

“You know…?” The teen shook his head. “Yes, I spoke with Mei. I didn’t think she’d tell you about me… not after she refused to let us meet.” He looked at the boy from the corner of his eye. “What were you doing in the middle of the ocean, all by yourself?”

Shizu puffed his cheeks, sat cross-legged, and crossed his arms. “...Mom and dad were arguing.”

The teen was quiet. “Do they do that a lot?”

Shizu shook his head, then squinted. “They were arguing about you, ‘ttebayo.”

“Me?”

“Dad said you’re part of the other bad Mizukage’s family, and that you were a bad guy, too. But Mom said that you were really nice.”

“What do you think about me?”

Shizu scrunched his face more and tapped his fingers against his arms. After a moment, he stuck out his tongue. “I don’t know! I don’t really trust you either, ‘ttebayo!”

"Good." The corner of his mouth tugged upward in a smile. "Never be quick to trust anyone, and even if you've known someone a long time, never be complacent."

"Dad says that a lot, too." Shizu looked at him.

"It's just common sense for a Shinobi." He paused. "Especially for us Jinchuriki. From the moment we become a host, we have a target on our backs. That's just the way it is."

"Hm." Shizu relaxed slightly and studied the teen's expression. "What's your name? Ukon? Uten?" He frowned. "I don't remember what mom said… is it Umami?"

"Are you an idiot?" The teen blinked. "My name's Utakata."

"Utakata!" Shizu hit his fist on his palm. "I was close, 'ttebayo!"

"You weren’t close in the slightest." Utakata rolled his eyes and rested his cheek on his hand. 

"Well, my name is–!"

"Stop." Utakata held up his hand. "The less I know, the better. It's already a risk that I know what you look like. I don't want to know your name too, in case I'm ever tortured."

Shizu closed his mouth and fell silent. He sat quietly for a while, fidgeting in place, then looked back at the teen.

"Where are we?"

“Six-Tails led me to this cave so we could get out of the storm. He said it was formed when the First Hokage fought and captured Three-Tails.” Utakata waved his hand. “According to him, this dinky piece of rock all the way out here used to be connected to the mainland of the Land of Water, but the connecting land was destroyed in the battle.” 

Shizu saw his brows furrow and he muttered.

“No, I’m not calling you a liar. Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu grumbled.

“No, I wasn’t talking to you , kid.” Utakata shook his head. “It’s such a pain having to relay messages from Six-Tails.”

“You can talk to him?” Shizu’s eyes widened. He’d heard Mei say as much, but it felt completely different and even more amazing to hear it from another Jinchuriki directly.

“Of course. I hear his voice in my head the same as I do my own thoughts.”

“That’s so cool…” Shizu murmured, thinking, then looked back at him again with bright eyes. “Are you guys friends? Is Six-Tails nice? What kind of animal is it? Is he really strong? Is he nice? Will the Nine-Tails be my friend, too?!”

“Geez.” Utakata groaned. “Why are kids so energetic?” He listened again, then rubbed his head and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. “Only one question at a time, okay?”

Shizu nodded eagerly and Utakata sighed.

“For starters, I wouldn’t call Six-Tails and I friends. We have an understanding with one another, so I can borrow his power when I need to. I don’t know if I’d call him nice considering he’s pretty boastful, but from what I’ve heard about the others, he’s probably the most amicable.”

Shizu raised his hand slightly and Utakata raised his brow.

“What?” “What’s that ‘am’ word mean?”

Utakata rubbed his temple. “Friendly. I’m saying that Six-Tails is friendly.”

“Oh.” Shizu mumbled. “Then just say it, ‘ttebayo.”

“As for being on good terms with the Nine-Tails, I wouldn’t get your hopes up.” Utakata waved his hand. “Six-Tails says that Nine-Tails really hates humans.”

“Why?”

“Because before they were ever sealed into Jinchuriki like us, the Tailed Beasts were hunted and killed for sport and because they were seen as too dangerous to let roam freely.”

“Well, they are giant, scary monsters, aren’t they?” Shizu blinked. “Wait! If they all got killed, how are they not dead?”

“You don’t know?” Utakata raised his brow. “Tailed Beasts come back after they die. It takes a while but I’ve never heard of one being actually killed.”

“Wow…” Shizu looked down. “That’s cool but… kind of sad.” He paused. “Does Six-Tails hate people, too?”

“He hates some of the things they’ve done and are capable of, but he doesn’t hate us all as a whole.” Utakata answered quietly. “Neither of us had a choice– me being Jinchuriki, and him being sealed– so we’re able to work together with the understanding that we’re both victims. For lack of a better word.”

Shizu poked his stomach. “Do you think that he’d work with me, too? I was a baby, so it’s not my fault, ‘ttebayo.”

“Like Six-Tails said; I wouldn’t get your hopes up, kid. Apparently, the only one of them that hates humans more is One-Tails.”

“Oh.” Shizu mumbled.

Utakata watched the boy sit quietly and thoughtfully for some time. Ordinarily, he preferred when children were quiet, but he knew from experience what the boy might be thinking. Even if he didn’t like to go through the trouble of spending time around small kids, there was a lot to talk about with a fellow Jinchuriki.

“A slug.”

“Huh?” Shizu looked up at Utakata.

“Six-Tails is a slug.”  Utakata yawned and patted his mouth, then rested his hand on his knee. He met the boy’s eyes. “You asked, remember?”

Shizu smiled again. “He’s a slug? Really? Can he make lots of slime? Can you?! Dad said when I was little, I used to stick slugs in my mouth, but I think he was teasing me, ‘ttebayo, because that sounds yucky. ”

Utakata almost sighed again, nearly regretting how he’d wanted the kid to talk more.

“He can make acidic gas or slime. I can imbue his acid into my water-style techniques if I want to.”

“So cool!” Shizu looked at his hands. “All I can do is heal really fast.”

“Count yourself lucky. That’s useful when people are after your head.”

“Can you teach me to talk to Nine-Tails?”

“I could try, but it depends on if he wants to cooperate or not.” Utakata frowned. “Not to mention, if you did make contact with him, but weren’t prepared to face him, he could take over your body. If you lost control, I’d have to fight you to subdue you. I’d prefer not to risk causing a scene or hurting you.”

Shizu puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms. “‘S’not fair. I wanna talk to mine, too.”

“You’re not missing out on much. Having an extra voice in your head can be annoying.”

“I don’t care. I wanna do it, too.” 

“It takes a long time, and very serious meditation in order to make the connection.”

“Meditation?” Shizu repeated, then sat up straight and shut his eyes tightly. “...Meditate… meditate… meditate…”

Utakata rolled his eyes and laughed under his breath. “Not that way, obviously.” He waved his hand. “Why do you want to talk to Nine-Tails so badly?”

“So we can be friends. And so I don’t got to be afraid that he’ll make me hurt people.” Shizu muttered. “Mom and dad, and my new brother, and my friends… I’m scared if he controls me. I don’t want them to get hurt. Or be scared of me.”

Utakata’s expression softened and he averted his eyes. He understood that feeling, too, and all too well. It was a fear that he’d lived with daily, until Six-Tails voice was able to reach him and they forged their bond. But he was lucky to have Six-Tails, who was peaceful. There was no telling what the Nine-Tails might do or say if such a young, vulnerable boy tried to communicate with him.

“Keep working on getting stronger, kid.” Utakata rubbed his head. “Don’t give up your hope that you might be able to work together, but keep up your training so that you’ll be strong enough to stay in control if he ever does get rowdy.”

Shizu nodded and confidence that Utakata hadn’t seen before flashed in the boy’s eyes. 

“I’ll work really hard, ‘ttebayo! Even if I can’t hear him, he can still hear me, right? So, I’ll tell him every day how much I wanna be friends! When I’m bigger and stronger, maybe he’ll want to be my friend, then, too!”

“You’ve got a lot of strange optimism stored up, kid.” Utakata shook his head and shrugged. “Well, I don’t know Nine-Tails, so maybe that crazy friendship scheme of yours will work out in the end. It’s worth a try, I suppose.”

“Yeah!” Shizu nodded and prodded his stomach with a grin. “D’you hear that, Nine-Tails? We’re gonna be best friends! We’ll be a really awesome and strong team!”

Utakata looked out of the hole and exhaled. “It looks like the storm is finally letting up. You should get home. I’m sure Mei is worried about you.”

Shizu stood quickly and looked outside, but he frowned deeply. “...I don’t know how to get home.”

Utakata facepalmed and groaned. “Of course you don’t. Do you at least know the general coordinates or any landmarks?”

“Um…” Shizu furrowed his brows in thought and fidgeted. “It’s an island. And… it’s really small. We have a house on it… and there’s lots of bamboo?” He looked up at the teen. “Like that?”

“Oh boy. As dangerous as it is out here for you to be alone, you ran off without even knowing how to get back home? What kind of idiot are you?”

He was going to scold the child more, but he stopped when he noticed tears welling in the boy’s eyes. He sighed.

“You mentioned ‘friends’ earlier, kid. Do you know where they are?”

“Oh! I know!” Shizu nodded. “It’s a little island, too! But there’s no trees or anything. The ground is all dark rocks and dirt that smells funny.” He paused. “The bad Mizukage doesn’t like anybody there. He had lots of them killed.”

“That’s not helpful, either–”

Utakata started to mumble, then he froze. He’d heard of an island– and of the incident there– similar to what the boy described. But, that was impossible, wasn’t it? No one could possibly live there now. He clenched his jaw and looked at the boy. 

“Hey, kid… this island where your friends live… is it a volcano?”

“Huh?” Shizu shook his head. “Not anymore. A long time ago it was, miss Saki said.”

Utakata let out a long, slow breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Of course. It would be easy to hide this boy somewhere isolated. A place where everyone who lived there was said to be long dead in the purge, or else killed slowly and painfully by the toxins.

“Utakata-niisan?” Shizu blinked up at him. “Do you know where it is?”

He was quiet for a moment but reluctantly nodded. The boy grinned.

“Are you gonna bring me there?!”

“It’s pretty far from here, and my babysitter should find me any moment now.” Utakata rubbed his head. “Kid, are you sure you’ve got friends on that island? Is it safe for you there?”

Shizu crossed his arms. “Of course! I used to go there a lot.”

Utakata knew it would be better for the boy’s sake– and his own– to leave him in this cave and let his parents find them on their own. He knew that the longer he was around the child, the more he risked Ao finding them and seeing the boy– or using his Byakugan on him. Even so, Utakata couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling that clawed his stomach at the thought of such a young child being left alone. He sighed again.

“I can’t risk being followed and take you all the way there, but I can bring you partway. Can you use chakra to walk on the water the rest of the way?”

“Yeah!” The boy’s smile shifted to a frown. “I think so, anyway…”

“You’d better hope you can. We don’t have much time.” Utakata grumbled. He made a water clone and they crawled out of the cave to stand outside. He picked Shizu up and shifted him to his back. “Hold on tight. I’m going to borrow Six-Tails’ chakra to go faster.”

“Really?”

Shizu’s eyes widened and he held on tightly as the teen said. Before his very eyes, Chakra visibly cloaked Utakata. It was pinkish, to Shizu's surprise, and he could feel a prickling sensation all over his own body as the chakra covered him, too, spreading out from the teen's body. The chakra formed what Shizu thought looked like a slug's eye stalks and a single tail at the base of his spine. Shizu's eyes grew even wider.

"That's so cool!"

Before the child could say anything else, Utakata shot forward at top speed. Shizu clung to his back tightly, trying to look around excitedly as they moved faster than Zabuza had ever carried him, but the blast of wind in his face made him duck his head down and shut his eyes. He wasn’t sure how long Utakata ran for, or how far they went, but the teen's pace slowed after a while and Shizu opened his eyes. 

"This is as far as I'm going." Utakata glanced at the boy over his shoulder. "It's a five-minute walk over the water to get the rest of the way. I've already gotten closer than I originally planned."

Utakata slid the child off his back and set him down on the ocean's surface, holding his arm until the boy could stand steadily on his own. The sea was calm now, with the storm clouds behind them and the rumble of thunder in the distance. 

"Utakata-niisan, you're so cool!" Shizu waved his arms excitedly, nearly slipping underwater, so the teen had to hold the boy's arm again.

"Yeah, yeah." Utakata averted his eyes. No one had ever referred to him as niisan before and it was as foreign to him as being heaped with praise. "You can barely stand up on your own. How did you even make it so far across the water?"

"I dunno." Shizu frowned and shrugged, but his grin returned and he looked at the boy. "Thanks for saving me! And! And telling me lots of cool stuff!"

"Just don't come anywhere near the village again, alright? You're lucky the Mizukage is away right now, or I might not have been the only one to sense the Nine-Tails' chakra."

"I wish we could talk even more..." Shizu looked down. "I wanna be friends with you, too."

Utakata sighed and mussed the boy's hair. "If by some miracle the Mizukage leaves or is overthrown, and he's not replaced by someone even worse, it should be safe for us to meet again."

Shizu's eyes sparkled and the teen nudged him away. 

"Start walking. I need to get back before Ao calls in the other Hunter-nin to come after me."

"Aw." Shizu sighed. "I don't want you to go already. I still have lots and lots of questions…"

"Sorry, kid. I'd rather you have unanswered questions than have your blood on my hands if you get caught."

Shizu thought for a moment and tugged on Utakata's sleeve, then, when he had the teen's full attention, held up his pinky. 

"I changed my mind. I think you're really, really nice. Like mom said." Shizu wiggled his pinky. "You promise that you'll be my friend if the bad Mizukage is gone?"

Utakata sighed but hesitantly knelt and looped his pinky around the kid's. 

"Fine. I promise."

"Yay!" Shizu grinned from ear to ear.

Utakata furrowed his brow and kept Shizu's pinky trapped for a moment with his own. 

"But you need to promise me something in return, kid."

"What?"

"Do not tell anyone that we met, okay? Not even your mom." Utakata lowered his voice. "Two people– you and I– can keep a secret. I don't want Mei melting me to death for meeting you after she told me to stay away. "

Shizu almost said that Mei wouldn't do such a thing, but he knew she loved him very much and was very protective. Instead, he nodded and wiggled his pinky.

"I promise."

"Good." Utakata drew back his hand and stood. "Now go. Get back home as soon as you can and stay there, where you're safe."

Shizu watched with his stomach twisting as Utakata cloaked himself in chakra once again and ran off, kicking up a spray of water behind him, and soon was out of view. His expression feel and he almost lost his balance, but shook away the sadness and reminded himself of how he actually got to meet another Jinchuriki. The excitement bubbled in his chest and he wondered how hard it would be to keep it a secret, but he remembered that a pinky promise was the strongest kind of promise someone could make. He couldn’t break it, and he wouldn't.

He turned around and started walking in the direction Utakata had said. He concentrated hard, ignoring the sounds of the sea birds and the little rippling splashes with each of his steps. After a few minutes, he recognized a familiar silhouette on the horizon through the mist: he had found it. He quickened his pace and the island grew bigger and bigger in his line of sight until he could jump onto the dock. He laughed quietly, laying on the old wooden structure to catch his breath, and triumphantly looked around. 

"I did it." He whispered. "I got all the way here by myself."

Of course, he did have help, but he was still proud of himself for making it the rest of the way there without any help.

Shizu sat up and kicked his legs over the edge of the dock. He knew that miss Saki and everyone else would be indoors the way they always were during storms. He wondered if he should go inside with them so he wasn’t alone, but his gut told him to stay put. He crossed his arms and waited. As he waited, he wondered if anyone was really looking for him after all, or if Mei and Zabuza even noticed he was gone. They didn’t argue often, but he never liked to see it or hear it. They loved each other, didn’t they? He thought that if you loved someone, you shouldn’t argue with them.

He grumbled and tried to think of something else. His thoughts wandered to Haku. His stomach hurt when he remembered how upset Haku had looked when he ran off. Haku was his brother now, and Shizu felt guilty for making him upset and probably very worried. Shizu sighed and stared down at his hands in his lap, thinking of how he should apologize to Haku when he got home. 

As the minutes passed, he wondered if he should try to make the trip home alone. After all, even if Haku told Mei and Zabuza that Shizu had run away, he wasn’t sure they would know to look for him here. He let out a sigh. Just like Utakata had said, maybe he was kind of an idiot for running away without knowing how he’d get back home.

“There you are, you dumbass.”

Shizu looked up suddenly and his eyes widened. “Dad!”

He stood with his arms outstretched and rapped his knuckles on his head instead of picking him up.

“What the hell were you thinking? Do you know how long we’ve been looking for you?” Zabuza growled.

Shizu rubbed his head and mumbled. “That hurt…”

“Good. Maybe you won’t do anything so stupid next time.” Zabuza crossed his arms, standing on top of the water, and his brows furrowed. “How the hell did you get here on your own?”

“Um…” Shizu blinked. He knew he was never, ever going to break his pinky promise, but he hadn’t thought about what he’d say instead of the truth. He looked away. “...I don’t remember.”

“You don’t–?” Zabuza shook his head and scowled. He could tell, of course, that Shizu wasn’t being honest. But, if he gave the boy the benefit of the doubt, he supposed that the boy’s unprecedented speed and the gap in his memory could be a result of unintentionally using the power of the Nine-Tailed Beast. He grumbled. “Idiot.”

Shizu smiled slightly and looked up at Zabuza. “Can we go home now? I’m really cold…”

Zabuza raised his brow. “You’re wet.”

Shizu rubbed his head. “I… fell in the ocean. And swam a little bit.”

“Now that I believe.” Zabuza muttered. He shook his head again and held the boy under his arm. “You’re in for serious trouble when we get back.”

Shizu wriggled, hating to be carried this way. “I’m sorry. For making you worried.”

“Idiot. I wasn’t worried.” Zabuza didn’t look his way, but he did reluctantly shift his hold.

“You and mom shouldn’t fight.” Shizu mumbled. “I don’t like it. It’s not good, ‘ttebayo.”

“We weren’t fighting. We had a… difference of opinions.”

Shizu puffed his cheeks and hit his fists on Zabuza’s chest. “You need to tell mom you’re sorry! You love mom! And mom loves you! So no fighting and arguing, ‘ttebayo!”

“Alright, alright; shut it.” Zabuza frowned deeply and grabbed the boy’s wrists to make him still. “Be quiet.”

“No!” Shizu crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue, stubbornly talking in a muffle. “You gotta promise that you’ll say sorry to mom! Mom isn’t a dummy! If she says someone is nice, then they’re nice! Stop being too grumpy!”

“You little brat.” Zabuza grumbled and flicked the boy’s forehead. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Then I’m gonna be super duper annoying!” Shizu wriggled. “La la la la la l–”

“Fine.” Zabuza clamped his hand over the boy’s mouth. “Just shut up.”

“Hooray!”

"Idiot. I just said to be quiet."

"Heh." Shizu grinned and held on tightly to Zabuza. "Make sure it's a really good sorry, okay? Not a grumble. Or a growl. Or a whisper. Or a–"

Zabuza rolled his eyes and took off, racing quickly home in the hope that Shizu's voice would be lost in the wind.

Utakata slowed as he neared the village and let out a sigh. He was tempted to look back– though of course, he couldn't see the boy from where he was. He wondered if Mei had found him yet or if the kid was still sitting in the cold with his damp clothes. He rubbed his head, thinking he should have tried to dry them better while the kid was unconscious, but shook his head. What was done was done, and he hoped that no one had followed him all that way. 

He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. Even if he was borrowing Six-Tails' chakra, he had still used up enough energy to be tired now. 

"Can you sense him from here?" He murmured.

"Not from this distance."

"I thought so." Utakata sighed again. He didn't like not knowing if the boy had gotten home safely but he would have to get over the unsettled feeling he had. 

"If it is any consolation, boy, I do not sense Three-Tails' return yet, either."

It did comfort him, to some degree. But he didn't get his hopes up that the Mizukage would die under 'mysterious circumstances', as the Third had. If anyone actually believed that, anyway. 

Utakata twitched and felt watched. He hadn’t heard him approach, but he was sure that it was Ao looking down at him from above. As expected, the Hunter-Nin jumped down above and put his hand on his hip.

“I’m surprised to see you return on your own. I was about to rouse the others to search.”

“Tch.” The teen gritted his teeth. It was just as he thought. “If I was trying to run away, I wouldn’t have asked for permission to leave first.”

“Back in my day, we never left the Village without direct orders or behaved recklessly.”

Utakata clenched his teeth tighter and balled his hand into a fist at his side. He was sick of hearing the same line, over and over again. If he could only trust Ao to be on his side– to keep the secret– then he wouldn’t be getting scolded for doing the right thing. But, even if Ao and Mei had some kind of alliance and were investigating the Mizukage, he couldn’t be sure in the slightest that Ao would remain silent about the young Jinchuriki. And that was what mattered most to him.

“I hope disobeying orders and breaking your grandfather’s window was worth this ‘rescue’ mission.”

Utakata crossed his arms and turned his back to the Hunter-Nin, making it more difficult for him to be read. “It was a false alarm.” He mumbled. “Six-Tails said there was trouble, but it turned out to be nothing.”

“Hm.” Ao’s brows furrowed. “Back in my day, we at least put more effort into our lies.”

Utakata dug his fingers into his arms and felt Ao’s strong grip on his shoulder.

“Perhaps you’ll be more forthcoming with the truth to Harusame when you explain to him how his study became so wet with rain.”

The teen nearly winced at the thought of facing his grandfather’s questioning stare or his reaction to seeing the mess. He was sure that his grandfather would put him to work immediately to clean it up. Still, he thought, he had no regrets in saving the child. Ao pushed him back toward home– his prison– and used the time to come up with a reasonable excuse his grandfather would believe.

Chapter Text

Sakinami smiled softly as she watched Shizu and Haku together. The way they interacted warmed her heart and anyone who didn't know better would think they were truly brothers by blood. Right now, the boys were simply sitting together and reading a book together, but the simplicity of this did not make it any less significant.

After watching them for a while, her daughter Miharu runs up to her and pulls on her sleeve. She whispers to her mother that Zabuza has arrived on the island.

Sakinami sighs softly and looks back at the boys. They had both been here for about a month– as Zabuza and his mysterious partner were both extremely busy with missions lately. Now it seemed that Zabuza was finally returning.

"Come on, boys." She smiles at Shizu and Haku softly. "Your father is here now."

Shizu's face lights up in his bright, sunny smile. He immediately gets to his feet and starts to pack up his things.

"Hurry up, Haku!"

Shizu nags him out of excitement as Haku packs away his books and everything else into his backpack with a natural gracefulness she'd never seen in a child before.

When Haku was packed up, Shizu was grinning ear to ear and almost bouncing on his heels. He barely said goodbye to anyone before he took Haku's hand and hurried outside to meet Zabuza.

"Dad!" Shizu beams and throws his arms around Zabuza without any hesitation. It's only after he inhales a big whiff of a metallic smell that he pulls back. His blue eyes widen at just how much dry blood covers Zabuza's uniform. "Are you okay?! Did you get hurt?!"

"Idiot." Zabuza grumbled and flicked Shizu's forehead. "It's not my blood."

"Oh." Shizu rubbed his forehead and thought for a moment. He feels relieved that his dad isn't wounded, but the idea of Zabuza having to seemingly go on yet another killing spree on a mission is something he doesn't much like.

Haku is quiet around Zabuza, as he usually is, but the past six months as a member of the household have made his quietness and formality at least more relaxed.

"Welcome back." Haku says softly to Zabuza with a respectful tone.

"Hmph." Zabuza glanced between the boys and his eyes rested on Shizu. "You haven't been an obstinate shit while I was gone, were you?"

"I haven't, 'ttebayo!" Shizu stomps his foot and frowns up at Zabuza. "I've been great!"

"Hmph."

Before the trio can leave, one of the elders slowly walks over with her cane. She smiles at Haku and holds out a book to him.

"You left this, dear."

Haku immediately bows his head and thanks her. He looks embarrassed to have forgotten anything at all and he puts the book in his backpack with the rest. The elder looks up at Zabuza with a faint smile as if she isn't afraid of the 'demon' at all.

"Your boys are a treasure to have around." She pats Haku's shoulder. "Haku here is a real prodigy. He's already mastered all of the medicinal knowledge of us elders. He's all but memorized every book and scroll we have by heart."

Zabuza raised his brow at Haku. To anyone else, he looks doubtful and critical, but Shizu grins because he knows this frown of Zabuza's means that he's impressed.

"You were studying medicine?"

Shizu nods and answers energetically for Haku. "He's great at it! Miss Saki got a bad cut on a fishing hook and Haku made some medicine paste stuff and healed it extra fast!"

Haku looks a bit sheepish at Shizu's praise. "I-I only use the poultice recipe from the Elders that I memorized, and it healed at a normal rate…"

"Oh, the boy is too modest." The elder chuckles and she affectionately pats Haku's head. "I'm sure he'd be far more advanced by now with how quickly he learns if our medical texts weren't so limited. Why, I think if he had training, he'd master Medical Ninjutsu quickly, too."

Haku was quiet but his face flushed a little in embarrassment.

"Medical Ninjutsu, huh?" Zabuza spoke in a grumble and looked at Haku with a long stare.

The aptitude for Medical Ninjutsu wasn't rare, but it wasn’t so common that just anyone could do it, either. Shizu could heal himself almost instantly as the host of the Nine-Tails, but Zabuza, Haku, and Mei had no such abilities. If Haku had the potential to learn to heal, then it would be very valuable in general, as well as for their plans.

"Fine. I'll find you a teacher."

Haku looked genuinely surprised at Zabuza's generosity and he bows his head.

"I-I promise to take it very seriously!"

"Yay!" Shizu cheers and puts his arm around Haku. "You'll be the best, 'ttebayo!"

Haku looked a little bashful at Shizu’s praise and assurance. Before becoming his ‘brother’, he was used to such a hard and lonely life, but adjusting to Shizu’s heaping praise, his bright personality, and his unwavering trust and brotherly affection was something that Haku was slowly becoming accustomed to. Sometimes, like this moment, he still felt embarrassed, but it was a pleasant sort of embarrassment that he didn’t mind so much. He was really liking having a ‘brother’.

“Let’s go. We’re not hanging around all day.” Zabuza frowns slowly and looks at the boys. His dark eyes narrow. “Today, you’re going to see how far you can run across the sea without my help. I won’t bother carrying you until you’re genuinely too exhausted to continue, so don’t even think that whining is going to sway me.”

“I’ll do my b-best!”

“Aw, yeah! I can do it really far now, ‘ttebayo!”

"Yay! We made it home!" Shizu cheered with a bright grin.

Haku smiled very faintly at Shizu's contagious happiness. Zabuza grunted and raised his brow at Shizu as he set the boys down on solid ground.

"Don't celebrate as if you made it all the way here yourself. You barely made it three-tenths of a kilometer."

Shizu stuck his tongue out and crossed his arm.

"I know that, 'ttebayo! But I still made it that far on my own! I didn't even fall into the water this time!"

Zabuza rolled his eyes slightly and his gaze rested on Haku, who is, as always, the more reserved of the two. Haku averted his eyes once he saw Zabuza looking at him and the boy fidgeted in place.

"You walked one-tenth of a kilometer."

Haku wrings his hands together and looks down. He did his best but he just couldn't keep up with Shizu. His own Chakra control was still poor and he needed to keep training but he was afraid that he'd always be too far behind.

"You're improving."

Haku looked on in stunned silence at Zabuza's praise. Zabuza walks into the house as the boys stand outside. Shizu continues to grin in pride with his arms crossed behind his head for a while, then he tugs on Haku's hand.

"Come on! Dontcha wanna see how it's doing?"

Before Haku could say anything more, Shizu started to excitedly pull him to the back of the house where the still slightly cold early spring dirt had been tilled into neat rows. Haku smiled and knelt down to look at the little seedlings that finally sprouted from beneath the glass jars he'd put down over them to keep them from the frost.

"They're growing!"

"I knew they would, 'ttebayo!" Shizu grins and kneels down beside him. "You planted them, after all, and you're awesome!"

Haku is a little embarrassed yet again at all of the praise but he smiles and points to the different sections of seedlings.

"Those are the cucumbers and those are the beans. Over there are the sunflowers, lettuce, and leeks. Then the radishes, corn, and potatoes."

"There's so many!" Shizu looks at all the seedlings. Then he points at an empty patch of dirt that needed to be tilled still. "What are ya going to put there?"

Haku thought for a few moments and then he got an idea. "What about herbs?"

"Herbs?" Shizu crosses his arms as he thinks, with his eyes squinted shut. "Like what?"

"Herbs for cooking and medicine. Rosemary, lemongrass, shiso, ginger…" The more Haku considers what he wants to plant, the more his quiet self melts away and the more he smiles. "I want to grow plenty of herbs so I can practice making more ointments and medicines, too. Maybe even antidotes to poisons, just in case…"

Haku goes very quiet and his stomach twisted into knots. Even though it had been a while since it happened, he couldn’t forget how he and Shizu had been poisoned. He still remembered that he wasn’t meant to tell Shizu about it, but the worry it could happen again never left him.

"Hey! Brats!"

Shizu and Haku both turn to see Zabuza cross-armed near the front door.

"What?" Shizu shouts back.

"Gear up. You're going to be training until it's time to eat."

Shizu's eyes lit up with excitement as he cheered. He quickly runs toward the door with a grin.

"C'mon, Haku! Let's get our stuff!"

The two boys went inside the house to change clothes. When they came back out, both were dressed in the plain black long-sleeved shirt and pants Zabuza designed as their training uniform. They each had a weapons pouch strapped to one thigh, and training swords were strapped on their backs. Shizu looked excited as always to train and bounced on his heels in anticipation. Haku was quiet but also determined. Zabuza wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was pleased that both were eager students.

Zabuza nodded at them and they understood what he wanted. Side by side, they started to run through their forms slowly at first, and then again with greater speed and attempted precision. They practiced throwing shuriken and kunai next at targets drawn on bundles of bamboo targets. When Zabuza was satisfied with their improvements there, he nodded again and had them spar.

In spite of the several years of basic training Shizu had been given already by Zabuza and Mei, Zabuza noted that the gap between Shizu and Haku's skills was rapidly narrowing. Maybe it was due to Haku being older, or maybe it was due to him being a diligent student and being determined to get as strong as he could to act as Shizu's shield, as he had sworn to do. Either way, Zabuza was glad to see his improvement and acknowledge that the boy might be ready to pull his own weight.

He watched them sparring for some time and took note of their strengths and weaknesses. He'd make sure to write it all down later for review so he could adjust their training.

He made the boys practice their basic Jutsu next– substitution, how to create mist, and how to create a water clone. Shizu's were excellent as usual but Haku struggled to make only one. Zabuza watched with a frown as the boy struggled, but he had only started to learn the Jutsu recently. His slow progress was to be expected, even if it was still somewhat frustrating.

The last thing left was for Haku to try to create ice at will Zabuza watched silently, with Shizu looking on and wordlessly cheering him on. Still, Haku was only able to create a thin layer of frost over his own skin and some of the ground beneath him. He looked down with a guilty sigh.

"That was great, 'ttebayo!" Shizu's steps bounced in excitement when Haku was finished. He was grinning cheerfully. "I think the ice is thicker than last time!"

Haku mumbled inaudibly. He wasn’t happy with his lack of progress with his Ice, but there must have been some sort of trick he was missing on how he could make it without being afraid and upset. He sighed heavily but Shizu wrapped his arms around him.

"Let's go inside and get something hot to drink! I'm tired and cold and thirsty!"

Zabuza watched Shizu pull Haku eagerly into the house with a frown.

"Take off your damn shoes this time or I'll make you scrub the floors with your toothbrush."

"We know, dad!" Shizu stuck out his tongue and then both disappeared inside.

Zabuza grumbled and his frown deepened. He noticed that the boys hadn't retrieved their kunai and shuriken from the targets. He almost opened the door to yell at them to take care of their own things but he also considered not saying a word. They weren't his weapons, after all. Why did he care if they became rusted?

He grumbled again and yanked them out of the target anyway, muttering how much he thought they were careless brats and how it'd be his money paying for replacements if their weapons were ruined.

He brought their weapons inside with a scowl and left them near the entryway as he slipped off his shoes and told them to clean up their mess. Then, he walked into the kitchen to start lunch.

He didn't try to make their food 'cute' at all like Mei did, or make whatever they requested. When he was in charge of meals, they got whatever he made, and no complaints were allowed. It was hard to complain anyway when he usually made only rice and grilled fish. It was an adequate meal, and providing it was the minimum he had to do for these brats.

He watched them eat in his usual silence, only breaking it to grumble at Haku to not eat so slowly and to snap at Shizu to eat neater and sit up straighter. After lunch, he ordered them to do the cleaning up while he went outside to do his own training.

Zabuza was rarely distracted during his training– at least, he was before Shizu came around. Now, he found it difficult to completely focus on much of anything when he was wondering what the little brats were getting up to when he wasn't around. Haku himself wasn't a problem, but he was easily convinced by Shizu to do anything, and that was troublesome.

Zabuza managed to focus long enough on his training to complete at least what he determined to be the bare minimum before his curiosity got the better of him. He peered through one of the windows to see that nothing seemed broken, on fire, or out of place. To his surprise, the boys were studying. He grunted in almost approval that they were actually behaving, then returned to his training.

Wielding a blade cleared his mind better, in his opinion, than a Monk in meditation. Of course, he was no monk, and he didn't meditate, but something about holding a sharp metal object always felt right to him, even as a child. Whether that blade was shiny or dripping in blood, he was able to clear all pesky thoughts out of his mind.

He trained until it started to grow darker and he was satisfied enough for the day; he'd gotten in his training, and the boys were quietly occupying themselves. He wiped the sweat off his brow and turned toward the house. He stopped to listen to the sound of footfall over the water through the mist that hung over the ocean, tense and ready to see who emerged. It was only Mei, and she smiled when she saw him. She walked up to him to tug down his bandages and kiss him before he could say or do anything. When she pulled away, he raised his brow.

"I thought you were supposed to be back from your mission yesterday?"

"I missed you, too." Mei's lips curved in a playful smirk and she leaned in to kiss him again. She slid her arms around his neck and looked into his dark eyes. "You're so sweaty that your lips taste salty."

"I was training."

She kissed him again and let her lips linger against his as if waiting for something. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her back.

"Where are the boys?"

"Inside. Being good for once."

"They're always good."

Zabuza grunted and rolled his eyes, then stepped away from her to go inside. Mei followed and smiled brightly when Shizu grinned and ran up to her immediately.

"Mom!"

Mei was happy to wrap her arms around him and give him a firm, loving squeeze. She planted kisses on his cheeks.

"Did you miss me?" Mei smiled and kissed Shizu's forehead, then cupped his cheeks in her hands as she looked at him. She squished his face but his smile remained.

"Of course I did, 'ttebayo!"

"Knock off the tic." Zabuza frowned and grumbled.

"I try ." Shizu stuck out his tongue.

"Try harder ." Zabuza rapped his knuckles on the boy's head.

"It's cute, Zabuza." Mei kissed Shizu's face again.

"He'll blow his cover with that damn tic if he's ever in disguise."

"I'm sure he'll learn to hide it eventually."

Mei smiled at Shizu and then stood to look for Haku. She found him in the kitchen, wearing one of Mei's aprons, though it was oversized on him. She approached the kitchen curiously and smiled.

"Welcome home." Haku said softly and looked at her.

Mei couldn't help but smile at him and she bent to kiss his forehead, too. He was just too pure of a boy, and she adored him just as much as she did Shizu.

"What are you doing?"

"I-I thought I'd try making some Onigiri as a surprise for dinner since Sakinami taught me recently…" He smiled shyly.

Mei didn't mind if he was still adjusting to life with a family but she was glad to see how much more at ease he was with them now. She patted his head gently.

"What a thoughtful idea! I'm sure they'll be even more delicious than normal."

"It's hard to get the shape right…" Haku mumbled and averted his eyes. Getting used to praise and affection was something he'd slowly gotten used to and he liked receiving it, but he just wasn't sure how to respond without becoming flustered every time. He was glad that no one ever pointed out his reactions, though.

"There's a little trick to it. Here; I'll show you."

Mei smiled and washed her hands, then took her place beside him. She dips her hands in the bowl of ice water, holds them there for a few moments, and then pulls them out. Then she sprinkles salt on her hands before she scoops up the rice to flatten it, insert the filling, and then seal it and shape it.

"If you don't make sure your hands stay cold enough, it can make it more difficult to shape them." She explained and looked down at Haku. "Your body heat warms up the rice and makes it sticky, right? When that starts to happen, dip your hands in the ice water again, or try to practice using your ice to chill your own hands."

"Oh." Haku looked down at his hands, speaking softly. "I didn't think of using my ice that way."

Mei smiled and nudged him gently. "Chakra is versatile, and so is ice. Keep trying and you'll be able to do it fine."

She set her perfectly triangle-shaped Onigiri on the plate and she watched his hands working. Shizu walked over now, curious, to see what they were doing.

"Wow, it looks perfect, mom!" Shizu grinned at Mei.

"It just takes practice." Mei looked at Haku. "Why not try to chill your hands?"

"I'll try…" Haku mumbled. He closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate and channel his Chakra. Then, frost forms on both of his hands until the Onigiri is frozen solid. His ears burned in embarrassment and he looked down. "I-I can't do it."

"It was your first try. I think it was a great attempt." Mei bends to meet his eyes. "It's especially great when you consider that you've only been practicing ninjutsu for only a few months."

"I need to get a lot better."

"I still have a lot of things I need to improve, too." Mei nodded and smiled. "For example, I still can't control the shape and direction of the lava I spew. It could seriously hurt my allies just as much as the enemies, so I have to keep training to improve my control. Don't beat yourself up for needing improvement when you always could be better at anything. Just be proud of your progress and strive to do better without putting yourself down, okay?"

Haku nodded but he didn’t feel much better. Her words made him smile faintly, but it was difficult for him to make himself believe what she said.

“I want to try, too!” Shizu stood beside Haku, looking up at him, and grinned. “Wanna teach me?”

Haku looked at Shizu for a long moment. As unconfident in his own abilities to make proper Onigiri– and even more unconfident in his ability to teach– he couldn’t help but smile at Shizu, nod, and move over to give his little brother room beside him.

“Okay. But you need clean hands, first.”

Shizu nodded and listened without a complaint. Zabuza noticed this and almost grumbled a complaint that Shizu listened to Haku better than him, but he kept quiet. He might find it beyond frustrating, but he wanted Haku to have this kind of influence on Shizu if Haku was going to keep him safe when he and Mei weren't around.

Mei stood next to Zabuza with a smile of satisfaction while she watched the two boys work. Despite Haku's nerves in front of Mei, he felt more comfortable with each passing second in Shizu's company. As he taught Shizu how to make the Onigiri, Mei's lips curved in a playful smile, and looked at Zabuza, who watched them with interest, though she knew he wouldn't admit it.

Once dinner was ready, Shizu happily helped Haku carry over the platter of Onigiri to the table.

"Ta-dah!" Shizu beamed and crossed his arms behind his head. "We did great, right?"

"Oh, they look great!" Mei smiled at both of them and she picked up an Onigiri to examine it. Then she looked at Haku. "Did you make this one? It’s shaped so well."

Haku nodded but looked shy still. "It's not as good as yours though…"

"They're way better than mine, ‘ttebayo!" Shizu laughed, still smiling. "Mine are the round ones, 'cause making triangles was too hard."

"I think they're all perfect." Mei took one triangular Onigiri and one round one. "I'm sure they'll be the best things I've ever tasted."

"You bet they will be!" Shizu crossed his arms behind his head again. "Because we made them with lots of love, mom!"

Mei took a bite of each Onigiri and smiled. Seeing both boys look so proud of themselves really did make her happy– and her happiness made her enjoy the food even more.

"I taste all the love you put in here. It's delicious." Mei smiled playfully and reached out to pull both boys onto her lap. "So delicious that I just have to eat you both up right now!"

With a laugh, she pretends to take bites out of both of them as she tickles them.

Shizu snorts and laughs loudly, and tries to wriggle out of her grasp. Haku is quiet for a while as he tries not to laugh until Mei finds the most ticklish spot on his ribs. Then, Haku too laughs out loud and Mei adores their smiles.

She glances at Zabuza, who watches the wholesome spectacle, but he looks away and grunts once he's caught looking. Mei smiled and pulled the boys in for a quick squeeze of a hug, then kissed both of their heads.

"You two are the best." Mei smiled and met each of their gazes. "I'm so happy we're a family."

Shizu beams and nods in agreement. He throws his arms around Mei and Haku to hug them. After a moment, he wiggles his hand in Zabuza's direction.

"C'mon, dad! Group hug!"

"No." Zabuza said firmly.

"Yes!" Shizu wiggled his hand again, motioning for Zabuza to lean closer.

"Absolutely not."

Mei chuckled and reached out to grab Zabuza's arm anyway and tug him closer. His brow ticked at how Mei and Shizu's arms wrapped around him, and then he pulled away after a moment with a frown.

"You're just as bad as the brats are, playing at the table."

Mei stuck out her tongue at Zabuza and gave the boys one more squeeze. Then she gave them each a little nudge for them to sit at the table and eat. Zabuza was surprised and grateful that the boys actually sat and ate quietly. It wasn't until they were finished that Shizu looked at Mei excitedly.

"What kind of mission did you have, mom?"

Mei smiled and rested her cheek in her hand. "Nothing that exciting. I had to investigate some 'rumors' about Kumo-nin trying to smuggle their way into Kiri."

She sighed.

"After that stunt Kumo pulled in Konoha about a year ago, everyone was curious about what they'd be up to in Kiri."

"'Stunt'?" Haku asked softly. He was trying to join in the conversation and learn more about the Shinobi world at the same time. Being new to it made him feel disadvantaged.

Mei nodded solemnly and then she frowned deeper the more she explained. "Apparently Kumo sent a team into Konoha to steal the heiress of one of their strongest clans. The best guess as to why would be to use her in the future to create their own squad of Byakugan users. Which is sick."

The boys look at each other for a moment, not understanding. Haku tries to think of a response anyway.

"So, the Kumo-nin kidnapped a little girl?" Haku asked softly. "And… they might have tried to come to Kiri to kidnap another child?"

"It's all just speculation." Mei shook her head and sighed. "The Land of Lightning is always trying to start conflicts with other nations to expand their borders, though. There aren't Dojutsu clans here in the Land of Water so we don't know what the Kumo-nin might be after. I did find some evidence of their infiltration, but their agents didn't seem to stay very long. It's unusual. "

"I see." Haku said quietly and glanced at Shizu beside him, who didn't notice his look.

Zabuza watched Haku's expression and knew exactly what he might be wondering– Zabuza was curious about it, too. If those unidentified plant-human creatures had been after Shizu, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that they couldn't be aligned with a foreign nation somehow. If Kumo had a penchant for stealing children, then perhaps they knew about Shizu and wanted him. The thought was enough to make Zabuza frown deeply.

Shizu frowned too, with his arms crossed, as he tried to consider what Mei said. "So the bad Cloud guys steal kids? Why?"

Mei smiles half-heartedly at him and, leaning over the table, she poked his nose. "Because children are the future, Shizu. Children are very trusting so, if a nation were to steal a young child with immense potential, and they molded that child's mind to be loyal to them, they'd be a powerful weapon."

Shizu thought for a long time and then he responded quietly. "...like dad?"

His question lingered in the air and Mei cleared her throat.

"You mean, the 'Bloody Mist's' graduation exam?"

Shizu nodded. "It's kinda like that, right? Trying to make kids really strong so they'll be good fighters?"

Mei glanced at Zabuza quietly and then looked back at Shizu. "You're a smart boy, Shizu. That is pretty similar to what Kumo tried to do with that heiress."

Shizu grinned at first at being called 'smart' but then his expression fell when he was reminded of the situation.

Zabuza cleared his throat and three sets of eyes turned to face him. His gaze rests on Haku.

"You're ready to start accompanying me on missions."

Haku's eyes widen and he's utterly speechless. Shizu, on the other hand, smiles brightly and cheers.

"Yay! We get to all be real ninjas together!"

Mei stared at Zabuza, speechless also, then she sighed and rubbed her temple. "Zabuza, are you sure he's ready? He only just started to train, after all."

"He's already nearly Shizu's equal in Kenjutsu, and he knows how to walk on water. That's something Shizu couldn't do when he first joined me on missions. And in emergencies, he has his Ice."

Mei pressed her lips together in thought. "I know." She spoke softly. "I'm still worried about them, though. They're both so young."

"Don't worry, mom! We get stronger and stronger every day!" Shizu beamed at Mei and crossed his arms behind his head. "And we'll be together, so we'll be even stronger as a team, 'ttebayo!"

Mei finally sighed and managed a very small smile as she looked between the two boys. "I don't doubt that you two make an excellent team."

"Of course we are!" Shizu links his arm with Haku's. "We're brothers!"

"Yes you are." Mei said softly. Her eyes fell on Haku, who was still speechless, and she pressed her lips together again. "Haku, do you not want to go on missions yet?"

Haku blinked and wrung his hands as he looked downward. "N-No, I want to. I want to prove myself and be useful…"

Shizu's cheerful and energetic expression softens into a sweet one. He hugs Haku in a gentle, squeezing hug.

"It's okay to be nervous, 'ttebayo! Being brave doesn't mean you're not scared at all, right mom?"

Shizu looked at Mei and she smiled at both of them.

"That's right. You're not cowardly or weak by feeling nervous or afraid." Mei leaned over the table to gently touch Haku's shoulder. "Even the most seasoned Shinobi feel fearful or nervous sometimes. Courage is doing something anyway, even when you're afraid."

"So is stupidity." Zabuza grumbled.

"Sometimes." Mei flashed him a brief, stern look. Her attention turned back to Haku. "You're a smart boy; you study hard, you never give less than your best during training, and you have something very important for a Shinobi– common sense. I think you'll do just fine out in the field if you're working as a unit with Shizu and Zabuza."

Hearing her words of encouragement, Haku sat up straighter, and his young, dark eyes look determined, in spite of the faint nervousness that lingers.

“I’ll try my best. I won’t let you down.”

“You never could disappoint me. Neither of you.” Mei smiled at Haku, then at Shizu next.

"What kind of mission is it, dad?" Shizu asked with an obvious hint of excitement in his voice.

"Doesn't matter. You'll find out in the morning."

Shizu frowned at Zabuza's reply and crossed his arms. "Aw, I wanna know! Are we gonna get some information? Is there a bad guy to kill? Do we have to go far away?"

Zabuza let out a quiet, irritated sigh at Shizu's persistence.

"A squad of Chunin went missing on a mission. It'll be our job to track down their last known location and investigate."

"Yes! That sounds so cool! And important!" Shizu grinned.

"You'd better take it seriously." Zabuza furrowed his brows.

"I know, 'ttebayo!" Shizu furrowed his brows in the same way.

Mei smiled at Shizu and ruffled his hair. "Haku is older, but you have more experience in the field. That makes you his senior for now, so make sure you be a good example for him, alright? Keep each other safe."

Shizu grinned at Haku, who smiled at him with a small, nervous-but-determined smile.

"We will." The boys said in unison.

Chapter Text

Shizu poked the small campfire with a long stick as a way to entertain himself in the silence. Zabuza said he'd be back quickly after scouting the area ahead but it had been a while, and he was growing impatient. Only, he was a Shinobi, even if only one in training, so he couldn't just openly complain. Not while on a mission. So he sighed and pushed around the smoldering embers with a stick some more.

Haku sat nearby on a log and sharpened the last of his senbon. He carefully inspected the tip from all angles with the calm and serious expression he usually wore when training or caring for his tools. Shizu watched him out of the corner of his eyes for a while until he couldn't take the silence anymore. He tossed the stick into the fire.

"Dad's been gone too long!"

Haku's lips twitched in a faint smile at Shizu as if he'd predicted when Shizu's patience would finally crumble. He returned his senbon to his pouch and his smile grew.

"We may be back in the Land of Water but he's still probably going to be cautious and not take the exact path back to us, in case he's followed."

Shizu's brows furrowed in a perfect copy of Zabuza's. He crossed his arms, too, and Haku couldn't help but laugh under his breath at the resemblance.

"He doesn't need to take so long and come the long way back. He'll just kill anyone who follows him, anyway."

"If necessary. But we're supposed to remain subtle as much as possible. He's going to be as cautious and stealthy as always."

Shizu sighed again. He knew Haku was right but it didn't make him feel any less impatient.

“He’s taking forever , ‘ttebayo.”

Haku smiled to himself as Shizu pouted and went quiet again. Even if they were on a mission, he found Shizu's behavior to be adorable, caring about him as if they had been brothers their whole lives. 

Shizu's stomach growled and he clutched his belly. "Aw man… When's dad coming back? I'm starving."

"Have your rations."

"I did." Shizu's stomach growled even louder and he groaned. "I'm still hungry."

Haku thought for a moment. It was true that they had been on a long scouting mission and were running low on their dry rations. It was also true that Shizu's unique bloodline– and being a Host– required him to eat more in order to maintain his enormous, steady Chakra production. His Chakra was essential to keeping the Beast under control, so eating regularly was essential. Haku smiled and reached into his pack to hold out his rations.

"Here. Have mine."

Shizu's eyes widened. "Nuh-uh! I can't take your food, 'ttebayo!"

Haku shook his head and persistently placed the small ration pack in Shizu's hand. "I eat less than you, and I can always forage to see what's close to camp if I'm hungry. I know the plants better."

"But…" Shizu stared hungrily at the rations and stuck them back into Haku's hands. "I can't take your food! You can just show me the plants that are safe to eat, right? We can do that instead because I won't eat your food, 'ttebayo."

"Alright, if you insist." Haku smiled down at the ration in his hand. He'd expected Shizu to do this but it still brought a smile to his face to know that his brother cared about him this much. He looked around the area to think for a few moments. “We can start with some greens. It’s about the time of year for Sansai.”

“Cool!” Shizu jumped to his feet and was so excited now to do even the most simple of things with Haku like foraging that he forgot about his impatience. “Sansai, Sansai! Gonna find Sansai!” 

Shizu puts his hands up to his eyes to imitate glasses and he looks around at the frosty spring landscape.

“What kind of plant is ‘Sansai’?”

Haku laughs under his breath. “Sansai isn’t a specific type of plant. It refers to a wide variety of mountain vegetables and herbs that can be foraged and eaten. Some also have medicinal purposes.”

“Ooh.” Shizu crossed his arms behind his head. “Are they yummy?”

"According to my research, they can be quite bitter when fully developed but the younger plants should be milder." 

Haku smiled and stood from his seat on the log. Shizu's energy, like his smile, was always contagious. He started to move away from their little campfire to lead Shizu away to where he thought it would be best to forage when his ears picked up very quiet, new sounds. He put out his hand in the sign that meant 'freeze and listen' so Shizu would be silent also. The boys listened carefully and strained to try to tell what the sound was. By the time they recognized the sound of fast, heavy hoofbeats and the telltale grunting and squealing, it already burst through the surrounding foliage.

Haku shoved Shizu away from him in time to avoid a faceful of Wild Boar tusk. The boys' eyes widened as the large creature ran directly over their small campfire, kicking snow over it, and putting it out. 

"Get off the ground!" Haku called out to Shizu, who nodded and ran up the trunk with Chakra gathered on his feet. 

Once Shizu was safely out of reach, Haku drew his sword and shifted into a ready stance. The boar grunted and snorted loudly, and turned around to look at Haku with its wild eyes. It scraped its hoof on the ground before charging at the boy. Haku gritted his teeth and stood his ground though he was afraid and wanted to hide in the trees, too. He could hear Shizu calling out to him but his voice was drowned out by the pounding of his heart in his ears. The only thoughts in his mind were of the boar and how it endangered Shizu, and his vow to Zabuza almost exactly a year before to be Shizu's protector.

Haku waited until the boar was charging and would have difficulty turning to step out of the way, heartbeat drumming in his ears and adrenaline pumping through his veins. He slashed at the boar's face with his full strength and his eyes widened when the boar turned its head and his blade clashed with a tusk, only to cut through a small amount and become stuck.

He tried to pull his blade free but the enraged boar shook its head violently and it was pulled out of his grip. He jumped back to avoid the sharp tusks and gulped as he looked down at the creature who slammed its tusks into the trunk. His sword that was stuck in its tusk cracked and shattered. 

Haku gulped again and clenched his fist. He knew Zabuza wouldn’t be pleased at all when he learned at Haku had gotten his sword broken. More importantly, the boar was even angrier now and rampaging through their small encampment.

“It’s huge!” Shizu stared wide-eyed at the boar from the branch he stood on in another tree. “D’you think it’s gonna get bored and leave?”

“No. It’s too angry.” Haku replied very softly. He was unable to look away from the beast as he gulped again and his heart pounded. He knew that they could try to remain in the tree until Zabuza returned to kill it for them but it was his job to protect Shizu when Zabuza wasn’t around. And, neither of them knew how long it would take for Zabuza to return. He swallowed the lump in his throat one more time and clenched his fists. He had to handle this. 

Haku took out his senbon and looked at their freshly-sharpened tips. He took aim at the animal and threw them, hoping the boar remained still so they hit their marks. He smiled when they struck but his smile was short-lived when he saw how they hardly pierced the boar’s head, only becoming stuck in its thick hide. One sebon struck the boar’s eye and it squealed and grunted loudly in pain as it bled.

“It’s really mad, now, ‘ttebayo…” Shizu mumbled and watched the boar kick, grunt, thrash, and ram its tusks into the tree with more persistence. 

Haku shut his eyes tightly, angry and disappointed at himself. He’d lost his sword, and now many of his Senbon were out of reach on the ground. He was running out of options now but he didn’t want to wait for Zabuza to return and kill the beast for them. He couldn’t.

Haku drew in a deep breath, closed his eyes to channel his Chakra, and formed hand signs. Water from the air gathered in a ball in front of him and changed shape– taking on the form of a large spear, as large as his own body– then froze into dense, Chakra-infused Ice.  “Ice Release: Giant Heavenly Ice Senbon!”

Haku opened his eyes and the icy projectile dropped rapidly through the air to smite the boar. It pierced through its skull and embedded itself into the ground. The boar died instantly, without any pained cries, and Haku exhaled.

“I did it…” He wiped the sweat off his brow and stared down at the dead boar with a very faint smile of satisfaction. His heart swelled with pride when he realized that he had protected Shizu from a threat, all on his own. “...I killed it by myself…”

“You lack awareness of your surroundings.”

Haku jumped at the familiar joke of Zabuza and turned to see him, standing on a high branch above him. He was holding Shizu in his arm with a hand clamped over his mouth, just as a kidnapper would. Shizu’s words were muffled and almost silent as he wriggled and tried to break free, and Zabuza’s brows furrowed deeply at Haku.

“The boar could have easily been a distraction for a secondary enemy to strike while you’re busy fighting or when you let your guard down to revel in victory too early.”

Haku gulped and watched Shizu struggling against Zabuza. In his mind, he imagined an enemy Shinobi– maybe one of Konoha’s or an agent of the Mizukage’s– holding Shizu to steal him away.

“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to anything else besides the boar…”

“That single-mindedness in combat is exactly what gets Shinobi killed, makes units crumble, and leads to failure in missions.” Zabuza jumped down from the tree and set Shizu down on the ground.

Shizu took in a deep breath and lightly smacked his fists on Zabuza’s stomach. “Don’t be mean to Haku, dad! It’s not his fault that you’re super, super, super stealthy! He was awesome and killed that huge thing all by himself, ‘ttebayo! You should have seen him!”

“I did see him.” 

Zabuza watched Haku leap down to join them on the ground. His eyes followed the quiet older boy as he slowly approached, staring at the dead boar and the large piece of ice still embedded through its skull. Zabuza crossed his arms.

“Why did you think the boar started to suddenly rampage?”

“Huh?” Shizu blinked and squinted in thought. “Something scary scared it, right?”

“It was a test.” Haku murmured and a lump formed in his throat again. He looked up at Zabuza. “You stayed gone for a long time to see what we would do on our own, and you riled up the boar and made it charge toward our camp to see if we could handle it.”

“Exactly.”

Shizu’s eyes widened and he smacked his fists on Zabuza again. “You really made it attack us, dad?! Were you trying to get us killed?! It was huge and scary!”

Zabuza’s frown deepened and he flicked Shizu’s forehead. “Idiot. I was monitoring it the entire time. You think I can’t manage a single stupid beast on my own?”

Haku pressed his lips together in thought. This whole thing had been a test orchestrated by Zabuza to determine how fit he was as a protector for Shizu. He’d passed, too, at least in part. He cursed his own single-mindedness in battle and how he had let himself relax too early. Had it been anyone other than Zabuza, Shizu could have been dead or long gone by now. It was a small mistake with big consequences and it didn’t intend to make that same mistake again.

Zabuza rapped his knuckles on Haku’s head while he was in thought. “What are the rules?”

Haku glanced down for just a moment before his back straightened at attention. “One– do not use the same disguise in consecutive towns. Two- do not use our real names while on missions. Three– do not hesitate to kill an enemy when your life or the secrecy of the family is on the line. Four–”

Haku swallowed and his posture relaxed. His gaze fell on the ground again.

“Four?” Zabuza crossed his arms and looked at him with his brows furrowed. 

“...Don’t use our Kekkei Genkai, Tailed Beast chakra, or secret techniques except as a last resort.” Haku swallowed the lump in his throat again and looked over at the dead boar. “...I followed the rule, though. I tried my weapons first.”

“Not effectively.” Zabuza looked at the boy and exhaled shortly. “The reason why it didn’t kill it is because you failed to take into account how thick a boar’s skull is. You should’ve imbued your Senbon or sword with Chakra to allow it to pierce the skull and tusks easily.”

Haku was quiet as he listened to Zabuza. Then he nodded and retrieved his fallen weapons. “...It won’t happen again.”

“Hm.”

Haku picked up his broken sword and his stomach twisted into more knots as he looked at the shattered stump of a blade. This wouldn’t have happened if he had remembered to just use his Chakra and now he felt even more guilty. 

“Hmph!” Shizu grumbled and crossed his arms. “Well, I think Haku was awesome!”

Haku’s lips curved in a slight smile at Shizu’s praise. Zabuza’s expression was still hard, but he thought he could detect some small measure of pride seeing the enormous ice spear lodged in the boar’s skull. Maybe Zabuza was impressed with his skills now, at least a little.

Shizu’s stomach loudly growled and interrupted the silence. “Aw man…”

Zabuza grunted and looked between the boys. After a moment of thought, he takes out a length of wire and ties it securely around the boar’s hind ankles. Then he picks up the large creature with a single hand, lifting it above the ground to walk away from the camp.

“Follow me.”

They followed him without hesitation, already guessing what would come next. Their guesses were right and they watched as Zabuza tied the boar to a sturdy branch to dangle upside down. He walked them through the steps of how to slice it open, remove its guts, and bleed it. Once those steps were done, they butchered the beast into pieces more manageable to cook over a fire, though it was still far too much meat for the three of them. As the meat slowly roasted over the campfire, Zabuza finally waved the boys off with a grunt to wash their hands off in the nearby stream and look for wild vegetables as Haku wanted.

Haku carefully led Shizu through the woods in search of Sansai. Shizu hummed happily as they went, feeling very pleased that Zabuza allowed them to do this on their own, without supervision. Haku was quiet and focused, both on quickly finding what he was looking for and diligently keeping both eyes and ears alert in the event of any more 'tests' or true enemies. 

They found some leafy greens growing out of the frosted ground and began to gather them after Haku inspected them thoroughly to be sure he identified them correctly. Soon, Shizu was holding an armful of the greens and Haku curiously examined a small tree. His eyes lit up when he realized what it was, and he collected some of its leaves, too. Haku started to lead Shizu back to camp, thankful nothing dangerous or unexpected had happened.

"Haku, look!" Shizu grinned and walked over to a berry bush. "They're the same as before!"

Haku followed him and felt his heart flutter at the sight of the berries. He remembered when he first met Shizu one year ago and how Shizu had given all of his berries up to feed him, without any hesitation. Haku felt his eyes prickle at the bittersweet memory– of how cold, lonely, and hungry he had been, but how Shizu had given him hope, a family, and food. These berries reminded him of everything that had happened in the past year and made his smile widen at the thought of what his future would hold as a shinobi and as an older brother.

"Yeah. They are the same." Haku said softly and smiled at Shizu. "Want to pick some, too?"

Shizu nodded eagerly and collected several handfuls of berries. Soon, the bandana Shizu was using to carry their haul in was full and the boys walked side-by-side toward the camp once more.

They crossed an empty dirt road on their way back and Haku sensed… something. He quickly stood in front of Shizu instinctively as a figure ran toward them on the road. He reached for his sword but grabbed only air, forgetting it was broken. Shizu gulped and the figure emerged from the thin mist but was far smaller than both of them anticipated.

Haku and Shizu stared at the boy standing in front of him, as the boy stared back. He had pale skin, vivid green eyes, and long white hair tied in a low ponytail. Two small red dots were painted on his forehead and he held a strange dagger in his hand– one that looked like it was made of bone. 

Haku remained still and in front of Shizu as the two older boys stared at each other. Then, the white-haired boy slowly lowered his weapon and looked between them.

"...You're not with the Mist Village." He spoke quietly and matter-of-factly.

Haku and Shizu said nothing at first. Shizu swallowed and held their foraged food close as he stared at the strange boy.

Haku shook his head. "No, we're not part of Kirigakure. Not really."

Haku didn't like to lie, but this was only a partial lie. He didn't mind half-truths, especially when they might keep Shizu safe.

"I see." The boy's body relaxed and he held his weapon at his side. He looked calmly between them and, though his eyes were difficult to read, Haku and Shiu recognized the flicker of curiosity there. "Are you brothers?"

Shizu grinned and nodded. Something about the strange boy's soft tone made him seem nice. "Yeah! He's my big brother!" He answered proudly.

The boy said nothing but a wistful expression came over him. His eyes fell on the gathered food Shizu held. 

"You're about to eat… my apologies for interrupting your meal, then." The boy ran past them with his bone dagger just as quickly as he'd approached them, and he left them behind. 

"H-Hey! Wait!" Shizu called out to the boy after a moment of stunned silence. 

"He can't hear us anymore." Haku said quietly. He looked out in the direction the boy had gone, wondering where he came from, where he was going, and why he wanted to know if they were affiliated with the Mist. Most importantly, he was curious about the boy and why his eyes were just as empty as his used to be.

"Aw, I wanted to see if he wanted to eat with us." Shizu sighed and frowned down at the food he carried. "We have so much and he looked hungry…"

Haku smiled at Shizu. This generosity and compassion he had was something Haku admired the most. He gently patted Shizu's head, though Shizu had had a growth spurt– and Haku hadn't yet– and he wasn't much shorter than Haku anymore. 

"Let's get back to camp before Zabuza gets concerned. And irritable."

Shizu sighed and nodded, reluctantly following him. "Okay… I hope that kid is okay… he looked like he was gonna fight someone."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Haku smiled and tried to reassure him. He knew, though, he couldn’t make such a promise at all. The boy might actually get caught up in a battle and die, or he might end up starving as Haku had before. Still, he was hoping the boy would be fine just as Shizu did. 

They arrived at the camp in time to receive a lecture from Zabuza about how long they were gone. He didn't say anything when they showed him all the edible plants they brought back, but he did assist them just a little in preparing it, all while the delicious scent of cooking pork filled the air.

When it was time to eat, Shizu eagerly dug in as Haku took smaller, more somber bites. Shizu was too distracted by his hunger and the spread of food to think about the boy they'd encountered but Haku could hardly think of anything else. 

Zabuza watched both boys eating, silent and tried to read Haku's expression. He could tell Haku was deep in thought; he just didn't know what about. He didn't have long to ponder it. A small sound in the surrounding foliage grabbed his attention but it was still too far for the boys to notice. He stayed still and quiet to listen intently to the sounds that approached and, in an instant,  grabbed the throat of someone who was hiding behind a thick bush, watching them.

Shizu and Haku's eyes widened at Zabuza's sudden defensive movement and then again at the sight of the boy. 

"It's you!" Shizu pointed at the white-haired older boy with a confused but happy grin. 

The boy kicked and struggled against Zabuza's strong grasp on his throat. Zabuza raised his brow and studied the boy and the bone dagger that dropped to the ground. He held the boy's face closer and his brows furrowed.

"You know this brat?" Zabuza asked Shizu, his eyes focused on the white-haired child intently. His question almost sounded accusing. 

"W-We saw him briefly on our way back to camp. But he went the other direction." Haku quickly tried to explain.

"Other direction, huh?" Zabuza glared at the boy and released him. He dropped to the ground and Zabuza pointed his sword at his throat. "Why is it that he was spying on us just now?"

Haku swallowed. He didn't know the answer to that question.

"Well, boy?" Zabuza glared at the white-haired boy, his blade moving even closer to his neck. "Explain."

The boy glared at Zabuza for a moment, clearly not comfortable with a sword at his throat, but he gritted his teeth and sighed. He looked away.

“...I was supposed to gather with my clansmen. When I got there, though, they were already dead and their bodies were in a pile, about to be burned. I didn’t know what else to do, so I got curious about them… " He glances at Haku and Shizu. “I followed their trail.”

Shizu and Haku's eyes grew very wide and they stared. Neither could believe what they just heard, but Zabuza could. His eyes narrowed at the boy. 

"Y-Your whole family?" Shizu gulped. "D-Dead?"

"Gathering?" Zabuza raised his brows and scowled. "No doubt to stage another massacre, huh?"

The boy frowns back but doesn't say anything.

"Massacre?" Haku asked very softly, his eyes resting on the boy.

"This boy belongs to the Kaguya clan." Zabuza explained in a grumble, still not taking his eyes off the new boy. "One of the first Shinobi clans in the world. Or so people say. They've prided themselves on their blood purity for centuries to the point where they practice incest regularly. Something that caused many of them to be born mad and become even more infamous for their bloodthirsty rampages than me."

The white-haired boy looked into the fire without a word of confirmation or denial.

"What's 'incest'?" Shizu squinted in thought and asked, rubbing his head.

Zabuza grumbled. He didn't want to explain to Shizu, but he reluctantly did it anyway. "When people have children with their own relatives."

Shizu blinked at the new information and made a face. "You mean, they get married to their sisters and brothers? That’s weird, 'ttebayo."

"And… the 'massacre' part?"

"A few generations back, Kiri finally got tired of the occasional rampages by that clan and they sent some Anbu to exterminate them." Zabuza explained, still holding his sword at the boy's throat. "After half of them fell, the rest fled and bred like cockroaches, if this kid’s life is an indication. It seems they got tired of living under a rock and decided to do some more killing."

The boy kept silent but clenched his jaw. Shizu frowned and looked at him, his eyes squinted in thought.

“Why were you gonna kill people? Killing people is bad, ‘ttebayo. Unless they’re bad guys trying to kill you, first…”

“They did kill us first!” The boy’s jaw clenches though he speaks quietly. “Kirigakure sent in squads to invade our home– the village we’d lived in since the Betrayal– and killed almost every single woman and child in their sleep. They didn’t care who was really ‘dangerous’ and who was innocent.”

Shizu swallowed and his expression fell. His heart sunk and his stomach twisted as he listened, and the more he heard, the more he was reminded of something else. “...Just like… Miss Saki’s family.”

There was silence as Haku turned to Shizu and understood exactly what he meant. Zabuza understood, too, but his brows only furrowed more. He didn’t want to understand or potentially sympathize with a Kaguya boy.

The boy didn’t know who Shizu was talking about but he looked at the younger, blue-eyed boy anywhere. There was a profound look of understanding and melancholy in his eyes, and it surprised him to see. He was even more surprised when the blue-eyed boy ran over the man and grabbed his arm to try to move the sword away from his throat. The man was too strong for the child to move at all, but he tried anyway.

“Dad, leave him alone! He’s just a kid like me and Haku, ‘ttebayo!”

“His age doesn’t matter. My hands were stained with blood already when I was far younger, and he’s clearly inherited that .” Zabuza’s gaze grew more intense as he looked at the bone dagger the Kaguya boy dropped. “Did you inherit the madness too, boy?”

“No.” The boy replied under his breath. “...Whether you believe me or not, the ‘madness’ was rare. It was a lie they made up as an excuse to kill us.”

Zabuza scoffed and his brow raised. “Rare? Your clan was responsible for how many senseless deaths?”

“It was only one or two people each time who lost control or rogue. The rest of us kept to ourselves, away from everyone with diluted blood. They blamed us all for what only a few dozen did over the generations.”

“Tch.” Zabuza’s frown deepened at the response. It was obvious the boy had been brainwashed from a young age of the Kaguya’s ‘purity’ and it annoyed him. He wanted to just silence the boy for good and be done with it, but doing so would upset Shizu. He felt at almost a loss for what he should do, and it was a feeling he loathed.

“I don’t care if some people in his family were bad!” Shizu tried to pull Zabuza’s arm away again. “His family’s all gone now and he’s alone! Doesn’t that make you sad?!”

“Not my kid, not my problem.” Zabuza frowned at Shizu and grumbled.

“You said that you were supposed to meet your family for a gathering.” Haku spoke up, his voice quiet with his nervousness obvious as he looked at the white-haired boy his own age. “Was this gathering really meant as a ‘massacre’?”

The Kaguya boy’s hard expression softened at Haku’s innocent, quiet question. His voice lowered. “...Yes. But the intention was for us to take back the land we were driven out of generations ago.”

“So your family just wanted their home back.” Haku murmured sadly as he thought aloud. After thinking a little more, he looked at the boy again. “What did you mean before by ‘the Betrayal’?”

Zabuza scoffed and rolled his eyes. “The Kaguya are a superstitious clan of religious cultists. They believe that they’re the ‘true’ descendants of a goddess who came from the heavens to give humanity Chakra. The ‘Betrayal’ they stupidly believe in was when, allegedly, the goddess’ half-human sons were jealous of her power and killed her. After that, their clan left the lands the ‘heretic, traitorous sons’ ruled and relocated in the present-day outskirts of the Land of Water where they lived in isolation, reveling in their ‘blood purity’ and their ridiculous stories.”

“A goddess of Chakra?” Haku’s eyes widened as he whispered.

“It’s not ridiculous!” The white-haired boy narrows his eyes at Zabuza and held out his arm. Before their eyes, a long bone burst from his forearm and grew rapidly, until its sharp point was nearly touching Zabuza’s throat in the same way Zabuza’s blade was pointed at his own. “Some of us carry the same ability that she had. That is our proof.”

Zabuza scoffed again, glaring still at the boy and his threat. He didn’t move his sword. 

“Woah!” Shizu’s eyes were wide at the bone weapon protruding from the boy’s arm. “T-That’s… so gross! And cool! How’d you do that?!”

Haku’s eyes were wide, too. His breath caught in his throat and he could only whisper in amazement at the realization he had. “A Kekkei Genkai?”

“Don’t you dare get any stupid ideas.” Zabuza muttered under his breath, frowning at Haku and Shizu. But he could already see ‘stupid ideas’ forming in both of their heads based on their eyes alone.

Shizu wrapped his arms around the boy, under his arms, and pulled him away from Zabuza’s sword.

“Are you hungry?” Shizu asked, half-dragging him to sit on the log with him. “We have a ton of food!”

Before the boy could even fully sit, Haku was already passing him a simple bamboo plate with a generous helping of meat and vegetables. He just stared between the food, the two boys, and Zabuza for a long time until he sighed. He pulled out the weaponlike bone protrusion from his arm and set it down and the small hole in his forearm it had grown from healed quickly. Then, he started to eat. Slowly at first, and then eagerly when he realized how hungry he really was.

Shizu grinned, seeing the boy have an appetite, and he started to eat his food again, too. He continued to grin and looked at Zabuza, who looked thoroughly annoyed.

“Hey, what’s your name?” Shizu finally asked, his mouth full of meat and his eyes bright.

“Kimimaro.” The white-haired boy smiled very, very faintly at him. “Kimimaro Kaguya. You?”

“I’m Shizu!” Shizu swallowed his bite and grinned again. “My full name is Shizuhiko, but you can call me Shizu! My mom was an Uzumaki!”

“My name is Haku.” Haku said softly, faintly smiling also. “...A descendant of the Yuki clan.”

Kimimaro stared at them both incredulously for a moment, then turned his attention back to his food as if he was too embarrassed to smile again. Shizu and Haku did the smiling for him as they shared a satisfied look.

Zabuza sheathed his sword but continued to glare at the Kaguya boy as he crossed his arms. It seemed that a decision had been made without his permission. Again. It was getting out of hand.

Chapter Text

Haku crouched on a high branch and looked down at the ninja his eyes were tracking. Kimimaro sits crouched in another tree, watching as well, both in trained silence. The shinobi passes over the border, leaving the Land of Water to the Land of Sea, and Haku gives Kimimaro a nod from behind his mask. Then, he reaches for two senbon, takes aim, and throws them. They strike exactly where he intended, in the neck, at precisely the right depth. The shinobi drops to the ground completely limp, and the two boys jump down to examine his body.

"He's not supposed to be dead." Kimimaro speaks quietly but with an almost unfeeling tone behind his mask.

"He isn't dead." Haku crouched beside the man's body to look at the senbon. "He's been put in a near-death state. As long as I 'revive' him in a certain amount of time, there will be no permanent damage."

"Huh." Kimimaro's gaze lowers from Haku to the man. "I didn't expect collecting him for interrogation would be so easy."

Haku gently pressed his fingers on the Shinobi's neck to be sure he hadn’t made a mistake. The heartbeat was still there, albeit incredibly faint. He let out a small sigh and looked up at Kimimaro. “It seems Zabuza was right about this target being a spy,” He pointed at the way the man's appearance changed as soon as he had been put unconscious, and now the Leaf uniform and headband were visible. “Isn't it strange, though, that he was alone instead of in a three-man squad?”

“Not necessarily.” Kimimaro took a step closer and knelt beside him. “It depends on the skill of the Shinobi. A three-man cell is most common, but sending in three spies at once would raise more suspicion.”

“I see.” Haku's eyes fell on the man again. “...I guess we should bring him to the designated spot for interrogation now.”

Kimimaro took a scroll from his pouch to lay on the ground beside the captive to seal him inside. With him out of the way– and much easier to carry this way– he stood and dusted off his clothes. He gave a nod to Haku and the two leaped up to the high branches once more to travel discreetly.

It doesn't take them long to reach the designated spot in the forest. Here, at this time of year, the air was thick with mist. The snow on the ground had turned to slush here, which made it noisy and messy to walk through.  It was why the pair preferred the trees, though they would have anyway to be sure they didn't leave tracks. Overall, it was an isolated place where the forest would swallow sound and the nearby bog would hide all traces of any bodies, if someone was looking to hide one or twelve. The junction of forest, swamp, and mountains made it a good place to get answers from someone without being heard.

Kimimaro looks around with a narrow gaze as soon as they arrive and stand on the slush. “It's quiet here.”

“It's always quiet here.” Haku nods. “We've come here many times before and it's always like this. That's why Zabuza likes this spot.”

“Well I don't like it.”

“There you are! I was tired of waiting, ‘ttebayo.”

The seriousness in Haku's eyes slightly eases when Shizu joins them below. His face is obscured in an identical mask, but his bright blue eyes are still obvious.

“Sorry, Shizu. We took our time tracking the target to get him in an ideal location before we struck.”

“Where's Zabuza?” Kimimaro crossed his arms and, though they couldn't see it beneath the mask, frowned. His gut didn't like this place.

“Dad went off to investigate someone he sensed. He thought there could be an ambush, so he went to take care of it.”

“Should we begin the interrogation without him?” Haku asks while Kimimaro retrieves the scroll. 

None of them had ever done an interrogation before, and they weren't even sure which specific information Zabuza might have planned to ask about. The three boys look between one another. Kimimaro huffed, rolled his eyes, and knelt on the ground with the scroll to open it.

“I'll do it. I have the most experience.”

Shizu and Haku crossed their arms in unison with frowns of their own.

“You've interrogated a lot of people before?” Haku bent over just enough to see Kimimaro undo the seal and summon their still-unconscious prisoner.

“Not exactly.” Kimimaro muttered and worked on binding the shinobi's wrists behind his back before taking the senbon out of his neck.

“Then, what kinda experience do you have?” Shizu asked and sat in a squat beside him.

Kimimaro doesn't answer for one long moment, then another. Finally, once the wire is secure around the wrists, he exhales. “...I know how to get people to do what you want through pain. My clansmen revered the abilities I have since they're a manifestation of the Rabbit Goddess, but they were also afraid of me. I was kept confined at almost all times. They only let me out when they wanted me to kill. When I was disobedient, they convinced me. That's how I have experience.”

The memories of pain, pleading, hunger, and isolation flood his mind and Kimimaro keeps his gaze trained on their prisoner. A bitter taste burns in his mouth and his frown deepens beneath his mask. He'd prefer not to think of the Kaguya clan anymore– since his induction into the odd ‘family', he'd started to change things one by one to distance himself from them. He'd stopped parting his hair in their traditional zigzag. He used the transformation jutsu to eliminate the symbolic red dots on his forehead. If they were just painted, it would be easier, but they were markings tattooed on at birth with chakra, so he couldn't easily remove them. He even discarded the clans’ clothing in favor of the same Kirigakure garb Shizu and Haku wore. The only thing he kept were the cylindrical red hair ornaments that once belonged to his mother, but he kept them safe rather than wearing them. 

The new information about their brother makes Haku and Shizu share a look. Neither speaks, because neither of them know what to say, but they are at least happy enough that Kimimaro willingly shared his past with them. For now, the mission was more important and they didn't want to hurt him anymore.

“Do you have to torture him?” Shizu poked the unconscious shinobi's cheek. “Maybe he'll just answer questions calmly if we ask nicely.”

Kimimaro and Haku looked at each other at the same time, thinking exactly the same thing: how naive Shizu was. Haku had witnessed Zabuza do some interrogations before, though he’d never been directly involved, and Kimimaro had his own experience, so they both understood that the optimism was unreasonable. Still, Haku almost wanted to smile because he liked that little optimism that Shizu still had about things. However… the dilemma the boys had was how to explain the reality to their little brother– who likely knew already but was trying to be positive.

Kimimaro sighed and grumbled, deciding to do it. “Trained shinobi do not spill secrets if you ask them nicely. Even if you torture them for days nonstop, a properly trained, loyal shinobi wouldn’t give up the information.”

Shizu gulped and looked at the unconscious shinobi for a few long moments. “Do we have to hurt him?”

“Yes.” Kimimaro pushed the shinobi onto his belly with his foot and sat in the middle of his back. He and Shizu had very different upbringings, somehow, despite both being young shinobi. Shizu’s retained innocence was a little irritating to him, but… he found himself trying to coddle Shizu almost as much as Haku did. He sighed again and gently gripped the senbon without removing them yet as he met Shizu’s eyes. “We can try it your way. You ask him nicely why he was infiltrating the Land of Water, and we’ll see if he is polite enough to answer. If he’s not, we do the painful way.”

Shizu’s cerulean eyes light up at the small victory handed to him, an endearing expression that was almost sickeningly sweet and innocent to Kimimaro. But, he’d been acclimating to Shizu’s personality in the month since his unorthodox ‘adoption’. 

“Leave it to me!”

Kimimaro didn’t roll his eyes at how cheerful Shizu was. Instead, he gave the same hand sign Zabuza always did to quiet them and make them serious during missions. Shizu’s body language shifts to more cautious and, when his blue eyes lose the excitement, he knows they’re ready. He gently pulls the senbon out of the shinobi’s neck in a fluid motion and they wait.

They don’t have to wait for very long for the man to groan as he comes to. His eyes blink slowly and he starts to struggle as soon as he realizes that he’s bound. Haku and Kimimaro share a look and Haku is quick to throw another few senbon expertly to immobilize their prisoner.

Shizu watches the brief struggle and scoots a little closer when Kimimaro checks that the man can’t move much. He clears his throat and tries to speak as seriously and politely as he can.

“Excuse me, can you tell us why you’re spying in the Land of Water, please? We don’t want to hurt you.”

It was only a partial lie– Kimimaro had no real qualms about killing this stranger, this foreign shinobi– but he wouldn’t interrupt Shizu after he’d agreed to let him speak first. Haku agreed with both boys, preferring non-violence, but he knew that it had its purposes.

Shizu’s question is strange enough to confuse the shinobi. He looks at Shizu and is further confused by the size of his captors. Not one shinobi child, but three? He couldn’t turn his head fully to look, but he could tell that the one sitting on his back wasn’t heavy enough to even be a teenager. He couldn’t see any of their faces beneath the masks, though what he could see was enough. Children, trained as shinobi, and already in the Anbu gear of Kirigakure… These must be three of the survivors of the Bloody Mist's infamous ‘Graduation Exam.’ Compared to even the prodigies of Konoha of the same age range, such graduates were more dangerous. Leave it to the Bloody Mist to send children to capture a spy, he thought. What a way to create a false sense of hope by exploiting the innocent nature of children. It was despicable. He gritted his teeth and refused to answer.

“The senbon didn’t make him lose his hearing too, did it?” Shizu frowns and looks at Haku, who shakes his head in response. Shizu leans closer as he sits on the balls of his feet to tap the shinobi’s forehead. “Hey. We’re being nice and giving you a chance to answer questions nicely without being hurt. Why don’t you wanna answer? Do you wanna be hurt?”

The shinobi clenches his jaw harder. Was this child serious? No, of course this was all an innocent act to get his guard down. An Anbu agent of the Bloody Mist would never be so sincerely kind. He remains quiet and glares, though he musters what strength he's got while immobilized to spit at the blue-eyed child's feet.

“Ew…” Shizu shifted back, away from the glob of saliva. “I was just trying to be nice …”

Haku and Kimimaro have the same natural reaction to Shizu being disrespected: they each backhand the shinobi's head.

“Don't even think about doing that again. It's only because of him that you've still got your fingernails and teeth.” Kimimaro hissed icily in the man's ear, now holding onto a fistful of hair.

The captive shinobi grunted at the way his hair was yanked but he could only glare while the senbon remained in place. Shizu sighed and tried to scoot closer again, wary of the icky spit.

“Come on. Please just tell us about your mission to come here. I really don't want anyone to have to get hurt. It's not nice, and lots of blood smells really bad and takes a long time to wash off.”

Shizu knew that asking nicely probably wouldn’t work, but he still wanted to try. The fact this guy wasn’t even saying a single word despite how nice and polite he was being was frustrating him. He poked the shinobi’s head again.

“Hey, come on. I really, really don’t want us to have to hurt you, ‘kay? Just–” 

He’s cut off by a startled, pained cry and he feels warm and wet on his neck all of a sudden. When Shizu covers his neck with his hand and draws it back, he sees the blood. The kunai that missed its mark is embedded in the dirt. He wobbles in a red daze before he falls onto his back. It hurts, and he feels dizzy.

Haku and Kimimaro sensed the danger too late, though they tried their best to protect Shizu. Haku quickly froze one side of the kunai to mess with its balance and direction just enough to only graze Shizu’s neck, while Kimimaro launched some small bone spikes from the tips of his fingers in the direction the kunai was thrown. Even with their efforts, Shizu was bleeding before them.

“Ha… ku…” Shizu kept his hands over his neck and tried to remember what he’d been taught about emergency first aid, but it was difficult for him to think of anything but the searing pain and the crimson wetness. His breaths were sharp and short, and he was tensed and twitching.

“Quiet. I’ve got you.” 

Haku dropped to his knees at his little brother’s side to immediately begin treatment. He kept some herbs and poultices on hand for this very purpose. He was grateful for the education he’d received from the islander elders and applied some herbs to help stop the bleeding and channel his chakra through it. It wasn’t as effective as real Medical Ninjutsu, but it worked well enough since he didn’t know any. It was enough to help until he saw Shizu’s blue eyes flicker red beneath his mask. The wound hissed and steamed, then was gone. As Shizu’s breathing was less labored and he relaxed, Haku breathed a sigh of relief. Shizu was fine. And, now that he was fine, Haku glanced at Kimimaro from the corner of his eye.

“How many?”

Kimimaro instinctively stood over Haku, his feet on either side of him as he’d been crouched to help Shizu. In his hands was his sword, though he was itching to use bone instead. He’d already spotted all the hidden figures with a glare while Haku was busy.

“Ten. Chunin, I think. We’re surrounded.”

The temperature of the air drops suddenly until Haku and Kimimaro’s breaths are both visible. The typical warmth in Haku’s dark eyes is gone as he draws his own blade. He keeps one hand protectively on Shizu when he looks around as well to confirm the locations in the surrounding trees.

“You hurt my brother. You shouldn’t have done that.”

Neither boy cares how outmatched they are in rank, numbers, or size when the shinobi leap out of the trees at them. They are careful to remember all of Zabuza's and Mei's lessons to use their smaller frames to every advantage, though it still leaves them at a disadvantage in terms of strength. They slice and evade as smaller targets until a simultaneous strike finally cuts through one of the shinobi. They anticipate a spray of blood that never comes and, instead, there's a puff of smoke.

Haku's eyes widen as Kimimaro grits his teeth. 

“It's a clone!”

“A clone?!” Haku narrowly dodges a kunai strike. He knew about water clones, but what kind of clone burst into smoke? At the moment, he didn't care about the answer.

Kimimaro strikes down another with effort and it dissipates in the same way. His scowl deepens.

“Most of them are clones, I think! The real one will be mixed in the group.”

“Which one?!”

“No idea!” Kimimaro gritted his teeth more as he was overwhelmed by two of the possible clones. He hated to feel weak, and he knew he would do better if he were to use his bones, but he had to hold back. He hated that, too.

There was little that the pair of eleven and ten-year-old boys could do– the enemies outranked them, out-sized them, and out-numbered them. Haku and Kimimaro found themselves both backed up against the frost-covered trunks of the nearby trees with multiple sets of kunai pressed onto their vital spots. Their captive spy is freed by another enemy that pulls out the senbon needles. As soon as his mobility is restored, the two enemies aim their blades at Shizu who tries to draw his ninjato in panic. 

“Shi–!”

“–Zu!”

They simultaneously call out his name as the blades draw close to the younger boy’s neck and torso. Instinct overrides their orders in their panic and, in the blink of an eye, the two shinobi attack Shizu are frozen solid and the ones pinning Kimimaro are skewered with bone spikes. In the midst of the fighting, there is a sudden quiet as their hearts pound in their ears.

Shizu gulps and stares at the frozen blades that nearly hit his vitals, and then his eyes take in the frozen shinobi holding them. His blood is hot with adrenaline until Haku and Kimimaro’s voices make him blink, then he realizes all of the clones have been eliminated.

“I made it in time…” Haku exhales in relief and a cold breath puffs in the air from his lips as he pants. Creating ice came naturally to him, but controlling its shape or formation was a different story. This time, he’d been lucky enough that it had properly protected Shizu.

“Are you alright?!” Kimimaro growls and smashes the frozen shinobi to bits with his forearm– now an overgrown, swirled bone sword. His eyes search Shizu for any more injuries. “They didn’t get you, did they?”

Shizu quickly shook his head and got to his feet with Haku and Kimimaro now on either side of him. They stand in manji formation with their weapons ready. Their real enemies curse from where they hide in the trees.

“They've got Kekkei Genkai!”

“We've still got them outnumbered!”

“Damn it.” Kimimaro glowered and glanced at the bone spikes protruding from his body. The wounds where they broke through his skin bled slightly and it hurt, as it always did, but he knew that he would heal. He looked at Haku next, who nodded quietly.

They would need to be quick about this. No holding back. 

Their smaller sizes were no longer a disadvantage when they fought in the way that came most naturally to them. Kimimaro blocked, sliced, and impaled his opponents with his bones with the years of experience he already had in his young life with combat. Haku had less experience, but his anger over Shizu's injury heightened his senses and created ice with each strike and movement: his senbon were enhanced by Chakra and ice, the slice of his sword freezing the wounds- and his opponents– for him to slice and shatter them into pieces of frozen gore. Use of his ice was cruder with his instinct and not nearly as refined as when he tried to incorporate it into Jutsu, a fact which usually made him hesitant to rely on his instinct above technique– but he didn't care. Not now. The only concern in his mind was ensuring that Shizu was safe. And he would be safe, as soon as these shinobi were dead.

The result of their fury was a mess of wet crimson, gore, ice, and bone. Their ragged breaths shudder as they catch their breath, or try to. Beads of sweat that have formed from their effort roll down, mixing with the blood splattered on their skin and soaked into their clothes. Haku's blade rests on the ground as he leans against it, and Kimimaro leans back against the tree. As much as both boys have fought before, neither has experienced a more exhausting fight before and their Chakra was nearly spent.

In the clarity of their caught breaths, their eyes meet, and then they survey the area. It was a mess but Shizu was safely resting and the enemies were defeated. All except the one bloodied figure that twitches with gargled breaths as he tries desperately to crawl away from the slaughter with several large bone spikes protruding from him.

“We missed one?” Kimimaro mutters and frowns. He'd like to finish off the man but his body is trembling.

Haku noticed Kimimaro's resolve and also his exhaustion. He straightened and carefully flicked his sword to remove any dirt or blood. “I'll do it.”

It was easy for Haku to kill in the heat of battle when he was driven by instinct and his emotions. Violence came naturally to him in that state of mind. However, there was no instinct now. No anger burned in his veins. As he took slow steps toward the sole surviving shinobi, he only felt a hollow dread as cold as his ice. He did not like to kill. He preferred not to. He wished nearly every night before bed that the world would be a kinder, safer place. And yet, he had to kill this shinobi all the same.

He'd offer his prayers and regrets later, in private. He didn't like to seem weak around his brothers, not around Mei, either, and especially not around Zabuza. He was part of their family and this life– the shinobi life, full of death and deception– was his life now.

“I'm sorry.” 

Haku apologized quietly once he stood directly over the shinobi. He was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds and was sure to die on his own in a few minutes but he was in agony now. Haku could choose to let him die on his own so he would not have to deal a killing blow, but he'd be crueler to leave him to suffer. And, if he did choose to leave him to die alone, there was the very small chance that enemy reinforcements would come and heal him at the last moment to spare him. If that happened, he'd tell his village everything. They'd send more shinobi, specifically looking for the 3 boys– looking for Shizu. Haku drew in a breath to steady himself and gripped his sword tighter.

“I don't like killing. Or death.” Haku whispers even quieter than before as the tip of his sword hovers over the man's heart. The forest around him is silent but the snow, though it's soaked with blood, swallows his soft confession. “But you attacked my brother. He's good and kind, and he offered a peaceful alternative. You forced our hand and made us use our Kekkei Genkai. I can't let you live.”

He wants to close his eyes as he drives his sword through the man’s chest but he doesn't. It'd be cruel to leave him to die in agony and it'd be crueler to take a life while trying to deny it or hide from it. So, he watches as he pushes down to impale the heart cleanly, watches the blood and the way the shinobi's eyes glaze over in death.

Dead. Completely dead.

Haku steps away from the man and withdraws his sword. The blood is easily flicked away and then he rests against the nearest tree just the same as Kimimaro.

The boys recovered their breaths in the silence that returned to the wood. When someone finally spoke, it was Shizu in a small voice.

“Dad’s been gone too long.” Shizu hugged his arms close and turned away from the blood– which was hard because there was so much of it everywhere. 

“Should we head to the alternative rendezvous spot instead?” Kimimaro sighed and rubbed his face with a cleaner part of his sleeve to wipe away the sweat and blood.

Haku looked between Shizu and Kimimaro as he weighed their options. Shizu was fine because of his healing factor, but he and Kimimaro had injuries. They weren't life-threatening, but they were significant enough to be a problem during travel. And, without any time to rest, their Chakra was exhausted. 

“We shouldn't!” Shizu shook his head quickly. “Dad says we should stay in one place if we get separated so he can find us easier.”

“He also said that we should move to a new location when we're compromised.” Kimimaro's eyes fell on the younger boy and he gestured to the corpses. “We're definitely compromised now.”

“But they're all dead, ‘ttebayo! Doesn't that mean we're still safe here?”

Kimimaro muttered and looked away. “Look, Zabuza isn't here. We can't linger at the scene of a bloody crime. If anyone comes by, it'll be obvious. We just have to move out. We don't need Zabuza's protection all the time. We're brothers, aren't we? A three-man cell. We can do something simple like heading to a rendezvous on our own.”

Shizu scrunched his face for several minutes in thought, then several minutes more. He eventually sighed heavily. “Okay, okay. I guess you're right. I hope dad is alright, though…”

“You said Zabuza was leading an ambush away, yes?” Haku asked softly and his brows furrowed. Something in his gut didn't like this. 

Shizu nods and rubs his head. “Yeah, but… the ambush came back here? They didn't follow dad…?”

Kimimaro frowned. “...More likely, there was a secondary team approaching after the first. The first could have been a diversion meant to split up a team.”

Haku nodded and listened carefully. He didn't know why two squads of shinobi would be sent to the Land of Water unless they were certain that something or someone they were looking for was there. He swallowed and looked at Shizu. Could they know that the Nine-Tails was there? But, even if they did, how could they have known where to send their forces? He didn’t have the answers, and he didn't like it.

“No use sitting around and talking about it.” Kimimaro stepped forward and looked at Haku. “How are we on food pills?”

Haku reached into his pouch to take out the small, nearly empty, drawstring bag to open it and gently shake out three balls onto his palm. “We need to restock after this mission, but we have enough for each of us.” 

“Good,” Kimimaro popped one into his mouth, then passed another to Shizu. “We're vulnerable when low on chakra and wounded. These won't heal us, but it'll solve one of the problems, at least.”

Shizu chewed his food pill slowly while Haku ate his. He tilted his head as Kimimaro began to nudge the bloodied corpses– or, what was left of them– together.

“Whatcha doing?”

“If Zabuza finds out we left the bodies in the open, he'll have our hide.”

“Oh. Right.” Shizu gulped and looked at the mess and corpses. Then, he looked away from him. “Do we have to touch them?”

Haku and Kimimaro looked at Shizu's expression and then at one another. Haku smiled and gently patted Shizu's head. “We can handle it ourselves. You should rest. I'm sure it was scary when they attacked you.”

Shizu's bright blue eyes looked up to meet Haku's. “I healed all the way already. You guys are the ones hurt, ‘ttebayo.” He crossed his arms. “I wish my healing could work for you guys, too.”

“It's not too bad, but we'll patch ourselves up before we head out. If we're quick.” Kimimaro grunted under his breath as he tried to heap the corpses together. He wasn’t averse to death after seeing it firsthand and fighting so often, but he could never get used to the headache-inducing scent of so much blood in the air. He also hated his hands to be so filthy, but that's what baths were for. He would have preferred to use an Earth style jutsu to bury the bodies deep underground, but destroying the dead shinobi was vital so information couldn't be gathered from their exhumed bodies.

Once Haku and Kimimaro had the corpses in as proper of a pile as they could, they carefully spread the concentrated oil over the pile before lighting it. The woods stunk of burning flesh and gore within moments– which the boys moved upwind from as they tended to their injuries. The oil and fire worked quickly to reduce it all to ash and, once the boys’ injuries were stitched and bandaged, they shook the trees just enough for the snow weighing heavy on the branches to fall and conceal the ash. Come spring, it’d make good fertilizer for the forest. 

Shizu took one last look from a branch at the area below. The evidence was gone and buried with only a layer of clean snow, but his eyes still saw the red there. 

Kimimaro tapped his fist gently on Shizu’s head to bring him out of his imagining. “Come on. We’re leaving.”

Shizu shook his head and blinked to drive the red out of his vision and focused on the two older boys. Kimimaro went ahead and he puffed his cheeks behind his mask. “Hey, don’t leave me behind, ‘ttebayo!”

He follows Kimimaro quickly with Haku keeping pace beside him. After experiencing one ambush already, Kimimaro was silent and attentive as they moved. He kept careful track of their direction and the distance to the next location, even counting down the kilometers until they reached their destination. 

Nine kilometers to go and Shizu grew increasingly more anxious. Something, some voice of panic and unease, was slowly overtaking his mind. The twist of his gut and the feeling that something was terribly wrong ate at him until he couldn’t take it anymore. He turned away from the eastward path for north with his heart pounding.

“Shizu?”

Haku and Kimimaro are quick to notice his separation and catch up. Kimimaro grabs his shoulder and looks down at him.

“Where are you trying to go? This is the complete wrong direction.”

“Let go, ‘ttebayo.” Shizu shrugged out of his grip with a frown. “I gotta go this way! My gut says so!”

“Your gut?” Kimimaro raised his brow and crossed his arms. “Does your gut explain why it’s leading you away from the rendezvous?”

“Well, no…” Shizu muttered and looked away, shifting. He felt almost sick, so uncomfortable with the anxiety and urgency bubbling in him. He looks back up. “But we gotta go this way! This is something really really really important! I know it.”

Kimimaro kept his frown as he glanced at Haku. After a long silence, he shook his head and pinched his nose. “...Fine. I don’t understand it, but I’ll trust your gut.”

Shizu’s eyes widened and he grinned. “Really?!”

“Yes, really. But we’re going to just go over this way for a while and see what your gut was wanting you to find, and then we’ll head straight to the rendezvous. And we won’t speak of this detour to Zabuza, got it? We don’t need more reasons for him to chew us out today…”

“Okay!” 

Eager and spurred by his instinct, Shizu went on ahead without another word. He felt relief only for a few moments that Haku and Kimimaro trusted him, really and truly, even though he was littler, but the bad feeling in his gut took back over. He moved from tree to tree as fast as he could to try to scratch the itch, to try to understand why he felt so bad, why he was being so urgently pulled this way. Haku and Kimimaro remained close, neither understanding, but both vigilant for any danger they might encounter.  

The ominous awareness whispering in his gut, his heart, and his mind, was soon a blaring siren in Shizu. He knew they were close so he pushed himself to go faster. Something was very wrong, and he didn’t know how he knew, but he knew. When the feeling broiled in his veins, he finally saw the cause– Zabuza was in the middle of a fight, and one he wasn’t exactly winning.

“It’s Dad!” Shizu stared at the scene as he tried to process what was happening. 

“You sensed him in trouble?” Haku mumbled, equally curious as he was concerned, but his attention turned to Zabuza to analyze the situation. Zabuza was outnumbered, even with two water clones, clashing with the ambush team that he’d failed to lead away and shake off. Even stranger was how he was kneeling inside a Water Prison while one clone drowned two enemies in another Water Prison, and the other clone was covered in a dark cloud of something and rapidly losing the energy to strike a hooded enemy while trying to avoid the four other enemies. Zabuza, wounded and enclosed in his protective bubble, wouldn’t be able to remain there much longer as his chakra and concentration were waning, evident by the way the water’s form shuddered. Bodies of other shinobi already dispatched bloodied the ground, but the boys were surprised and felt uneasy realizing that Zabuza wouldn’t win.

“C’mon! Dad needs help!”

Shizu drew his sword and jumped down out of hiding without hesitation. Neither Kimimaro nor Haku were going to let him face off against fully-grown opponents who were capable enough to put Zabuza in such a tough spot, so they drew their own swords to follow. 

Kimimaro tried to analyze the shinobi as their attention shifted to the reinforcements– more Konoha shinobi? Well, they all bled the same, so he didn’t particularly care where they were from, if he needed to kill them. Still, he began to understand why someone as feared as Zabuza was in this situation as he started to fight. One Dog-Tamer shinobi with a pack of big ninken would definitely be hard to shake off, but there was a dead shinobi also with white-purple eyes– a Hyuga, from what he knew? Formidable enough, especially with the shrouded insect-user that could drain their victim’s chakra. Kimimaro learned this the hard way when a small cloud of the damn beetles move from Zabuza’s clone, depleted of chakra and returned to its original state as water, to land on him. He’d had to use his bones to skewer most of them at once with thin, porcupine-like spikes. Haku handled his insect cloud better, freezing them all, until the insect user was frozen solid for Kimimaro to mold his fist into a dense bone hammer and shatter him– it was a combo attack that he was started to favor.

The fight was easily won with the insect user taken out. Haku froze two more shinobi, Kimimaro smashed, and Shizu managed to hold his own against the last shinobi’s kenjutsu. A feint leaves the boy open for a wide slash. He cries out quietly in pain, his mask cracks and breaks away, a long line of crimson forms across his face. For a moment, fear flickers in his eyes before they redden. The blood sizzles, the injury heals, and the konoha shinobi is the one with fear and confusion in his eyes, and then understanding. He noticed the tufts of blond poking out from Shizu’s head covering, he noticed the blue eyes, and there was no mistaking those bestial red eyes– but before he could reach out to grab the boy and flicker away, each of the boys’ swords pierce him from all around. Blood gurgles in his throat and he dies staring at Shizu directly, trying to say something incoherent.

Shizu shuts his eyes and looks away from the dying man. He didn’t like the look in his eyes one bit, and he didn’t like the way he stared as he died. But, he was dead now, and they’d won the fight. That was all that mattered. He shook the thoughts away to look at Zabuza, whose Water Prison protection finally dispelled. 

Zabuza drew in slow, deep breaths to make up for the past fifteen minutes of holding his breath and studied the scene first. The shinobi are all dead now? Good. His chakra was nearly depleted, and the wound in his side was deeper than he’d thought at first. That damn insect user drained too much of his chakra to handle such a well-put-together team. He was lucky the boys showed up when they did, and he did not like lucky.

“Dad!” Shizu hurries over to look Zabuza over. “Are you okay? I had a really really weird bad feeling, and it was right!”

Zabuza huffed and his dark eyes narrowed. He doesn’t say anything, but as he looks over the bodies of the shinobi that the boys killed, he feels an uncomfortable sense of… something he doesn’t like. Something he’s never liked. Dependence? Uselessness? Weakness? He wasn’t sure how to put it into words– and he never would out loud– but needing to be ‘saved’ from a tight spot by three shinobi-in-training as the Demon of the Hidden Mist bothered him. It bothered him immensely. Sure, he'd been strong for his age when he was a child as well, and a fully-fledged shinobi graduate earlier than others expected of him, but these boys seemed different. He wouldn't even try to explain why. On the other hand, a small part of his mind held pride for the boys, as their mentor. They were strong. Very strong. And that would be good for the cause and surviving to adulthood in the shinobi world. That was all there was to it. He most certainly didn't feel any sort of ‘fatherly’ pride from this, not one bit. Only a smidge of humiliation. 

“Da-ad! You're ignoring me, ‘ttebayo!” Shizu bristled and prodded Zabuza's forehead. His blue eyes brought Zabuza out of his thoughts. “I'm glad we found you.”

“He’s probably stewing ‘cause he needed our help.” Kimimaro muttered and his smirk wasn’t as subtle as he thought it was. 

Zabuza’s tight lips turned down in a scowl. “Careful, boy. I’m not in a particularly forgiving mood.” He shifted his weight to lean against his sword to stand but the wound on his side spurted and opened wider. He took a knee with a grunt and covered the slash. Damn it.

“Dad!” Shizu swallowed and watched the crimson spilling through Zabuza’s fingers. It reminded him of all of the blood and gore from before, but this time, it was his own family doing the bleeding. His small hand reaches out as if to help cover the wound when Zabuza nudges it away.

“This is just a scratch. Stop making a fuss.”

“I’ve got something for the bleeding, hold on.” Haku hurriedly dug into his pouches, having difficulty in his urgency remembering which one held what until he took out a few small satchels of herbs. He muttered the steps under his breath as he took out the necessary amounts of each. He chewed them together thoroughly– it seemed uncivilized, but he didn’t have the proper materials on hand to do it in a more sanitary way– and tried to stuff the squishy herb blob into the wound. He pressed down on it firmly and counted the seconds until, to his relief, they took effect.

Shizu let out an audible sigh once Haku was successful, and the older boy smiled faintly at him in reassurance.

“See? He’ll be fine. I just need to close up the wound.” Haku wipes his bloodied hands on his clothes, though there isn’t really a ‘clean’ bit of it, and finds the thin, curved needle and medical thread next. Without hesitation, he sets to work to carefully seal up the wound.

Zabuza grunted as the needle pierced his skin and the thread was drawn rhythmically through to seal the wound. 

“I can stitch myself, boy. I've been patching myself up since I was younger than you.”

Haku gently swatted his hand away while focusing on the stitching. “I need the practice.” He muttered quietly.

Zabuza scoffed and almost rolled his eyes. Haku was still skittish around him and constantly seeking approval, so the boy's audacity was irritating, but it was also somewhat amusing to see how bold he was when he was hyper-focused. “So, I'm a guinea pig?”

“You have a high pain tolerance.”

Zabuza almost chuckled at that. He did have a high tolerance for pain, that much was true, but that point made it even more obvious that Haku was using this as an opportunity to practice. But, he couldn’t deny that the kid was doing a surprisingly good job with his small, precise stitches. Once he's finished, Zabuza is confident that he could fight again without tearing the stitches open, though only for a short time. 

With his wound taken care of, he stands at his full height and looks between the boys with a faint frown. “You’re not where you’re supposed to be.”

“I had a bad feeling, ‘ttebayo! I followed it and it led me to you!”

“Why’re you being so stubborn? We saved your life.”

“W-We were on our way to the second rendezvous point after being attacked, but–”

Zabuza silences them with a raise of his brows. Attacked? He’d led the ambush away, but with such a large squad sent initially, they’d had a goal in mind and a second team on standby wouldn’t be unusual in a dire situation… though, the logic of it made his frown deeper. Why would Konoha send two teams like this? Or to that location? It was something he’d need to get to the bottom of, but that was a problem for later.

“What are the rules?”

Shizu and Haku immediately look down, while Kimimaro mutters and rolls his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to use that stuff…” Shizu mumbles and wrings his hands.

“Not you. You heal passively. It wasn’t a choice.” Zabuza’s gaze settled on Haku and Kimimaro.

“Recite the rules.”

Haku exhaled and spoke softly. “One, do not use the same disguises in consecutive places. Two, don’t use our real names on missions. Three, do not hesitate to kill when our lives or the secrecy of the family is at stake.” He pauses and shifts, too. “...Four, don’t use our Kekkei Genkai or Tailed Beast chakra. Five, if we do have to use our secret abilities, kill any witnesses to avoid loose ends and protect the family.”

“And, just how many of these rules did you break today?” Zabuza’s gaze moves from the guilty-quiet Haku to Kimimaro, who crosses his arms stubbornly.

“We were attacked. We didn’t break any of the rules. We used weapons until we couldn’t, and we killed them all. We disposed of the bodies, too.” Kimimaro challenged, holding Zabuza’s gaze. “You can be mad that you needed our help, but you can’t take it out on us for rule-breaking when we didn’t do any.”

Zabuza glared but only grunted. The Kaguya boy was annoying. Very annoying. Another short huff leaves his nose and he keeps his lips in a tight frown. “I’ll be adding another rule, then.” He muttered and changed the subject. “Do you at least still have our prisoner?”

The boys all look away, and Shizu once again wrings his hands.

“...He got free when we were attacked. He’s dead now.” Shizu softly answered, and even Kimimaro had no comment.

“Damn it.” Zabuza grumbled deep in his throat. There was much more he wanted to say, but the deep crimson of the boys’ clothes from head to toe– still wet in places– meant that they'd had a tough fight. No matter how skilled they were, they were still kids, and fighting off a large ambush and maintaining possession of a captive was too much to expect from them. He pinched the bridge of his nose. No spy to interrogate… what to do?

He stepped around the area to scan the corpses. The ones in frozen pieces wouldn't do, if his idea could work, but… he took out a scroll to inscribe the necessary seals to keep the drowned corpses, the dog-user, and the Hyuga. If they were unable to interrogate their prisoner, at the very least, he might know a way to get the intel from these bodies. They were fresh, and, if what he’d heard was true, then things would work out in his favor anyway.

“You’re taking the bodies?” Kimimaro watched Zabuza with his brow arched. “What for?”

Zabuza ignored his question to ask one of his own as he put the scroll into his pouch. “Are any of you injured?”

The boys shook their heads simultaneously. 

“We took care of that already.” Haku shook his head. “We weren’t hurt badly.”

“Hm.” Zabuza considered it again for a moment– just how strong the boys were already to handle an ambush without him– but he had no time or patience for praise. He looked to the older two with a nod of his head. “Take care of what’s left of the bodies. We’ll have a short rest and head home.”

Shizu sighed quietly while he sat cross-legged on the ground. Haku and Kimimaro were close, but both were preoccupied– Haku was happily explaining his winter gardening to Kimimaro, who poked one of the little green plants sticking out of the cold ground. After spending so much time locked up by his clan, it was interesting to see something as mundane as a plant growing, but especially so in cold dirt, and especially when he had helped Haku to plant the seeds in the first place. Kimimaro was used to fighting and killing, not nurturing a little life. It was a weird feeling, having this little green thing dependent on him. But, he was determined to keep it alive. And, he also was eager to have this sprout keep growing just so he could eat it. Carrots were, after all, his favorite vegetable. Though, he liked Daikon, too. He wondered if the vegetables you grew yourself tasted better than other kinds.

Shizu didn't care much about his brothers’ interest in the garden right now, as much as he'd had fun helping tilling and planting with them. Right now, he's bored. He sighed even louder this time. When the two older boys still couldn't hear over their conversation, he sighed even louder and flopped back, lying on the ground as he wriggled dramatically.

“It's not fair, ‘ttebayo!!”

This got the boys’ attention, and they dropped their riveting conversation about soil properties to look at Shizu. The ghost of a smile played on Haku's lips as he turned to face Shizu. Even if he didn’t understand what this outburst was about, it was kind of cute.

“What's not fair?” Haku asked, then paused. “Did you want to hear the new things I've learned about gardening, too? I'm sorry if you felt left out.”

“I don't wanna talk about the dirt!” Shizu wriggled one more time in a tantrum, then crossed his arms while lying back.

Haku stifled a laugh at his behavior and sat closer. “What's wrong, then?”

Shizu sighed and grumbled. “It's not fair! We just got back home from a really long mission, and we only had time for baths before mom and dad kicked us outside until dinnertime. I wanted to take a nap, ‘ttebayo!”

“Oh.” Haku understood that. As much as he was excited to see his seedlings doing well, he was tired, too. They'd been gone on their mission for two weeks, tailing the suspected spy to capture him, and then dealing with the dangerous ambushes without much recovery time before coming home left him exhausted as well. He was sure that he would sleep in late tomorrow, once he did get to bed.

“It's just not fair …” Shizu grumbled again with an indignant puff of his cheeks. “Why'd they even make us come outside? If they're just gonna talk about the mission, we don't gotta go somewhere else.”

“It is unusual.” Haku frowned. He touched his chin as he thought. Why had Zabuza and Mei been so insistent about the boys spending a few hours outside? If they were only talking about the mission, they'd all been involved, so there was nothing to hide. 

“Yeah! It's so weird!” Shizu sat up quickly with a nod. “I don't get it!”

“Oh, maybe they're discussing some plans for one of our birthdays?” Haku looked at Shizu. “That would require secrecy.”

“Oh, yeah!” Shizu's eyes lit up. “Maybe it's super-duper top-secret birthday stuff!”

Kimimaro listened to the two of them with a blank stare. Were they serious? Birthday planning?

“Wait, none of our birthdays are close, though…” Haku furrowed his brows in though.

“Oh, right…” Shizu's brows furrowed in the same way. “Then, what's the secret…?”

The two were quiet in deep contemplation and Kimimaro blinked slowly. He looked between each of them, hardly believing that they were so clueless.

“You're kidding, right? You don't know what they're doing?”

Haku and Shizu turned to him immediately with an innocent curiosity that almost made him feel sick. 

“You know what the secret is?!” 

“What are they talking about?”

Kimimaro wanted to smack his forehead. How could both of them be so… dense? They'd all been out on a mission for weeks, so of course Zabuza would want alone time with Mei. How did these two not know? He opened his mouth to explain, but the innocent gleam in both of their eyes almost made him feel uncomfortable and guilty. 

He shut his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Oh, for the love of the goddess–”

He interrupted his own mutter, reminding himself that he didn’t want to be associated with the Kaguya clan anymore. The more he thought about their savage nature, the more he realized that he was the strange one. He realized that it likely wasn't normal to see men viciously taking a girl by force anywhere they'd like, as per the Kaguya clan's reproductive traditions. He'd been witness to it since he was just as young as Shizu, if not younger. He'd assumed it was how all kids were conceived.

One more look at Shizu and Haku's expressions and he felt his stomach twist. He rubbed his face, hiding behind his hands as he mumbled a lie. He couldn’t be the one to tell them.

“...No, you're right. They're probably doing birthday planning far in advance…”

“I thought so.” Haku smiled brightly, tapping his fist on his palm. “It only makes sense, considering how busy shinobi are, and how many of us there are in the household now. Birthday plans have to be made in advance…”

“Woohoo! Birthday party stuff!” Shizu grinned and cheered. “Whose birthday do you think they’re talking about right now? Maybe we’ll get some cool presents, ‘ttebayo!”

Kimimaro groaned quietly and rubbed his face again. His ears felt hot, and he felt guilty for lying to them, but their innocence was irritatingly sweet.  “Ugh… I dunno. Maybe Mei’s, since it’s the next one…”

“Oh, yeah!” Shizu nodded and crossed his arms. His little face scrunched up. “We should probably get mom a present, too…”

“Good idea. Something to show how much we appreciate her.”

Kimimaro grumbled again, finding their wholesomeness too radiant to bear looking at anymore. He stood up and dusted off his clothes.

“Hey, where’re you going?” Shizu looked up at him with his head tilted.

“Gonna take a leak.” Kimimaro muttered, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and walked away for a walk in the bamboo forest to fully process just how innocent his brothers were, or just how tainted his own mind was. Or both. 

He did take a leak in the bamboo, he did contemplate the disparities of their early childhoods, but, the main reason he’d slipped away for a walk was to get out of earshot. The tickle in his throat was back, and was angry. He coughed hard into his hands until his eyes stung, his throat burned, and his lips tasted metallic. When he pulled his trembling hands away from his face, they were wet and red, but the tickle in his throat was gone. For now. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep it a secret from the other boys if the urge to cough kept coming back sooner each time. He spat a glob of reddened saliva on the ground and used some of the snow to clean his hands. Before he went back to them, he wiped his mouth off, too. Thankfully, no one in the family had a particularly keen nose.

Chapter Text

“Stop your fidgeting.” Zabuza grumbled as he watched the boy at his side uneasy.

“I’m not fidgeting.” Kimimaro muttered and shot him a look.

“You are and it's annoying.”

“Yeah? If I’m so annoying, you should've brought Haku instead and made me go with Mei.”

Zabuza exhaled heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don't like repeating myself. I already told you that he's doing training, while you are going to shut up and act like my obedient apprentice.”

“Or, I could've just stayed home while you ran whatever errand this is.” Kimimaro muttered and waved his hand. “Where are we, anyway?”

“Nothing good ever comes from leaving any of you boys alone.”

Though Zabuza couldn’t see under Kimimaro's anbu mask, the boy mimicked him, quietly expressing his sass under his breath.

“I heard that.”

Kimimaro frowned beneath his mask and looked around. The dilapidated temple seemed ordinary enough, though he couldn't understand why someone like the Demon would bring him here.

“Hmph. And you criticize my clan's worship. You brought me here to pray to a defunct shrine?”

“Now's the time you shut up and pay attention.” Zabuza gripped his shoulder and bent enough for the boy to hear his mutter. 

His tone was just gruff from his irritation, but there was a seriousness to it that made Kimimaro pause and think that there was more to this temple than he could see, and something here made Zabuza uneasy. He fell silent, for now. If something was so serious that Zabuza was on guard, he'd be stupid for not being cautious, either.

Zabuza raised a brow at the bow, who had become quiet. He would've commented on how it's funny he became obedient so quickly after always being so stubborn, but he left it unsaid. Instead, he went inside the temple first. It was as empty and overgrown as ever, with the mossy curtain intact. Kimimaro had many questions– why Zabuza brought him to a shrine, why the secrecy and caution, how Zabuza was able to navigate the tunnels so well, what they were even there for- but remained silent and patient.

“Ah, Zabuza, my favorite client. You’re earlier than I anticipated.”

Zabuza exhaled and nearly rolled his eyes. He hadn’t contacted Hanzai to inform him of his visit or ask for one, yet Hanzai predicted he’d be there all the same. He knew better by now than to ask how , because Hanzai had more informants in his network than he could imagine, and yet, it was a question he still wanted to ask.

“What made you so confident I would come?”

Hanzai’s crackled chuckle came from the small speaker by the secured door. “Let us speak inside, friend. We have much to discuss.”

The door unlocked and opened from the inside, and Zabuza looked down at Kimimaro before he entered. Ordinarily, he would have to tell him to shut up when he made his annoying sassy commentary. It’s a nice change, he thinks, to see Kimimaro so quiet and obedient. If only he were like this more.

There were only two kinds of people in Kimimaro’s experience– those who were dangerous, and those who were weak. There were two sub-classifications that could apply to each as well– those who were useless, and those who were useful. A weak, useless person was a non-Shinobi civilian, and he was indifferent to those. A weak but useful person served a purpose, however limited, and was worth fostering some degree of relation with. Then, there were the dangerous types: a dangerous person who was not useful to you was an enemy, but someone who was dangerous and useful was exactly the kind of person you would want to keep close as an ally to ensure they were never your enemy. As soon as Kimimaro saw this Hanzai for the first time and stood at Zabuza’s side, he could immediately tell which type of person he was– undoubtedly dangerous, but very, very useful. It was no wonder why Zabuza had made such a point for him to be obedient and on-guard. Even growing up amidst his violent clan, his instincts knew that Hanzai was more dangerous. Even more so because he had such a charming and friendly facade. 

Hanzai's grin made Kimimaro uneasy enough to look away from the man, though the movement was enough to attract his attention. 

“Well, well! How marvelous, Zabuza. Is this the infamous apprentice I've heard so much about?”

Zabuza glanced over at Kimimaro with a grunt. “He is.”

“Marvelous.” Hanzai leaned down to peer at Kimimaro. He tried to examine his face but the mask only got in his way. “Come now, boy; no need to be so shy. Why don't you take off the mask and have a snack? I'm sure your master has been working you to the bone.” He chuckled, then added. “He's a real Demon, after all.”

“The mask stays on when he's on duty.” Zabuza crossed his arms. “It's better for fewer people to recognize his face as well.”

Hanzai chuckled and nodded. As he straightened, he patted the top of Kimimaro's head, noting the softness of the hair tucked into the black head covering. “Oh, of course, of course. It's marvelous how cautious you are, my friend.”

“No one lasts long in Kirigakure if they're not cautious.” 

“Of course. The Shinobi life is a tough one.” Hanzai chuckled. He took another glance at Kimimaro. “So, mystery apprentice, may I at least have your name?”

“He's called ‘Ro’.” Zabuza answered in the boy's place and his brows furrowed. “I didn't bring him here for a casual chat and introduction. It was just convenient.”

“Ro? Hm… a simple name. But efficient, I suppose, if he's just a tool.”

Kimimaro shot a glare, one as subtle as he could muster with them being watched. Did Zabuza just really shorten his name to the last syllable? How uncreative was the Demon?

Zabuza rolled his eyes and ignored Kimimaro. He had no time that he wanted to spend on pointless things, which included coming up with codenames or acknowledging his apprentice’s thoughts on it. He focused his attention on Hanzai.

“You said you were expecting me to come by. How?”

Hanzai looked back at Zabuza, though the masked boy seemed more interesting at the moment simply because he liked to know things, and there were many things about this boy he did not know about.

“It wasn’t so difficult to predict, Zabuza. I knew that, once you learned that Juzo Biwa had abandoned Kirigakure and gone rogue, you’d come by for information about something.”

Zabuza’s brow raises. As much as he always tries to hide his thoughts behind an unreadable expression, he’s too surprised for a few moments before he frowns again. 

“Juzo went rogue?”

“Oh?” Hanzai’s eye has a glint of amusement as he suppresses a smirk. “Did I know something before even you?”

“How long ago did you hear this?”

“Four days ago.” Hanzai pauses and the curious, amused smile remains. “Were you not informed immediately of such a development as his successor?”

Zabuza frowned deeply. Four days ago? He hadn’t been out of the village on any assignment, so why…? Why hadn’t he been informed?

“And the Kubikiribōchō?”

“Juzo took it with him.”

“Damn it.” 

Hanzai chuckles and crosses his arms. “Are you disappointed that your inheritance was stolen from you, my friend?”

Zabuza glares in thought, temporarily ignoring his surroundings. There had been plenty of opportunities for the news to be passed onto him… unless, he was specifically meant to be kept in the dark. He liked that possibility even less than the village covering it up. Even if they planned to keep it quiet until the Hunter-Nin found and eliminated Juzo, it would be impossible to hide it for long. 

“Why would Juzo leave? He knows the Hunter-Nin are efficient.” Zabuza grumbles and acknowledges Hanzai once more. “He’s been a Swordsman for some time now and is highly regarded. What reason does he have to do this?”

“A question that I believed you might be able to answer for me, as his successor.” Hanzai’s smile falters in a thoughtful frown. “How curious. Perhaps you did not know him as well as I thought. No matter.”

“After Kisame’s defection, there has been some unrest in the Swordsmen ranks. Candidates and Swordsmen alike face more scrutiny as if the Mizukage and the handlers assigned to oversee the swords have very little trust that we won’t follow suit. For Juzo to leave without arousing suspicion or doubts beforehand makes it seem… a hasty decision. That, or he was good enough at hiding his intentions for some time.”

“Marvelous.” Hanzai mutters and exhales a puff of smoke. “Perhaps the Mizukage is so paranoid because he feels his authority is crumbling. As a result, the most recent betrayal of a prominent subordinate, known to be loyal, has caused him to attempt to keep the hunt lowkey. After all, losing such a shinobi from Kirigakure’s ranks reduces their overall power compared to other nations.”

“Maybe. Especially after the spies and ambushes recently…” Zabuza grumbled. There was a lot   about all of this that he did not like, and he wanted to get down to the bottom of it as quickly as possible. Or, at least, as soon as his business here concluded.

“Ambushes?” Hanzai’s brow quirked in attention. “The infamous Zabuza fell prey to ambush?”

“Konoha has been bolder recently. It’s been a pain in the ass.”

“They wouldn’t behave so boldly if they were not certain of their target. I suspect they are making their move with the same intent as the Mizukage for his extended absences from the village.” Hanzai took a long drag of his cigarette and exhaled a puff of fragrant, pink smoke. His eye narrows and he looks at Zabuza. “You understand that reason well enough, yes?”

Zabuza’s expression hardened and his fingers gripped the taut muscle of his crossed arms. “...Hunting the Nine-Tailed Beast.”

“Naturally. And, if my sources are correct– which, they usually are– the Mizukage has a strong lead about its location. He plans to have it secured within the next month or two. Though, I don’t know why he would choose to wait if he knows its location already. Surely, he can overpower it with the combined power of Three-Tails and himself.”

Kimimaro stiffened. He knew, of course, about Shizu’s unique condition. Being a part of their unusual family now meant he was privy to such information about everyone’s abilities. He also had been told by Haku about the multiple attempts to capture Shizu, and even about the poisoning incident at the inn the year before. What he still didn’t know was why Zabuza and Mei had come to adopt the newborn of a dead Hokage, but that answer wasn’t as important as anything else. However… it was important if Konoha seemed to be aware of the location of the Nine-Tails and that it was in Zabuza’s possession, technically. It would explain the ambushes… The Mizukage possibly knowing about Shizu was just as bad– if not worse. He swallowed and frowned.

Hanzai found it interesting that Zabuza’s quiet apprentice suddenly looked so surprised– then angry– at the mention of the Nine-Tailed Beast. Certainly interesting, but not necessary to comment on just yet. He took another puff of his cigarette and let the tendrils of smoke drift from his lips. 

“It would be terrible should the Mizukage find the beast before Konoha. Having the power of a second beast on his side would throw a wrench in your plans, would it not?”

Zabuza scoffed hotly, gritted his teeth, and looked away in thought. “It’d be trouble for everyone, for many reasons.”

“Well, not for us information brokers and dealers.” Hanzai chuckles. “Business is steady in strife and prosperous in peace, they say.”

“Good for you and your business.” Zabuza grumbled. 

Hanzai chuckled. “You may not care about my prosperity on the surface, however, you do care if I continue to be useful to you, yes?”

“That goes without saying.” Zabuza grunted and shook his head. “If you’re done with the chatter, I came here for a reason.”

“Marvelous.” Hanzai smiled in a way that bothered Kimimaro enough to look away, and he clapped his hands together. “Right this way for business talk.”

Zabuza glanced over his shoulder at ‘Ro’ to ensure he was following, then followed Hanzai to the ‘office’ – the main section of his lab with his wall of specimens in plain view.

Hanzai steps behind his work table and clears his throat to put on his most charming professional smile. “What will it be this time, my valued client? Another toxin sample? More of my special weapons for your marvelous little apprentice? Information?”

Zabuza reaches into his pouch to retrieve a scroll to set the scroll on the table. Hanzai looked curiously at the scroll first, then at Zabuza with his one good eye.

"What's this now? A gift? You shouldn't have."

Zabuza grunted and rolled his eyes. "I've heard that the Leaf has a closely guarded secret technique used by their Intelligence division to read the minds of the dead. Do you know it?"

Hanzai chuckled and stood up straighter. "What makes you think I'd know about a Leaf technique like that?"

"I've known you long enough now to pick up the signs. You were Konoha-nin once, and in the Intelligence Division. Your current career makes use of those skills."

Hanzai chuckles and claps his hands slowly. "Marvelous. You are a sharp one." A smirk twitches on his lips. "And, if I do know this technique? I assume you'd like for me to make use of it?"

"I've got four Konoha-nin corpses sealed, freshly dead. They should be intact enough for you to work with."

"Four? My, Zabuza, you're a popular guy."

Zabuza crossed his arms and huffed. "Once I get the information I want out of them, you can have their bodies. I'm sure you could make use of them somehow."

Hanzai's gaze fell on the scroll with the temptation evident in his eye. "You must have some interesting specimens here if you think I'd have use for them."

"Are a Hyuga and a dog-tamer interesting enough for you?”

Hanzai's brow raised and his faint smirk grew into a full grin. "You had me at 'Hyuga'. Main family corpse, or branch?"

"What's the difference?"

"Oh, many." Hanzai chuckled and unrolled the scroll to find the seal labeled 'Hyuga man'. "Was there a seal on his forehead?"

"No."

Hanzai's eye darkened and his finger traced the seal. "Marvelous. That means the eyes are still operational. Still valuable." He pauses and looks up at Zabuza. "...Just checking, you don't want one for yourself, do you? Might prove useful for the 'Demon.’”

Zabuza frowned as he thought. A Byakugan for himself, like the spoil-of-war that the tracker-nin friend of Mei has? He grunts. “His eyes didn't seem so special. The Hiding in Mist Technique easily countered it.”

“That's not a surprise, considering Kirigakure created that technique as a direct counter to Konoha's Hyuga and Uchiha, though it could be possible for some Hyuga to have Byakugan of a higher prowess to see through it.”

“Maybe someone. But not this one.”

“It would be exceptionally rare, if such keen eyes do exist.”

Zabuza thought for several long moments to consider his options. There would certainly be plenty of utility, if he were able to see through buildings or bodies, however, he didn’t particularly like the idea of granting Hanzai the permission to pluck one of his eyes out to put a new one in. Wearing an eyepatch to hide the Byakugan seemed like it would be a hassle, and make him more recognizable, but if he didn’t hide it, then anyone would see his mismatched eyes and he would lose any advantage he might have had with that ace up his sleeve. His senses were astute enough as they were to kill without needing to see well through his Mist anyway. He grunts and makes his decision.

"I have no use for it. Do what you want with them.”

Hanzai smirks and his dark eyes glint in excitement. This is the answer that he expected to get from Zabuza. Nothing short of completely practical. That left the eyes– the incredibly powerful and valuable eyes– for himself. He could implant one of them into himself, he could sell them on the black market at as outrageous of a price that he wanted for their rarity, he could–

“I want them.”

Hanzai’s thoughts are interrupted by the quiet declaration from the boy at Zabuza’s side. He had been so quiet and so obedient the entire time, and yet, he spoke up now? Hanzai would have typically been put-off by someone trying to take something he wanted, but he couldn’t help but feel amused at his sudden boldness. 

The words leave Kimimaro’s lips before he has the chance to think about it. Now, he was frozen in place as he thought about what he just said and tried to figure out why. Behind the mask, he swallowed. The Byakugan? Of course he knew about it, long before he’d ever met Shizu or Haku that day. Everyone in his clan knew about the divine eyes that belonged to their ancestors, that belonged to their beloved Goddess. The coveted, divine eyes that the Kaguya clan woefully lost after several generations. It was their shame that the clan with lesser blood purity, the Hyuga , still retained the eyes of the Goddess. Any devoted member of the Kaguya clan would be eager to take the eyes from the non-believing, inferior clan and have them for themself. Seeing the world as the Goddess did would be the ultimate display of loyalty, the ultimate satisfaction for a pure descendant… but Kimimaro wasn’t a loyal clansman, not anymore. So why? Why had he wanted the eyes instinctively? As much separation as he had been trying to make from his kin, was his devotion to their culture something he could never be free of? 

As soon as he noticed that both Zabuza and the shady information broker were staring at him, he swallowed and stood up straighter. He couldn’t show any weakness or seem indecisive. Worse, he couldn’t retract his statement when he’d said it so confidently and without hesitation. So, he clears his throat.

“I want one of them, anyway.” He looks up at Zabuza, meeting his hardened, dark gaze with confidence. “You may have enhanced senses and perception, but it’d be useful for me during scouting and fighting. And that would be useful for you.”

Zabuza grumbled. He wanted to smack Kimimaro for disobeying him, for speaking out after he’d been told not to. It was irritating enough that Kimimaro was far more difficult than the other boys, but now he was trying to interfere with Zabuza’s business here? He wanted the Byakugan for himself? He could only frown and assume that it related to his clan’s cult. Which irritated him even more to think about. However, the more he thought about it, the more he had to reluctantly admit– at least internally– that the boy could be right. Even if he had no use for a Byakugan, having one of his ‘apprentices’ with its benefits would benefit him by default. With such visual capability, it would prevent the boys from falling prey to any more ambushes and make him even more effective in battle. The eyepatch-wearing could be a problem, but Zabuza supposed the boy could easily transform to disguise himself. After remaining silent a few more moments, he grunted and looked at Hanzai.

“How easily could you implant one of the eyes in him?”

Hanzai chuckled at the amusing way Zabuza’s mind was changed by the boy’s statement, then he turned to look at the masked boy. “What a marvelous request. To determine that, I’d need to make sure that the eye would be a proper fit for him. How old are you, Ro ?”

Kimimaro frowned. He didn’t want this man knowing anything about him, but, if he wanted that eye, he’d have to ignore his instinct to avoid him entirely. “...Eleven.”

“Eleven. Marvelous.” Hanzai held his chin in thought. “It would be quite simple for me to give you the eye with my skill, however, it depends on whether or not your eye socket can fit the eye. It shouldn’t be difficult if the Hyuga is an adolescent as well, but an adult’s eye and socket have enough of a difference in sizes that it would not work. Not until you were older, that is.”

“I thought eyes didn't grow?” Kimimaro grumbled and crossed his arms. In the moment, he didn't think about or care how he subconsciously mimicked Zabuza.

Hanzai did notice the similarity and it amused him. “A common misconception, Ro. Most consider the eyes to remain the same size from infancy to adulthood, however, it does grow. The marginal differences are significant enough to impede transplants. Then, there is the matter of the shape and development of the eye socket. A child’s eyes are more prominent than an mature adults’ because they are seated in the socket to a more shallow degree, and adult eyes rest deeper in the sockets, of course.”

“Can you do it or not?” Zabuza hated to waste time, and Hanzai's endless talking always grated his nerves. 

“I'll need to take proper measurements of your adorable little apprentice and his face. Sans mask, of course.” Hanzai glanced at ‘Ro’ and gestured to his table. “May I?”

Zabuza and Kimimaro turn to look at each other at the same time. Keeping Kimimaro’s identity a secret, and keeping his face unknown, was vital. Zabuza was more than a little irritated now that the boy’s face would be seen. Now that the boy stupidly had an interest in the eyes, there was no other choice. 

“Fine.”

Kimimaro felt reluctant to climb up onto the table. A pit formed in his stomach as he considered whether or not he might be the first living person to lay here, or if anyone else had been tied down here and subjected to goddess knows what. The glint in the one visible eye of Hanzai gave him chills. When he removed his mask slowly, he could tell that Hanzai was overflowing with curiosity about him, and he didn't like this feeling. There was no backing out, though.

“Marvelous. Look at you; A handsome boy of eleven you are.” Hanzai leans closer to examine Kimimaro’s features but chuckles and meets his eyes with an amused smile that Kimimaro doesn't like. “That is the compliment I would give, at least, if this was your real face.”

Both Kimimaro and Zabuza lift their brows at Hanzai’s statement. 

“How did you know it was a transformation?” Zabuza already didn’t like how Hanzai seemed one step ahead of him at all times as it was, but this? It irritated him.

Hanzai chuckles and softly taps his eyepatch. “This isn’t just for decoration. It’s a special Ninja Tool I created for my own purposes when I left my home Village to pursue a career that I felt was more… gratifying. What it does is vaguely allow me to see Chakra, but not with the more marvelous precision of a Byakugan. Rather, it can detect when Chakra has been molded and is in use. It isn’t as accurate as I would prefer, however, my own testing of it has granted me the experience necessary to be able to differentiate a good number of subtle changes in the chakra to know which Jutsu are in use. Of course, I can only identify Jutsu I am familiar with and have witnessed with this item, but you can imagine how it is rather useful for someone in my line of work.”

Kimimaro averted his eyes from Hanzai and his lips pressed tightly in a frown. He didn’t like it at all that he was seen through in an instant by this man. Lying on this table only added to how vulnerable he felt at this revelation.

“Useful indeed.” Zabuza grumbled. It was useful, of course, but it had been used against them, and that was where his frustration stemmed. From the first moment he’d met Hanzai, he’d been passively monitored so easily, and he’d been unaware. For someone who prided himself on his observation skills, there was a bad taste in his mouth now.

“Oh, don’t make such expressions. It’s a marvelous credit to my skill.” Hanzai looked away from Zabuza to gaze down at the boy with a faint smile. “Come now, Ro; there’s no need to hide your true face from me any longer. I’ll need precise measurements of your orbits, then precise measurements of the Hyuga’s eye.”

Kimimaro glanced at Zabuza from the corner of his eye and the subtle look back was enough confirmation. The boy undoes the Jutsu, and the brown hair and brown eyes become stark white and green once again. And, to his frustration, his forehead markings are also visible.

Hanzai chuckles as soon as he sees the markings and looks at Zabuza. “Zabuza Momochi, what a marvelous little apprentice you have. A Kaguya clan boy? No wonder you’ve been keeping him a secret. I would love to hear the tale of how you took such a child under your wing.”

“I’m sure you would.” Zabuza frowns. “Just get on with it. We don’t have endless time to loiter here.”

“Oh, dear, it seems I’ve overstepped.” Hanzai chuckles. “I was merely trying to hold a casual conversation because your apprentice seems rather tense on my table.” His attention returns to Kimimaro and he has a faint smile. “Try to relax, won’t you, Ro? I promise this won’t hurt a bit. I’m only going to give you a quick health examination and take measurements of your face.”

Kimimaro’s brows furrow. “A checkup? Why?”

“Why? Why, to ensure you’re healthy enough for the transplant, of course. We wouldn’t want to attempt such a thing if you’re afflicted by any ailment, yes?”

Kimimaro looks away and clenches his jaw. He’s reminded of his cough, but he says nothing. He won’t.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m sure you are, however, it’s still my job to check before I proceed. A professional mustn’t cut corners. Zabuza would have my head if I made any mistake and caused harm to his precious apprentice.”

“...Fine.” 

“What a good boy.” Hanzai laughs and pats his head, though his hand is quickly swatted away. “All right; this won’t take long. Just remain nice and still.”

And he did. It was annoying and uncomfortable to be poked and prodded, having his vitals monitored for a short time. The man paid extra attention to his circulation, spending longer than he liked examining his hands. The man's eye ‘hm’ when he noticed the white streaks in his nails and the paler complexion of his hands made him clench his jaw again. But Hanzai said nothing more than another ‘hm’ before he completed the examination.

“All done now. You're a pretty healthy boy.” Hanzai grins in a friendly way that makes Kimimaro roll his eyes. He sits up and slides off the table to adjust his clothes. He leaves his mask off, since there's no point in hiding his true face now.

“Is that all?” Zabuza raises his brow.

“For now, yes.” Hanzai nods and moves the scroll over to the table. “The next thing to do is for me to examine the Hyuga corpse and remove the eyes carefully. They must be fully intact and stored properly. If a transplant is possible now, I can do it after that, and then interrogate the corpses for you while your apprentice is recovering from the procedure. If the eye isn't a suitable fit for the time being, I'll store it carefully for him until he's old enough, and we can proceed with the intel gathering anyway.”

As much as Zabuza found Hanzai to be irritating, he at least appreciated how useful and efficient the man was. “Huh. Good.” 

Without wasting time, or, surprisingly, attempting to start any unnecessary chat, Hanzai retrieves the corpse from the scroll’s first Seal. His trembling fingertips move over the corpse from head to toe with a dark, reverent rapture in his eye. He nearly holds his breath as his gaze thoroughly takes in every detail.

“...Marvelous. Simply marvelous. Oh, this is my luckiest day…” 

Hanzai’s fingers brush the cold cheek, then the forehead, as he smirks. He eagerly sets to work removing both eyes– a process which makes Kimimaro look away as soon as he imagines the upcoming removal of his own eye. Each eye is carefully suspended in individual large jars of Chakra-infused preservation liquid. The body is returned to the Seal, just to keep it as fresh as possible until it’s needed again. 

As if forgetting he isn’t alone, Hanzai’s hands tremble as he picks up one of the jars to hold it up and examine the eye from different angles. He’s smiling, but his expression darkens and a chuckle ghosts his lips. His voice lilts, sickly sweet as he murmurs.

“You’re marvelous. So beautiful. I always wanted to examine one personally, but those damn Hyuga and their strict traditions and isolation… Oh, but you’re all mine now, aren’t you? All their exclusive, divine power, in my hands…” His smirk widens and he presses his forehead to the glass with a shuddering breath. “Hii-kun, my dear cousin, I wonder what horrified expression you would make if you could see this, hm? I’ll put you to such good use…”

“Are you finished?”

Hanzai’s expression immediately shifts to the pair staring at his display. He chuckles and sets the jar down. “Can’t a man revel in his good fortune?”

“Looked like more than ‘reveling’.” Zabuza mutters. 

“One man’s treasure, I suppose.” Hanzai drums his fingers on the top of the jar. “Good news for you, little Ro: This Hyuga seems to be approximately only 16 years of age, with more delicate features. His eye is suitable enough for you, though there may be some slight discomfort as your socket adjusts to it.”

Zabuza lifts his brow at the boy, looking for his reaction. Excitement? Satisfaction? Nervousness? Not that he particularly cared. If the boy wanted this weirdo to yank out his eye and put a new one in, that was his own problem to deal with.

Kimimaro felt his heart skip at the news. He’d wanted this, but he didn’t know what to think now. This Hanzai guy clearly wasn’t all right in the head, especially on the subject of eyes, but was he really ready to have one of his eyes removed? Sure, there would be multiple benefits, but even so, it was something he couldn’t simply undo if he changed his mind… He was no coward, though. He’d never admit aloud how nervous he was.

“Can you do it now?”

“Certainly.”  Hanzai pats the table with a faint smirk. “Lay down and we'll get started. You'll be seeing the world in a whole new, marvelous way before you know it.”

“You don't plan on doing this while he's awake, do you?” Zabuza's judgmental mutter and raised brow make Hanzai chuckle.

“Now, now; do you think I'm so barbaric? Of course I wouldn't subject a child to such a thing.” He steps away to open one of the large cabinets to browse the various drugs and herbs, tsking before he finds what he wants. He holds up a small, sealed glass vial. “Here we are. A marvelous blend of herbs I formulated myself. Harmless when ingested, yet potent as an anesthetic when burned. Inhale a bit of the smoke, and you'll feel no pain and be happily dreaming for approximately an hour. No long-term side effects of it, if the Demon has any concerns that I'd harm his precious apprentice.”

Zabuza didn't care too much either way– if the boy wanted his eye plucked out to be replaced, he didn't care if he had to pay the price for power. On the other hand, if he allowed him to go through a painful process, he'd never hear the end of it from Mei or Shizu.

“Get on with it, then.”

“As you wish.” 

Hanzai motions for Kimimaro to lay down and the boy swallows in an attempt to squash his anxiety. His hands subtly fidgeted at his sides as he watched Hanzai preparing the necessary tools, with the eye suspended in the jar facing him as if watching. One deep inhale of the fragrant smoke was enough for him to immediately feel tired, and, in only a few moments, he was out. 

Zabuza intended to look away when the procedure began– it didn't involve him– but his feet wouldn't carry him out of the room and his eyes wouldn't turn away. Hanzai was skilled and efficient, which made him suspect that Hanzai had been previously in more than just an intelligence or research division. Anbu, perhaps? Whoever he had been before, it hardly mattered now. Zabuza clenched his fist slightly at his side as Hanzai hummed and carefully placed Kimimaro’s right eye into one of the preservation jars, then cleaned the area and began the transplant. Zabuza’s stomach tightened and something about seeing the boy like this irritated him. When it was finally over, Hanzai carefully applied bandaging over and patted Kimimaro’s head.

“There we go. Boy didn't feel a thing.” Hanzai looks up at Zabuza with a chuckle. “I have to ask…” He glances at the jar with the green eye. “What should be done with his eye? He has no need for it.”

Zabuza furrowed his brows. “You want to sell it.”

“Ah, you understand me well enough.” Hanzai drums his fingers on the sealed jar. “The boy is the last of his clan, unless he’s lucky enough to be able to grow to adulthood and spread his seed. In the meantime, anything of the infamous Kaguya clan would surely be valuable on the market. As a businessman, I’m obligated to ask.”

Typical. Zabuza rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “Let the boy decide when he’s awake. I’ve never met any bastard greedy enough to immediately think of selling body parts.”

Hanzai laughs and sets the jar aside. “Greedy? Perhaps, though I prefer to think of myself as… a prolific professional.” He chuckles again, then gestures to the boy. “You can lie him down on the sofa to recover. No use wasting any time, yes?”

Zabuza grunts and steps forward to scoop up Kimimaro in his arms. When he was quiet and unconscious like this, he was certainly less irritating and less trouble than he usually was, Zabuza thinks. One he returns, Hanzai’s already santized the table and unsealed the first corpse. He should have known that the eyeless Hyuga would have been the first pick, with Hanzai’s morbid fascination. He stands beside the table and rests his palms on the cool surface. 

“Is there really a Jutsu that can read the minds of the dead?”

“Now, now, Zabuza, you’re the one who brought it up and asked me to do it– don’t tell me you don’t have faith in me.” Hanzai chuckles. “It’s only natural to doubt it, I suppose. Only one nation has such a technique, after all, though other nations have made their own efforts to gain information from the dead.”

“I made the assumption there was truth in what I’d heard. Over-the-top rumors are usually spread intentionally to intimidate their enemies.”

“The classic strategy of propaganda and misinformation is something each of the nations employs, of course. Knowing the difference between exaggerations and truth is the job of humble men like me. ” Hanzai chuckles and places his hand on the Hyuga’s forehead with a faint smirk. “Now, then, Zabuza… What information do you want me to search for?”

Kimimaro groaned and felt his heavy body gradually feel lighter. The haze in his mind retreated and he saw the warmth of light through his eyelids… eyelid. He lifted a hand to rub the bandage uncomfortably covering his right eye. His head was sore, aching with the socket as the epicenter, but it wasn’t unbearable. Not now, at least.  He sits up and finds himself on a sofa, comfortably, with another in the lounge occupied by Zabuza. It’s funny to him, seeing the ‘Demon’ asleep– upright with his arms crossed, and a frown etched on his face. If he didn’t feel off at the moment, or if Mei were around to ensure Zabuza’s reaction was contained, he would have done something small as a prank as he slept. But, he resists the impulse. Instead, he gets up slowly. The pain in his head dizzies him, so he remains steady until he can stand fully upright. With Zabuza asleep, it seems there’s nothing to do, so there can’t be any harm in just looking around a little, can there?

Walking with one eye covered was something he didn’t expect to be so difficult. His perception was skewed enough to almost bump into several things, though he’d never admit it aloud. His curiosity leads him past the rooms where a variety of plants grow, many of them strange to him. His feet carry him back to a familiar section– the main lab. The table he’d been put to sleep on had a new occupant, a dead one, as Hanzai was doing… well, he wasn’t sure what he was doing, but it was some kind of research.

“So you’ve awaken finally. Marvelous. You were out a little longer than I anticipated, but no matter. Likely a miscalculation due to your unique biology.” Hanzai chuckles and addresses him with his back turned as he works. “How do you feel, Ro?”

“My head hurts.” He grumbles simply, and the man laughs.

“Yes, it will be sore for a while. Worse for a few days, likely gone at a week.Your body seemed a good match for it, which is seemingly due to your pureblood nature as a member of the Kaguya clan. No matter the reason, the transplant was a success and your new Dojutsu should be fully operational. I’ll put you through a test drive of it in a bit. As you can see, I’m busy at the moment.”

He almost asks why he’s so fascinated by a corpse when he comes closer and reconizes it from the things he’d been told by Zabuza. So this was what one of the white creatures from the inn incident looked like… weird.

“What are you doing with it?”

“Marvelous things, absolutely marvelous work. Running numerous tests on these remarkable cells to unlock their secrets. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with the cells for medical uses.”

“Hm.” He doesn’t understand how a weird human-like creature like this could be medically useful, but he also doesn’t want to seem too eager or curious around a suspicious guy like Hanzai, so he doesn’t ask.

“You sound just like Zabuza when you grunt. How adorable.”

“No I don’t.”  

Hanzai chuckles. “You do. You must have picked it up from being his apprentice for so long. Don’t be ashamed of it. Truly, it’s endearing.”

“Hmph.” Kimimaro crosses his arms. He doesn’t have anything in common with Zabuza, of that he’s sure, but he thinks this guy is only trying to rile him up for the fun of it. His eye falls on the meticulous notes beside the inhuman corpse. The writing is small and neat, but some of it catches his interest. “Rat studies?”

Hanzai chuckles again. “Deflection… something else Zabuza commonly does when he feels uncomfortable.”

“Or maybe you’re just annoying.”

Kimimaro turns and sees Zabuza, now awake and rubbing the back of his head as he enters the room. He frowns as sees the body in particular.

“Studying it again? Have you learned anything new?”

“Several things, yes.” Hanzai nods and turns to look at Zabuza. “Marvelous specimen. I’ve been doing experiments with rodents, implanting samples of its flesh in increasingly greater amounts. These cells do miraculous work as a cure.”

“Cure?” Zabuza raises his brow and crosses his arms. “A cure for what?”

Hanzai’s lips twitch in a smirk and he stands straighter. “Everything.”

"So many books..." Haku's fingertips hesitantly trailed across the spines of the long row of books on the shelf. He didn't want to get any of them dirty, or be yelled at for touching things he hadn't been given permission for. He flinched back when he caught Harusame looking over his shoulder at him, but the man turned back to his efforts of gathering some other books and supplies. Haku relaxed as he realized Harusame didn't mind. 

"You do know how to read, don't you?" Harusame said quietly, but gruffly, as he searched through a few scrolls, only to put them back as he continued to search. "There's no point in Mei bringing you to me if you can't." 

"O-Of course, sir!" Haku nodded quickly at the man. "I-It's just amazing to see so many books in one place." 

"Mei said that you came from one of the outer islands. From a farming village. I suppose you did not have access to reading material there." 

Haku looked downward in quiet thought. Mei has told him on the way that she'd given a basic cover story for him, to convince Harusame to teach him, but he hasn't expected it to be so similar to the truth. He did his best not to think about his parents or what had happened. He only nodded. "Yes. That's right." 

"I understand. Mei must've taught you to read. You must be a very intelligent boy if you picked it up in only a few months." 

"O-Oh, yes... I guess so..." Haku shifted in place uncomfortably at the compliment. Only a few months? Mei must have said that she only took in Haku recently, instead of the nearly two years it had been. It was strange to think about– how he'd become an orphan not long before he turned eight, met Shizu and Zabuza several months later, was adopted and given an education... It was an unorthodox family but he was happy. He had a brother– two, now– and parents who cared about him, even if Zabuza didn't outwardly show it much. Almost two years felt like a lifetime, but he didn’t mind much when things were so pleasant. "...I like to learn. I don't think I'm that special."

"A love of learning is good– and needed– if you're going to be my student. I have very high standards when it comes to Medical Ninjutsu." Harusame paused and looked away from the scrolls in his arms. "It is a matter of life and death, after all, so take this very seriously. Even if you are just the Demon's grunt, Ku." 

Haku nodded. He wanted to protest and say that they were family, that he'd been adopted, but he also didn't want to ruin whatever story Mei had concocted. He couldn’t cause any problems or else Harusame might turn him down as a student, and this training was very important to him. He'd be able to look after the family he was actually happy with, if only he could help more. He wouldn't have to sit idly by if they were hurt anymore. 

"...I understand. I'll be a good student and learn quickly." 

"I'll be the judge of that." Harusame turned to set the related books and scrolls on the desk, then looked over it to be sure he wasn't missing anything more. "It's been quite a while since I taught anyone personally. My previous students are the ones handling the medical education in Kiri, however, since this was a request from Mei, Ao, and my grandson, I suppose I shall train you personally." 

Haku only half-listens as his attention goes back to admiring the rows and rows of books and scrolls. He wondered how long it would take someone to read every single one, and if any of these tomes had anything he– or Zabuza– would find useful. His finger freezes at the spine of one book. Its spine is cracked and worn, with the blue of the cover almost completely faded to gray. His breath catches in his throat. 

"...The Yuki Clan?" 

The words come out as a whisper before he realizes and Harusame's head snaps in his direction. Haku jumps slightly and pulls his hand back from the book, to hide his hand behind his back. 

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn’t touch them without permission." 

The man comes over to look at Haku thoughtfully, then at the book. 

"You're interested in the Yuki Clan?"

"N-No, I'm not!" Haku quickly shakes his head. He had to think of something convincing on the spot. "I-I'm only... a little curious." He swallowed. "Where I grew up, talking about them was taboo, so I don't know much about them..." 

"Ah, so you're from one of those regions." Harusame took the book off the shelf and flipped through a few pages absent-mindedly. "The Yuki clan was said to be one of the oldest shinobi clans, and supposedly descendants of the legendary Sage of Six Paths. According to the Land of Water's most ancient records, the Yuki, Hoshigaki, and Hozuki clans were the first three groups of people to discover and settle on these islands."

Haku's eyes widened. "R-Really? They're that important?" 

Harusame chuckles at the boy's surprise. "Oh, certainly. That noble lineage was part of the reason why the second Mizukage was selected." 

"I had no idea..." Haku mumbles quietly. He looked intently at the book to try to see what the pages said, but he didn’t want to seem rude by standing on his tiptoes to see the pages. 

"Most, if not all, of the Yuki clans' history has been buried or lost through the years, while the Hozuki and Hoshigaki thrive. It's unfortunate, but it can't be helped." 

Haku swallowed and kept his eyes on the book. He still couldn't see what it said, but he was trying to imagine it. "...Sir? If the Yuki Clan was so important, then why...?" 

"Why do people despise them?" 

Haku nodded again. Harusame sighed and turned a page of the book. 

"Speaking of them is widely frowned upon, however, I see nothing wrong in telling you, since your upbringing has been so sheltered." He paused as he contemplated exactly what to say. "While it's true that the Yuki clan is important in the history of these lands, their downfall was more or less caused by prejudice, hypocrisy, and the involvement of rival clans." 

"Rival clans?" Haku asked quietly. "...The Hozuki and Hoshigaki?" 

"Precisely."

"What happened between the three main clans?" 

"Much of it could be simplified as a power struggle. The Land of Water has been embroiled in civil war for many, many generations, and the catalyst for most of those conflicts were the Hozuki and Hoshigaki clans. Each clan believed in their superiority, which led them to constantly battle one another. The Yuki clan, however, was quieter and kept to themselves. They lived remotely and were fond of artful skills-- poetry and music, among other things. Some records say that they even danced with swords in their coming-of-age ceremonies." 

The explanation didn't help to explain anything, Haku thought. "If they were the most peaceful, why did people hate them? Instead of the other two clans?" 

Harusame frowns slightly. "It's a little complicated to explain to someone your age, however, the simplest way to say it is that the average people of the Land of Water did not mind the Hozuki and Hoshigaki's fighting so much because it rarely interfered in their daily lives. To them, it was just shinobi killing shinobi. It mattered not to them. However..." He paused and turned the page in the book. "It was a few members of the Yuki clan that led a massacre against civilians that sealed their fates." 

Haku's eyes widened. "A m-massacre?" He swallowed. "I don't understand... you said they were peaceful..." 

"And they were. They kept out of trouble until three Yuki children were murdered. The clan insisted it was the work of the Hoshigaki, and the Hoshigaki denied it. They held that the Yuki clan was trying to falsely accuse them. Byakuren– as a young man, before he became the first Mizukage– led the talks between the clans. He ultimately sided with the Hoshigaki, believing their violent natures would have made them boastful about the killings rather than denying them. The distraught parents of the Yuki children were furious and felt that justice was not served. The six of them went on to massacre every man, woman, and child in many villages and towns. Their goal was to kill anyone that Byakuren had ever been close to so that he might know their pain. The fact that their grief drove them to kill innocents indiscriminately is what turned the people against the clan as a whole."

Haku swallowed again and let himself remain quiet to process the grim tale. "Then... the Yuki clan falsely accused the Hoshigaki?" 

Harusame shook his head again. "No. After people turned on the Yuki clan and they began to be targeted, the Hoshigaki admitted to killing the children for their own entertainment. However, the people still only hated the Yuki clan because they had killed non-shinobi, those the common people deemed to be innocent. They did not care much about the violence between the clans." 

Haku stared down at his feet and shifted in place. "So, the entire Yuki clan was killed because of a few members who wanted to avenge the deaths of their children... by people who didn't like them for the deaths of innocent people..." His hands clutched his shirt. "...Didn't they think that they were just as bad, then?" 

Harusame sighs and shuts the book. "Such is the dark complexity of the shinobi world. Every nation, every clan, every village has blood on their hands and believes they are in the right when they act on it. Who can say which party is truly the most 'innocent' and which are most 'guilty'?"

"But, it was the Hoshigaki who started the fighting... and the whole Yuki clan wasn't to blame for the massacre..." 

"Both statements are true, however, nothing can be done now to change what's been done, or change the minds of people who still despise even speaking of that clan. Human beings are very stubborn creatures. Even shinobi, who are not supposed to live by their emotions, are susceptible to acting on impulse and emotions. And, as shinobi are more powerful than ordinary people, the drive for vengeance from shinobi can result in significantly more damage. That was likely why the First Mizukage sided with the Hoshigaki, despite being at 'fault'. Turning on the Hoshigaki, known for their violence, would have caused mayhem, destruction, and death. Better to be on the good side of such a volatile clan and let the peaceful ones die, than to support the peaceful ones and cause another civil war." 

"But that's..." Haku was going to say 'not fair', but he knew that the unfairness was the man's whole point. But it wasn't fair, and he didn't want to accept it as good.  

"Still, the Hoshigaki toe the line too much, and the clan's reputation is mostly tarnished for their excessive violence. The only reason why they are doing so well currently is due to our status as the 'Bloody Mist'. They exemplify what the Mist stands for, at least in this era. And the peaceful Yuki clan is extinct. Some say that there were survivors who went into hiding, however, there's no way to know."

Haku didn't know what to say. He couldn't protest the unfairness, he couldn't reveal himself, and he felt a little sick to his stomach knowing that his entire clan had been killed for such terrible reasons. So much unjust, misplaced hatred had caused so much more unjust death.

“It's cruel.” He whispers under his breath. His eyes inevitably rest on the closed book. If he were alone, he'd immediately pick it up to try to memorize it cover to cover, but he couldn’t act too interested and raise suspicion. 

“Yes, life is often very cruel and complicated.” Harusame nods. “However, the role of a medic is to be that silver lining on bloody battlefields. Even if those we heal end up time and time again in danger, our role is to combat cruelty and pain with healing and relief.”

Haku kept his eyes down as he thought about what Harusame said. He knew already that the Shinobi world was dangerous and cruel, and everything Harusame told him about the Land of Water's history only built on his experience. But… being someone safe and providing refuge and relief for those he cared about, that was something he liked the idea of very much. Shizu could heal himself, he knew, but Kimimaro, Mei, and Zabuza didn’t have the same ability. This was something unique that he could do for them. For his family.  

He was eager to follow Harusame over to the work station. When Harusame formally started the lesson, he happily devoured each scroll or book put in front of him. The practical, written side of medical ninjutsu was tedious, but he found it all interesting. Still, he couldn’t help but occasionally glance over at where the Yuki Clan book was set. All of the information he could ever want to know about himself was right there , but beyond his reach. It continued to distract him, until Harusame cleared his throat loudly and Haku dipped his head in shame. Was he going to be told to get out, since he couldn't focus on the lesson and was a failure of a student? He hoped not, but he wouldn't have blamed Harusame for doing so. Instead, Harusame lifted one of his thick brows and glanced between the book and the boy.

“It's rare to find young men interested in history, particularly such grim subjects.” He clasped his hands behind his back in thought. “How about this, Ku? You'll try your hand at a few practical applications of restoration, and if you impress me, that book is yours. It serves no other purpose except to collect dust on my shelves these days, and if you're so interested in the history of an extinct clan, it would get some use in your possession.”

Haku’s eyes widened and he nearly jumped off of the stool. “R-Really? I can have it?”

Harusame chuckled again, then nodded. For just a moment, this boy reminded him of his grandson and how excited he used to get when rare permission had been granted for him to leave the village– for training, of course, but he savored the sampling of freedom nonetheless.

“If you perform well during your practical training, yes. I don’t expect you to succeed on your first try, but if you show enough promise, then you may have the book when you leave. With the condition that you do not speak of it to others. The subject matter is still largely taboo, you understand.”

“I understand.” Haku nodded again and looked at the book. His heart skipped a beat as he imagined sinking into a cushion at home and losing himself in the knowledge. 

“Now,” Harusume took another scroll to unroll it and set it out before him. He placed his hand over the Seal to draw out the summoned animal. “Try your best to control your chakra delicately to revive this creature and apply what you’ve been learning.”

“A vole?” Haku looked at the stiff, lifeless rodent. “I won’t be learning on a person?”

“Goodness no.” Harusame chuckled. “Errors in Chakra control during this process can result in the subject bursting open. It’s far too risky and wasteful to practice on a human, even on a human corpse. Most Medical-Nin begin their training on fish or other assorted sea creatures, for how plentiful they are, however, I prefer to use mammals exclusively. It seems a waste of time, in my opinion, to learn how to heal and revive creatures so different in biology and form to humans. You’ll start off with this vole and work your way up to squirrel, hare, otter, and monkey. If you’re successful with each one, I’ll have you accompany me to the hospital and you can assist with the wounded there. You’ll find me to be a stricter and more particular instructor than most, but you may advance to treating humans in only a few months. As long as you can manage my demands with your education, I have high hopes for you.”

“I’ll do my best. I can do it.” Haku sat up straight up and held his hands over the rodent. I can do this. I’ll heal them all and make everyone proud.

Chapter Text

Shizu shifted in place at Mei’s side. It wasn’t uncomfortable wearing a mask, because he was long used to it now, but the situation itself was awkward. When Mei told him that she and Zabuza had talked, and agreed that he could meet a certain person, he was curious and a little nervous. Now, though, he was anxiously wondering how he could convincingly pretend like he’d never met this person before when he had.

“Thank you for allowing me to meet him.” 

Utakata spoke quietly so that only Mei and the masked boy could hear him. He, of course, had already met this boy, but he knew telling Mei that wouldn’t end well. The bright blue eyes were easily recognizable through the eye holes of the mask. The teenager looks away from the boy to Mei again.

“I’m not doing this for you.”

Mei lightly squeezed Shizu’s shoulder. They were outside of the village borders, technically, but she still felt uneasy bringing him so close. Even without the Mizukage’s presence, the air felt thick in her lungs.

“I know.” Utakata nodded and looked down at the boy again, whose eyes never turned away from him. “I appreciate it anyway.”

“Where’s Ao?”

The teen glanced over his shoulder momentarily. “A couple kilometers back. I asked him for a little privacy because Zabuza doesn’t like a lot of people to know about his apprentices. When he pushed back a little, I told him that you told me that you only wanted us to meet since we’re kind of closer in age, and the apprentice doesn’t get to socialize much.”

Mei exhaled softly. “I did try to tell Ao what I could to get him to agree to let you out of the village for this. He’s always been… stubborn. Even if he trusts me.”

Utakata looked down at the boy again. He almost said aloud that he didn’t understand why Zabuza would have two apprentices and have them stand in as decoys for each other– a sentiment that Ao didn’t understand either– but it made sense the more he considered the risks of Zabuza openly walking around the village with a Jinchuriki boy… Of course the Jinchuriki boy would be the priority, with the other boy– being trained as they spoke in Medical Ninjutsu by his grandfather– would be the decoy and in a supporting role. He couldn’t explain all this to Ao, and he knew Mei wouldn’t either, but if they did, he was sure Ao would probably understand the logic behind it.

“Anyway,” Mei lightly squeezed Shizu’s shoulder again. “This is ‘Zu’. Zu, this is Utakata. The host of the Six-Tailed monster.”

“‘Zu’?” Utakata raised his brow inadvertently. He’d prefer not having any name association with the boy, for safety reasons, but an obvious codename should be… fine. At least, he thought so. He tried not to sound judgmental, but it was a really terrible name.

Mei sighed and shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “...Zabuza is good in combat, not at coming up with codenames…”

Shizu crossed his arms with a loud huff. “I told dad that I wanted my codename to be ‘Menma’ because they taste good! And he said that naming myself after food was stupid.”

A ghost of a smile touched the teenager’s lips. “Menma? You wanted to name yourself after bamboo shoots?”

“Yeah! They’re yummy, ‘ttebayo!”

Mei squeezed his shoulder again and bent down to whisper in his ear. “I'll go sit over there for a bit so you can talk about some things, but remember which things we discussed were off-limits to talk about, okay? I know he's a good kid, but we still have to be careful.”

“I know, mom.” Shizu nodded and looked up at her. “I'll be super careful, ‘ttebayo.”

“Good boy.” She quietly stepped back to settle down on a stump far enough back.

Utakata watched Mei retreat and then he sighed as some of the tension eased. He gestured for the boy to sit with him on a fallen log– though it was fairly cold to sit on, though warmer than the cold spring ground.

“Since she didn't melt me into a puddle, I assume you didn't tell Mei and Zabuza about our meeting before.”

“Of course not, ‘ttebayo!” Shizu grinned up at him and kept his voice quiet. “I'm great with secrets! I'd never tell mom something if it might hurt you, Uta-niisan!”

“You remembered my name, at least.” Utakata sighed and kept his eyes on the boy. “I can't believe you called me Umami. ”

“Hmph! I forgot what mom said, okay?” Shizu puffed his cheeks and muttered. “But I know it now.”

“That you do.”

Silence settles between them until Utakata clears his throat awkwardly.

“Have you… attempted to contact Nine-Tails yet?”

Shizu frowns and shakes his head. “I try talking to him, but he never says anything back. He totally ignores me.”

“Like Six-Tails said before, Nine-Tails loathes humans. It’s no surprise he doesn’t care to make a connection. You probably didn’t do the meditation right either, but until you’re strong enough to suppress him if necessary, you’re better off not trying. In any case, you’re lucky he’s silent. Once they start talking to you, they never shut up.” Utakata shifted on the log, glancing away. “...No, I didn’t mean it like that . I was just pointing out how it can get tiring to have another voice in your head. Don’t take it so personally…”

“Is Six-Tails talking to you again?” Shizu kicked his feet as he leaned closer. He couldn’t actually hear what was being said in the teen’s mind, but he thought the whole thing was fascinating anyway. “Is he mad at you?”

“Six-Tails is very proud, and uses esteemed honorifics for himself… he got a little offended by what I said.” Utakata sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “It can be annoying sometimes to never have any privacy even in my own head, but I don’t dislike Six-Tails in the slightest. He’s a good companion.”

He pauses to listen again, then looks over to where Mei sits and observes them, and then in the direction of where he knows Ao is. He looks back at the boy.

“Listen, ‘Zu’, I don’t know how much time we have to actually chat like this, but you said last time that you had a lot of questions you wanted to ask me. I’ll try to answer however many I can until we have to split up.”

“Oh! Yeah, my questions!” Shizu grins, then he scrunches his face. “Um… well, I don’t remember all the questions that popped into my head from last time, ‘ttebayo…”

“...Of course not.” Utakata sighs and shakes his head.

“But! I can think of other questions right now! Like…” Shizu thinks and thinks, then snaps his fingers. “I know! You said that Six-Tails makes acid and stuff last time, right? And that Nine-Tails makes me heal? Do the other ones have special powers, too?”

“They do, yes.” Utakata nods, then pauses. “Six-Tails also says that Nine-Tails has a second ability, too. Other than the healing.”

“Really?! Like what?” Shizu was now very excited and leaned in very close.

Utakata gently nudged the boy out of his personal space with a finger on his shoulder. "He says that the Nine-Tails can also sense emotions. Negative emotions."

"Emotions?" Shizu scrunches his face in thought. "Like what?"

"If someone is full of hatred of bloodlust, for example. He could sense anyone approaching who intended to kill or capture him."

"Ooh. That's useful." Shizu nods and thinks some more. "But I can't do that... if I could, then we wouldn't have gotten ambushed."

Utakata pauses to think for a while with Saiken pondering with him. Then, he speaks up again.

"Have you ever had a very strong gut feeling about danger before?"

"No, well..."  Shizu nods quickly. "Yeah, one time! I had a really bad feeling so went off in the direction that seemed bad, and we found dad injured and fighting bad guys. But I thought it was just a feeling."

"There. Exactly. Even without doing it on purpose, you still had the power of the Nine-Tails." 

“Wow!” Shizu looks down and thinks back to the ambush. He tried to remember exactly what he felt, but it had only bee a gut feeling. He looks back up. “It only happened one time. Can I try to do it on purpose as much as I want? It would be really awesome to use on missions, ‘ttebayo.”

“Using the Tailed Beasts’ abilities requires their submission or cooperation, except for your passive healing. You probably won’t be able to use emotion sensing at will, either, until you can make contact with Nine-Tails.”

“Aw…” Shizu crosses his arms and pouts. “I guess I’ll keep trying that ‘meditation’ stuff…”

Utakata rests his cheek in his hand. “Is that the only question you have for us? I thought for sure you’d have at least a dozen.” 

“I can think of more!” Now distracted from his disappointment, he racks his brain. “Um… oh, yeah! Do the Tailed Beasts have names? Maybe Nine-Tails would talk to me if I used his real name instead of calling him Nine-Tails or Fox…”

“They do each have a unique name, but…” The teen tilts his head to listen. “Six-Tails says that it’s very personal to tell a human their name. He says it’s not his place to reveal Nine-Tails name to you, if he’s not willing. But Six-Tails did say that he’d let me tell you his name. It’s Saiken.”

“Saiken?” Shizu mumbled the name a few times to get used to it. “Kinda weird for a name, but it’s nice for a big slug. Since the names are all secret, I super swear that I won’t tell anyone your name, Saiken.”

Utakata smiles faintly. As difficult or annoying little kids could be to deal with, he found the boy’s sincerity endearing. “Six-Tails says that he’s grateful for the kind thought, and that he likes that there are some humans worth trusting.”

“Heh.” Shizu rubbed his nose, looking completely pleased that one of the Tailed Beasts had a good opinion of him, even if it wasn’t his own… yet. He was still determined to one day befriend Nine-Tails the way Utakata and Saiken got along. A new curiosity fills his mind and he leans in again.

“Uta-niisan? Can you ask Saiken how all the Tailed Beasts were born? Did they all come from one giant mom monster, or something?”

“How they originated?” Utakata blinks and frowns, thinking about the question. “I haven’t ever thought to ask him that before. I– oh? Huh. Okay, uh… wait, hold on, that’s getting way too long-winded for me to remember and repeat... Why don’t you tell him yourself?”

“Huh? Can he talk outside your brain, too?” Shizu stared up at him, but the more he stared, the more he definitely couldn’t tell what was going on in his head.

Utakata sighs and nods. “I can sort of ‘trade’ places with him temporarily if he wants to use my body for communication. We only did it once before, though it’s not difficult for us, there’s never any occasion that calls for it, but it’ll be a pain to try to relay his whole answer to you.”

“Oooh…” Shizu looks up at him. “How does it work? When he’s controlling you, do you look like a slug…?” He was waiting for an answer, but Utakata was silent and still, with his head tilted downward. After a moment, he waved his hand. “...Uta-niisan? Did you fall asleep?”

“Greetings, boy! I am called Saiken!”

Utataka’s head suddenly lifts again and his eyes are suddenly black and pupilless. Shizu jumps at the difference, then clamps his hands over his mouth in an attempt to stifle loud laughter. He doesn’t succeed, and he doubles forward as he clutches his stomach.

“H-Hahaha! Y-Your voice! It’s so squeaky and funny, ‘ttebayo! Y-You sound totally different from Uta-niisan!”

Utakata's now black eyes widen and his body stiffens. “Are you mocking me, boy?! I am the great and powerful Six-Tails!”

“HAH! Pffftt! Heehee! I-I'm sorry! You just sound so funny! I thought you would have a big and scary voice! Hahaha…” Shizu tries again to stifle his laugh, though tears leak out of his shut eyes.

“How rude! I was going to be generous and answer your question!” Utakata's arms cross. “I should not have wasted my effort on a human child!”

“A-Aha… wait, don't go!” Shizu stifles a laugh and looks up with a snort. “I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, ‘ttebayo. I just thought big and scary monsters wouldn't sound like… that.” He shifts in place to try to compose himself. “I promise I'll listen really good if you tell me the story.”

“Hmph!” Utakata’s fingers drum on his crossed arms and Saiken huffs indignantly again. “Very well! My esteemed self shall answer your query! Listen well, boy, for what I say is very important and you are among the few humans to know this tale.”

Shizu swallowed back another giggle at the high-pitched voice, then nodded and sat up straighter. 

“Ah-Ah-Ahem! Very well. This tale begins many millennia ago, with–”

“Is this a long story?” Shizu raised his hand, though he didn’t know why.

Utakata– Saiken– blinks at him. “This is an important tale that spans many millennia, boy! Of course it is lengthy.”

“Oh…” Shizu shifts on the log. “Can I go pee first? I didn't go when mom reminded me before we left… I gotta go real bad now.”

Utakata-Saiken groaned in a high-pitched way that made the boy giggle.

“Very well… you may be excused for a moment, impatient young Jinchuriki…”

Shizu darted over to the bushes nearby, ducking behind just enough, then returned a few moments later to sit on the log again.

“Phew! Much better.” He kicked his legs as he looked back at the teen. “Okay! So, it's a really long story that started a long time ago?”

Saiken sighs and crosses his arms. “Indeed. The origin of my siblings and I stems from a single individual known to history as the Sage of Six Paths, though we regard him as our father.”

“Six Paths? Father?” Shizu thinks and kicks his legs. “Why six? Six of what? Why not seven? Or five? What kind of paths? Did the Sage of Six Paths build roads?”

“Roads? Roads?” Saiken’s squeaky voice cracks in disbelief. “You believe the mighty Sage of Six Paths built roads?”

“Well… you said paths…” Shizu mumbles and he shifts in place. His eyes rest on his lap as he slowly kicks his feet.

Saiken sighs heavily. “A path does not always refer to a physical thing to be walked upon, boy. A path can refer to teachings or an ideology to be followed, often for spiritual or personal development and discipline.”

“Ooh…” Shizu scrunches his face again. “So this Sage guy knew six… thingies? But why six?”

“The Six Paths indicate the nature of our father's powers and their connection to the realms of our world. In simple terms, his legendary power could draw from and influence the six realms.”

“Realms? Like… heaven?”

“The Pure Land is separate from the realms, boy, though I suppose you have the correct idea in mind.” Utakata-Saiken holds up six fingers. “The Six realms are as follows– Human, Spirit, Animal, Hell, Asura, and Deva. The Human realm is, of course, the plane in which we reside.”

“That's a lot…” Shizu pauses to think about what he thinks the others mean. “What about the Animal one? Is that where all animals come from? Even the ones that live here?”

“Some creatures have emerged from the Animal realm in past eras to live among humankind, yes, however, the creatures native to that realm are not all of the same kind as the lesser animals native to the Human realm.”

“It's kinda confusing that the animals all don't come from the same place, ‘ttebayo…” Shizu rubs his head and mutters. “And what about all the other places? The Spirits and stuff? It's not the same as Heaven?”

Saiken sighs. “The Spirits that reside in the Spiritual realm are not the souls of the dead. They are separate entities, often aggressive, mischievous, and gluttonous. Fortunately for humankind, few Spirits are able to connect with the Human realm to harm or influence humans, though there are instances of it still. Notably, the now-lost Uzumaki clan communed with the Spirit realm to establish contracts with beings there for power and knowledge. Such bonds have saved humanity during dire times.”

Shizu’s stomach clenched, his breath caught in his throat, and he sat very still. “The Uzumaki did all that?”

“They did, yes. The Founding Uzumaki fought to protect their kin from terrible beasts and threats, and came across a sacred place where they happened to commune with Spirits. Through contracts of blood, they utilized the power and knowledge of the Spirits to put a stop to the rampaging Golden Serpent. In fact, it was a terrible time for my siblings and I as well! Before we split off, we had to rely on one another to avoid being eaten by that beast. As for the Uzumaki, their blood contracts with the Spirits is what gave them such blood-red hair that their descendants inherited.”

Shizu’s eyes widen and his mouth forms a curious ‘o’. He almost spoke up and argued that all Uzumaki couldn’t have red hair, when his was blond, but he remembered that he wasn’t allowed to say anything personal. He also remembered, from what he’d heard from Zabuza, that his father had been blond, so he guessed he ended up not looking very Uzumaki by chance. He stared up at Utakata-Saiken. 

“Even big, scary monsters like you Tailed Beasts were afraid of it? It must have been really huge…”

“It was certainly quite frightening!” Saiken huffs. “We were still smaller, younger, and vulnerable in that era. We were of course still rather mighty compared to humankind, though all of us combined could not match the power or size of the Golden Serpent. However, we extended some gratitude toward the Uzumaki when they eliminated that terrible beast. After which, my siblings and I were able to separate and find our own ideal homes.”

“So…” Shizu pauses. “So the human world is this then, then there's an animal one… and one for spirits. What about the ‘Hell’ one? Mom said that hell is a place where really really evil people go when they die. Maybe the bad Mizukage will go there when he dies…”

Saiken was quiet in thought as he studied the boy's expression, then he cleared his throat. “Admittedly, I do not know much about the Hell plane. Our father did not make use of his power tied to it for it would be immoral and dangerous. However, he believed it to be a violent, terrible place filled with equally violent and terrible entities. I do not know if human souls transmigrate there upon death based on evil deeds or not.”

“Huh.” Shizu pauses again. So it could be the same ‘hell’, after all. No matter what it was, it sounded like a horrible place. He turns back to Utakata-Saiken. “And the last 2 worlds? What kind of stuff is there?”

“Ahem. The Deva realm is said to be home to ascended gods, though our father had no such knowledge himself. The Asura realm is the home of powerful beings, such as our father's mother. Known to humankind as the Mother of Chakra, though hardly any men in this era recall her.”

“The mother…?” Something about that made Shizu feel familiar. Then, his eyes widened in realization. “Oh, like the Rabbit Goddess? That ‘Kaguya’ lady?”

“Oho! So you do know of her! You are more informed than I anticipated, boy.” Saiken nods. “She was once regarded as the Rabbit Goddess by her devotees, however, they have long gone extinct and her name has fallen into obscurity.”

Once again, Shizu presses his lips together to keep himself from blurting out anything he isn’t allowed to say. The Uzumaki were certainly not all gone, at least, sort of, since he existed. And, even if Kimimaro was the last living member of his own clan, they weren’t extinct , either. But he couldn’t say all that. He clears his throat instead and tries to think of something else to say.

“How did you Tailed Beasts get born, then? If the Sage guy is your dad, were you all in the belly of a big, giant mom?”

Saiken huffs, almost offended by the question, but then he remembers that this ‘Zu’ boy is only just a small, ignorant child. “Certainly not in the way you are thinking, boy. The process in which we were created by our father is far more complicated than the breeding of humans.”

He pauses to be sure the boy is paying attention, and is surprised that such an energetic child is actually listening quite attentively now. He clears his throat and sits up straighter.

“Our origin begins over a millennia ago, with the Mother of Chakra. She and one of her kin arrived on this world with the intention of consuming the life here to grow more powerful. However, the Mother had taken a liking to this world and to humans, and betrayed her superior. She found a human companion and married him, producing twin sons– one of which was our esteemed father the Sage. They were content and their lands peaceful, until dastardly assassins took the life of the human lord. The Mother was so distraught at the tragedy and was consumed by hatred and a desire for retribution. She became known as the Rabbit Goddess, ruling with terrible anger until her sons grew old enough to stop her. However, she could not bear harm her sons with her own hands, so she became one with a great and powerful tree to change form into a monster without consciousness.”

“It was a prolonged and terrible battle between the esteemed twins and their Mother in her beastly state, however, they were able to draw her out of its core and Seal her safely where she could no longer harm mankind. As for the rest of the beast, the Sage split it into nine parts and thus, we Tailed Beasts were given form and sentience. The great power it took to form us left him weakened, and he succumbed to a humble death soon after.”

There was much more detail that he would have liked to go into, more specifics, but Saiken could tell from the young Jinchuriki’s eyes that he was already having difficulties keeping up. He supposed that the details would wait until the boy was older, if there was another opportunity to converse then.

“Soo…” Shizu rubs his temples in the same way he's seen Mei do many times. “Your dad, the Sage guy, had a really strong mom from another world, and she turned into a bad guy because she was really sad and angry? So your dad and his brother had to fight her and stop her from hurting people? And… she turned into a big monster? So… after fighting her, your dad put her in big time out and he used the big monster to make you nine smaller ones…?”

“That is… a rather brief simplification, however, it seems you gleaned enough from my tale.” Saiken sweeps Utakata's bangs out of his face and wonders how his host can even tolerate having this nonsense obscuring his vision. His attention turns to the boy. “Do you have any other queries for the great Saiken? My Jinchuriki would prefer to regain control of his body soon.”

“Um…” Shizu's face was still scrunched as he was still overwhelmed by the information given to him. He blinks as if clearing his mind and then shakes his head. “I guess… can the Tailed Beasts come out of us? You seem nice, ‘ttebayo, but…” He shifts on the log. “But Nine-Tails killed my parents, and you said he's not nice and probably wouldn't be my friend. If he's really unhappy being trapped in me, maybe we could just take him out so he could live by himself? And then people wouldn't be looking for me to try to hurt me or my family…”

Saiken falls silent, not expecting such a question. Utakata's hand lowers from where he was fussing with the bangs in his face, and his high-pitched voice quiets. “I apologize, boy. I do not have the answer you seek. The fate of a Jinchuriki after their Tailed Beast is removed is death. Attempting to remove Nine-Tails to protect yourself or your loved ones will not have the effect you want.”

Shizu swallows and wrings his hands on his lap. He'd die? It didn't seem fair that he would die just by trying to free Nine-Tails, who had been unfairly trapped just as he'd been unfairly made into a host. He hoped that, if there was a way to free Nine-Tails, that it would solve the problem of bow he was probably never going to befriend him the way Utakata had with Saiken, but this… this wasn't a solution.

“...I guess me and him are stuck together forever, then?”

Saiken softens more and rests a hand on the boy's head. “Unfortunately so. However, I understand you would like to befriend my brother someday. It may never work out, for he is incredibly stubborn and holds grudges, but perhaps one day it will transpire. After all, despite his aggression, Nine-Tails was one of the most protective of us siblings when we were small and threatened by the Golden Serpent. He is not a heartless or unfeeling being. I hope, for your sake and his, that someday your intentions reach his heart.”

Shizu stares up at him for a few moments, then grins. “You’re really super nice, Saiken! Way way nicer than everyone says you Tailed Beasts are. Can I call you Sai-niisan if Uta-niisan is Uta-niisan?”

Saiken suppressed a scoff at that. The idea of being referred to by an immature, simplified nickname rather than the noble name that the esteemed Sage of Six Path gave him was absurd. It was degrading. And yet… gazing down at the young Jinchuriki through his own host's eyes, all he could see was the innocent sincerity. A genuine admiration, an extension of friendship through the nickname– though it was still silly. It was this sort of thing that sustained his belief that humans were worth protecting, rather than loathing. At least, some of them. A faint smile twitches at the corner of Utakata's lips.

“Since your request was so polite, I shall grant it! But do not take me lightly, boy, as I am still a mighty being!”

Shizu giggled, still not immune to the high-pitched voice, and Saiken’s pride seemed just a little funny to him. Even so, he could imagine how much bigger and stronger than him Saiken was in his real body.

“I know, Sai-niisan. Thank you for talking to me, ‘ttebayo. My head kinda hurts a little now, but I understand some stuff better, even if there are still some things I don’t really understand… and, it’s kinda sad that there’s no way to let Nine-Tails out without hurting me… we could both be a lot happier that way.”

Saiken smiled subtly with his host’s lips. Perhaps it was too early to know how this child would continue to grow, but there was a certain warmth about him that he hadn’t known since the separation from their ‘father’. He hoped, he thought, that perhaps his sibling would also come to understand the warmth that his host had.

“Even if we never have the chance to speak again, boy, I will do what I can to support you from a distance.”

Of course he would. He might not have been able to protect his own young Jinchuriki from being used as a weapon by cruel humans, but this boy… existed outside of the villages and the political cruelty. Even if he could not help his own vessel without causing more pain and trouble, he could help this boy remain as hidden as possible. This boy, this little Jinchuriki, could break the cycle of suffering for those like him, and be happy and loved. He reaches out with a subtle smile slightly more noticeable to pat the boy’s head, then he hangs his head and is still.

“Sai-niisan?” Shizu notices the silence and pokes at the teen’s chest. “It’s weird to fall asleep when you’re sitting up, ‘ttebayo…”

The teen suddenly gasps– no longer high-pitched– and clutches his chest with a frown.

“Ugh… that was much longer than last time… Felt like I was suffocating…” Utakata groans and rubs his face, then blinks and realizes that his bangs back been swept back. “Agh! There’s nothing wrong with the way I have my hair, stop changing it…” As he ruffles his hair to make his bangs obscure part of his face again, he sighs. “Well, at least you didn’t cut them like last time you were in control…”

He finally notices the young boy staring at him blankly, so he sits up straighter and rubs the back of his head.  “Were you able to ask everything you wanted before we switched back?”

“I think so. My brain kinda hurts and I can’t think of other questions.” 

Shizu sighs and leans back on the log, nearly slipping backward before the teen catches him carefully. He laughs and rubs the back of his head.

“Um, Uta-niisan? I did think of one more question…”

Utakata sighs. “...Yes?”

Shizu grins and leans closer to him with his eyes bright. “Do you like ramen? Kelp noodle ramen is the best! Especially with menma.”

“Ramen? That’s your question?” Utakata sighs again. Somehow, the simpler questions were just as tiring as the complicated ones, though he faintly smiles at the boy when he hears Saiken’s comment. “...Ramen is fine. I’ve never had kelp noodles, though.”

Kimimaro tapped his fingertip on the bandages over his right eye absentmindedly. It was still sore, and still itched, but two days have lessened the discomfort as that Hanzai man had promised. In the quiet of the house– quiet save for the sound of Zabuza irritably sharpening his weapons and tools– he kept replaying the events of that day in his mind, thinking back on the mysterious Hanzai’s odd personality and the things he said. He wasn’t alone with his thoughts for much longer when the door finally opened and he got up from his seat just as Zabuza looked over.

As always, Shizu was the first through the door with his bottomless supply of energy, with Haku close behind. He noticed a book in the boy’s arms, but Shizu threw his arms around him with a grin.

“Kimimaro! I had the coolest time! I got to meet the Six-Tails’ Jinchuriki and learned lots of stuff about the Tailed Beasts, and he talked about the ‘Sage’ guy and his mom, the Rabbit Goddess you talked about!”

Haku, usually quieter, also steps toward him with a smile he can’t contain. “My first lessons with medical ninjutsu went so well that my mentor gave me a book from his personal collection about the Yuki clan. It has detailed records of their bloodlines and even their Jutsu. I’m going to try to learn every single one of them!”

“Seems like both of you were busy.” Zabuza came over finally after setting his weapons aside. He looked between the boys and crossed his arms. “Did you follow all of the rules?”

“ Yes , dad, we did.” Shizu grumbled and rolled his eyes. “We even used the dumb codenames you gave us…”

“Ah, it feels so nice to be home! Boys, you should start a bath and–” As soon as Mei comes inside and closes the door behind them, she notices the bandages on the white-haired boy’s face, though obscured partially by his hair. Her eyes flicker with anger and heat glows in the back of her throat as she stomps over to Zabuza to grab his collar.

“Zabuza Momochi! It’s only been two days alone with you, and he’s missing an eye?! ”

“The brat wanted its power.”

“I asked for it.”

“‘Asked’?” Mei’s grip on Zabuza loosened and her brows furrowed. She looks down at Kimimaro. “What ‘power’? What did you ask for?”

Kimimaro paused. He was acutely aware that every pair of eyes was on him now– Mei with concern and scrutiny, Haku and Shizu with their own concern but curiosity. He sighed and tugged off the bandage, to slowly open both eyes at once for the first time in days. His vision adjusted to the light in time to see their shocked expressions at his new heterochromia.

“The Byakugan. I have the Byakugan now.”

Chapter Text

A heavy swing. Gurgled breaths. Metallic crimson spray. Quiet.

Juzo swung the Kubikiribōchō to clean it of the gore. He didn’t relax, though two Hunter-nin lie dead at his feet. There was another presence that he wouldn’t be a fool to ignore.

“Come on out already.” He glared and gripped the Kubikiribōchō tighter. “I don’t like games.”

The ground felt softer under his feet and a third Hunter-nin emerged from below. He swung the Kubikiribōchō, but a shower of paper senbon rained down at his target instead. Half out of the ground, the Hunter-nin resembled more of a bloody pincushion than a shinobi.

Juzo’s eyes narrowed at the one who’d interrupted his kill: black and red cloak, blue hair, grey eyes, lavender eyeshadow, and large paper wings.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Juzo Biwa, rogue of the Swordsman, wielder of the Kubikiribōchō.” She addressed him without a reply and held his gaze evenly from above, silhouetted by the moon behind her. “We have been observing you for some time.”

His jaw set in a glare and he shifted his stance. “Who is ‘we’?”

“An organization that is interested in gathering powerful members outside of the Great Nations who would further our cause.”

“A mercenary group?” He muttered and kept his eyes fixed on her.

“We are more than that. We work to gain funds, however, our goal is a universal aspiration.”

“Don’t speak in riddles. I’m not a damn philosopher.”

“The world is embroiled in constant conflict in a never-ending cycle. We seek to end all conflicts.”

“You’re recruiting rogue ninja for what? World peace?” Juzo scoffed and scowled. “Ironic. I'm not interested in your little do-gooder club.”

Her lips pressed together as she watched him carefully. “I had assumed you would be more cooperative. Don't you want your daughter to grow up in a better world?”

Juzo's eyes immediately narrowed to slits and a growl escaped his throat. He raised his blade at her. “Choose your next words carefully, or your wings won't be the only thing clipped.”

“As I said, we've been observing you.” She said evenly, quietly. “You left Kirigakure behind after so many years of loyalty. I can only assume you did so for the sake of your child. To that end, I sought you out.”

Her wings brought her lower, hovering off the ground just enough that her eyes were leveled with his. 

“The Great Nations have become sickly and the shinobi villages are its tumors. The strife, corruption, and unrest are never ending. Don't you want more for your daughter?”

“World peace is impossible.”

“For now. But we will change that. We merely need the right pieces in play to bring about change.”

“I have no desire to be someone else's puppet.”

“And you won't be. Each of us has been carefully chosen for a reason. You, Juzo, have been chosen. The ideal future we strive for, that you envision for your daughter, will be one step closer to becoming reality with you in our ranks.”

The two held each other's gaze for a moment of scrutiny and thought.

“We humans act for two reasons: for those they love and are afraid to lose, or for those they have lost yet loved.”

Juzo's frown deepened. “Yeah? And which faction do you belong to?”

She rose into the air again without an answer, the sun at her back as a blinding silhouette. A piece of paper flutters down from a wing to wrap itself around the hilt of his weapon.

“You have a week to consider our offer, Juzo Biwa. Should you accept, come to the location written there. I shall escort you to our base.”

She disappeared in a speck above him while he watched her departure with a frown. He pulled the paper strip off to read it over, then crushed it in his hand.

“...the ‘Akatsuki’, huh?

“It's your Byakugan.” Shizu mumbled between long gulps. After a long training session of nearly exhausting his Chakra, utilizing all the water clones he could muster, and doing everything he could to try to land a blow on Kimimaro, he was left quietly stewing. He was excited about his older brother getting so strong, but the gap between them made him upset. Even Haku's improvements with his ice mastery made him a difficult opponent to challenge during training now. “It's too strong. It's like cheating, ‘ttebayo.”

Kimimaro rolled his eyes but smiled imperceptibly. “Shinobi use every tool at their disposal to complete their objectives. It's not cheating.”

“Hmph. I know that…” Shizu mumbled and grumbled again. “But it's still too strong. I can't even hit you or get close.”

“Realistically, you won't ever need to.” Haku smiled and sat beside him. “We're on the same side and we'd never turn on each other.”

Shizu grinned and set his cup on the ground beside him. “Well, yeah! ‘Cause we’re brothers!”

“You’re distracted today.” Kimimaro said simply. He drank from his own cup and then subtly frowned. “You were only half focused.”

“I’m not distracted!” Shizu huffed in a quick defense, but his tension falters almost immediately. His shoulders slumped in a heavy sigh. “...Maybe a little. I keep thinking about that clan that mom and dad said were killed…”

Haku paused and watched the younger boy’s expression. “The recent Uchiha clan massacre in Konoha?”

Shizu nodded. “It’s just… really sad, ‘ttebayo. They were a big, important, strong clan. Now they’re all gone. Just like our clans.”

Haku looked downward in a similar, solemn sigh. “I understand. It’s not easy to think about how many people have been killed out of fear and misunderstandings…”

“Good riddance to the Kaguya clan.” Kimimaro muttered and frowned deeply. “Not all old clans are worth keeping around…”

Haku and Shizu looked up at him simultaneously– Shizu with his solemn, surprised little expression that almost made Kimimaro feel guilty, and Haku with the most subtle frown he could muster that reminded him to ‘read the room’ better. Kimimaro sighed and looked away.

“Anyway,” Kimimaro mumbled again and thought of what to say to help fix the guilt-trip-inducing sad expression of Shizu’s. “I overheard Mei and Zabuza say that not all the Uchiha died in the massacre.”

Shizu’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?!”

Kimimaro sighed and nodded. “Yeah. There are two left. One of them is the clan member who killed the rest of them, and the other is some little kid your age. The Uchiha who did the killing supposedly escaped and was branded a top-tier rogue.”

Shizu’s eyes widened larger and he leaned forward. “He killed his own family? Why?!”

“Don’t ask me.” Kimimaro shrugged and mumbled. “Maybe they were as bad as the Kaguya clan. I don’t know the clan politics of other nations.”

“But…” Shizu looked down. He wrung his hands on his lap in silence for a few moments. “That guy still killed his whole family? All the moms and dads and kids and babies? That’s not good, ‘ttebayo…”

Kimimaro exhaled quietly. “The world isn’t all good.” 

Haku put his hand on the younger boy’s shoulder. “It’s terrible and sad, but at least there is one innocent kid who survived, right? And, if what the six-tails you told you is true, then there’s really a Pure Land that all the dead clansmen are in now where they’re at peace.”

“Yeah…” Shizu nodded reluctantly and sighed. “But, it’s still really sad and bad that they’re all dead. That kid must be really lonely without his family… what if he doesn’t have anyone to take care of him like we do with mom and dad?”

Haku managed a small, reassuring smile. “I don’t know how they do things in Konoha, but maybe there is a family there to look after him.”

Kimimaro stifled a scoff. He didn’t know much about Konoha or what they did with orphans, but he knew well enough that the world was a harsh place– especially to orphaned, vulnerable kids. The massacre survivor could die from starvation and abandonment, probably, or else be taken and groomed to be fodder in battle. Not everyone got lucky enough to be plucked off the streets and given good food to eat or a nice, dry, warm place to sleep. He didn’t think Haku's reassurance was likely, but he huffed anyway because he didn't want to see Shizu so down.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“You think mom and dad will let me write that kid a letter to cheer him up?” Shizu perked suddenly at the idea. “I won't even put my name, ‘ttebayo.”

“Not a chance.” Haku and Kimimaro replied in quick unison. 

“Aw…” Shizu grumbled and dug his heel into the ground, moving it back and forth slowly until his foot formed a small crater. A freshly exposed worm immediately tunneled deeper to get out of the sunlight and open air. “Not even if we were really sneaky and careful about how we sent the letter? So no one knew it came from the Land of Water?”

Kimimaro and Haku shared a look and shook their heads.

Kimimaro rubbed his head and frowned. “I don't think it's possible. You'd have to use a well-planted Kiri spy to get it into the village, and even then, it probably would never get into the hands of the kid. He might be guarded as the only surviving witness."

Shizu sighed again and looked down. “I just think it'd be nice if I could try to cheer him up…”

“It is a nice thought. That's what counts.” Haku smiled and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

“Anyway…” Kimimaro looked at Shizu with a neutral expression. “You could easily overpower me in a match if you keep improving. I can see how much chakra you have, and it's much more than we have. Not even counting the power of the fox. You just need more practice sustaining your clones long enough for your opponents to run out of their own chakra and be too tired to continue, or else to overwhelm them outright.”

“Really?!” Shizu’s smile returned and he grinned up at him. “You think I'll be able to beat you one day? Even with your Byakugan?”

“Well, yeah. Of course.” Kimimaro's lips twitched in an imperceptible smirk. “But I wouldn't make it easy for you. I'll still keep getting better, too.”

“You'd better not ever go easy on me!”

Kimimaro smirked faintly at his change in mood. “Does that mean you want to spar me again?”

“Right now?!” Shizu groaned and shook his head. “I’m way too tired for that, ‘ttebayo! All I got the energy for is eating and taking a bath…”

“Suit yourself. I'm going to train some more.” Kimimaro straightened and rested his hands on his hips. He turned to Haku. “You want to spar some more?”

Haku shook his head. “I'll go in with Shizu. I can make something for us to eat. We shouldn't push ourselves too much when we're already tired.”

“I can help cook! What are we gonna have?” Shizu stood and grinned.

Kimimaro held Haku’s gaze intently, silently pressing him until Haku rubbed the back of his neck.

“...On second thought, I'll do just a little more training. The precision of my ice creation needs more improvement.”

“Huh? But, we all worked hard already. If you're going to train more, then so am I!”

Haku shook his head at the younger boy. “If you exhaust your chakra too much, the fox might slip out, remember? You should rest first.”

“Aw.” Shizu puffed his cheek in a pout. “Don't overwork yourselves, ‘ttebayo!”

“We won't be out much longer.” Haku smiled and patted Shizu's head. “I also want to find more of those wild mushrooms you liked to use in dinner.”

“Hmm… okay! But be careful! I'll tell mom if you work too hard and get hurt.”

“That would be frightening…” Haku chuckled. “but it won't come to that.”

He watched Shizu disappear into the house and he looked at Kimimaro with a faded smile.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. I just thought we should wait to follow him.”

It took Haku a few long moments of confusion before he understood. Then, he smiled.

“Should we train a little more in the meantime?”

“Hell no. I'm too tired.” Kimimaro grumbled. “Let's just go find some mushrooms and make it take a while.”

When they returned to the house after an hour, they found Shizu deeply asleep after a bath. Soft snores spill out of his open mouth as he laid stretched out, sideways, on his futon. He didn't wake when the two boys entered the room, or even when they looked through the papers he'd been coloring on. Haku held up one paper for Kimimaro to see, and they shared a look.

Kimimaro folded and stuffed the paper into his shirt, then he stepped back outside. Haku followed him out.

“We'll get in trouble.”

“Only if Mei and Zabuza catch us.” Kimimaro muttered. “Which, they won't.”

“But they might.”

“They won't.”

Haku opened his mouth to respond but Kimimaro doubled over with a loud fit of coughing as he clenched his stomach. His eyes widened and he touched Kimimaro’s shoulder.

“Y-You coughed up blood!” Haku whispered, distressed. “Are you alright? You should come back inside–”

“Shut up. I'm fine.” Kimimaro spat a thick glob of saliva and dark blood on the ground.

“You're not fine.”

“I am.” Kimimaro growled and met his eyes. Haku went quiet.

“...You're sick. How long have you been sick?”

Kimimaro gritted his teeth and looked away. 

Haku took a step forward with his brows knit.

“Why didn't you tell us?”

“You will not tell anyone. No one.”

“But–” 

“No one!” Kimimaro growled under his breath with a subtle red stain on his lips. “I don't want you to tell anyone. Especially not Shizu.”

Haku pressed his lips together and swallowed. “...Alright. But you shouldn't keep it a secret.”

“It's better that I do.”

The boy stood quietly for several moments.

“You're still going?”

“Of course. Cover for me. I'll only be a few days.”

“If you're sure…”

“I am.”

The grey-haired Anbu agent knelt to investigate the trail. The tracks had stopped entirely without indication that the target moved to the treetops for a getaway. It was perplexing. A rustle made him draw his tanto, only to lower it once more when he saw the fellow agent's mask. 

“What are you doing here?” He frowned and sheathed his weapon. “If you're here on the Hokage's orders to bring me back to the village for time off, you can forget it. I had a solid lead.”

The other agent's dark eyes narrowed beneath the mask and he shook his head. “I thought you'd say that. However, that's not what's most pressing at the moment.”

“This trail is most pressing. I'm close this time, I know it.”

The other agent huffed. “My unit found this in an area we were assigned to scout. Left at a shrine.”

Kakashi took the folded letter and saw the intended recipient written in messy writing. “Who left it?”

“We don't know. We haven't found any trace of them.” The agent shook his head. “The rest of my unit is investigating further but they sent me to rendezvous with you to pass this on. Without knowing its origins, it's best if the Hokage and the Intel division take a look at it.”

“You expect me to bring it back to the village?”

“If the Hokage ordered you back, then you might as well bring it with you.”

Kakashi scowled beneath his mask. “Fine. This trail went cold anyway.”

The Anbu agents separated. When the dark-haired one was several kilometers away, he perched on a treetop and activated the sign to undo his transformation. Black hair turned white and his mismatched green and pale lilac eyes narrowed.

“What a chump.” He scoffed. It had been easy to impersonate a Konoha agent. Far too easy. He coughed hard and leaned against the tree for support as he coughed blood, then, when it passed, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and hurried away.

Somewhere in the heat of battle, he had been careless.

He hadn’t been so caught up in a fight since he was a teenager, but the three sets of Hunter-nin after him reignited the old adrenaline. Old habits died hard, and it was evident in his wild grin with each swing of the Kubikiribōchō, too drunk by each spray of crimson and scream of pain. Only now, with blood and bodies scattered– and the broken tip of his own blade embedded in his abdomen– does he realize the consequences of his bloodlust.

“Ah…” He coughed hard between ragged, strained breaths. The pain overwhelmed his senses in a way that was nearly numbness. His fingers dabbed at the blade, the spurting blood, the wound, and then leaned his head back against the tree.

“Damn it…”

Old habits die hard, he thinks, or at least, old habits get you killed. At least he’d killed all of them before succumbing to his wounds. 

He closed his eyes and the quiet sound of footsteps cracked them open again.

“Kid…” Juzo gritted his teeth and looked at the black-haired teen in the identical cloak. 

The sharingan faded to black and the boy turned. He was surprised to see the man still breathing at all, much less talking with the amount of blood already pooled around him.

“My… left inner pocket...” The swordsman rasped and more blood spilled from his lips. His dark eyes watched the teen crouch, dig through his cloak, and pull out the palm-sized notebook. “Take the receipt to the… blacksmith… Hideyoshi. I commissioned a… gift for my daughter. See that she… gets it.”

“A birthday present?” The teen looked up from the small book to his partner.

“She'll be… eight in a month. Tell Junko… I'm sorry.”

The final, strained syllables trailed off and left the Uchiha teen in silence with the air thick enough with the smell of blood that he could taste it. 

Juzo's body went limp. Still warm, the wound still pumping blood out, but all life has left his eyes.

Itachi reached out to lower the eyelids and close the man’s eyes.

“She'll get her present, I promise.”

The teen sensed reinforcements. He stood and pocketed the book. He took one last look at his partner, and then quickly left the scene, long gone by the time the fresh batch of Hunter-Nin found the rogue swordsman dead.

The Kubikiribōchō was an unfamiliar burden on Zabuza’s back, despite all of his training with the prop. He rolled his shoulders yet again to ease the tension and crossed his arms. Kimimaro stood at his side with his own arms crossed, disguised head to toe as Ro, in his first ‘official’ appearance. The meeting place was crowded, the air strained. It had been too long since Zabuza had called one, and he was in even worse of a mood than he usually was while listening to his allies give updates on their tasks. His fingers drummed in irritation on his arms.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

Zabuza, though he’d been putting off the rebellion for years until the boys were older, didn’t like the grumbled responses he got. They were in no better position than they were six months ago, no better off at figuring out how to track the elusive Mizukage in his comings and goings. How could they stage a coup on a leader that was little more than a ghost in his own village?

“How can no one have any intel on where he goes?”

“I have a lead.” 

Shifukai chuckled and stepped through the group. Hollower cheeks, paler skin, and thinner hair– he was more of a walking corpse than before, with a more distinct danger in his eyes. More distinct, more dangerous. But a lead was a lead.

“Go on.”

Shifukai approached slowly, silently, until he stood directly in front of Zabuza. His chapped, sallow lips twitched in a smirk. 

“Lord Fourth has been hunting the missing Nine-Tails to attain its power for himself.”

“We know that already.” Zabuza’s eyes narrowed and Ro tensed beside him.

“But you don’t know that he’s found it.”

The room went quiet and Zabuza dug his nails into his palms. 

“Has he?” Zabuza keeps his voice even, but the irritation slips though. Irritation is the least of what he feels. “If he already acquired it, we would all know–”

“He knows where it is. He needs to make a few preparations before he captures it.” Shifukai smirks and interrupts. “He’ll execute his plan by the end of the week.”

By the end of the week.

Zabuza’s vision darkened momentarily and the breath disappeared from his lungs. He clenched his jaw and his eyes narrowed.

“Is this credible?”

“I overheard it myself. He was speaking to a confidant.”

“A confidant? Who?” Meizu crossed his arms with a glare. “Why is this the first time we’ve heard about Lord Fourth having one?”

“Have you been holding out on us?” Gōzu crossed his arms as well.

“Would I do that?” Shifukai’s thin lips curved in a smirk. “I only just learned of it myself.”

“Who the hell could the Mizukage have in his pocket like that?” Zabuza grumbled and looked at Shifukai, trying to read his expression. It was impossible. “Who’s the confidant?”

“I wasn’t able to see well enough but it seemed to be an odd-looking man.”

“Odd how? Stop being vague.”

“Like a mannequin come to life. That’s the best description I can give.”

Mutterings and musing filled the room. Zabuza clenched his fists tighter at his sides. The whispers seemed all too loud and his head pounded.

The white humanoid creatures from the town.